IP Library Granted Patent US 11,739,537
Granted Patent B2
US 11,739,537 · App. 17/374,448 · Granted Aug 29, 2023

Floor board and method for manufacturing such floor boards

Inventors: Dieter D'Hondt (Sint-andries, BE); Aaron Shaw (High Point, NC)
Assignee: FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED, SARL
E04F15/02038E04F15/102E04F15/107Y10T428/24777
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,739,537
App. No.
17/374,448
Granted
Aug 29, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A floor board including a decorative surface layer applied to a substrate, where the substrate has MDF or HDF material at a side edge thereof, where the side edge is treated both with an impregnation agent and/or a sealing agent based on a super absorbing material. Also, a method for manufacturing such floor boards.

Claims (26)

1. A floor board comprising a substrate having side edges and a decorative surface layer applied to said substrate, said substrate comprising MDF or HDF material at at least one of said side edges,

wherein said decorative surface layer and an opposite surface of the floor board opposite to the decorative surface layer, the decorative surface layer and the opposite surface form surfaces of the floor board;

wherein said at least one side edge is treated with an impregnation agent;

said at least one side edge together with a side edge opposite thereto forming a first pair of opposite side edges of said substrate;

wherein said floor board further comprises a second pair of opposite side edges;

wherein said MDF or HDF material comprises higher density regions near at least the decorative surface layer or one or both of said surfaces;

wherein said MDF or HDF material has an average density of more than 750 kg per cubic meter.

2. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein said MDF or HDF material comprises higher density regions near to both of said surfaces.

3. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein said decorative surface layer is a surface layer having a thickness less than 0.75 millimeter.

4. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein said decorative surface layer is formed from at least one or more paper layers; and wherein said at least one or more papers are treated with a thermosetting resin.

5. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein said decorative surface layer comprises a print; wherein said decorative surface layer further comprises a wear resistant layer provided over the print.

6. The floor board of claim 5 , wherein said print is provided on a paper sheet.

7. The floor board of claim 5 , wherein said wear resistant layer comprises a paper sheet, said paper sheet being impregnated with thermosetting resin and optionally hard particles including aluminumoxide.

8. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein said MDF or HDF material comprises zones of locally lowered density at at least one of said side edges.

9. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein said floor board at said first pair of opposite side edges comprises mechanical coupling parts allowing to couple said floor board at the respective edges with a similar floor board such that, in a coupled condition, said floor board and said similar floor board become locked both in a direction perpendicular to a plane formed by the coupled floor boards, as well as in a direction perpendicular to said first pair of opposite side edges and in said plane; and

wherein said mechanical coupling parts are basically shaped as a tongue and a groove, wherein said groove is delimited by an upper groove lip and a lower groove lip, and wherein said tongue and groove are provided with additional locking elements for creating said locking in the direction perpendicular to said first pair of opposite side edges and in said plane.

10. The floor board of claim 9 , wherein in said floor board in said coupled condition, said lower groove lip is bent-out and pushes on said tongue to thereby push the coupled floor boards towards each other.

11. The floor board of claim 9 , wherein said additional locking elements comprise an excavation at the lower side of the tongue and a cooperating therewith protrusion at an upper surface of the lower groove lip.

12. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein at least second pair of opposite side edges comprises mechanical coupling parts allowing to couple said floor board at the respective side edges with a similar floor board by means of a downward motion such that, in a coupled condition, said floor board and said similar floor board become locked both in a direction perpendicular to a plane formed by the coupled floor boards, as well as in a direction perpendicular to the coupled second pair of opposite side edges and in the plane of the coupled floor boards.

13. The floor board of claim 12 , wherein said mechanical coupling parts are basically shaped as a male part and a female part, wherein the male part is formed with a downwardly extending hook shaped part and the female part comprises a lower flank with an excavation provided therein; wherein said male part is designed to be seated in said excavation.

14. The floor board of claim 13 , wherein said female part further comprises an upwardly protruding hook shaped part bordering said excavation, and wherein said upwardly protruding hook shaped part cooperates with the downwardly extending hook shaped part of the male part.

15. The floor board of claim 13 , wherein the male part further comprises a sidewardly protruding hook and wherein said female part further comprises an undercut, said undercut preferably being formed by means of a separate insert, which insert resiliently moves inwardly and subsequently outwardly to catch the sidewardly protruding hook in the undercut during the downward motion.

16. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein both side edges of said first pair of opposite side edges are treated with said impregnation agent.

17. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein both sides of said second pair of opposite side edges are treated with said impregnation agent.

18. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein an upper edge of the first and/or the second pair of opposite side edges are formed with a lowered edge surface.

19. The floor board of claim 18 , wherein said lowered edge surface is in the form of a square edge, a beveled edge or a chamfered edge.

Assignments (8)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Mar 18, 2024
From: FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED, SARL
To: UNILIN BV
Reel/Frame 066805/0445 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 15, 2023
From: MOHAWK FLOORING INVESTMENTS, LLC
To: MOHAWK INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS (DE), LLC
Reel/Frame 063644/0967 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 15, 2023
From: MOHAWK INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS (DE), LLC
To: MOHAWK GLOBAL INVESTMENTS S.À.R.L.
Reel/Frame 063645/0028 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 15, 2023
From: MOHAWK GLOBAL INVESTMENTS S.À.R.L.
To: MOHAWK INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS S.À.R.L.
Reel/Frame 063645/0049 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 15, 2023
From: ALADDIN MANUFACTURING CORPORATION
To: MOHAWK FLOORING INVESTMENTS, LLC
Reel/Frame 063644/0943 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 15, 2023
From: MOHAWK INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS S.À.R.L.
To: FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED, SARL
Reel/Frame 063645/0336 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2021
From: D'HONDT, DIETER; SHAW, AARON
To: UNILIN NORTH AMERICA, LLC
Reel/Frame 056841/0190 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2021
From: UNILIN NORTH AMERICA, LLC
To: ALADDIN MANUFACTURING CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 056841/0159 →