WO2024118487A1 - Floating flooring systems and methods for the installation thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a kit and a method of utilizing a kit comprising a plurality of flooring planks, a spline, and a specialized plank-shaving tool. Each flooring plank may comprise a core layer, at least one layer disposed above the core layer, an underlayer, and opposing tongued and grooved edge portions shaped to form a click-lock edge fastening system. The specialized plank-shaving tool may be configured to remove a tongue tip from a flooring plank. The spline may comprise at least two upward ridge protrusions, each shaped to interconnect with the tongued edge of a respective flooring plank after its tongue tip has been removed using the specialized plank-shaving tool. The spline may also comprise an underlayment pad attached to a bottom portion of the spline.

Description

APPLICATION FOR PATENT UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT)

Inventor: Nicholas Jared Carter

Title: Floating Flooring Systems and Methods for the

Installation Thereof

PATENT SPECIFICATION

FLOATING FLOORING SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR THE INSTALLATION THEREOF

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[001] The present application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63/428,255, entitled “Floating Flooring Systems and Methods for the Installation Thereof,” filed on November 28, 2022, and also claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63/438,320, entitled “Floating Flooring Systems and Methods for the Installation Thereof,” filed on January 11, 2023, both of which applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties as though fully set forth herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[002] The present disclosure generally relates to the installation of floating flooring planks or tiles and, more particularly, relates to a floating floor spline that enables reverse installation of floating flooring planks or tiles having a click-lock tongue and groove edge fastening system.

BACKGROUND

[003] Traditional flooring systems are comprised of interlocking flooring planks typically composed of hardwood or other materials. The flooring planks of most traditional flooring systems rest atop and are directly attached to a subfloor and connect together using a tongue and groove mechanism.

[004] Unlike flooring planks of traditional hardwood floors, the flooring planks of floating hardwood floors are not nailed down or permanently affixed to the subfloor of the room in which they are being installed. Floating floors have recently become more popular for several reasons. For example, floating floors are much easier to install than their traditional counterparts, and they can be more easily removed after being installed and taken to a new location. [005] Typically, the majority of today’s floating flooring systems are installed one plank at a time and in only one direction, starting on one side/end of the room and continuing sequentially until reaching the other side/end of the room, by fitting the tongue profile of one plank’s edge into the groove profile of an adjoining plank’s edge. During these floating-floor installations, the first plank is typically laid down with its tongue edge placed against the wall in a comer of the room to be floored, such that the plank’s groove side is facing outwards towards the rest of the room that has yet to be floored. A tongue of the second plank is mated with the outward facing groove edge of the first plank. This process is then repeated down the line, installing the tongues of the next planks into the grooves of the previously installed ones, one row of planks at a time, until the room has been filled with the floating flooring planks (also interchangeably referred to as ‘floating floor planks’). Installing a groove into a tongue is not desirable because it could break or damage the locking profile. Thus, when installing floating flooring systems by traditional methods, it is important to always install the tongue profile of one plank’s edge into the groove profile of an adjoining planks edge to minimize the risk of breakage or damage to the locking profiles. Tight connections between adjoining flooring planks are also preferred as they minimize the risk of buckling, warping, molding, and other problems otherwise associated with having gaps between adjoining flooring planks. Because these floating floor installations are done in only one direction at a time, they can be rather inefficient and time consuming.

[006] Some existing hardwood flooring systems enable “reverse installation” in which the flooring planks may be simultaneously installed in different directions, which can increase the speed of the overall floor-installation process. In contrast to traditional edge-locking systems that require each plank’s “tongue” to connect with a “groove” of an adjacent plank, these reverseinstallation systems include a connector that can receive and lock the tongue edges of adjacent planks, i.e., the connector is able to connect one plank’s tongue edge to a tongue edge of an adjacent plank.

[007] For example, in conventional hardwood flooring systems, dowel -type splines, sometimes referred to as “slip tongues,” provide a long strip of wood that acts as a splice between two adjacent planks. They are generally shaped for precision fitting into the grooved edges of adjacent flooring planks in order to connect the planks. Such dowel-type splines frequently having rectangular, ovular, and even dog-bone-shaped cross sections. In some cases, special planks must be designed to receive such splines to enable adjacent groove-to-groove plank connections. Often times, installation of these splines also can result in significant damage to the flooring planks and/or splines, as they must be hammered or have some other large compression force applied thereto to properly fit and engage the flooring planks with the splines. [008] There also exists clip-type locking connector splines for the reverse installation of conventional flooring. These types of splines are specifically shaped such that they mate with and lock to the corresponding edge of a particular flooring plank once a sufficient degree of compressive force is applied to the plank to click-lock it into place. Again, however, installation of these click-lock splines runs the risk of damaging the planks as a large amount of compressive force must be applied to the delicate edge of the flooring plank to click-lock it to the spline.

[009] A need exists for a system that can retrofit and permit reverse installation of existing floating floor planks to increase the speed of installation without using conventional compressive forces and splines that would increase the risk of damage to the floating-floor planks being installed. SUMMARY

[010] The present disclosure provides novel systems and methods that enable reverse installation of floating-floor planks without requiring any special planks or the use of damaging compressive forces. Also, the present disclosure provides a novel system and method to retrofit existing floor planks for simultaneous installation in multiple directions. In an exemplary embodiment, the system comprises at least one floating-floor spline, a set of floating-floor planks, and a specialized plank-shaving tool. The floating-floor spline is shaped and dimensioned to enable the reverse installation of a floating floor by providing a connection to the tongue-side edges of two adjacent floating-floor planks having click-lock tongue and groove fastening edges. In some examples, the floating floor planks may comprise an engineered composite plank having a top layer attached to the top surface of a core layer, a first edge with a groove extending laterally into the core layer, and a second opposite edge with a protrusion from the core layer, wherein the groove and protrusion are shaped to form a click-lock fastening system.

Additionally, a specialized plank-shaving tool used for the stripping away and alteration of the tongued edges (at least a portion of the tongue) of the floating floor planks is provided in this exemplary embodiment. In one example, this specialized tool may comprise a fixed blade that is specifically angled and shaped such that it can be run along the edge of the plank’s tongue in order to shave off the plank’s outermost tongue tip, thereby retrofitting the existing plank for connection with the floating-floor spline.

[Oi l] In other disclosed embodiments, the floating floor planks may further comprise an underlayer attached to a bottom surface of the core layer. The top layer of the floating flooring plank may include, but is not limited to, a decor layer, and a wear layer that is disposed above the decor layer. In some examples, the top layer may include an additional protective layer or coating that is disposed above the wear layer. In one example, the decor layer may be a veneer that can be optionally selected from a number of different materials, including, but not limited to, wood veneer, cork veneer, bamboo veneer, tile veneer, stone veneer, rubber veneer, decorative plastic veneer, linoleum veneer and decorative vinyl veneer. In another example, the decor layer can be a polymer film layer with an image printed thereon or at least one ply of paper with an image printed thereon. The paper may be impregnated in resin. In yet another example, the decor layer can be an image that is digitally printed directly onto the core or an ink receiving layer disposed on the core (e.g., a primer layer). It is noted that the list of the different decor layers provides above are examples and is not an exhaustive list. The floating floor planks can have other decor layers without departing from a broader scope of the present disclosure. In one example, the floating flooring planks may have beveled edges (e.g., printed bevel, lacquered bevel, micro bevel, etc.)

[012] The core layer may include any appropriate type of rigid core such as, but not limited to a solid wood core (hardwood), an engineered wood core (MDF, HDF, etc.), a polymer or thermoplastic core (e.g., PVC, PU, PP, PC, etc.), a wood polymer core, a wood plastic core, a stone polymer core, a stone plastic core, a mineral core, a fiber based nonwoven core, a cellulose ester based core, etc. In some example embodiments, the floating flooring planks may include an optional balancing layer disposed below the core (surface of core that is opposite to the decor layer). The balancing layer may be a cellulose based or non-cellulose-based layer. In embodiments of the floating flooring plank comprising an underlayer, said underlayer may be optionally selected from a number of different materials, including, but not limited to, cork, rubber, foam, plastic, or some combination thereof. In other exemplary embodiments, the floating floor planks may comprise laminate flooring, luxury vinyl flooring, ceramic flooring, engineered wood, tile, or some other generally rigid type of flooring.

[013] A method of creating a floating floor using reverse installation of floating floor planks is also disclosed herein. In one exemplary embodiment, the method may comprise using a specialized tool to strip away at least a portion of the tongue tips of the tongued edges of each of floating floor plank that may be connected to the floating floor spline. Preferably, the tool may be used to trim only the portion of the tongue tip that protrudes beyond the edge of the floating floor plank, such that the distal end of the trimmed tip is substantially aligned with the edge of the floor plank. The trimming of the tongue tip could be done on site by the installer using the tool.

[014] In various disclosed embodiments, the floating floor spline may comprise at least two upward ridge protrusions, located at or around the outer edges of the spline, shaped to fit under corresponding openings below the modified tongued edges of the floating floor planks. The openings below the modified tongued edges may be part of the click-lock profile of the floating floor plank and is formed at the location where the floating floor plank is manufactured. In other words, the openings below the modified tongued edges that receive the upward ridge protrusions of the floating floor spline are not made on-site by the installer.

[015] In the disclosed embodiments, the specialized tool provides efficiencies and costsavings associated with the disclosed method of reverse installation of a floating floor, as it enables the user to retrofit existing click-lock flooring planks out of the box by shaving down one or more of the planks’ tongue tips to enable their connection to the spline. As such, the floating floor planks do not require any specially manufactured planks in order to connect to the floating floor spline. Further, the plank-shaving tool disclosed herein can be portable and conveniently used on-site to quickly and easily modify existing click-lock flooring planks to fit with the spline, and avoids the costs and inefficiencies associated with manufacturing entirely new lines of pre-modified click-lock floating floor planks capable of fitting with floating floor spline, for example, in every available plank type, color, and/or decor pattern. That is, by being able to retrofit existing flooring planks, the manufacturer can significantly minimize the number of new inventories (which can amount to tens and hundreds of thousands of new inventory) that needs to be stored and maintained for reverse installation. Also, by retrofitting currently existing flooring planks, users do not need to purchase or bring in any new material.

[016] In an example, this specialized tool may comprise a fixed blade that is specifically angled and shaped such that it can be run along the edge of the plank’s tongue in order to shave off the plank’s outermost tongue tip, thereby retrofitting the existing plank for connection with the floating-floor spline. In another example, the specialized tool may be a portable electric planar.

[017] Because floating floors attach only to themselves, from one floating flooring plank to the next, and do not attach to the subfloor (i.e., not a glue down system that uses adhesives to glue and attach the planks to the subfloor), the floating floor spline is shaped to substantially mirror the dimensions of the interconnecting plank edges and avoid raising or otherwise modifying the floating floor surface and/or the subfloor surface after the floating floor planks are installed using the spline.

[018] In the disclosed embodiments, the method may further comprise applying an adhesive on at least a first upward ridge protrusion along the floating floor spline and insetting the first upward ridge protrusion and adhesive in a region below a modified tongued edge of a first floating floor plank. The method further may comprise applying adhesive to a second upward ridge protrusion along the floating floor spline and insetting the second upward ridge protrusion and adhesive in a region below a modified tongued edge of a second floating floor plank, wherein the tongue edge of the second floating floor plank is positioned adjacent to, and preferably abuts, the tongue edge of the first floating floor plank. Modifying the tongue edge allows the tongue edges of the two adjacent planks to abut each other without significant gaps therebetween. In some example embodiments, the adhesive may be applied to an inner surface or inner edges of the upward ridge protrusions of the floating floor spline.

[019] Further to the disclosed embodiments, various materials and weights may be placed over the connection seam formed by the spline and the modified tongued edges of the first and second floating floor planks until the adhesive is substantially dried and/or cured and the planks are securely connected to the spline and thus each other. Unlike the large compressive forces that are quickly applied for a short duration and are necessary to lock conventional dowel and cliptype splines in place, installation of the floating floor splines disclosed herein instead requires a gradual compressive force applied over a longer period of time while the adhesive dries/cures. Once the adhesive has dried and/or cured, the weight (and resulting compressive force) can be removed from the connection seam and the method may further comprise the installation of at least an additional (third) floating floor plank by interlocking the tongued edge (not modified) of the third plank with the grooved edge of the previously installed modified first plank. Advantageously, a fourth floating floor plank may be installed in an opposite direction by interlocking its tongued edge (not modified) with the grooved edge of the previously installed modified second plank. Thereafter, the reverse installation of subsequent planks on each side of the floating floor spline may be completed, e.g., one side at a time or on both sides simultaneously, due to the spline’s interconnection of the two tongued edges of the adjacent first and second floating floor planks. This step then may be repeated until the reverse installation of the floating floor planks reaches a desired state of completion.

[020] In the disclosed embodiments, the method may employ a variety of adhesives including, but not limited to, super glue, wood glue, polyurethane-based adhesives, acrylic adhesives, water-based adhesives. In alternative embodiments of the spline disclosed herein, a double-sided adhesive tape system already applied to the spline could be used such that no additional adhesives are necessary to apply to the spline. Further alternatives may include developing a self-molding and/or adhesive core (peel and stick) to the spline body such that the spline becomes cross functional to fit multiple platforms (both click-lock profile shapes and dimensions, and flooring material) of flooring planks in various categories, such as resilient, stone plastic (or polymer) composite (SPC), wood plastic (or polymer) composite (WPC), magnesium oxide (MgO), laminate, hardwood, etc. The simultaneous installation of floating floor planks on either side of the spline, after the first two planks have been attached to the spline, can expedite the entire floating-floor installation process. As used herein, “simultaneous” includes concurrent and substantially simultaneous installation of floating floor planks in different directions during the same floating floor installation.

[021] In some example embodiment, the shape and dimensions of the spline may be exactly matched to the openings at the bottom of the modified tongued edges of the floating floor panels. In other example embodiments, the shape and dimensions of the spline may not be exactly matched to the openings at the bottom of the modified tongued edges of the floating floor panels. For example, the top portion of the upward edge protrusions of the floating floor spline may be tapered or altered slightly to accommodate for variations in the click-lock profiles (same or different) between same or different types of floating floor planks and thereby allow manufacturing tolerances in the manufacturing processes of the floating floor planks. That is, while the illustrations provided in the present disclosure show the upward ridge protrusions of the floating floor splines as having straight edges, in some example embodiments, the upward ridge protrusions of the floating floor splines may have rounded edges (e.g., outer edge, inner edge, and/or top edge), or the upward ridge protrusions may be tapered from the base towards the top, etc., to accommodate for variations in the same click-lock profiles between different floating floor planks of the same type of different type. For example, the openings under the tongued edges of floating floor planks within the same pallet or box may have slight variations if the manufacturing is not precise. The shape and dimensions of the floating floor spline (base and upward ridge protrusions) may be configured to accommodate for such variations in the floating floor planks.

[022] In some example embodiments, the floating floor spline may be configured such that a single floating floor spline can be used with multiple click-lock profiles and dimensions and floating floor materials (e g., a universal floating floor spline). In some example embodiments, each floating floor spline may be configured to fit only a specific type of click-lock profile and dimension. For example, a first set of floating floor splines for fitting a first click-lock profile, a second set of floating floor splines for fitting a first click lock profile, etc.

[023] In some example embodiments, the thickness of the floating floor spline and/or the height of the upward ridge protrusions (from the generally/substantially flat base) may be configured such that in the installed position (with the modified tongues edges of the floating floor planks attached thereto) at least a portion of the bottom surface of the floating floor spline (the base thereof) is flush with the bottom surface of the floating floor planks attached thereto without an underlayment pad (i.e., floating floor spline without attached underlayment pad). The floating floor planks may or may not have an attached underlayment pad. In said example embodiments, when the floating floor spline and the floating floor planks attached thereto are placed on a substructure such as a subfloor (for flooring installs), at least a portion of the floating floor spline and the bottom surface of the floating floor planks attached thereto contacts and rests on the substructure such as a subfloor. In said example embodiments, the floating floor splines may not have an attached underlayment pad.

[024] In some example embodiments, the thickness of the floating floor spline and/or the height of the upward ridge protrusions (from the generally/substantially flat base) may be configured such that in the installed position (with the modified tongues edges of the floating floor planks attached thereto), at least a portion of the underlayment pad that is attached to the bottom surface of the floating floor spline is flush with the bottom surface of the floating floor planks attached thereto. The floating floor planks may or may not have an attached underlayment pad. In said example embodiments, when the floating floor spline with the attached underlayment pad and the floating floor planks attached thereto are placed on a substructure such as a subfloor (for flooring installs), at least a portion of the underlayment pad attached to the bottom of the floating floor spline and the bottom surface of the floating floor planks attached thereto contacts and rests on the substructure such as a subfloor. In said example embodiment where the floating floor spline has an attached underlayment pad, said underlayment pad can absorb impacts and provide some flexibility and support at the contact points between the floating floor planks and the floating floor spline. Such support can help preserve the integrity of said joints and connections. In the example embodiments where the floating floor spline does not have an attached underlayment pad, the floating floor spline may be made using materials or constructed in such a way that the floating floor spline can absorb impacts and is able to provide some flexibility and support at the contact points between the floating floor planks and the floating floor spline to help preserve the integrity of said joints and connections.

[025] In some example embodiments, the thickness of the floating floor spline and/or the height of the upward ridge protrusions (from the generally/substantially flat base) may be configured such that in the installed position (with the modified tongues edges of the floating floor planks attached thereto), the bottom surface of the floating floor spline (with or without the attached underlayment pad) is not flush with the bottom surface of the floating floor planks attached thereto (i.e., floating floor planks with or without the underlayment pads). In said example embodiments, when the floating floor spline and the floating floor planks attached thereto are placed on a substructure such as a subfloor (for flooring installs), the floating floor spline does not contact and rest on the substructure such as a subfloor (in flooring installs) while the floating floor planks attached to the floating floor spline may contact and rest on the subfloor. [026] In some example embodiments, the entire floating floor spline can be made of one material or a mix of different materials. The materials that make up the spline can be the same as those that make up the floating flooring planks (e.g., HDF, MDF, WPC, SPC, MgO, etc.) or can be different than those materials that make up the floating floor planks. In some example embodiments, one portion of the spline, such as the base of the spline, can be made using a first material and another portion of the spline, such as the upward ridge protrusion, can be made using a second material.

[027] Thus, the disclosures contained herein broadly describe at least two concepts. The first concept disclosed herein broadly describes a connector element (such as a floating floor spline) for connecting interlocking decorative articles (such as floating floor planks with a click-lock tongue and groove profile) in such a way that the decorative articles can be simultaneously installed in multiple directions. The second concept disclosed herein broadly describes a kit for retrofitting existing decorative articles (such as floating floor planks with a click-lock tongue and groove profile) for simultaneous installment in multiple directions, where the kit includes the connector element (e.g., floating floor spline) and/or the specialized tool to modify the decorative article on site. Also, in some further example embodiments, the floating floor planks may have a different type of locking profile that may not provide an auditory or haptic cue when locked (i.e., the floating floor planks of some embodiments may not utilize a click-lock tongue and groove connection profile and thus will not produce a click sound or feel when connecting to one another).

[028] These and other objects, features, and characteristics of the exemplary systems and/or methods disclosed herein, as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structure and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification. It is to be understood the embodiments disclosed in the drawings and written description herein are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions defined in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[029] The drawings are provided for purposes of illustration only and merely depict typical or example implementations, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures. These drawings are provided to facilitate the reader’s understanding and shall not be considered limiting of the breadth, scope, or applicability of the disclosure. For clarity and ease of illustration, these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. [030] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic cross sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline that may be used in connection with the exemplary floating floor systems and methods disclosed herein.

[031] FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic cross sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline that may be used to interconnect the tongue-sided edges of two adjacent floating floor planks in accordance with the disclosed embodiments.

[032] FIG. 3 is an image of interconnected existing floating floor planks showing a cross- sectional view of a grooved edge of one floating floor plank interconnected with a tongued edge of an adjacent floating floor plank via a click-lock tongue and groove fastening system.

[033] FIG. 4 is an image showing a cross-sectional view of the tongued edge of an exemplary existing floating floor plank, with a box located around the tongue’s outermost tip prior to its removal using a specialized tool in accordance with the disclosed embodiments.

[034] FIG. 5 is an image showing a cross sectional view of the abutment between two exemplary existing floating floor planks with respective tongue tips that have not been modified. [035] FIG. 6 is an image showing a cross-sectional view of the tongued edge of an exemplary floating floor plank after its tongue tip has been trimmed in accordance with the disclosed embodiments, with a box located around the tongue’s outermost tip region after removal of the tongue tip using a specialized tool in accordance with the disclosed embodiments.

[036] FIG. 7 is an image showing a cross sectional view of the abutment between two exemplary floating floor planks that have had their respective tongue tips modified using the specialized tool in accordance with the disclosed embodiments, with a red circle around each tongue’s outermost tip region after removal of the tongue tip. [037] FIG. 8A is a top view of an image taken of an exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline that may be used in accordance with the disclosed embodiments.

[038] FIG. 8B is a front perspective view of an image taken of the same exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline shown in FIG. 8A.

[039] FIG. 9A is a top view of an image of the connection between a floating floor spline and a modified tongued edge of a floating floor plank that may be used in accordance with an exemplary embodiment disclosed herein.

[040] FIG. 9B is a top view of an image of the connection between a floating floor spline and a modified tongued edge of a first floating flooring plank and further showing a modified tongued edge of a second floating floor plank that will soon be connected to the floating floor spline in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 9A.

[041] FIG. 10A is a front perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline being used to interconnect modified tongued edges of adjacent floating floor planks in accordance with another exemplary embodiment disclosed herein.

[042] FIG. 10B is an image showing a front view of a floating floor spline being used to interconnect modified tongued edges of adjacent floating floor planks in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 10A.

[043] FIG. 11 is an exemplary schematic diagram showing the traditional unidirectional installation layout method of floating floor planks.

[044] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary embodiment of the method for reverse installation of floating floor planks utilizing a floating floor spine and floating floor planks with modified tongues in accordance with the disclosed embodiments described herein. [045] FIG. 13 illustrates a dimensioned schematic cross sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline that may be used to interconnect the tongue-sided edges of two adjacent floating floor planks in accordance with the disclosed embodiments.

[046] FIG. 14 illustrates a dimensioned schematic cross sectional view of another exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline that may be used to interconnect the tongue-sided edges of two adjacent floating floor planks in accordance with the disclosed embodiments.

[047] FIGS. 15A-15D illustrate four different schematic cross sectional views of four different exemplary embodiments of a floating floor spline that may be used to interconnect the tongue-sided edges of two adjacent floating floor planks in accordance with the disclosed embodiments.

[048] FIG. 16A illustrates an enlarged schematic cross sectional view of FIG. 15A’s exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline that may be used to interconnect the tonguesided edges of two adjacent floating floor planks in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. [049] FIG. 16B illustrates a dimensioned cross sectional view of the exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline as illustrated in FIG. 16A.

[050] FIG. 16C is a front perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline used to interconnect the tongue-sided edges of two adjacent floating floor planks, as illustrated in FIG. 16A.

[051] FIG. 17A illustrates an enlarged schematic cross sectional view of FIG. 15B’s exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline that may be used to interconnect the tonguesided edges of two adjacent floating floor planks in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. [052] FIG. 17B illustrates a dimensioned cross sectional view of the exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline as illustrated in FIG. 17A. [053] FIG. 17C is a front perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline used to interconnect the tongue-sided edges of two adjacent floating floor planks, as illustrated in FIG. 17A.

[054] FIG. 18A illustrates an enlarged schematic cross sectional view of FIG. 15C’s exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline that may be used to interconnect the tonguesided edges of two adjacent floating floor planks in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. [055] FIG. 18B illustrates a dimensioned cross sectional view of the exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline as illustrated in FIG. 18A.

[056] FIG. 18C is a front perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline used to interconnect the tongue-sided edges of two adjacent floating floor planks, as illustrated in FIG. 18 A.

[057] FIG. 19A illustrates an enlarged schematic cross sectional view of FIG. 15D’s exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline that may be used to interconnect the tonguesided edges of two adjacent floating floor planks in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. [058] FIG. 19B illustrates a dimensioned cross sectional view of the exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline as illustrated in FIG. 19A.

[059] FIG. 19C is a front perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline used to interconnect the tongue-sided edges of two adjacent floating floor planks, as illustrated in FIG. 19A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[060] While the making and using of various embodiments of the invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that are embodied in a wide variety of contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the present invention and should not limit the scope of the disclosure as defined by any appended claims. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize there are numerous equivalents, alternatives, and modifications that may be made to the exemplary disclosed systems and methods described herein and that are still within the scope of the invention and covered by the claims. It will be appreciated by those having skill in the art that the exemplary implementations described herein may be practiced without these specific details or with an equivalent arrangement. In various instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the implementations.

[061] Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a cross section of an exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline 100 and illustrates how certain dimensions, such as the width and thickness, can be modified in accordance with different disclosed embodiments of the floating floor spline. For example, based on the various profiles and sizes of the floating floor planks that may be used in accordance with the disclosed embodiments, the floating floor spline 100 in FIG. 1 may have a width, for example, in the range of approximately 8.65 mm to 11.7 mm, and a thickness, for example, in the range of approximately 3.0 mm to 20 mm. The thickness range can include thickness of splines with and without an underlayment pad (interchangeably referred to as ‘pad’). In some embodiments, splines without the pad can have a thickness of 3mm. In other embodiments, splines with the pad can have a thickness of 3mm (i.e., total thickness including the pad). In some embodiments, splines without the pad can have a thickness of 20mm. In other embodiments, splines with the pad can have a thickness of 20mm (i.e., total thickness including the pad). In a first example, the floating floor spline may have a width of 8.65 mm and a thickness of 3 mm. In a second example, the floating floor spline may have a width of 9.5 mm and a thickness of 3.5 mm. In a third example, the spline may have a width of 11.7 mm and a thickness of 3.9 mm. In another example, the spline may have a width of 9.8 mm and a thickness of 3.1 mm. Those skilled in the art will appreciate any other combinations of width and thickness of the spline may be used and still provide the spline’s functionality as described in the disclosed embodiments. In addition, the spline may be made of various materials including, but not limited to, wood, plastic, rubber, extruded PVC, metal, other extruded materials, or a combination of different materials.

[062] Accordingly, although specific dimensions and ranges of dimensions are listed above in describing the floating floor spline 100 of FIG. 1, such dimensions are merely exemplary and should not be interpreted or construed to limit the dimensions of the floating floor spline disclosed herein. All dimensions can be similarly adjusted, based on the floating flooring system consumer’s material selections and preferences.

[063] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of an exemplary floating floor spline 100 that may be used to interconnect the tongue-sided edges 210 of two adjacent floating flooring planks 200 in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. As FIGS. 1 and 2 show, different embodiments of the floating floor spline 100 generally comprise at least two upward ridge protrusions 220, preferably located at or near the outer edges of the spline. These upward ridge protrusions 220 are dimensioned and shaped for being positioned under the modified tongued edges 210 of the adjacent floating floor planks 200 (e.g., in recess or opening near the neck of the modified tongued edges). Because different types of floating floor planks 200 may be used in accordance with the disclosed embodiments herein (e.g., engineered composite, laminate flooring, luxury vinyl flooring, ceramic flooring, engineered wood, tile, etc.), these upward ridged protrusions 220 on the spline 100 may have different possible dimensions and shapes that correspond to the dimensions and shapes of the region (e.g., recess or opening) formed under the modified tongued edges 210 of adjacent floating floor planks 200 when they are abutted together, for example, as FIG. 2 shows.

[064] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the grooved edge 310 of one existing floating flooring plank 300 interconnected with the tongued edge 320 of a second existing floating flooring plank 300 via a click-lock tongue and groove fastening system. The large circle 330 annotated in FIG. 3 shows a specific type of click-lock tongue and groove fastening system of an existing floating floor plank 300 that may be used in the floating floor systems disclosed herein. The smaller rectangle 340 within the large circle 330 of FIG. 3 shows that each of the existing floating flooring plank tongues comprises a tip 350. This tip 350 (extension of tongue which is also depicted in FIGS. 4 and 5) provides locking strength to the click-lock tongue and groove fastening system when the tongued edge 320 of one floating floor plank 300 is engaged in a locked position with the grooved edge 310 of an adjacent floating floor plank 300 as FIG. 3 shows. For instance, in FIG. 3 this tongue tip 350 (in the illustrated rectangle) allows the floor plank 300 on the left to lock with the other floor plank 300 on the right and prevents vertical separation of the two. Without this tongue tip 350, the two floor planks 300 would not lock, i.e., the tongue 320 on the right plank would not lock with the groove 310 on the left plank.

[065] FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the tongued edge 320 of an existing floating floor plank 300 with a box 400 shown around the tongue’s outermost tip 350 prior to its removal using a specialized tip-shaving tool in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. The rectangle 400 in FIG. 4 draws particular attention to the floor plank’s tongue tip 350, which prevents vertical separation and allows locking with the groove 310 of some other adjoining floor plank 300. [066] FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the abutment of adjacent floating floor planks 300 having unmodified tongued edges 320, i.e., where their respective tongue tips 350 in FIG. 4 have not been removed. FIG. 5 illustrates that if the respective tongued edges 320 of existing flooring planks 300, such as the ones shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, are joined using the floating floor spline disclosed herein, the portion of the tongues within the rectangle 500 of FIG. 5 (i.e., tongue’s tip/tongue’s outermost tip 350) will be exposed, which is both visually and physically undesirable.

[067] The annotated oval 510 that is shown toward the bottom of FIG. 5 illustrates the gap that is created below the tongued edges 320 of the adjacent flooring planks 300 when they are positioned in an abutted configuration as FIG. 5 shows. This gap is where the floating floor spline may be located, and ultimately may allow for the floating floor planks 300 to be installed in both directions (left and right in the image of FIG. 5) at or around the same time. The spline has intentionally been omitted from FIG. 5 to emphasize the shape of the gap formed between the adjacent floating floor planks, in one example embodiment.

[068] FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the tongued edge 620 of a modified floating floor plank 600 that may be used in accordance with the disclosed embodiments in which a box 610 is shown at the tongue edge’s outermost tip region after the tongue tip 350 has been removed. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 6, the tongue tip 350 may be removed using a specialized tool tailored for the specific purpose of stripping away the tongue tips from the tongue edges 620 of the modified floating floor planks 600 intended for interconnection and fitting with a floating floor spline, such as the exemplary splines 100 disclosed and shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. In removing these tongue tips 350, the user removes the undesirable (i.e., undesirable for reverse installation as described herein) exposed portion of the flooring system seen in FIG. 5 that would otherwise result from the abutment of the tongue tips 350 of adjacent floating floor planks 600, discussed further below with reference to FIG. 7.

[069] FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the meeting between the modified tongued edges 620 of two adjacent modified floating floor planks 600. In FIG. 7, an oval 700 has been added to show the region corresponding to the outermost tip region of each adjacent floor plank’s tongue edge 620 after removal of the planks’ respective tongue tips 350 (such as shown in FIG. 6). When the tongue tip 350 is removed and a floating floor spline is used, the modified flooring planks 600 fit together without any exposed portions. Thus, a floating floor spline having two upward ridge protrusions located towards the outer edges of the spline may be configured to receive the two remaining tongue portions of the flooring planks. In this manner, the undesirable exposed region of adj cent tongue tips, as shown within the rectangle of FIG. 5, can be avoided. That is, the top layers 710 of adjacent floating floor planks 600 can appear to provide a continuous floor (without gaps) over the seams of adjacent tongued edges 620 of abutted modified floor planks 600 as shown in the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 7. In one or more example embodiments, the floating floor planks 600 can include a bevel that is formed on the top layer 710 of the floating floor planks along a perimeter of the floating floor planks. In some example embodiments, the bevels may extend into the core of the floating floor plank and not just the top layer, thereby exposing some of the core.

[070] FIG. 8A is a top view image of an exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline 800; FIG. 8B is a front perspective view image of the same embodiment of a floating floor spline 800 of FIG. 8 A. Again, this exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline 800 comprises two upward ridge protrusions 810 located towards the outer edges of the spline 800. The spline 800 also may have a generally flat bottom surface that can rest flush atop an opposing surface (e.g., substructure such as subfloor) during installation. The spline 800 itself may, in some embodiments, be made of wood, plastic, rubber, extruded PVC, or other extruded materials. [071] FIG. 9A is a top view image of an exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline 800 connected to a modified floating floor plank 600 having a modified tongued edge 620 with its tip 350 removed in accordance with the disclosed embodiments; FIG. 9B is a top view image of the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 9A showing the floating floor spline 800 connected to the floating floor plank 600 having the modified tongued edge 620 and a modified tongued edge 620 of a second modified floating floor plank 600 that will soon be connected to the floating floor spline 800. The exemplary floating floor spline 800 shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B is the same spline as that shown in FIGS. 8 A and 8B. Further, the exemplary floating floor planks 600 in FIGS. 9A and 9B are the same as those seen in FIGS. 6-7 with the modified tongue edges 620. For the floating floor planks 600 that interconnect with the floating floor splines 800, a cork underlayment or similar bottom layer may be used to ensure that the floor planks 600 sit flush with and do not easily move away from the spline 800.

[072] FIG. 10A is a front perspective view of another exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline 1000 with two modified floating floor planks 600 having modified tongue edges 620 coupled to the spline. That is, FIG. 10A illustrates two modified floating floor planks 600 with modified tongue edges 620 interconnected using the floating floor spline 1000 for reverse installation. FIG. 10B is a front perspective view of the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 10A in which the floating floor spline is used to interconnect the modified tongued edges of two adjacent floating floor planks. Yet again, the exemplary floating floor planks depicted in FIGS.

10A and 10B are the same as those seen in FIGS. 6-7. [073] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram depicting the traditional unidirectional installation layout method of floating floor planks. As explained above, the majority of today’s floating flooring systems are installed using this traditional layout method. According to this method, an installer installs one plank at a time in only one direction, starting at one side of the room, e.g., the left side of the living room and kitchen in FIG. 11, and continues until they reach the other side of the room, e.g., the right side of the living room and kitchen in FIG. 11, by fitting the tongue profile of one plank’s edge into the groove profile of an adjoining plank’s edge. During these unidirectional floating floor installations, the first plank is typically laid down with its tongue edge placed against the wall in a comer of the room to be floored (i.e., the bottom left comer of the kitchen in FIG. 11), such that the plank’s groove edge is facing outwards towards the rest of the room that has yet to be floored. A tongue of a second plank is mated with the outward facing groove edge of the first. Adhesives may or may not be used, i.e., applied on the groove or tongue. This process is then repeated down the line, one row of planks at a time, until the room has been filled with the desired floor planks. It is important to always install the tongue profile of one plank’s edge into the groove profile of an adjoining planks edge to minimize the risk of breakage or damage to the locking profiles. Tight connections between adjoining flooring planks are preferred as they minimize the risk of buckling, warping, molding, and all of the other problems otherwise associated with having gaps between adjoining flooring planks. Because these conventional floating floor installations are done in only one direction at a time, they can be significantly time consuming.

[074] FIG. 12 is a schematic view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the method for reverse installation of floating flooring planks utilizing a floating floor spline in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. Reverse installation is an alternate installation method to the unidirectional installation method outlined above in regard to FIG. 11 . Reverse installation, or bidirectional installation, is particularly useful as it allows for multiple planks to be simultaneously installed in different directions and increases the speed of a floating floor install, whether it is a residential or multi -family installation project. In contrast to traditional unidirectional flooring installation methods, new splines like those disclosed herein can enable the connection of one floating floor plank’s “tongue” edge 620 to the “tongue” edge 620 of another. This can be particularly advantageous because it can speed up the floating floor installation process. Additionally, the installation using the spline also allows installers (both do- it-yourself (DIY) installers and professionals) to avoid having to backfdl a room because of the layout of the room. In installation, backfilling a floating floor is the process of installing the flooring in reverse with installing the length side groove into the tongue, this increases the potential to damage the locking profiles of the floating floors.

[075] As explained above, this alternative method provided in the disclosed embodiments herein may comprise applying an adhesive on a first upward ridge protrusion of the floating floor spline and insetting a modified tongued edge 620 of a first modified floating flooring plank 600 with the adhesive thereon. This method further may comprise applying additional adhesive to the exposed portion on the opposing side of the floating floor spline 100 and installing the modified tongued edge 620 of a second modified floating floor plank 600 with adhesive thereon.

[076] A variety of materials and weights may be placed over the connection seam between the spline and the two modified floating flooring planks 600 until the adhesive is fully dried and/or cured and the planks are secure. Once the adhesive has dried, the method may further comprise the simultaneous installation of subsequent unmodified floating flooring planks in both directions (i.e., both left and right in the house of FIG. 12) by interlocking the tongued edge of the flooring plank to be installed with the grooved edge of the previously installed plank. This step may be repeated until the reverse installation of the floating floor planks reaches a desired state of completion. The method in such exemplary disclosed embodiments further contemplates the use of a variety of adhesives including, but not limited to, super glue, wood glue, polyurethane-based adhesives, acrylic adhesives, water-based adhesives. The simultaneous installation of each floating floor plank subsequent to the first two planks connected to the spline provides a significant time-saving benefit as it speeds up the entire floating floor installation process.

[077] FIG. 13 depicts a dimensioned schematic cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline 1300 that may be used to interconnect the tongue-sided edges 620 of two adjacent example click-lock floating floor planks 600 having an example tongue side locking profile in accordance with the previously disclosed embodiments, the tongue-sided edges 620 having been modified to remove the tips 350 thereof. The floating floor spline 1300 can be produced in a variety of dimensions, such that it can accurately fit the specific dimensions of the flooring planks 600 being interconnected. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 13, the central portion of spline 1300 has a thickness of 1.72 mm and is dimensioned such that it can engage with the specific dimensions of the tongue portions 620 of two opposing flooring planks 600 and interconnect them, thereby enabling the reverse installation process disclosed in FIG. 12.

[078] Similarly, FIG. 14 depicts a dimensioned schematic cross-sectional view of another exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline 1300 that may be used to interconnect the tongue-sided edges 620 of two adjacent example click-lock floating floor planks 600 having another example tongue side locking profile in accordance with the disclosed embodiments, the tongue-sided edges 620 having been modified to remove the tips 350 thereof. In this embodiment, the central portion of spline 1300 has a thickness of 1.95 mm and has been dimensioned such that it can engage with the specific dimensions of the tongue portions 620 of the two adjacent click-lock flooring planks 600 - an important feature that is necessary to enable the interconnection of the two planks 600 during the reverse installation process disclosed herein. [079] FIGS. 15A-15D illustrate four different schematic cross sectional views of four different exemplary embodiments of a floating floor spline 1500 that may be used to interconnect the tongue-sided edges 620 of two adjacent example click-lock floating floor planks 600 in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. The cross sections of the various floating floor splines 1500 in each of FIGS. 15A-15D are illustrated with the cross hash marking, while the cross sections of the various flooring plank embodiments 600 are illustrated with the diagonal line hash marking.

[080] FIG. 16A illustrates an enlarged schematic cross sectional view of FIG. 15A’s exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline 1500 that can be used to interconnect the tongue-sided edges of two adjacent floating floor planks 600 in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. In this embodiment, spline 1500 has been shaped to entirely fill the entire space between and remain in full contact with the two tongue-sided edges 620 of adjacent flooring planks 600. The specific dimensions and cut angles of this particular embodiment of spline 1500 are provided in more detail in FIG. 16B. For example, the central portion of spline 1500 has a thickness of 3.29 mm while the raised outer portions of spline 1500 have a thickness of 4.06 mm. [081] FIG. 16C is a front perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline seen in FIG. 16A that can be used to interconnect the tongue-sided edges of two adjacent click-lock floating floor planks. FIG. 16C shows this specific embodiment of floating floor spline 1500 receiving the tongues 620 of two click-lock based floating floor planks 600 for multi-directional installation. As described above, the tongues 620 have been modified to remove the tips 350 (if any) thereof.

[082] FIG. 17A illustrates an enlarged schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 15B’s exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline 1500, which can be used to interconnect the tongue-sided edges of two adjacent floating floor planks 600 in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. In this embodiment, spline 1500 is shaped such that a small empty space, or void 1700, is created upon the spline’s interconnection of the tongue-sided edges 620 of the two adjacent flooring planks 600. The specific dimensions and cut angles of this particular embodiment of spline 1500 are detailed in FIG. 17B. For example, the central portion of this embodiment of spline 1500 has a thickness of 3.29 mm and the raised outer portions of spline 1500 have a thickness of 4.06 mm.

[083] FIG. 17C is a front perspective view of the exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline used to interconnect the tongue-sided edges of two adjacent floating floor planks, as illustrated in FIG. 17A. FIG. 17C shows the embodiment of floating floor spline 1500 from FIG. 15B receiving the tongues 620 of two click-lock based floating floor planks 600 for multidirectional installation. It can be observed that spline 1500 is shaped such that a small empty space, or void 1700, is created upon the spline’s interconnection of the tongue-sided edges 620 of the two adjacent flooring planks 600. This can be advantageous because the manufacturing of spline 1500 requires less raw material than would otherwise be used in manufacturing other embodiments of spline 1500, such as the one depicted in FIG. 16A.

[084] FIG. 18A illustrates an enlarged schematic cross sectional view of FIG. 15C’s exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline 1500, which can be used to interconnect the tongue-sided edges of two adjacent click-lock floating floor planks 600 in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. In this embodiment, spline 1500 is also shaped such that an empty void 1700 is created upon the spline’s 1500 interconnection of the tongue-sided edges 620 of the two adjacent flooring planks 600. The specific dimensions and cut angles of this particular embodiment of spline 1500 are detailed in FIG. 18B. For example, the central portion of this particular spline 1500 has a thickness of 3.29 mm and its raised outer portions have a thickness of 4.06 mm. Further, the width of the inner portion of spline 1500 is 8.83 mm, while its full width is 12.33 mm.

[085] FIG. 18C shows the embodiment of floating floor spline 1500 from FIG. 15C receiving the tongues 620 of two click-lock based floating floor planks 600 for multi-directional installation. As also seen in FIG. 18A, FIG. 18C illustrates that spline 1500 is shaped such that a void 1700 region is created upon the spline’s interconnection of the tongue-sided edges 620 of the two adjacent flooring planks 600. This can be advantageous because the manufacturing of spline 1500 requires less material than would otherwise be used in other embodiments of spline 1500, such as those depicted in FIGS. 16A and 17A.

[086] FIG. 19A illustrates an enlarged schematic cross sectional view of FIG. 15D’s exemplary embodiment of a floating floor spline 1500, which can be used to interconnect the tongue-sided edges of two adjacent floating floor planks 600 in accordance with the disclosed embodiments. In this embodiment, spline 1500 is rectangularly shaped. This rectangular profile can be advantageous as it can be more cost and time efficient mass produce rectangularly shaped splines 1500, such as the embodiment shown in 19A, than the angular splines 1500 having multiple varied profiles and cuts, such as those embodiments shown in FIGS. 16A, 17A, and

18A. The specific dimensions and cut angles of this particular embodiment of spline 1500 are detailed in FIG. 19B. For example, this embodiment of rectangular spline 1500 has a thickness of

3.29 mm and a width of 12.33 mm.

[087] FIG. 19C depicts the rectangular embodiment of floating floor spline 1500 from FIG. 15C receiving the tongues 620 of two click-lock based floating floor planks 600 for multidirectional installation. This can be advantageous because the manufacturing of rectangular spline 1500 requires less material than would otherwise be used in other embodiments of spline 1500, such as those depicted in FIGS. 16A, 17A, and 18A. In some examples, the splines 1500 may be made thinner with an underlayment pad attached to the bottom side thereof to fill the reduced thickness.

[088] In some alternative embodiments of the spline disclosed herein, an adhesive tape system already applied to the spline could be utilized such that no additional adhesives are necessary to apply to the spline. In alternative embodiments, the method described herein may include developing a self-molding and adhesive core to the spline body such that the spline becomes cross functional to fit multiple platforms of flooring planks in various categories such as resilient, SPC, WPC, MgO, laminate, hardwood, etc.

[089] The language used herein has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. Other implementations, uses, and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. The specification should be considered exemplary only, and the scope of the invention is accordingly intended to be limited only by the following claims.

Claims

CLAIMS im: A kit comprising: a plurality of flooring planks comprising at least a first flooring plank and a second flooring plank, wherein the first flooring plank comprises a first tongued edge having a first tongue tip and the second flooring plank comprises a second tongued edge having a second tongue tip; a specialized plank-shaving tool configured to remove the first tongue tip from the first flooring plank and to remove the second tongue tip from the second flooring plank; a spline configured to interconnect with both the first tongued edge of the first flooring plank and the second tongued edge of the second flooring plank after the first and second tongue tips have been removed using the specialized plank-shaving tool. The kit of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second flooring planks respectively comprises a core layer, a grooved edge extending laterally into the core layer, and a tongued edge that is a lateral protrusion from the core layer along an edge of the core layer opposite from the grooved edge, wherein the grooved and tongued edges on each of the first and second floor planks have profiles shaped to form a click-lock edge fastening system. The kit of claim 1, wherein the first and second tongue tips correspond to the outermost portions of the first and second tongued edges of the first and second flooring planks. The kit of claim 1 , wherein the spline enables installation of the plurality of flooring planks in opposite directions after the spline has been interconnected with both the first tongued edge of the first flooring plank and the second tongued edge of the second flooring plank. The kit of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second flooring planks further comprises an underlayer attached to a bottom surface of the core layer. The kit of claim 1, wherein a top layer is disposed above the core layer of each of the first and second flooring planks, wherein the top layer comprises a decor layer and a wear layer disposed above the decor layer. The kit of claim 6, wherein the decor layer further comprises a veneer layer selected from the group consisting of wood veneer, cork veneer, bamboo veneer, tile veneer, stone veneer, rubber veneer, rubber veneer, decorative plastic veneer, linoleum veneer and decorative vinyl veneer. The kit of claim 1, wherein the spline further comprises at least two upward ridge protrusions. The kit of claim 8, wherein the upward ridge protrusions of the spline are shaped to interconnect with a bottom portion of the first tongued edge of the first flooring plank and with a bottom portion of the second tongued edge of the second flooring plank. The kit of claim 1, wherein the spline further comprises an underlayment pad attached to a bottom portion of the spline. The kit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of flooring planks comprise a plurality of floating flooring planks that are not attached to an underlying subfloor when they are installed to create a floating floor surface over the subfloor, wherein each of the first flooring plank and second flooring plank are floating flooring planks. A kit comprising: a specialized plank-shaving tool configured to remove a first tongue tip from a first flooring plank and to remove a second tongue tip from a second flooring plank, wherein the first flooring plank comprises a first tongued edge including the first tongue tip and the second flooring plank comprises a second tongued edge including the second tongue tip; and a spline configured to interconnect with both the first tongued edge of the first flooring plank and the second tongued edge of the second flooring plank after the first and second tongue tips have been removed using the specialized plank-shaving tool. The kit of claim 12, wherein each of the first and second flooring planks respectively comprises a core layer, a grooved edge extending laterally into the core layer, and a tongued edge that is a lateral protrusion from the core layer along an edge of the core layer opposite from the grooved edge, wherein the grooved and tongued edges on each of the first and second floor planks have profiles shaped to form a click-lock edge fastening system. The kit of claim 12, wherein the first and second tongue tips correspond to the outermost portions of the first and second tongued edges of the first and second flooring planks. The kit of claim 12, wherein the spline enables installation of a plurality of flooring planks in opposite directions after the spline has been interconnected with both the first tongued edge of the first flooring plank and the second tongued edge of the second flooring plank. The kit of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of flooring planks including both the first flooring plank and the second flooring plank. A spline for interconnecting with first and second flooring planks, wherein the first flooring plank comprises a first tongued edge having a first tongue tip and the second flooring plank comprises a second tongued edge having a second tongue tip, the spline comprising: a first protrusion adapted to interconnect with the first tongued edge of the first flooring plank after the first tongue tip has been removed from the first tongued edge of the first flooring plank; and a second protrusion adapted to interconnect with the second tongued edge of the second flooring plank after the second tongue tip has been removed from the second tongued edge of the second flooring plank. The spline of claim 17, wherein the first protrusion of the spline is adapted to interconnect with the first tongued edge of the first flooring plank after the first tongue tip has been removed using a specialized plank-shaving tool and the second protrusion of the spline is adapted to interconnect with the second tongued edge of the second flooring plank after the second tongue tip has been removed using the specialized plank-shaving tool. The spline of claim 17, wherein the first protrusion of the spline comprises a first upward ridge protrusion and the second protrusion of the spline comprises a second upward ridge protrusion. The spline of claim 19, wherein the first upward ridge protrusion of the spline is shaped to interconnect with a bottom portion of the first tongued edge of the first flooring plank and the second upward ridge protrusion of the spline is shaped to interconnect with a bottom portion of the second tongued edge of the second flooring plank. The spline of claim 19, wherein the first upward ridge protrusion is located at a first outer edge of the spline and the second upward ridge protrusion is located at a second outer edge opposite the first outer edge of the spline. The spline of claim 17, wherein the spline further comprises an underlayment pad attached to a bottom portion of the spline. The spline of claim 17, wherein the spline further comprises at least three upward protrusions. The spline of claim 23, wherein a first upward protrusion is located along a first outer edge of the spline, a second upward protrusion is located along a second outer edge opposite the first outer edge of the spline, and a third upward protrusion is located along a central portion of the spline between the first and second outer edges.