FLOOR PANEL MADE OF PLASTIC HAVING MECHANICAL LOCKING EDGES

• US 20110138722A1
• Filed: 02/15/2011
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Akzenta Paneele + Profile GmbH
• Original Assignee: Akzenta Paneele + Profile GmbH
• Inventors: HANNIG, Hans-Jürgen
• Granted Patent: US 9,745,756 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 52/309.1
• 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 15/02033 Joints with beveled or recessed upper edges
• 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 2201/0138 by moving the sheets, plates or panels perpendicular to the main plane
• 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

Abstract

Floor panel (1) comprising a carrier layer (2) comprising a plastic material that is pliable and elastic at an application temperature of the flooring, a decorative layer (3) being disposed above the carrier layer (2), complementary mechanical locking means (8, 9) being provided on at least two panel edges (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 11, 12), said locking means cooperating in the locked state of two floor panels (1) and counter-acting a moving apart of the floor panels (1), wherein at least one panel edge (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 11, 12) has an edge break-away point (4) at the edge of the decorative layer (3).

Claims

1. Floor panel (1) comprising a carrier layer (2) comprising a plastic material that is pliable and elastic at an application temperature of the flooring, a decorative layer (3) being disposed above the carrier layer (2), complementary mechanical locking means (8, 9) being provided on at least two panel edges (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 11, 12), said locking means cooperating in the locked state of two floor panels (1) and counter-acting a moving apart of the floor panels (1), characterized in that at least one panel edge (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 11, 12) has an edge break-away point (4) at the edge of the decorative layer (3).

2. Floor panel according to claim 1, characterized in that the edge break-away point (4) is designed as a chamfer (f₁, f₂, 17, 18, 21, 22), radius (r₁, r₂) or stepped mortise (d₁, d₂).

3. Floor panel according to claim 1, characterized in that above the decorative layer (3) a transparent wear protection layer (5) is disposed.

4. Floor panel according to claim 1, characterized in that below the carrier layer (2) a counteracting layer (G) is provided.

5. Floor panel according to claim 1, characterized in that as a plastic material of the carrier layer (2) a material from the group of thermoplastic elastomers is provided.

6. Floor panel according to claim 1, characterized in that as a plastic material of the carrier layer (2) a material from the group of amorphous elastomers is provided, wherein plasticizers are added to the amorphous elastomer.

7. Floor panel according to claim 1, characterized in that the thickness of the floor panel amounts to 1.5 mm to 6 mm.

8. Floor panel according to claim 1, characterized in that the floor panel includes four panel edges (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 11, 12).

9. Floor panel according to claim 8, characterized in that at least one of two mutually opposite panel edges (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 11, 12) is provided with a groove (9,20) and the opposite panel edge (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 11, 12) is provided with a tongue (8, 19) formed complementary to the groove (9, 20).

10. Floor panel according to claim 9, characterized in that the tongue (8, 19) and the groove (9, 20) each include an undercut (7, 19a and 10, 20a), that the undercut (7, 19a) of the tongue (8, 19) and the undercut (10, 20a) of the groove (9, 20) are designed in such a manner that in the locked state they counteract a moving apart of the floor panels (1) in their plane and vertically to the locked panel edge (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 11, 12).

11. Floor panel according to claim 8, characterized in that at least two mutually opposite panel edges (11, 12) are provided with complementary hook elements (13, 14) that are lockable to one another in a direction vertical to the plane of the floor panels (1).

12. Floor panel according to claim 11, characterized in that each of the hook elements (13, 14) includes an undercut surface (13a, 14a) that is designed in such a manner that in the locked state a hook connection is produced that counteracts a moving apart of the floor panels (1) vertically to the plane of the floor panels (1).

13. Floor panel according to claim 1, characterized in that a reinforcement layer (V) is provided.

14. Floor panel according to claim 13, characterized in that the reinforcement layer (V) includes fiber-reinforced material.

15. Floor panel according to claim 13, characterized in that the reinforcement layer (V) is arranged as at least one intermediate layer in a split carrier layer (2).