Laminated wood flooring product and wood floor

• US 5,283,102 A
• Filed: 10/28/1992
• Issued: 02/01/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bruce Hardwood Flooring L.P.
• Original Assignee: Premier Wood Floors
• Inventors: Smith, William S., Sweet, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Loney, Donald J.
• Application Number:
  US07/967,718
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 428/55, 428/167, 428/150, 428/172, 428/50, 428/193, 428/56, 428/57, 428/33, 428/58, 428/83, 428/106, 428/192, 428/542.2, 428/537.1, 428/919.3, 52/290, 52/391, 52/392, 52/539
• US Class Current: 428/167
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 21/13 all layers being exclusively wood
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2471/00 Floor coverings B32B2419/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/06 for securing layers together; for attaching the product to another member, e.g. to a support , or to another product, e.g. groove/tongue, interlocking
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/12 using interposed adhesives or interposed materials with bonding properties
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/022 Flooring consisting of parquetry tiles on a non-rollable sub-layer of other material, e.g. board, concrete, cork
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/045 Layered panels only of wood
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2203/08 with a plurality of grooves or slits in the back side, to increase the flexibility or bendability of the elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/167 Cellulosic sections [e.g., parquet floor, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/17 Three or more coplanar interfitted sections with securing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/183 Next to unitary sheet of equal or greater extent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/192 Sheets or webs coplanar
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2457 Parallel ribs and/or grooves
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24612 Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24777 Edge feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31989 Of wood

Abstract

A wood flooring product for assembly into a wood floor is disclosed. The flooring product includes a top, decorative layer, an intermediate layer bonded to the top layer, and a base layer bonded to the intermediate layer. The top, intermediate and base layers are bonded in registration to define a laminated elongate wood flooring strip. A tongue and a groove are formed on respective side edges of the flooring strip. The tongue and groove extend along the length of the flooring strip, and lock adjacent flooring strips together side-to-side to form an assembled wood floor. The base layer has a multiplicity of closely spaced-apart scores cut transverse to the length of the flooring strip along substantially the entire length of the flooring strip. The scores relieve stress and increase flexibility in the wood strip for more closely adhering to irregularities of a sub-floor.

Claims

1. A wood flooring strip for assembly into a wood floor, said flooring strip comprising:

(a) a top, decorative wood layer;

(b) an intermediate wood layer bonded to the top layer; and

(c) a base wood layer bonded to the intermediate layer;

(d) said top, intermediate and base layers bonded in registration to define a three-layer laminated elongate wood flooring strip;

(e) locking means extending along the length of said flooring strip on both side edges for locking adjacent flooring strips together side-to-side to form an assembled wood floor, said locking means comprises a tongue formed on one side edge of the flooring strip and a mating groove on the other side edge of the flooring strip, each of said tongue and said groove for mating connection with complementary elements on adjacent flooring strips; and

(f) said base layer having a multiplicity of closely spaced-apart scores cut therein transverse to the length of the flooring strip along substantially the entire length of the flooring strip to relieve stress and increase flexibility in the wood strip for more closely adhering to irregularities of a sub-floor; and

(g) said flooring strips including opposing end portions, said end portions each having a single flat area encompassing the entire end portion surface area perpendicular to the plane of the flooring strip for abutting engagement with like flat areas on adjacent flooring strips.

2. A wood flooring strip according to claim 1, wherein said opposing end portions include an upper flat area perpendicular to the plane of the flooring strip for abutting engagement with like flat areas on adjacent flooring strips, and a lower, chamfered area for spacing the base layer of adjacent flooring strips apart from each other on opposing ends of the flooring strips.

3. A wood flooring strip according to claim 1, wherein said scores are approximately one-eighth inch wide and are spaced-apart approximately one inch center-to-center.

4. A wood flooring strip according to claim 3, wherein said scores extend into the base layer substantially the entire thickness of the base layer.