IP Library Granted Patent US 12,392,141
Granted Patent B2
US 12,392,141 · App. 18/348,056 · Granted Aug 19, 2025

Floor board and method for manufacturing such floor boards

Inventors: Dieter D'Hondt (Sint-andries, BE); Aaron Shaw (High Point, NC)
Assignee: UNILIN, BV
E04F15/02038E04F15/102E04F15/107Y10T428/24777
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,392,141
App. No.
18/348,056
Granted
Aug 19, 2025
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 (34)

1. A floor board comprising a substrate having side edges and a decorative surface layer applied to said substrate;

wherein the decorative surface layer is formed of paper layers and/or of veneer layers;

wherein the substrate comprises MDF or HDF material at a side edge thereof, wherein said side edge of said substrate is treated with an impregnation agent comprising at least an MDI (methylene diphenyl di-isocyanate) and a solvent different from water;

wherein the MDF or HDF material has an average density of more than 750 kg per cubic meter and comprises a higher density region extending at least near the decorative surface layer, wherein the higher density region has a density of 900 kilograms per cubic meter or more.

2. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein the impregnation agent comprises at least 65% by weight of MDI.

3. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein the impregnation agent comprises at least 75% by weight of MDI.

4. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein the impregnation agent comprises at most 25% by weight of solvent.

5. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein the impregnation agent comprises between 15% and 25% by weight of solvent.

6. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein the solvent is chosen form the list of: propylacetate, diphenylmethane, diphenylethane, and mixtures thereof.

7. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein the solvent is based on a mixture of butyl diphenylmethane and butyl diphenylethane.

8. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein the solvent is an oil-type solvent, chosen from the list consisting of turpentine, linseed oil, either boiled or unboiled, castor oil, soy oil, and other protein based liquids.

9. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein the MDF/HDF material comprises wood fibers glued together by ureumformaldehyde, melamineureumformaldehyde and/or MDI.

10. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein the MDF/HDF material comprises between 0.1% and 3% by weight of wax.

11. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein the floor board comprises opposite side edges, wherein the upper edge of the respective opposite side edges are formed with a lowered edge surface.

12. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein the impregnation agent comprises one or more substances chosen from the list consisting of an epoxy resin, a fluorocopolymer, and acetic anhydride.

13. The floor board of claim 1 , wherein the impregnation agent comprises fluorocopolymer and wherein the impregnation agent per 100 parts of MDI, comprises less than 20 parts of fluorocopolymer.

14. A method for manufacturing a floor board, said floor board comprising a decorative surface layer applied to a substrate, said method comprising:

providing a substrate material comprising MDF/HDF material;

applying a decorative surface layer to a top surface of said substrate material;

dividing said substrate material into planks having approximately the size of said floor board;

profiling a side edge of said planks; said MDF/HDF material being exposed at said side edge;

impregnating said side edge with an impregnation agent; and

wherein said impregnating of said side edge with the impregnation agent comprises applying the impregnation agent on said side edge while the floor board is transported on a transporting device, and wherein the impregnation agent comprises MDI and a solvent different from water;

wherein the decorative surface layer is formed of paper layers and/or of veneer layers;

wherein the MDF or HDF material has an average density of more than 750 kg per cubic meter and comprises a higher density region extending at least near the decorative surface layer, wherein the higher density region has a density of 900 kilograms per cubic meter or more.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein applying the impregnation agent comprises spraying, vacuum coating, vertical bathing, immersion, wheel coating, and/or brush application.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the impregnation agent comprises at least 65% by weight of MDI.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the impregnation agent comprises at most 25% by weight of solvent.

18. A floor board comprising a substrate having side edges and a decorative surface layer applied to said substrate;

wherein the decorative surface layer is formed of paper layers and/or of veneer layers;

wherein the substrate comprises MDF or HDF material at a side edge thereof, wherein an upper part of said side edge is formed with a lowered edge surface exposing a part of the substrate as a result of removing a material portion from the substrate, and the side edge includes a decoration separate from the decorative surface layer and located on the lowered edge surface of the substrate;

wherein said side edge of said substrate is treated with an impregnation agent comprising at least an MDI (methylene diphenyl di-isocyanate) and a solvent different from water.

19. The floor board of claim 18 , wherein the MDF or HDF material has an average density of more than 750 kg per cubic meter and comprises a higher density region extending at least near the decorative surface layer and at the lowered edge surface, wherein the higher density region has a density of 900 kilograms per cubic meter or more.

20. The floor board of claim 18 , wherein the MDF/HDF material comprises wood fibers glued together by means of ureumformaldehyde and/or melamineureumformaldehyde.

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 Jul 6, 2023
From: UNILIN NORTH AMERICA, LLC
To: ALADDIN MANUFACTURING CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064172/0442 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 6, 2023
From: ALADDIN MANUFACTURING CORPORATION
To: MOHAWK FLOORING INVESTMENTS, LLC
Reel/Frame 064172/0474 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 6, 2023
From: MOHAWK INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS (DE), LLC
To: MOHAWK GLOBAL INVESTMENTS S.A.R.L.
Reel/Frame 064172/0594 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 6, 2023
From: D'HONDT, DIETER; SHAW, AARON
To: UNILIN NORTH AMERICA, LLC
Reel/Frame 064172/0394 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 6, 2023
From: MOHAWK INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS S.A.R.L.
To: FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED, SARL
Reel/Frame 064223/0280 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 6, 2023
From: MOHAWK GLOBAL INVESTMENTS S.A.R.L.
To: MOHAWK INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS S.A.R.L.
Reel/Frame 064270/0631 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 6, 2023
From: MOHAWK FLOORING INVESTMENTS, LLC
To: MOHAWK INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS (DE), LLC
Reel/Frame 064223/0232 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 17374431 · Jul 13, 2021
Continuation 16808745 · Mar 4, 2020
Continuation 15571576
Provisional Application 62160283 · May 12, 2015
Related Publication 20230349169A1 · Nov 2, 2023
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