Mechanical locking system for floor panels
AssigneeCeraloc Innovation AB
InventorDarko PERVAN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Floor panels are shown, which are provided with a mechanical locking system that may be locked with a vertical displacement of a first panel against a second panel. The locking system includes a first rigid and a second flexible joint edge section with different locking functions. The first edge section provides a horizontal locking and the second section provides a vertical locking.
Claims15
A set of essentially identical floor panels provided with a mechanical locking system comprising a strip extending horizontally from a lower part of a first edge of a first panel and a downwardly open locking groove formed in an adjacent second edge of a second panel, the strip comprising an upwardly protruding locking element which is configured to cooperate with the locking groove for locking the first edge and the second edge in a horizontal direction parallel to a main plane of the panels and in a vertical direction perpendicularly to the horizontal direction, wherein the locking element and the locking groove comprise an upper and a lower locking surface which are configured to lock the panels vertically, wherein
- the strip comprises slits located along the first edge, and
- a slit wall is configured to be bended horizontally inwardly towards an inner part of the first panel during locking, wherein the locking system in a locked position and along the edges comprises a first rigid edge section and a second flexible edge section comprising one of the slits, and that the first rigid edge section is configured such that the locking element is in contact with the locking groove and the second flexible edge section is configured such that there is a space (S) between an inner surface of the locking element and an outer groove wall of the locking groove.
A set of essentially identical floor panels provided with a mechanical locking system comprising a strip extending horizontally from a lower part of a first edge and a downwardly open locking groove formed in an adjacent second edge, wherein the strip comprises a first and a second upwardly protruding locking element, the first locking element being located closer to an upper edge of the first edge than the second locking element, wherein the first locking element comprises an upper locking surface at its upper and outer part, wherein the second edge comprises a downwardly extending protrusion comprising a lower locking surface at its outer and lower part, the second locking element being configured to cooperate with the locking groove and to lock the first and the second edge in a horizontal direction parallel to a main plane of a first and a second panel and the upper and lower locking surfaces being configured to lock the adjacent edges in a vertical direction perpendicularly to the horizontal direction, wherein
- that the first and the second edge in a locked position comprise a first edge section and a second edge section along the first and the second edge,
- that a cross section of the first locking element or a cross section of the protrusion varies along the first and/or the second edge,
- that the second edge section comprises a first and a second slit extending side by side along the edge,
- that the first slit is located closer to the upper part of the first edge than the second slit,
- that the second slit is formed between the first and the second locking elements,
- that the locking system is configured to be locked with a vertical displacement of the second edge against the first edge, and
- that a part of the first locking element and a slit wall of the first and the second slits during an initial stage of the vertical displacement is configured to bend horizontally inwards towards an inner part of the first panel and during a final stage of the vertical displacement is configured to bend outwards towards an initial position of said part.
A set of essentially identical floor panels provided with a mechanical locking system comprising a strip extending horizontally from a lower part of a first edge and a downwardly open locking groove formed in an adjacent second edge, wherein the strip comprises an upwardly protruding locking element comprising an upper locking surface at its upper and inner part and the locking groove comprises a lower locking surface at its outer and lower part, the locking element being configured to cooperate with the locking groove and to lock the first and the second edge in a horizontal direction parallel to a main plane of a first and a second panel, the upper and lower locking surfaces being configured to lock the adjacent edges in a vertical direction perpendicularly to the horizontal direction, wherein
- that the first and the second edge in a locked position comprise a first edge section and a second edge section along the first and the second edge,
- that a cross section of the locking element (8) or a cross section of the locking groove varies along the first and/or the second edge,
- that the strip of the second edge section comprises a slit extending along at least a part of the first edge, the slit being located between the locking element and an upper edge of the first edge,
- that the locking system is configured to be locked with a vertical displacement of the second edge against the first edge, and
- that a part of the locking element and a slit wall during an initial stage of the vertical displacement is configured to bend horizontally outwardly and during a final stage of the vertical displacement is configured to bend inwardly towards an initial position of said part.
A set of essentially identical floor panels provided with a mechanical locking system comprising a strip extending horizontally from a lower part of a first edge and a downwardly open locking groove formed in an adjacent second edge, wherein the strip comprises an upwardly protruding locking element and the second edge comprises a downwardly extending protrusion comprising a lower locking surface at its lower and outer part, the locking element being configured to cooperate with the locking groove and to lock the first and the second edge in a horizontal direction parallel to a main plane of a first and a second panel, characterized in wherein
- that the first and the second edge in a locked position comprise a first edge section and a second edge section along the first and the second edge,
- that a cross section of the protrusion varies along the first and/or the second edge,
- that the second edge section comprises a first and a second slit extending side by side along the first edge, the first slit being located closer to an upper part (25) of the first edge than the second slit,
- that the second slit is configured to accommodate the protrusion and the lower locking surface such that the lower locking surface locks against an upper locking surface located at a lower and inner part of the second slit and locks the first and second edges in a vertical direction,
- that the locking system is configured to be locked with a vertical displacement of the second edge against the first edge, and
- that a flexible strip part located between the first and the second slit during an initial stage of the vertical displacement is configured to bend horizontally inwardly and during a final stage of the vertical displacement is configured to bend outwardly towards an initial position of the flexible strip part.
A set of essentially identical floor panels provided with a mechanical locking system comprising a strip extending horizontally from a lower part of a first edge and a first and a second downwardly open locking grooves formed in an adjacent second edge, wherein the first locking groove is located closer to an upper edge of the first edge than the second locking groove, wherein the strip comprises a first upwardly protruding locking element and a second locking element, the first locking element being located closer to the upper edge than the second locking element, wherein the second edge comprises a downwardly extending protrusion comprising a lower locking surface at its lower and inner part, the first locking element being configured to cooperate with the first locking groove and to lock the first and the second edge in a horizontal direction parallel to a main plane of a first and a second panel, wherein
- that the first and the second edge in a locked position comprise a first edge section and a second edge section along the first and the second edge,
- that a cross section of the protrusion varies along the first and/or the second edge,
- that the second edge section comprises a slit configured to accommodate the protrusion and the lower locking surface such that the lower locking surface locks against an upper locking surface located at a lower and inner part of the second locking element and locks the edges in a vertical direction,
- that the locking system is configured to be locked with a vertical displacement of the second edge against the first edge, and
- that the second locking element during an initial stage of the vertical displacement is configured to bend horizontally and outwardly and during a final stage of the vertical displacement is configured to bend inwardly towards an initial position of the second locking element.
A set of essentially identical floor panels provided with a mechanical locking system comprising a strip formed in one piece with a core of a first panel and extending horizontally from a lower part of a first edge of the first panel and a downwardly open locking groove formed in an adjacent second edge of a second panel, the strip comprising an upwardly protruding locking element which is configured to cooperate with the locking groove for locking the first edge and the second edge in a horizontal direction parallel to a main plane of the panels and in a vertical direction perpendicularly to the horizontal direction, wherein the locking element and the locking groove comprise an upper and a lower locking surface which are configured to lock the panels vertically, wherein
- the strip comprises slits located along the first edge, and
- a slit wall is configured to be bended horizontally inwardly towards an inner part of the first panel during locking, wherein
- the core has a higher content of cured resins at a lower and outer part than at a lower and inner part.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.