WO2001027410A1

WO2001027410A1 - Flooring comprising boards provided with slots adapted to recieve a plurality of clips which join adjacent boards together

Info

Publication number: WO2001027410A1
Application number: PCT/DK2000/000574
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christian Oth
Original assignee: Junckers Industrier A/S
Priority date: 1999-10-12
Filing date: 2000-10-11
Publication date: 2001-04-19
Also published as: DK199901455A; AU7646800A

Abstract

Flooring comprising an upper layer of boards (1, 2, 12) with mutually co-acting tongues (8, 10) and grooves (9, 11), each board (1, 2, 12) having at least one first recess on its lower face shaped as a longitudinal slot (3a, 3b, 3c) extending over the entire length of the board (1, 2, 12) parallel to the longitudinal sides of the board (1, 2, 12). The first slot (3a, 3b, 3c) is adapted to receive a plurality of first tightening means in form of U-shaped clips (13a, 13b). Each board (1, 2, 12) is provided with at least two additional slots (4, 5) each being arranged adjacent an opposite end of the board (1, 2, 12). At least one of these additional slots (5) forming an angle of about 90° with the longitudinal side of the board (1, 2, 12) and the other additional slot (4) being inclined and forming an acute angle exceeding or equal to 80° and less than 89° and preferably about 88° with the longitudinal side of the board (1, 2, 12). These additional slots (4, 5) are adapted to receive at least one additional tightening means formed as another U-shaped clip (14). The clip is adapted to join a first board (1) and a second board (2) by one leg (16) of the clip (14) engaging the inclined slot (4) of one board (2) and the other leg (15) of the clip (14) engaging the adjacent slot (5) of the other board (1).

Description

Floorinng comprising boards provided with slots adapted to recieve a plurality of clips which join adjacent boards together.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a flooring comprising an upper layer of boards with mutually co-acting tongues and grooves, each board having at least one first recess on the lower face shaped as a longitudinal slot extending over the entire length of the board parallel to the longitudinal sides of the board, said first slot being adapted to receive a plurality of first tightening means in form of U-shaped clips.

Background Art

It is known to fit a flooring comprising a layer of boards together transversely of the longitudinal direction of the boards by means of grooves formed in the boards and clips adapted thereto, said clips fitting the boards firmly together once the flooring has been assembled. The short transverse end faces of the boards are, however, not completely clamped against each other by these methods, but are joined in a different manner, eg by applying an adhesive in the joints between the boards. The use of such an adhesive may, however, cause problems once the flooring is completed, if the boards are not subjected to their final treatment prior to the floor-laying process. If for instance adhesive protrudes from the joints, the subsequent surface treatment does not adhere to the boards, whereby the flooring becomes more vulnerable.

WO 98/40583 discloses a surface covering with floor boards, the lower face of which being provided with longitudinal and transverse through-going grooves extending parallel to the edges of the boards. During the floor-laying joining clips, preferably of metal, are fixed in the grooves, said clips extending on the lower face of the boards transversely of the adjacent sides of the boards and engaging grooves in two respective adjoining boards. Disclosure of the invention

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a flooring in which the transverse end faces of the boards are firmly clamped to each other during the assembling thereof.

According to the invention the flooring is characterised in that each board is provided with at least two additional slots, each being arranged adjacent an opposite end of the board, at least one of the said additional slots forming an angle of about 90° with the longitudinal side of the board and the other additional slot being inclined and forming an acute angle exceeding or being equal to 80° and less than 89° and preferably about 88° with the longitudinal side of the board, said additional slots further being adapted to receive at least one additional tightening means formed as another U-shaped clip adapted to join a first board and a second board in the longitudinal direction by one leg of the clip engaging the inclined slot of the first board and the other leg of the clip engaging the adjacent slot of the second board, said slot forming an angle of about 90° with the longitudinal side.

As a result the gaps, which otherwise would arise between the end of a first board and the end of an adjacent second board during assembling of the flooring, are avoided, the tightening means co-acting with the other slots in two adjacent boards tightening the ends of said two boards firmly up against each other. This action is obtained by arranging the board to be laid with its inclined slot, which forms an acute angle with the longitudinal edge of the board, in abutment to the end of the previously laid board, said end face being provided with a slot extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal edge, the inclined slot further being made engage one leg of the clip and subsequently tightened up against the end of the adjoining second board, if the other board in advance has been tightened up against an adjacent board along the longitudinal side thereof, and the first board subsequently is hammered or pushed inwards against a corresponding adjoining board. The tightening action is caused by the slot extending at an acute angle towards its corresponding clip leg and forcing the board to be displaced in parallel against the second board. The use of adhesive between the end faces of the boards may thus be avoided.

Furthermore according to the invention each of the at least two additional slots is formed as a non- through-going, elongated recess when seen in the longitudinal direction of the slots, whereby an advantageous embodiment is obtained.

Finally according to the invention each of the at least two additional elongated slots is provided with a curved bottom being deepest in the centre when seen in a longitudinal section so as to facilitate the manufacture of the slots.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Fig. 1 illustrates adjacent end faces of two identical boards according to the invention seen from the lower face thereof,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the line A- A in Fig. 1 , the lower face of the board facing downwards,

Fig. 3 is a top view of a floor-laying step according to the invention, and

Fig. 4 is a side view of a floor-laying step.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Each of the two identical boards 1,2 shown in Fig. 1 comprises two adjacent end faces 6,7 provided with a groove 10 and a tongue 11, respectively, two longitudinal surfaces also provided with a groove 8 and a tongue 9, respectively, a through-going slot 3 extending parallel to said surfaces in the entire length of the board, and a first non-through-going slot 4 being slightly inclined in relation to the end faces of the board and arranged adjacent to one end face 6 of the board 1, and a second non-through-going slot 5 extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal side of the board. In Fig. 1 one end face 6 of the first board 1 faces the other end face 7 of the second board 2.

It appears from Fig. 2 that the slot 5 is formed as a non- through-going recess provided with a curved bottom when seen in longitudinal sectional view. The same applies to the slot 4.

Fig. 3 illustrates a portion of a flooring, of which a first board 12 has been laid. Two U-shaped clips 13a and 13b are mounted on the lower face of the board 12 in such a manner that both the leg 17a of the clip 13a and the leg 17b of the clip 13b engage the slot 3c in the first board 12, and the other ends 18a, 18b and their respective legs of the clips 13a and 13b both extend beyond the longitudinal edge of the board 12, while additional boards 1 and 2 are being laid.

One of these additional boards, which is denoted by the same reference numeral as the board 1 in Fig 1 , is arranged in parallel abutment to the first board 12 and tightened up thereagainst in such a manner that a slot 3a formed in the board engages the second leg 18a of the clip 13a. On the lower face of the board 1 a second U-shaped clip 14 is received in a second slot 5 extending perpendicular to the longitudinal sides of the board 12 in such a manner that the first leg 15 of the clip 14 engages the slot 5 , while the other end and a leg 16 of the clip 14 extends beyond the end 7 of the board 1 when the board 1 and the clip 14 are arranged as shown in Fig. 3. A second board, which is denoted by the same reference numeral as the board 2 in Fig. 1 and provided with a longitudinal slot 3b and a slot 4 slightly inclined in relation to the end 6 of the board 2, is arranged in abutment to the board 1 and parallel to the longitudinal edges of the board 12 so that the leg 16 of the clip 14 engages the slot 4 and the tongue 10 of the board 1 engages the groove 11 of the board 2.

When the board 2 is arranged as shown in Fig. 3, it is possible to tighten the board up against the board 12 by means of light blows for instance with a hammer directed perpendicular to the tongue 8 of the board 2. When the board 2 in the same manner is brought sufficiently close to the board 12 to enable the leg 18 of the clip 13b to engage the slot 3b in the board 2, due to its slightly inclined shape in relation to the slot 5 in the board 1 , the slot 4 in the board 2 ensures that the board 2 is displaced in parallel up against the board 12 and against the board 1 at the same time. As a result the board is tightened up against the board 1 due to the wedge action arising between the leg 16 of the clip 14 and the adjacent end face 7 of the board 1.

Like the acute angle between the slot 4 and the longitudinal sides of the board 2, both the size and the position of the slot 4 in the board 2 has been selected so as to ensure that the board 2 tightens up against the board 1 , when the board 2 is so close to the board 12 that the leg 18b of the clip 13b engages the slot 3b in the board 2. The board 2 subsequently forms part of the flooring according to the invention jointly with the board 12 and the board 1. The U-shaped clips 13a, 13b and 14 are no longer visible. When laying the following row of boards, U-shaped clips corresponding to the clips 13a and 13b may subsequently be arranged in the slot 3a in the board 1 and in the slot 3b in the board 2 and the next boards may then be laid in a corresponding manner.

Since the boards usually are laid such that the longitudinal and transverse tongues 8 and 10 project freely out from the previously laid boards and the new boards to be laid are brought into engagement therewith, the said inclined slot 4 is normally formed in such a manner that the one end thereof being closest to the adjacent end face 6 is also situated closest to the corner of the board, where the longitudinal groove 9 and transverse groove 11 meet.

Fig. 4 shows a horizontally arranged board 1 and another board 2 in a first position A. One leg 15 of a U-shaped clip 14 engages a slot 5 formed on the lower face of the board 1, and the other end of the clip 14 projects with the other leg 16 slightly beyond the end 7 of the board 1.

When the board 2 is moved from position A to position B in Fig. 4, the groove 11 in the board 2 is made to engage the tongue 10 in the board 1 , and the second leg 16 of the U-shaped clip 14 engages an inclined slot 4 formed on the lower face of the board 2. The B-position of the board 2 is thus the position shown in Fig. 3. When the board 2 subsequently is hammered into place, this action takes place in Fig. 4 in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the figure.

The flooring according to the invention is thus advantageous in relation to prior art, no adhesive or joining tape being required in connection with the floor-laying. This feature is advantageous in floorings, which are surface-treated subsequent to being assembled. It is also avoided that joints between the boards become open, when large-sized floorings are to be laid. Moreover, the flooring according to the invention may be assembled faster than floorings in which an adhesive is used for joining the ends of the floor boards, where the flooring cannot be used until the adhesive has cured. Yet another advantage is that the finished flooring may be disassembled and moved in a simple manner - even after having been used for some time in the same place.

A preferred embodiment of a flooring according to the invention comprises identically formed boards of a thickness of about 22 mm, a width of about 130 mm and a length of for instance about 1.83 m. The boards are provided with a longitudinal tongue, a longitudinal groove and a transverse tongue and a transverse groove. Adjacent the longitudinal tongue a longitudinal slot is formed on the lower face of each board in the entire length of the board in a width of about 2 mm and a depth of about 6.5 mm. Jointly with suitable tightening means this slot is used for clamping the boards together along their longitudinal edges.

Two additional slots are further provided on the lower face of each board, one of the said slots having a width of 2 mm and at distance of 50 mm extending parallel with the short end of the board for about 6 cm, said board being provided with a tongue. In the opposite end of the board adjacent the short end of the board provided with a groove, a second slot is provided having a width of about 3.2 mm and a length of about 6 cm. This second slot forms an angle of 88° with the longitudinal edges of the board. These two short slots both have a depth of about 6.5 mm at the deepest point and are adapted to co-operate with other U-shaped tightening means so as to clamp the short end faces of the boards together when flooring is laid. The angle of the slightly inclined slot may be selected freely within the determined limits, but is preferably about 88°.

The said clips are of a conventional type. As regards dimensions, different clips may naturally be used for the two different joining directions.

The invention is not restricted to the above preferred embodiment, but may be altered in many ways without thereby deviating from the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. Flooring comprising an upper layer of boards (1,2,12) with mutually co-acting tongues (8,10) and grooves (9,11), each board (1,2,12) having at least one first recess on its lower face shaped as a longitudinal slot (3a,3b,3c) extending over the entire length of the board (1,2,12) parallel to the longitudinal sides of the board (1,2,12), said first slot (3a,3b,3c) being adapted to receive a plurality of first tightening means in form of U-shaped clips (13a, 13b), characterised in that each board (1, 2, 12) is provided with at least two additional slots (4,5), each being arranged adjacent an opposite end of the board (1,2,12), at least one of the said additional slots (5) forming an angle of about 90° with the longitudinal sides of the board (1,2,12) and the other additional slot (4) being inclined and forming an acute angle exceeding or being equal to 80° and less than 89° and preferably about 88° with the longitudinal sides of the board (1,2, 12), said additional slots (4, 5) further being adapted to receive at least one additional tightening means formed as another U-shaped clip (14) adapted to join a first board (1) and a second board (2) in the longitudinal direction by one leg (16) of the clip (14) engaging the inclined slot (4) of the first board (2) and the other leg (15) of the clip (14) engaging the adjacent slot (5) of the second board (1), said slot forming an angle of about 90° with the longitudinal side.

2. Flooring according to claim 1, characterised in that each of the at least two additional slots (4,5) is formed as a non- through-going, elongated recess when seen in the longitudinal direction of the slots (4,5).

3. Flooring according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that each of the at least two additional elongated slots is provided with a curved bottom being deepest in the centre when seen in a longitudinal sectional view.