Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02359389 2001-10-19
FLOORING PRODUCT
Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to flooring panels. More specifically, the
invention is
directed to flooring panels which are maintained in position relative to each
other by the use of
tongue and groove technology.
Background of the Invention
Many different flooring options are available to consumers who are building
structures or
remodeling existing structures. Flooring such as carpeting, linoleum, and
ceramic tile have been
around for many years. These types of flooring can be professionally installed
or can be
installed by an industrious homeowner. However, the installation of these
types of flooring can
be time consuming and can result in a less than perfect floor if not done
right.
Wood flooring is another alternate flooring option. In the past, wood flooring
has been
an expensive option and one that requires a good deal of skill to install
properly. However,
today wood flooring and simulated wood flooring can be manufactured in such a
manner to
make it cost competitive with other options. Because wood is an affordable
option, more
homeowners are installing these types of floors. Therefore, in order to
further enhance the
desirability of wood flooring, it is advantageous to make the installation as
easy and
straightforward as possible. This reduces the labor required to install the
floor, whether it is
installed by a professional or a "do-it-yourselfer." By minimizing the amount
of tools, hardware,
and adhesives needed for installation, wood flooring installations will
dramatically increase in
popularity.
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Summary of the Invention
The invention is directed to a flooring system made of flooring panels. A
first flooring
panel or member has a first top surface and a first engagement. portion. A
second flooring
member has a second top surface which is essentially parallel to the first top
surface, and a
second engagement portion. The first engagement portion cars be an elongated
tongue with a
locking projection extending therefrom. The locking projection has a first
inclined surface which
is inclined at a first angle relative to the first top surface. The second
engagement portion can be
in the form of an elongated recess with a locking cavity extending therefrom.
The locking cavity
has a second inclined surface which is inclined at a second angle relative to
the first top surface.
The second angle is larger than the first angle. Whereby, as the first and
second members are
moved into engagement, the first inclined surface cooperates with the second
inclined surface to
bias the first flooring member relative to the second flooring member such
that the first top
surface and the second top surface are positioned in the same plane.
Many advantages are provided by the flooring panels and system of the present
invention.
The configuration of the flooring panels insures that the top or upper
surfaces of the panels will
be positioned in the same plane, adding significantly to the aesthetic and
functional nature of the
floor. Also the cooperation of the panels insures that the panels will fit
together properly and
prevents the separation of the panels from each other, thereby c;liminating
inappropriate spaces
between panels.
As the panels are moved together, a positive retention force is exhibited
between the
panels. This positive retention provides sufficient force to retain the
flooring panels together,
with or without the use of a glue or adhesive. Consequently, tile invention
can be used with or
without glue.
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In the present invention, the cost of tooling to produce the flooring panels
is minimized.
As many of the dimensions of the panels do not have to be as ;precisely
controlled as the prior art
panels, the tooling does not need to be reconditioned as often, thereby
eliminating costly
downtime for the tooling.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The present invention will be more fully understood by reference to the
following
drawing figures wherein:
FIGURE 1 is an overview illustrating a portion of the installation of a
flooring panel in a
flooring system according to the present invention;
FIGURE 2 is a second overview illustrating another portion of the installation
of a
flooring panel in a flooring system according to the present invention;
FIGURE 3 is a partial perspective of several flooring panels installed on a
subfloor;
FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of a flooring panel prior to installation;
FIGURE 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of two flooring panels prior to
being mated
together; and
FIGURE 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the flooring panels of Figure 5
after they
are mated together.
Detailed Description
Figure 1 illustrates a flooring system according to the invention. Each
flooring panel 10
has a first major surface 12 and an oppositely facing second major surface 14.
Side surfaces 16,
18 and end surfaces 20, 22 extend between the major surface 1:2 and 14.
Although the flooring
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panels 10 are shown as rectangular, other types of configurations are
possible. The first major
surface 12 has a laminate or thin layer 24 of decorative wood provided thereon
and is designed to
face away from the subfloor, as shown in Figure 1. The core 26 of each
flooring panel 10 is
made from material which has the strength, absorption, and other
characteristics required. As the
core will not be exposed once the flooring system is completely installed, the
core 26 must not be
as aesthetically appealing as the layer 24.
As best shown in Figure 4, side surface 16 has a laminate portion 30 which
extends from
the first major surface 12 in a direction essentially perpendicullar to the
first major surface. A
raduised portion 32 is provided proximate the laminate portion 30. The
raduised portion extends
inward toward side surface 18 from the plane of laminate portion 30. A tongue
40 extends from
side surface 16 outward in a direction away from side surface 18. The tongue
is positioned
below the raduised portion 32 when viewed in Figure 4. A bottom straight
portion 34 and
bottom angled position 36 also are provided on the side surface 16. The
portions 34 and 36 are
offset toward side surface 18 from the plane of laminate portion 30.
As best shown in Figures 4 through 6, tongue 40 has a fixed end 42 attached to
side
surface 16 and a free end 44 which has a rounded or arcuate configuration. An
upper surface 46
and a lower surface 48 extend between the free end and the fixed end. In the
embodiment
shown, the planes of the upper and lower surfaces are essentially parallel to
the plan of the first
major surface 12. A projection 50 extends from the lower surface 14. The
projection has a first
inclined surface 52 and a second inclined surface 54. The first inclined
surface 52 is inclined at
an angle A from a line which is perpendicular to the plane of the first major
surface 12. The
second inclined surface 54 is inclined at an angle B from a line which is
perpendicular to the
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plane of the first major surface 12. In the embodiment shown, the angle A is
70° and the angle B
is 45°. However, the angles can be varied and still fall within the
scope of the invention.
Side surface 18 has a laminate portion 60 which extends from the first major
surface 12
in a direction essentially perpendicular to the first major surface and
essentially parallel to the
laminate portion 30. A lead-in portion 62 is provided proximate laminate
portion 60. The lead-
in portion 62 slopes inward toward side surface 16. A recess '70 extends from
side surface 18
inward in a direction toward side surface 16. The recess 70 is provided below
the lead-in portion
62 when viewed in Figure 4. A raduised portion 64 and bottom angled portion 66
are provided
on the side surface 18. The portions 64 and 66 are offset toward side surface
16 from the plane
of laminate portion 60.
Recess 70 has an open end 72 and a closed end 74. An upper surface 76 and a
lower
surface 78 extend between the open end and closed end. In thc; embodiment
shown, the planes of
the upper and lower surfaces 76, 78 are essentially parallel to the plane of
the first major surface
12. The space X between the upper surface 76 and lower surface 78 is
dimensioned to be larger
than the dimension Y between the upper surface 46 and lower surface 48 of the
tongue 40. A
channel or locking cavity 80 is provided in the lower surface 78 and extends
from the lower
surface in a direction toward the second major surface 14. The: channel 80 has
a first inclined
surface 82 and a second inclined surface 84. The first inclined surface 82 is
inclined at an angle
C from a line which is perpendicular to the plane of the first major surface
12. The second
inclined surface 84 is inclined at an angle D from a line which is
perpendicular to the plane of
the first major surface 12. In the embodiment shown, the angle; C is
65° and the angel D is 45°.
However, the angles can be varied and still fall within the scope of the
invention.
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Refernng to Figure 1, individual flooring panels 10 arcs joined together to
form a flooring
system. During installation, various individual flooring panels 10 are
positioned on the subfloor
and manipulated into engagement with other flooring panels 10'. This process
is best illustrated
in Figures 1 and 2. As best shown in Figure 1, a respective flooring panel 10
is laid on subfloor
90, such that the second major surface 14 is in contact with and essentially
parallel to the
subfloor 90. The flooring panel 10 is moved in the direction o~f the arrows
until such time when
the tongue 40' of flooring panel 10' engages a portion of recess 70 of
flooring panel 10. (The use
of the prime symbol is for ease of explanation; parts designated by a prime
are identical to parts
which are identified with the same number and no prime.) Refernng to Figures 5
and 6, this
movement continues until raduised portion 64 engages projection 50'. The
engagement of
projection SO' and raduised portion 64 is assured even if the respective
flooring panels are
slightly misaligned. As tongue 40' has a free end 44' which has an accurate or
rounded
configuration and as side surface 18 has a lead-in portion 62 and a raduised
portion 64, the
cooperation of end 44' and portions 62 and 64 will cause the recess 70 to be
moved into
alignment with the tongue 40' as mating occurs. As the dimension M of tongue
40' is greater
than the dimension N of recess 70, an increased force is requirf;d to continue
the mating of
flooring panel 10 with flooring panel 10'. As shown in Figure 1, this
increased force is supplied
by the installer using a hammer and a block. The installer will supply the
appropriate force to
the opposite side 16 of the flooring panel 10 to cause the radiused portion 64
to move beyond the
projection SO' of the tongue 40' and into cooperation with channel 80 of
recess 70. As this
movement occurs, the portions of flooring panel 10 which are above and below
recess 70
resiliently deform to allow the tongue 40' and projection 50' to move
accordingly. The force
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applied to side 16 must be sufficient to resiliently deform flooring panel 10
while not causing
damage to side 16 or tongue 40 extending therefrom.
Referring to Figures 5 and 6, as flooring panel 10 is moved into engagement
with
flooring panel 10', channel 80 cooperates with projection 50'. As best shown
in Figure 6, the
first inclined surface 52' of projection 50' cooperates with the first
inclined surface 82 of channel
80 and the second inclined surface 54' of projection 50' either .cooperates
with or is in close
proximity to second inclined surface 84 of recess 80.
The cooperation of first inclined surface 52' and first inclined surface 82
performs an
important function with respect to the proper installation of the; flooring
system. In order for the
flooring system to be both esthetically pleasing and function properly, the
first major surfaces 12
of each flooring panel must be aligned and must be in the same; plane. Even
slight variances in
the positioning of the first major surfaces can cause the floor to be
unattractive and unsafe.
Therefore, it is important to provide the flooring panels with a mechanism to
insure that the first
major surfaces will be coplanar.
In order to insure coplanarity, the interaction between fiirst inclined
surface 52' and the
first inclined surface 82 is critical. According to the present invention,
first inclined surface 52'
extends at an angle A from a line perpendicular to the first major surface and
the first inclined
surface 82 extends at an angle C from a line perpendicular to th.e first major
surface. As angle A
is 70° and angle C is 65°, the slope of surface 82 is steeper
than. the slope of surface 52'.
Therefore, as flooring panel 10 and flooring 10' are moved together, surface
52' will engage
surface 82. The continued installation of flooring panels causes. surface 52'
to be biased upward.
As installation is complete, surface 52' is biased upward by surface 82
causing upper surface 46'
of tongue 40' to engage upper surface 76 of recess 70. The positioning of
upper surface 46' is
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accurately controlled relative to the first major surface 12' as l:he flooring
panel 10' is
manufactured. Likewise, the upper surface 76 is accurately controlled relative
to the first major
surface 12 as the flooring panel 10 is manufactured. Consequently, the
dimensioning of the
flooring panels insures that when surfaces 46' and 86 are provided in
engagement, the first major
S surface 12 will be positioned in the same plane as any other respective
first major surface 12'.
Therefore, with tongue 40' positioned in recess 70 and the suri:ace 46' biased
against surface 76
as described, the coplanarity of the first major surface 12 with first major
surface 12' is assured.
It is important to note that while the angles described with respect to the
preferred
embodiment have certain defined values, the scope of the invention is not
limited to those
specific values. Rather the invention is accomplished if angle A is greater
than angle C, thereby
causing surface 82 to have a steeper slope than surface 52'.
With respect to angle B and D, these angles are identical in the embodiment
shown. This
insures that surfaces 54' and 84 are essentially parallel to each other. This
type of configuration
helps to hold surfaces 52' and 82 in position relative to each other. The
cooperation of surfaces
54' and 84 help to maintain surfaces 52' and 82 in engagement, thereby
facilitating the
coplanarity of surfaces 12 and 12'. The cooperation of surfaces 54' and 82
also prevents the
separation of panel 10 from panel 10'. However, the dimensions of angles B and
D are not as
important as the dimensions of A and C. In fact, in order for the flooring
panels to be properly
positioned, it is not essential that surfaces 52' and 82 be coplanar.
Referring to Figure 2, once the sides of the flooring panels have been joined,
the ends are
joined in essentially the same manner, and therefore, a detailed description
of the joining of the
ends will not be addressed in detail, as it would be repetitive of the
operations previously
described.
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In the embodiment described above, the tongue 40' extends from flooring panel
10' and
the recess 70 is provided in flooring panel 10. However, the invention
operates in the same
manner if the recess 70' is provided in the flooring panel 10' and the tongue
40 extends from
flooring panel 10.
Many advantages are provided by the flooring panels 10 and system described
herein. As
previously stated, the configuration of the flooring panels insures that the
upper surfaces 12 of
the panels will be positioned in the same plane, adding signifi<;antly to the
aesthetic and
functional nature of the floor. Also, the cooperation of the projection 50
with channel 80
prevents the separation of the panels. If the panels are permitted to
separate, the aesthetics of the
flooring system is degraded. Separation of the panels can also cause safety
and maintenance
issues.
Due to the fact that the angles do not have to be precisely controlled (i.e.
angle A must be
greater than angle C, but the exact measurement of the angles c;an vary), the
cost of tooling to
produce the flooring panels is minimized. As the exact angles must not be cut
with extreme
precision, the tooling does not need to be reconditioned as often, thereby
eliminating costly
downtime for the tooling.
The configuration of the sides and ends of the flooring panels also helps
insure that the
flooring panels will fit together properly. Other than the tongues and
recesses, the only other
portions of the flooring panels which engage are the portions 30 and 60 which
are proximate the
surface 12. As no other portions engage, the other portions will not prevent
the surfaces 12 of
panels from being held in the proper spaced relationship.
As the panels are moved together, portions of the panels resiliently deform,
which allows
the tongue to effectively click in place in the recess. This positive
retention of the tongue in the
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recess provides sufficient force to retain the flooring panels together, with
or without the use of a
glue or adhesive. Consequently, the invention can be used with or without
glue.
The foregoing illustrates just come possibilities for practicing the
invention. Many other
embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention. It is, therefore,
intended that the
S foregoing description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and
that the scope of the
invention is given by the appended claims together with their jE'ull range of
equivalents.
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