Floor panel and floor covering composed of such floor panels
AssigneeFlooring Industries Limited, Sarl
InventorMark Cappelle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Floor panel in a board shape having at least at two opposite edges coupling parts enabling several of the panels to be coupled to each other, wherein the coupling parts have contact portions forcing the floor panels in the coupled condition with a tension force at least laterally towards each other. The coupling parts also include support portions, which, in the coupled condition of floor panels, create a fixation in the mutual position of the contact portions cooperating under tension.
Claims23
Floor panel, comprising a board-shaped element, including at least at two opposite edges coupling parts enabling several of such floor panels to be coupled to each other, such that said coupling parts, in coupled condition of two of such floor panels, provide a locking in a first direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor panels, as well as in a second direction perpendicular to the respective edges and parallel to the plane of the floor panels, wherein said coupling parts comprise a tongue having an upper and lower side and a groove, further wherein the groove is located between an upper lip having a lower side and a lower lip, the lower lip having an upper side and extending distally beyond the upper lip, and the coupling parts including locking portions effecting a locking in said second direction and being at least formed by contact portions including contact surfaces having lower ends located distally beyond said upper lip, and which, in the coupled condition of two of such floor panels, contact and cooperate with each other, wherein one of said contact portions is situated in the upper side of the lower lip, such that said one contact portion is located beyond the upper lip and wherein said contact portions are situated such that the floor panels, in coupled condition, are urged with a tension force at least laterally towards each other, and wherein said coupling parts also comprise cooperating support portions on the lower side of the tongue and the upper side of the lower lip, which, in the coupled condition of the respective floor panels, are located adjacent the lower ends of the contact surfaces, are disposed distally beyond the upper lip, and engage and contact each other and cause a fixation in the relative positions of the contact surfaces of the contact portions relative to each other, while said contact surfaces of said contact portions cooperate under tension, whereby relative sliding between said contact surfaces is prevented when the panels undergo vertical or rotation forces tending to slightly move the surfaces relative to each other.
Floor panel, comprising a board-shaped element, including at least at two opposite edges coupling parts enabling several of such floor panels to be coupled to each other, such that said coupling parts, in coupled condition of two of such floor panels provide a locking in a first direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor panels, as well as in a second direction perpendicular to the respective edges and parallel to the plane of the floor panels, wherein said coupling parts comprise a tongue having an upper and lower side and a groove, further wherein the groove is located between an upper lip having a lower side and a lower lip, the lower lip having an upper side and extending distally beyond the upper lip, and the coupling parts including locking portions effecting a locking in said second direction and being at least formed by contact portions including contact surfaces having upper and lower ends, which, in the coupled condition of two of such floor panels, contact and cooperate with each other, wherein one of said contact portions is situated in the upper side of the lower lip, such that said one contact portion is located beyond the upper lip and wherein said contact portions are situated such that the floor panels, in coupled condition, are urged with a tension force at least laterally towards each other, and wherein said coupling parts also comprise cooperating support portions on the lower side of the tongue and the upper side of the lower lip, which, in the coupled condition of the respective floor panels, are located distally beyond the upper lip, and engage and contact each other and cause a fixation in the relative positions of the contact surfaces of the contact portions relative to each other, while said contact surfaces of said contact portions cooperate under tension, whereby relative sliding between said contact surfaces is prevented when the panels undergo vertical or rotation forces tending to slightly move the surfaces relative to each other, and wherein the support portions, seen in cross-section, and according to a direction perpendicular to the coupled edges and in the plane of the floor panels, are situated adjacent one of said upper and lower ends.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.