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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11208814-B2
Application number	US-201916960945-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2019
Priority date	Jan 11, 2018
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

A plurality of floor panels consists of a first series of floor panels includes first floor panels, and a second series of floor panels includes second floor panels. The first and second floor panels are configured for fold-type coupling. The first and second floor panels define coupling parts mutually differing from each other and are configured so that the first and second floor panels are compatible and able to be coupled to one another.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A set of floor panels, wherein these floor panels are oblong rectangular and thus have a pair of long edges and a pair of short edges;
wherein the long edges and the short edges are provided with mechanical coupling parts arranged for coupling the floor panels of the set to each other;
wherein a first long edge of the long edges is provided with a male coupling part and a second long edge of the long edges is provided with a female coupling part;
wherein a first short edge of the short edges is provided with a male coupling part and a second short edge of the short edges is provided with a female coupling part;
wherein the male coupling part at the long edge is arranged to be inserted into the female coupling part at the long edge of a floor panel of the set by means of a turning movement;
wherein the male coupling part at the long edge is arranged to be inserted into the female coupling part at the short edge of a floor panel of the set by means of a turning movement; and
wherein the male coupling part at the short edge is arranged to be inserted into the female coupling part at the long edge in one and the same turning movement arranged for inserting the male coupling part at the long edge into the female coupling part at the long or short edge;
wherein the male coupling part at the short edge and the female coupling part at the long edge comprise locking parts arranged to, in a mutually coupled condition of such short edge and long edge, effect a locking in horizontal direction and a locking in vertical direction;
wherein the female coupling part at the long edge or the short edge comprises a lateral groove bordered by an upper lip and a lower lip, the lower lip extending distally to beyond the upper lip and is provided with an upwardly directed locking part;
wherein the male coupling part at the long edge is provided with a tongue, in the coupled condition, arranged to cooperate with the lateral groove in order to effect a vertical locking; and
wherein the set of floor panels comprises at least one pair of locking portions in order to effect the vertical locking of the male coupling part of the short edge in the female coupling part at the long edge, namely a first locking portion at this male coupling part and a second locking portion, cooperating therewith in coupled condition, at the female coupling part;
wherein the second locking portion present at the female coupling part, is situated at the proximal side of the upwardly directed locking part;
wherein the second locking portion defining an undercut forming an inclined surface extending in a proximal direction relative to a bottom to a top of the panel, the first locking portion being arranged to engage under the undercut.

2. The set of floor panels according to claim 1 , wherein the respective coupling parts are configured such that the first locking portion is arranged to be brought behind the second locking portion by means of a downward movement of the respective coupling part, by means of a downward snap movement.

3. The set of floor panels according claim 1 , wherein the male coupling part at the short edge comprises a flange extending laterally at the top, a downwardly extending locking part is situated at the flange, and
wherein for the vertical locking an additional pair of locking portions is provided, one locking portion of said pair of locking portions is situated at the distal end of the flange or of the downwardly extending locking part, whereas then the other locking portion is situated at the opposite floor panel.

4. The set of floor panels according to claim 1 , wherein for the vertical locking an additional pair of locking portions is provided, one locking portion of said pair of locking portions is situated at the distal end of the lower lip or of the upwardly directed locking part, whereas then the other locking portion is situated at the opposite floor panel.

5. The set of floor panels according to claim 4 , wherein the one locking portion situated at the distal end of the lower lip or the upwardly directed locking part, forms a protrusion, whereas a cooperating therewith locking portion forms a recess corresponding to the protrusion, respectively, wherein such protrusion is a bulge-shaped portion.

6. The set of floor panels according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling parts on all four edges are realized in one piece from a material of the floor panels.

7. The set of floor panels according to claim 1 , wherein the female coupling part at the short edge and the female coupling part at the long edge are realized substantially similar to each other and are realized identical to each other.

8. The set of floor panels according to claim 1 , wherein an underside of the female part of the long edge or the short edge a recess is present, the recess arranged to facilitate an elastic bending during joining.

9. A set of floor panels, wherein these floor panels are oblong rectangular and thus have a pair of long edges and a pair of short edges;
wherein the long edges and the short edges are provided with mechanical coupling parts arranged for coupling the floor panels of the set 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 at the long edge is arranged to be inserted into the female coupling part at the long edge of a floor panel of the set by means of a turning movement;
wherein the male coupling part at the long edge is arranged to be inserted into the female coupling part at the short edge of a floor panel of the set by means of a turning movement; and
wherein the male coupling part at the short edge is arranged to be inserted into the female coupling part at the long edge in one and the same turning movement arranged for inserting the male coupling part at the long edge into the female coupling part at the long or short edge;
wherein the male coupling part at the short edge and the female coupling part at the long edge comprise locking parts arranged to, in a mutually coupled condition of such short edge and long edge, effect a locking in horizontal direction and a locking in vertical direction;
wherein the female coupling part at the long edge or the short edge comprises a lateral groove bordered by an upper lip and a lower lip, the lower lip extending distally to beyond the upper lip and is provided with an upwardly directed locking part;
wherein the male coupling part at the long edge is provided with a tongue, arranged, in the coupled condition, to cooperate with the lateral groove in order to effect a vertical locking; and
wherein the set of floor panels comprises at least one pair of locking portions in order to effect the vertical locking of the male coupling part of the short edge in the female coupling part at the long edge, namely a first locking portion at this male coupling part and a second locking portion, cooperating therewith in coupled condition, at the female coupling part,
wherein the second locking portion present at the female coupling part, is situated at the distal end of the lower lip or of the upwardly directed locking part, whereas then the other first locking portion mentioned herein above is situated at the opposite floor panel;
wherein the locking portion situated at the distal end of the lower lip or of the upwardly directed locking part forms a protrusion, whereas a cooperating therewith locking portion forms a recess corresponding to the protrusion.

10. The set of floor panels according to claim 9 , wherein such

Assignees

• Flooring Ind Ltd Sarl

Inventors

• De Rick Jan Eddy

Classifications

• E04F2201/0153

  by rotating the sheets, plates or panels around an axis which is parallel to the abutting edges, possibly combined with a sliding movement · CPC title

• E04F2201/0115

  with snap action of the edge connectors · CPC title

• E04F2201/0146

  with snap action of the edge connectors · CPC title

• E04F2201/0169

  by rotating the sheets, plates or panels around an axis which is perpendicular to the abutting edges and parallel to the main plane, possibly combined with a sliding movement · CPC title

• E04F15/02038 Primary

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