IP Library Granted Patent US 12,359,446
Granted Patent B2
US 12,359,446 · App. 18/466,985 · Granted Jul 15, 2025

Panel for forming a floor covering

Inventors: Martin Segaert (Ypres, BE); Christophe Naeyaert (Jabbeke, BE)
Assignee: UNILIN BV
E04F15/107B27N3/06B29C43/006B29C43/30B29C43/305B29C43/48B29C70/081B29C70/506B32B5/024B32B27/12B32B27/304B32B37/1027B32B37/24B32B38/145D06N3/0022E04F15/02038E04F15/08E04F15/102E04F15/105B29C2043/483B29K2101/12B29K2309/08B29L2031/732B32B37/0015B32B2305/08B32B2305/10B32B2305/22B32B2305/30B32B2307/412B32B2307/414B32B2307/7242B32B2307/734B32B2309/105B32B2315/08B32B2315/085B32B2327/06B32B2398/20B32B2419/00B32B2471/00E04F2201/0153E04F2201/0161E04F2201/023Y10T428/24868
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,359,446
App. No.
18/466,985
Granted
Jul 15, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A panel including at least a substrate of thermoplastic material and a top layer with a printed decor and a translucent or transparent wear layer. The substrate has a thickness larger than one half of the thickness of the entire panel, and the substrate at least includes two layers, where the two layers each include thermoplastic material. A first one of the two layers further includes at least 60 percent by weight of filler materials and a second one of the two layers includes less fillers or is not filled, and is situated above the first one of the two layers.

Claims (33)

1. A panel comprising:

a substrate formed by thermoplastic material;

a printed decor film having a lower side located directly on the substrate; and

a translucent or transparent wear layer located on an upper side of the printed decor film,

wherein said substrate has a thickness larger than one half of an overall thickness of the panel, and wherein said substrate is formed essentially by a first layer and a second layer of thermoplastic material, wherein the first layer forms an underside of said panel, and said lower side of said printed decor film is located directly on said second layer, wherein the first layer is formed by thermoplastic material having a lower amount of plasticizer than the second layer,

wherein said panel is a floor panel for a floating floor covering, wherein at two or more opposite edges of the panel, coupling parts are formed in that two of the floor panels are arranged to be coupled at the opposite edges to mutually lock in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the respective edge and in the plane of the floor panels, and in a vertical direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor panels,

wherein said coupling parts are essentially formed from and in said substrate, wherein said coupling parts comprise a tongue and a groove bordered by an upper lip and a lower lip, wherein said lower lip extends beyond said upper lip, and wherein said upper lip is formed in said second layer of said substrate, wherein said lower lip is formed in said first layer of said substrate.

2. The panel of claim 1 , wherein said thermoplastic material of the first layer is polyvinyl chloride of a rigid type comprising less than 12 percent by weight of plasticizer or is free from plasticizer.

3. The panel of claim 2 , wherein said thermoplastic material of the second layer is polyvinyl chloride of a soft type comprising more than 12 percent by weight of plasticizer.

4. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein said first layer comprises less than 80 percent by weight of filler materials.

5. The panel according to claim 4 , wherein said filler material is chalk or limestone.

6. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein said coupling parts are arranged for coupling by a downward-directed movement of a male coupling part up into a female coupling part.

7. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein said substrate has a thickness of 1.3 to 10 millimeters.

8. The panel according to claim 7 , wherein said panel has a thickness situated between 2 and 6 millimeters.

9. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein said wear layer also comprises a thermoplastic material, wherein said thermoplastic material is hard or soft polyvinylchloride.

10. The panel according to claim 9 , wherein a UV- or electron beam-hardening lacquer layer and/or a PU lacquer layer is applied as an uppermost layer of the panel.

11. A panel comprising:

a substrate formed by thermoplastic material;

a printed decor film having a lower side located directly on the substrate; and

a translucent or transparent wear layer located on an upper side of the printed decor film,

wherein said substrate has a thickness larger than one half of an overall thickness of the panel; wherein said substrate is formed essentially by a first layer and a second layer of thermoplastic material, wherein the first layer forms an underside of said substrate, and said lower side of said printed decor film is located directly on said second layer, wherein the first layer is formed by thermoplastic material having a lower amount of plasticizer than the second layer,

wherein an underlay is provided on and extends along the underside of the substrate formed by said first layer of said substrate,

wherein said panel is a floor panel for a floating floor covering, wherein at two or more opposite edges of the panel, coupling parts are formed in that two of the floor panels are arranged to be coupled at the opposite edges to mutually lock in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the respective edge and in the plane of the floor panels, and in a vertical direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor panels,

wherein said coupling parts are essentially formed from and in said substrate, wherein said coupling parts comprise a tongue and a groove bordered by an upper lip and a lower lip, wherein said lower lip extends beyond said upper lip, and wherein said upper lip is formed in said second layer of said substrate, wherein said lower lip is formed in said first layer of said substrate.

12. The panel of claim 11 , wherein said thermoplastic material of the first layer is polyvinyl chloride of a rigid type comprising less than 12 percent by weight of plasticizer or is free from plasticizer.

13. The panel of claim 12 , wherein said thermoplastic material of the second layer is polyvinyl chloride of a soft type comprising more than 12 percent by weight of plasticizer.

14. The panel according to claim 11 , wherein said first layer comprises less than 80 percent by weight of filler materials.

15. The panel according to claim 14 , wherein said filler material is chalk or limestone.

16. The panel according to claim 11 , wherein said coupling parts are arranged for coupling by a downward-directed movement of a male coupling part up into a female coupling part.

17. The panel according to claim 11 , wherein said substrate has a thickness of 1.3 to 10 millimeters.

18. The panel according to claim 17 , wherein said panel has a thickness situated between 2 and 6 millimeters.

19. The panel according to claim 11 , wherein said wear layer also comprises a thermoplastic material, wherein said thermoplastic material is hard or soft polyvinylchloride.

20. The panel according to claim 19 , wherein a UV- or electron beam-hardening lacquer layer and/or a PU lacquer layer is applied as an uppermost layer of the panel.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 14, 2023
From: SEGAERT, MARTIN; NAEYAERT, CHRISTOPHE
To: UNILIN, BVBA
Reel/Frame 064901/0981 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 14, 2023
From: UNILIN BVBA
To: UNILIN BV
Reel/Frame 064907/0825 →
Priority Claims (2)
BE 2012/0370 · Jun 1, 2012 · national
BE 2012/0474 · Jul 6, 2012 · national
Continuity (6)
Continuation 16990375 · Aug 11, 2020
Continuation 16364378 · Mar 26, 2019
Continuation 15924869 · Mar 19, 2018
Continuation 15377198 · Dec 13, 2016
Continuation 14402022
Related Publication 20230417067A1 · Dec 28, 2023
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