Interlocking floor panels with high performance locking profiles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9611655-B2
Application number	US-201614994871-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2016
Priority date	Nov 14, 2014
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

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

The invention claimed is:

1. A floating floor system comprising:
a plurality of floor panels, each of the floor panels comprising:
a base layer having a first thickness and comprising a first plasticizer;
a wear layer atop the base layer, the wear layer having a second thickness and forming an uppermost surface of the floor panel and wherein the wear layer comprises a second plasticizer in an amount less than 10%;
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; and
wherein a ratio of the first thickness to the second thickness ranges from about 2:1 to about 5:1.

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 1% plasticizer.

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

5. The floating floor system according to claim 1 , wherein the second thickness ranges from about 20 mils to about 40 mils.

6. The floating floor system according to claim 1 , wherein the first thickness is about 100 mils.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. An interlocking floor panel comprising:
a base layer having a first thickness and comprising a first plasticizer;
a wear layer atop the base layer, the wear layer having a second thickness and forming an uppermost surface of the floor panel and wherein the wear layer comprises a second plasticizer in an amount less than 10%;
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;
a second locking edge portion having a second locking, the second locking edge portion located opposite the first locking edge portion; and
wherein a ratio of the first thickness to the second thickness ranges from about 2:1 to about 5:1.

10. The interlocking floor panel according to claim 9 , wherein the wear layer forms from about 5% to about 30% of the first channel bed thickness.

11. The interlocking floor panel according to claim 9 , wherein the wear layer comprises less than about 1% plasticizer.

12. The interlocking floor panel according to claim 9 , wherein the base layer comprises a vinyl composition.

13. The interlocking floor panel according to claim 9 , wherein the second thickness is about 20 mils.

14. The interlocking floor panel according to claim 9 , wherein the first thickness is from about 40 mils to about 250 mils.

15. The interlocking floor panel according to claim 9 , wherein the first thickness is about 100 mils.

16. The interlocking floor panel according to claim 9 , 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.

17. The interlocking floor panel according to claim 9 , wherein the first channel and the second vertical ridge are formed entirely within the base layer.

18. 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 profile, the second locking edge portion located opposite the first locking edge portion.

19. The interlocking floor panel according to claim 18 , wherein the vinyl wear layer comprises less than 1% plasticizer.

Assignees

• Armstrong World Ind Inc
• Afi Licensing Llc

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

• D06N2211/066

  Floor coverings · CPC title

• E04C2/20

  of plastics · CPC title

• E04F15/105

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

• E04F2201/0161

  with snap action of the edge connectors · CPC title