IP Library Granted Patent US 11,987,994
Granted Patent B2
US 11,987,994 · App. 17/965,878 · Granted May 21, 2024

Floor panel and method for manufacturing a floor panel

Inventors: Kristof Van Vlassenrode (Deinze, BE); Nick Vanhulle (Anzegem, BE)
Assignee: UNILIN BV
E04F15/107B32B3/30B32B5/02B32B9/02B32B9/042B32B9/045B32B21/02B32B21/06B32B21/08B32B27/08B32B27/10B32B27/12B32B37/00B32B37/0053B32B38/06E04F15/02E04F15/105B32B37/223B32B2037/243B32B2255/10B32B2255/26B32B2255/28B32B2262/101B32B2307/408B32B2307/412B32B2307/414B32B2327/06B32B2471/00E04F2201/0161
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,987,994
App. No.
17/965,878
Granted
May 21, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Floor panel, which includes a substrate and a top layer provided above, and preferably directly above, the substrate, where the top layer includes a décor layer, a thermoplastic wear layer, and a lacquer layer provided above, and preferably directly above, the wear layer, and where the floor panel has an upper surface showing a relief, where the relief has a maximum relief depth which is larger than 100 microns, and where the wear layer and the lacquer layer are embossed in order to form the relief.

Claims (26)

1. A floor panel, which comprises a substrate and a top layer provided directly above the substrate, wherein the top layer comprises a decor layer, a thermoplastic wear layer, a lacquer layer provided above the wear layer, and an additional lacquer layer above the lacquer layer, and

wherein the floor panel has an upper surface showing a relief,

wherein the relief has embossed zones with a maximum relief depth which is larger than 100 microns,

wherein the wear layer and the lacquer layer are embossed in order to form the relief,

wherein said lacquer layer is thinner at a location of the embossed zones than outside the embossed zones, and wherein the decor of the decor layer is imprinted or printed;

wherein the lacquer layer is present over an entirety of the wear layer including in the embossed zones;

wherein the additional lacquer layer extends over the lacquer layer outside of the embossed zones.

2. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the decor is imprinted by means of printing techniques selected from the group consisting of offset printing, gravure printing and a digital printing technique.

3. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the decor of the decor layer is imprinted or printed directly on the substrate.

4. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the decor is printed on a primer present on the substrate.

5. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the decor of the decor layer is printed or imprinted on a lower side of the wear layer.

6. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the wear layer is a foil or film.

7. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the wear layer is provided above, and directly above, the decor layer, in the form of a liquid mass, and cured.

8. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the wear layer is transparent or translucent.

9. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the embossed lacquer layer is transparent or translucent.

10. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the maximum relief depth is larger than 200 microns.

11. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the substrate, in order to form the relief, also is embossed.

12. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the floor panel comprises a bevel on at least one edge.

13. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the floor panel is suitable for forming a floating floor covering.

14. The floor panel of claim 13 , wherein the floor panel, on at least one pair of opposite edges, is provided with integrated mechanical coupling parts and wherein these coupling parts allow effecting a locking between two of such floor panels in a direction (V) perpendicular to a plane of the coupled floor panels and in a direction (H) parallel to the plane of the coupled floor panels and perpendicular to the coupled edges.

15. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the embossed lacquer layer is realized on a basis of a polyurethane dispersion.

16. The floor panel of claim 15 , wherein the polyurethane dispersion is curable by means of radiation.

17. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the relief is or is not realized in register with the decor of the decor layer, and wherein the relief simulates a texture of a natural product selected from the group consisting of wood, stone and ceramics.

18. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the decor of the decor layer simulates a natural product selected from the group consisting of wood, stone and ceramics.

19. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a thermoplastic substrate layer.

20. The floor panel of claim 19 , wherein the thermoplastic synthetic layer is selected from the group consisting of: polyvinylchloride, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate and polyurethane.

Assignments (4)
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 Oct 14, 2022
From: VAN VLASSENRODE, KRISTOF; VANHULLE, NICK
To: IVC BVBA
Reel/Frame 061423/0053 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 14, 2022
From: IVC BVBA
To: IVC BV
Reel/Frame 061423/0056 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 14, 2022
From: IVC BV
To: FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED, SARL
Reel/Frame 061423/0066 →
Priority Claims (1)
BE 2016/5732 · Oct 3, 2016 · national
Continuity (4)
Continuation 16751418 · Jan 24, 2020
Continuation 16333364
Provisional Application 62443166 · Jan 6, 2017
Related Publication 20230033802A1 · Feb 2, 2023