IP Library Granted Patent US 11,904,594
Granted Patent B2
US 11,904,594 · App. 17/715,627 · Granted Feb 20, 2024

Floor panels

Inventor: Kristof Van Vlassenrode (Deinze, BE)
Assignee: FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED, SARL
B32B7/023B32B3/06B32B5/245B32B27/08B32B27/304E04F15/02038E04F15/105E04F15/107B32B2262/101B32B2266/0235E04F15/02033E04F2201/0153E04F2201/023E04F2201/043
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,904,594
App. No.
17/715,627
Granted
Feb 20, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A floor panel including a top layer and a substrate, where the substrate at least one first layer of a first thermoplastic material and a second layer of a second thermoplastic material, where the second layer is adjacent to a first side of the first layer. The first layer is characterized by a first colour with luminance value L1 in the HSL colour space and the second layer is characterized by a second colour with luminance value L2 in the HSL colour space, where L1 is different from L2.

Claims (33)

1. A floor panel comprising at least a substrate and a top layer, said top layer comprising a decorating layer being a thermoplastic film provided with a decorative print,

wherein the substrate comprises at least one first layer of a first thermoplastic material and a second layer of a second thermoplastic material, wherein the second layer is adjacent to a first side of the first layer,

wherein at least one of said first and second layers is a foamed layer and wherein at least one of said first and second layers comprises polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and plasticizers in an amount of less than 12 plasticizers per hundred parts of polymer or is free from plasticizers,

wherein said substrate comprises one or more further layers of thermoplastic material located between a second side of said first layer and said thermoplastic film,

wherein the floor panel is provided, on at least two opposite edges, with coupling means that allow two such floor panels to be coupled together, and wherein said coupling means are formed at least from a material of both said first and second layers, wherein said first and second layers have a different colour.

2. The floor panel according to claim 1 , wherein the first layer is defined by a first colour with luminance value L1 in a Hue-Saturation-Luminance (HSL) colour space and the second layer is defined by a second colour with luminance value L2 in the HSL colour space, wherein L1 is different from L2.

3. The floor panel according to claim 2 , wherein the absolute value of L1-L2 is less than or equal to 50.

4. The floor panel according to claim 2 , wherein L2<L1.

5. The floor panel according to claim 2 , wherein a larger of L1 and L2 is less than or equal to 85.

6. The floor panel according to claim 2 , wherein the first colour has a saturation value S1 in the HSL colour space and the second layer has a saturation value S2 in the HSL colour space, and where S1 and S2 are each less than or equal to 25.

7. The floor panel according to claim 2 , wherein a hue of the first colour is defined by an angle H1 in the HSL colour space and a hue of the second colour is defined by an angle H2 in the HSL colour space and where the smaller angle between H1 and H2 is less than or equal to 175°.

8. The floor panel according to claim 1 , wherein in a coupled condition of said two opposite edges, locking is brought about at least in a horizontal direction in a surface of the floor panels and perpendicular to the edges, wherein at least one of the edges is provided with a hook-shaped locking part directed upwards, wherein the hook-shaped locking part is formed at least from the material of said first layer.

9. The floor panel according to claim 1 , wherein in a coupled condition of said two opposite edges, locking is brought about at least in a horizontal direction in a surface of the floor panels and perpendicular to the edges, wherein at least one of the edges is provided with a hook-shaped locking part directed upwards, wherein the hook-shaped locking part is formed at least from the material of said second layer.

10. The floor panel according to claim 1 , wherein in a coupled condition of said two opposite edges, locking is brought about at least in a vertical direction perpendicular to a surface of the floor panels, wherein at least one of the edges is provided with a groove, wherein this groove is flanked by an upper lip and a lower lip and wherein an upper surface of the lower lip is formed at least from the material of said first layer.

11. The floor panel according to claim 1 , wherein in a coupled condition of said two opposite edges, locking is brought about at least in a vertical direction perpendicular to a surface of the floor panels, wherein at least one of the edges is provided with a groove, wherein this groove is flanked by an upper lip and a lower lip and wherein a lower surface of the upper lip is formed at least from the material of said first layer.

12. The floor panel according to claim 1 , wherein in a coupled condition of said two opposite edges, locking is brought about at least in a vertical direction perpendicular to a surface of the floor panels, wherein at least one of the edges is provided with a groove, wherein this groove is flanked by an upper lip and a lower lip and wherein the lower surface of the upper lip is formed at least from the material of said second layer.

13. The floor panel according to claim 1 , wherein in a coupled condition of said two opposite edges, locking is brought about at least in a vertical direction perpendicular to a surface of the floor panels, as well as in a horizontal direction in the surface of the floor panels and perpendicular to the edges, wherein the locking in the vertical direction is provided by at least one pair of interacting contact surfaces partly formed in the first layer, whereas said locking in the horizontal direction is provided by at least one pair of interacting contact surfaces formed at least from the material of said second layer.

14. The floor panel according to claim 1 , wherein the second layer is positioned under the first layer in the floor panel.

15. The floor panel according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic material of the first layer is polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and wherein the thermoplastic material of the second layer is PVC.

16. The floor panel according to claim 1 , wherein t each of the one or more further layers of thermoplastic material is defined individually by a luminance value Lx.

17. The floor panel according to claim 16 , wherein for each of the one or more further layers the colour has a luminance value Lx that is different from L1.

18. The floor panel according to claim 16 , wherein for at least one of the one or more further layers the colour has a luminance value Lx that is identical to L2.

19. The floor panel according to claim 16 , wherein each of the one or more further layers of thermoplastic material is defined individually by a saturation value Sx, wherein each Sx is less than or equal to 25.

20. The floor panel according to claim 16 , wherein each of the one or more further layers of thermoplastic material is defined individually by a hue with angle Hx, wherein a smaller angle between H1 and each of the Hx is less than 175°.

21. The floor panel according to claim 16 , wherein a largest of L1, L2 and all Lx is less than or equal to 85.

22. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein said foamed layer is fastened to at least one adjoining layer by means of a glued joint.

23. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein said first layer is a foamed layer.

24. The floor panel of claim 23 , wherein said first layer is fastened at said first side by means of a glued joint to said second layer and is fastened at said second side to one of said one or more further layers by means of a glue joint.

25. A floor panel comprising at least a substrate and a top layer, said top layer comprising a decorating layer, said decorating layer being a thermoplastic film provided with a decorative print,

wherein the substrate comprises at least one first layer of a first thermoplastic material and a second layer of a second thermoplastic material, wherein the second layer is adjacent to a first side of the first layer, wherein at least said first layer is a foamed layer and wherein at least one of said first and second layers comprises polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and plasticizers in an amount of less than 12 plasticizers per hundred parts of polymer or is free from plasticizers,

wherein said substrate comprises one or more further layers of thermoplastic material located between said second side of said first layer and said thermoplastic film,

wherein said first layer is fastened at said first side by means of a glued joint to said second layer and is fastened at said second side to one of said one or more further layers by means of a glue joint,

wherein the floor panel is provided, on at least two opposite edges, with coupling means that allow two such floor panels to be coupled together, and wherein said coupling means are formed at least from the material of both said first and second layers, wherein said first and second layers have a different colour.

Assignments (3)
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 8, 2022
From: IVC, BV
To: FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED, SARL
Reel/Frame 059539/0592 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 7, 2022
From: VAN VLASSENRODE, KRISTOF
To: IVC, BV
Reel/Frame 059535/0991 →
Priority Claims (1)
BE 2018/5375 · Jun 6, 2018 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16972074
Related Publication 20220227102A1 · Jul 21, 2022
Cited By (2)
US 12,365,161 US 12,441,082