Floor panel for forming a floor covering

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11021881-B2
Application number	US-202016901785-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2020
Priority date	Jan 15, 2015
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

A floor panel for forming a floor covering comprises a substrate consisting of at least two substrate layers differing in density and, on at least one pair of opposite edges, is provided with coupling parts of the so-called push-lock type. Vertically active locking surfaces, where they cooperate in the coupled condition of two of such floor panels, define a tangent line which is horizontal or does not deviate more than 50 degrees from the horizontal. The locking surfaces are situated closer to the upper side of the first substrate layer than to the lower side of the first substrate layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A floor panel for forming a floor covering,
wherein the floor panel is rectangular, either oblong or square,
wherein the floor panel is less than 8 mm thick,
wherein said floor panel comprises a substrate;
wherein the substrate comprises a first layer, wherein the first layer is extruded,
wherein the first layer comprises polyvinyl chloride, wherein the first layer comprises no plasticizers or comprises plasticizers in an amount less than 20 phr;
wherein the first layer comprises fillers,
wherein said first layer has a thickness of at least 3 mm,
wherein the first layer constitutes more than half of the thickness of the floor panel,
wherein the floor panel comprises a top layer, wherein the top layer comprises a decorative layer in the form of a print,
wherein the top layer comprises a translucent or transparent wear layer,
wherein the floor panel comprises a first pair of opposite edges,
wherein the first pair of opposite edges comprises coupling parts on two opposite edges, which coupling parts allow that said floor panel can be coupled to another of said floor panel by means of a downward movement of said floor panel in respect to the other floor panel;
wherein the coupling parts at the first pair of opposite edges, in the coupled condition of two of such floor panels, form a first locking system which effects a locking in a first direction in a plane of the floor panels and perpendicular to said edges, as well as form a second locking system which effects a locking in a second direction transverse to the plane of the floor panels;
wherein the first locking system is formed at least of an upward-directed lower hook-shaped part which is situated on one edge of said first pair of opposite edges, as well as a downward-directed upper hook-shaped part which is situated on the other, opposite edge of said first pair of opposite edges, the upward-directed lower hook-shaped part and the downward-directed upper hook-shaped part being configured to be engaged behind each other by means of said downward movement;
wherein the lower hook-shaped part includes a lip with an upward-directed locking element, whereas the upper hook-shaped part includes a lip with a downward-directed locking element;
wherein the second locking system comprises locking parts, wherein said locking parts are provided with locking surfaces that are configured to cooperate in the coupled condition of two of such floor panels and that define a tangent line which is horizontal or does not deviate more than 50 degrees from the horizontal,
wherein said coupling parts at the first pair of opposite edges substantially are realized in said substrate,
wherein the floor panel comprises a second pair of opposite edges,
wherein the second pair of opposite edges also comprises coupling parts, which coupling parts allow a locking in a first direction perpendicular to the respective edges and in the plane of the floor panel, as well as in a second direction transverse to the plane of the floor panel,
wherein the coupling parts on the second pair of opposite edges are manufactured substantially from the material of the substrate,
wherein the coupling parts on the second pair of opposite edges are configured such that two of such floor panels can be coupled at this second pair of opposite edges by means of a turning movement of one floor panel in respect to the other floor panel, in such a manner that a plurality of such floor panels can be coupled by means of a “fold-down” technique,
wherein the coupling parts at the second pair of opposite edges are substantially made as a tongue and a groove, wherein the groove is bordered by an upper lip and by a lower lip, wherein in coupled condition of two such floor panels at their second pair of opposite edges a contact zone is provided, wherein the contact zone is provided between the upper lip and the tongue of the coupled edges,
wherein the contact zone is located at a higher position than the second locking system.

2. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the second locking system comprises locking parts, which respectively are situated in the proximity of the proximal extremity of the lower hook-shaped part and the distal extremity of the upper hook-shaped part.

3. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein said upward-directed locking element and said downward-directed locking element each are provided with a locking surface, which locking surfaces, in the coupled condition of two of such floor panels, cooperate.

4. The floor panel of claim 3 , wherein said locking surfaces of the locking elements, there, where they cooperate in the coupled condition of two of such floor panels, define a tangent line which is situated vertically or does not deviate more than 45 degrees from the vertical.

5. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the proximal extremity of the upper hook-shaped part is free from locking parts; and wherein the distal extremity of the lower hook-shaped part is free from locking parts.

6. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the proximal extremity of the upper hook-shaped part comprises locking parts; and wherein the distal extremity of the lower hook-shaped part comprises locking parts,
wherein the locking parts at the proximal extremity of the upper hook-shaped part and the locking parts at the distal extremity of the lower hook-shaped parts are provided for interacting between panels coupled at their first pair of opposite edges thereby creating a locking in the direction transverse to the direction of the floor panels.

7. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein said locking parts are realized as parts which engage behind each other during said downward movement by means of snap action.

8. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein said locking parts are realized in one piece in the material of the substrate.

9. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the fillers are selected from one or more of chalk, limestone, and talc.

10. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein said print is provided on a foil or film.

11. The floor panel of claim 10 , wherein said foil or said film is a thermoplastic foil or a thermoplastic film.

12. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the translucent or transparent wear layer includes a thermoplastic foil or a thermoplastic film.

13. A floor panel for forming a floor covering,
wherein the floor panel is rectangular, either oblong or square,
wherein the floor panel is less than 8 mm thick,
wherein said floor panel comprises a substrate;
wherein the substrate comprises a first layer, wherein the first layer is extruded,
wherein the first layer comprises polyvinyl chloride, wherein the first layer comprises no plasticizers or comprises plasticizers in an amount less than 20 phr;
wherein the first layer comprises fillers,
wherein said first layer has a thickness of at least 3 mm,
wherein the first layer constitutes more than half of the thickness of the floor panel,
wherein the floor panel comprises a top layer, wherein the top layer comprises a decorative layer in the form of a print,
wherein the top layer comprises a translucent or transparent wear layer,
wherein the floor panel comprises a first pair of opposite edges,
wherein the first pair of opposite edges comprises coupling parts on two opposite edges, which coupling parts allow that said floor panel can be coupled to another of said floor panel by means of a downward movement of said floor panel in respect to the other floor panel;
wherein the coupling parts at the first pair of opposite edges, in the coupled condition of two of such floor panels, form a first locking system which effects a locking in a first direction in

Assignees

• Flooring Ind Ltd Sarl

Inventors

• Devos Pieter

Classifications

• E04F2201/045

  wherein the elements are made of wood · 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

• E04F15/105 Primary

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

• E04F2201/0138

  by moving the sheets, plates or panels perpendicular to the main plane · CPC title

• E04F2201/0146

  with snap action of the edge connectors · CPC title