Floor Covering

• US 20130104486A1
• Filed: 10/24/2012
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: i4F Licensing NV, Unilin Company Limited, Valinge Innovation AB
• Original Assignee: Ulrich Windmller Consulting GmbH
• Inventors: Windmller, Ulrich
• Granted Patent: US 8,689,513 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/588.1
• CPC Class Codes: B44C 5/04 Ornamental plaques, e.g. decorative panels, decorative veneers
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/02 Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements of webs E04F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/02033 Joints with beveled or recessed upper edges
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/02038 characterised by tongue and groove connections between neighbouring flooring elements
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/02172 Floor elements with an anti-skid main surface, other than with grooves
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/105 of organic plastics with or without reinforcements or filling materials
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/107 composed of several layers, e.g. sandwich panels layered products in general B32B; producing decorative panels or veneers B44C5/04
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/0115 with snap action of the edge connectors
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/0146 with snap action of the edge connectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Floor covering (10) including panels (12,14; 112) having a core (24) of a plastic material and at least one cover layer (28,30) covering the upper side of the core, the panels being provided with complementary and mutually engaging locking profiles (20,22; 120) at their connected lateral edges (16,18). For forming a groove between two connected panels (12,14; 112) at least one of these panels is provided with a milled-out portion (60,160) at the upper side of its lateral edge, with the cover layer (28,30) excavated completely over the width of the milled-out portion (60,160) so that the bottom (62,162) of the milled-out portion (60,160) is formed by the material of the core.

Claims

1. Floor covering comprising panels, each panel comprising:

a core of a plastic material,

at least one cover layer covering an upper side of the core,

complementary and mutually engaging locking profiles at connected lateral edges thereof,

wherein at least one of said panels includes a milled-out portion at an upper side of a lateral edge thereof, with the cover layer thereat being excavated completely over a width of the milled-out portion so that a bottom of the milled-out portion is formed by the material of the core, such that a groove is formed between two said connected panels.

2. Floor covering according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of the milled-out portion forms a horizontal bottom of the groove.

3. Floor covering according to claim 2, wherein the groove has a mainly rectangular cross-section with approximately vertical sidewalls.

4. Floor covering according to claim 1, wherein the groove has sidewalls with upper edges and bevels provided at the upper edges.

5. Floor covering according to claim 2, wherein a bottom of the groove is sealed by a seal covering.

6. Method for manufacturing a panel of the floor covering according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

forming the locking profiles at the lateral edges and the milled-out portion by milling, and

forming the locking profiles and the milled-out portion in one single processing step.

7. Method according to claim 6, wherein the groove has sidewalls with upper edges and bevels provided at the upper edges, and further comprising the step of forming each bevel together with the profiles and the milled-out portion in one single processing step.