IP Library Granted Patent US 11,987,988
Granted Patent B2
US 11,987,988 · App. 17/660,866 · Granted May 21, 2024

Floor element for forming a floor covering and a floor covering

Inventors: Rahul Patki (Richardson, TX); Laurent Meersseman (Kortrijk, BE); Claudio Beneventi (Sassuolo, IT); Claudio Caselli (Dallas, TX)
Assignee: Unilin BV
E04F13/0866E04F13/14E04F15/02005E04F15/082B32B3/06B32B9/002B32B9/005B32B13/06B32B13/12B32B13/14B32B15/18B32B17/02B32B17/067B32B27/304B32B2250/05B32B2262/0269B32B2262/101B32B2262/105B32B2262/106B32B2307/558B32B2307/7265B32B2471/00E04F2201/0146E04F2201/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,987,988
App. No.
17/660,866
Granted
May 21, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A floor element for forming a floor covering, wherein the floor element comprises a decorative layer made of a ceramic material; a support layer arranged below the decorative layer; and a reinforcing layer arranged in between the decorative layer and the support layer, wherein the support layer comprises edges provided with coupling elements configured to realize a mechanical coupling with coupling elements of an adjacent floor element.

Claims (19)

1. A floor element for forming a floor covering, wherein the floor element comprises:

a decorative layer comprising a ceramic material, the decorative layer having an impact strength of above 1.91 Nm and a thickness between 7 and 15 mm;

a support layer arranged below the decorative layer, the support layer comprising fiber cement; and

a reinforcing layer arranged in between the decorative layer and the support layer, the reinforcing layer comprising a metal plate and having a coefficient of thermal expansion higher than the coefficient of thermal expansion of the decorative layer,

wherein the support layer comprises edges provided with coupling elements configured for a mechanical coupling with coupling elements of an adjacent floor element, and

wherein the floor element has a thickness of 15 mm or less.

2. The floor element in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing layer comprises a glue.

3. The floor element in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the decorative layer comprises a brittle material and/or comprises natural stone, glass or concrete.

4. The floor element in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the coupling elements are configured to enable the coupling by means of a translational downward motion of the floor element with respect to the adjacent floor element.

5. The floor element in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the coupling elements comprise at least one male part and at least one female part.

6. The floor element in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the male part is in the form of a tongue the female part is in the form of a groove or, wherein the male and female parts are dovetail shaped in a top plan view.

7. The floor element in accordance with claim 1 , wherein locking surfaces are formed in a coupled condition of two of said adjacent floor elements, thereby limiting the mutual movement of said floor elements in a vertical and/or horizontal direction.

8. The floor element in accordance with claim 7 , wherein first locking surfaces are formed in a coupled condition of two of said adjacent floor elements, thereby limiting the mutual movement of said floor elements in a horizontal direction along the coupled edges, and/or

wherein second locking surfaces are formed in a coupled condition of two of said adjacent floor elements, thereby limiting the mutual movement of said floor elements in a direction that is substantially horizontal and perpendicular to the coupled edges, and/or

wherein third locking surfaces are formed in a coupled condition of two of said adjacent floor elements, thereby limiting the mutual movement of said floor elements in a direction that is substantially vertical.

9. The floor element in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the movement in the vertical direction is limited by a locking surface at least partially formed by a lower surface of the decorative layer.

10. The floor element in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the decorative layer is mounted on the support layer in such a way that an intermediate distance is present between the decorative layers in a coupled condition of two of said floor elements.

11. A floor covering comprising a plurality of floor element according to claim 1 .

12. The floor covering of claim 11 further comprising a grout filling an intermediate space between the edges of the decorative layers.

Assignments (6)
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 Apr 27, 2022
From: BENEVENTI, CLAUDIO
To: MARAZZI GROUP S.R.L.
Reel/Frame 059740/0757 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2022
From: CASELLI, CLAUDIO; PATKI, RAHUL
To: DALTILE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059750/0961 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2022
From: MEERSSEMAN, LAURENT
To: FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED S.A.R.L.
Reel/Frame 059751/0038 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2022
From: DALTILE CORPORATION
To: FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED S.A.R.L.
Reel/Frame 059755/0300 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2022
From: MARAZZI GROUP S.R.L.
To: FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED S.A.R.L.
Reel/Frame 059755/0304 →