Jointing system

• US 6,029,416 A
• Filed: 07/18/1997
• Issued: 02/29/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Golvabia AB (Golvabia Innovation AB)
• Original Assignee: Golvabia AB (Golvabia Innovation AB)
• Inventors: Andersson, Kjell
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedman, Carl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kang, Timothy B.
• Application Number:
  US08/875,270
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 52/392, 52/403.1, 52/480, 52/592.1, 52/DIG. 13, 403/354
• US Class Current: 52/592.1
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/6133 the connection made by friction-grip
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/04 only of wood or with a top layer of wood, e.g. with wooden or metal connecting members rollable parquet E04F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/08 hook and loop-type fastener or similar fixing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7016 Diametric end slot is joint component

Abstract

In a system for jointing together of adjacent pieces of flooring material by means of grooves (3) and tongues (4), at least one of the opposing surfaces on the tongues (4) and the grooves (3) of the pieces display flocked surface portions (10-13). The flocked surface portions (10-13) extend along the tongues (4) and/or the grooves (3) and cover substantially their entire length. The fiber length (9) of the flocked surface portions (10-13) exceeds the difference between the width of the grooves (3) and the thickness of the tongues (4).

Claims

1. A system for tongue and groove jointing of adjacent pieces of flooring material, wherein at least one opposing surface on the tongues and the grooves of the pieces is provided with a flocked surface portion.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flocked surface portion is disposed on at least one of an upper and a lower side of the tongues.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flocked surface portion is disposed on both an upper and a lower side of the tongues.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flocked surface portion is disposed on at least one of an upper and a lower side of the grooves.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flocked surface portion is disposed on both an upper and a lower side of the grooves.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flocked surface portion extends along at least one of the tongues and the grooves and covers substantially the entirety of their length.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flocked surface portion has a fiber length which exceeds the difference between the width of the grooves and the thickness of the tongues.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein unflocked surface portions in the grooves and the tongues display a roughened, raised or uneven surface structure.

9. A flooring material composed of a number of smaller pieces which have grooves and tongues, wherein at least one surface on a groove or a tongue on two united pieces is a flocked surface for holding together the groove and the tongue.

10. A system for joining a first and a second piece of flooring materials, comprising:

a groove, defined at an edge of said first piece of flooring material;

a tongue, being defined at an edge of said second piece of flooring material, and being correspondingly engageable with said groove of said first piece of flooring material; and

at least one opposing surface of said tongue which opposes at least one opposing surface of said groove being provided with a plurality of substantially straight but deformable pieces of fiber, a first end of said pieces of fiber being fastened to said opposing surface of said tongue, and a second end of said fibers being engaged with said opposing surface of said groove when said tongue and said groove are engaged with one another, so that said first piece and said second piece of flooring materials are held firmly in place by said fibers, said opposing surface of said groove being free of fibers.

11. The system for joining flooring materials according to claim 10, wherein said plurality of fibers are substantially perpendicular to the surface to which they are attached.

12. The system for joining flooring materials according to claim 10, wherein said fibers are bent obliquely backward in the direction of insertion when said tongue and said groove are engaged with one another, so that said fibers firmly engage said opposing surface of said groove.

13. A system for joining a first and a second piece of flooring materials, comprising:

a groove, defined at an edge of said first piece of flooring material;

a tongue, being defined at an edge of said second piece of flooring material, and being correspondingly engageable with said groove of said first piece of flooring material; and

at least one opposing surface of said groove which opposes at least one opposing surface of said tongue being provided with a plurality of substantially straight but deformable pieces of fiber, a first end of said pieces of fiber being fastened to said opposing surface of said groove, and a second end of said fibers being engaged with said opposing surface of said tongue when said tongue and said groove are engaged with one another, so that said first piece and said second piece of flooring materials are held firmly in place by said fibers, said opposing surface of said tongue being free of fibers.

14. The system for joining flooring materials according to claim 13, wherein said plurality of fibers are substantially perpendicular to the surface to which they are attached.

15. The system for joining flooring materials according to claim 13, wherein said fibers are bent obliquely backward in the direction of insertion when said tongue and said groove are engaged with one another, so that said fibers firmly engage said opposing surface of said tongue.

16. A system for joining a first and a second piece of flooring materials, comprising:

a groove, defined at an edge of said first piece of flooring material;

a tongue, being defined at an edge of said second piece of flooring material, and being correspondingly engageable with said groove of said first piece of flooring material; and

at least one opposing surface of said groove, and at least one corresponding opposing surface of said tongue, being provided with a plurality of substantially straight but deformable pieces of fiber, a first end of said pieces of fiber being fastened to one of said surfaces, and a second end of said fibers being engaged with said fibers of said other opposing surface when said tongue and said groove are engaged with one another, so that said first piece and said second piece of flooring materials are held firmly in place by said fibers.

17. The system for joining flooring materials according to claim 16, wherein said plurality of fibers are substantially perpendicular to the surface to which they are attached.

18. The system for joining flooring materials according to claim 16, wherein said fibers are bent obliquely backward in the direction of insertion when said tongue and said groove are engaged with one another, so that said fibers firmly engage said fibers of said opposing surface.

19. A system for joining a first and a second piece of flooring materials, comprising:

a groove, defined at an edge of said first piece of flooring material;

a tongue, being defined at an edge of said second piece of flooring material, and being correspondingly engageable with said groove of said first piece of flooring material; and

retaining means, for retaining said tongue in said groove, said retaining means including a plurality of substantially straight but deformable pieces of fiber, said pieces of fiber being fastened to at least one opposing surface of said tongue and said groove while being engaged with the other opposing surface of said tongue and said groove.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said other opposing surface engaged with said opposing surface having a plurality of fibers thereon is unflocked.

21. The system according to claim 19, wherein said pieces of fiber are in a deformed state while being engaged with said other of said tongue and said groove.

22. The system according to claim 19, wherein said pieces of fiber are fastened to a surface of said groove.

23. The system according to claim 19, wherein said pieces of fiber are fastened to a surface of said tongue.

24. The system according to claim 19, wherein said pieces of fiber are oriented transversely in relation to a surface to which they are fastened.

25. The system according to claim 19, wherein said pieces of fiber have substantially the same length.

26. The system according to claim 19, wherein each of said opposing surfaces has a plurality of substantially straight but deformable pieces of fiber thereon, and said plurality of fibers of each opposing surface engages said plurality of fibers of said other opposing surface.

27. The system according to claim 19, wherein said pieces of fiber are applied by a flocking process, which comprises:

applying an adhesive base;

electrostatically charging the pieces of fiber; and

,

applying said pieces of fiber to said adhesive base, wherein, as a result of the electrostatic charging of the pieces of fiber with the same polarity of all fibers, the fibers repel one another and assume a position such that they will be approximately at right angles to the substrate.