Floor panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018258652-A1
Application number	US-201815972710-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 7, 2018
Priority date	May 10, 2010
Publication date	Sep 13, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A floor panel has a rectangular and oblong shape, and includes a substrate and a top layer provided on the substrate and forming a decorative side of the floor panel. The top layer is composed of a print provided on a carrier sheet and a transparent thermoplastic layer situated above the print. The substrate has a thickness from 2 to 10 millimeter and forms at least half of the thickness of the floor panel. The substrate is a polyurethane-based substrate and the transparent thermoplastic layer is polyurethane-based. The floor panel has a length of more than 1.1 meters and has a plurality of reinforcing layers situated outside the center line of the substrate. A reinforcing layer may be provided in combination with the substrate and the top layer.

First claim

1 . A floor panel comprising:
a substrate; and a top layer located above the substrate; wherein the substrate includes PVC material; wherein the substrate has a thickness of 2 to 10 millimeters; wherein the substrate forms at least half of the thickness of the floor panel; wherein the top layer includes a printed synthetic film and a transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer located above the printed synthetic film; wherein the transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer includes PVC material and a percentage of plasticizer of 5 to 75 percent by weight; wherein the PVC material of the substrate is harder than the PVC material of the transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer; wherein the floor panel is rectangular and oblong and includes a pair of long edges and a pair of short edges; wherein the floor panel includes first mechanical coupling parts at the pair of long edges and second mechanical coupling parts at the pair of short edges; wherein the first mechanical coupling parts allow a horizontal and vertical locking of two of such floor panels using a turning movement along the respective long edges; wherein the first mechanical coupling parts include a tongue and a groove; wherein the tongue and the groove are substantially responsible for the vertical locking; wherein the tongue and the groove include locking parts substantially responsible for the horizontal locking; and wherein the first mechanical coupling parts are substantially realized in the substrate.

2 . The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the second mechanical coupling parts allow a horizontal and vertical locking of two of such floor panels using a downward movement along the respective short edges;
wherein the downward movement is automatically created by the turning movement along the respective long edges; and wherein the second mechanical coupling parts are substantially realized in the substrate.

3 . The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the PVC material of the substrate is hard PVC material.

4 . The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the PVC material of the substrate has a density of more than 650 kilograms per cubic meter.

5 . The floor panel of claim 4 , wherein the PVC material of the substrate has a density of more than 750 kilograms per cubic meter.

6 . The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a single layer.

7 . The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer has a thickness of 1 millimeter or less.

8 . The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the floor panel is free of intermediate layers between the printed synthetic film and the substrate.

9 . The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the floor panel comprises a backing layer located below the substrate.

10 . The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the floor panel has a thickness of 5 to 15 millimeters.

11 . The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the floor panel has a length of more than 110 centimeters.

12 . The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the floor panel will bend less than 10 centimeters per meter under its own weight.

13 . A floor panel comprising:
a substrate; and a top layer located above the substrate; wherein the substrate is a single layer; wherein the substrate includes hard PVC material having a density of more than 650 kilograms per cubic meter; wherein the substrate has a thickness of 2 to 10 millimeters; wherein the substrate forms at least half of the thickness of the floor panel; wherein the top layer includes a printed synthetic film and a transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer located above the printed synthetic film; wherein the transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer includes PVC material and a percentage of plasticizer of 5 to 75 percent by weight; wherein the PVC material of the substrate is harder than the PVC material of the transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer; wherein the floor panel is free of intermediate layers between the printed synthetic film and the substrate; wherein the floor panel is rectangular and oblong and includes a pair of long edges and a pair of short edges; wherein the floor panel includes first mechanical coupling parts at the pair of long edges and second mechanical coupling parts at the pair of short edges; wherein the first mechanical coupling parts allow a horizontal and vertical locking of two of such floor panels using a turning movement along the respective long edges; wherein the first mechanical coupling parts include a tongue and a groove; wherein the tongue and the groove are substantially responsible for the vertical locking; wherein the tongue and the groove include locking parts substantially responsible for the horizontal locking; wherein the first mechanical coupling parts are substantially realized in the substrate; wherein the second mechanical coupling parts allow a horizontal and vertical locking of two of such floor panels using a downward movement along the respective short edges;
wherein the downward movement is automatically created by the turning movement along the respective long edges; and
wherein the second mechanical coupling parts are substantially realized in the substrate.

14 . The floor panel of claim 13 , wherein the PVC material of the substrate has a density of more than 750 kilograms per cubic meter.

15 . The floor panel of claim 13 , wherein the transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer has a thickness of 1 millimeter or less.

16 . The floor panel of claim 13 , wherein the floor panel comprises a backing layer located below the substrate.

17 . The floor panel of claim 13 , wherein the floor panel has a thickness of 5 to 15 millimeters.

18 . The floor panel of claim 13 , wherein the floor panel has a length of more than 110 centimeters.

19 . The floor panel of claim 13 , wherein the floor panel will bend less than 10 centimeters per meter under its own weight.

20 . A floor panel comprising:
a substrate; and a top layer located above the substrate; wherein the substrate includes PVC material; wherein the substrate has a thickness of 2 to 10 millimeters; wherein the substrate forms at least half of the thickness of the floor panel; wherein the substrate includes a plurality of embedded glass fiber layers situated on both sides of the center line of the substrate; wherein the top layer includes a back layer, a printed synthetic film located above the back layer and a transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer located above the printed synthetic film; wherein the back layer includes PVC with plasticizers and fillers; wherein the transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer has a thickness of 1 millimeter or less; wherein the transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer includes PVC material and a percentage of plasticizer of 5 to 75 percent by weight; wherein the PVC material of the substrate is harder than the PVC material of the transparent or translucent thermoplastic layer; wherein the top layer has a thickness of 0.5 to 3 millimeters; wherein the floor panel is rectangular and oblong and includes a pair of long edges and a pair of short edges; wherein the floor panel includes first mechanical coupling parts at the pair of long edges and second mechanical coupling parts at the pair of short edges; wherein the first mechanical coupling parts allow a horizontal and vertical locking of two of such floor panels using a turning movement along the respective long edges; wherein the first mechanical coupling parts incl

Assignees

• Flooring Ind Ltd Sarl

Inventors

• Meersseman Laurent
• Vanhastel Luc

Classifications

• Y10T428/17

  Three or more coplanar interfitted sections with securing means · CPC title

• B32B2307/412

  Transparent · CPC title

• B32B21/08 Primary

  of synthetic resin · CPC title

• B32B5/18

  characterised by features of a layer {of} foamed material · CPC title

• B32B27/30

  comprising vinyl {(co)polymers; comprising acrylic (co)polymers} · CPC title