Set of floor panels and method for installing this set of floor panels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10683668-B2
Application number	US-201716096025-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2017
Priority date	Apr 25, 2016
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

A set of floor panels, which is suitable for forming a floor covering in herringbone pattern, wherein these floor panels are oblong rectangular; wherein the long as well as the short edges are provided with mechanical coupling means; and wherein the male coupling part on the short edge can be inserted into the female coupling part on the long edge in one and the same turning movement which is used to insert the male coupling part on the long edge into the female coupling part on the long or short edge.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A set of floor panels, which is suitable for forming a floor covering in herringbone pattern,
wherein these floor panels are oblong rectangular and comprise first and second long edges and first and second short edges;
wherein the first and second long edges and the first and second short edges are provided with mechanical coupling means, which allow coupling the floor panels to each other;
wherein the first long edge is provided with a male coupling part and the second long edge is provided with a female coupling part;
wherein the first short edge is provided with a male coupling part and the second short edge is provided with a female coupling part;
wherein the male coupling part on the first long edge can be inserted into the female coupling part on the second long edge by means of a turning movement;
wherein the male coupling part on the first long edge can be inserted into the female coupling part on the second short edge by means of a turning movement;
wherein the male coupling part on the first short edge can be inserted into the female coupling part on the second long edge in one and the same turning movement which is used to insert the male coupling part on the first long edge into the female coupling part on the second long or short edges; and
wherein the male coupling part on the first short edge and the female coupling part on the second long edge, in a coupled condition thereof, effect a locking in a horizontal direction and in a vertical direction;
wherein the male coupling part on the first short edge comprises a first locking element, and the female coupling part on the second long edge comprises a first locking part, the first locking elements of the first short edge and the second long edge cooperate to effect locking in the vertical direction; and wherein the first locking element of the male coupling part is realized as a separate insert;
wherein the separate insert is provided in a recess defined by the male coupling part on the first short edge, the recess formed on a distal side or edge of the male coupling part; and
wherein the separate insert comprises a locking part pivotally connected to an attachment part secured to the male coupling part, the locking part is arranged for providing a coupling movement such that a locking position is performed by pivotal movement from a recess defined by the male coupling part on the first short edge into a second recess formed by the female coupling part of the second long edge.

2. The set of floor panels according to claim 1 , wherein a first tangent line is defined at a location where the insert cooperates with the respective locking element and runs upward in a direction away from the respective female locking part; and
wherein the first tangent line forms an angle with a horizontal plane of one of said floor panels which is smaller than or equal to 45 degrees.

3. The set of floor panels according to claim 1 , wherein the insert or at least a portion thereof is elastically deformable and/or displaceable in order to allow said lateral movement.

4. The set of floor panels according to claim 3 , wherein the locking part, when performing the coupling movement, performs a lateral turning or rotational movement.

5. The set of floor panels according to claim 1 , wherein the male coupling part on the first short edge can be inserted into the female coupling part on the second long edge by means of a horizontal or substantially horizontal snap movement.

6. The set of floor panels according to claim 1 , wherein the male coupling part on the first short edge either fits precisely into the female coupling part on the second long edge or fits therein with play.

7. The set of floor panels according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling parts on the first and second long edges are made in the form of a tongue and a groove, respectively;
wherein the groove is bordered by an upper and a lower lip; and
wherein the tongue and groove are provided with locking elements, which, in a coupled condition of the tongue and groove, counteract the moving apart thereof in horizontal direction.

8. The set of floor panels according to claim 7 , wherein the lower lip protrudes beyond the upper lip;
wherein the lower lip comprises a locking element situated at a part of the lower lip that protrudes beyond the upper lip; and
wherein the locking element of the lower lip in the coupled condition cooperates with a locking element on the lower side of the tongue.

9. The set of floor panels according to claim 7 , wherein the locking elements on the tongue and groove, there, where they cooperate with each other, define a second tangent line which runs upward in the direction away from the groove; and
wherein the second tangent line forms an angle with the vertical which is smaller than 45 degrees.

10. The set of floor panels according to claim 7 , wherein the upper side of the tongue, in a coupled condition of the tongue and groove, cooperates with the lower side of the upper lip; and
wherein there, where the upper side of the tongue and the lower side of the upper lip cooperate with each other, a third tangent line is defined which is oriented horizontally or approximately horizontally relative to a horizontal plane of one of said floor panels.

11. The set of floor panels according to claim 7 , wherein the tongue, in a coupled condition with the groove, extends underneath the upper lip over a distance of at least ⅙ times an overall thickness of the floor panels.

12. The set of floor panels according to claim 7 , wherein the lower side of the tongue shows a portion with which the tongue, in a coupled condition with the groove, rests on the upper side of the lower lip; and
wherein this portion, in the coupled condition, is situated at least in part distally from a closing plane defined between the respective edges.

13. The set of floor panels according to claim 1 , wherein the male coupling part on the first long edge can be inserted into the female coupling part on the second long edge by means of a horizontal or substantially horizontal snap movement.

14. The set of floor panels according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling parts on the first and second long edges are configured such that they, in the coupled condition, provide a tensioning force pressing the coupled first and second long edges at their upper sides towards each other such that at least one of the coupling parts is elastically bent in the coupled condition.

15. The set of floor panels according to claim 1 , wherein the male coupling part on the first long edge can be inserted into the female coupling part on the second short edge by means of a horizontal or substantially horizontal snap movement.

Assignees

• Flooring Industries Ltd
• Flooring Ind Ltd Sarl

Inventors

• De Rick Jan Eddy
• Van Der Stockt Bart

Classifications

• E04F2201/0146

  with snap action of the edge connectors · CPC title

• E04F15/105

  of organic plastics with or without reinforcements or filling materials · CPC title

• E04F2201/0115

  with snap action of the edge connectors · CPC title

• E04F2201/0161

  with snap action of the edge connectors · CPC title

• E04F15/107

  composed of several layers, e.g. sandwich panels (layered products in general B32B; producing decorative panels or veneers B44C5/04) · CPC title