EA038315B1 - Set of floor panels with mechanical locking system for floor panels - Google Patents

Abstract

Described are ceramic and stone tiles (1a, 1b) provided with a locking system comprising a separate part (6) in the form of a strip cooperating with vertical and horizontal grooves (9, 14) formed in tile edges (1, 1').

Description

Technology area

The invention generally relates to the field of mechanical anchoring systems for floor panels and building panels. The invention shows floorboards, retention systems and manufacturing methods.

Scope of the invention

Embodiments of the present invention are particularly suitable for use in interior and exterior floors and walls that are made of ceramic or stone material with a mechanical locking system connection.

The invention can also be used to fix floor panels which consist of one or more top layers of wood or wood veneer, decorative laminate, powder-coated or decorative plastic surfaces and a wood fiber or plastic core, and preferably with a lower leveling layer on the back of the core ...

The list includes floor panels made of solid wood or with a surface layer of cork, linoleum, rubber, or with soft wear layers, for example of needle punched material, glued to a board, printed and preferably also lacquered surface, and floors with hard surfaces, such as stone, tiles and similar materials glued to the sheet material. Embodiments of the present invention can be used to join building panels that preferably comprise sheet material such as wall panels, ceiling coverings, furniture items, and the like.

The following description of the known technology, the problems of the known systems, as well as the objects and features of the invention is a non-limiting example and relates to the aforementioned field of application and, in particular, to ceramic tiles, in general with mechanical connection to each other vertically and horizontally along all four edges.

Long and short edges are used to simplify description. The tiles can also be square.

State of the art of the invention

Ceramic tiles are one of the main materials used for flooring and wall coverings. The raw materials used to make the tiles contain clay minerals, feldspar and chemical additives required for the molding process. In one standard method of producing ceramic tiles, the following processing steps are used. Raw materials are ground into powder and mixed. Sometimes water is then added and the ingredients are wet milled. The water is removed by squeezing in a press filter followed by spray drying to form a powder. The resulting powder is then dry-pressed under very high pressure (about 400 bar) until a tile body thickness of 3-10 mm is obtained. The tile body is further dried to remove moisture residues and stabilize the tile body to a solid, homogeneous material. One or more layers of glaze, which is a glassy substance, are applied to the tile body either dry or wet. The purpose of tile glazing is to protect the tile. Glazes are available in various colors and types. Some glazes can create different textures. After glazing, the tiles are fired in an oven or forge at very high temperatures (1300 ° C). During firing, the glaze particles are fused with each other and form a stable wear-resistant layer.

Recently, new drying methods have been introduced and tiles can be produced by spraying, pressing and firing on a continuous production line with a total production time of about 1 hour. Large tile blanks can be formed, which, after firing, are divided into individual tiles, for example, using a laser cutting. This new manufacturing technology provides improved strength, flexibility and dimensional tolerances.

Rotary stencils are often used to create decorative patterns. The contact nature of rotary screen printing has many disadvantages such as malfunctions and long setup times. Consequently, some tile manufacturers are replacing this conventional printing technology with digital inkjet technology, which has a number of advantages, mainly in terms of manufacturing flexibility and cost.

Tiles are usually placed side by side on a surface such as a floor or wall. An adhesive composition is used as a base. Once connected to the subfloor or wall, grout is spread over and between the tiles to further bond the tiles and fill in the gaps between adjacent tiles.

The main advantages of a tile-based floor are the moisture resistance of the tiles, the absence of expansion and shrinkage with changes in humidity, as in other floors, for example, laminate and wood.

Tile floors have several disadvantages compared to laminate and wood floors. One of the main disadvantages is the significant dimensional deviation in length, width and thickness in conventional tiles. However, such fabrication deviations are constantly diminishing with the introduction of new and advanced fabrication methods based on dry forming in conjunction with trimming. Another serious drawback is the laboriousness of laying the tiles. Ceramic tiles are very fragile and break with little deformation. They require uk

- 1 038315 Planks on fairly hard subfloors and the adhesive layer may be damaged if the subfloor expands and shrinks. It is necessary to use a rather expensive and moisture-resistant subfloor, for example, cement-bonded particle boards, etc.

Floor elements containing fine stone material are similar to ceramic tiles. They have similar properties and are stacked in a similar manner.

What is required is a tile or stone floor and wall system that is easy to install, covers a large floor area without expansion joints, is easy to disassemble and can be installed on more economical subfloors that have higher water permeability than ceramic tiles.

Definition of some terms

In the text below, the visible surface of a laid floor or wall is called the front side, while the opposite side facing the sub floor or wall is called the back side. The edge between the front and back is called the joint edge. A horizontal plane is understood to mean a plane that runs parallel to the outside of the surface layer. The top and the outside of the edge form a vertical plane perpendicular to the horizontal plane. Vertical fixation means fixation parallel to the vertical plane. Horizontal fixation means fixation parallel to the horizontal plane.

Up means towards the front side, down means towards the back side, inward means mainly horizontally towards the inside and center of the tile, and outward means mainly horizontally away from the center of the tile.

Prior art and its disadvantages

Laminate flooring typically contains a wood-based core, a decorative laminate top layer and a bottom leveling layer. The laminate surface contains melamine impregnated paper. The most widely used core material is high density fiberboard with good strength, commonly called HDF (High Density Fiberboard), high density fiberboard.

Laminate floating floor panels of this type are laid on the subfloor and mechanically connected using so-called mechanical fixation systems. These systems contain locking means that fix the panels horizontally and vertically. Mechanical fixation systems are usually performed by machining the core of the panel. Alternatively, the fixing system parts can be made of special materials such as aluminum or HDF, which are combined with the floor panel, i.e. are connected to the floor panel during manufacture.

The main advantages of floating floors with mechanical fixing systems are that they are easy to install. They can also be easily dismantled and reused elsewhere.

It is known that the mechanical connection of long edges as well as short edges in the vertical and horizontal direction can be performed in several ways. One of the most commonly used methods is the tilt snap-in method. Long edges are installed with a slope. The panel is then slid into the locked position along the long edge. The short edges are secured with horizontal snapping. The vertical connection is mainly provided by the tongue and groove. During horizontal displacement, the strip with the locking element flexes and when the edges are in contact, the strip returns to its original position and the locking element enters the locking groove and locks the panels horizontally. This snapping-in connection is difficult because a hammer and a pad must be used to overcome the friction between the long edges and to bend the strip during snapping-in.

Similar retention systems can also be made with a rigid strip and are tilt-tilt coupled in which the long and short edges are tilted into the locked position. This installation method is difficult to use if the panels are large and heavy.

Recently, the so-called fold-down retention systems have emerged, which allow very easy installation in one movement with only a tilt, while retaining long and short edges. A flexible comb attached to the short edge is used to join the short edges in a scissor-like motion where the long edge is tilted.

Most of all mechanical retention systems used in laminate and wood flooring are performed using tools with a diamond cutter head. At the same time, the systems can be executed with high speed and high accuracy. Retention systems include protruding parts such as a vertical retention ridge and a horizontal retention strip.

In ceramic material, in particular in thin ceramic tiles, which contain brittle edges, it is difficult and practically impossible to make protruding parts. Edge gaps provide additional problems as the ridge must protrude significantly

- 2 038315 distance from the edge to close the gap between the edges and enter the groove under the ridge of the adjacent edge.

Diamond tools can be used to form the edges of the tiles. However, their performance is significantly less than that of improved joining configurations in wood and plastic based materials. To shape the tile and stone material, it is necessary to use special cooling systems, usually based on water cooling.

In order to achieve a floating floor installation similar to laminate flooring, several attempts have been made to improve the installation of tiles by bonding ceramic and stone tiles to a separate sheet material, which allows them to be performed with a mechanical fixation system containing protruding parts.

US 8,156,705 discloses a tile having at least one connector that engages with an adjacent tile connector so that adjacent tiles can be properly attached to each other without grouting. The tiles are injection molded into an artificial support structure that contains a conventional mechanical fixation system.

US 2011/0113713 describes a method for placing tiles in a mold and injecting polymer into a mold. The injected material mechanically fixes the base to the tile. It is also possible to provide a mechanical retainer and surrounding spacer to fill the joint.

Attaching the tiles to a separate sheet material or mold is costly. The thickness of the floor increases and moisture resistant tiles are difficult to combine with a wood base sheet material that expands and contracts when the relative humidity changes between dry and wet.

It is known that the fixing strip can be made from a separate material, for example aluminum or HDF, such a strip can be clamped in the undercut grooves or secured in a horizontally extending groove formed on the edge of the laminate panel by snap-pressing and / or pivoting. Such systems are described in WO 94/26999 and WO 03/083234 (Valinge Innovation AB). It is also known that a plurality of strip-like portions spaced apart from each other can be attached to the edge of the long side for additional savings.

WO 2001075247 describes a fixing system for forming a joint of sheet floor elements with a tight joint fit. The floor elements are made of solid wood, fibreboard or particle board. Long edges are secured using a traditional locking system with a raised ridge and a raised strip. Short edges are connected with vertical offset and with a separate vertical mounting profile. The short edge is configured to remove a significant amount of edge material. The fixing system is not suitable for laying tiles that are spaced apart.

WO 03/083234 describes a locking system which comprises a strip and a ridge made of a separate material. This system is not suitable for fixing tiles with edges that are spaced apart. The geometry of the fixation system is very difficult to manufacture from ceramic material.

Summing up, it can be noted that the known fixing systems are not suitable for joining ceramic tiles with a fragile tile body, since the strength and flexibility of the protruding parts made in the ceramic material are not sufficient, and the desired geometry of the edges is difficult to create using injection molding or mechanical processing of ceramic material.

The above description of various known aspects is a characterization of the applicant and is not an admission of the prior art.

The essence of the invention

The main object of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide an improved and more economical retention system, mainly for laying a floating floor of ceramic and stone tiles, which provides mechanical retention of the edges to each other using tilt and / or horizontal snapping and / or vertical snapping.

A particular challenge is to provide a fixing system that has a very simple joint configuration and a minimum amount of separate material attached to the tile, that can be produced with the minimum possible machining of the tile edges, and that preferably does not have any brittle protrusions.

Other specific challenges are the creation of tiles with an integrated grout material, improved decorative properties, elimination of dimensional tolerances and the creation of panels containing a combination of ceramic material and other lighter and more economical materials.

The above objectives of the embodiments of the present invention can be achieved in whole or in part by mechanical fixation systems and tiles made according to the disclosure. Embodiments of the invention are described in the description and shown in the drawings.

The invention is based on the understanding that the vertical and horizontal grooves of a particular

- 3,038315 geometries can be performed with high precision in the body edge regions of thin ceramic or stone tiles, and that such grooves can be used as part of a locking system that provides mechanical locking.

The invention is also based on the second understanding that a separate strip material comprising vertically protruding locking elements and horizontally protruding ridges can be mechanically coupled to such slots, and that such separate strip and slot materials can be used to provide a strong, economical and simple laying a floating floor of ceramic or stone tiles on the floor or on the wall outside or inside the premises.

The invention is based on the third understanding that the grooves and separate strip material can be made to eliminate dimensional tolerances of ceramic tiles that are typically laid with edge gaps and that the need for machining the top edges to a predetermined ideal size can be eliminated.

The invention is based on the fourth understanding that it is possible to make preformed tiles containing vertical and horizontal grooves, and that with such preformed tiles, it is possible to reduce the amount of final machining of the edges required to create the desired geometry.

Thin ceramic surfaces can also be adhered to materials that are moisture resistant, and the ceramic surface can be used to form part of a fixing system.

A first aspect of the invention is a ceramic or stone tile assembly comprising a first tile provided with a first edge and a second tile provided with a second edge. The tiles are provided with a locking system for fixing the first edge to the second edge in a horizontal direction parallel to the tile surface and in a vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction. The locking system comprises first and second ridges and a strip-like part provided with first and second locking elements. The first edge is provided with a first horizontal groove and a first vertical groove formed in the body of the first tile. The first locking element is configured to cooperate with the first vertical locking slot in the horizontal direction, and the first ridge is configured to cooperate with the first horizontal locking slot in the vertical direction. The second edge is provided with a second horizontal groove and a second vertical groove formed in the body of the second tile. The second locking element is configured to cooperate with the second vertical locking slot in the horizontal direction, and the second ridge is configured to cooperate with the second horizontal locking slot in the vertical direction. Each first and second horizontal groove contains a top edge and a bottom edge. The lower edge of the first horizontal slot extends horizontally towards or is located in the upper and outer portions of the first edge, and the lower edge of the second horizontal slot extends horizontally toward the upper and external portions of the second edge or is located therein. A gap is formed between the outer and upper part of the first edge and the outer and upper part of the second edge in the fixed position of the first and second edge.

The lower edge of the first horizontal slot may extend horizontally towards substantially the upper and outer portion of the first edge, and the lower edge of the second horizontal slot may extend horizontally toward substantially the upper and outer portion of the second edge.

The depth of one of the horizontal grooves of the first or second tile, measured as the horizontal distance from the vertical plane located at the top and outside of the edge, and to the bottom of the slot, may vary along a similar edge of one of the tiles or between similar edges of two different tiles.

The depth of the horizontal groove can vary by at least 0.10 mm.

The strip-like portion may comprise a vertically extending ridge body and a first ridge protruding from the vertically extending ridge body.

The locking system can be configured to be tilted and / or vertically snapped and / or horizontally snapped in the first and second tiles.

A second aspect of the invention is a set of ceramic or stone tiles, each of which comprises first and second edges, provided with a locking system for locking in a horizontal direction parallel to the surface of the tile and in a vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction. The first edge of the first tile is adapted to be fixed to the second edge of the second tile. The second edge of the first tile is made with the possibility of fixing to the first edge of the second tile in the horizontal direction parallel to the surface of the tile and in the vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction, and the said fixation system comprises the first and second ridges and a strip-like part provided with the first and second fixing element. The first edge is provided with a first horizontal groove and a first vertical groove formed in the body of the first and second tiles. The second edge is provided with a second horizontal groove and a second vertical groove formed in the body of the first and second tiles. Per

The 4038315th locking element is configured to cooperate with the first vertical locking slot in the horizontal direction, and the first ridge is configured to cooperate with the first horizontal locking slot in the vertical direction. The second locking element is configured to cooperate with the second vertical locking slot in the horizontal direction, and the second ridge is configured to cooperate with the second horizontal locking slot in the vertical direction. Each first and second vertical groove comprises a first groove wall, a second groove wall and a top surface. The first wall of the first vertical slot is closer to the outside of the first edge than the second wall of the first vertical slot. The first wall of the second vertical slot is closer to the top and outer portion of the second edge than the second wall of the second vertical slot. There is a first horizontal distance between the first groove wall of the first edge of the first tile and the top and outer portion of the first edge of the first tile. There is a second horizontal distance between the first groove wall of the second edge of the first tile and the top and outer portion of the second edge of the first tile. There is a third horizontal distance between the first groove wall of the first edge of the second tile and the top and outside of the first edge of the second tile. There is a fourth horizontal distance between the first groove wall of the second edge of the second tile and the top and outer portion of the second edge of the second tile. The first horizontal distance changes along the first edge of the first tile and / or the second horizontal distance changes along the second edge of the second tile and / or the third horizontal distance changes along the first edge of the second tile and / or the fourth horizontal distance changes along the second edge of the second tile and / or the first horizontal distance is different from the third horizontal distance and / or the second horizontal distance is different from the fourth horizontal distance.

In the fixed position of the first and second edges, a gap may form between the upper outer portion of the first and second edges.

Each first and second horizontal groove may contain a top edge and a bottom edge. The lower edge of the first horizontal groove may extend horizontally towards the upper and outer portions of the first edge or be located within them, and the lower edge of the second horizontal slot may extend horizontally toward the upper and outer portions of the second edge or be located within them.

The strip-like portion may comprise a vertically extending ridge body with a first ridge protruding from the vertically extending ridge body.

The locking system can be configured to be tilted and / or vertically snapped-in locking the first and second tiles.

A third aspect of the invention is a ceramic tile provided with a relief surface and ornamentation. The relief matches the ornament. Relief is present on the upper and lower surface areas. The gloss degree of the upper surface area is different from the lower surface area.

The ornament can have a wood pattern and varying degrees of gloss can be achieved using digitally applied powder.

A fourth aspect of the invention is a floor panel assembly comprising first and second panels that comprise a ceramic surface layer and a core containing a thermoplastic material blended with wood or mineral fillers. A mechanical fixation system is made in the core of the first and second panels. The mechanical fixation system comprises a strip provided with a fixing element on the first edge of the first panel and a fixing groove on the second edge of the second panel. The locking element and the locking groove are made with the possibility of interaction for locking the first and second edges in a horizontal direction parallel to the ceramic surface layer. The mechanical fixation system comprises a ridge on the second edge and a ridge groove formed in the first edge. The comb and the groove for the comb are made with the possibility of interaction for fixing the first and second edges in the vertical direction, perpendicular to the horizontal direction. The thickness of the ceramic surface layer is in the range from 2 to 5 mm. The ridge groove comprises an upper edge which is essentially formed by a ceramic surface layer.

In the fixed position of the first and second edges, a gap of about 1-10 mm can form between the ceramic surface layers.

A fifth aspect of the invention is a preformed ceramic tile to be equipped with a fixing system. A groove is made on the back of the tile edge.

The first thickness of the outer edge of the preformed ceramic tile may be less than the second average thickness of the body of the preformed ceramic tile.

The difference between the first thickness and the second average thickness can be about 1-3 mm.

The groove may be an equalizing groove containing a top surface that is substantially parallel to the top surface of the preformed ceramic tile. The top surface can extend from the outside of the lip inward.

The upper surface of the equalizing groove can extend horizontally a distance of about 3-20 mm.

- 5 038315

The back side of the edge of the preformed ceramic tile may comprise a vertical groove spaced from the outer edge and an equalization groove extending from the vertical groove to the outside of the edge.

A sixth aspect of the invention is a kit comprising a first tile, a second tile and a strip-like portion, which preferably comprises a polymeric or metallic material, the first and second tiles being ceramic or stone tiles. The first edge of the first tile or the second edge of the second tile comprises a vertical groove and a horizontal groove formed in the body of the first and second tiles, respectively. The part in the form of a strip is made with the possibility of connecting with one of the vertical grooves and one of the horizontal grooves formed on a similar edge for vertical fixation perpendicular to the surface, and horizontal fixation parallel to the surface of the first and second tiles. In the fixed position, a gap is formed between the tops of the first and second edges.

Vertical and horizontal grooves can be made in the first edge of the first tile and the second edge of the second tile. The strip-like part can be made with the possibility of connecting with horizontal and vertical grooves made in the first edge of the first tile and in the second edge of the second tile.

The horizontal groove of the first edge or second edge may comprise a top edge and a bottom edge. The lower edge can extend horizontally towards the upper outer part of the corresponding first or second edge or is located there.

The strip portion may comprise a ridge having a vertically extending ridge body located in the nip.

The tiles can be joined by vertical or horizontal snapping, with the ridge body horizontally displaced into the gap during fixing.

The main advantage of the invention is the ability to provide a locking system with a very limited machining of the edges of the tile and the elimination of the need for mechanical locking of the protruding parts in the body of the tile. The fixing system is configured in a configuration adapted to the methods of making the tiles and to the possibility of preforming tiles containing grooves that can be used as part of the finished joint configuration. This reduces the amount of material that needs to be removed during the final edge shaping. The locking system is designed to lay and align tiles within normal dimensional tolerances, and generally does not require any machining of the top of the edges. The strip portion has a simple configuration that can be produced economically by stamping or extrusion of a plastic or metal material. The strip part is also designed to easily bond to the edge of the tile in the factory prior to installation or by workers during installation.

Brief Description of Drawings

The disclosure is provided below for exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the following is shown.

FIG. 1a-d show fixing systems according to known technology, FIG. 2a-d show offset ridges and individual strip-like parts according to known technology, FIG. 3a-3b show floorboards with a locking system according to known technology, FIG. 4a-e show a locking system according to an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 5a-f show a method of securing a strip-like portion to an edge according to an embodiment of the invention and locking using tilt and snap, FIG. 6a-e show alternative embodiments of the invention, FIG. 7a-d show embodiments of a strip-like part, FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of a four-piece striped tile, FIG. 9a-d show embodiments of a sub-floor panel with edges comprising a system for mechanically fixing tiles mechanically attached to the panel and forming edge sections, FIG. 10a-10e show embodiments of preformed tiles, FIGS. 11a-11d show an alternative embodiment of the invention, FIG. 12a-12e show an alternative embodiment of the invention, FIG. 13a-13d illustrate embodiments of laying tiles, a relief surface of a tile, and a backing material attached to the tile, in FIGS. 14a-14e show embodiments of a locking system suitable for locking short edges, FIGS. 15a-15e show embodiments of flexible ridges, FIGS. 16a-16e show an alternative embodiment of the invention and a method of joining a strip-like part, FIG. 17a-17e show an alternative embodiment of the invention and tiles laid on the wall in FIGS. 18a-18d show an alternative embodiment of the invention and a method for dismantling laid 6,038,315 tiles, FIG. 19a-19d illustrate embodiments of a locking system with an elastic latch, FIG. 20a-20d show an embodiment of a retention system comprising an integrated sealant material, FIGS. 21a-21e show an embodiment of a method for eliminating dimensional tolerances, FIG. 22a-22b show an embodiment of the installation of a joint sealant, FIG. 23a-23d illustrate embodiments of the placement of the sealing material and the horizontal snapping-in, FIGS. 24a-24b show an embodiment of laying with horizontal snapping of two perpendicular edges, FIG. 25a-25b show an embodiment of a strip-like portion that can be used to connect corner sections.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

For ease of understanding, some of the locking systems are shown schematically in the figures. It should be emphasized that improved or different functions can be obtained by combining the embodiments.

All embodiments can be used singly or in combinations. Corners, dimensions, rounded parts, gaps between surfaces, etc. are examples only and may be adjusted according to the basic principles of the invention.

FIG. 1a and 1b show a prior art retention system used in laminate and wood floors that are tilted in place. Horizontal fixation is provided by a fixing strip 6 with a fixing element 8 created on one edge 1 of the panel, which is fixed in a fixing groove 14 created in the other adjacent edge 1 'of the panel. In the production of strip 6, a waste Ws is obtained as shown in FIG. 1b when a significant amount of material is removed. The locking system comprises protruding parts, for example a ridge 10 and a strip 6, which are made by machining the edge of the panel.

FIG. 1c shows a known fixing system used in laminate floors, comprising a separate aluminum strip 6 attached to the bottom of the panel edge. Part of the strip 6 is a bent inwardly inclined vertically extended surface. This connection of the strip 6 to the edge of the panel is performed in an operation separate from the machining of the edge. The strip contains three different cross-sections A-A, B-B and C-C, which are used to connect the strip to the edge of the panel and to fix the panels horizontally. The length L of the strip does not vary across the width W. The portion of the strip extending from the edge contains a small cavity 23 formed by punching the strip body portion and folding around the edge of the panel. A protruding ridge, made in one piece with the base, is used for vertical connection.

FIG. 1d shows a strip 6 which is snapped into place in a horizontally extending groove. This strip is machined and has the same cross-section along its length. An improved profile edge is required to secure the strip to the edge. The locking system can also include a separate flexible comb. Such fixation systems have several disadvantages. The material consumption is high for design reasons and only limited material savings can be obtained. Fastening the strip to the edge is rather difficult and slow.

FIG. 2a-2b show a locking system with a separate flexible offset ridge 10a inserted into a horizontally extending offset groove 9a formed on the short edge of the panel. The separate ridge is quick to insert and is mainly used for increased flexibility when the panels are fixed with vertical snapping. The fixing system can be used to connect tiles. The fixing system is difficult to manufacture in thin ceramic tiles, since the protruding strip 6 can break.

FIG. 2c and 2d show fixing systems comprising a separate plastic strip 6 which can be connected to the edge of the tile. This fixation system is also difficult to fabricate in ceramic and stone material because a large amount of material needs to be removed with rotating tools. The protruding ridge 10 is brittle and can break off.

FIG. 3a shows a known conventional panel with a strip 6 that runs along the entire long edge. The material savings can be improved if several strip-like portions 6 are joined on the long side of the panel, as shown in FIG. 3b.

One of the main principles of the invention is the understanding that simple grooves can be made in the body of the tile and that such grooves can be used to connect separate materials containing projections and provide a locking system that provides a strong mechanical fixation in the method of laying a floating structure.

FIG. 4a-4d show a retention system according to one embodiment of the invention, in which the connection can be made using tilt, vertical snapping and horizon.

- 7 038315 snap-fit. The retention system can also be used to tilt and slide release along the edge. FIG. 4a, 4b and 4c are side views and FIG. 4d and 4e are top views.

FIG. 4a shows two adjacent edges 1, 1 'of a first tile 1a and a second tile 1b. Each tile 1a, 1b comprises a first horizontal groove 9a formed in a first edge 1, a second horizontal groove 9b formed in a second edge 1 ', a first vertical groove 14a formed in a first edge 1, and a second vertical groove 14b formed in a second edge 1 'as well as a strip-like portion 6 mechanically connected to the first horizontal slot 9a and the vertical slot 14a.

Horizontal grooves 9a, 9b are formed in the outer vertical portion of the tile edge. FIG. 4b shows that the horizontal grooves 9a, 9b comprise a horizontal groove opening 17 on a vertical plane VP located on the upper and outer edge of the tile, an upper edge 12, a lower edge 11, an upper groove wall 18, a lower groove wall 19 and a groove bottom 20. Vertical grooves 14a, 14b are formed on the back of the tile and are spaced from the outer edges. The vertical grooves 14a, 14b comprise a vertical groove opening 23 directed downward, with the first and second groove walls 24 and 25 and the inner groove wall 26 located on top of the vertical grooves 14a, 14b. The first groove wall 24 is located closer to the vertical plane VP than the second groove wall 25.

Part 6 in the form of a strip according to the invention is preferably used to secure the edges 1, 1 'from being displaced horizontally inward and outward and vertically upward and downward. The top edges are preferably connected to each other with a predetermined horizontal gap S. This is a major difference from the conventional technology in which the top edges are locked in contact with each other and the strip portion 6 is used only to prevent horizontal separation. The S gap can be used to implement a specific locking system with the appropriate configuration and functions described below. The tilt and snap properties can be improved and a more economical geometry can be achieved.

The locking system comprises a strip-like part 6 containing the strip body 7 and an upwardly extending first and second locking element 8a and 8b on the opposite and outer part of the strip body 7. The upper part of the second locking element 8b preferably comprises an upper guiding surface 22 which is used to guide the locking element 8b into the second vertical slot 14b during horizontal snapping and vertical locking.

The strip body 7 comprises a first flexible ridge 10a and a second flexible ridge 10b extending upwardly. The ridges 10a, 10b have preferably a vertically extending flexible ridge body 30, an upper sliding surface 31, optionally flexible, and a ridge locking surface 32.

The ridge body 30 is preferably at least partially disposed in the nip S defined by the adjacent edges. Such a locking system provides the advantage that no material has to be removed from the edge to accommodate the vertically extending ridge body 30. Also, the gap S can be used to provide the ridge body 30 with horizontal displacement in the gap S during vertical and / or horizontal snapping.

The strip-like part 6 is adapted to be locked to the first edge 1 by means of a first ridge 10a, which is inserted into the first horizontal slot 9a, and by means of a first locking element 8a, which is inserted into the first vertical slot 14a. The strip body 7 preferably comprises a fastening element 16 on the outside, which can be used in some embodiments to obtain a strong connection of the strip-like portion 6 to the tile. The fastening element can be flexible and can be fixed on the second wall 25 of the groove.

The locking elements 8a, 8b cooperate with the vertical grooves 14a, 14b and fix the edges 1, 1 'in the horizontal direction and also prevent horizontal separation. Flexible ridges 10a, 10b interact with horizontal grooves 9a, 9b and fix the edges 1, 1 'vertically, and also prevent horizontal displacement of the panel edges towards each other. Other parts provided on the body of the strip can be used to prevent such horizontal displacement of the panels towards each other.

Tile and stone material can be molded with rotary carbide or diamond tools. Even stationary cutting, planing or grinding tools can be used.

Pilot production has shown that small grooves can be produced economically with diamond head tools and that such grooves can have sufficient strength even in brittle materials such as ceramic or stone material if the volume of material adjacent to the groove is of sufficient thickness and depth. The geometry of the joint having high strength can be obtained if the edge preferably contains only a small number of parts, or more preferably does not contain parts extending horizontally beyond the upper edge.

The locking system according to the invention preferably does not have any protruding parts, for example a ridge or a strip, which are formed in the body of the tile and project beyond the upper edge.

- 8 038315

Small grooves can be made that extend, for example, 0.5-2 mm into the edge or on the back, and such grooves can have sufficient strength even in thin and brittle ceramic and stone materials. Preferably, there are no projections or only small projections extending beyond the upper edge, especially if such projections are made by machining the edges of the tile.

A strong groove in an edge, for example 2 mm deep, can be made quickly with five rotating tools, with each tool removing about 0.4 mm of material. Shaping can be performed while the tile is moved relative to the rotating tools. The tile can also be connected to a stationary holding device, and the tools can move relative to the edge of the tile in one or more machining steps.

The advantage is obtained by removing at the top of the edges of a small volume of material or avoiding its removal, in particular when such edges are made with chamfers or rounded portions. Typically, tiles are not strictly square or rectangular and one edge may be different in length from the other. Two edges that abut each other may not be strictly perpendicular.

Such manufacturing tolerances are usually eliminated by filling the gaps between the edges with filler material. The main advantage of the fixing system is shaping and execution, in which the tiles are set and aligned with a predetermined average edge spacing and deviations in the spacing are minimized. Preferably, the horizontal grooves are more precise than the top edges. This means that the depth of one or more horizontal grooves, measured as the horizontal distance from a vertical plane located on the top and outside of the tile edge to the inner surface of the horizontal groove, can vary along the edge. The depth of the horizontal groove can be at least 0.10 mm or even 0.20 mm more on one part of the edge than on the other part of the same edge. A horizontal groove on all four tile edges can be made with reduced tolerances on the top edges. For example, in a set, tiles according to the invention may have a long edge size of 40.0 ± 0.2 mm and a short edge size of 30.0 ± 0.2 mm at the top of the tile. The distance between the inner surfaces of the horizontal grooves can be 36.0 ± 0.10 mm and 26.0 ± 0.10 mm when grooves with a depth of 2 mm are formed in the edges.

The fixing system according to the invention ensures that all tiles are automatically positioned vertically and horizontally. This makes it possible to reduce the gap S between the tiles compared to conventional laying. A gap S of 2-3 mm may be sufficient and such a small gap can be used to reduce the volume of the joint material.

The grooves are preferably made in the body of the tile using diamond cutting tools in a separate manufacturing step after the tile is made. The grooves can also be made in two steps. The first step can be rough molding, which is carried out during the tile-making process. The second stage is final and is performed with diamond tools. These two shaping steps can be used to reduce the amount of material to be removed to achieve the joint configuration required for a high quality retention system that guides the tiles to the desired vertical and horizontal position during installation.

New and improved methods of making tiles are under development, and such methods allow the grooves to be produced with sufficient accuracy while the tiles are being made. No additional machining or shaping is required to form the locking system.

Part 6 in the form of a strip can be made of a metallic material, preferably steel or aluminum. The strip portion 6 in this embodiment is formed by stamping and pressing.

FIG. 4d shows that flexible ridges 10a, 10b can be spaced apart in the direction of the tile edge length. The material needed to form the ridge 10 is obtained from the strip body. The cavity 59 is created by forming the ridge by stamping a metal sheet. The cavity in this embodiment is formed between the first ridge 10a and the second locking element 8b.

FIG. 5a-5e show a method for securing a strip-like portion 6 described above and shown in FIGS. 4a-4e, to the edge of the tile or stone material. The strip can be tilted and snapped into the edge from the rear as shown in FIG. 5a, as a result, flexible ridge 10a flexes and / or contracts. Alternatively, the strip can be inserted along the edge from one of the corners of the tile, or the tongue 10a can be inserted into the groove 9a and the locking element 8a can be pressed into the vertical groove 14a as shown in FIG. 16d.

FIG. 5b shows the connection with a tilt of the second edge 1 'to the first edge 1. The first edge 1 can also be tilted towards the second edge 1' when the strip body 7 is inserted under the second edge before tilting. FIG. 5c shows vertical snapping, and FIG. 5d - horizontal snapping. FIG. 5e shows two edges connected to a gap S at the top between the edges, and

- 9 038315 fig. 5f shows the sealant material 13, which may be a flexible polyurethane material used in the gap S.

FIG. 5b shows that tilting can be performed with a pivot about a point Rp located on the ridge fixing surface 32 below the top of the ridge. This allows the locking element 8 to be made with a large locking angle, and with a possible locking distance LD, defined as the horizontal distance from the vertical plane to the locking element, which can have a thickness of 1-1.5 times the tile thickness T or even less, for example 0, 5-1.0 T tile thickness. The advantage is the possibility of forming a strong fixing system with the compact strip-like part, and less material is required to form the fixing system.

A tile 1a with an edge 1 containing a strip-like portion 6 which is attached prior to laying, as shown in FIG. 5c is called a striped tile. A tile 1b with an edge that is joined to a tile 1a provided with a strip by vertical folding or vertical displacement is called a folding tile.

A flexible comb, which can be used to join edges by vertical offset, may have flexible ridges in its inner or outer portion. The flexible comb may also have a snap tab at its outer end. All of the individual flexible ridges described in this disclosure can be connected to a tile 1a provided with a strip or foldable tile 1b.

Part 6 in the form of a strip is preferably mechanically connected to the edge. Adhesive can also be used, and can be used in conjunction with a mechanical joint.

Part 6 in the form of a strip can have a plastic or metal section. Flexible or rigid combs can be formed as extruded, extruded, or molded plastic or metal components.

The strip-like part may include vertically projecting locking elements that prevent horizontal displacement of the edges towards each other.

FIG. 6a shows that the horizontal groove 9 may comprise a lower edge 11 extending horizontally beyond the upper edge and the vertical plane VP, or internally spaced from the vertical plane VP by a horizontal distance from the upper edge, as shown in FIG. 6b. Preferably, the edge distance Ld, defined as the horizontal distance from the outside of the lower edge 11 to the vertical plane VP, is less than 0.5 of the gap S between two adjacent edges of the tiles when the lower edge extends beyond the vertical plane VP, as shown in FIG. 6a. The distance to the edge is preferably less than the gap S between the upper adjacent edges when the lower edge 11 is displaced inwardly relative to the vertical plane VP, as shown in FIG. 6b. Such retention systems can be implemented in a cost effective manner in which a limited amount of material needs to be removed.

FIG. 6c shows that the edge may also include an equalizing groove 21 to reduce the average tile thickness T1 to a thickness T2 at the edge portion and to connect the thick body strip to the edge of the tile. An equalizing groove can also be used to reduce the thickness tolerance between adjacent tile edges.

FIG. 6d shows that part of the ridge 6b can be folded away from the edge 1 'and partially displaced into the adjacent horizontal groove 9 during vertical folding.

The strip body can be made of metal sheet material with a thickness of about 0.3-0.6 mm, preferably stainless steel. More preferred is a thickness of about 0.3-0.4 mm.

FIG. 6e shows that the thickness of the strip-like metal part can allow the use of a substrate 2, such as foam rubber, to compensate for the thickness of the strip body 7 when the tiles are installed on the subfloor 3.

The flexible joint material 13 can be factory attached to two edges that abut each other in the corner portion of the tile.

Subfloor 3 may contain panels with a mechanical fixation system along the long and short edges.

FIG. 7a-7d show embodiments of a strip-like portion 6, which can be a metal part (Fig.7a), an extruded metal or plastic section (Fig.7b), or an extruded and machined plastic or metal section (Fig.7c), in which selected areas to provide increased flexibility of flexible ridges 10a, 10b. The strip portions 6 can also be produced by injection molding.

Locking using vertical offset can be performed with less resistance if, during locking, the flexible ridge 10a can bend and move horizontally, for example by 1 to 2 mm. FIG. 7d shows a flexible ridge 10b comprising a flexible ridge body 30 and a flexible sliding surface 31. Flexible ridge 10b flexes and the sliding surface 31 flexes and is pushed inward during locking.

The edges can be designed so that part of the ridge 10b can be displaced into one of the horizontal grooves 9a and then to its fixed position into another adjacent groove 9b, as shown in FIG. 6d.

- 10 038315

FIG. 8 shows a tile 1a with four strip-like portions 6 attached to two edges 4b, 4d. The strip-like parts can be snapped in or inserted along the edge.

The strip pieces can be factory bonded to the tile edge or supplied as a separate piece to be attached to the tile edge prior to installation. The strip-like parts 6 can be made and adapted to the gap S between the edges, which can vary in the range from 0 to 10 mm, and this can be used to create seams of different widths. Vertical and horizontal grooves 9 and 14 can run along the entire edge 1 or be performed only in a part of the edge 1.

Several parts can be connected to the edge in the form of a strip. The striped parts can have different geometries on different edges or on the same edge. The edge may also comprise one strip-like portion that extends along substantially the entire edge.

It is clear from the drawings that the first edge 1 of the first tile 1a can be connected to the second edge 1 'of the second tile 1b, and the second edge of the first tile 1a can be connected to the first edge of the second tile 1b.

FIG. 9a shows that a strip-like part 6 can be connected to a panel that can be used as a subfloor 3. The connection can be done mechanically, preferably by folding some parts of the strip body 7 into grooves in the subfloor panel. FIG. 9b shows that one or more tiles 1a, 1b can be mechanically connected to a subfloor panel 3, which can comprise a conventional mechanical locking system, for example the locking system shown in FIG. 1a and 2a. One or more tiles can be laid mechanically by connecting the underlying subfloor panels 3 to each other.

It is preferable to mechanically join the tiles to the subfloor panel without glue. The mechanical joint and flexible ridges allow the moisture resistant tiles 1, 1 'and the moisture sensitive subfloor 3 to move relative to each other independently as the relative humidity changes from dry to wet. This allows the use of subfloors containing, for example, wood base materials such as HDF and particle board, which expand and contract as the relative humidity changes.

All embodiments of the invention can be used to join tiles when making a floating floor or to join tiles when placed vertically on a wall. The strip-like part can be nailed to the vertical sheet material to form part of the wall system.

Ceramic tiles made by high pressure dry powder pressing can be made with a thickness of about 2-5mm and with high flexibility and strength.

FIG. 9c shows that such thin tiles can be used as a ceramic surface layer 27 in floor panels 1a, 1b containing a core of moisture resistant material 28, such as, for example, a mineral or fiber cement board or a board containing a mixture of thermoplastic material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC ), polyester (PE) or polypropylene (PP), and mineral fillers like the so-called luxury vinyl tile (LVT) material, or thermoplastic material and wood fiber fillers like the so-called wood-plastic composite (WPC) ... Preferably, fillers comprise at least about 50% of the weight of the core containing the thermoplastic material.

A ceramic material 27, preferably having a thickness Ta of about 2-5 mm, or 2-4 mm, or 2-3 mm, can adhere to such a moisture resistant core material 28. Preferably, the core thickness Tb is about 3-5 mm or 3-4 mm. It is possible to produce a two-layer material with a total thickness Tc, for example 5-10 mm. Preferably, the thickness Tb of the core 28 is greater than the thickness Ta of the layer of the ceramic surface 27.

A locking system comprising a ridge 10 and a ridge groove 9 for vertical locking, as well as a strip 7 with a locking element 8, which cooperates with a locking groove 14 formed in the adjacent edge for horizontal locking, can be made in the core material 28. Preferably, the upper edge 12 of the ridge groove 9 comprises a substantially ceramic material that provides strength and prevents vertical displacement of the ridge 10. Preferably, at least 60% or at least 80% of the thickness of the upper edge 12 is a ceramic material. Preferably, the upper edges are spaced apart from each other with a predetermined gap S, which is formed when the locking element 8 enters the locking groove 14 during laying. The interacting surfaces of the locking element 8 and the locking groove 14 can also be used to prevent the panel edges from separating from each other and displacement of the panel edges towards each other. The interacting surfaces of the tongue 10 and the tongue groove 9 can also be used to create a predetermined gap S and to prevent the edges of the panel from moving towards each other.

FIG. 9d shows that the horizontal groove 9 can be made with a horizontally rotating tool 41 and that the vertical groove 14 can be made with a vertically rotating tool 40.

- 11 038315

FIG. 10a-10e show that it is possible to make preformed tiles 1a containing part of the fixing system. Pre-shaping is preferably carried out prior to the manufacturing step in which the tile is fired in a furnace or furnace. The grooves can be made in a very economical way during the pressing of the powder material and after the pressing step, when the body of the tile is still soft and very easily formed using, for example, rotating tools. The grooves can run along the entire edge or along a portion of the edge, and they can be formed on one edge or on several edges, preferably on one pair of opposite edges. FIG. 10a shows a preformed tile edge 1 containing a vertical groove 14. The horizontal distance D1 from the vertical plane VP to the first groove wall 24 is preferably about 3-20 mm or more, preferably 5-15 mm. The final shape can be obtained using, for example, rotating tools that mold a tile edge 1 '' containing a vertical and horizontal groove 14 and 9, adapted to receive a strip-like part and a specific configuration for a particular fixation system. FIG. 10b shows a preformed tile 1 comprising an edge thickness T 'which is preferably about 1 to 3 mm less than the average thickness T of the tile body. The edge comprises an equalizing groove 21 with an upper surface 21a which is substantially parallel to the upper surface of the tile and which preferably extends from the vertical plane VP inward by a horizontal distance D1 of preferably 5-25 mm. FIG. 10c shows a preformed tile having a vertical groove 14 and an equalizing groove 21, and FIG. 10d shows a preformed tile comprising a vertical groove 14, an equalizing groove 21 and a horizontal groove 9. FIG. 10 shows that the raised bottom edge can be preformed and can be used to join the strip portion. Preforming can be used to reduce the amount of material that must be removed to complete the edge geometry. The advantage is increased production speed and less tool wear.

FIG. 11a shows a second embodiment of the invention. The flexible ridge comprises a vertically extending ridge body 30 with a ridge locking surface 32 and an upper part made in the form of a sliding surface 31 above the locking surface 32.

FIG. 11b shows that the outer part of the ridge locking surface can be used as a sliding surface 31, which, when vertically displaced, interacts with a sliding surface 33 of a tile provided on the outer and lower part of the edge of the tile. The sliding surface 31 of the ridge can be quite small due to the fact that the ceramic material is hard and allows sliding against abutment with small and sharp surfaces. The locking system can also be locked using tilt and horizontal snapping.

The bottom wall 19 of the horizontal groove 9a is located on the first upper horizontal plane H1, which is closer to the tile surface than the second and lower horizontal plane H2 intersecting the upper surface 26 of the vertical groove 14a. The vertical distance between the first and second horizontal plane H1 and H2 is preferably at least 0.1 of the tile thickness T. The horizontal distance D1 between the vertical plane VP and the first wall 24 of the vertical groove 14 is preferably nearly the same or larger with the tile thickness T.

This embodiment has the advantage that the strong edge portion can be made of tile material and that the strip portion 6 can be made more economically by simple stamping as shown in FIG. 11c.

FIG. 11a shows a flexible seam material 13 in the form of a flexible strip that is inserted between the top edges after being laid. FIG. 11d shows a flexible material which, prior to laying the second tile, is preferably positioned at least partially in the horizontal grooves 9a, 9b between the edges, and which can be used as an edge seal 15. Such an edge seal 15 can be used when the tiles are installed with a small gap S, for example less than 1.0 mm.

FIG. 12a-12d show another embodiment of the invention. Tiles are generally made with significant thickness tolerances, which are much larger than the tolerances that are acceptable, for example, in laminate floors with tight edges. Such relatively large tolerances are acceptable since tiles are often made with beveled edges and laid with a gap filled with joint filler material. Conventional tiles can also be pressed down into the adhesive material to adjust thickness tolerances.

When installing floating floor tiles on foam, thickness tolerances become visible. The locking system is preferably provided on the back as the binding side. High-quality tiles already have sufficient thickness tolerances to enable high-quality installation with a mechanical fixation system. The thickness tolerance can be improved, which significantly reduces the gap S between the tiles to about 1 mm and allows the tile to be formed without beveled edges. A further improvement can be obtained if the aggregate layers 34a, 34b are applied to the back of the tile as shown in FIG.

- 12 038315

12a, preferably after kiln firing. One embodiment of the invention is a tile comprising a ceramic tile body and backsides 34a, 34b. Filler is used to reduce thickness tolerances. Thicker tiles 1 may have a thinner core 33a and thinner tiles may have a thicker core 34b. Aggregates make it possible to reduce thickness tolerances from about 1 mm to 0.1-0.2 mm. Part of the filler layer 33 can be made in the form of an equalizing groove 21, which can be used to accommodate a portion of the part 7 in the form of a strip. The filler may comprise a thermoplastic material or a mineral based material that is preferably moisture resistant. Aggregate 34 can be used to eliminate thickness tolerances even in tiles without a mechanical fixation system.

The strip portion 6 in this embodiment is preferably made in the form of an extruded plastic or metal section, which is preferably used to join adjacent tile edges using tilt and / or horizontal snapping. The strip body 7 comprises a vertically extending ridge body 30 and two horizontally projecting ridges 10a and 10b connected to the ridge body 30. The ridge body and raised ridges may or may not be flexible. One of the protruding ridges 10b preferably comprises upper and lower contact surfaces 42 and 43a, which prevent vertical separation, and which are horizontally offset relative to each other so that the lower contact surface 43a is closer to the vertical plane VP than the upper contact surface 42. This geometry provides a slight tilt, and the pivot point Rp can be located below the protruding ridge 10b as shown in FIG. 12c. FIG. 12b shows that the lower contact surface 43b, preventing vertical separation, can also be provided between the bottom of the tile and the body 7 of the strip.

FIG. 12d shows that the locking system can be installed with horizontal snapping. The protruding part of the strip body is bent downward and the locking element 8b snaps into the vertical groove 14b.

FIG. 12e shows that the locking elements 8a, 8b may include flexible fastening elements 16a, 16b that create a frictional force between the horizontal slots 14a, 14b and the locking elements 8a, 8b and prevent the two adjacent edges 1, 1 'from moving along the edges. Such a locking system can be made on two adjacent edges, for example long edges, and can be used to prevent the other pair of edges, for example short edges from separating, since friction between the strip portion 6 and the tiles 1, 1 'prevents mutual displacement. The strip-like part can of course also be glued to the edge of one of the tiles 1a.

FIG. 13a shows a tile 1a made of ceramic material having one pair of opposite long edges 4a, 4b and one pair of opposite short edges 4c, 4d. The tile can be a board in the form of a board, for example 0.8-1.2 m long and 0.1-0.2 m wide. The thickness is preferably 8-10 mm. Such wood grain ceramic panels can be used in place of, for example, wood grain laminate floors in areas where high moisture resistance is required. The mechanical fixing system is particularly suitable for joining and laying ceramic panels in the form of planks and for creating a waterproof floating floor. The installation is preferably carried out with an offset of the short edges, similar to the installation of wood and laminate floors. Long edges can be used to generate high frictional forces and prevent movement along the joint. The ceramic material is tough and in many applications does not require the use of a comb to clamp the short edges vertically, as the short edges can be clamped vertically with joined long edges. Edges can be beveled and the gap between the top edges can be reduced to about 1 mm or even a few fractions of a millimeter. The panels can also be laid touching the upper edges. Flexible material can be placed between the edges to prevent water penetration through the seam and fixing system down to the subfloor.

A ceramic panel in the form of a board or tile is preferably digitally applied with a wood-like ornament. The surface preferably comprises a relief 29 in accordance with the design shown in FIG. 13 d. The tile or ceramic panel may contain a so-called relief with a surface structure similar to structures made in laminate flooring. The relief is created using steel plates or structured films, which are pressed onto the powder material before heating.

The strip-like portion 6 in this embodiment extends along the entire long edge 4b, and the edge portion 6a extends beyond the short edge 4d. The panels according to this embodiment do not have any short edge locking system. FIG. 13b shows the rear side. All retention systems used in accordance with this disclosure can be used on long and / or short edges.

FIG. 13c shows the installation of several tiles or panels 1a-1e. The first tile 1a is laid in the first row R1. The second tile 1b in the second row R2 is laid using a slope to the first tile 1 in the first row R1. The third tile 1c is laid using a slope to the first tile 1 in the first row R1. The edge portion 6a of the strip portion provides precise spacing between short

- 13 038315 mi edges 4c, 4d. The fourth tile 1d is laid and fixed to the second tile 1b and the third tile 1c in the second row R2. The fixed long edges of the first tile 1a and the fourth tile 1d prevent the short edges 4c and 4d of the second and third tiles 1b and 1c from separating in the second row R2, and all the edges are fixed vertically and horizontally.

FIG. 13d shows a tile 1a with a substrate 2 attached to the back. The backing preferably covers the main part of the strip and can be used to reinforce the strip portion and / or to improve the connection between the strip portion and the tile 1a. The backing can be foam, cork, rubber or the like and can also be used to increase friction between backing 2 and subfloor 3. The backing can also contain fiberglass or can be luxury vinyl tile (LVT) or wood plastic composite sheet ( DPK).

Core grooves 56 can be made in the back of the tile to reduce weight. The strength of the tile can be sufficient in this case, in particular if the grooves in the core are covered with suitable backing materials 2, which are preferably glued to the back. Preferably, such a backing material 2 comprises glass fibers, which are preferably combined with a polymeric material.

FIG. 13d shows that embossing 29 can be made using different gloss levels 44a or 44b. Preferably, such differing degrees of gloss are combined in accordance with the relief structure. The upper portion 44a of the embossing pattern may have a lower or higher gloss than the lower portion 44b. The advantage is that the relief is more pronounced, even if the lower parts of the raised areas are only about 0.2-0.5 mm below the upper parts, and such tiles are easier to clean.

Various degrees of gloss can be obtained using digital printing. Binder pattern can be applied with digital ink head, powder can be applied to pattern and loose powder can be removed.

It is obvious that the above-described embodiments, comprising a substrate, a relief with varying degrees of gloss and core grooves, can be used individually, in combinations and in conventional tiles without a mechanical fixation system.

FIG. 14a-14e show embodiments that can preferably be used to join short edges by vertically folding. FIG. 14 shows straight edge portions. FIG. 14b and 14c show edge portions containing a ridge 10 and a recess 45, which are used to obtain a precise edge gap and to position the edges horizontally so that new tiles can more easily be tilted to long edges. FIG. 14d and 14e show a strip-like portion that only fixes horizontally.

FIG. 15 shows a flexible ridge 10 that can be used to join adjacent edges. The ridge comprises flexible protrusions 46 that may be located in the interior of a substantially horizontal groove or on the exterior of the ridge, and which may protrude beyond the vertical plane. FIG. 15a, 15c, 15e show the flexible ridge in the outward position, and FIG. 15b, 15d show the ridge in an internal position during folding.

An advantage is the use of a ridge containing flexible protrusions extending beyond the vertical plane when the tiles are fixed with a gap S between the top edges. The ridge can be firmly fixed in the groove 9, since there are no parts that have to move in the inner part of the groove 9 during fixation. The edges of the tile are rigid, and sufficient fixing strength can be obtained even if the protrusions are spaced apart from each other.

FIG. 16 shows an embodiment comprising a strip-like portion 6 having a vertically projecting ridge body 30 having a horizontally extending ridge 10a 'at the top connected to a first horizontal groove 9a'. A flexible ridge 10a with flexible protrusions 46, located in the inner part of the horizontal groove 9a, is connected in a second horizontal groove 9a located on one edge with the first horizontal groove 9a 'and above it. The adjacent edge 1 'comprises a substantially rigid ridge 10b disposed in a horizontal groove 9b. The flexible ridge 10a has a sliding surface 33a on its upper outer portion, which interacts during locking with a sliding surface 33b located on the lower and outer portion of the adjacent rigid ridge 10b.

FIG. 16b shows the edges 1, 1 'in a fixed position. The ridge body 30 is preferably used to prevent the edges from moving towards each other.

FIG. 16c shows an embodiment in which a rigid ridge 10a and a strip-like portion 6 are disposed on and connected to the same edge 1. Flexible ridge 10b is located in the adjacent edge 1 '. The rigid ridge 10a has a sliding surface 33a at its upper and outer portion, and the flexible ridge 10b has a sliding surface 33b at its lower and outer portion.

The individual ridges and part 6 in the form of a strip can be used separately or together. The strip-like part 6, which only connects the edges horizontally, can preferably be attached to the lower part of the edges shown in FIG. 16a. Long edges can, for example, fix

14 038315 with the locking system shown in FIG. 12d. The strip-like portion containing the individual ridges can be used to join, for example, long edges or short edges using a slope or horizontal snap fit.

FIG. 16d shows a method of joining a strip-like portion 6 to a first edge 1. The strip-like portion 6 moves substantially horizontally towards the edge and connects to the first horizontal groove 9a. The locking element 8a is pressed into the first vertical groove 14a. A pressure wheel 49 is preferably used.

FIG. 16e shows that the strip-like portion can be adhered to the first edge 1. The adhesive layer 57a, 57b can be applied between the strip body 7 and the bottom of the tile and / or between the vertical edge portion and the ridge body 30. The substrate 2 can be bonded or glued with an adhesive layer 57d to the back of the tile 1, and the strip portion 6 can also be glued with an adhesive layer 57c to the substrate 2. This embodiment is characterized in that a vertical groove 14b and a horizontal groove 9b are formed in only one edge 1 'of two opposite edges 1, 1'. One of the edges is preferably an edge 1 extending substantially vertically from the surface of the tile and towards the back of the tile. Adhesion of the strip portion to the tile can be combined with all other embodiments described in this disclosure.

FIG. 17 shows a locking system comprising a flexible ridge 10a having flexible protrusions 46 that extend beyond the vertical plane VP as shown in FIG. 15c. The strip portion 6 is similar to the strip portion 6 shown in FIG. 16a.

The flexible protrusions comprise a sliding surface 33a on the upper and outer part, which, during vertical displacement, interacts with a sliding surface 33b formed on the lower part of the adjacent edge 1 'of the tile. The flexible protrusions 46 are substantially displaced horizontally in the gap S between the edges. The locking element 8b and the locking groove 14b prevent horizontal inward and outward movement. Such displacement can also be prevented by horizontally protruding portions 30 'located between the edges.

FIG. 17d and 17e show that all embodiments of the invention can be used to connect tiles 1a, 1b to an inner or outer wall 58. Preferably, the strip-like part is mechanically connected by nails, screws, special staples or extruded profiles and the like. The tiles can also be glued to the wall and the 6 strip can be used to position the tiles.

FIG. 18a-c show a strip-like portion comprising a ridge body 30 with a ridge 10a and a ridge groove 9b. The adjacent edge comprises preferably a flexible ridge 10b disposed in a horizontal groove 9c. FIG. 18d shows that tile edges may be designed to release after installation. The sealant material is removed and the stripping tool 55 is inserted through the gap S into the groove 9b so that the flexible ridge is pressed inward against the edge of the tile and the locking system is released. All embodiments of the invention containing a flexible comb can be dismantled in a similar manner. Retaining systems with flexible ridges allow the tiles to be removed in the middle section of the floor. The tiles can also be dismantled starting from the first and last rows.

FIG. 19a-19c show substantially the same embodiment as shown in FIG. 18a-c. Flexible ridge 10b includes a flexible snap tab 47 at its outer end. The flexible comb 10b can be connected to the collapsible tile 1 'as shown in FIG. 19a, or with a striped tile 1 having a strip-like projection 6 as shown in FIG. 19d.

FIG. 20a-c show a strip-like portion 6 comprising a ridge body 30 having a ridge 10a and a ridge groove 9a 'formed in the ridge body 30. The adjacent edge 1 'preferably comprises a substantially rigid ridge 10b disposed in a horizontal groove 9b. FIG. 20d shows that the rigid ridge 10b can also be made in the tile material. The horizontal groove 9a 'can be formed close to the adjacent edge 1', and the rigid ridge 10b can be quite small and can protrude about 1-2 mm beyond the upper edge even when the tiles are installed with a gap of about 2-5 mm between the upper edges. FIG. 20c shows that flexible seam filling material 13 can be adhered to the top of the ridge body 30. FIG. 20d shows that the joint filling material 13 can be mechanically coupled to the ridge body 30.

FIG. 21 shows that the tiles are not strictly rectangular or square. Length L or width W may vary. The long and short edges 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d are often not strictly parallel to each other, and the long edges are often not strictly perpendicular and at exactly 90 °.

In theory, tiles can be machined to eliminate dimensional tolerances. In practice, this method is unacceptable due to the high cost and the fact that beveled or rounded edges are damaged. The horizontal grooves 9 and the vertical grooves 14 cannot be formed with the top edges as a support surface, since tolerances build up and it becomes impossible to install the covering over large areas containing several tiles laid in several rows.

- 15 038315

The fixing system should be designed so that each row is precisely axially aligned and tile size tolerances are compensated for by differences in the gap S between the edges. This is a major difference when compared to laminate and wood floors, which are machined to a precise rectangular shape and laid tightly between the top edges.

The problem can be solved by using a positioning system, which, prior to making the grooves, positions the tiles in a predetermined position with one long edge 4a and one short edge 4c. Such alignment can be accomplished with cameras or a positioning tool 50 as shown in FIG. 21. The positioning tool includes a first positioning surface 51 and a second positioning surface 52, which are strictly perpendicular to each other. The long edge 4a or the first edge in the case of square tiles is offset so that it is in contact with the first positioning surface 51. The tile is thus moved along the positioning surface until the short or second edge 4c comes into contact with the second positioning surface 52. FIG. 21 shows a tile with a contact point 53 at the outer corner of the tile.

After positioning the tiles, vertical and horizontal grooves are formed, parallel to the first and second positioning surfaces and with given distances D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7. One of the edges, preferably one of the long edges 4a, which is mounted on the first positioning surface 51, comprises grooves 14a, 9a that are substantially parallel to the edge. At least one of the other edges may contain horizontal or vertical grooves with an actual horizontal distance Ad3, Ad4 to the edge, which varies along the edge if the edge is not parallel in a given geometry. This distance can vary between the same edges of two different tiles, for example, up to a vertical groove 14a, which is used to join the strip-like part, or to an adjacent vertical groove 14b, which, when locked, is connected to the strip-like parts, as shown in FIG. 20, in case the length L or the width W deviates from the given geometry.

FIG. 21b shows a cross section A-A along one portion of the short edges 4c, and FIG. 21c shows a cross-section B-B along another portion of the short edge 4c. The edge is not strictly parallel to the positioning tool. The horizontal groove 9 and the vertical groove 14c are made at the given distances D2, D3 from the set position determined with the positioning tool 50. The actual horizontal distances Ad3, Ad4, Ad5, Ad6 from the vertical plane VP and to the inner wall 20 of the horizontal groove 9 and to the first the walls 24 of the vertical groove 14c vary along the edge 1. The figures show that even the bottom edge 11 can be abutted in a predetermined position. This means that the actual horizontal distance Ad7, Ad8 between the outer part of the lower edge 11 and the upper edge or vertical plane VP may vary along the edge.

FIG. 21d and 21e show that the above-described distances Ad7, Ad8 at the edge 4b of the first tile, and the distances Ad7 ', Ad8' at the edge 4b 'of the second tile can vary between the same portions 24, 24', 20, 20 'of the grooves located on the same edge 4b, 4b 'of two different tiles 1a and 1b if tiles 1a, 1b have different widths or lengths.

The tiles according to the invention are preferably characterized in that there is a first horizontal distance Ad7 between the first groove wall 24 of the first edge 1 of the first tile 1a and the upper and outer part of the first edge 1 of the first tile 1a, that there is a second horizontal distance Ad9 between the first groove wall 24 of the second edge 1 'of the first tile 1a and the upper and outer part of the second edge 1' of the first tile 1a, that there is a third horizontal distance Ad7 'between the first groove wall 24 of the first edge 1 of the second tile 1b and the upper and outer part of the first edge 1 of the second tile 1a, which is the fourth the horizontal distance between the first groove wall 24 of the second edge 1 'of the second tile 1b and the upper and outer part of the second edge 1' of the second tile 1b.

The first horizontal distance may vary along the first edge 1 of the first tile 1a and / or the second horizontal distance may vary along the second edge 1 'of the second tile 1b. The third horizontal distance may vary along the first edge 1 of the second tile 1b. The fourth horizontal distance may vary along the second edge 1 'of the second tile 1b. The first horizontal distance may be different from the third horizontal distance and / or the second horizontal distance may be different from the fourth horizontal distance.

The above method can be used to make floor panels as shown in FIG. 9c. The horizontal distance from the vertical plane VP to the outer part of the ridge 10, and / or to the inner part of the ridge groove 9, and / or to the surface on the locking element 8, and / or to the surface on the locking groove 14 can vary along at least one of the edges panel or between two opposite edges.

The preferably flexible joint sealant material can be integrated into the edge of the tile and factory bonded prior to installation. The sealant material serves several purposes. It is used to compensate for dimensional tolerances to prevent water penetration through the joint and to create

- 16 038315 decorative effects. The sealant material can be attached to all four edges or just one long and one short edge. The disadvantage is that the installation must contain many joints between the sealing materials.

FIG. 22 shows that the flexible joint material 13a can preferably be attached to only one edge of the tile, preferably the short edges 4d when the tiles are rectangular. Two rows R1, R2 of tiles 1a-1i can be laid as shown in FIG. 22a. The continuous seam material 13b, preferably in the form of a flexible strip, can be inserted and pressed between two stacked rows R1, R2 as shown in FIG. 22b. Advantageously, the corner section contains only two joints 54a, 54b, or only one joint 54b in case the tiles are installed with the offset of the short edges 1f, 1j, as shown in FIG. 22b. Joint filling materials can be pressed into each other in joints with constant prestressing, and an almost invisible and water-resistant joint can be produced.

FIG. 23 shows an embodiment preferably comprising upper horizontal grooves 9a ', 9b' and lower horizontal grooves 9a, 9b formed in the lip. The upper grooves 9a ', 9b' can be used to accommodate a portion of the sealant 13 and can be formed to prevent vertical displacement of the edges in case the sealant is applied between the edges. In some embodiments, the lower horizontal grooves 9a, 9b can be omitted and the strip-like portion may be connected to the edge by vertically extending ridge portions 10a, 10b that are frictionally locked to the vertical edge portion. Part 6 in the form of a strip can be used mainly for fixing the edges in the horizontal direction, and the sealant material can be used for vertical fixing of the edges. The locking system can be locked using tilt, horizontal snapping and vertical snapping. The vertical grooves 14a, 14b and the locking elements 8a, 8b are preferably formed with cooperating locking surfaces extending vertically upward at a locking angle A of about 90 ° to the horizontal plane H. The advantage is that a strong horizontal locking can be obtained in combination with simple locking and connecting the part in the form of a strip. This can be done with vertically extending ridge bodies 30a, 30b, which can be flexible and bend into the gap S when the strip-like part 6 is connected to the first edge 1 and during locking.

FIG. 23b shows a strip-like part 6 comprising ridges 10a, 10b and fixing elements 8a, 8b, formed by stamping a metal sheet, preferably a stainless steel sheet, preferably 0.3-0.5 mm thick. The cavity 59a required to form the first ridge 10a is located between the first locking element 8a and the first ridge 10a. The cavity 59b required to form the second ridge 10b is located between the second ridge and the second locking element 8b.

Such an embodiment provides an increase in flexibility, especially if the tiles 1a, 1b are connected by horizontal snapping, as shown in FIG. 23c and 23d. The ridge 10b is pushed horizontally towards the adjacent edge during snapping-in, and the ridge locking surface 32 is slightly displaced vertically upward, whereby when the strip portion 7 is folded back, simple locking can be performed.

The locking system can be designed such that the horizontal locking force preventing the edges from separating from each other exceeds the locking force preventing the edges from moving towards each other. The sealant used in the gap S can prevent the edges from moving towards each other.

FIG. 24a, 24b show the laying of tiles using snapping, by which both the first edge 4a and the second edge 4b of the tile 1d are connected by substantially diagonal displacement in the direction of two adjacent tiles 1b, 1c. Preferably, the first edge 4a and the second edge 4c of the first tile 1d are disposed on adjacent portions 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f of the striped second tile 1b and the third tile 1c, and the first tile 1d is displaced substantially horizontally towards the second and third tiles, so which provides a snap connection. The advantage is that it is not necessary to attach, for example, the first edge 4a of the tile 1d to an adjacent tile 1c by horizontal snapping and then move the tile 1d into a fixed state, with a large frictional force acting along the long edge 4, to snap the short edge 4c to the other. tile 1b.

All embodiments of the invention can be combined and used in combinations on different edges, but also on the same edge. FIG. 24 shows that, for example, the edge 4a, 4b of the tile 1d may comprise several different separate materials 10a and strip-like portions 6a connected to vertical and / or horizontal grooves. The vertical locking strength can be increased if, for example, a separate ridge 10 is secured in a horizontal groove. Such a separate ridge 10a, for example, can be located between the two portions 6a, 6b in the form of a strip. Ridge 10a can be rigid or flexible and can be used to tilt, vertically snap, and horizontally snap tiles together.

A separate ridge 10a located between the two strip-like portions 6 can, for example, be used to replace the second ridge 10b shown in FIG. 23c, and snapping can be obtained

- 17 038315 by a simple bending of the protruding body 7 of the strip. It will be appreciated that a separate ridge 10a can be connected to horizontal slots formed in the first edge 1 and / or the second edge 1 ', and that several separate ridge points can be attached to both edges, preferably spaced apart in the direction of the length of the joint edges.

FIG. 24b shows that the substrate 2 can be factory bonded to the back of the tile 1d and under the portions 6a, 6b in the form of a strip. The backing material can comprise a flexible material that increases friction between the backing and the subfloor and can be combined with an electric floor heating system.

FIG. 25a and 25b show a strip-like portion 6 that can be used as a corner portion to secure the eight adjacent edges of four tiles 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d. The strip-like portion 6 comprises locking elements 8a, 8a 'and ridges 10a, 10a' adapted to lock to a first edge 4b and a second edge 4d, which are perpendicular and adjacent to each other and form part of a corner tile section. Such strip-like portions 6, adapted to be used as a corner portion 6, are particularly suitable for joining tiles that are installed vertically on a wall, and only one screw may be required to connect the corner portion 6 to the wall.

All horizontal and vertical grooves and all equalizing grooves can run along the entire edge or can only be made on a part of the edge, preferably where the strip-like portions 6 are to be connected to the edge. For making the grooves in a part of the lip, preferably rotating tools with oscillating nozzles can be used.

Claims (11)

CLAIM 1. A set of floor panels containing a first panel (1a) and a second panel (1b) containing a ceramic surface layer (27) and a core (28), and the ceramic surface layer (27) is adhered to the core (28), and the mechanical fixation system is made in the core (28) of the first panel (1a) and the second panel (1b), the mechanical fixation system comprises a strip (7) provided with a fixing element (8) on the first edge (1) of the first panel (1a) and a fixing groove (14) on the second edge (1 ') of the second panel (1b), and the locking element (8) and the locking groove (14) are made with the possibility of interaction for fixing the first edge (1) and the second edge (1') in the horizontal direction parallel to the ceramic surface layer (27), the mechanical fixation system comprises a ridge (10) on the second edge (1 ') and a ridge groove (9) made in the first edge (1), and the ridge (10) and a ridge groove (9) are made with the possibility interactions for fixing the first and second edges (1, 1 ') in vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction, and the groove (9) for the ridge contains an upper edge (12), which is essentially formed by a ceramic surface layer (27), characterized in that the core (28) contains a thermoplastic material mixed with mineral fillers , the thickness (Tb) of the core (28) is greater than the thickness (Ta) of the ceramic surface layer (27), the thickness (Ta) of the ceramic surface layer (27) is in the range from 2 to 5 mm, the first edge (1) and the second edge (1 ') are made with the possibility of mechanical fixation with each other using inclination, and in the fixed position of the first and second edges (1, 1') there is a gap (S) of about 1-10 mm between the ceramic surface layers (27) of the first ( 1a) and the second (1b) panel, and the gap (S) is formed when the locking element (8) enters the locking groove (14). 2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the upper edge (12) is configured to prevent vertical displacement of the ridge (10), and the upper edge (12) comprises substantially ceramic material. 3. A kit according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least 60% of the thickness of the top edge (12) comprises ceramic material. 4. A kit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least 80% of the thickness of the upper edge (12) comprises ceramic material. 5. A kit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the thermoplastic material comprises polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyester (PE), or polypropylene (IL). 6. A kit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mineral fillers constitute at least 50% by weight of the core (28). 7. A kit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the thickness (Tb) of the core (28) is in the range of 3 to 5 mm. 8. A kit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the total thickness (Tc) of the ceramic surface layer (27) and - 18 038315 of the core (28) is in the range from 5 to 10 mm. 9. A kit according to claim 1 or 2, in which the interacting surfaces of the locking element (8) and the locking groove (14) are used to prevent the first (1) and second (1 ') edges from separating from each other and to prevent displacement of the first (1 ) and the second (1 ') edges towards each other. 10. A set according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the interacting surfaces of the ridge (10) and the ridge groove (9) are used to create a predetermined gap (S) and to prevent the first (1) and second (1 ') edges from displacing each other. to friend. 11. A kit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the core material (28) is moisture resistant.