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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10815677-B2
Application number	US-202016802921-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2020
Priority date	Apr 25, 2016
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 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 a pair of long edges and a pair of short edges;
wherein the long edges and the short edges are provided with mechanical coupling means, which allow coupling the floor panels to each other;
wherein the one long edge is provided with a male coupling part and the other long edge is provided with a female coupling part;
wherein the one short edge is provided with a male coupling part and the other short edge is provided with a female coupling part;
wherein the male coupling part on the long edge can be inserted into the female coupling part on the long edge by means of a turning movement;
wherein the male coupling part on the long edge can also be inserted into the female coupling part on the short edge by means of a turning movement;
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; wherein the male coupling part on the short edge and the female coupling part on the long edge, in a coupled condition thereof, effect a locking in horizontal direction and a locking in vertical direction,
wherein the male coupling part on the short edge comprises a first locking element, which, in a coupled condition of this male coupling part and the female coupling part on the long edge, cooperates with a first locking element of this female coupling part in order to effect said locking in vertical direction;
wherein the first locking element is realized from the material of the floor panel and in one piece therewith.

2. The set of floor panels according to claim 1 , wherein the first locking element of the male coupling part on the short edge is provided as a protrusion from the male coupling part on the short edge.

3. The set of floor panels according to claim 1 , wherein there, where the first locking element of the male coupling part on the short edge cooperates with the respective locking element of the female coupling part, a tangent line is defined, which runs upward in the direction away from the respective female locking part; and wherein this tangent line forms an angle with the horizontal which preferably is smaller than or equal to 45 degrees.

4. The set of floor panels according to claim 1 , wherein the male coupling part on the short edge comprises a second locking element, which, in a coupled condition of this male coupling part and the female coupling part on the long edge, cooperates with a second locking element of this female coupling part in order to effect said locking in horizontal direction; and wherein this second locking element of the male coupling part is made from the material of the floor panel and in particular is made in one piece therewith.

5. The set of floor panels according to claim 4 , wherein, there, where the second locking element of the male coupling part cooperates with the respective locking element of the female coupling part, a tangent line is defined, which runs upward in the direction away from the respective female coupling part; and wherein this tangent line forms an angle with the vertical, which preferably is smaller than 45 degrees and more preferably is smaller than or equal to 30 degrees.

6. The set of floor panels according to claim 1 , wherein the male coupling part on the short edge comprises a protruding lip; and wherein the second locking element of the male coupling part is made in the form of a protrusion on the lower side of the protruding lip.

7. The set of floor panels according to claim 1 , wherein the lower side of said lip, distally from this protrusion, shows a portion, which, in a coupled condition with the respective female coupling part, rests on this female coupling part; and wherein this portion, in the coupled condition, is situated proximally from a closing plane defined between the respective edges.

8. The set of floor panels according to claim 7 , wherein on the lower side of the lip a space is present between this lip and the respective female coupling part; and wherein this space extends continuously between said support portion of the lip and there, where the second locking elements of the male and female coupling parts cooperate with each other.

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

10. The set of floor panels according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling parts on the pair of 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.

11. The set of floor panels according to claim 10 , wherein the lower lip protrudes beyond the upper lip; wherein the lower lip comprises a locking element, which is situated in that part of the lower lip that protrudes beyond the upper lip; and wherein this locking element in the coupled condition cooperates with a locking element on the lower side of the tongue.

12. The set of floor panels according to claim 10 , wherein the locking elements on the tongue and groove, there, where they cooperate with each other, define a tangent line which runs upward in the direction away from the groove; and wherein this tangent line forms an angle with the vertical which preferably is smaller than 45 degrees and still more preferably is smaller than or equal to 30 degrees.

13. The set of floor panels according to claim 10 , 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 tangent line is defined which is oriented horizontally or approximately horizontally.

14. The set of floor panels according to claim 10 , wherein the tongue, in a coupled condition with the groove, extends underneath the upper lip over a distance of at least ⅙ times the overall thickness of the floor panels.

15. The set of floor panels according claim 10 , 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.

16. The set of floor panels according claim 1 , wherein the coupling parts on the pair of long edges are realized from the material of the floor panel and in particular are made in one piece therewith.

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

18. The set of floor panels according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling parts on the pair of long edges are configured such that they, in the coupled condition, provide a tensioning force pressing the coupled long edges at their upper sides towards each other.

19. The set of floor panels

Assignees

• Flooring Ind Ltd Sarl

Inventors

• De Rick Jan Eddy
• Van Der Stockt Bart

Classifications

• E04F15/02038 Primary

  characterised by tongue and groove connections between neighbouring flooring elements · 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

• E04F2201/0115

  with snap action of the edge connectors · CPC title

• E04F2201/0146

  with snap action of the edge connectors · CPC title