PANEL

• US 20170067261A1
• Filed: 05/08/2015
• Published: 03/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Akzenta Paneele + Profile GmbH
• Original Assignee: Akzenta Paneele + Profile GmbH
• Inventors: HANNIG, Hans-Jrgen, LOEBEL, Arne
• Granted Patent: US 10,711,466 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/02038 characterised by tongue and groove connections between neighbouring flooring elements
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/105 of organic plastics with or without reinforcements or filling materials
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/0146 with snap action of the edge connectors

Abstract

A panel having at least one pair of complementary locking structures at opposite panel edges, wherein at least one pair of the locking structures is provided with complementary hook profile portions, wherein at least one of the hook profile portions has a compression region.

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A panel having at least one pair of complementary locking structures at opposite panel edges, wherein at least one pair of the locking structures is provided with complementary hook profile portions, wherein at least one of the hook profile portions has a compression region.

14. The panel according to claim 13 wherein the compression region is arranged at an outwardly directed surface of a panel edge.

15. The panel according to claim 13 comprising a top side, an underside, a body, namely a receiving hook and an arresting hook in opposite relationship thereto, with the proviso that the receiving hook has remote from the body a hook edge and arranged closer to the body a receiving recess, wherein the receiving recess is open to the top side, that the arresting hook is provided with an arresting recess arranged closer to the body and open to the underside, and has an arresting step which is arranged remote from the body and which can be inserted into the receiving recess of the receiving hook in a joining direction provided perpendicularly to the plane of the panel, that the arresting hook has a transverse joining surface remote from the body and likewise remote from the body a vertically acting arresting contour, that the receiving hook closer to the body has a transverse joining surface and likewise closer to the body a positively locking contour which fits together in positively locking relationship with the arresting contour remote from the body of the arresting hook so that locking can be implemented perpendicularly to the plane of assembled panels, that the arresting hook has closer to the body a horizontal locking surface at its arresting step, that the receiving hook has remote from the body a horizontal locking surface in the receiving recess, that formed at the receiving hook is a receiving opening through which the arresting step can be inserted into the receiving recess substantially in the joining direction, wherein the arresting contour and the positively locking contour form an upper latching means in which the arresting contour has a female latching element or a male latching element, and wherein the positively locking contour has a female latching element or male latching element complementary to the arresting contour, wherein the male latching element and/or the female latching element of the arresting hook has an upper compression region with an arresting contour with increased compressibility, and that the male latching element and/or the female latching element of the receiving hook has an upper compression region with a receiving contour with increased compressibility.

16. The panel according to claim 15 wherein the hook edge of the receiving hook and the arresting recess of the arresting hook form a lower latching means in which remote from the body at the hook edge of the receiving hook there is provided a female latching element or a male latching element, and wherein close to the body the arresting recess has a female latching element complementary thereto or a male latching element.

17. The panel according to claim 15 wherein the male latching element and/or the female latching element of the arresting hook has a lower arresting contour with increased compressibility and the male latching element and/or the female latching element of the receiving hook has a lower receiving contour with increased compressibility.

18. The panel according to claim 15 wherein the body at least partially comprises a wood material or wood.

19. The panel according to claim 15 wherein the body at least partially comprises a plastic.

20. The panel according to claim 15 wherein the increased compressibility is afforded by the choice of the material of the body, which is of a hardness in a range of 30-90 N/mm2 and/or the material of the body has a modulus of elasticity in a range of between 3000 and 7000 N/mm2.

21. The panel according to claim 15 wherein there are provided a material recess or recesses in the lower and/or upper arresting contour and the lower and/or upper receiving contour and the material recess or recesses locally increase compressibility.

22. The panel according to claim 13 wherein there are provided a pair of pivot profile portions, namely a groove profile portion with an undercut in a groove wall and in matching relationship therewith a tongue profile portion with undercut on the corresponding side of the tongue.

23. The panel according to claim 13 wherein the panel has a carrier plate produced by means of a method which has at least the following method steps:

a) providing a pourable carrier material, in particular a granulate,

b) arranging the carrier material between two belt-like conveyor means,

c) shaping the carrier material under the action of temperature with the production of a web-form carrier,

d) compressing the carrier, and

e) processing the carrier under the action of pressure using a two-belt press, wherein the carrier is cooled in or upstream of the two-belt press.

24. The panel according to claim 23 wherein the carrier plate is produced by means of a method which has at least one additional method step f) in which further cooling of the carrier is effected prior to a subsequent further processing operation.