Floor covering with interlocking design

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9695601-B2
Application number	US-201414463008-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2014
Priority date	Jan 11, 2010
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

Surface coverings, such as floor coverings, with an interlocking design are described. Methods of making the surface coverings are further described. A plank including a resilient composite sheet having four sides, an upper surface, a lower surface, and an overall thickness, and said composite sheet comprising at least one base layer, wherein said at least one base layer comprising at least one polymeric material and at least one filler, wherein opposite sides of the composite sheet comprise a first tongue on a first side and a first groove on the opposite second side, wherein the first tongue and first groove have complementary shape to each other to be interlockingly engageable with a corresponding groove or tongue on an adjacent floor plank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surface covering plank comprising:
a resilient composite sheet that is flexible and having an overall thickness of 5 mm or less, a planar upper surface, four sides, and a lower surface, and said composite sheet comprising at least one base layer, wherein said at least one base layer includes at least one polymeric material and at least one filler,
wherein the composite sheet has a first tongue on a first end thereof and a first groove on an opposite second end thereof, wherein the first tongue has a shape that is complementary to a shape of the first groove so that the first tongue and the first groove are interlockingly engageable with a corresponding groove or tongue on an adjacent plank,
wherein said first tongue and said first groove each have at least one flexible portion that flexes during mechanical locking with the corresponding groove or tongue on said adjacent plank, and
wherein the plank is configured to have, while said first tongue is interlockingly engaged with said corresponding groove on said adjacent plank so that uppermost edges of the surface covering plank and the adjacent plank are joined at a vertical joint seam, a first clearance between a distal end of the first tongue having an upper side that is slanted or sloped relative to the planar upper surface and a groove deck of said corresponding groove, the first clearance continuously from the vertical joint seam to the a tip of the first tongue, and a second clearance exists between a distal edge of a lower lip of said corresponding groove and a channel wall of the first tongue.

2. The surface covering plank of claim 1 , wherein said flexible portion of said first groove is located at a groove deck of said first groove and said flexible portion of said first tongue is located at a downward facing recess of said first tongue.

3. The surface covering plank of claim 1 , wherein said flexible portion of said first groove is located at a groove landing of said first groove.

4. The surface covering plank of claim 2 , further comprising a flexible portion that is located at a groove landing of said first groove.

5. A surface covering plank comprising: a resilient composite sheet that is flexible and having an overall thickness of 5 mm or less, a planar upper surface, four sides, and a lower surface, and said composite sheet comprising at least one base layer, wherein said at least one base layer includes at least one polymeric material and at least one filler,
wherein the composite sheet has a first tongue on a first end thereof and a first groove having a groove deck on an opposite second end thereof, wherein the first tongue has a shape that is complementary to a shape of the first groove so that the first tongue and the first groove are interlockingly engageable with a corresponding groove or tongue on an adjacent plank,
wherein the plank is configured to have, while said first tongue is interlockingly engaged with said corresponding groove on said adjacent plank so that uppermost edges of the surface covering plank and the adjacent plank are joined at a vertical joint seam, a first clearance between a distal end of the first tongue having an upper side that is slanted or sloped relative to the planar upper surface and a groove deck of said corresponding groove, the first clearance continuously from the vertical joint seam to the a tip of the first tongue, and a second clearance exists between a distal edge of a lower lip of said corresponding groove and a channel wall of the first tongue, and
wherein a cross-sectional area of a portion of said first tongue as viewed in a direction parallel to an extension of the vertical joint seam extends distally beyond the vertical joint seam and is from 8% to 20% of the entire cross-sectional area of said first tongue.

6. The surface covering plank of claim 5 , wherein said second clearance extends to at least a portion of an underside of the distal end of the first tongue.

7. The surface covering plank of claim 5 , wherein said second clearance extends to an interference wall of the corresponding groove.

8. The surface covering of plank of claim 5 , further comprising a third clearance located between said first clearance and said second clearance.

9. The surface covering plank of claim 5 , wherein the first clearance extends continuously from the vertical joint seam to a distal-most edge of the first tongue.

10. The surface covering plank of claim 5 , wherein the second clearance begins at an imaginary vertical line that extends from the vertical joint seam, and extends from the imaginary vertical line away from the tip of the first tongue.

11. The surface covering plank of claim 1 , wherein when said first tongue is interlockingly engaged with said corresponding groove on said adjacent plank so that uppermost edges of the surface covering plank and the adjacent plank are joined at a vertical joint seam, a first clearance exists between a distal end of the first tongue having an upper side that is slanted or sloped relative to the planar upper surface and a groove deck of said corresponding groove, the first clearance extending continuously from the vertical joint seam to a distal-most edge of the first tongue.

12. The surface covering plank of claim 11 , wherein a second clearance exists between a distal edge of a lower lip of said corresponding groove and a channel wall of the first tongue, the second clearance begins at an imaginary vertical line that extends from the vertical joint seam, and extends from the imaginary vertical line away from the distal-most edge of the first tongue.

13. A surface covering plank comprising:
a resilient composite sheet that is flexible and having an overall thickness of 5 mm or less, a planar upper surface, four sides, and a lower surface, and said composite sheet comprising at least one base layer, wherein said at least one base layer includes at least one polymeric material and at least one filler,
wherein the composite sheet has a first tongue on a first end thereof and a first groove on an opposite second end thereof, wherein the first tongue has a shape that is complementary to a shape of the first groove so that the first tongue and the first groove are interlockingly engageable with a corresponding groove or tongue on an adjacent plank,
wherein a tip of said first tongue has a cross-sectional area and said first groove includes a groove deck having a cross-sectional area, and the cross-sectional area of the tip of said first tongue and the cross-sectional area of said groove deck are within 15% of each other, and
wherein the plank is configured to have, while said first tongue is interlockingly engaged with said corresponding groove on said adjacent plank so that uppermost edges of the surface covering plank and the adjacent plank are joined at a vertical joint seam, a first clearance between a distal end of the first tongue having an upper side that is slanted or sloped relative to the planar upper surface and a groove deck of said corresponding groove, the first clearance continuously from the vertical joint seam to the a tip of the first tongue, and a second clearance exists between a distal edge of a lower lip of said corresponding groove and a channel wall of the first tongue.

14. The surface covering plank of claim 13 , wherein when said first tongue is interlockingly engaged with said corresponding groove on said adjacent plank so that uppermost edges of the surface covering plank and the adjacent plank are joined at a vertical joint seam, a first clearance exists between a distal end of the first tongue having an upper side that is slanted or sloped relative to t

Assignees

• Vaelinge Innovation Ab
• Valinge Innovation Ab

Inventors

• Whispell John M
• Chen Hao A

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

• B32B2255/02

  on fibrous or filamentary layer · CPC title

• B32B2419/04

  Tiles for floors or walls · CPC title

• E04F15/107 Primary

  composed of several layers, e.g. sandwich panels (layered products in general B32B; producing decorative panels or veneers B44C5/04) · CPC title

• E04F15/02038

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