Vertically joined floor elements comprising a combination of different floor elements

• US 20030145549A1
• Filed: 02/10/2003
• Published: 08/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ingvar Sylegard, Jorgen Palsson
• Original Assignee: Ingvar Sylegard, Jorgen Palsson
• Inventors: Palsson, Jorgen, Sylegard, Ingvar
• Granted Patent: US 6,966,161 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/589.1
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 3/123 Mosaic constructs
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/04 only of wood or with a top layer of wood, e.g. with wooden or metal connecting members rollable parquet E04F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/0115 with snap action of the edge connectors
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/0138 by moving the sheets, plates or panels perpendicular to the main plane
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/023 with a continuous tongue or groove
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/042 with grooves positioned on the rear-side of the panel
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/05 Separate connectors or inserts, e.g. pegs, pins, keys or strips
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/0517 U- or C-shaped brackets and clamps
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/091 with the edge-parts forming part of the panel body

Abstract

Vertically joined flooring material comprising floor elements (1) with a mainly triangular, square, rectangular, rhomboidal or polygonal shape, as seen from above. The floor elements (1) are provided with edges (2) which are provided with joining members (20), a lower side (5) and a decorative top surface (3). The flooring material comprises a combination of at least two types of floor elements (1), which types comprises female floor elements (1′) and male floor elements (1″). The female floor element (1′) is provided with a female joining member (21) on at least half of the number of its edges (2) and a male joining member (22) on less than half of the number of its edges (2). The male floor element (1″) is provided with a male joining member (22) on at least two thirds of the number of its edges (2) and a female joining member (21) on less than one third of the number of its edges (2.) An optional joining profile (50) possibly constitutes a junction between two adjacent male joining members (22) of two adjacent floor elements (1).

Claims

1. Vertically joined flooring material comprising floor elements with a shape selected from the group, triangular, square, rectangular, rhomboidal and polygonal shape, as seen from above, the floor elements being provided with edges which are provided with joining members, a lower side and a decorative top surface, wherein the flooring material comprises a combination of at least two different types of floor elements, which types comprises female floor elements and male floor elements, whereby,

a) the female floor element is provided with a female joining member on at least half of the number of its edges and a male joining member on less than half of the number of its edges and that,

b) the male floor element is provided with a male joining member on at least two thirds of the number of its edges and a female joining member on less than one third of the number of its edges, and that,

c) an optional joining profile possibly constitutes a junction between two adjacent male joining members of two adjacent floor elements.

2. Vertically joined flooring material according claim 1, wherein,

a) the female joining member comprises an upwards protruding lip, being parallel to the edge, with a guiding surface, the guiding surface facing the edge and a locking groove, being parallel to the edge, having a locking surface facing downwards, which locking surface terminates in a locking edge, that an angle α

I between the guiding surface and vertical plane is in the range 0-30° and

that an angle α

II between the locking surface and a horizontal plane is in the range 0-30°

as seen in a perpendicular cross-section, and that,

b) the male joining member comprises a groove, being parallel to the edge, on the lower side with a guiding face, the guiding face facing away from the edge and a locking heel, being parallel to the edge, having a locking face facing upwards, that an angle β

I between the guiding face and a vertical plane is in the range 0-30° and

that an angle β

II between the locking face and a horizontal plane is in the range 0-30°

as seen in a perpendicular cross-section whereby,

the angles α

I and β

I are mainly the same and that the angles α

II and β

II are mainly the same.

3. Vertically joined flooring material according claim 2 wherein the floor elements are partially coated with glue or adhesive tape.

4. Vertically joined flooring material according claim 2, wherein the joining profile comprises two upwards protruding rims, being parallel to each other and distanced from each other by a centre section, the two upwards protruding rims being provided with guiding areas, the guiding areas facing inwards and that the joining profile furthermore is provided with two locking cheeks placed on an extension, the locking cheeks having locking areas facing downwards, which locking areas terminates in a locking edge, that an angle ψ

I between the guiding area and a vertical plane is in the range 0-30° and

that an angle ψ

II between the locking area 514 and a horizontal plane is in the range 0-30°

as seen in a perpendicular cross-section.

5. Vertically joined flooring material according claim 1, wherein the part of the floor element located between each edge and its respective groove is thinner than the maximum thickness of the floor element by means of a recess located on the lower side.

6. Vertically joined flooring material according claim 4, wherein the distance between the upwards protruding rims of the joining profile is somewhat smaller than the distance between the grooves of the male joining members placed on each side of and closest to the edge of two adjacent floor elements.

7. Vertically joined flooring material according claim 6, wherein the joining profiles are manufactured in long sections which may be cut into a desired length and that the length of the joining profiles exceeds the length of a floor element before being cut.

9. Vertically joined flooring material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the female floor element is mainly triangular, as seen from above, and is provided with female joining members on all three edges while the male floor element is mainly triangular, as seen from above, and is provided with male joining members on all three edges.

10. Vertically joined flooring material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the female floor element is mainly triangular, as seen from above, and is provided with female joining members on two edges and a male joining member on the remaining edge, while the male floor element is mainly triangular, as seen from above, and is provided with male joining members on two edges and a female joining member on the remaining edge.

11. Vertically joined flooring material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the female floor element is mainly square, as seen from above, and is provided with female joining members on all four edges while the male floor element is mainly square, as seen from above, and is provided with male joining members on all four edges.

12. Vertically joined flooring material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the female floor element is mainly square, as seen from above, and is provided with female joining members on three edges and a male joining member on the remaining edge, while the male floor element is mainly square, as seen from above, and is provided with male joining members on three edges and a female joining member on the remaining edge.

13. Vertically joined flooring material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the female floor element is mainly rectangular, as seen from above, and is provided with female joining members on two long side edges and one short side edge and a male joining member on the remaining short side edge, while the male floor element is mainly rectangular, as seen from above, and is provided with male joining members on two long side edges and one short side edge and a female joining member on the remaining short side edge.

14. Vertically joined flooring material according to claim 13, wherein the width to length ratio between the female floor element and the male floor element differs.

15. Vertically joined flooring material according any of the claims 1, 2 or 5, wherein the female floor element is mainly rectangular, as seen from above, and is provided with female joining members on two long side edges and male joining members on the short side edges, while the male floor element is mainly rectangular, as seen from above, and is provided with male joining members on all four edges and that the adjacent short side edges are joined by means of a joining profile.

16. Vertically joined flooring material according to claim 15, wherein the width to length ratio between the female floor element and the male floor element differs.

17. Vertically joined flooring material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the female floor element is mainly hexagonal, as seen from above, and is provided with female joining members on five edges and a male joining member on the remaining edge, while the male floor element is mainly hexagonal, as seen from above, and is provided with male joining members on five edges and a female joining member on the remaining edge.

18. Vertically joined flooring material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the female floor element is mainly hexagonal with two of the parallel edges extended, as seen from above, and is provided with female joining members on five edges and a male joining member on one of the extended edges, while the male floor element is mainly square with male joining members on all four edges.

19. Vertically joined flooring material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the female floor element is mainly octagonal, as seen from above, and is provided with female joining members on six edges and male joining members on the two remaining edges, while the male floor element is mainly square with male joining members on all four edges.

20. Vertically joined flooring material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the element types, i.e. female and male floor elements, is provided with a female horizontal joining member on at least one edge and at least one male horizontal joining member on an opposite edge.

21. Vertically joined flooring material according to claim 20, wherein the female floor element is mainly hexagonal with two of the parallel edges extended, as seen from above, and is provided with female joining members on the four shorter edges, a female horizontal joining member on one of the extended edges and, a male horizontal joining member on the remaining extended edge, while the male floor element is mainly square with male joining members on all four edges.

22. Vertically joined flooring material according to claim 20, wherein the female floor element is mainly octagonal, as seen from above, and is provided with female joining members on four perpendicularly arranged edges, female horizontal joining members on two edges, and male horizontal joining members on the two remaining edges, while the male floor element is mainly square with male joining members on all four edges.

8. Vertically joined flooring material according claim 8, wherein the joining profiles are partially coated with glue or adhesive tape.