NO336593B1 - Floors, comprising rectangular floorboards with a surface of laminate to produce a patterned floating floor. - Google Patents

Description

Field of invention

The present invention relates to a floor, comprising rectangular floor plates with a surface of laminate for the production of a patterned floating floor, as stated in the introduction of the independent claim 1.

The present invention generally relates to the area of floor slabs. The invention relates to floorboards that can be joined mechanically in different patterns to resemble traditional parquet floors consisting of rods. The invention also relates to methods for laying and manufacturing floor slabs. The invention is particularly suitable for use in floating floors which consist of floorboards which have a surface of laminate and which are joined by means of mechanical locking systems which are integrated with the floorboard, e.g. of the types that are not completely produced from the core of the floor slab. However, the invention is also applicable to other similar floorboards, such as e.g. having a surface layer of wood or plastic and as a joint in a floating manner using optional mechanical joining systems.

Scope of the invention

The present invention is particularly suitable for use in floating laminate floors with mechanical joining systems. These types of floors usually consist of a surface layer of laminate, a core and a balancing layer and are shaped as rectangular floorboards which are intended to be joined mechanically, i.e. without glue, along both long sides and short sides vertically and horizontally.

The subsequent description of known technology, problems with known systems as well as purposes and features of the invention will therefore, as non-limiting examples, above all apply to this area of application. But it must be emphasized that the invention can be used in optional floorboards which are intended to be joined in different patterns by means of a mechanical joining system. The invention can therefore be applied to homogeneous wooden floors and wooden floors consisting of several layers, floors with a core of wood fibers or plastic and with a surface that is printed or consists of plastic, cork, needle felt etc. materials.

Background technology

Parquet floors were originally laid by laying rods of suitable shape and size in different patterns and joining them by gluing to a subfloor. The floor is then usually sanded to achieve a smooth surface and finishing, e.g. varnish or oil. Traditional parquet rods according to this technology have no locking device at all as they are attached by gluing to the subfloor. The main disadvantage of such a floor is that it is very difficult to install. The main advantage is that the absence of a locking device enables laying in complicated and attractive patterns.

According to another known method, the rods are designed with a groove along all edges around the rod. When the rods are then added by gluing to the subfloor, tongues are inserted into the grooves in the positions where needed. This thus results in a floor where the rods are locked vertically in relation to each other by the tongue forming an engagement in the grooves of two adjacent rods. The surface becomes smooth, and the rods can therefore be delivered with a finished lacquered surface. The horizontal joining is achieved by nailing or gluing to the subfloor.

Traditional parquet sticks are rectangular and usually have a size of approx. 7 x 40 cm. The advantage of the floor above is that the rods can be laid in attractive patterns, e.g. in parallel rows with the short sides offset in relation to each other, in rhombus patterns or in herringbone patterns and the rods are joined long side to short side. The disadvantage of such floors is, above all, that the laying and production are complicated and expensive. Such floors cannot move in relation to the subfloor. When the rods shrink and swell due to changes in relative humidity (rf) result in unwanted joint gaps between the rods.

To solve these problems, the floating wooden floor was first developed. Such floors consist of significantly larger floor slabs with a width of e.g. 20 cm and a length of 120-240 cm. The surface usually consists of parquet sticks joined in parallel rows. Such floor plates facilitate installation as a number of rods can be joined together at the same time. The main disadvantage is that it is not possible to produce modern patterns. Later, floating laminate flooring was developed which was basically a copy of the floating wooden floor except that the decorative surface layer consisted of a printed and impregnated paper sheet which was laminated to a wood fiber core. Such a floorboard was less expensive than a wooden floor, and had a more durable and impact-resistant surface. Floating floorboards of this type are joined only at their joint edges, i.e. without gluing, on an existing subfloor which does not have to be completely smooth or level. Any irregularities are eliminated with the help of a substrate material in the form of e.g. hard wood fiberboard, cork or foam. They can thereby move more freely on the subfloor. With changes in relative humidity, the entire floor swells and shrinks. The advantage of floating floors with a surface of e.g. wood or laminate is that the joints between the floorboards are tight and that the change in size takes place hidden under the skirting boards. Such floor slabs have a significantly larger surface than the rods, which enables faster laying and rational production. Traditional such floating laminate and wood floors are usually joined using glued plow joints (ie joints with a tongue on one floorboard and a tongue groove on the adjacent floorboard) on the long side and short side. When laying, the boards are brought together horizontally, a protruding tongue along the joint edge of one floor board is inserted into a tongue groove along the joint edge of an adjacent board. The same procedure is used on the long side and short side, and the plates are usually laid in parallel rows, long side against long side and short side against short side.

In addition to such traditional floating floors that are joined using glued plowed joints, floorboards have been developed in recent years that do not require the use of glue, but are instead joined mechanically using mechanical locking systems. These systems contain locking devices that lock the plates horizontally and vertically. The mechanical locking systems can be designed in one piece with the floor plate, e.g. when machining part of the floor slab core. Alternatively, parts of the locking system can be produced from a separate material that is integrated with the floorboard, i.e. joined to the floorboard itself during its manufacture in the factory. The floorboards are joined, i.e. connected to each other or locked together, by various combinations of angling, snapping and insertion along the joint edge in the locked position. The floorboards are joined successively, i.e. the previous floorboard is connected to another floorboard on one long side and one short side when a new floorboard is joined to the previous board.

The main advantages of floating floors with mechanical locking systems are that they can be laid even more easily and quickly and with great accuracy with different combinations of inward angling and/or snapping. Unlike glued floors, it can also easily be taken up again and reused in another location.

Definition of some terms

In the following text, the installed floorboard's visible surface is called "front", while the opposite side of the floorboard, which faces the subfloor, is called "backside". The sheet-shaped starting material used is called "core". When the core is coated with a surface layer closest to the front and also a balancing layer closest to the back, it forms a semi-finished product called "floor panel", or "floor element" when the semi-finished product is divided in a subsequent operation into a number of the above-mentioned floor panels. When the floor panels are machined along their edges to achieve the final shape with the joining system, they are called "floor slabs". By "surface layer" is meant all layers which are placed on the core closest to the front and which preferably cover the entire front of the floorboard. By "decorative surface layer" is meant a layer which is mainly intended to give the floor its decorative appearance. "Wearing layer" refers to a layer which is mainly intended to improve the front's durability. "Laminate floor" means a floor slab with a surface layer of a heat-setting laminate comprising one or more sheets of paper impregnated with a heat-setting resin. The laminate floor's wear layer usually consists of a transparent sheet of paper with added aluminum oxide, impregnated with melamine resin. The decorative layer consists of a melamine-impregnated, decorative paper sheet.

The outer parts of the floorboard at the edge of the floorboard between the front and the back are called "joint edge". As a rule, the joint edge has several "joint surfaces", which can be vertical, horizontal, angled, rounded, sloping, etc. These joint surfaces are available in different materials, e.g. laminate, fibreboard, wood, plastic, metal (especially aluminium) or sealant. By "joining" or "locking system" is meant cooperating connecting means that connect the floorboards vertically and/or horizontally. By "mechanical locking system" is meant that joining can take place without glue horizontally parallel to the surface and vertically perpendicular to the surface. In many cases, mechanical locking systems can also be joined using glue. By "integrated" is meant that the locking system can be manufactured in one piece with the floorboard or from a separate material that is connected to the floorboard in the factory. By "floating floor" is meant floors with floorboards that are only joined with their respective joint edges and thereby not glued to the subfloor. When moving due to moisture, the joints remain tight. Movement due to moisture takes place in the outer areas of the floorboard along the walls hidden under the skirting boards.

By "parquet stave" is meant a rectangular floor slab that has the shape of a traditional parquet stave or strip. The most common format is approx. 40 x 7 cm. However, the parquet stick can also have a length of 15-80 cm and a width of 4-10 cm. By "floor unit" is meant several floor slabs which are joined together and which form part of the floor. The "length" and "width" of the floorboard usually means the length and width of the front.

Known technique and problems with it

The size of a floorboard is significantly related to the material of the floorboard, the machining of the edges, the type of locking system and the installation of the floorboards.

It is generally an advantage to produce a floor slab of solid wood in a small size, as defects, such as cracks, twigs, etc., can be cut out, and the wood raw material can be used more efficiently.

However, it is an advantage to produce most other types of floorboards, especially laminate floors, in large sizes as this results in better utilization of the raw material and lower production costs. This is particularly beneficial when the floor slabs are made from large floor panels with an artificial surface, such as e.g. is stressed. In such a case, it is of course an advantage to reduce the saw cuts as much as possible.

The machining of the joint edges to form the floorboards is an expensive operation in all types of floor materials. It is known that a floor consisting of large panels with few joints has a significant cost advantage compared to a floor consisting of many small panels. It is also known that small sizes of floor panels will cause disadvantages in a floor, especially in a floor where the floor plates are rectangular and narrow and thereby have a large number of joints on the long sides of the narrow panels.

It is also known that small floor slabs with mechanical locking systems will be more expensive to manufacture than similar panels with traditional tongue and groove systems. It is also known that mechanical locking systems, which enable high-quality locking with angling, due to the large amount of material necessary to implement the locking system is generally more expensive and complicated to machine than the more compact snappert systems. Mechanical locking systems of any type on the long sides of a rectangular panel are generally more expensive to manufacture than any type of mechanical locking system on the short sides.

In general, a floor made up of large panels can be installed more quickly than a floor made up of small floor panels.

WO 01/66877 describes a system for producing a patterned floor consisting of laminate floorboards. Two embodiments are described, a first (Fig. 4a, 4b) where an integrated locking system is used, and a second (Fig. 5 and Fig. 6) where a separate joining profile is used. The floorboards are only locked by a vertical, non-detachable snap. In a first, integrated embodiment, two different types of floor plates are required, called "male" and "female". Installation with vertical snapping is complicated and there is a significant risk of damage to the edges or part of the locking system during locking or unlocking. Furthermore, WO 01/66877 is intended for floor slabs having a size of 1200 mm x 200 mm.

WO 00/20705 describes a system for interlocking laminate floorboards by means of a separate joining profile, which is connected to the floorboards when they are installed. The joining profile is designed to lock the floorboards together only by non-releasable snapping. A specific purpose of WO 00/20705 is to reduce the amount of material waste in connection with the production of the floorboards and particularly in connection with the design of the mechanical locking system.

DE 197 18 319 C2 describes a solid wood parquet rod which has a locking system along its long and short edges to lock the parquet rod together with other parquet rods in connection with laying. However, gluing the parquet sticks is necessary, and the purpose of the mechanical locking is to hold the floorboards together while the glue hardens. The mechanical locking system is only arranged in a horizontal direction. The parquet sticks are specified to have a length of 250-1000 mm, and a width of 45-80 mm.

WO 0066856 A1 relates to a locking system for mechanically joining floorboards built up of a body, a rear balancing layer, and an upper surface layer. A molding, which is formed integrally with the body of the floorboard and which projects from a joint plane and under an adjacent board, has a locking element which engages in a locking groove in the back of the adjacent board. A floor plate equipped with such a locking system is also mentioned, as well as a method for producing floor plates with such a locking system.

In order to facilitate the understanding and description of the present invention and the knowledge of the problems behind the invention, a more detailed description of these specific size-related features and known technique now follows with reference to figures 1-3 and the accompanying drawings.

The majority of all floating laminate floors (Fig. 1a) consist of rectangular floor plates 1' with a length 4a of approx. 120 cm and a width 5a of approx. 20 cm. With the help of modern printing technology, laminate floors can be produced which, in terms of appearance, are very faithful copies of various natural materials, such as wood and stone. The most common patterns are imitation parquet floors consisting of rods 40. These rods usually have a width of approx. 7 cm and a length of 20-40 cm. As a rule, the floor slab contains 3 rows of parallel bars whose short sides are offset in relation to each other. This means that at least one rod 41 on the short sides of the floor plate will be shorter than the other 2 rods. When the floorboards are joined together (Fig. 1b), the result will be an unnatural appearance compared to a real, traditional parquet floor consisting of staves of the same length with their short sides offset. The same applies to floating wooden floors.

Another problem that causes an unnatural appearance is related to the manufacturing technology. This is shown in Fig. 2. Laminate flooring is produced by impregnating a printed, decorative paper sheet with melamine resin and laminating it on a wood fiber core so that a floor element 2 is formed. The floor element 2 is then sawn in e.g. approximately 10 floor panels 3, which are machined along their sides into floor plates 1. The machining along the edges is carried out by first machining the long side 4a, 4b of the panels in a machine 101, after which they are moved to another machine 105 which machines the short sides. In connection with impregnation, the decorative paper swells in an uncontrolled manner. The swelling and manufacturing tolerances that occur in connection with lamination, sawing and machining along the edges result in the position of the rods in different floorboards deviating from the desired position. When 2 floorboards are joined with their short sides facing each other, the rods 41a, 41b can be laterally displaced, and their length can vary significantly (Fig. 1c). All these circumstances cause major production problems in connection with the production of laminate floors with a 3-strip parquet pattern.

In order to solve these problems, numerous expensive methods have been used to control the manufacturing process when manufacturing laminate flooring. The most common method is that production is controlled using advanced cameras that automatically measure and position the semi-finished products during the manufacturing process. Different patterns are also produced by special displacements of the rods, so that the positional effects are hidden as much as possible. In wooden floors, rods of varying length and parallel displacement are used to hide the cut rods on the short side. All known methods give an unsatisfactory result. Floating floors could achieve a larger market if natural parquet patterns could be produced in combination with rational production and laying. Fig. 3a-3d show examples of mechanical locking systems used in floating floors. All these systems cause waste W. This waste occurs in connection with sawing (SB) and in connection with the machining of the mechanical connecting means. To minimize this waste W, the manufacturer strives to make the floorboards as large as possible and with as few joints as possible. Therefore, the floorboards should be wide and long. Narrow floorboards contain many joints per m<2>floor area. Such narrow laminate floorboards with a width and length corresponding to a traditional parquet strip are not known. The narrowest laminate floorboards have a width that exceeds 15 cm and a length that exceeds 100 cm. Fig. 3e shows joining by inward angling, and Fig. 3f shows joining by snapping 2 adjacent sides 1,1' onto 2 floor plates.

Summary of the invention

One purpose of the present invention is to produce floorboards that can be joined mechanically to form a floating floor with a natural parquet pattern which, in terms of appearance corresponds to traditional parquet boards. Another purpose is to produce suitable joining systems, laying methods and laying patterns for these floorboards.

The invention is based on an initial understanding that modern production technology and mechanical joining systems in combination with special laying methods make it possible to join very small floorboards quickly and with great accuracy. A surprising result is that floors consisting of small floor slabs can be installed almost as quickly and with the same quality as traditional floors consisting of significantly larger floor slabs. It is also possible to produce an installation that is faster and gives a better result than large floor slabs with mechanical joining systems. The reason is that it has been shown that small floorboards are easier to handle, the friction surfaces along the long sides of the joint parts will be smaller, which facilitates displacement, and finally, snapping the short side can take place with less force, as the parts that are bent in connection with snapping are smaller and make less resistance. A further advantage is that the short side of narrow floor slabs will be able to be produced with a locking system that only locks horizontally and that does not require a vertical snap. Such a system can be achieved by e.g. to remove the tongue 22 on the short side of a rectangular floor plate with a locking system similar to Fig. 3b. The narrow short sides (5a, 5b) of 2 locked floor plates will nevertheless be held in the desired vertical position by means of the locked long sides (4a, 4b) in a floor where the floor plates are installed in parallel rows with staggered short sides (see Fig .9f, 4a-4d). Such a floor can be installed very easily, as installation only requires angling the long sides. Floorboards will be able to be produced with an angle locking system on the long side and without any locking system on the short side at all. The short sides will be able to be held together by friction on the long sides or by gluing and/or nailing the floorboards to the subfloor. Such narrow card sides can be installed more quickly, but with the same high quality as wide card sides. Conversely, wider short sides without any vertical locking system will increase the risk of the short sides being skewed by the wind and thereby causing an uneven floor.

The invention is based on a second and very surprising understanding that the production cost for small floorboards with mechanical joining systems need not necessarily be higher than for large floorboards. Certainly, small floor slabs contain significantly more joints per m<2>floor than large floor slabs, and the machining cost and amount of waste is large when using known mechanical joining systems. But these problems can be largely avoided if the floor slabs are manufactured and if joining systems are designed according to the present invention. Small floorboards mean that a large amount of wood raw material can be used, as it is easier to produce small sticks without twigs and defects than it is in the production of large boards. The format of the floor slab and its location in the floor can also be used to cost-effectively produce the decorative appearance of a floor which is produced by sawing a floor element, e.g. a laminate floor. When sawing e.g. a floor element in the format 2.1 x 2.6 m with a printed veneer pattern, it can be produced approx. 100 floor tiles. Such small floorboards, which can have the shape of a parquet stick, can be joined in different patterns with different laying directions. A parquet pattern can then be formed from rods which cannot be produced using current technology. The swelling problems of the decorative paper are eliminated, and precise placement and pattern alignment in connection with sawing is not necessary. This reduces the production cost. If the floorboards are narrow, any angle error between the long side and the short side will be less visible in a narrow floorboard than in a wide one.

The invention is based on a third understanding that it is possible and even advantageous in floating floors to use small floor plates with a format that corresponds to e.g. traditional spells. Such a floating floor will consist of significantly more joints than a traditional floor consisting of large slabs. The large number of joints per area unit reduces the movement of the floor along the walls as each joint has a certain degree of flexibility. A laminate floor moves e.g. about. 1 mm per m when relative humidity varies throughout the year. If the floorboards have e.g. a width of 66 mm, each meter will contain 15 joints. A shrinkage will then result in a largest joint gap between two adjacent top surfaces of two floor slabs of 0.06 mm, provided that the floor due to load is prevented in such movement. Such a joint gap is invisible. This joint gap should be adapted to the type of floor. In laminate floors, a joint gap of 0.01-0.1 or slightly more may be sufficient. In a solid wooden floor made of oak, a joint gap could be of the order of 0.1-0.2 mm. It could be an advantage if such a joint gap could be combined with a chamfer at the upper, adjoining edges, which in dry conditions hides the opening. Floating floors consisting of small floor slabs can thereby be laid in larger rooms, especially if they are manufactured with a locking system that enables at least some horizontal movement along and/or towards the joint edges in a locked position. Such a floor will actually behave like a semi-floating floor that utilizes both the movement of the entire floor and movement in the locking system to counteract changes in humidity.

The invention is based on a fourth understanding that narrow floorboards will be significantly less curved than wide floorboards when rf varies. This results in a flatter floor and easier installation.

The invention is based on a fifth understanding that a floor consisting of many small floor slabs provides better opportunities to produce a high laying quality with invisible joint gaps. Laminate and wooden floors can due to an uneven humidity ratio in the plate be curved laterally. Such a "banana shape" can cause visible joint gaps. If the length of the plates is reduced, e.g. from 1200 mm to 400 mm, the joint gap will be significantly reduced. Narrow plates are also easier to bend, and in practice the mechanical locking system will automatically pull the plates together and completely eliminate the banana shape.

The invention is based on a sixth understanding that the moisture problems that often arise when gluing wooden staves to a concrete floor can be solved by joining the wooden staves in a fluid manner, so that a plastic moisture barrier can be arranged between the wooden floor and the concrete.

The invention is further based on a seventh understanding that a very convenient method for producing a natural parquet pattern consisting of wooden rods placed parallel is that the floorboards are made narrow with a width and typically also with a length corresponding to a parquet rod.

The invention is based on an eighth understanding that it is possible to produce a floor system which e.g. consists of small floor plates with preferably the same width and preferably different lengths, where the length can be an even multiple of the width and where the floor plates in the floor system have mirrored mechanical locking systems. Such a floor system enables laying in all modern patterns that can be produced with traditional parquet sticks. Laying can take place significantly faster and with better accuracy. Such a floor system can produce modern patterns even with a surface layer which in traditional use can only be used in a few variations. A surface layer of needle felt or linoleum can e.g. glued to an HDF board. If such floor elements are produced in different color variants and machined into a floor system according to the invention, joining different floor plates in different colors can produce very varying and modern patterns that cannot be achieved with the original surface layer.

Finally, the invention is based on the understanding that a short side on a narrow floor slab must be able to withstand the same load as a significantly longer short side on a traditional floating floor. The reason is that a point load on an individual row can be the same. E.g. must an 85 mm short side of a floor according to the invention be able to withstand the same load as a 200 mm short side of a traditional floor. The short side should suitably have a strength that resists a tensile load of 100 kg or more. Joining systems that are laid by angling downwards on the short side, offset along the joint edge and angling downwards on the long side are particularly convenient for narrow boards. The reason is that a joining system that is joined by angling can be made stronger than a joining system that is joined by snap action. The floorboards according to the invention can have joining systems on the long side and short side which can be joined by angling downwards.

Thus, what has been stated above means that according to the invention it is possible to produce small floorboards, with a format corresponding to traditional parquet sticks, which in a surprising way and contrary to what has been considered possible until now, can help to provide advantages in floating floors. These advantages significantly exceed the known disadvantages.

The principles of the invention as described above can be applied to floor systems that have other formats than traditional parquet strips. E.g. stone reproductions can be produced in the formats 200 x 400 mm, 200 x 600 mm etc. with mirrored joining systems that can be joined by angling and/or snap action. These formats can be joined in modern patterns as indicated above long side to long side, short side to short side, or long side to short side.

These purposes are achieved in whole or in part with a floor according to the independent requirement.

Accordingly, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a floor comprising rectangular floorboards having a surface of laminate for the production of a patterned floating floor, the floorboards being provided, along opposite longitudinal edges, with integral first and second connecting means for interlocking a floorboard with a second floor plate by angling the long sides, so that upper edge portions of the floor plate and the second floor plate in a joined state together define a vertical plane. The first connecting means comprises an upwardly projecting locking element on one long side which cooperates with a locking groove on the other long side of the second floor plate to lock the floor plate and the second floor plate together in a horizontal direction, perpendicular to the vertical plane, and the second connecting means comprise a tongue and a groove to lock together the floor plate and the second floor plate in a vertical direction, perpendicular to the main plane of the floor plate. A long edge of the floorboard has a length that does not exceed 80 cm and a short edge of the floorboard has a length that does not exceed 10 cm. The invention is characterized by the fact that the floorboards are installed in parallel rows long side to long side and short side to short side with staggered short sides, whereby the short side has a locking system that is only locked horizontally, and whereby the narrow short sides of two locked floor plates are held in the desired vertical position by the locked the long sides.

A floor consisting of such small floorboards will provide a particularly good imitation of a classic patterned parquet floor, as the joints will be in accordance with the parquet rods and will not show any pattern displacements or "additional" joints as they are exposed by known parquet- and laminate floorboards. Consequently, compared to known parquet floorboards, the problem of 2 adjacent floorboards having mutually non-matching patterns will be eliminated. Because of. the integrated mechanical locking system makes the floorboards easier to install than floorboards for a classic parquet floor.

According to one embodiment, the connecting means can be arranged to lock the floor plate and the second floor plate together at least by means of an inward angle, whereby the upper joint edges come into contact with each other. The ability of the connecting members to enable connection by an angling operation is advantageous in that a joining system which is joined by angling can be made stronger and easier to install than a joining system which is joined by a snap action.

According to another embodiment, the connecting means can be designed to release the floor plate and the second floor plate by means of an upward angle, away from a subfloor. Such release or unlocking of the floor plates facilitates the laying, adjustment, replacement and reuse of the floor plates.

According to another embodiment, the second floor plate can be largely identical to the floor plate. Consequently, only one type of floor slab needs to be produced to produce the floor.

According to another embodiment, the floorboard may have a surface layer containing a thermosetting resin. By equipping the floorboard with such a laminate surface, it is possible to increase its wear resistance compared to the wooden surface or rods for classically patterned parquet floors.

According to another embodiment, the floorboard can have a surface layer comprising wood or wood veneer. A surface layer of wood or wood veneer will provide the look and feel of a real wood parquet floor, while reducing the cost compared to traditional parquet floors. Consequently, the core of the floorboard can be of any known core material, such as wooden slats, HDF, MDF, chipboard, plywood, etc.

According to another embodiment, the connecting means can consist of a separate part, which protrudes from the joint edge and which is mechanically joined to a core in the floor slab. Such a separate part can be used instead of removing the material from the edge of the floor slab and thereby reduce the amount of material waste.

According to another embodiment, the surface of the floorboard can have a decoration and a shape corresponding to a traditional parquet stick with a length of 30-80 cm and a width of 5-10 cm.

According to another embodiment, the joint edges that face each other in pairs on the long sides of the floorboards can comprise a projecting locking element which is integrated with the floorboard, and the opposite, second edge part in the same pair can comprise a locking groove for receiving an adjacent floorboard's locking element.

According to another embodiment, a long edge of the floor plate can have a length that exceeds 15 cm and a short edge of the floor plate can have a length that exceeds 4 cm.

Several variants of the invention are possible. The floorboards can be equipped with all known mechanical joining systems. Special floor slabs can be produced which consist of e.g. 9 floorboards according to the invention, which are joined in 3 rows which are offset in parallel. The short sides are therefore not straight, but consist of staggered rows. Such floorboards can be laid by a combination of downward angling of the long side, lateral displacement and snapping of the short side. The other embodiments can also be added by inward angling of the short side, lateral displacement and downward angling. Finally, different combinations of snapping or insertion along the joint edge on a long side or a short side, lateral displacement and snapping of another long side or short side can be used.

The manufacturing and laying technique above is particularly suitable for small floorboards, but can of course also be used with advantage in floorboards with other and larger formats.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention according to its various aspects.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1a-c show known floorboards.

Fig. 2 shows the production of laminate floors according to known techniques.

Fig. 3a-f show examples of known mechanical locking systems.

Fig. 4a-e show a floor according to the invention.

Fig. 5a-d shows a joining system according to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 6a-d shows a laying method according to the invention.

Fig. 7a-e shows a laying method according to the invention.

Fig. 8a-e shows a method for producing floorboards according to the invention.

Fig. 9a-f show a floor system according to the invention.

Fig. 10 shows the laying of floor slabs according to the invention.

Fig. 11a-16e show examples of different patterns and laying methods according to the invention. Fig. 17a-17c show examples of floor systems with floor plates according to the invention in formats that are suitable for resembling a stone floor.

Description of embodiments of the invention

Fig. 4a-c show floor plates 1,1' whose long sides 4a, 4b and short sides 5a, 5b are equipped with mechanical locking systems. The vertical locking device can e.g. comprise a tongue groove 23 and a tongue 22 (see Fig. 5a). The horizontal locking device can comprise locking elements 8 that cooperate with locking grooves 14. All floorboards are rectangular and have a width that corresponds to a traditional parquet rod. Thus, the width is approx. 1/3 of a traditional laminate floorboard. In Fig. 4a, the surface of the floorboard has the shape of a parquet stick. In Fig. 4b, the surface has a decorative surface layer consisting of 2 parquet sticks, and in Fig. 4c the surface layer consists of 3 parquet sticks. The surface layer can be laminate, wood, plastic, linoleum, cork, various fiber materials, such as needle felt etc. The surface can also be printed and/or varnished. Fig. 4d shows that such floor slabs, which can thus consist of one or more rods, can be joined to form a floor that naturally forms a brick joint pattern. All posts, with the exception of those in the outer parts of the floor slab, can be full length. If the floorboard consists of more than one rod (Fig. 4b, c), there must be some pattern fluctuation during production. On the other hand, if the floor plate consists of a single rod according to Fig. 4a, no such pattern shifting is necessary. The floor slab can be produced by sawing a floor element, which only has a pattern consisting of e.g. veneer with varying shapes to resemble wooden staves made from different strains of the same species of wood. In the floor according to Fig. 4d, the rods are offset by a distance corresponding to half their length. Fig. 4e shows an example of a displacement of 1/3 of the length. Fig. 5a-d shows that the waste can be reduced to mostly the waste that occurs in connection with sawing, if the jointing system is designed with a separate strip 6 that is fixed mechanically by means of a tongue 38 that interacts with a tongue groove 36. Fastening can take place by snapping in the joint edge of the floorboard 1 in such a way that the upper lip 20 and the lower lip 21 are bent respectively. upwards and downwards when the strip 6 is introduced against the tongue groove 36 of the floor plate 1. The locking element 37 cooperates with the locking groove 39. Joining the strip 6 with the tongue groove 36 can take place in many alternative ways. E.g. the locking groove 39 can be designed in the lower lip 21, and the locking element 37 can be designed in the lower front part of the strip 6 to cooperate with the locking groove 39. Joining the strip 6 with the joint edge of the floorboard can also take place by angling the strip 6 inwards or snapping the strip 6 in any upward-angled position. This locking system enables the cost-effective production of narrow floor slabs without a lot of waste. Fig. 5a shows an example of a laminate floorboard 1,1' with a wood fiber core 30 and a surface layer 31 of laminate. In this embodiment, the separate strip 6 consists of 3 fibers. The material in the wood fiber-based strip 6 could be solid wood, plywood, chipboard, fiberboard, such as MDF, HDF, compact laminate made from wood fibers impregnated with heat-setting resin, etc. materials. Fig. 5a, b shows a locking system that can be locked by inward angling and snapping, and Fig. 5c, d shows a locking system that can be locked by snapping. The 6 projecting part P2 of the strip, which projects beyond the upper part of the joint edges, can in this embodiment be equal to or greater than the floor thickness

T. This facilitates locking when angling around the upper part of the joint edges. A locking system which enables locking and unlocking when angled and which consists of a separate strip is particularly advantageous on the long side of a narrow floor slab. Fig. 6a-6d show a laying procedure. The floor plates are rectangular and can be joined mechanically. The laying operation begins e.g. in that a first row R1 is joined by e.g. that the short sides of the floorboards are angled together. The first row, which can actually be an optional row in the floor, contains a floor plate G1 which is called the first plate. A second floor plate G2, in a second row R2 (Fig. 6a) is arranged at an angle A to the first floor plate G1 and with its upper joint edge is in contact with the first floor plate's G1 joint edge. Fig. 6b shows that laying can be made easier if a wedge-shaped tool WT is used as a support. A new floor plate G3 in a second row R2 is then locked with its short side against the short side of the second floor plate G2 in the second row. This joining of short sides can take place by inserting along the joint edge on the short side, by inward angling or snapping against the joint edge on the short side. During inward angling and preferably also during snapping, this joining is carried out in such a way that the upper joint edge of the new floor plate G3 is placed at a distance from the upper joint edge of the first floor plate G1. During insertion along the joint edge of the short side, this is not necessary, as the new plate G3 can be inserted so that it comes into contact with the first plate. The new plate G3 can also first be joined to the first G1 by snap action, after which it is shifted laterally along the long side so that the short side is snapped against the short side of the second floor plate G2. Then both the new G3 and the second floor slab G2 are shifted laterally (Fig. 6c) along their long sides parallel to the first floor slab G1. The first lateral displacement can be roughly equal to the length 4a of the floor plate. A further new floor plate G' can then be joined according to Fig. 6d. When almost the entire row R2 has been filled, all floor plates are angled downwards and locked. Pretty much the entire installation can take place in this way. Fig. 7a-7e show the same laying seen from above. When a new slab G3, G3' and G3" is shifted after angling, the second row R2 grows. This laying can be repeated until the second floor slab G2 reaches the outer part of the floor according to Fig. 7d. The main advantage is that the entire row R2 can be laid without a floor layer need to move along the floor rows. Due to the weight and flexibility of the floorboards, the differently upwardly angled floorboards will assume different angles. They can easily slide in a semi-locked state. This is shown in Fig. 5b. The locking devices 22, 23 and 8, 14 are not completely locked, and this reduces friction while the plates 1,1' are at the same time prevented from sliding apart by the fact that the locking element 8 is partially inserted into the locking groove 14. This laying method is particularly suitable for small floor plates, but can also be used for larger ones. The laying method makes it possible to automate laying. Another advantage is that this laying method enables automatic laying by means of a laying device. According to the invention, which therefore also includes a laying device for floor slabs, the floorboards can be laid using a suitable device, such as e.g. consists of the following parts and functions. The device has a warehouse that contains a number of new floor plates G3, G3', etc. These floor plates are e.g. stacked on top of each other. It has a first insertion device which first guides the new plate G at an angle to the first plate G1 into the first row R1. This insertion movement takes place along the short sides so that the short sides of the second G2 and the new G3 plate will be mechanically locked. The device also comprises a second insertion device which displaces the 2 joined plates laterally parallel to the first row R1. When the device is moved from the first row R1, all plates which have not yet reached a position parallel to the subfloor will eventually be angled downwards towards the subfloor.

Fig. 8 shows a method for producing a floor with mechanical joining systems. The floor element 2 is sawn into new floor elements 2'. These floor elements are then machined along their long sides, e.g. in a machine with two chains. In this way, a semi-finished product is produced in the form of a short side panel 2". This machining, which is consequently a rational machining of the long sides of the floor element, actually forms the short sides 5a, 5b of the floor plates. After this first machining, the short side panel 2" is sawn into floor panels 3 whose edges then machined along the long sides 4a, 4b, e.g. in a machine with only one chain. This method is based on the fact that production, in contrast to current production, takes place in that the long sides are machined last and that a special sawing or splitting operation takes place between the machining of the short side of the floorboard and the machining of its long side. This method thereby means that the short sides can be produced in a large format very rationally, even if the floorboards are narrow. Today's machines work with a low capacity, as the machining of short sides takes place with the help of cams on chains, and this means that the plates are machined at a distance which is denoted D in Fig. 2. The risk of angular error between the long side and the short side can be significantly less than with traditional manufacturing. Any lateral misalignment which may occur in connection with sawing for floor panels can be eliminated by aligning the boards with a ruler RL before machining the long sides.

If the floorboard has a width of 85 mm and a length of 6 x 85 = 510 mm, machining the long sides will require a machining time that is six times longer than machining the short sides. An efficient production line can consist of a short-side machine and a sawing unit as well as a number of long-side machines, e.g. 6. Mirrored locking systems can be arranged by e.g. that the short side panel 2" after sawing is rotated 180° in the horizontal plane. Alternatively, the floor panel 3 can be rotated accordingly after sawing.

Machining of long sides and short sides can take place in one and the same machine and using the same tool set. Several variants are possible. E.g. the long sides can be machined first. The floor element then has a length that corresponds to several floor slabs and a width that corresponds to one floor slab. After the first machining, the floor element is divided into several floor panels whose edges are then machined along the short sides. Fig. 9a-9e shows a floor system consisting of 2 different board formats with mirrored mechanical locking systems, which can be joined by inward angling on the long sides and short sides. Fig. 9a shows a locking system which, in this embodiment, is produced integrated in one piece with the core of the floor slab and which is designed so that a long side can be joined with a short side. The vertical locking is achieved by means of a tongue 22 and a groove 23. The horizontal locking is carried out by a strip and a locking element 8 on one of the floor plates 8 cooperating with a locking groove 12 on the other floor plate 1'. It is an advantage if the locking system is largely identical on both the long side and the short side. In this embodiment, the locking system is identical. But it should be pointed out that the invention can also be applied to floorboards with different locking systems and/or locking systems that contain separate or different materials from the core. Such differences may exist between different floorboards and/or long side and short side. The locking system can be joined by inward angling. In this embodiment, the locking system resists a high tensile load corresponding to approx. 100 kg in a locking system that has an extension along the joint edge of 100 mm. The locking element 8 has a considerable extent vertically VT and horizontally Ht. In this embodiment, the vertical extent VT is 0.1 times the floor thickness T and the horizontal HT 0.3 times the floor thickness T. Fig. 9b shows a floor plate 41a having a width of 1M and a length of 6M which is 6 times the width. It can be an advantage if the dimensional accuracy can be less than 0.1 mm, and can even be within the tolerance of 0.05 mm or less. With modern machines it is possible to achieve tolerances of 0.02 mm. Fig. 9c shows an identical floor plate 41b with the differences that the locking system is mirrored. 41a and 41b have short sides with the same tongue side 22 and groove side 23. The long side of the floorboard 41a has a tongue side 22 on the side where the floorboard 42b has a groove side. Therefore, the locking systems are mirrored. Such a floor system enables laying in modern patterns, as long sides can be joined with short sides, and the direction of laying can be varied. The module system with the length as an exact multiple of the width increases the variation possibilities. Fig. 9d and 9e show corresponding floor plates with a length 9M, which in this embodiment e.g. is 9 times the width 1M. But if the floor system consists of boards of different lengths, even more advanced patterns can be produced.

It is obvious that a number of variations are possible within the framework of the above principles. Fig. 9f shows two short sides 5a and 5b on two adjacent edges of floorboards. In this embodiment, there is only a horizontal locking consisting of a strip 6, a locking element 8 and a locking groove 12. Such floorboards will be able to have a locking system on the long sides as shown in Fig. 5a, and they will be able to be installed in parallel rows. If the floorboards have mirrored locking systems as described above, they can be installed in a herringbone pattern long side to short side. Floor boards can be produced in many varying lengths and widths. The floor system can consist of 3 or more floor slabs of different sizes, and the floor slabs can have the same width but arbitrary lengths. Some floor slabs may have a width of 1 M and others 2 M or more. Nor must the floorboards have parallel sides. E.g. the short sides can be made at an angle of 45° to the long sides. Such production can be carried out rationally in a machine with 2 chains where the chain's chamber is offset so that the plate will pass the milling tools at an angle of e.g. 45°. Other optional angles can also be produced in this way.

Fig. 10 shows examples of how floorboards 41A can be joined by angling the long side towards the short side with an already laid floorboard 42B. According to the invention, the long sides of the floor plates 41A are joined by inward angling. Such a floor plate, referred to as a second floor plate 41 A, is in this initial phase of laying in an upwardly angled position in relation to a first, previously laid floor plate 42B in the first row. A short side of this second floor plate 41A is in contact with the long side of the already laid first floor plate 42B. It is an advantage if a support WT is used to hold this and the already laid floorboards in a second row in an upwardly angled position. A new floor plate 41A' is angled with its long side towards the second floor plate 41A in the second row, which is perpendicular to the first laid floor plate 42B. The new floor plate 41A, which is locked to the second floor plate 41A, is then moved along the joint edge in the locked position until its upper short side edge comes into contact with the long side edge of the first plate 42B. The entire second row of floor plates 41 A, 41 A' is then angled downwards towards the subfloor. If a suitable laying order is used, modern patterns can be laid with this angle-angle procedure. The joining system achieves great strength, and large floors can be laid without expansion joints between floor sections. Fig. 11a shows how floor plates 41A and 42A with different lengths can be combined into a floor unit FU in a floor system so that all rows will have the same length, and the entire floor unit FU will have a locking system on all sides. Fig. 11b and 11c show how the floor unit's FU length can be varied by combining floorboards of different lengths. The length of the floor unit can be changed in steps that are half the length of the shortest board. The width can be varied using the number of rows according to Fig. 11c. Fig. 12a shows that the floor unit FU can be adjusted to the size of the room so that a decorative frame of sawn boards 41 A can be formed, which can be used to produce the final adaptation of the floor to the size of the room. To produce the decorative pattern, floor plates with mirrored locking systems 41A and 41B are used. 01-04 indicates a laying sequence that can be used to join the floorboards using the angle-angle method. After installing the floor unit FU in parallel rows of boards of different lengths, a mirrored board 41B is joined to the floor unit 02 short sides. This plate has a length which in this option corresponds to the width of 6 floor plates. Then join the vertical rows 03 at angle-angle-forward

the way of walking, and finally the laying of the floor is finished with the horizontal rows 04 which are also locked in the same way.

This and other patterns can of course also be joined by the combination of angling, shifting and snapping or just snapping, shifting and snapping. Insertion along the joint edge can also be used. A locking system on short sides without a tongue, as shown in Fig. 9f, enables installation by simply angling the long sides.

Fig. 12b shows a variant which in this embodiment comprises a number of mirrored plates 41B. The laying can be carried out in the same way as above, e.g. according to lay order 01-09.

A condition for the above-mentioned laying of the floor to be carried out with high quality without large visible joint gaps is that the floorboards are manufactured with great dimensional accuracy. It is advantageous if each joint can be given a certain degree of flexibility, so that the manufacturing tolerances are balanced. A clearance P between the locking surfaces of the locking element 8 and the locking groove 12 on e.g. 0.05 mm, as shown in Fig. 9a and 9f, is advantageous in this context. Such a clearance P does not cause a visible joint gap. Chamfering 133 of upper joint edges can also be used to hide a joint gap and also remove parts of the hard surface layer, so that the upper joint edges will be more flexible and can be compressed. Fig. 13a shows another pattern which can be laid according to the angle-angle procedure in the order 01-07. The pattern can be formed with only one type of plate which does not need to have mirrored joining systems. Fig. 14a-b shows a rhombus pattern with offset rhombuses, which can be added by first joining floor plates to 2 floor units FU1 and FU2. These 2 floor units are then joined together by e.g. inward angulation. Fig. 15a-c show alternative patterns that can be formed with a floor system and laying methods as described above. Fig. 16a-b shows herringbone patterns that can be joined by angling the long sides inwards and snapping the short side against the long side. Laying can be carried out in many different ways, e.g. by simply angling the long sides. In Fig. 16, the floor is laid with both groove side 23 and tongue side 22 in the laying direction ID. It is even more appropriate if laying takes place with only the groove side 23 in the laying direction according to Fig. 16b.

Fig. 16c-e show herringbone patterns with two and three rods.

Fig. 17a-c shows how the corresponding patterns can be formed with floorboards that have a format such as e.g. resembles stone. The floorboards have a decorative groove DG on one long side and one short side, which e.g. is produced by removing a part of the outer decorative layer so that other parts of the surface layer that are under the decorative layer, or the core, become visible. Fig. 17c shows how mirrored floorboards can be joined in modern patterns where the decorative track after installation frames the floorboards.

It is noted that the invention can be applied to even smaller plates, rods or strips than those described above. Such lists can e.g. have a width of 2 cm and a length of 10 cm. The invention can also be used to produce very narrow floor panels, e.g. of 1 cm or less, which can be used to connect different floor units to each other or as decoration.

Claims (1)

1. Floor, comprising rectangular floor slabs (1) with a laminate surface for making a patterned floating floor, where the floor plates (1) are equipped, along opposite long edges (4a, 4b), with integrated first and second connecting means for locking together a floor plate with a second floor plate (1') by angling the long sides, so that upper edge portions of the floor plate (1 ) and the second floor slab (1') in a joined state together define a vertical plane (VP), whereby the first connecting means comprise an upwardly projecting locking element on one long side which cooperates with a locking groove on the other long side of the second floor plate to lock the floor plate (1) and the second floor plate (1') together in a horizontal direction (D2), perpendicular to the vertical plane (VP), and whereby the other connecting means comprise a tongue and a groove for locking together the floor plate (1) and the second floor plate (1') in a vertical direction (D1), perpendicular to the main plane of the floor plate (1), a long edge (4a, 4b) of the floor plate (1) has a length that does not exceed 80 cm and a short edge (5a, 5b) of the floor plate (1) has a length that does not exceed 10 cm, characterized by the floorboards are installed in parallel rows long side to long side and short side to short side with staggered short sides, whereby the short side has a locking system that is only locked horizontally, and whereby the narrow short sides (5a,5b) of two locked floor plates are held in the desired vertical position by the locked the long sides (4a,4b).