Floor element, locking system for floor elements, floor covering and method for composing such floor elements to a floor covering

#1. Field of the Invention

#This invention relates to floor elements, as well as to floor coverings which are composed of such floor elements, and to a method for composing such floor elements to a floor covering. The invention also relates to locking systems which can be applied in the aforementioned floor elements.

#2. Related Art

#With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, hereafter, as an example without any limitative character, several preferred embodiments are described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

#FIG. 1 in perspective represents a floor element according to the invention;

#FIG. 2 represents the floor element of FIG. 1, wherein two components thereof adopt another mutual position than this is the case in FIG. 1;

#FIG. 1 represents a floor element 1 according to the invention. Such floor element 1, as aforementioned, is composed, as aforementioned, starting from at least two components 2-3, into an entity 4. In the example, the floor element comprises two components which are realized as planks or laths, which, as FIG. 1 shows, can adopt a mutual position P1 in which the floor element 1 has a globally rectangular and in this case oblong shape. In this mutual position P1, it is clear that the depicted floor element 1 has, at least at two opposite edges 5-6, for example, at the opposite long edges 5-6 and/or short edges 7-8, coupling means or coupling parts 9-10. In this case, the coupling means substantially are made in the form of a tongue 9 and a groove 10 and allow for that two of such floor elements 1 can be coupled to each other at the respective edges 5-6-7-8.

#Each of said components 2-3 has a substantially flat side forming a decorative side II. These decorative sides 11 are situated at the upper side of the composed floor element 1, where in this case they form or represent two adjacent rows 12 of decorative parts 13. Thus, the floor element relates to an example of an improved multi-plank element, in particular a two-plank element.

#The improvement obtained according to the invention in this kind of floor elements 1, is obtained by the fact that, although said components 2-3 form an entity 4, they still can adopt, as FIG. 2 shows, at least also a second mutual position P2, whether or not by disrupting said entity 4. Said components 2-3 can, in this case in their longitudinal direction L, be shifted in respect to each other. By positioning the floor elements 1 such in the floor covering that the components 2-3 are situated in this second mutual position P2, it is obtained that said rows 12 of decorative parts 13 of this improved two-plank, at said short edges 7-8 of the floor element 1, do no longer simultaneously merge into the decorative portions 13 of a similar adjacent floor element. It is noted that the entity 4 presented here allows more than two mutual positions P1-P2 of the components 2-3, as the components 2-3 can be shifted along each other over the entire length L1 of a side 5 of the floor element 1.