ZA200605477B - Floor covering and locking system and an equipment for production of E.G. floorboards - Google Patents
Floor covering and locking system and an equipment for production of E.G. floorboards Download PDFInfo
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- ZA200605477B ZA200605477B ZA200605477A ZA200605477A ZA200605477B ZA 200605477 B ZA200605477 B ZA 200605477B ZA 200605477 A ZA200605477 A ZA 200605477A ZA 200605477 A ZA200605477 A ZA 200605477A ZA 200605477 B ZA200605477 B ZA 200605477B
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- South Africa
- Prior art keywords
- floor
- locking
- floorboards
- joint
- locking system
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Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
- E04F15/00—Flooring
- E04F15/02—Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements
- E04F15/02005—Construction of joints, e.g. dividing strips
- E04F15/02033—Joints with beveled or recessed upper edges
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B27—WORKING OR PRESERVING WOOD OR SIMILAR MATERIAL; NAILING OR STAPLING MACHINES IN GENERAL
- B27M—WORKING OF WOOD NOT PROVIDED FOR IN SUBCLASSES B27B - B27L; MANUFACTURE OF SPECIFIC WOODEN ARTICLES
- B27M3/00—Manufacture or reconditioning of specific semi-finished or finished articles
- B27M3/04—Manufacture or reconditioning of specific semi-finished or finished articles of flooring elements, e.g. parqueting blocks
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
- E04F15/00—Flooring
- E04F15/02—Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
- E04F15/00—Flooring
- E04F15/02—Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements
- E04F15/04—Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements only of wood or with a top layer of wood, e.g. with wooden or metal connecting members
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
- E04F2201/00—Joining sheets or plates or panels
- E04F2201/01—Joining sheets, plates or panels with edges in abutting relationship
- E04F2201/0107—Joining sheets, plates or panels with edges in abutting relationship by moving the sheets, plates or panels substantially in their own plane, perpendicular to the abutting edges
- E04F2201/0115—Joining sheets, plates or panels with edges in abutting relationship by moving the sheets, plates or panels substantially in their own plane, perpendicular to the abutting edges with snap action of the edge connectors
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
- E04F2201/00—Joining sheets or plates or panels
- E04F2201/01—Joining sheets, plates or panels with edges in abutting relationship
- E04F2201/0153—Joining sheets, plates or panels with edges in abutting relationship by rotating the sheets, plates or panels around an axis which is parallel to the abutting edges, possibly combined with a sliding movement
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
- E04F2201/00—Joining sheets or plates or panels
- E04F2201/02—Non-undercut connections, e.g. tongue and groove connections
- E04F2201/025—Non-undercut connections, e.g. tongue and groove connections with tongue and grooves alternating transversally in the direction of the thickness of the panel, e.g. multiple tongue and grooves oriented parallel to each other
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
- E04F2201/00—Joining sheets or plates or panels
- E04F2201/02—Non-undercut connections, e.g. tongue and groove connections
- E04F2201/026—Non-undercut connections, e.g. tongue and groove connections with rabbets, e.g. being stepped
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
- E04F2201/00—Joining sheets or plates or panels
- E04F2201/04—Other details of tongues or grooves
- E04F2201/041—Tongues or grooves with slits or cuts for expansion or flexibility
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
- E04F2201/00—Joining sheets or plates or panels
- E04F2201/05—Separate connectors or inserts, e.g. pegs, pins, keys or strips
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Architecture (AREA)
- Civil Engineering (AREA)
- Structural Engineering (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
- Forests & Forestry (AREA)
- Floor Finish (AREA)
- Road Paving Structures (AREA)
- Handcart (AREA)
Description
Floor covering and locking system and an equipment for production of e.g. floorboards.
The invention relates generally to the technical field of locking systerms for floorboards. The invention concerns on the one hand a locking system for floorboards which can be joined mechanically and, on the other hand, floorboards and floor systems provided with such a lock- ing system and a production method to produce such floor- boards. More specifically, the invention relates above all to locking systems , which enable laying of mainly, floating floors in large continuous surfaces and laying with floorboards that exhibit considerable changes in shape after installation.
The present invention is particularly suited for use in floating wooden floors and laminate floors, such as massive wooden floors, parquet floors, floors with a sur- face of veneer, laminate floors with a surface layer of high pressure laminate or direct laminate and the like.
The following des cription of prior-art technique, problems of known systems as well as objects and features of the invention will therefore as non-limiting examples be aimed mainly at this field of application. However, it should be emphasised that the invention can be used in any floorboards, which are intended to be joined in different patterns by means of a mechanical locking system. The invention may thus also be applicable to floors which are glued or nailed to the sub floor or floors with a core and with a surface of plastic, lino- leum, cork, varnished fibreboard surface and the like.
Definition of Some Terms
In the following text, the visible surface of the installed floorboard is called "front side", while the opposite side of the £loorboard facing the subfloor is called "rear side". By "floor surface" is meant the major outer flat part of the floorboard, which is -opposite to the rear s ide and which is located in one si-mgle plane.
Bevels, gr ooves and similar decorative featu xes are parts of the fro nt side but they are not parts of the floor
S surface. B y "laminate floor" is meant a floo x having a surface, which consists of melamine impregna ted paper, which has been compressed under pressure and- heat. "Hori- zontal plane" relates to a plane, which is e xtended parallel t.o the outer part of the floor surf ace. "Verti- cal plane" relates to a plane perpendicular to the hori- zontal pla ne.
The outer parts of the floorboard at th.-e edge of the floorboard between the front side and the re=ar side are called "jomint edge". By "joint edge portion" is meant a part of tme joint edge of the floorboard. By~ "Joint" or "locking system" are meant cooperating conne=cting means, which intesrconnect the floorboards vertically and/or horizontal.ly. By "mechanical locking system’ is meant that joini.ng can take place without glue. Me=chanical locking swstems can in many cases also be jeoined by glue.
By "vertical locking" is meant locking paral lel to the vertical plane. As a rule, vertical locking consists of a tongue, which cooperates with a tongue groove. By rhorizontal locking” is meant locking paralliel to the horizontal plane. By "joint opening" is mearnat a groove which is defined by two joint edges of two Joined floor- boards ancl which is open to the front side. By "joint gap" is mesant the minimum distance between t—wo joint edge portions of two joined floorboards within ara area, which is defined by the front side and the upper ppoart of the tongue next to the front side. By "open joirnt gap" is meant a joint gap, which is open towards the front side.
By "visibHe joint gap" is meant a joint gap. which is visible to the naked eye from the front sides for a person walking orn the floor, or a joint gap, which is larger than the cgeneral requirements on joint gaps established by the industry for various floor types. Wish "continuous floating floor surface" is meant a floor starface, which is insta lled in one piece without expansiorn joints.
Tra~ditional laminate and parquet flooms are usually installe d floating on an existing subfloor . The joint edges of the floorboards are joined to forrm a floor sur- face, an d the entire floor surface can moves relative to the subf loor. Bs the floorboards shrink or swell in con- nection with the relative humidity RH vary=ing during the year, the entire floor surface will change in shape.
Flo ating floors of this kind are usually joined by means of glued tongue and groove joints. Im laying, the boards a re brought together horizontally, a projecting tongue a long the joint edge of one board b eing inserted into a t.ongue groove along the joint edge of an adjoining board. T"he tongue and groove joint positio ns and locks the floorboards vertically and the glue lo cks the boards horizontzally. The same method is used on b oth long side : and short side, and the boards are usually laid in paral- lel rowss long side against long side and s hort side against short side.
In addition to such traditional float ing floors, which ar-e joined by means of glued tongue and groove joints, floorboards have been developed in: recent years, which do not require the use of glue but wehich are instead joined mechanically by means of soe-called mecha- nical locking systems. These systems compr—ise locking means, which lock the boards mechanically horizontally and vert-ically without glue. The vertical locking means are generally formed as a tongue, which ccooperates with a tongue grove. The horizontal locking meanss consist of a locking element, which cooperates with a l_ocking groove.
The locking element could be formed on a sstrip extending from the lower part of the tongue groove I it could be formed on the tongue. The mechanical lock=ing systems can be forme=d by machining the core of the boamrd. Alterna- tively, parts of the locking system such ams the tongue and/or the strip can be made of a separate material, which is integrated witha the floorboard, i.e. already joined with the floorboard in connection with the manu— facture thereof at the factory.
The floorboards cari be joined mechanically by various combinations of angling, snapping-in, vertical change of position such as the so-called vertical foldAng and insertion along the joint edge. All of these instal- lation methods, except wertical folding, require that one side of the floorboard, the long or short side, could oe displaced in locked poszition. A lot of locking systems on the market are produced with a small play between the locking element and the locking grove in order to facili- tate displacement. The Zintention is to produce floor- boards, which are possikble to displace, and which at the same time are connected to each other with a fit, which is as tight as possible . A very small displacement play of for instance 0,01-0, 05 mm is often sufficient to } reduce the friction between wood fibres considerably.
According to The Europe an Standard EN 13329 for lamina te floorings joint opening s between floorboards should be on an average < 0,15 mm an-d the maximum level in a floor should be < 0,20 mm. The aim of all producers of float ing floors is to reduce the joint openings as much as pos-— sible. Some floors are even produced with a pre-tension where the strip with th e locking element in locked pos i- tion is bended backward. s towards the sub floor and whe re the locking element and. the locking groove press the panels tightly against each other. Such a floor is dif fi- cult to install.
Wooden and laminat e floors are also joined by glu ing or nailing to the subfl cor. Such gluing/nailing countez- acts movements due to moisture and keeps the floorboards joined. The movement off the floorboards occurs about a centre in each floorboard. Swelling and shrinking can occur by merely the respective floorboards, and thus mot the entire floor surfacse, changing in shape.
Floorboards that are jecined by gluing/nailing to the subfloor do not require any locking systems at all. How- ever, they can have traditi onal tongue and groove joints, which facilitate vertical p ositioning. They can also have 5 mechanical locking systems, which lock and position the floorboards vertically and/ or horizontally in connection with laying.
Prior-Art Technique and Problems thereof
The advantage of float ing flooring is that a change in shape due to different egrees of relative humidity RH can occur concealed under loaseboards and the floorboards can, although they swell ard shrink, be joined without visible joint gaps. Installation can, especially by using mechanical locking systems. take place quickly and easily and the floor can be taken up and be laid once more in a different place. The drawback is that the continuous floor surface must as a ru_le be limited even in the cases where the floor consists o=f relatively dimensionally stable floorboards, such a s laminate floor with a fibre- board core or wooden floor s composed of several layers with different fibre direc tions. The reason is that such dimensionally stable floor s as a rule have a change in dimension, which is about 0.1% corresponding to about 1 mm per meter when the RH. varies between 25% in winter and 85% in summer. Such a floor will, for example, over a distance of ten meters shr-ink and swell about 10 mm. A large floor surface must bwe divided into smaller sur- faces with expansion stripes, for example, every tenth or fifteenth meter. Without ssuch a division, it is a risk that the floor when shrinksing will change in shape so that it will no longer be covered by baseboards. Also the load on the locking swstem will be great since great loads must be transferred when a large continuous surface is moving. The load will Ibe particularly great in pas- sages between different rooms.
According to the code of practice established by the
European Producers of Laminate Flooring (EPLF), expansion joint profiles should be installed on starfaces greater than 1 2 m in the direction of the length of the indivi- dual flooring planks and on surfaces greater than 8 m in the width direction. Such profiles should also be in- stalleed in doorways between rooms. Similar installation guidel.ines are used by producers of floating floors with a surface of wood. Expansion joint prof iles are generally aluminium or plastic section fixed on t he floor surface betweesn two separate floor units. They collect dirt, give an unwanted appearance and are rather expensive. Due to these limitations on maximum floor surfaces, laminate floor ings have only reached a small market share in com merci al applications such as hotels, airports, and large shopp ing areas. :
Unstable floors, such as homogenous wooden floors, may exhibit still greater changes in shape. The factors that above all affect the change in shape of homogenous . woode=n floors are fibre direction and kind of wood. A homocyenous oak floor is very stable along the fibre : direction, i.e. in the longitudinal di rection of the : floorboard. In the transverse direction, the movement can be 3% corresponding to 30 mm per meter or more as the RH . varies during the year. Other kinds of wood exhibit still greater changes in shape. Floorboards exhibiting great changes in shape can as a rule not be installed floating.
Even if such an installation would be possible, the con- tinuous floor surface must be restricted significantly.
The advantage of gluing/nailing t—o the subfloor is that large continuous floor surfaces can be provided with out expansion joint profiles and the floor can take up g reat loads. A further advantage iss that the floor- boar ds do not require any vertical and horizontal locking syst ems, and they can be installed in advanced patterns with., for example, long sides joined ®o short sides. This metmrod of installation involving atta«chment to the sub- floor has, however, a number of considerable drawbacks.
The main drawback is that as the floo xboards shrink, a vi.sible joint gap arises between the boards. The joint gap can be relatively large, especially when the floor- boards are made of moisture sensitive wood ma terials.
Homogenous wooden floors that are nailed to as subfloor can have joint gaps of 3-5 mm. The distance Izetween the boards can be irregularly distributed with several small arid some large gaps, and these gaps are not always ‘ parallel. Thus, the joint gap can vary over the length of the floorboard. The large joint gaps contain a great deal of dirt, which penetrates down to the tongue and prevents the floorboards from taking their original position in swelling. The installation methods are time-consuming, amd in many cases the subfloor must be adjus®ed to allow g luing/ nailing to the subfloor.
It would therefore be a great advantage if it were p ossible to provide a floating floor without the above d_rawbacks, in particular a floating floor wh ich a) May consist of a large continuous su.rface without expansion joint profiles, b) May consist of moisture sensitive fl oorboards, wahich exhibit great dimensional changes as t he RH varies
Suring the year.
The present invention relates to lockin g systems, floorboards and floors which make it possibl e to install
Floating floors in large continuous surfacess and with
Floorboards that exhibit great dimensional changes as the relative humidity (RH) changes. The invention also rela- tces to production methods and production equaipment to produce such floors.
A first object of the present inventiora is to pro- wide a floating floor of rectangular floorboards with rnechanical locking systems, in which floor the size, pattern of laying and locking system of the floorboards «<ooperate and allow movements between the floorboards.
According to the invention, the individual =floorboards «<an change in shape after installation, i.e . shrink and swell due to changes in the relative humidity. This can occur in such a manner that the change in shape of the entire floor surface can be reduced or preferably be eliminated while at the same time the floorboards remain locked to each other without large visible joint gaps.
A second object is to provide locking systems, which allow a considerable movememt between floorboards without large and deep dirt-collect ing joint gaps and/or where open joint gaps could be ex cluded. Such locking systems are particularly suited for moisture sensitive materials, such as wood, but also when large floating floors are installed using wide and/or long floorboards.
The terms long side an d short side are used in the description to facilitate uw nderstanding. The boards can according to the invention also be square or alternately square and rectangular, and optionally also exhibit dif- ferent patterns and angles between opposite sides.
It should be particula rly emphasised that the combi-— nations of floorboards, locking systems and laying pat- terns that appear in this description are only examples of suitable embodiments. A large number of alternatives are conceivable. All the embodiments that are suitable for the first object of thes invention can be combined with the embodiments that describe the second object of the invention. All locking systems can be used separately in long sides and/or short sides and also in various com- binations on long sides and short sides. The locking sys- tems having horizontal and vertical locking means can be joined by angling and/or smapping-in. The geometries of the locking systems and thes active horizontal and verti- cal locking means can be formed by machining the edges of the floorboard or by separate materials being formed or alternatively machined before or after joining to the joint edge portion of the f£loorboard.
These objects are achieved wholly or partly accord- ing to the appended claims.
According to a first aspect, th e present invention comprises a floating floor, which co nsists of rectangular floorboards, which are joined by a mechanical locking system. The joined floorboards have a horizontal plane, which is parallel to the floor surfa ce, and a vertical plane, which is perpendicular to the horizontal plane.
The locking system has mechanically cooperating locking means for vertical joining parallel to the vertical plane and for horizontal joining parallel to the horizontal plane of a first and a second joint edge. The vertical locking means consist of a tongue, which cooperates with a groove, and the horizontal consist of a locking element with a locking surface cooperating wiith a locking grcove.
The floor is characterized in that t=he format, installa- tion pattern and locking system of tthe floorboards are designed in such a manner that a floor surface of 1 * 1 meter can change in shape in =at least one direction at least 1 mm when the floorboards are pressed together or pulled apart. This change in shape can occur without visible joint gaps.
According to a second aspect, t=he present invention comprises a locking system for mechanical joining of floorboards, in which locking systemm the joined floor- boards have a horizontal plane which is parallel to the floor surface and a vertical plane which is perpendicular to the horizontal plane. The locking system has mechani- cally cooperating locking means for vertical joining parallel to the vertical plane and for horizontal joining parallel to the horizontal plane of a first and a second joint edge. The vertical locking means consist of a tongue, which cooperates with a groove and the horizontal of a locking element with a locking surface, which coope- rates with a locking groove. The fimst and the second joint edge have upper and lower joirmt edge portions located between the tongue and the ®loor surface. The upper joint edge portions are closexxr to the floor surface than the lower. The locking system Hs characterised in that, when the floorboards are joined and pressed against each other, the two upper joint edge mportions are spaced from eaech other and one of the upper “joint edge portions in the =first joint edge overlaps a lower joint edge por- tion in the second joint edge.
Acecording to several preferred emmbodiments of this inventi on, it is an advantage if the floor consists of rather small floorboards and many joi nts, which could compens ate swelling and shrinking. Th.e production tole- rances should be rather small since well-defined plays and joi nt openings are generally requ.ired to produce a high quality floor according to the i_nvention.
Sm_all floorboards are however di fficult to produce with thie required tolerance since the=y have a tendency to turn im an uncontrolled manner durincg machining. The main reason why small floorboards are more difficult to pro- duce ttman large floorboards is that large floorboard has a much large area, which is in contact with a chain and a belt during the machining of the edges of the floor- boards. This large contact area keeps the floorboards fixed oy the belt to the chain in such a way that they cannct move or turn in relation to the feeding direction, which may be the case when the contact area is small.
Pr-oduction of floorboards is essentially carried out in such manner that a set of tools ard a floorboard blank are dissplaced relative to each other. A set of tools consist=s preferably of one or more mialling tools which are arr-canged and dimensioned to machine a locking system in a manner known to those skilled im the art.
Tlie most used equipment is an erad tenor, double or single. where a chain and a belt are used to move the floorboard with great accuracy along a well defined feeding direction. Pressure shoes ancl support unites are used irm many applications together w=ith the chain and the belt mainly to prevent vertical deviations. Horizontal deviat3 on of the floorboard is only porevented by the chain and the belt.
The problem is that i.n many applications this is not sufficient, especially when panels are small.
A third object of thes present invention is to pro- vide equipment and productzion methods which make it possible to produce floorioocards and mechanical locking systems with an end tenor but with better precision than what is possible to accomplish with known technology.
The present invention therefore also comprises equipment for production of building panels especially floorboards.
The equipment consists of a chain, a belt, a pressure shoe and a tool set. The chain and the belt are arranged to displace the floorboard relative the tool set and the pressure shoe, in a feeding direction. The pressure shoe is arranged to press towaxds the rear side of the floor- board. The tool set is arranged to form an edge portion of the floorboard when thes floorboard is displaced relative the tool set. Ones of the tools of the tool set forms a guiding surface im the floorboard. The pressure shoe has a guiding device , which cooperates with the guiding surface and prevemts deviations in a direction perpendicular to the feed ing direction and parallel to the rear side of the floo xboard.
It is known that a grove could be formed on the rear side of a floorboard and —that a ruler could be inserted into the groove to guide —the floorboards when they are displaced by a belt that =moves the boards on a table. It is not known that special guiding surfaces and guiding devices could be used in an end tenor where a pressure shoe cooperates with a ch ain.
A fourth object of the present invention is to pro- vide a large semi-floatin g floor of rectangular floor- boards with mechanical lo cking systems, in which floor the format, installation pattern and locking system of the floorboards are desig ned in such a manner that a large semi-floating conti nuous surface, with length or width exceeding 12 m, cou_ld be installed without expan- sion joints.
Figs la-b show floorboards with locking system.
Figs 2a-2f show locking systems and laying patterns.
Figs 3a-3e show locking systems.
Figs 4a-4c show locking systems.
Figs 5a-5d show joined floorboards and testing methods.
Figs 6a-6e show locking systems.
Figs 7a-7e show lwocking systems.
Figs 8a-8f show locking systems.
Figs 9a-9d show 1 ocking systems.
Figs 10a-10d show production equipment
Figs lla-11ld show production equipment
Figs 12a-12c show locking system.
Figs la-b illustrate floorboards which are of a first type A and a second type B according to the inven- tion and whose long sides 4a and 4b in this embodiment have a length which is 3 times the length of the short sides 5a, 5b. The long sides 4a, 4b of the floorboards have vertical and horizontal connecting means, and the short sides 5a, 5b of the floorboards have horizontal connecting means. In this embodiment, the two types are identical except that the location of the locking means is mirror-inverted. The locking means allow joining of long side 4a to long side 4b by at least inward angling and long side 4a to short side 5a by inward angling, and also short side 5b to long side 4b by a vertical motion.
Joining of both long sides 4a, 4b and short sides 5a, 5b in a herringbone patt ern or in parallel rows can in this embodiment take place merely by an angular motion along the long sides 4a, 4b. The long sides 4a, 4b of the floorboards have connecting means, which in this embodi- ment consist of a strip 6, a tongue groove 9 and a tongue 10. The short sides 5a also have a strip 6 and a tongue groove 9 whereas the short sides 5b have no tongue 10.
There may be a plural ity of variants. The two types of floorboards need not be of the same format and the locking means can also have different shapes, provided that as stated abeove they can be joined long side against short side. The ceonnecting means can be made of the same material, or of different materials, or be made of the same material but with different material properties. For instance, the connecting means can be made of plastic or metal. They can a lso be made of the same material as the floorboard, but b e subjected to a treatment modifying their properties, such as impregnation or the like. The short sides 5b can have a tongue and the floorboards can then be joined in prior-art manner in a diamond pattern by different comi»inations of angular motion and snap motions. Short si des could also have a separate flexible tongue, which during locking could be displaced horizon- tally.
Fig. 2a showss the connecting means of two floor- boards 1, 1' that are joined to each other. In this embodiment, the F£loorboards have a surface layer 31 of laminate, a core 30 of, for instance, HDF, which is softer and more compressible than the surface layer 31, and a balancing layer 32. The vertical locking Dl con- sists of a tongue groove 9, which cooperates with a tongue 10. The horizontal locking D2 consists of a strip 6 with a locking element 8, which cooperates with a locking groove 12. This locking system can be joined by inward angling allong upper joint edges. It could also be modified in such a way that it could be locked by hori- zontal snapping. The locking element 8 and the locking groove 12 have cooperating locking surfaces 15, 14. The floorboards can, when joined and pressed against each other in the hor izontal direction D2, assume a position where there is a play 20 between the locking surfaces 14, 15. Figure 2 b s how that when the floorboards are pulled apart in the opp osite direction, and when the locking surfaces 14, 15 are in complete contact and pressed against each oth.er, a joint gap 21 arises in the front side between thes upper joint edges. The play between the locking surfaces 14, 15 are accord.ing to the invention defined as equal to the displacememt of the upper joint edges when these edges are pressed together and pulled apart as described above. This play in the locking system is the maximum floor movement that takes place when the floorboards are pressed together a nd pulled apart with a pressure and pulling force adapted to the strength of the edge portions and the locking syst em. Floorboards with hard surface layers or edges, whic h when pressed together are only compressed marginally, wi 11 according to this definition have a play, which is essentially equal or slightly larger than the join gap. Floorboards with softer edges will have a play which is considerable larger than the joint gap. Accordi.ng to this definition, the play is always larger or equal. to the joint gap. The play and joint gap can be, for exaanple, 0.05-0.10 mm.
Joint gaps, which are about 0.1 mm, are considered acceptable. They are difficult to see and normal dirt particles are too big to penetrate into the locking system through such small joint gaps. In some applica- tions joint gaps up to 0,20 mm, with a play of for example 0,25 mm could be accepted. especially if play and joint gaps are measured when a considerable pressure and pulling force is used. This maximum joint gap will occur in extreme conditions only when tke humidity is very low, for example below 20% and when the load on the floor is very high. In normal condition and applications the joint gap in such a floor could be 0,10 mm or less.
Fig. 2b shows an ordinary larminate floor with floor- boards in the size of 1.2 * 0.2 m_, which are installed in parallel rows. Such a laminate floor shrinks and swells about 1 mm per meter. If the locking system has a play of about 0.1 mm, the five joints in the transverse direction D2 B will allow swellineg and shrinking of 5 * 0.1 = 0.5 mm per meter. This -compensates for only half the maximum swelling or shrimking of 1 mm. In the longitudinal direction D2 A, ther-e is only one joint per
1.2 m, which allows a movement of 0.1 mm. The pla y 20 and the joint gap 21 in the locking system thus contr-ibute only marginally to reduce shrinking and swelling of the floor in the direction D2 parallel to the long sides. To reduce the movemermt of the floor to half of the movement that usually occurss in a floor without play 20 amd joint gap 21, it is necezssary to increase the play 20 t=o 0.6 mm, and this r-esults in too big a joint gap 21 on the short side.
Fig. 2c showss floorboards with, for instance, a core 30 of fibreboard, such as HDF, and a surface layer of laminate or veneers, which has a maximum dimensioral change of about 0-1%, i.e. 1 mm per meter. The fRoor- boards are installed in parallel rows. In this emmbodi- ment, they are naxrow and short with a size of, Lor exam- ple, 0.5 * 0.08 m~ If the play is 0.1 mm, 12 floorboards with their 12 joirts over a floor length of one rmeter will allow a moverment in the transverse directiorh D2 B of 1.2 mm, which is rmore than the maximum dimensional change of the floor. Thus the entire movement may occur by the } floorboards moving relative to each other, and tlie outer dimensions of the floor can be unchanged. In the longitu- dinal direction D2 A, the two short side joints can only compensate for a rmovement of 0.2 mm per meter. Irm a room which is, for exarwmple, 10 m wide and 40 m long, =installa- tion can suitably occur, contrary to the present recom- mended installation principles, with the long sides of the floorboards parallel to the width direction of the room and perpendicular to the length direction thereof.
According to this preferred embodiment, a large acontin- uous floating floeor surface without large visibles joint gaps can thus be pprovided with narrow floorboardss which have a locking sysstem with play and which are joined in parallel rows perpendicular to the length direction of the floor surface . The locking system, the floorNooards and the installat don pattern according to the in-vention should thus be ad-justed so that a floor surface eof
1 * 1 m can expand and ke pressed together about 1 mm or more in at least one direction without damaging the locking system or the floorboards. A mechanical locking system in a floating floor which is installed in home settings should have a mnechanical locking system that withstands tensile load and compression corresponding to at least 200 kg per meter of floor length. More speci- fically, it should preferably be possible to achieve the above change in shape without visible joint gaps when the floor surface above is subjected to a compressive or ten- sile load of 200 kg in any direction and when the floor- boards are conditioned in normal relative humidity of about 45%.
The strength of a mmechanical locking system is of great importance in lar ge continuous floating floor sur- faces. Such large conti nuous surfaces are defined as a floor surface with length and/or width exceeding 12 m. .
Very large continuous surfaces are defined as floor sur- faces with length and/or width exceeding 20 m. There is a risk that unacceptable joint gaps will occur or that the . floorboards will slide apart, if the mechanical locking system is not sufficiently strong in a large floating : floor. Dimensionally stable floorboards, such as laminate floors, which show aver-age joint gaps exceeding 0,2 mm, when a tensile load of 200 kg/m is applied, are generally not suitable to use in a large high quality floating ficor. The invention could be used to install continuous floating floors with a length and/or width exceeding 20 m or even 40 m. In principle there are no limitations.
Continuous floating floors with a surface of 10.000 m® or more could be installed according to invention.
Such new types of floating floors where the major part of the floating movement, in at least one direction, takes place between the floorboards and in the mechanical locking system are hereafter referred to as Semi-~floating
Floors.
Fig. 5d illustrates a suitable testing method in order to ensure that the floorboards are sufficientIy mobile in the joined state and that the locking sysizem is strong enough to be used in a large continuous floatzing floor surface where the floor is a Semi Floating Floor.
In this example, 9 samples with 10 joints and with a length L of 100 mm (L0% of 1 meter) have been joined along their respectiwe long sides so as to correspond to a floor length TL of about 1 meter. The amount of j-oints, in this example 10 joints, is referred to as Nj. The boards are subjected to compressive and tensile loa d using a force F corresponding to 20 kg (200 Nj, whi ch is 10% of 200 kg. The change in length of the floor le=ngth
T1,, hereafter referred to as A TL, should be measured.
The average play, hexeafter referred to as AP or fl oor movement per joint is defined as AP = A TL/Nj. If or example A TL = 1,5 mm, than the average play AP = 1.,5/10 = 0,15 mm. This test ing method will also measure di men- sional changes of the floorboard. Such dimensional changes are in most floorboards extremely small commpared to the play. As ment ioned before, due to compressicon of top edges and eventually some very small dimensional changes of the flocr board itself, the average joirmt gap will always be smaller than the average play AP. Thais means that in order to make sure that the floor mowrement is sufficient (A TL) and that the average joint gamps 21 do not exceed the stipulated maximum levels, only «A TL has to be measured and controlled, since A TL/Nj i.s always larger or equal to the average joint gap 21 . The size of the actual average joint gap 21 in the flo-or, when the tensile force F is applied, could however be measured directly for example with a set of thickn ess gauges or a microscope and the actual average join.t gap =
AAJG could be calculated. The difference between A_P and
AAJG is defined as ¥loorboard flexibility = FF (FF =AP-
AAJG) . In a laminate floor ATL should preferably esxceed 1 mm. Lower or higher force F could be used to dessign floorboards, installation patterns and locking systems which could be used as Semi Floating Floors. In some applications for example in home environment with normal moisture conditions a force F of 100 kg (1000 N) per meter could be sufficient. In very large floating floors a force F of 250 — 30 0 kg or more could be used. Mecha- nical locking systems could be designed with a locking force of 1000 kg or more. The joint gap in such locking } systems could be limi ted to 0, 2 mm even when a force F of 400 - 500 kg is applied. The pushback effect caused by the locking element 8 , the locking surfaces 15, 14 and the locking strip 6 could be measured by increasing and decreasing the force F in steps of for example 100 kg.
The pushback effect is high If A TL is essentially the same when F is increased from 0 to 100 kg (=A TLl) as when F is increased £rom 0 to 200kg and than decreased back to 100 kg (=A TI.2). A mechanical locking system with a high pushback effect is an advantage in a semi-floating floor. Preferably A TLl should be at least 75% of A TL2.
In some applications even 50% could be sufficient.
Fig. 2d shows floorboards according to Fig. 2c which are installed in a diamond pattern. This method of installation results in 7 joints per running meter in both directions D2 A and D2 B of the floor. A play of 0.14 mm can then completely eliminate a swelling and shrinking of 0.1% simce 7 joints result in a total mobi- lity of 7 * 0.14 = 1.0 mm.
Fig. 2e shows a n? floor surface which consists of the above-described floorboards installed in a herring- bone pattern long side against short side and shows the position of the floorboards when, for instance, in summer they have swelled to their maximum dimension. Fig. 2f shows the position of the floorboards when, for instance, in winter, they have shrunk. The locking system with the inherent play then results in a joint gap 21 between all joint edges of the floorboards. Since the floorboards are installed in a herrirgbone pattern, the play of the long sides will help to reduce the dimensional changes of the floor in all directions. Fig. 2f also shows that the cri- tical direction is the diagonal directions D2 C and D2 D of the floor where 7 joint gaps must be adjusted so as to withstand a shrinkage over a distance of 1.4 m. This can be used to determine the optimal direction of laying in a large floor. In this example, a joint gap of 0.2 mm will completely eliminate the movement of the floor in all directions. This allows the outer portions of a floating floor to be attached to the subfloor, for example, by gluing, which prevents the floor, when shrinking, to be moved outside the baseboards. The invention also allows partition walls to be attached to an installed floating floor, which can reduce the installation time.
Practical experiments demonstrate that a floor with a surface of veneer or laminate and with a core of a fibreboard-based panel, for instance a dimensionally stable high quality HDF, can be manufactured so as to : be highly dimensionally stable and have a maximum dimen- sional change in home settings of about 0.5 - 1.0 mm per meter. Such semi—floating floors can be installed in spaces of unlimited size, and the maximum play can be limited to about 0.1 mm also in the cases where the floorboards have a width of preferably about 120 mm. It goes without saying that still smaller floorboards, for instance 0.4 * 0.06 m, are still more favourable and can manage large surfaces also when they are made of mate- rials that are less stable in shape. According to a first embodiment, the invention thus suggests a new type of semi~floating floor where the individual floorboards are capable of moving and where the outer dimensions of the floor need not be changed. This can be achieved by opti- mal utilisation of the size of the boards, the mobility of the locking system using a small play and a small
Joint gap, and the installation pattern of the floor- boards. According to the invention, a suitable combina- tion of play, joint gap, size of the floorboard, instal-
lation pattern and directieon of laying of the floorboards can thus be used in order “to wholly or partly eliminate movements in a floating fleor. Much larger continuous floating floors can be installed than is possible today, and the maximum movement o=f the floor can be reduced to the about 10 mm that apply to current technology, or be completely eliminated. All this can occur with a joint gap which in practice is n<ot visible and which is not different, regarding moist—ure and dirt penetration, from traditional 0,2 m wide flo ating floorboards which are joined in parallel rows by pretension or with a very small displacement play wh ich does not give sufficient mobility. As a non-limitin g example, it can be mentioned that the play 20 and the j oint gap 21 in dimensionally stable floors should prefe rably be about 0.1 - 0.2 mm.
An especially preferr ed embodiment according to the invention is a semi-floati ng floor with the following characteristics: The surface layer is laminate or wood veneer, the core of the floorboard is a wood based board such as MDF or HDF, the chwange in floor length A TL is at least 1,0 mm when a force F of 100 kg/m is used, the change in floor length A T°L is at least 1,5 mm when a force F of 200 kg/m is use=d, average joint gaps do not exceed 0,15 mm when the force F is 100 kg/m and they do not exceed 0,20 mm when thme force F is 200 kg/m.
The function and joimt quality of such semi~floating floorboards will be similar to traditional floating floorboards when humidity conditions are normal and the size of the floor surface is within the generally recom- mended limits. In extreme climate conditions or when installed in a much larger continuous floor surface, such semi-floating floorboard will be superior to the tradi- tional floorboards. Other combinations of force F, change in floor length A TL and Joint gap 21 could be used in order to design a semi-floating floor for various appli- cation
Fig. 3a shows a second embodiment, which can be uwased to counteract the problems caused by movements due to moisture in floating floors. In this embodiment, the floorboard has a surface 31 of direct laminate and a ecore of HDF. Under the laminate surface, there is a layer 33, which consists of melamine impregnated wood fibres. This layer forms, when the surface layer is laminated to HDF and when melamine penetrates into the core and joins —the surface layer to the HDF core. The HDF core 30 is sof—ter and more compressible than the laminate surface 31 and the melamine layer 33. According to the invention, th e surface layer 31 of laminate and, where appropriate, also parts of, or the entire, melamine layer 33 under the sur- face layer can be removed so that a decorative groove 133 forms in the shape of a shallow joint opening JO 1. T his joint opening resembles a large joint gap in homogene ous wooden floors. The groove 133 can be made on one join.t edge only, and it can be coloured, coated or impregna ted in such a manner that the joint gap becomes less visi ble.
Such decorative grooves or joint openings can have, I or : example, a width JO 1 of, for example, 1 - 3 mm and a } depth of 0.2 - 0.5 mm. In some application the width of
JO 1 could preferably be rather small about 0,5 -1,0 mm
When the floorboards 1, 1' are pressed towards each other, the upper joint edges 16, 17 can be compressed.-.
Such compression can be 0.1 mm in HDF. Such a possibility of compression can replace the above-mentioned play a nd can allow a movement without a joint gap. Chemical pr-o- cessing as mentioned above can also change the proper—ties of the joint edge portion and help to improve the pos- si~ bilities of compression. Of course, the first and sec=ond embodiment can be combined. With a play of 0.1 mm andi a possibility of compression of 0.1 mm, a total movemen.t of 0.2 mm can be prowided with a visible joint gap of 0. 1 mm only. Compression can also be used between the actives locking surfaces 15, 14 in the locking element 8 and in the locking groove 12. In normal climatic conditions the separation of the floorboard s is prevented when the locking surfaces 14, 15 are in contact with each other and no substantial compressi on occurs. When subjected to additional tensile load in e xtreme climatic conditions, for instance when the RH fal ls below 25%, the locking surfaces will be compressed. This compression is facili- tated if the contact surface CS of the locking surfaces 14, 15 are small. It is adva ntageous if this contact surface CS in normal floor t hickness 8 - 15 mm is about 1 mm or less. With this tech nique, floorboards can be manufactured with a play and. joint gap of about 0.1 mm.
In extreme climatic conditio ns, when the RH falls below 25% and exceeds 80%, compres sion of upper joint edges and locking surfaces can allow a movement of for instance 0.3 mm. The above technique can be applied to many diffe- rent types of floors, for in stance floors with a surface of high pressure laminate, wrood, veneer and plastic and like materials. The technique is particularly suitable in floorboards where it is possible to increase the compres- sion of the upper joint edge=s by removing part of the upper joint edge portion 16 and/or 17.
Fig. 3b illustrates a t-hird embodiment. Figure 3c and 3d are enlargements of t—he joint edges in figure 3b.
The floorboard 1' has, in am area in the joint edge which is defined by the upper part—s of the tongue 10 and the groove 9 and the floor surfamce 31, an upper joint edge portion 18 and a lower joint edge portion 17, and the floorboard 1 has in a corressponding area an upper joint edge portion 19 and a lower joint edge portion 16. When the floorboards 1, 1' are pressed together, the lower joint edge portions 16, 17 wzill come into contact with each other. This is shown im figure 3d. The upper joint edge portions 18, 19 are spaced from each other, and one upper joint edge portion 18 of one floorboard 1' overlaps the lower joint edge portiom 16 of the other floorboard 1. In this pressed~-together position, the locking system has a play 20 of for instance 0.2 rm between the locking
WYO 2005/068747 PCT/SE2005/000030 surfaces 14, 15. If the ove=rlap in this pressed-together position is 0.2 mm, the bo=rds can, when being pulled apart, separate from each eother 0.2 mm without a visible joint gap being seen from the surface. This embodiment will not have an open join—t gap because the joint gap will be covered by the ove _rlapping joint edge portion 18 .
This is shown in figure 3c . It is an advantage if the locking element 8 and the locking grove 12 are such that the possible separation i. e. the play is slightly smalle=r then the overlapping. Pref erably a small overlapping, for example 0,05 mm should exi st in the joint even when the floorboards are pulled apa rt and a pulling force F is applied to the joint. This overlapping will prevent moisture to penetrate intos the joint. The joint edges . will be stronger since the= lower edge portion 16 will support the upper edge por—tion 18. The decorative groove 133 can be made very shall ow and all dirt collecting in the groove can easily be r—emoved by a vacuum cleaner in connection with normal cleaning. No dirt or moisture cam penetrate into the locking system and down to the tongue 12. This technique involving overlapping joint edge portions can, of course, loe combined with the two other embodiments on the same side or on long and short sides .
The long side could for irstance have a locking system according to the first emkoodiment and the short side according to the second. Eor example, the visible and open joint gap can be 0.1 mm, the compression 0.1 mm and the overlap 0.1 mm. The f3oorboards' possibility of moving will then be 0.3 mrm all together and this consi- derable movement can be combined with a small visible open joint gap and a limiwed horizontal extent of the overlapping joint edge poxtion 18 that does not have to constitute a weakening of the joint edge. This is due t © the fact that the overlapmoing joint edge portion 18 is very small and also made =in the strongest part of the floorboard, which consistass of the laminate surface, and melamine impregnated wood fibres. Such a locking system,
which thus can provide a considerable possibility of movement without visible joint gaps, can be used in all the applicat-ions described above. Furthermore the locking system is especially suitable for use in broad floor- boards, on the short sides, when the floorboards are installed in parallel rows and the like, i.e. in all tle applications that require great mobility in the locking system to co-unteract the dimensional change of the floor.
It can also be used in the short sides of floorboards, which consti tute a frame FR, or frieze round a floor installed in a herringbone pattern according to Fig. 5e=.
In this embo diment, shown in figures 3b-3d, the vertical extent of the overlapping joint edge portion, i.e. the depth GD of the joint opening, is less than 0.1 times —the floor thickmess T. An especially preferred embodiment according to the invention is a semi-floating floor wi th the followirmg characteristics: The surface layer is laminate or wood veneer, the core of the floorboard is a wood based Imoard such as MDF or HDF, the floor thickne ss
T is 6 - 9 mom and the overlapping OL is smaller than the average plaw AP when a force F of 100 kg/m is used. Ass an example it could be mentioned that the depth GD of the joint opening could be 0,2-0,5 mm (= 0,02*T - 0,08 T).
The overlapping OL could be 0,1-0,3 mm (= 0,01*T - 0,05*T) on long sides. The overlapping OL on the short sides could be equal or larger than the overlapping om the long sides.
Figure 3e show an embodiment where the joint operaing
JO 1 is verry small or nonexistent when the floorboards are pressed together. When the floorboards are pulled apart, a joint opening JO 1 will occur. This joint opening wil 1 be substantially of the same size as the average pla y AP. The decorative groove could for exampole be coloured in some suitable design matching the floor gurface and a play will not cause an open joint gap. =A very small overlapping OL of some 0,1 mm (0,01*T-0, 02-*T) only and sl ightly smaller average play AP could give sufficient floor movement and this could be combine d with a moisture resist ant high quality joint. The play w ill also facilitate 1 ocking, unlocking and displacement in locked position. Such overlapping edge portions cou ld be used in all known mechanical locking systems in ord er to improve the funct ion of the mechanical locking syst em.
Figs 4a and 4b show how a locking system can b-e designed so as tos allow a floating installation of floor-boards, which consist of a moisture sensitive material. In this embodiment, the floorboard is mad e of homogeneous wood.
Fig. 4a shows the locking system in a state su bject- ed to tensile load, and Fig. 4b shows the locking s ystem in the compressed state. For the floor to have an a ttrac- tive appearance, the relative size of the joint ope nings should not differ: much from each other. To ensure t.hat the visible joint openings do not differ much while- the floor moves, the smallest joint opening JO 2 should be greater than half the greatest joint opening JO 1. DMore- over, the depth GD should preferably be less than 0.5 * TT, TT beirag the distance between the floor s-ur- face and the uppesr parts of the tongue/groove. In t he case where there is no tongue, GD should be less thian 0.2 times the floor thickness T. This facilitates clean- ing of the joint opening. It is also advantageous i.f JC 1 is about 1 - 5 mm, which corresponds to normal gaps: in homogeneous woodesn floors. According to the invention, the overlapping joint edge portion should preferably lie close to the floor surface. This allows a shallow j oint opening while at the same time vertical locking cam occur using a tongue 10 and a groove 9 which are placed e=ssen- tially in the ceratral parts of the floorboard betwe=en the front side and the rear side where the core 30 has good stability. An alizernative way of providing a shallosw joint opening, which allows movement, is illustrate=d in
Fig. 4c. The uppesr part of the tongue 10 has been mmoved up towards the fl oor surface. The drawback of this solu-
tiora is that the upper joint edge portion 118 above the tongue 10 will be far too weak. The joint e=dge portion 18 can easily crack or be deformed.
Figs 5a and 5b illustrate the long sicle joint of three floorboards 1, 1' and 1" with the wi«dth W. Fig. 5a showvs the floorboards where the RH is low, and Fig. 5b shows them when the RH is high. To resembl e homogeneous floors, broad floorboards should preferabl y have wider joirmt gaps than narrow ones. JO 2 should s uitably be at leasst about 1% of the floor width W. 100 mmm wide floox- boards will then have a smallest joint ope ning of at leasst 1 mm. Corresponding joint openings in, for example, 200 mm wide planks should be at least 2 mmm. Other combi- nat ions can, of course, also be used especially in wooden floe-ors where special requirements are made= by different kin-ds of wood and different climatic condi_tions.
Fig. 6a shows a wooden floor, which consists of sev eral layers of wood. The floorboard maw consist of, for example, an upper layer of high-grade wood, such as oak., which constitutes the decorative surface layer 31.
The core 30 may consist of, for example, plywood, which is made up of other kinds of wood or by corresponding kin.ds of wood but of a different quality. Alternatively thes core may consist of or wood lamellae. The upper layer 31 has as a rule a different fibre direction than a lower layer. In this embodiment, the overlapping joint edges 18 anda 19 are made in the upper layer. The aclvantage is that the visible joint opening JO 1 will consi=st of the same kind of wood and fibre direction as the swirface layer 31 and the appearance will be identical with that of a homogeneous wooden floor.
Figs 6b and 6c illustrate an embodiment where there is a small play 22 between the overlappin-g joint edge portions 16, 18, which facilitate horizon tal movement in thes locking system. Fig. 6c shows joining by an angular mot=ion and with the upper joint edge port ions 18, 19 in cortact with each other. The play 20 betw een the lock-
ing surface 15 of the locking e=lement 8 and the locking groove 12 significantly facilitates joining by inward angling, especially in wooden f£loors that are not always straight.
In the above-preferred emk>odiments, the overlapping joint portion 18 is made in the tongue side, i.e. in the joint edge having a tongue 10. This overlapping joint portion 18 can also be made in the groove side, i.e. in the joint edge having a groove 9. Figs 6d and 6e illu- strate such an embodiment. In Fig. 6d, the boards are pressed together in their inner position, and in Fig. ée they are pulled out to their outer position.
Figs 7a-7b illustrate thatc it is advantageous if the upper joint edge 18, which ovemlaps the lower 16, is located on the tongue side 4a. The groove side 4b can then be joined by a vertical motion to a side 4a, which has no tongue, according to Fig. 7b. Such a locking system is especially suitable on the short side. Fig. 7c shows such a locking system in the joined and pressed- together state. Figs 7d and 7e illustrate how the hori- zontal locking means, for instance in the form of a strip 6 and a locking element 8 and also an upper and lower joint portion 19, 16, can be made by merely one tool TO which has a horizontally operazing tocol shaft HT and which thus can form the entire joint edge. Such a tool can be mounted, for example, om a circular saw, and a high quality joint system can Be made by means of a guide bar. The tool can also saw off the floorboard 1. In the preferred embodiment, only a partial dividing of the floorboard 1 is made at the ou-ter portion 24 of the strip 6. The final dividing is made ¥oy the floorboard being broken off. This reduces the rodsk of the tool TO being damaged by contacting a subfloeor of, for instance, concrete. This technique can bee used to produce a frame or freize FR in a floor, which , for instance, is instal- led in a herringbone pattern ae=ccording to Fig. 5c. The tool can also be used to manufacture a locking system of a traditional type without overlapping joint edge por- tions.
Figs 8a5-~-8f illustrate different embodiments.
Figs 8a-8c illustrate how the invention can be used in locking systems where the horizontal locking consists of a tongue 10 with a loc king element 8 which cooperates with a locking groove 12 made in a groove 9 which is defined by an upper lip 2 3 and where the locking groove 12 is positioned in the wpper lip 23. The groove also has a lower lip 24 which can be removed to allow joining by a vertical motion. Fig. Sd shows a locking system with a separate strip 6, which is made, for instance, of aluminium sheet. Fig. 8e illustrates a locking system that has a separate strip 6 which can be made of a fibreboard-based material or of plastic, metal and like materials.
Fig. 8f shows a locking system, which can be joined by horizontal snap actiom. The tongue 10 has a groove 9' which allows its upper ard lower part with the locking elements 8, 8' to bend towards each other in connection with horizontally displaecement of the joint edges 4a and 4b towards each other. Im this embodiment, the upper and lower lip 23, 24 in the «groove 9 need not be resilient.
Of course, the invention can also be used in conventional snap systems where the 1 ips 23, 24 can be resilient.
Figs %9a-9d illustrate alternative embodiments of the invention. When the boar ds are pulled apart, separation of the cooperating locki ng surfaces 14 and 15 is prevent- ed. When boards are pres sed together, several alternative parts in the locking sys tem can be used to define the inner position. In Fig. 9a, the inner position of the outer part of the locking element 8 and the locking groove 10 is determined. According to Fig. 9b, the outer part of the tongue 10 armd the groove 9 cooperate. Accor- ding to Fig. 9c the fromt and lower part of the tongue 10 cooperates with the groove 9. According to Fig. 9d, a locking element 10' on tthe lower part of the tongue 10 cooperates with a locking element 9' on the strip 6. It is obvious that several other parts in the locking system can be used according t—o these principles in order to define the inner position of the floorboards.
Figure 10a shows production equipments and produc- tion methods according to the invention. The end tenor ET" has a chain 40 and a belt 41 which displace the floor- board 1 in a feeding direction FD relative a tool set, which in this embodiment has five tools 51, 52, 53, 54 and 55 and pressure shoes 42. The end tenor could also have two chins and two belts. Figure 10 b is an enlarge- ment of the first tooling station. The first tool 51 in the tool set makes a guiding surface 12 which in this embodiment is a groove and which is mainly formed as the locking groove 12 of the locking system. Of course other groves could be formed preferably in that part of the floorboard where the mechanical locking system will be formed. The pressure shoe 42’ has a guiding device 43’ which cooperates with the groove 12 and prevents devia- : tions from the feeding direction FD and in a plane - parallel to the horizomtal plane. Figure 10 c¢ shows the end tenor seen from the feeding direction when the floorboard has passed the first tool 51. In this embodi- ment the locking groove 12 is used as a guiding surface for the guiding device 43, which is attached to the pressing shoe 42. The figure 10 d shows that the same groove 12 could be used as a guiding surface in all tool stations. Figure 10 d shows how the tongue could be formed with a tool 54. The machining of a particular par t of the floorboard 1 can take place when this part, at the same time, is guided by the guiding device 43. Figures 11 a shows another embodiment where the guiding device is attached inside the pressure shoe. The disadvantage is that the board will have a grove in the rear side. Figur e 11 b shows another eml>odiment where one or both outer edges of the floorboard are used as a guiding surface fosr the guiding device 43, 43’. The end tenor has in this
A
WED 2005/068747 PCT/SE2005/000030 embodiment support units 44, 44’ whicch cooperate with the pressure shoes 42, 42’. The guiding clevice could alterna- tively be attached to this support urites 44, 44'.
Figures llc and 11d show how a floorkooard could be produced in two steps. The tongue sicde 10 is formed in step one. The same guiding groove 12 is used in step 2 (fig. 11d) when the groove side 9 is formed. Such an end tenor will be very flexible. The advantage is that floorboards of different widths, smalller or larger than the chain width, could be produced.
Figures 12a-12c show a preferrecd embodiment which guarantees that a semi-floating floo.x will be installed in the normal position which preferably is a position where the actual joint gap is about 50% of the maximum joint gap. If for instance all floor boards are installed with edges 16, 17 in contact, probledms may occur around the walls when the floorboards swell to their maximum size. According to the invention, th e locking element and the locking groove could be formed i mn such a way that the floorboards are automatically guided in the optimal posi- tion during installation. Figure 12c shows that the locking element 8 in this embodiment has a locking surface with a high locking angle LA. close to 90 degree to the horizontal plane. This lockin g angle LA is higher than the angle of the tangent line TL to the circle C, which has a centre at the upper join t edges. Figure 12b shows that such a joint geometry wil 1 during angling push the floorboard 4a towards the floorb-ocard 4b and bring it into the above-mentioned preferred p-osition with a play between the locking element 8 and th.e locking groove 12 and a joint gap between the top edge s 16, 17.
1. A semi-floaating floor which consists of rec- tangular floorboar ds (1, 1') joined with a mechanical locking system and in which locking system the joined floorboards have a horizontal plane (HP) which is parallel to the fl oor surface (31) and a vertical plane (VP) which is perp endicular to the horizontal plane, said locking system hav-ing mechanically cooperating locking means for vertical joining parallel to the vertical plane and for horizontal joining parallel to the horizontal plane of a first amnd a second joint edge (4a and 4b respectively) and in which locking system the vertical locking means conssist of a tongue (10) which cooperates with a tongue groove (9) and the horizontal locking means consist of a locking element (8) with a locking surface (15) which cooperates with a locking groove (12), characteri sed in that the format, installation pattern and lockirg system of the floorboards are desig- ned in such a manner that a floor surface of 1 * 1 meter can change in length (A TL) in at least one direction at least 1 mm when the floorboards are subjected to a comp- ressive or a tens-le load in a horizontal plane HP, and that this change =in length (A TL) can occur without visible joint gap=s (21). 2. A semi-floating floor as claimed in claim 1, characteri sed in that the width of the floor- boards does not e=xceed about 120 mm. 3. A semi-fleoating floor as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characteri sed in that there is an average play
AP in the locking system) of at least about 0.1 mm when the boards are subjected to a compressive and a tensile load in a horizon tal plane (HP). 4. A semi-fl-cating floor as claimed in any one of claims 1-3, characterised in that the floor- boards are joined. long side against short side.
5. A semi-floating floor as claimed in any one of claims 1-4, characteris ed in that the floor- boards have a surface layer (31) of laminate, and that parts of the surface layer (31) on at least one joint edge have been removed.
6. A semi-floating floor as claimed in any one of claims 1-5 characterised in that a surface layer is laminate or wood veneers the core of the floor- board is a wood based board such as MDF or HDF, the change in floor length (A TL) is at least 1,0 mm when a force (F) of 100 kg/m of the joimt edge is used, the change in floor length (A TL) is at least 1,5 mm when a force F of 200 kg/m of the joint edge is used, the average joint gaps do not exceed 0,15 mm when the force
(F) is 100 kg/m of joint edge an d they do not exceed 0,20 mm when the force (F) is 20 0 kg/m of joint edge.
7. A locking system for mec hanical joining of floor— boards (1, 1'), in which locking system the joined floor— boards have a horizontal plane ( HP) which is parallel to the floor surface and a verti_cal plane (VP) which is perpendicular to the horizont=al plane, which locking system has mechanically cooperatting locking means for vertical joining parallel to the vertical plane and for horizontal joining parallel to t=he horizontal plane of a first and a second joint edge (4a, 4b), and in which locking system the vertical locking means consist of a tongue (10) which cooperates witch a tongue groove (9) an d the horizontal locking means cornsist of a locking element
(8) with a locking surface (15) which cooperates with a locking groove (12), charaeter ised in that the first (4a) and the second (=4b) joint edge have upper— (18, 19) and lower (16, 17) joimnt edge portions positio— ned between the tongue (10) and the floor surface (31), the upper joint edge portions beeing closer to the floor surface (31) than the lower, aned in which locking system, when the floorboards (1, 1') aree joined and pressed towards each other the upper jo.int edge portion (18) in the fi rst joint edge (4a) overlaps a lower joint edge portiorn (16) in the second joint edge (4b). 8 . A locking system as claimed in claim 7, cha- rac®erised in that when the floorboards (1, 1') are joined and pressed towards each other, the t=wo upper joint edge portions (18, 19) are spaced from eaczh other. =. A locking system as claimed in claim 7 or 8, cha racterised in that there is an ove=xlapping (OL) when the floorboards (1, 1') are subjected to a tensile load (F). 0. A locking system as claimed in claim 9, cha racterised in that there is an ov erlapping (OL) when the tensile load (F) is 100 kg/m of Jj oint edge. 711. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 7-10, characterised in that there i s a averaege play (AP) of at least 0,1 mm when the fZloorboards are s-ubjected to a compressive and a tensile lc@ad of 200 kg/m. a horizontal plane (HP). 12. A locking system as claimed in any ones of claims 7-11, characterised in that the upper over- lappi ng joint edge portion (18) is formed close to the floor surface (31) and has a lowest part, which is posi- tione=d closer to the floor surface (31) than to the upper part of the tongue (10). 13. A locking system as claimed in claim MW 2, cha racterised in that the minimum joint open- ing €JO 2) is greater than half the maximum joint opening (JO 1). 14. A locking system as claimed in any on e of claims 7-13, characterised in that the surface layer (31) is made of wood, and that the upper overl.apping joints edge portion (18) is formed in this wear layer. 15. A locking system as claimed in any on-e of claims 8-11, characterised in that the £1 oorboards have a surface layer (31) of laminate and a co re {30) of fibresboard-based material, and that the upper overlapping join® edge portion (18) is formed in this surf ace layer and in the upper portions of #%the core next to the surface layer, and that the vertical extent (GD) of the over- lapping portion is less than ©.1 times the floor thick- ness (T). 16. An equipment for production of building panels, especially floorboards, having a horizontal plane HP which is parallel with the pamel surface, such equipment comprising a chain (40), a belt (41), a pressure shoe (42) and a tool set (51-55), the chain and the belt are . arranged to displace the flooxboard (1) relative the tooll set and the pressure shoe, in a feeding direction (FD), the pressure shoe is arranged to press towards the rear side (32) of the floorboard, =the tool set is arranged to form an edge portion of the floorboard when the floor- board is displaced relative the tool set, ¢C harac- t erised in that one of the tools of the tool set forms a guiding surface (12) Dn the floor board, that the pressure shoe has a guiding device (43) which cooperates with the guiding surface (12) and prevents deviations in a direction perpendicular to -the feeding direction (FD) and parallel to the horizontal plane (HP) . 17. An equipment as clairmed in claim 16, cha - racterised in that te building panel is a floor board, with a mechanical lockzing system, such locking system comprising a locking element (8) which cooperates with a locking groove (12) and locks the floorboards horizontally parallel to the korizontal plane .(HP),
that the guiding surface (12) consist of a groove open towards the rear side and that the groove is in an edge portion of the floor boaxd where some parts of the locking system are formed.
18. A semi-floating floom: which consists of rectan- gular floorboards (1, 1') joiried by a mechanical locking system and in which the joined floorboards have a hori-
zontal plane (HP) which is paxallel to the floor surface (31) and a vertical plane (VP) which is perpendicular to the horizontal plane, said locking system having mechani—
cally cooperating locking means for vertical joining parallel to the vertical pl ane (VP) and for horizontal joining parallel to the hor izontal plane HP of a first and a second joint edge (4a and 4b respectively) and in which locking system the ve rtical locking means consist of a tongue (10) which coop erates with a tongue groove (9) and the horizontal of a locking element (8) with a locking surface (15) which cooperates with a locking groove (12), charact-~rised in that the format, installation patter mn and locking system of the floorboards are designed and combined in such a manner that a large semi-floating continuous surface, with length or width exceeding 1 2 m, could be installed with- out expansion joints.
19. A semi-floating fl oor as claimed in claim 18, characterised in that the floor surface is a very large continuous floox= surface with a length or width exceeding 20 m.
20. A semi-floating fl oor as claimed in claims 18 or
19, characterise d in that the floorboards have a width, which do not exceed 120 mm.
21. A semi-floating fl oor as claimed in claims 18 or 19, characterise d in that the floorboards have a width which do not exceed 100 mm.
Claims (1)
- Fig. 1a Fig. 1b 5b x [ 1 \ A B 4b 6 ] 10~_ 1 at 0 1 4a \ I 10 : [ i i 1 4a \ ) ] { ] [ 6 l { 1] 1 \ 1 Dem ee all EER CC] {7 ’ 5a 10m Eo 6WVWVO 2005/068747 PCT/SE2005/000030 2/12 31 33 4 ro.2 20 3133, 4a ab 1 9" a Aap 1 J S D1 K 30 0 ¢] 8 5 6 8 D2 Faig.2b 02 mr === :Fig. 2c Fig.2d Dw»2 - B D2 A D2 A ) 1 Fig- 26 D2 A Fig. 2f SF wa 21 } CS ANN NN NOS 21 D2B3/12 oo ab 4 MSIE a t naa .Fig.3a.. 4 V 138 _J « on HP 16—"1 17 TT 12 0 — 10 ; 20 T 30 1 WF H / J cs D1 : hy 8 Ce «> 32 h D2 VP ab 4 =ie0 3 MN da 4Fig.3b | 119i ~—18 3B / een HP la ome RTT TT TTD TAT TTR FT TT TF FTP T TAFT TF TH TF NY ORP RIFT vv 16— 17 } i GD : TT i 12 30 9 —1 10 1% 20 T 14 3, : 6— 32Fig.3c Fig.3d Fig.3e JO 11" JO 11" JO 11+ Avon ih V3 1133] | Yar 1133 31 y 19NG | 1833 V 190i | 18 38 Y ie 1 1835 i UREN! IANA ARI . i [Of ; : 16° GD 167 17 GD 16 17 GD H~——17 VP VP M7Fig.4a vp ile dO 1 4 4b 4 i| 133 \ 31 Van 31 — \ v HIS Sf ee HP 16 17 TT H i q —110 15 J? T 30 1 — s Ee i £ 32Fig.4b a VP ] 4a 4 i 02 ! J SU Nh A v ep 19" i 18 { 16 —"1 17 Y 12 a —~110 14 —I 8 6—" 31Fig.4c 187 = 9 S TN 6 a 8¥ Fig.5a T 1 * JO as t | “© | -— 0 34a v i 18 Ht 19 : ~~ , ii 16~"11) i il 3 Fig.5b JO 2 “ | JO 2 1 19—" Yi So A~1 I 1 CN I i \ ii oe yFig.5¢ Fig.5d L I NA rr oN 1 y vP oi 1edO 1Fig.6a 4b 1 1133 1 3 aa 31 er BS | Ye HP - = — et [] y 3 = Lad amnind ee Sp = ==F10 i er 30 ENE = EE x = G—=— ——— 6" T= so Go = — : Z 32 ; ; Fig.6c 4a ab Fig.6b 4a 4b J AN vP a VP 18 i ] oo : ; Hl NT a) 20 12 10 15 = — — 2, 4b 4a VP Fig.6e 2 vp J Fig.ed \ 4b Fig. | b —\4aFig.7a 4b [§ J 19 16_— J ° & 6—" 1,Fig.7b i. "4a 1-2Fig.7c 4a 4b 19 AN 16" ’ ( 2 6—" 8 ; 1 HTFig.7d — _— 1 Fig7e 1 4a I EN, 19 4b 16 — EES 16 6 8] 6 : 8 24 24Fig.8a vp Fig.8b 4a ' 4b r 4b 1 1 da 1 1 IN VJ 2 VJ 128 19 19 16 17 : [7 9 | 1g 2 ~10 24 ayFig.8c ; 4b id ) 9 Va 4b Fig.8d 4a Ny y \ J Nie od 8 _—~10 6 24__ 1 7 4a ® ) JSFig.8e 7 A 3, 6 4a 1 4b 1 21 XY v./Fig.8f 23 18 NA 16] 9 =1 1 9 4b y \ 4a Fig 9a 12 o —10 1415 J) 8 6—" ~~ 4b da Fig 9b 16 17 oT 10 re 2 J au x // hl 8 6—" 4b 4a SN Figoc | 1e—-Ll—1s J 16—"J 17 ( 15 12 14 ~——10 9 y — 8 6 4b 4=2 16~") 17 9 1 12 aN 10" 7 h gt 8ET Fig 10a #1 42° 51 42 43’ 43 Coan a i Wd, Wiha Batic WR =a «— FD } 51 Fig 10b 42 N a3 N_ HE EEE 31 1 Fig 10c we - = 7 ERT IRL TH CC STR SE 0 TIRE © LS 3 desis PE Yd Cr 42 LAE TA SERRE a gh Re le SE Ca 4 IRAE EE oF RIT ZEN NF gore! Stel i : omen 23 = FI, 0 Cg aX a gi LT Folly {af all oe SF Fag et Sl “do — » re HP a0 Fig 10d EEE Ee RE RP 43 EE ne dg ACE po EE RRR 32 I 3 RE J 0000 OO - 54 Ji 54 1742 40Fig 11 a Fen Tay a aml TF FT frill TAR Fae 3 pS) E: E a 42 Seg real HE i FET Sr Gh B22 ARIE 4 Bai: ood hy Png EI a2 (ENARINE IN CE BNA BSR A 3 SS EEE f 40 Fig 1b 42 AE 42 41 Fin . 43 PE i ! 5 A , Fol 32 Lau ~~ BB Ad tPF Yura . “x g aT ¥ 3 EEE ; =e iad 1231 405 hE [iio 40 as 44 Fig 11c 42 Fig 11d 42' E 43 EES Ta INSERT VL a aa Ee hele TE ga Eb WN ee EA FERRIC of 43 ~~. “7 \ | = 32 £m EN Ta 32 31 3 40 404a 4b J Fig 12a iN ~ 0 4a Fig 12b 4b J 4 133 4a Fig 12¢ IN A C\ 3 — ) WY
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| SE0400068A SE526596C2 (en) | 2004-01-13 | 2004-01-13 | Floating floor with mechanical locking system that allows movement between the floorboards |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| ZA200605477B true ZA200605477B (en) | 2007-11-28 |
Family
ID=31493044
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZA200605477A ZA200605477B (en) | 2004-01-13 | 2005-01-13 | Floor covering and locking system and an equipment for production of E.G. floorboards |
Country Status (18)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (7) | EP2407289B1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JP4642781B2 (en) |
| KR (1) | KR101165107B1 (en) |
| CN (1) | CN100529297C (en) |
| AU (1) | AU2005205419B8 (en) |
| BR (1) | BRPI0506430B1 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2548420C (en) |
| ES (3) | ES2424125T3 (en) |
| IL (1) | IL176176A (en) |
| NO (1) | NO339393B1 (en) |
| NZ (1) | NZ548450A (en) |
| PL (3) | PL2407608T3 (en) |
| PT (3) | PT2407288E (en) |
| RU (1) | RU2358075C2 (en) |
| SE (1) | SE526596C2 (en) |
| UA (1) | UA89626C2 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2005068747A1 (en) |
| ZA (1) | ZA200605477B (en) |
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