Floor panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12116786-B2
Application number	US-202217701440-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2022
Priority date	Nov 10, 2016
Publication date	Oct 15, 2024
Grant date	Oct 15, 2024

Abstract

A floor panel with a substrate, including thermoplastic material, a decor provided thereon, and, on at least one pair of opposite edges, coupling parts realized at least partially from the substrate. The coupling parts allow a mechanical locking between two of such floor panels, where the substrate includes a rigid, non-foamed substrate layer of thermoplastic material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A floor panel comprising a substrate and a decor, said substrate comprises a first rigid substrate layer of thermoplastic material, wherein said first rigid substrate layer of thermoplastic material is non-foamed, or wherein said first rigid substrate layer of thermoplastic material is foamed and shows a density reduction of maximum 10% due to said foaming, wherein the thermoplastic material of the first rigid substrate layer comprises PVC and the first rigid substrate layer is formed by means of extrusion, wherein said substrate comprises a substrate layer which is more flexible or compressible than the first rigid substrate layer, wherein said substrate layer which is more flexible or compressible than the first rigid substrate layer is situated between the first rigid substrate layer and the decor and comprises cork or a thermoplastic material chosen from the group consisting of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, polyurethane and elastomer,
wherein said substrate comprises a second rigid substrate layer of thermoplastic material, and wherein said second rigid substrate layer of thermoplastic material is non-foamed, or wherein said second rigid substrate layer of thermoplastic material is foamed and shows a density reduction of maximum 10% due to said foaming,
wherein the floor panel on at least one pair of opposite edges comprises coupling parts realized at least partially from the substrate, said coupling parts allowing to effect a mechanical locking between two of such floor panels;
said mechanical locking in the coupled condition of two of such floor panels being operative at least in a horizontal direction in the plane of the coupled floor panels and perpendicular to the coupled edges, and at least in a vertical direction perpendicular to said plane of the coupled floor panels;
wherein said coupling parts are shaped as a tongue and groove connection, the groove being bordered by an upper and a lower lip, wherein said tongue and groove connection comprises locking elements in the form of a protrusion at the lower side of the tongue and a recess in the upper side of the lower lip;
wherein said upper lip is at least partially realized from the second rigid substrate layer and said lower lip is at least partially realized from the first rigid substrate layer; and wherein a center line through the tongue is situated in the first rigid substrate layer with a most inwardly located point of the groove being situated in the first rigid substrate layer.

2. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein said thermoplastic material of said substrate layer which is more flexible or compressible than the first rigid substrate layer comprises PET.

3. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein said substrate layer which is more flexible or compressible than the first rigid substrate layer comprises a plasticizer in an amount of at least 15 phr.

4. The floor panel of claim 3 , wherein said substrate layer which is more flexible or compressible than the first rigid substrate layer comprises a plasticizer in an amount of at least 20 phr.

5. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein said thermoplastic material of the first rigid substrate layer comprises a filler.

6. The floor panel of claim 5 , wherein said filler is chosen from the group of an inorganic filler, an organic filler, a mineral filler, or combinations thereof.

7. The floor panel of claim 5 , wherein said filler is present in said thermoplastic material in an amount of between 30 and 70 percent by weight.

8. The floor panel of claim 7 , wherein said filler is present in said thermoplastic material in an amount of between 45 and 65 percent by weight.

9. The floor panel of claim 5 , wherein the proportion of filler is at least 40 percent by weight.

10. The floor panel of claim 9 , wherein the proportion of filler is at least 50 percent by weight.

11. The floor panel of claim 9 , wherein the proportion of filler is at least 60 percent by weight.

12. The floor panel of claim 9 , wherein the proportion of filler is at least 70 percent by weight.

13. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein said thermoplastic material of the first rigid substrate layer comprises an impact modifier, a stabilizer, such as a Ca/Zn stabilizer, and/or a color pigment, such as carbon black.

14. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein said thermoplastic material of the first rigid substrate layer has a density of between 1300 and 2000 kg per cubic meter.

15. The floor panel of claim 14 , wherein said thermoplastic material of the first rigid substrate layer has a density of between 1500 and 2000 kg per cubic meter.

16. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the decor relates to an imprinted or printed decor.

17. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the floor panel comprises a wear and/or lacquer layer provided above the decor.

18. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the overall thickness of the floor panel is situated between 3.5 and 6 mm.

19. A floor panel having a first and a second pair of opposite edges,
wherein said floor panel comprises a substrate, a decor, and a wear layer applied over said decor,
wherein the floor panel shows a modulus of elasticity or Young's modulus of at least 2000 N per square millimeter and on at least one pair of opposite edges comprises coupling parts realized at least partially from the substrate, said coupling parts allowing to effect a mechanical locking between two of such floor panels;
said mechanical locking in the coupled condition of two of such floor panels being operative at least in a horizontal direction in the plane of the coupled floor panels and perpendicular to the coupled edges, and at least in a vertical direction perpendicular to said plane of the coupled floor panels;
wherein said mechanical locking in said horizontal direction is realized by locking surfaces cooperating in a first zone and said mechanical locking in said vertical direction is realized by locking surfaces cooperating in a second zone;
said coupling parts being shaped as a tongue and groove connection, the groove being bordered by an upper and a lower lip, wherein said tongue and groove connection comprises locking elements in the form of a protrusion at the lower side of the tongue and a recess in the upper side of the lower lip said locking surfaces cooperating in said first zone being positioned on said locking elements;
wherein said coupling parts are configured such that they allow coupling two of such floor panels at the respective edges by means of a turning movement, wherein the floor panel with the tongue, from an inclined position in which the tongue already is partially situated in the groove, is turned downward in order to bring the tongue completely into the groove and to couple the respective edges to each other;
wherein said substrate comprises a first rigid substrate layer of thermoplastic material, wherein said first rigid substrate layer of thermoplastic material is non-foamed, or wherein said first rigid substrate layer of thermoplastic material is foamed and shows a density reduction due to said foaming, wherein the thermoplastic material of the first rigid substrate layer comprises PVC and a filler chosen from the group consisting of mineral fillers, organic fillers and inorganic fillers, wherein the proportion of filler is at least 40 percent by weight, wherein said first rigid substrate layer is formed by means of extrusion; and
wherein said substrate comprises a substrate layer which is more flexible or compressible than the first rigid substrate layer, wherein said substr

Assignees

• Flooring Ind Ltd Sarl
• Unilin Bv

Inventors

• Van Vlassenrode Kristof
• Brusseel Paul
• Vanhulle Nick
• Bossuyt Jochen

Classifications

• E04F15/102

  of fibrous or chipped materials, e.g. bonded with synthetic resins · CPC title

• B44C5/0407

  containing glass elements · CPC title

• B32B2262/101

  Glass fibres · CPC title

• B32B27/304

  comprising vinyl halide (co)polymers, e.g. PVC, PVDC, PVF, PVDF · CPC title

• B32B27/065

  of foam · CPC title