Panel, in particular a floor or wall panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12084870-B2
Application number	US-202318167332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 10, 2023
Priority date	Oct 26, 2018
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

A panel, including a centrally located core provided with an upper side and a lower side, at least one first coupling part and at least one second coupling part connected respectively to opposite edges of the core, which first coupling part comprises an upward tongue, at least one upward flank lying at a distance from the upward tongue and an upward groove formed in between the upward tongue and the at least one upward flank, wherein a recessed portion is shaped like a triangle and the underside of the upward tongue is at an angle; wherein at least a part the side of the upward tongue facing away from the at least one upward flank is located at a distance from at least a part of the at least one upward flank; and wherein the recessed portion extends over at least 90% of the distance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A panel, comprising:
a centrally located core provided with an upper side and a lower side, which core defines a plane;
wherein the core has a thickness, which thickness is the distance between the upper side and the lower side of the core;
at least one first coupling part and at least one second coupling part connected respectively to opposite edges of the core,
which the at least one first coupling part comprises an upward tongue, at least one upward flank lying at a distance from the upward tongue and an upward groove formed in between the upward tongue and the at least one upward flank, wherein the upward groove is adapted to receive at least a part of a downward tongue of a second coupling part of an adjacent panel;
which the at least one second coupling part comprises a downward tongue, at least one downward flank lying at a distance from the downward tongue, and a downward groove formed in between the downward tongue and the at least one downward flank, wherein the downward groove is adapted to receive at least a part of an upward tongue of a first coupling part of an adjacent panel;
wherein at least a part of a side of the upward tongue facing away from the at least one upward flank is provided with a first locking element, in the form of an outward bulge, adapted for co-action with a second locking element of an adjacent panel;
wherein at least a part of a side of the at least one downward flank is provided with a second locking element, in the form of a recess adapted for co-action with the first locking element of an adjacent panel;
wherein the lower part of the first coupling part that is located between a side of the upward tongue facing away from the at least one upward flank and the at least one upward flank is the bottom part of the first coupling part;
wherein the bottom part of the first coupling part comprises a recessed portion extending between the at least one upward flank and the side of the upward tongue facing away from the at least one upward flank;
wherein the recessed portion is configured to allow downward movement of the upward tongue, into the recessed portion, during coupling of two adjacent panels, such that the upward groove is temporarily widened to facilitate coupling of the two adjacent panels;
wherein the recessed portion is shaped like a triangle and the underside of the upward tongue is at an angle;
wherein at least a part the side of the upward tongue facing away from the at least one upward flank is located at a distance from at least a part of the at least one upward flank; and
wherein the recessed portion extends over at least 90% of the distance.

2. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the recessed portion defines an area between the panel and a surface on which the panel is arranged.

3. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the recessed portion extends from the part of the side of the upward tongue facing away from the at least one upward flank inwards, such that at the bottom of the side of the upward tongue facing away from the at least one upward flank at least a part of the recessed portion is located.

4. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein, at least a part of the side of the upward tongue is inclined towards the at least one upward flank, and wherein the angle enclosed between the plane of the panel and the inclined part of the side of the upward tongue facing the at least one upward flank lies between 90 and 45 degrees.

5. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the upward tongue is oversized compared to the downward groove.

6. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the inward transition from the recessed portion to the core of the panel is at least partially curved, or wherein the inward transition from the recessed portion to the core of the panel is square.

7. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the upper side of the upward tongue is inclined, and runs downward from the side of the upward tongue facing toward the at least one upward flank towards the side of the upward tongue facing away from the at least one upward flank.

8. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the side of the upward tongue, and preferably the complete side of the upward tongue, facing the at least one upward flank, is inclined away from the at least one upward flank, wherein the angle enclosed between the plane of the panel and the inclined part of the side of the upward tongue facing the upward flank lies between 90 and 180 degrees.

9. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein a part of a side of the downward tongue facing away from the at least one downward flank is provided with a third locking element, adapted for co-action with a fourth locking element of an adjacent panel, and wherein at least a part of the at least one upward flank is provided with the fourth locking element adapted for co-action with the third locking element of the adjacent panel.

10. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the first coupling part comprises a first bridge part, arranged between the core and the upward tongue, and wherein the second coupling part comprises a second bridge part, arranged between the core and the downward tongue, wherein the first bridge part comprises a weakened zone of reduced thickness, to facilitate deformation of the first bridge part during coupling and/or wherein the second bridge part comprises a weakened zone of reduced thickness, to facilitate deformation of the second bridge part during coupling.

11. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein, during coupling, the upward tongue bends downward into the recessed portion and then returns at least partially towards its initial position.

12. The panel according to claim 11 , wherein, in a coupled position, the upward tongue remains bent downwards at least partially compared to its initial position, and wherein, in the coupled position, the coupling parts exert a locking force onto the panels, forcing the panels towards each other under a tension force exerted by at least one of the coupling parts.

13. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the first coupling part and the second coupling part are configured such that, in a coupled condition, a pretension is existing, which forces the respective panels at the respective edges towards each other, wherein this is performed by applying overlapping contours of the first coupling part and the second coupling part, and wherein the first coupling part and the second coupling part are configured, such that the two of such panels can be coupled to each other by a fold-down movement and/or a vertical movement, wherein, in the coupled condition, at least a part of the downward tongue of the second coupling part is inserted in the upward groove of the first coupling part, such that the downward tongue is clamped by the first coupling part and/or the upward tongue is clamped by the second coupling part.

14. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the recessed portion extends over at least 75% of the greatest distance definable between the at least one upward flank and the side of the upward tongue facing away from the at least one upward flank.

15. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the recessed portion extends over at least 80% of the distance.

Assignees

• I4F Licensing Nv

Inventors

• Boucké Eddy Alberic

Classifications

• E04F2201/043

  with tongues and grooves being formed by projecting or recessed parts of the panel layers · CPC title

• E04F2201/041

  Tongues or grooves with slits or cuts for expansion or flexibility · CPC title

• E04F2201/03

  Undercut connections, e.g. using undercut tongues or grooves · CPC title

• E04F2201/0161

  with snap action of the edge connectors · CPC title

• E04F2201/0146

  with snap action of the edge connectors · CPC title