METHOD FOR PRODUCING A MECHANICAL LOCKING SYSTEM FOR PANELS

• US 20170175400A1
• Filed: 12/15/2016
• Published: 06/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valinge Innovation AB
• Original Assignee: Valinge Innovation AB
• Inventors: JOSEFSSON, Per, BOO, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 10,837,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/0894 with tongue and groove connections
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/02005 Construction of joints, e.g. dividing strips E04F15/024, E04F15/04, E04F15/06, E04F15/10 and E04F15/14 take precedence; separate provisional spacers E04F21/0092
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/02038 characterised by tongue and groove connections between neighbouring flooring elements
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/102 of fibrous or chipped materials, e.g. bonded with synthetic resins
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/105 of organic plastics with or without reinforcements or filling materials
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/0138 by moving the sheets, plates or panels perpendicular to the main plane
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/0146 with snap action of the edge connectors
• 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 2201/043 with tongues and grooves being formed by projecting or recessed parts of the panel layers
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/0535 adapted for snap locking
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/0547 adapted to be moved perpendicular to the joint edge
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/0588 of organic plastics with or without reinforcements or filling materials

Abstract

A method for producing a mechanical locking system for a first panel and a second panel. The method includes providing a tongue, including a first locking surface, at a first edge of the first panel, forming a tongue groove, including a second locking surface, at a second edge of the second panel, the first locking surface and second locking surface are configured to cooperate for locking the first edge to the second edge in a first direction, providing a first guiding surface at the first edge and a second guiding surface at the second edge, wherein the first guiding surface cooperates with the second guiding surface during an assembling of the first edge and the second edge, and working of the first guiding surface and/or the second guiding surface to reduce the coefficient of friction between the first guiding surface and the second guiding surface and/or a surface roughness.

Claims

1. A method for producing a mechanical locking system for a first panel and a second panel, such as building panels or floor panels, wherein the method comprises:

providing a tongue, comprising a first locking surface, at a first edge of the first panel;

forming a tongue groove, comprising a second locking surface, at a second edge of the second panel, said first locking surface and second locking surface are configured to cooperate for locking the first edge to the second edge in a first direction;

providing a first guiding surface at the first edge and a second guiding surface at the second edge, wherein the mechanical locking system is configured such that first guiding surface cooperates with the second guiding surface during an assembling of the first edge and the second edge; and

working of the first guiding surface and/or the second guiding surface to reduce a coefficient of friction between the first guiding surface and the second guiding surface and/or to reduce a surface roughness of the worked guiding surface(s).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising working the second guiding surface, wherein the method for forming the second locking surface is different from the method for working of the second guiding surface.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising working the first guiding surface, wherein a method for forming the first locking surface is different from the method for working of the first guiding surface.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the working of the first guiding surface and/or the second guiding surface is a polishing, a sanding, a grinding and/or pressing by, e.g., a fixed tool, such as a sliding bar or pressure shoe.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first panel and the second panels comprises a core material comprising a polymer material, such as a thermoplastic material.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the core material comprises a filler and/or a reinforcement material.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the working of the guiding surface is made before the forming of the tongue groove.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method comprises forming an insertion groove, at the first edge and arranging the tongue, in the insertion groove.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method comprises forming the tongue, at the first edge.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method comprises:

forming a locking element at the first edge or the second edge; and

forming a locking groove at the other of the first edge or the second edge, wherein the locking element is configured to cooperate with the locking groove for locking the first edge to the second edge in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the tongue is formed at the locking element or the locking groove and the tongue groove is formed at the other of the locking element or locking groove.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein one or more of the tongue, the tongue groove, the locking element and the locking groove are formed of a core material of the first and or the second panel.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the working of the first guiding surface and/or the second guiding surface reduces the surface roughness value within the range of about 30% to about 50%.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the working of the first guiding surface and/or the second guiding surface reduces the surface roughness to a value of less than about 2.5 Ra.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the working of the first guiding surface and/or the second guiding surface decreases the surface roughness value at least 0.5 Ra.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the working of the first guiding surface and/or the second guiding surface reduces the surface roughness value from about 3 Ra to about 2 Ra.