Floor panel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9290948-B2
Application number	US-201013144782-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2010
Priority date	Jan 16, 2009
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

Floor panel, which, at least at two opposite sides, includes coupling parts with which two of such floor panels can be coupled to each other; wherein these coupling parts form a horizontally active locking system and a vertically active locking system; wherein the horizontally active locking system comprises a male part in the form of a downwardly directed projection and a female part with a seat open towards the top, which have horizontally active locking surfaces; and wherein the vertically active locking system includes a vertically active locking element, which forms part of an insertion piece provided in the female part; wherein the insertion piece is formed at least of the combination of a bottom part; a back part adjoining thereto and an elastically movable lock-up body directed downward with a free extremity, which lock-up body, by means of a hinge portion, is connected directly or indirectly to the back part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A floor panel, comprising:
a top surface, at least two opposite sides, and at said opposite sides coupling parts enabling a first and a second of such floor panels to be coupled to each other;
wherein the coupling parts form a horizontally active locking system and a vertically active locking system;
wherein the horizontally active locking system comprises a male part and a female part, which enable said first and second floor panels to be connected to each other at said sides by locating one of the floor panels with its pertaining male part, by means of a downward movement, in the female part of the other floor panel;
wherein the vertically active locking system comprises a locking element, which forms part of an insertion piece provided in one of the respective sides;
wherein the locking element comprises at least a pivotable lock-up body, the pivotable lock-up body having a first extremity opposite a second extremity, the first extremity having an outer peripheral surface forming a stop-forming locking portion arranged to abut a locking surface of the first floor panel when the first and second floor panels are coupled to thereby provide a vertical locking action between the first extremity and said locking surface of the first floor panel, and the second extremity including a support portion including an outer peripheral surface arranged to abut a support surface of the second floor panel as the stop-forming locking portion of the lock-up body is engaged with the locking surface of the first panel to thereby provide a vertical locking action between the second extremity and said support surface of the second floor panel;
wherein one of said locking surface and said support surface is an upward facing surface provided at the male part, the upward facing surface facing toward said top surface;
wherein the lock-up body, by means of a hinge portion, is connected to a basic part pertaining to the insertion piece;
wherein the pivotable lock-up body and the basic part are provided with surfaces which, when the lock-up body is pivoted inwards, form guiding surfaces for each other and thereby determine the movement of the lock-up body;
wherein the guiding surfaces include a first guiding surface and a second guiding surface, the first guiding surface being configured to perform a pivoting movement about the second guiding surface;
wherein said first and second extremities of said lock-up body are located at opposite sides in respect to the guiding surface located at the pivotable lock-up body; and
wherein, in the coupled condition of said first and second floor panels, one of said first and second extremities and the corresponding one of said locking surface and said support surface are located closer to the top surface than the guiding surfaces are to the top surface, whereas the other of said first and second extremities and the thereto other corresponding one of said locking surface and said support surface are located farther from the top surface than the guiding surfaces are from the top surface, the other thereto corresponding one of said locking surface and said support surface being constituted by said upward facing surface provided at the male part.

2. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the insertion piece is provided in a recess in the female part.

3. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the cooperation between the pivotable lock-up body and the basic part is obtained in two steps, wherein in the first step the lock-up body is pushed aside with a smaller force than in the second step.

4. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the lock-up body comprises a rigid element.

5. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the insertion piece is configured such that in the free condition a distance is present between the basic part and the lock-up body.

6. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the cooperation among said surfaces provides for that the pivotable lock-up body, next to its extremity situated next to the hinge portion, is pressed against the support surface of the second floor panel.

7. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the coupling means are configured such that two of such floor panels, at the respective sides where they can be brought into each other by a downward movement, also can be joined into each other and/or taken out of each other by means of a turning movement (W).

8. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the coupling means are configured such that two of such floor panels, at the respective sides where they can be brought into each other by a downward movement, also can be joined into each other by means of a translation wherein the floor panels are laterally moved towards each other.

9. The floor panel of claim 1 ,
wherein the panel is rectangular and wherein said two opposite sides form a first pair of sides, whereas the remaining pair of opposite sides define a second pair of sides;
wherein at said second pair of sides coupling parts are applied which allow a connection of one panel to another by a turning-down movement;
the coupling parts at the first pair of sides and the second pair of sides being configured such that said turning-down movement at the second pair of sides, automatically results in an engagement between adjacent panels at the first pair of sides.

10. The floor panel of claim 1 , wherein the guiding surfaces are arranged to engage one another as the pivotable lock-up body pivots relative to and toward the basic part.

11. The floor panel according to claim 1 , wherein the first guiding surface is provided on the pivotable lock-up body and the second guiding surface is provided on the basic part.

12. The floor panel according to claim 11 , wherein the second guiding surface is provided on at an end portion of the basic part.

13. The floor panel according to claim 11 , wherein the second extremity is coupled to the hinge portion and the first extremity is a free extremity.

14. The floor panel according to claim 13 , wherein a contact surface of the pivotable lock-up body opposite from the first guiding surface is configured to contact and guide a surface of a locking portion of a male part of a similar floor panel.

15. The floor panel according to claim 13 , wherein the hinge portion is a resilient portion urging the lock-up body into a locked position.

16. The floor panel according to claim 11 , wherein the first guiding surface is also configured to slide along the second guiding surface during said pivoting movement.

17. The floor panel according to claim 1 , wherein the first guiding surface includes a corner portion protruding out from the first guiding surface.

18. The floor panel according to claim 17 , wherein, a concave portion of the corner portion protruding out from the first guiding surface, upon contacting the second guiding surface, is configured to substantially rotate around an outer corner of the second guiding surface.

Assignees

• Cappelle Mark
• Van Hooydonck Guy
• Flooring Ind Ltd Sarl

Inventors

• Cappelle Mark
• Van Hooydonck Guy

Classifications

• E04F2201/0588

  of organic plastics with or without reinforcements or filling materials · CPC title

• E04F2201/0523

  Separate tongues; Interlocking keys, e.g. joining mouldings of circular, square or rectangular shape · CPC title

• E04F2201/0552

  adapted to be rotated around an axis parallel to the joint edge · CPC title

• E04F2201/049

  wherein the elements are made of organic plastics with or without reinforcements or filling materials · CPC title

• E04F15/02 Primary

  Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements (of webs E04F15/16) · CPC title