Granted Patent B2

US 12,448,786 · App. 19/175,208 · Granted Oct 21, 2025

Inventors: Mark Cappelle (Staden, BE); Pieter Devos (Koolskamp, BE)

Assignee: UNILIN, BV

E04F15/02038E04F15/102E04F15/105E04F15/107E04F2201/0153

Abstract

Claims (65)

1. A floor panel for forming a floor covering,

wherein the floor panel comprises a substrate and at least one top layer;

wherein the floor panel is rectangular, either oblong or square, and comprises a first pair of opposite edges;

wherein the first pair of opposite edges comprises coupling parts which allow mutually coupling a plurality of such floor panels to each other;

wherein said coupling parts, on the first pair of opposite edges, form a first locking system which, in a coupled condition of two of such floor panels, effects a locking in a plane of the floor panels and perpendicular to the respective edges, and said coupling parts, on the first pair of opposite edges also form a second locking system, which, in a coupled condition of two of such floor panels, effects a locking transverse to the plane of the floor panels;

wherein the coupling parts on the first pair of opposite edges substantially are formed of the material of the floor panel itself and in said substrate;

wherein the coupling parts of the first pair of opposite edges are configured such that two of such panels can be coupled to each other at their first pair of opposite edges by means of a turning movement, and such that the coupling parts on the first pair of opposite edges include a tongue and a groove as well as locking parts which, in the coupled condition, prevent shifting apart of the tongue and groove; and

wherein, on the first pair of opposite edges, the groove is bordered by a lower lip and an upper lip, of which the lower lip extends laterally to beyond a distal end of the upper lip;

wherein, said locking parts are provided with locking surfaces, wherein at least one locking part is provided with a said locking surface which is located in a portion of said lower lip which is situated beyond said distal end of said upper lip;

wherein a contact is present between the underside of the tongue and the upper side of the lower lip, wherein said contact, in respect to the groove side, is located proximally from the locking surfaces;

wherein an upper side of the lower lip at a height of a closing plane, in the coupled condition of two of such panels, is located on a first level (N 1 ) which is situated higher than a second level (N 2 ) which is determined by a lowermost point of the locking part located on the underside of the tongue; the closing plane(S) being defined as a first vertical plane through said distal end of the upper lip;

wherein a first space is present underneath the tongue, wherein said first space extends from the tip of the tongue and merges, at the height of an area of the lower lip located beneath the upper lip, into a second space, wherein said second space ends at said contact present between the underside of the tongue and the upper side of the lower lip;

wherein said floor panel has a global thickness which is greater than or equal to 4.5 millimeter;

wherein the substrate is MDF (medium density fiberboard) or HDF (high density fiber board);

wherein the top layer comprises a decorative layer with a print, and comprises a translucent or transparent wear layer;

wherein the floor panel comprises a second pair of opposite edges, wherein the second pair of opposite edges comprises coupling parts which allow mutually coupling a plurality of such floor panels to each other;

wherein said coupling parts, on the second pair of opposite edges, form a first locking system which, in a coupled condition of two of such floor panels, effects a locking in the plane of the floor panels and perpendicular to the respective edges, and said coupling parts, on the second pair of opposite edges also form a second locking system, which, in a coupled condition of two of such floor panels, effects a locking transverse to the plane of the floor panels.

2. The floor panel according to claim 1 , wherein said second space is substantially formed by a depression of the lower lip.

3. The floor panels according to claim 1 , wherein the height difference between the two levels (N 1 and N 2 ) is at least 0.05 times an overall thickness (T) of the floor panel.

4. The floor panel according to claim 1 , wherein on the first pair of opposite edges an upper side of the tongue is provided with a contact surface intended for contacting the lower side of said upper lip over a contact zone, said contact zone viewed in a cross section of the groove extending between a proximal end point and a distal end point, the distal end point being the end point of the contact zone located closest to the distal end of the upper lip, wherein said distal end point is distanced from said distal end of the upper lip at least by means of a chamfered surface portion of the lower side of said upper lip.

5. The floor panel of claim 4 , wherein said contact surface at the upper side of the tongue is horizontal or inclined with an angle less than 7 degrees.

6. The floor panel of claim 4 , wherein said contact surface at the upper side of the tongue in a distal direction of the tongue is inclined downwards.

7. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the coupling parts on the second pair of opposite edges are substantially identical to the coupling parts applied on the first pair of edges.

8. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein said at least one locking part in a coupled condition cooperates with a locking groove at a bottom of said tongue, wherein said floor panel, at the location of said locking groove, has a minimum thickness which is greater than 0.4 times an overall thickness of the floor panel.

9. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein said locking surfaces defines a tangent line which extends at an angle of more than 50 degrees to the horizontal.

10. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein above the upper side of the tongue, an undercut is present, wherein this undercut is located, seen according to the tongue and in the coupled condition of two of such panels, proximally of the closing plane(S).

11. The floor panel of claim 10 , wherein, in the coupled condition of two of such panels, the lower side of the upper lip at a height of the distal end of the upper lip, is located between a lowermost point and an uppermost point of the undercut.

12. A floor panel for forming a floor covering,

wherein the floor panel comprises a substrate and at least one top layer;

wherein the floor panel is rectangular, either oblong or square, and comprises a first pair of opposite edges;

wherein the first pair of opposite edges comprises coupling parts which allow mutually coupling a plurality of such floor panels to each other;

wherein said coupling parts, on the first pair of opposite edges, form a first locking system which, in a coupled condition of two of such floor panels, effects a locking in a plane of the floor panels and perpendicular to the respective edges, and said coupling parts, on the first pair of opposite edges also form a second locking system, which, in a coupled condition of two of such floor panels, effects a locking transverse to the plane of the floor panels;

wherein the coupling parts on the first pair of opposite edges substantially are formed of the material of the floor panel itself and in said substrate;

wherein the coupling parts of the first pair of opposite edges are configured such that two of such panels can be coupled to each other at their first pair of opposite edges by means of a turning movement, and such that the coupling parts on the first pair of opposite edges include a tongue and a groove as well as locking parts which, in the coupled condition, prevent shifting apart of the tongue and groove; and

wherein, on the first pair of opposite edges, the groove is bordered by a lower lip and an upper lip, of which the lower lip extends laterally to beyond a distal end of the upper lip;

wherein, said locking parts are provided with locking surfaces, wherein at least one locking part is provided with a said locking surface which is located in a portion of said lower lip which is situated beyond said distal end of said upper lip;

wherein a contact is present between the underside of the tongue and the upper side of the lower lip, wherein said contact, in respect to the groove side, is located proximally from the locking surfaces;

wherein an upper side of the lower lip at a height of a closing plane, in the coupled condition of two of such panels, is located on a first level (N 1 ) which is situated higher than a second level (N 2 ) which is determined by a lowermost point of the locking part located on the underside of the tongue; the closing plane(S) being defined as a first vertical plane through said distal end of the upper lip;

wherein a first space is present underneath the tongue, wherein said first space extends from the tip of the tongue and merges, at the height of an area of the lower lip located beneath the upper lip, into a second space, wherein said second space ends at said contact present between the underside of the tongue and the upper side of the lower lip;

wherein said floor panel has a global thickness which is greater than or equal to 4.5 millimeter;

wherein the substrate is MDF (medium density fiberboard) or HDF (high density fiber board);

wherein the top layer comprises a decorative layer with a print, and comprises a translucent or transparent wear layer;

wherein the locking parts of the first pair of opposite edges have a locking distance (A) which is smaller than 0.6 times a value of an overall thickness (T) of the floor panel, the locking distance (A) being formed by a horizontal distance between the closing plane(S) of two coupled floor panels and a vertical plane (VS) through a middle of a zone over which locking surfaces of the locking parts, in coupled condition, make contact with each other, as measured in a horizontal direction of the floor panel.

13. A floor panel for forming a floor covering,

wherein the floor panel comprises a substrate and at least one top layer;

wherein the substrate is MDF (medium density fiberboard) or HDF (high density fiber board);

wherein the floor panel is rectangular, either oblong or square, and comprises a first pair of opposite edges;

wherein the first pair of opposite edges comprises coupling parts which allow mutually coupling a plurality of such floor panels to each other;

wherein said coupling parts, on the first pair of opposite edges, form a first locking system which, in a coupled condition of two of such floor panels, effects a locking in a plane of the floor panels and perpendicular to the respective edges, and said coupling parts, on the first pair of opposite edges also form a second locking system, which, in a coupled condition of two of such floor panels, effects a locking transverse to the plane of the floor panels;

wherein the coupling parts on the first pair of opposite edges substantially are formed of the material of the floor panel itself and in said substrate;

wherein the coupling parts of the first pair of opposite edges are configured such that two of such panels can be coupled to each other at their first pair of opposite edges by means of a turning movement, and such that the coupling parts on the first pair of opposite edges include a tongue and a groove as well as locking parts which, in the coupled condition, prevent shifting apart of the tongue and groove; and

wherein, on the first pair of opposite edges, the groove is bordered by a lower lip and an upper lip, of which the lower lip extends laterally to beyond a distal end of the upper lip;

wherein, said locking parts are provided with locking surfaces, wherein at least one locking part is provided with a said locking surface which is located in a portion of said lower lip which is situated beyond said distal end of said upper lip;

wherein a contact is present between the underside of the tongue and the upper side of the lower lip, wherein said contact, in respect to the groove side, is located proximally from the locking surfaces;

wherein an upper side of the lower lip at a height of a closing plane, in the coupled condition of two of such panels, is located on a first level (N 1 ) which is situated higher than a second level (N 2 ) which is determined by a lowermost point of the locking part located on the underside of the tongue; the closing plane(S) being defined as a first vertical plane through said distal end of the upper lip;

wherein a first space is present underneath the tongue, wherein said first space extends from the tip of the tongue and merges, at the height of an area of the lower lip located beneath the upper lip, into a second space, wherein said second space ends at said contact present between the underside of the tongue and the upper side of the lower lip;

wherein the height difference between the two levels (N 1 and N 2 ) is at least 0.05 times an overall thickness (T) of the floor panel;

wherein the floor panel comprises a second pair of opposite edges, wherein the second pair of opposite edges comprises coupling parts which allow mutually coupling a plurality of such floor panels to each other;

wherein said coupling parts, on the second pair of opposite edges, form a first locking system which, in a coupled condition of two of such floor panels, effects a locking in the plane of the floor panels and perpendicular to the respective edges, and said coupling parts, on the second pair of opposite edges also form a second locking system, which, in a coupled condition of two of such floor panels, effects a locking transverse to the plane of the floor panels.

14. The floor panel of claim 13 , wherein said floor panel has a global thickness which is greater than or equal to 4.5 millimeter.

15. The floor panel according to claim 14 , wherein on the first pair of opposite edges an upper side of the tongue is provided with a contact surface intended for contacting the lower side of said upper lip over a contact zone, said contact zone viewed in a cross section of the groove extending between a proximal end point and a distal end point, the distal end point being the end point of the contact zone located closest to the distal end of the upper lip, wherein said distal end point is distanced from said distal end of the upper lip at least by means of a chamfered surface portion of the lower side of said upper lip.

16. The floor panel of claim 15 , wherein said contact surface at the upper side of the tongue is horizontal or inclined downwards with an angle less than 7 degrees.

17. The floor panel of claim 16 , wherein the locking parts of the first pair of opposite edges have a locking distance (A) which is smaller than 0.6 times a value of an overall thickness (T) of the floor panel, the locking distance (A) being formed by a horizontal distance between the closing plane(S) of two coupled floor panels and a vertical plane (VS) through a middle of a zone over which locking surfaces of the locking parts, in coupled condition, make contact with each other, as measured in a horizontal direction of the floor panel.

18. The floor panel of claim 17 , wherein said locking surfaces defines a tangent line which extends at an angle of more than 50 degrees to the horizontal.

19. The floor panel of claim 18 , wherein above the upper side of the tongue, an undercut is present, wherein this undercut is located, seen according to the tongue and in the coupled condition of two of such panels, proximally of the closing plane(S).

Assignments (2)

Continuity (10)

References Cited (54)