Interlocking floor panels and floor system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9650792-B2
Application number	US-201414580312-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2014
Priority date	Dec 23, 2014
Publication date	May 16, 2017
Grant date	May 16, 2017

Abstract

A floating floor system includes a plurality of interlocking floor panels, each including a base layer formed from a first material having a first hardness; a body formed from the base layer and having a top surface and a bottom surface; a first locking edge portion formed from the base layer and including a locking channel defined by a channel floor and first and second channel sidewalls extending upward from the channel floor toward the top surface; a second locking edge portion formed from the base layer and including a locking ridge protruding downward away from an upper surface of the second locking edge portion and defined by a ridge surface and first and second ridge sidewalls; wherein at least one of the sidewalls includes a portion formed from a second material having a second hardness that is less than the first hardness.

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 formed from a first material having a first hardness;
a body comprising a top surface and a bottom surface, the body formed from the base layer;
a first locking edge portion formed from the base layer and extending from a first side of the body, the first locking edge portion comprising a locking channel defined by a channel floor, a first channel sidewall extending upward from the channel floor toward the top surface, and a second channel sidewall extending upward from the channel floor toward the top surface;
a second locking edge portion formed from the base layer and extending from a second side of the body opposite the first side, the second locking edge portion comprising a locking ridge protruding downward away from the top surface, the ridge defined by a first ridge sidewall, a second ridge sidewall, and a ridge top surface;
wherein at least one of the first channel sidewall, the second channel sidewall, the first ridge sidewall, and the second ridge sidewall comprises a portion formed from a second material having a second hardness that is less than the first hardness;

wherein the plurality of floor panels are arranged in a mechanically interlocked arrangement in which the locking ridge of one floor panel is pressed into and nested within the locking channel of an adjacent floor panel such that the portion formed from the second material is compressed, thereby achieving an interference fit between the first and second channel sidewalls and the first and second ridge sidewalk;
wherein the locking channel comprises an upper channel section defined by upper portions of the first and second channel sidewalls and a lower channel section defined by lower portions of the first and second channel sidewalls, the upper channel section comprising a first channel width and the lower channel section comprising a second channel width, the first channel width being less than the second channel width;
wherein the locking ridge comprises a base section defined by upper portions of the first and second ridge sidewalls and a distal section defined by lower portions of the first and second ridge sidewalls, the base section comprising a first ridge width and the distal section comprising a second ridge width, the first ridge width being less than the second ridge width; and
wherein at least one of the upper portion of the first channel sidewall, the upper portion of the second channel sidewall, the upper portion of the first ridge sidewall, and the upper portion of the second ridge sidewall is formed from the second material.

2. The floating floor system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the upper portions of the first and second channel sidewalk are formed from the second material.

3. The floating floor system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the upper portions of the first and second ridge sidewalls are formed from the second material.

4. The floating floor system according to claim 1 , wherein the second ridge width is greater than the first channel width.

5. The floating floor system according to claim 4 , wherein the at least one of the upper portion of the first channel sidewall, the upper portion of the second channel sidewall, the upper portion of the first ridge sidewall, and the upper portion of the second ridge sidewall that is formed from the second material compresses upon the distal section of the locking ridge passing through the upper section of the locking channel to allow the distal section of the locking ridge to enter and nest in the lower section of the channel.

6. The floating floor system according to claim 1 , wherein the second material is an elastomeric material.

7. The floating floor system according to claim 1 , wherein the first material is selected from a high density fiberboard, a medium density fiberboard, wood, or a combination thereof.

8. The floating floor system according to claim 1 , wherein the surface portion formed of the second material which is compressed remains under continuous compression when the plurality of floor panels are in the mechanically interlocked arrangement.

9. The floating floor system according to claim 1 , wherein the compression of the surface portion formed of the second material generates a counter force having a horizontal vector component that prevents vertical movement of the ridges within the channels when the plurality of floor panels are in the mechanically interlocked arrangement.

10. A floating floor system comprising:
a plurality of floor panels, each of the floor panels comprising:
a base layer formed from a first material having a first hardness;
a body comprising a top surface and a bottom surface, the body formed from the base layer;
a first locking edge portion formed from the base layer and extending from a first side of the body, the first locking edge portion comprising a locking channel defined by a channel floor, a first channel sidewall extending upward from the channel floor toward the top surface, and a second channel sidewall extending upward from the channel floor toward the top surface;
a second locking edge portion formed from the base layer and extending from a second side of the body opposite the first side, the second locking edge portion comprising a locking ridge protruding downward away from the top surface, the ridge defined by a first ridge sidewall, a second ridge sidewall, and a ridge top surface;
wherein at least one of the first channel sidewall, the second channel sidewall, the first ridge sidewall, and the second ridge sidewall comprises a portion formed from a second material having a second hardness that is less than the first hardness;

wherein the plurality of floor panels are arranged in a mechanically interlocked arrangement in which the locking ridge of one floor panel is pressed into and nested within the locking channel of an adjacent floor panel such that the portion formed from the second material is compressed, thereby achieving an interference fit between the first and second channel sidewalk and the first and second ridge sidewalk;
wherein the locking channel extends along a channel axis that lies within a channel reference plane, the channel reference plane being substantially perpendicular to the top surface;
the first channel sidewall converges with top surface of the main body to form a first upper peripheral edge of the floor panel;
the second channel sidewall located opposite the first channel sidewall, the second channel sidewall extending upward from the channel floor at an oblique angle with respect to the channel reference plane;
wherein the second ridge sidewall converges with the upper surface of the second locking edge portion to form a second upper peripheral edge of the floor panel, the second ridge sidewall being located opposite the first ridge sidewall;
wherein one of the second channel sidewall and the first ridge sidewall is formed from the second material and the other one of the second channel sidewall and the first ridge sidewall is formed from the first material; and
wherein the second channel sidewall of a floor panel mates with the first ridge sidewall of an adjacent floor panel to compress the second material that forms the second channel sidewall or the first ridge sidewall.

11. The floating floor system according to claim 10 wherein the first and second upper peripheral edges are free of the second material.

12. A floating floor system comprising:
a plurality of floor panels, each of the floor panels comprising:
a base layer formed from a first material having a first hardne

Assignees

• Armstrong World Ind Inc
• Afi Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Ramachandra Sunil

Classifications

• E04F2201/0153

  by rotating the sheets, plates or panels around an axis which is parallel to the abutting edges, possibly combined with a sliding movement · CPC title

• E04F15/02038

  characterised by tongue and groove connections between neighbouring flooring elements · CPC title

• E04F15/02033

  Joints with beveled or recessed upper edges · CPC title

• E04F2201/096

  with only one type of connection parts, i.e. with male or female on one edge · CPC title

• E04F15/02022

  with means for aligning the outer surfaces of the flooring elements (E04F15/02038 takes precedence) · CPC title