Interlocking floor panels with high performance locking profiles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016138274-A1
Application number	US-201614994871-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 13, 2016
Priority date	Nov 14, 2014
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A floating floor system includes a plurality of floor panels, each of the floor panels comprising a base layer, a wear layer forming an uppermost surface of the floor panel, a first locking edge portion having a first locking profile that includes a first channel having a first channel floor, the first locking edge portion being formed by the wear layer and the base layer, the first locking profile further comprising a first channel bed thickness measured between the uppermost surface and the first channel floor, and wherein the wear layer forms at least 5% of the first channel bed thickness, and a second locking edge portion having a second locking profile that includes a second vertical ridge, the second locking edge portion located opposite the first locking edge portion.

First claim

1 . A floating floor system comprising:
a plurality of floor panels, each of the floor panels comprising:
a base layer;
a wear layer atop the base layer, the wear layer forming an uppermost surface of the floor panel;
a first locking edge portion having a first locking profile that includes a first channel having a first channel floor, the first locking edge portion being formed by the wear layer and the base layer, the first locking profile further comprising a first channel bed thickness measured between the uppermost surface and the first channel floor, and wherein the wear layer forms at least 5% of the first channel bed thickness; and
a second locking edge portion having a second locking profile that includes a second vertical ridge, the second locking edge portion located opposite the first locking edge portion; and
wherein the floor panels are arranged in a mechanical interlocked arrangement such that the first edge portions of the floor panels mate with the second edge portions of adjacent ones of the floor panels.

2 . The floating floor system according to claim 1 , wherein the wear layer forms between 5% to 30% of the first channel bed thickness.

3 . The floating floor system according to claim 1 , wherein the wear layer comprises less than 20% plasticizer.

4 . The floating floor system according to claim 1 , wherein the wear layer comprises less than 1% plasticizer.

5 . The floating floor system according to claim 1 , wherein the base layer comprises a vinyl composition.

6 . The floating floor system according to claim 1 , wherein the wear layer has a thickness of from about 2 mils to about 40 mils.

7 . The floating floor system according to claim 1 , wherein the base layer has a thickness of about 100 mils.

8 . The floating floor system according to claim 1 , wherein in the mechanical interlocked arrangement, the first locking edge portion and the second locking edge portion interlock adjacent floor panels in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction.

9 . The floating floor system according to claim 1 , wherein for each of the floor panels, the first channel and the second vertical ridge are formed entirely within the base layer.

10 . An interlocking floor panel comprising:
a base layer; a wear layer atop the base layer, the wear layer forming an uppermost surface of the interlocking floor panel; a first locking edge portion having a first locking profile that includes a first channel having a first channel floor, the first locking edge portion being formed by the wear layer and the base layer, the first locking profile further comprising a first channel bed thickness measured between the uppermost surface and the first channel floor, and wherein the wear layer forms at least 5% of the first channel bed thickness; and a second locking edge portion having a second locking, the second locking edge portion located opposite the first locking edge portion.

11 . The interlocking floor panel according to claim 10 , wherein the wear layer forms from about 5% to about 30% of the first channel bed thickness.

12 . The interlocking floor panel according to claim 10 , wherein the wear layer comprises less than about 1% plasticizer.

13 . The interlocking floor panel according to claim 10 , wherein the base layer comprises a vinyl composition.

14 . The interlocking floor panel according to claim 10 , wherein the wear layer has a thickness of about 20 mils.

15 . The interlocking floor panel according to claim 10 , wherein the base layer has a thickness of from about 40 mils to about 250 mils.

16 . The interlocking floor panel according to claim 10 , wherein the base layer has a thickness of about 100 mils.

17 . The interlocking floor panel according to claim 10 , wherein the first locking edge portion comprises at least one of first horizontal locking feature, a first vertical locking feature, and a combination thereof, wherein the second locking edge portion is complementary in shape to the first locking edge portion.

18 . The interlocking floor panel according to claim 10 , wherein the first channel and the second vertical ridge are formed entirely within the base layer.

19 . An interlocking floor panel comprising:
a linoleum base layer; a vinyl wear layer atop the linoleum base layer, the vinyl wear layer forming an uppermost surface of the interlocking floor panel; a first locking edge portion having a first locking profile that includes a first channel having a first channel floor, the first locking edge portion being formed by the vinyl wear layer and the linoleum base layer, the first locking profile further comprising a first channel bed thickness measured between the uppermost surface and the first channel floor; and a second locking edge portion having a second locking, the second locking edge portion located opposite the first locking edge portion.

20 . The interlocking floor panel according to claim 19 , wherein the vinyl wear layer comprises less than 1% plasticizer.

Assignees

• Armstrong World Ind Inc

Inventors

• Anspach Kean M
• Eshbach Jr John R
• Stoll Brent L
• Ramachandra Sunil

Classifications

• D06N1/00

  Linoleum {, e.g. linoxyn, polymerised or oxidised resin} · CPC title

• E04C2/26

  composed of materials covered by two or more of groups E04C2/04, E04C2/08, E04C2/10 or of materials covered by one of these groups with a material not specified in one of the groups {(of cement and mineral fibres E04C2/04)} · CPC title

• D10B2503/04

  Floor or wall coverings; Carpets · 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

• E04C2/20

  of plastics · CPC title