Floor panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10214921-B2
Application number	US-201815972710-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2018
Priority date	May 10, 2010
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

A floor panel has a rectangular and oblong shape, and includes a substrate and a top layer provided on the substrate and forming a decorative side of the floor panel. The top layer is composed of a print provided on a carrier sheet and a transparent thermoplastic layer situated above the print. The substrate has a thickness from 2 to 10 millimeter and forms at least half of the thickness of the floor panel. The substrate is a polyurethane-based substrate and the transparent thermoplastic layer is polyurethane-based. The floor panel has a length of more than 1.1 meters and has a plurality of reinforcing layers situated outside the center line of the substrate. A reinforcing layer may be provided in combination with the substrate and the top layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A floor panel comprising:
a substrate; and
a top layer located above the substrate;
wherein the substrate is single-layered and includes PVC material having a density of more than 650 kilograms per cubic meter;
wherein the substrate has a thickness of 2 to 10 millimeters;
wherein the substrate forms at least half of the thickness of the floor panel;
wherein the top layer includes a printed synthetic film and a transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer located above the printed synthetic film;
wherein the transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer includes PVC material and a percentage of plasticizer of 5 to 75 percent by weight;
wherein the PVC material of the substrate is harder than the PVC material of the transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer;
wherein the floor panel is free of intermediate layers between the printed synthetic film and the substrate;
wherein the floor panel is rectangular and oblong and includes a pair of long edges and a pair of short edges;
wherein the floor panel includes first mechanical coupling parts at the pair of long edges and second mechanical coupling parts at the pair of short edges;
wherein the first mechanical coupling parts are arranged for horizontal and vertical locking of two of such floor panels using a turning movement along the respective long edges;
wherein the first mechanical coupling parts include a tongue and a groove;
wherein the tongue and the groove are substantially responsible for the vertical locking;
wherein the tongue and the groove include locking parts substantially responsible for the horizontal locking;
wherein the first mechanical coupling parts are substantially realized in the substrate;
wherein the second mechanical coupling parts comprise a male coupling part and a female coupling part arranged for horizontal and vertical locking of two of such floor panels using a downward movement along the respective short edges;
wherein the downward movement is automatically created by the turning movement along the respective long edges; and
wherein the second mechanical coupling parts are substantially realized in the substrate.

2. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the PVC material of the substrate is hard PVC material.

3. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the PVC material of the substrate has a density of more than 750 kilograms per cubic meter.

4. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer has a thickness of 1 millimeter or less.

5. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer has a Shore A hardness situated between 50 to 100.

6. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the floor panel comprises a backing layer located below the substrate.

7. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the floor panel has a thickness of 5 to 15 millimeters.

8. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the floor panel has a length of more than 110 centimeters.

9. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the floor panel will bend less than 25 centimeters per meter under its own weight.

10. A floor panel comprising:
a substrate; and
a top layer located above the substrate;
wherein the substrate is single-layered and
includes hard PVC material having a density of more than 750 kilograms per cubic meter;
wherein the substrate has a thickness of 2 to 10 millimeters;
wherein the substrate forms at least half of the thickness of the floor panel;
wherein the top layer includes a printed synthetic film and a transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer located above the printed synthetic film;
wherein the transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer includes PVC material and a percentage of plasticizer of 5 to 75 percent by weight;
wherein the PVC material of the substrate is harder than the PVC material of the transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer;
wherein the floor panel is free of intermediate layers between the printed synthetic film and the substrate;
wherein the floor panel is rectangular and oblong and includes a pair of long edges and a pair of short edges;
wherein the floor panel includes first mechanical coupling parts at the pair of long edges and second mechanical coupling parts at the pair of short edges;
wherein the first mechanical coupling parts are arranged for horizontal and vertical locking of two of such floor panels using a turning movement along the respective long edges;
wherein the first mechanical coupling parts include a tongue and a groove;
wherein the tongue and the groove are substantially responsible for the vertical locking;
wherein the tongue and the groove include locking parts substantially responsible for the horizontal locking;
wherein the first mechanical coupling parts are substantially realized in the substrate;
wherein the second mechanical coupling parts comprise a male coupling part and a female coupling part arranged for horizontal and vertical locking of two of such floor panels using a downward movement along the respective short edges;
wherein the downward movement is automatically created by the turning movement along the respective long edges; and
wherein the second mechanical coupling parts are substantially realized in the substrate.

11. The floor panel of claim 10 , wherein the transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer has a thickness of 1 millimeter or less.

12. The floor panel of claim 10 , wherein the floor panel comprises a backing layer located below the substrate.

13. The floor panel of claim 10 , wherein the floor panel has a thickness of 5 to 15 millimeters.

14. The floor panel of claim 10 , wherein the floor panel has a length of more than 110 centimeters.

15. The floor panel of claim 10 , wherein the floor panel will bend less than 25 centimeters per meter under its own weight.

16. A floor panel comprising:
a substrate; and
a top layer located above the substrate;
wherein the substrate is multi-layered and includes PVC material having a density of more than 650 kilograms per cubic meter;
wherein the substrate has a thickness of 2 to 10 millimeters;
wherein the substrate forms at least half of the thickness of the floor panel;
wherein the substrate includes a plurality of embedded glass fiber layers situated on both sides of the center line of the substrate;
wherein the top layer includes a back layer, a printed synthetic film located above the back layer and a transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer located above the printed synthetic film;
wherein the back layer includes PVC with plasticizers and fillers;
wherein the transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer has a thickness of 1 millimeter or less;
wherein the transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer includes PVC material and a percentage of plasticizer of 5 to 75 percent by weight;
wherein the PVC material of the substrate is harder than the PVC material of the transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer;
wherein the top layer has a thickness of 0.5 to 3 millimeters;
wherein the floor panel is rectangular and oblong and includes a pair of long edges and a pair of short edges;
wherein the floor panel includes first mechanical coupling parts at the pair of long edges and second mechanical coupling parts at the pair of short edges;
wherein the first mechanical coupling parts are arranged for horizontal and vertical locking of two of such floor panels using a turning movement along the respective long edges;
wherein the first mechanical coupling parts include a tongue and a groove;
wherein the tongue and the groove are substa

Assignees

• Flooring Ind Ltd Sarl

Inventors

• Meersseman Laurent
• Vanhastel Luc

Classifications

• E04F2201/095

  with both connection parts, i.e. male and female connection parts alternating on one edge · CPC title

• E04F13/0894

  with tongue and groove connections · CPC title

• E04F15/02038

  characterised by tongue and groove connections between neighbouring flooring elements · CPC title

• E04F2201/0107

  by moving the sheets, plates or panels substantially in their own plane, perpendicular to the abutting edges · CPC title

• B32B2419/04

  Tiles for floors or walls · CPC title