Floor board and method for manufacturing such floor boards

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12442197-B2
Application number	US-202418986388-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2024
Priority date	Dec 28, 2023
Publication date	Oct 14, 2025
Grant date	Oct 14, 2025

Abstract

A floor board including a decorative surface layer applied to a substrate, where the substrate is optionally MDF or HDF material at a side edge thereof, and at least one side edge together with a side edge opposite thereto forming a first pair of opposite side edges of said substrate. The first pair of opposite side edges includes mechanical first and second coupling parts, respectively, allowing the floor board to be coupled at the respective side edges with a similar floor board. Also, a floor board covering consisting of a plurality of the floor boards and a method for manufacturing such floor boards.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A decorative board, comprising:
a substrate having a plurality of side edges; and
a decorative surface layer applied to said substrate,
wherein said plurality of side edges comprises a first pair of opposite side edges and a second pair of opposite side edges,
wherein the second pair of opposite side edges comprises third and fourth coupling parts allowing to couple said decorative board at the respective side edges with a further similar decorative board by means of a lowering movement or horizontal shifting movement such that, in a coupled condition, said decorative board and the further similar decorative board become locked both in a vertical direction perpendicular to a board plane defined by the intercoupled decorative boards, as well as in a horizontal direction parallel to said board plane, and
wherein the substrate comprises MDF or HDF material at the side edges,
wherein at least one of said side edges is treated with at least one water barrier agent,
wherein said water barrier agent is water impermeable and/or moisture-repellent, and
wherein a concentration of said water barrier agent in a top section and/or a bottom section of the side edge is lower than a concentration of said water barrier agent in a centre section of the side edge.

2. The decorative board according to claim 1 , wherein the top section of the edge of the substrate is provided with a bevel, and wherein the bevel is treated with at least one water barrier agent, and wherein the bevel is provided with a water impermeable bevel coating.

3. The decorative board according to claim 2 , wherein the water impermeable bevel coating is applied onto and/or affixed to a surface of the bevel impregnated with the at least one water barrier agent and/or wherein the entire surface of the bevel is impregnated with the at least one water barrier agent.

4. The decorative board according to claim 3 , wherein the water impermeable bevel coating is at least partially formed by the water barrier agent.

5. The decorative board according to claim 1 , wherein said water barrier agent is at least partially impregnated into the side edge, wherein said water barrier agent comprises shellac.

6. The decorative board according to claim 1 , wherein said water barrier agent is at least partially impregnated into the side edge, wherein said water barrier agent is selected from the group consisting of: at least one MDI (methylene diphenyl di-isocyanate), at least one epoxy resin, at least one fluorocopolymer acetic anhydride, or a combination thereof.

7. The decorative board according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one water barrier agent comprises at least two different water barrier agents.

8. The decorative board according to claim 7 , wherein the at least two different water barrier agents are different water barrier agent types chosen from the group consisting of: an impregnation agent, a coating, and a superabsorbing agent.

9. The decorative board according to claim 1 , wherein the concentration of said water barrier agent in the top section of the side edge is lower than the concentration of said water barrier agent in a lower section positioned underneath said top section and wherein the bottom section of the side edge is free from water barrier agent.

10. The decorative board according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of at least one exposed substrate surface is a heat seared surface or is provided with a heat seared skin.

11. The decorative board according to claim 1 , wherein the side edge is provided with a first reactant, and at least one other side edge from the plurality of side edges, is provided with a second reactant, wherein the first reactant and second reactant are configured to react with each other upon contact with each other during or after coupling of the side edges with the at least one other side edge of an adjacent decorative board to consequently form the at least one water barrier agent in between said decorative boards.

12. The decorative board according to claim 1 , wherein the side edge is provided with both at least one first reactant and at least one second reactant, wherein the first reactant and second reactant are configured to react with each other upon contact with each other to consequently form the at least one water barrier agent onto and/or into the side edge.

13. The decorative board according to claim 1 , wherein said first pair of opposite side edges comprises first and second mechanical coupling parts, configured to couple said decorative board at respective side edges with a similar decorative board by an angling down motion such that, in a coupled condition, said decorative board and the similar decorative board are locked both in a vertical direction perpendicular to a board plane defined by the intercoupled decorative boards and in a horizontal direction parallel to said board plane, said first coupling part comprising a sideward tongue, said second coupling part comprising a recess for accommodating at least a part of the sideward tongue of the similar decorative board, said recess being defined by an upper lip and a lower lip, said lower lip extending beyond the upper lip, said sideward tongue comprising a front section, a rear section, and a middle section situated between said front section and said rear section,
a bottom surface and/or a side surface of said front section of said sideward tongue being at least partially curved, said bottom surface of said front section defining a front downward tongue contact portion,
a top surface of the front section of said sideward tongue being at least partially inclined downwardly in a direction away from the middle section and rear section, said top surface of said front section defines a front upward tongue contact portion,
a bottom surface of said middle section of said sideward tongue defining a middle lower contact portion situated between adjacent inactive portions of the middle section of the sideward tongue,
a bottom surface and/or a side surface of said rear section of said sideward tongue being at least partially upwardly inclined in a direction away from the middle section and front section, said inclined part of said bottom surface and/or said side surface of said rear section defining a rear downward tongue contact portion,
said rear section being configured to accommodate an upwardly protruding locking element of a second coupling part of a further decorative board,
and said lower lip comprises a front section, a rear section, and a middle section situated in between said front section and said rear section, said upper lip being located above and connected to the front section of the lower lip, and wherein the lower lip is provided with an upwardly protruding locking element located in the rear section of the lower lip,
a bottom surface and/or a side surface of said front section of said lower lip being at least partially curved, wherein said bottom surface of said front section of said lower lip defines a front upward lip contact portion,
a bottom surface of the upper lip at least partially inclined downwardly in a direction away from the middle section and rear section of the lower lip, wherein said bottom surface of said front section defines a front downward lip contact portion,
a top surface of said middle section of said lower lip defining a middle upward lip contact portion situated between adjacent inactive portions of the middle section of the lower lip,
a top surface and/or a side surface of said rear section of said lower lip at least partially upwardly inclined in a direction away from the middle section and front section of said lower lip, said inclin

Assignees

• I4F Licensing Nv

Inventors

• Devos Pieter Renaat Karel

Classifications

• E04F2290/04

  for insulation or surface protection, e.g. against noise, impact or fire · CPC title

• E04F2201/0107

  by moving the sheets, plates or panels substantially in their own plane, perpendicular to the abutting edges · CPC title

• B05D2504/00

  Epoxy polymers · CPC title

• B05D2320/00

  Organic additives · CPC title

• B05D2203/20

  Wood or similar material · CPC title