Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PCT/EP2005/053889 21. Januar 2008
Kronospan Techn.ical Co. Ltd. K107459W0 JH/Bis
Title: Flush-positioned profiled expansion element
The present invention relates to a profiled expansion element for floor or
wall
panels as well as an associated laying method. During the substantially area-
wide
laying of panels which are made from wood materials such as laminate, parquet
and so on, it is necessary to provide expansion joins due to the not avoidable
changes in dimensioning due to swelling und shrinking during absorbing and dis-
charging of humidity. For example, panels are laid in such a manner that they
are
not abutting on the adjacent wall respective on the floor and a slot for the
remain-
ing extension. At the edge this slot can be covered respectively closed with
cover
strips and / or elastic filling materials such as silicon most comparatively
without
any problems. The situation at door-passages or in the central area of the
laid sur-
face area presents different. For example, for floor laying it is proposed to
provide
an expansion join after latest 8 to 12 meter so that an extension is possible
at all
due to the occurred weights and friction forces. Thus, on the one hand, it is
the
object to design an expansion join in that manner that said expansion join is
inte-
grated as well as possible into the floor covering so that on the one hand
said ex-
pansion join does not disturb as possible and on the other hand to provide the
lay-
ing of the expansion join as simple as possible.
A well known, profiled expansion element system is provided in a two part fonn
and is mountcd in the slot between the opposed edges of two floor or wall
panels.
For this purpose, a first element is mounted at the opened underground in the
slot
i.e. at the wall or the floor while it is doweled or glued there. Then, a
further cover
element is mounted, for example with a clip connection onto the first element
and
it is designed in such a manner that it has a cover surface supported onto one
of
the two panels which covers the slot. This cover element has, for example a T-
shaped cross section.
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Thereby, that the upper cover surface is supported onto the panels the cover
ele-
ment disadvantageously protrudes above the flat which is built by the panels.
This
disturbs not only the visual impression of the laid panels, but also this can
built for
a floor covering unfavorable stumble edge and humidity can easily reacli under
the cover surface and so to the panel itself. In addition, the mounting of the
panels
onto the underground in the slot is disadvantageous to that effect that during
the
doweling comparative extensive holes have to be drilled during that it could
be
come to damages of wires or pipes, for example of a floor heating system or
that
depending on the underground the cluing can bring along adhesion problems or
it
is difficult to remove during removing the floor or wall covering. As a
result, that
the known profiled expansion element is not mounted onto the floor respective
onto the wall covering it comes to a disadvantageous detach of the cover
element
from the floor respective from the wall covering during a detachment of the
mounting, whereby damages, for example to parquet or laminate may occur.
Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide an improved
expan-
sion element wherein its mounting is improved and which can be better incorpo-
rated from its design into a floor or wall covering. An improved laying method
is
the subject matter of a further independent claim. Advantageous embodiments
result from the dependent claims.
The present invention relates to an expansion element for an arrangement basi-
cally between two opposite distanced edges of floor or wall panels in
particular of
floor or wall panels which are at least partially composed of wood materials
like
MDF, HDF or chips. An example therefore are so called laminate panels. The
expansion element according to the invention has at least two profiled
elements.
The floor and wall profiles are arranged with distance in such a manner that
with-
out the arrangement of the expansion element they build a slot which builds a
space for potential expansions of the floor respective wall panel.
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The expansion element has means for mounting the respective profiled element
at
the respective floor or wall profile. Thereby, advantageously the mounting in
the
slot between the floor respective wall panel is omitted. For example, the
under-
ground has not to be disadvantageously drilled with the risk that damages of
wires
respective pipes occur, for example of the floor heating system. Further, a
gluing
with a possible not sufficient adhesion and potential glue rests when removing
the
expansion element respective the floor covering respective wall covering is
omit-
ted. Further, through the direct mounting at the wall respective floor panel
the
laying of the expansion element is simplified and accelerated in comparison
with
1o the state of the art. Thereby, that the expansion element is mounted at the
panels
the risk is omitted that, because of removing the expansion element from the
un-
derground, a relative movement between profile and floor respective wall
panel,
for example while stepping onto the profile and therefore damaging the panel
ap-
pears.
The profiled elements are provided in such a manner that in the aforementioned
arrangement said profiled elements are at least partially slidable against
each other
along a direction which is perpendicular to the edges. Therefore, it is
achieved that
the expanding element is extra effectively able to compensate possible changes
in
dimensioning, for example by panels which consist of wood material due to
swell-
ing and shrinking during absorbing and discharging of humidity.
The profile, according to the invention, is extra flexibly applicable and
adoptable
to many slot dimensions. The necessity to produce and provide different expan-
sion elements for different slots in order to ensure an optimal, i.e. neither
to wide
reaching covering through the profile is omitted.
hi a further advantageous embodiment, the expansion element is provided in
such
a manner that it does not overtop the edge of the floor or wall panel which re-
motes of the floor respective of the wall. Thereby, it is achieved that
stumble
edges are avoided.
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In a further advantageous embodiment, the expansion element is provided in
such
a manner that the opened surface of the laying underground and the herewith
joined floor or wall panel top side forms basically a plane. This has to be
under-
stood in such a manner that the expansion element in laid condition builds a
plane
with the respective panels. Thereby, the "plane" is not interpreted close and
com-
prises provided protrusions respective cavities, for example in view of
stability
reasons. Witb such a basically flush-positioned expanding element a proper
junc-
tion between the floor respective wall panel surfaces which are separated by a
slot
is provided. Thereby, dirt and dust gatherings at the edges are avoided and in
this
way an optimal integration into the floor respective the wall covering is
reached.
In a farther advantageous embodiment, the profiled elements are detachable
joined with each others. Thereby, it is achieved that the individual elements
are
independently mountable in separated conditions of each other at the
respective
wall respective floor panel and can joined later during the laying. Thereby,
the
laying can happen extra quickly.
In a further advantageous embodiment, one of the profiled elements is provided
with a tongue and the other profiled element witli a groove wherein the groove
cooperates together with the tongue in order to achieve the slidablitiy of the
pro-
filed elements. Thereby, on the one hand the slidability and on the other hand
a
dustproof join between the elements is extra simply achieved.
According to a further advantageous embodiment, the means for mounting the
respective profiled elements on the respective floor or wall profile
correspond to
the mounting means on the edges of the floor or wall panels. With this
compatibil-
ity of the means for mounting on the profiled elements with the mounting means
which act between the panels, the extension eleinent can be mounted in
particular
quick and simple without further means.
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According to a further advantageous embodiment, means for limiting of the
slida-
bility of the profiled elements are provided. Thereby, it can be prevented
that dur-
ing the assembling the profiled elements will be pulled apart too far. For
example,
the tongue which is provided between the profiled elements for sliding is
provided
with a protrusion which abuts upon a stopper during pulling out of the groove
of
the further profiled element and thus limits the slidability or prevents a
pulling out
too far in order to avoid that the tongue will be pulled out of the groove.
For ex-
ample, the means for limiting are provided in such a manner that there limit
the
slidability, but through a pulling apart with an expenditure of force, which
is clear
over the quantity which is needed for the sliding, the limithig effect of the
means
can be overcome, for example by a springy deflection, and so the profiled ele-
ments can be separated.
In an advantageous embodiment of an extension element according to the inven-
tion, the means for mounting comprise at least one groove respective tongue.
For
example, the panels have at one edge a groove and at the opposite edge a
tongue.
Thus, a profiled element has a groove for receiving the tongue of a panel.
Thus,
the further profiled element has a tongue, which cooperates together with the
groove of a panel. Thereby, a particular simple and with the panel flush join
be-
tween the panel and the expansion element is aclueved.
The means for mounting comprise in a further advantageous embodiment also
latching elements. For example, the latching elements are provided in the form
of
rills and nose edge therein interacting in a snapping manner. Thereby, a
particular
safe, effective, and as possible liquid proofed join between the panel and the
re-
spective profiled element is achieved. For example, the groove of one profiled
element has at the bottom side, therefore, at the side which is arranged to
the un-
derground, a protruding shoulder which is provided with a nose edge which is
oriented to the top side, therefore, to the side which is opposite to the
under-
ground. This snaps in, for example in a rill which is open to the bottom side
at the
tongue of a panel which is arranged to the bottom side.
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In a further advantageous embodiment, the means for mounting of the respective
profiled element at the respective floor or wall profile are provided in such
a man-
ner that by pivoting the profiled element respective the floor or wall panel a
mounting between the respective profiled element and floor respective wall
panel
is achieved. Thereby, an assembling of the expansion element can be achieved
particular simply and quickly. Thereby, it has shown that compare to the afore-
mentioned described state of the art expansion element the expenditure of time
for
assembling can be reduced up to 97%.
Suchlike mounting means with latching elements which are latched through pivot-
ing arise, for example from the patent EP 1282752 and are the subject matter
of
the present application by way of reference.
According to a further advantageous embodiment, the profiled elements consist
of
wood material like MDF or HDF. Thereby, at the one side, the profile can be
pro-
duced comparatively inexpensive. At the other side, thus, it is sufficiently
flexion
elastic.
According to a further advantageous embodiment, the expansion element consists
at least partially of metal. Thereby, a durableness of the profile is
achieved. For
example, aluminum is used because while laying it is comparably simple to han-
dle and further due to the comparable low weight storing and transporting is
eas-
ier. In a further embodiment only the side which is opposite to the floor or
wall,
i.e. at the upper surface of the profile, a metal coating is provided.
Thereby, the
expansion element is particular durableness at step area. In order to prevent
a slip-
ping onto the profile it can be provided with rills.
In the laying method for an expansion element according to the invention, in a
first step a pre-laid floor or wall panel is joined with a first profiled
element of an
expansion element according to one of the preceding described embodiments. In
a
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second step the first profiled element is joined with the second profiled
element.
In a third step a floor or wall panel is joined with the second profiled
element.
Through this procedure an expansion element can be particular quickly assem-
bled. The time-consuming mounting at the underground with its further disadvan-
tages involved like the risk of damaging a wire or a pipe which is arranged in
the
floor respective wall is omitted.
In a further advantageous embodiment of the laying method for an expansion
element according to the invention, in the first step and third step the join
is
achieved by pivoting and linking of linking elements. Thereby, a particular
time-
saving assembling of the expansion element is achieved.
A further advantageous embodiment of the laying method includes that in an in-
termediate step afore the third step a spacer is at least partially inserted
between
the profiled elements in order to temporarily prevent a movement of the
profiled
elements at least in direction of a closer spacing of the profiled elements by
the
further laying. Thereby, it can be particular simply ensured that during the
assem-
bling a distance between the edges of opposite floor respective wall panels re-
mains whicli is sufficient to enable an effective expansion compensation
through
movement of the profiled elements into each other.
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With reference to the Figures:
Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the expansion element according to the inven-
tion in a cross section view with respective at the two profiled element 1, 2
mounted floor panels 3, 4. The movablility of the two profiled elements 1, 2
is
achieved through a groove 6 in the profiled element I and a with the groove
coop-
erating tongue 5 in the profiled element 2 while the tongue 5 enters deeper
into
the groove 6 and fills out more the cavity 11 during elongation of the panels
1 or
2. Tongue 5 and groove 6 are provided with cooperating protrusions 12, 13 in
order to hinder a sliding out of the tongue 5 of the groove 6 while
expenditure of
force which is needed for the moving and which have, for example a high of 1.5
mm. The tongue has, for example a length of 20 nvn and a thickness of 2 mm;
the
groove is as well 20 mm deep. At the two profiled elements 1, 2 respective
with
mounting means 7, 8, 10, 11 floor panels are mounted. The mounting means cor-
respond to the mounting means which are respectively provided between the pan-
els. Thereby, the tongue 8 of the profiled elements provides a mounting in the
panel in cooperation with the groove 7 in a direction which is perpendicular
to the
joining plane. The profiled element 2 is accordingly complementary provided
and
thus has the groove which the tongue of the panels 4 gathers. The mounting
means comprise latching means. Thus, at the bottom side, so the side which is
oriented to the underground, the tongue of the profiled element 1 is provided
with
a to the underside opened riil in which a to the upper side pointed nose edge
9 can
be snap in at the lower protruding shoulder of the groove 7 of the panel 3. In
the
profiled element 2 the groove of the profiled element 2 has at the bottom
side, so
the side which is oriented to the underground, a protruding shoulder which is
pro-
vided with a nose edge which points to the upper side, so the side which is
oppo-
site to the underground. It snaps in, for example in a rill which is opened to
the
underground at the side which is oriented to the bottoin side of the tongue of
the
panel 4. By the latching a mounting of the profiled elements in the joining
plane,
perpendicular to the edges of the panels is achieved. The profiled elements 1
and
2 which, for example have respective a cross section length Ll = L2 = 43 mm
are
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provided at the upper side in such a manner that a flush positioned joining of
the
panels 3 and 4 is achieved. For this purpose, the for the movement provided
join
of groove 6 and tongue 5 on the profiled eleinents 1 and 2 is arranged as near
to
the upper side as possible. For example, the tliickness of the shoulder of the
groove 6 which is arranged at the upper side has 1.5 mm. The lower shoulder of
the groove 6 has, for example a thickness of 3 mm with a laminate which has a
thickness of 8 mm, and 8 mm with a laminate which has a thickness of 12 mm.
