# US 2021/0340775 A1 · Floor board and method for manufacturing such floor boards > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0340775 A1 - Document ID: US20210340775A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/374,390 - Filed: 2021-07-13 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Earliest claimed: 2015-05-12 - Assignees: Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation - Applicants: Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation - Inventors: Dieter D'HONDT; Aaron SHAW - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210340775A1 ## CPC - E04F 15/02038: {characterised by tongue and groove connections between neighbouring flooring elements} - B27N 7/00: After-treatment, e.g. reducing swelling or shrinkage, surfacing; Protecting the edges of boards against access of humidity - B27N 7/005: {Coating boards, e.g. with a finishing or decorating layer} - E04F 15/102: {of fibrous or chipped materials, e.g. bonded with synthetic resins} - E04F 15/107: {composed of several layers, e.g. sandwich panels (layered products in general B32B; producing decorative panels or veneers B44C5/04)} - E04F 2201/0146: with snap action of the edge connectors - E04F 2201/0153: by rotating the sheets, plates or panels around an axis which is parallel to the abutting edges, possibly combined with a sliding movement - Y10T 428/24777: Edge feature - E04F: FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS (windows, doors E06B) - B27N: MANUFACTURE BY DRY PROCESSES OF ARTICLES, WITH OR WITHOUT ORGANIC BINDING AGENTS, MADE FROM PARTICLES OR FIBRES CONSISTING OF WOOD OR OTHER LIGNOCELLULOSIC OR LIKE ORGANIC MATERIAL (containing cementitious material B28B; shaping of substances in a plastic state B29C; fibreboards made from fibrous suspensions D21J; drying F26B17/00) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## 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 ### Claim 1 A floor board comprising a substrate having side edges and a decorative surface layer applied to said substrate, said substrate comprising MDF or HDF material at at least one of said side edges, wherein said at least one side edge is treated with an impregnation agent; said at least one side edge together with a side edge opposite thereto forming a first pair of opposite side edges of said substrate; wherein said floor board further comprises a second pair of opposite side edges; wherein said floor board at said first pair of opposite side edges comprises mechanical coupling parts allowing to couple said floor board at the respective edges with a similar floor board such that, in a coupled condition, said floor board and said similar floor board become locked both in a direction perpendicular to the plane formed by the coupled floor boards, as well as in a direction perpendicular to said edge and in said plane; wherein said mechanical coupling parts are basically shaped as a tongue and a groove, wherein said groove is delimited by an upper groove lip and a lower groove lip, and wherein said tongue and groove are provided with additional locking elements for creating said locking in the direction perpendicular to said edge and in said plane; and wherein in said coupled condition, said lower groove lip is bent-out and pushes on said tongue to thereby push the coupled floor boards towards each other. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The floor board of claim 1, wherein said additional locking elements comprise an excavation at the lower side of the tongue and a cooperating therewith protrusion at an upper surface of the lower groove lip. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The floor board of claim 1, wherein both side edges of said first pair of opposite side edges are treated with said impregnation agent. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The floor board of claim 1, wherein said mechanical coupling parts comprise a profiled contour; a penetration depth of said impregnation agent as measured perpendicularly to said profiled contour being larger than 0.8 millimeter, or larger than 2 millimeter along the entire contour, or always larger than 10 percent of a thickness of the substrate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The floor board of claim 1, wherein said decorative surface layer is formed from at least one or more paper layers treated with a thermosetting resin; or at least one or more wood veneer layers. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The floor board of claim 1, wherein said impregnation agent at least penetrates the substrate immediately below said decorative surface layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The floor board of claim 1, wherein an upper edge of the first and/or the second pair of opposite side edges are formed with a lowered edge surface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The floor board of claim 7, wherein the lowered edge surface is provided with the same decorative surface layer as the remainder of the upper surface of the floor board; or wherein the lowered edge surface is provided with a separate decoration than the decorative surface layer of the upper surface of the floor board; or wherein the lowered edge surface is provided without any decoration. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The floor board of claim 7, wherein the lowered edge surface is formed as a square edge, a beveled edge or a chamfered edge. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The floor board of claim 1, wherein the mechanical coupling parts are realized entirely of said substrate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The floor board of claim 1, wherein said decorative surface layer comprises a print. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The floor board of claim 11, wherein said print is provided on a paper sheet. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The board of claim 12, wherein said decorative surface layer further comprises a wear resistant layer provided over the print; wherein said wear resistant layer comprises a paper sheet, said paper sheet being impregnated with thermosetting resin and optionally hard particles, such as aluminiumoxide. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The floor board of claim 1, wherein said board comprises a backing layer or wherein a counterbalancing layer is provided at the bottom side of the substrate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The floor board of claim 14, wherein said backing layer or counterbalancing layer also comprise a paper sheet impregnated with a thermosetting resin. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The floor board of claim 1, wherein said mechanical coupling parts allow for coupling of said floor board to said similar floor board, by a rotational movement or a horizontal shifting movement of one of said floor boards in respect to the other. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The floor board of claim 1, wherein at least the first pair of opposite side edges comprises an inclined surface undercutting the respective upper edges, wherein this inclined surface starts immediately under the decorative surface layer, such that in coupled condition a chamber will be formed underneath the upper edges, the chamber protruding up to or almost up to the decorative surface layer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The floor board of claim 17, wherein at least a laterally facing side surface of the decorative surface layer adjacent to the inclined surface, is inclined at the respective side edge. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The floor board of claim 1, wherein said MDF or HDF material comprises wood fibers glued by means of ureum formaldehyde glue or melamine ureum formaldehyde; and wherein said MDF or HDF material has an average density of more than 750 kg per cubic meter and comprises a higher density region at least near said decorative surface layer, wherein said higher density region has a density of 900 kilograms per cubic meter or more. ### Claim 20 A floor board comprising a substrate having side edges and a decorative surface layer applied to said substrate, said substrate comprising MDF or HDF material at at least one of said side edges, wherein said at least one side edge is treated with an impregnation agent; said at least one side edge together with a side edge opposite thereto forming a first pair of opposite side edges of said substrate; wherein said floor board further comprises a second pair of opposite side edges; wherein said floor board at said first pair of opposite side edges comprises mechanical coupling parts allowing to couple said floor board at the respective edges with a similar floor board such that, in a coupled condition, said floor board and said similar floor board become locked both in a direction perpendicular to the plane formed by the coupled floor boards, as well as in a direction perpendicular to said edge and in said plane; wherein said mechanical coupling parts are basically shaped as a tongue and a groove, wherein said groove is delimited by an upper groove lip and a lower groove lip, and wherein said tongue and groove are provided with additional locking elements for creating said locking in the direction perpendicular to said edge and in said plane; and wherein in said coupled condition, said lower groove lip is bent-out and pushes on said tongue to thereby push the coupled floor boards towards each other; wherein both side edges of said first pair of opposite side edges are treated with said impregnation agent; wherein said mechanical coupling parts comprise a profiled contour; a penetration depth of said impregnation agent as measured perpendicularly to said profiled contour being larger than 0.8 millimeter, or larger than 2 millimeters along the entire contour, or always larger than 10 percent of a thickness of the substrate; wherein said decorative surface layer is formed from at least one or more paper layers treated with a thermosetting resin; or at least one or more wood veneer layers; wherein said impregnation agent at least penetrates the substrate immediately below said decorative surface layer.