IP Library Granted Patent US 12,203,277
Granted Patent B2
US 12,203,277 · App. 17/628,468 · Granted Jan 21, 2025

Floor panel

Inventor: Bruno Vermeulen (Aldeneik-Maaseik, BE)
Assignee: UNILIN BV
E04F15/107B32B3/06B32B3/30B32B5/02B32B5/18B32B13/02B32B13/12B32B21/02B32B27/065B32B27/12B32B27/304B32B27/32B32B27/36B32B27/40B32B2255/02B32B2255/10B32B2255/102B32B2255/26B32B2262/10B32B2262/108B32B2266/0235B32B2266/0278B32B2307/4023B32B2307/412B32B2419/04B32B2479/00B32B2607/00E04F15/02038E04F2201/023
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,203,277
App. No.
17/628,468
Granted
Jan 21, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A floor panel includes several side edges extending in the peripheral direction of the floor panel behind one another and separated from one another by a corner, and a plastic top surface delimited by the side edges. A portion of the top surface is provided with at least two elongate zones with a mutually different texture which also deviates from the texture of an area of the top surface which adjoins the zones. The zones form edge zones, each of which extends along one of the side edges or the long sides of the zones adjoin each other.

Claims (25)

1. A floor panel, comprising several side edges which extend in a peripheral direction of the floor panel behind one another and are separated from one another by a corner, and a plastic top surface delimited by the side edges,

wherein a portion of the top surface is provided with at least two elongate zones with a mutually different texture which also deviates from the texture of an area of the top surface which adjoins to the at least two zones,

wherein long sides of the at least two elongate zones adjoin each other or wherein the at least two elongate zones form edge zones, each of which extends along one of the side edges;

wherein the mutually different texture of the at least two elongate zones is produced in such a way that a gloss level differs by at least one point, as determined in accordance with DIN 67530.

2. The floor panel in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least two elongate zones are of equal width.

3. The floor panel in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the floor panel has a rectangular shape, and the at least two elongate zones are situated along two mutually opposite side edges.

4. The floor panel in accordance with claim 3 , wherein two of the side edges are longitudinal edges and the other two are transverse edges which are shorter than the longitudinal edges,

wherein the at least two elongate zones with different texture are situated along mutually opposite longitudinal edges and

wherein two edge zones with different texture are also situated along mutually opposite transverse edges.

5. The floor panel in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the edge zones along the transverse edges are narrower than the edge zones along the longitudinal edges.

6. The floor panel in accordance with claim 4 , wherein one of the longitudinal edges and one of the transverse edges have the same texture and the other longitudinal edge and transverse edge likewise have the same texture.

7. The floor panel in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a width of each of the at least two elongate zones is smaller than a thickness of the floor panel.

8. The floor panel in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a transition between at least one of the zones and the area adjoining this zone of the top surface follows a non-linear line.

9. The floor panel in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the non-linear line is a serrated or an undulating line.

10. The floor panel in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the zones with the adjoining long sides are situated at a distance from two mutually opposite side edges.

11. The floor panel in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least one of the zones is lower than the area of the top surface adjoining this zone.

12. The floor panel in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the zone which is at least situated lower is parallel to the area of the top surface adjoining this zone.

13. The floor panel in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the plastic top surface forms part of a coating layer which is applied to a substrate.

14. The floor panel in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the texture is formed by impressions which are less deep than the coating layer.

15. The floor panel in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the mutually different texture of the zones is produced in such a way that one zone has a gloss level of 10 or less and the other zone has a gloss level which is more than 10, as determined in accordance with DIN 67530.

16. The floor panel in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the gloss level of the area of the top surface adjoining the zones is between the gloss levels of the zones.

17. The floor panel in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the texture of at least one of the zones has a varying pattern.

18. The floor panel in accordance with claim 17 , wherein both zones have varying patterns which differ from one another.

19. The floor panel in accordance with claim 17 , wherein the pattern is in a form of a stripe or plurality of stripes.

20. The floor panel in accordance with claim 19 , wherein the stripe or plurality of stripes of the pattern at an edge zone are arranged at an angle to the corresponding side edge.

Assignments (2)
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 Jan 19, 2022
From: VERMEULEN, BRUNO
To: FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED, SARL
Reel/Frame 058698/0849 →