Vertical Joint System and Associated Surface Covering System
First Claim
1. A vertical joint system for a substrate having an opposed major first and second surfaces, the joint system comprising:
- first and second non-symmetrical joints, the first joint extending along two adjacent sides of the substrate and the second joint extending along two further adjacent sides of the substrate, the first and second joints configured to enable two or more substrates with like joint systems to engage each other in response to a force applied in an engagement direction which is perpendicular to the major surfaces and to enable engaged substrates to be disengaged by lifting a first substrate in a direction opposite the engagement direction to facilitate rotation of adjacent engaged substrates along opposite sides of the first substrate to lie in planes declined from the first substrate and subsequently applying a force in the engagement direction to the second joints of the engaged substrates, wherein the first and second joints are each provided with two laterally spaced transversely extending surface portions configured to enable the first joint of one substrate to engage the second joint of a second substrate with the two transversely extending surfaces of the first joint located relative to the two transversely extending surfaces of the second joint to form respective first and second locking planes on an innermost and an outermost side of each joint to inhibit separation of the engaged joints in a direction opposite the engagement direction, wherein the first joint extends in the direction of insertion from an edge of the first major surface of the substrate toward the second major surface and wherein each of the transversely extending surfaces of the first joint lie inboard of the edge.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vertical joint system for substrates is formed with joints Jm and Jf which engaged by relative motion in a direction perpendicular to major surfaces and of the substrate. The joints are configured to enable relative rotation of up to 3 degrees (i.e. clockwise or anticlockwise) while maintaining engagement of the joints. The joints Jm and Jf are further configured to form two locking planes, one on each of the inner and outer most sides of the joint. Engagement about the locking planes is provided by transverse outward extending surfaces Cm1, Cm2, Cf1 and Cf2. The surface Cf1 and Cf2 overhang the surfaces Cm1 and Cm2. At least one surface in each pair of engaging surfaces: Cf1 and Cm1; and, Cf2 and Cm2 is smoothly curved. The joints Jm and Jf can be further arranged to provide a third locking plane parallel to and between the locking planes.
96 Citations
57 Claims
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1. A vertical joint system for a substrate having an opposed major first and second surfaces, the joint system comprising:
first and second non-symmetrical joints, the first joint extending along two adjacent sides of the substrate and the second joint extending along two further adjacent sides of the substrate, the first and second joints configured to enable two or more substrates with like joint systems to engage each other in response to a force applied in an engagement direction which is perpendicular to the major surfaces and to enable engaged substrates to be disengaged by lifting a first substrate in a direction opposite the engagement direction to facilitate rotation of adjacent engaged substrates along opposite sides of the first substrate to lie in planes declined from the first substrate and subsequently applying a force in the engagement direction to the second joints of the engaged substrates, wherein the first and second joints are each provided with two laterally spaced transversely extending surface portions configured to enable the first joint of one substrate to engage the second joint of a second substrate with the two transversely extending surfaces of the first joint located relative to the two transversely extending surfaces of the second joint to form respective first and second locking planes on an innermost and an outermost side of each joint to inhibit separation of the engaged joints in a direction opposite the engagement direction, wherein the first joint extends in the direction of insertion from an edge of the first major surface of the substrate toward the second major surface and wherein each of the transversely extending surfaces of the first joint lie inboard of the edge. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 30, 31, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 41, 44, 47, 48, 50, 52, 54)
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11. A surface covering system comprising a plurality of substrates, each substrate having:
- opposite first and second major surfaces wherein the first major surface is arranged to face an underlying support to be covered by the system; and
a vertical joint system, the vertical joint system comprising;first and second non-symmetrical joints extending along opposite sides of a substrate, the first joint extending from the first surface toward the second surface and second joint extending from the second surface toward the first surface, a first joint locking surface being provided on an outermost side of the first joint, the first joint locking surface being arranged to engage with a second joint locking surface provided on an innermost side of the second joint and wherein the first joint locking surface does not extend laterally beyond an edge of the first major surface of a side of the substrate along which the first joint extends; the first and second joints being configured to enable two or more substrates to engage each other in response to a force applied in an engagement direction which is perpendicular to the major surfaces and to enable engaged substrates to be disengaged by;
(a) lifting a first substrate in a direction opposite to the engagement direction to facilitate rotation of adjacent engaged substrates along opposite sides of the first substrate to lie in planes declined from the first substrate; and
(b) subsequently applying a force in the engagement direction to the second joints of the engaged substrates. - View Dependent Claims (12, 14, 29, 34, 40, 42, 45, 55, 57)
- opposite first and second major surfaces wherein the first major surface is arranged to face an underlying support to be covered by the system; and
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17. A vertical joint system for a substrate of a surface covering system the substrate having an upper major surface and a lower major surface and a plurality of sides disposed between the upper and lower major surfaces, the vertical joint system comprising:
- on at least one side of the substrate a first protrusion that extends from the upper surface toward the lower surface and a first recess inboard of the first protrusion; and
on at least one further side of the substrate a second protrusion that extends from the lower surface toward the upper surface and a second recess inboard of the second protrusion, the first protrusion provided on a side distant the first recess with a first locking surface being arranged to engage with a second locking surface provided on the second recess and wherein the first locking surface does not extend laterally beyond an edge of the upper surface of a side of the substrate along which the first protrusion extends, the joint system extending along each side of the substrate and configured to enable a first substrate, which is engaged on each of its sides with respective other substrates by engagement of respective joint systems on the substrates, to be disengaged from the other substrates by lifting the first substrate in a direction perpendicular to a plane containing the upper major surface of the first substrate thereby rotating each of two substrates engaged on opposite side of the first substrate to lie in respective planes declined from the first substrate. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 39, 43, 46, 49, 51, 53, 56)
- on at least one side of the substrate a first protrusion that extends from the upper surface toward the lower surface and a first recess inboard of the first protrusion; and
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22. A method of removing a first floor substrate from a floor covering formed from a plurality of floor substrates which are joined together by joint systems provided on each of the floor substrates, the first floor substrate being joined on all sides with the other floor substrates in the floor covering, the method comprising:
- vertically lifting the first floor substrate from the floor covering by applying a lifting force directly on the one substrate in manner wherein the first floor substrate initially lies parallel to the floor covering and remains substantially parallel to the floor covering during the vertical lifting to effect rotation of two of the other substrates one of each on opposite sides of the first substrate and a partial disengagement of the two other substrates.
- View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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32. The vertical joint according to 31 wherein the downward force is applied by a person hopping or stomping along the two substrates.
Specification