Composed element, multi-layered board and panel-shaped element for forming this composed element

• US 9,797,427 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2016
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flooring Industries Limited Sarl (Mohawk Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Unilin Bvba (Mohawk Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Maertens, Luc, Cappelle, Mark, Vanhastel, Luc, Deman, Luc, Van Hooydonck, Guy
• Primary Examiner(s): FORD, GISELE D
• Application Number:
  US15/145,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20160245322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2230/0081 Mortise and tenon type joints with some general male and female joints
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2230/0096 Assembling sheet parts by male and female parts formed in the sheet thickness
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 47/042 Panels connected without frames
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/201 Edge features
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/206 with laminates comprising planar, continuous or separate layers
• CPC Class Codes: B27M 3/0026 characterised by oblong elements connected laterally B27M3/006 takes precedence; making fencing or the like comprising bars connected by wires B21F29/02; cane or similar material joined by strand or wire twisting B27J1/006
• CPC Class Codes: B27M 3/18 of furniture or of doors B27D5/003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 21/02 the layer being formed of fibres, chips, or particles , e.g. MDF, HDF, OSB, chipboard, particle board, hardboard
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 21/04 comprising wood as the main or only constituent of a layer, which is next to another layer of the same or of a different material next to a layer of a particular substance B32B9/042; next to a bituminous or tarry layer B32B11/042; next to a water setting substance layer B32B13/10; next to a metal layer B32B15/10; next to a glass layer B32B17/062; next to a layer formed of natural mineral fibres or particles B32B19/042; next to a cellulosic plastic layer B32B23/044
• 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: E04F 13/08 composed of a plurality of similar covering or lining elements, E04F13/072 takes precedence; borders, skirtings E04F19/02; of webs or fabrics E04F13/002; fixing strips E04F19/06; separate provisional spacers between adjacent tiles E04F21/0092; implements or means for setting tiles E04F21/18
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/0894 with tongue and groove connections
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/10 of wood or with an outer layer of wood E04F13/0864 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/02 Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements of webs E04F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/02038 characterised by tongue and groove connections between neighbouring flooring elements
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/045 Layered panels only of wood
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/0115 with snap action of the edge connectors
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/0153 by rotating the sheets, plates or panels around an axis which is parallel to the abutting edges, possibly combined with a sliding movement
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/041 Tongues or grooves with slits or cuts for expansion or flexibility
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/0523 : Separate tongues; Interlocking keys, e.g. joining mouldings of circular, square or rectangular shape
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 12/125 : using mortise and tenon joints
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 12/26 : using snap-action elements
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 12/46 : Non-metal corner connections
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2012/463 : for wooden members without additional elements
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2012/466 : using mortise and tenon joints
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/0056 : by moving the sheets, plates or panels or the interlocking key perpendicular to the main plane
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/7005 : Lugged member, rotary engagement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/13 : Hollow or container type article [e.g., tube, vase, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/19 : Sheets or webs edge spliced or joined
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24008 : including fastener for attaching to external surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24488 : Differential nonuniformity at margin
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24942 : including components having same physical characteristic in differing degree
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31591 : Next to cellulosic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31982 : Wood or paper

Abstract

Composed element including at least two panel-shaped elements, which each have an edge zone in which coupling means are present in the form of a profiled part respectively extending in the longitudinal direction of the respective edge zone, as well as each including an end face extending transversely to the respective edge zone, wherein said profiled parts allow coupling the panel-shaped elements together in an interlocking manner, wherein at least one of the panel-shaped elements includes an arrangement which hides from view at least a portion of the profiled part formed at the pertaining edge zone at the location of the end face.

Claims

1. A set of panel-shaped elements comprising at least a first panel-shaped element and a second panel-shaped element configured to be coupled together to form a corner connection,

wherein the panel-shaped elements are provided with coupling parts allowing to couple them together, said coupling parts comprising a tongue at the first panel-shaped element and a groove at the second panel-shaped element, said tongue and groove being substantially made as profiled parts;

wherein said coupling parts further comprise locking elements counteracting, in a coupled condition, the drifting apart of the tongue and groove; and

wherein said coupling parts are configured such that the tongue can be snapped into the groove by a mutual substantially linear translation movement, and the coupling parts are also configured such that the tongue can be brought into the groove by means of a turning movement,

wherein the tongue has an elastically bendable part and a remainder part, said elastically bendable part being separated from the remainder part of the tongue by means of a slot, wherein said tongue and groove are configured such that, while snapping the tongue in said groove, said elastically bendable portion is subjected to an inward bending towards the slot, in order to provide a snapping of said locking elements, and

wherein the panel-shaped elements, in the coupled condition, define an adjoining plane where they adjoin, said slot extending from said tongue through said adjoining plane.

2. The set of claim 1, wherein said locking elements, seen in the coupled condition, are only present at one side of the tongue.

3. The set of claim 1, wherein the locking elements comprise at least a locking part at the tongue and at least a locking part in the groove;

and wherein the locking part at the tongue is provided at an elastically bendable part of the tongue.

4. The set of claim 1, wherein the tongue includes an elastically bendable part and a remainder part, said elastically bendable part of the tongue being a more distal portion of the tongue than the remainder part of the tongue.

5. The set of claim 1, wherein said corner connection defines an inner corner and an outer corner, said tongue having a side that is situated closest to the inner corner;

and

wherein said locking elements, seen in the coupled condition, are situated on only one side of the tongue, namely said side being situated closest to the inner corner.

6. The set of claim 1, wherein the tongue is situated at a side edge of the first panel-shaped element, whereas the groove is situated at a side wall of the second panel-shaped element.

7. The set of claim 1, wherein the tongue extends distally in the same direction of a plane of the first panel-shaped element, whereas the groove extends in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the second panel-shaped element.

8. The set of claim 1, wherein the panel-shaped elements are made from board material selected from the following group:

particle board, wood fiberboard, MDF and HDF.

9. The set of claim 8, wherein the profiled part of the first panel-shaped element is made in the board material of the first panel-shaped element and the profiled part of the second panel-shaped element is made in the board material of the second panel-shaped element.

10. The set of claim 1, wherein the panel-shaped elements are made up of at least two material layers including a first material layer and a second material layer, and

wherein the set further shows one or more of the following characteristics:

the tongue comprises a side which is situated in the first material layer, and an opposite side which is situated in the second material layer;

the material of the first material layer shows a finer structure than the material of the second material layer, whereas at least one of said locking elements is situated in the first material layer;

the material of the first material layer shows a finer structure than the material of the second material layer, whereas at least one of said locking element is situated in the first material layer and is made in one piece therewith; and

the material of the first material layer shows a finer structure than the material of the second material layer, wherein the locking elements, thus, at the tongue as well as at the groove, are situated in the first material layer of the respective panel-shaped element.

11. The set of claim 1, wherein the corner connection formed by the panel-shaped elements includes an exterior side, and the panel-shaped elements adjoin against each other in a flush manner, such that the exterior side of the corner connection is free from any protruding panel portions.

12. The set of claim 1, wherein said substantially linear translation movement includes a substantially linear translation of the first panel-shaped element relative to the second panel-shaped element in a direction parallel to a major exterior surface of the first panel-shaped element and perpendicular to a major exterior surface of the second panel-shaped element.