Patent Publication Number: US-2019169859-A1

Title: Mechanical locking system for floor panels

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/855,389, filed on Dec. 27, 2017, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/048,252, filed on Feb. 19, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,874,027, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/152,402, filed on Jan. 10, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,284,737, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/546,569, filed on Jul. 11, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,650,826, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/509,309, filed on Jul. 19, 2011. The entire contents of each of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/855,389, U.S. application Ser. No. 15/048,252, U.S. application Ser. No. 14/152,402, U.S. application Ser. No. 13/546,569, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/509,309 are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The disclosure generally relates to the field of mechanical locking systems for floor panels and building panels. The disclosure shows floorboards, locking systems, installation methods and production methods. 
     FIELD OF APPLICATION 
     The present disclosure is particularly suitable for use in floating floors, which are formed of floor panels which are joined mechanically with a locking system integrated with the floor panel, i.e. mounted at the factory, are made up of one or more upper layers of veneer, decorative laminate powder based surfaces or decorative plastic material, an intermediate core of wood-fibre-based material or plastic material and preferably a lower balancing layer on the rear side of the core. 
     The following description of known technique, problems of known systems and objects and features of the disclosure will therefore, as a non-restrictive example, be aimed above all at this field of application and in particular at panels formed as rectangular floor panels with long and shorts edges intended to be mechanically joined to each other on both long and short edges. 
     The long and short edges are mainly used to simplify the description of the disclosure. The panels may be square. The disclosure is preferably used on the short edges. It should be emphasized that the disclosure may be used in any floor panel and it may be combined with all types of known locking system formed on the long edges, where the floor panels are intended to be joined using a mechanical locking system connecting the panels in the horizontal and vertical directions on at least two adjacent sides. 
     The disclosure may also be applicable to, for instance, solid wooden floors, parquet floors with a core of wood or wood-fibre-based material and a surface of wood or wood veneer and the like, floors with a printed and preferably also varnished surface, floors with a surface layer of plastic or cork, linoleum, rubber. Even floors with hard surfaces such as stone, tile and similar materials are included and floorings with soft wear layer, for instance needle felt glued to a board. The disclosure may also be used for joining building panels which preferably contain a board material for instance wall panels, ceilings, furniture components and similar. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Laminate flooring usually comprises of a core of a 6-12 mm fibre board, a 0.2-0.8 mm thick upper decorative surface layer of laminate and a 0.1-0.6 mm thick lower balancing layer of laminate, plastic, paper or like material. A laminate surface consists of melamine-impregnated paper. The most common core material is fibreboard with high density and good stability usually called HDF—High Density Fibreboard. Sometimes also MDF—Medium Density Fibreboard—is used as core. 
     Traditional laminate floor panels of this type have been joined by means of glued tongue-and-groove joints. 
     In addition to such traditional floors, floor panels have been developed which do not require the use of glue and instead are joined mechanically by means of so-called mechanical locking systems. These systems comprise locking means, which lock the panels horizontally and vertically. The mechanical locking systems are usually formed by machining of the core of the panel. Alternatively, parts of the locking system may be formed of a separate material, for instance aluminium or HDF, which is integrated with the floor panel, i.e. joined with the floor panel in connection with the manufacture thereof. 
     The main advantages of floating floors with mechanical locking systems are that they are easy to install. They may also easily be taken up again and used once more at a different location. 
     DEFINITION OF SOME TERMS 
     In the following text, the visible surface of the installed floor panel is called “front side”, while the opposite side of the floor panel, facing the sub floor, is called “rear side”. The edge between the front and rear side is called “joint edge”. By “horizontal plane” is meant a plane, which extends parallel to the outer part of the surface layer. Immediately juxtaposed upper parts of two adjacent joint edges of two joined floor panels together define a “vertical plane” perpendicular to the horizontal plane. By “vertical locking” is meant locking parallel to the vertical plane in D1 direction. By “horizontal locking” is meant locking parallel to the horizontal plane in D2 direction. 
     By “up” is meant towards the front side, by “down” towards the rear side, by “inwardly” mainly horizontally towards an inner and center part of the panel and by “outwardly” mainly horizontally away from the center part of the panel. 
     By “locking systems” are meant co acting connecting elements, which connect the floor panels vertically and/or horizontally. 
     RELATED ART AND PROBLEMS THEREOF 
     For mechanical joining of long edges as well as short edges in the vertical and in the first horizontal direction perpendicular to the edges several methods may be used. One of the most used methods is the angle-snap method. The long edges are installed by angling. The panel is than displaced in locked position along the long side. The short edges are locked by horizontal snapping. The vertical connection is generally a tongue and a groove. During the horizontal displacement, a strip with a locking element is bent and when the edges are in contact, the strip springs back and a locking element enters a locking groove and locks the panels horizontally. Such a snap connection is complicated since a hammer and a tapping block may need to be used to overcome the friction between the long edges and to bend the strip during the snapping action. 
     Similar locking systems may also be produced with a rigid strip and they are connected with an angling-angling method where both short and long edges are angled into a locked position. 
     Recently new and very efficient locking systems have been introduced with a separate flexible or displaceable integrated tongue on the short edge that allows installation with only an angling action, generally referred to as “vertical folding”. Such a system is described in WO 2006/043893 (Välinge Innovation AB. 
     Several versions are used on the market as shown in  FIGS. 1 a -1 f   .  FIG. 1 a , 1 b    shows a flexible tongue  30  with a flexible snap tab extending from the edge.  FIG. 1 c , 1 d    shows a displaceable tongue with an inner flexible part that is bendable horizontally in a cross section of the tongue or along the joint. Such systems are referred to as vertical snap systems and they provide an automatically locking during the folding action. 
     The locking system may also be locked with a side push action such that a displaceable tongue  30  is pushed into a locked position from the long side edge when adjacent sort side edges are folded down to the sub floor. Such a side push action could be difficult to combine with a simple angling and the friction may be too strong for wide panels. 
       FIG. 1 e    shows a fold down system with a flexible tongue  30  that is made in one piece with the core.  FIG. 1 f    shows a long edge locking system in a fold down system that is connected with angling. 
     Although such systems are very efficient, there is still a room for improvements. Vertical snap systems are designed with the tongue on the strip panel. The reason is that an inclined sliding surface can only be formed on the fold panel when the upper edges are made without a bevel and this is generally the case. It is difficult to insert the separate tongue  30  during production into a groove  40  over a strip  6  comprising a locking element  8 . The locking force is dependent on the snapping resistance. High locking force can only be accomplished with high snapping resistance when the tongue is pressed inwardly and when it snaps back into a tongue groove  40 . This creates separation forces that tend to push the panels apart during folding. The locking may lose its strength if the flexibility and pressing force of the tongue decreases over time. The flexibility must be considerable and allow that a flexible tong is displaced in two directions about 1-2 mm. The material, which is used to produce such tongues, is rather expensive and glass fibres are generally used to reinforce the flexible tongue. 
     It would be a major advantage if the separate tongue could be fixed to the fold panel and if snapping could be eliminated in a system that locks automatically during folding. 
     SUMMARY 
     An overall objective of embodiments of the present disclosure is to provide a locking system for primarily rectangular floor panels with long and short edges installed in parallel rows, which allows that the short edges may be locked to each other automatically without a snap action that creates a locking resistance and separation forces of the short edges during folding. A specific objective is to provide a locking system with a separate displaceable tongue on the fold panel that may lock without any contact with the sharp upper edge of the strip panel and that the tongue is displaced essentially in one direction only from an inner part of a groove and outwardly. 
     The above objects of embodiments of the disclosure are achieved wholly or partly by locking systems and floor panels according to the independent claims. Embodiments of the disclosure are evident from the dependent claims and from the description and drawings. 
     A first aspect of the disclosure are building panels provided with a locking system for vertical locking of a first and a second building panel by a vertical displacement of the panels relative each other. A sidewardly open tongue groove is provided at an edge of the first building panel. A strip protrudes below the tongue groove and outwardly beyond the upper part of the edge of said first panel. A displaceable tongue is provided in a sidewardly open displacement groove at an edge of the second building panel. The displaceable tongue comprises main body extending along the edge of the second panel and preferably a tongue locking surface, located at an upper and outer part of the displaceable tongue, configured to cooperate with a groove locking surface of the tongue groove for a vertical locking of the first and the second building panel. The displaceable tongue comprises an inner part, spaced inwardly from an upper part of an edge of said second panel, the inner part comprises a tongue pressing surface configured to cooperate with a strip pressing surface on the strip. The displaceable tongue is configured to be displaced into the tongue groove when the tongue and the strip pressing surface are displaced vertically against each other to obtain the vertical locking. 
     The displaceable tongue is preferably an injection-moulded tongue. 
     The displaceable tongue may be asymmetric and comprising a protrusion and the second panel may comprise a cavity for housing the protrusion. 
     The protrusion may comprise a flexible part. 
     The strip may be provided with a locking element that cooperates with a downwardly open locking groove formed on the second panel for locking the first and the second building panel in a horizontal direction. 
     The tongue pressing surface is preferably positioned on the protrusion and the strip pressing surface is preferably located on the locking element. 
     The strip pressing surface is most preferably located on an inclined surface of the locking element that is directed towards the edge of the first building panel. 
     The locking system may comprise a cavity that extends from the displacement groove to the locking groove. 
     The strip and the tongue pressing surfaces may be inclined against a horizontal plane with an angle of about 25 to 75 degrees. 
     The displacement groove may be inclined and comprise an inner part that extends downwards. 
     The building panels may be locked vertically by two pairs of cooperating surfaces comprising the groove locking surface and the tongue locking surface, and an upper part of the strip and a lower part of the edge of the second panel, respectively. 
     The groove locking surface and the tongue locking surface may be inclined against a horizontal plane. 
     The groove locking surface and the tongue locking surface may be inclined with an angle of about 10 to 60 degrees to a horizontal plane. 
     The displaceable tongue may be provided with a flexible friction element. 
     The displaceable tongue may comprise at least two protrusions extending from the main tongue body and each protrusion may comprise said tongue pressing surface located at an outer part of the protrusion that during locking is in contact with a locking element provided on the strip. 
     The building panel may be a floor panel and the outer part of the displaceable tongue is preferably in an unlocked position located in the displacement groove. 
     The displacement groove may extend vertically above the locking groove. 
     The locking groove may be located vertically below the upper part of the displacement groove. 
     An upper part of the locking element may be located vertically below the tongue locking surface of the displaceable tongue. 
     An upper part of the locking groove may be located vertically below the tongue locking surface of the displaceable tongue. 
     The innermost part of the displaceable tongue may be below the outermost part of such tongue. 
     The tongue pressing surface may be located vertically below the tongue locking surface. 
     An upper part of the locking element may be located in the lower half of an intermediate core of the first building panel. 
     The strip may be flexible such that it bends downwards during locking. 
     The cavity may be larger than the protrusion such that there is a space S of at least about 1-3 mm. 
     The displaceable tongue may be gradually inserted into the tongue groove from a tongue part, which is adjacent an installed long edge, to another tongue part adjacent a free long edge. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will in the following be described in connection to exemplary embodiments and in greater detail with reference to the appended exemplary drawings, wherein: 
         FIGS. 1 a - f    illustrate locking systems according to known technology. 
         FIGS. 2 a - d    illustrate a short edge locking system according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIGS. 3 a -3 d    illustrate a short edge locking system according to preferred embodiments of the disclosure. 
         FIGS. 4 a - e    illustrate preferred embodiments of short edge locking systems. 
         FIGS. 5 a - e    illustrate vertical folding of three panels according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIGS. 6 a - e    illustrate the flexibility of the locking systems during locking and preferred embodiments of displaceable tongues. 
         FIGS. 7 a - b    illustrate tongue blanks according to embodiments of the disclosure comprising several displaceable tongues. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     To facilitate understanding, several locking systems in the figures are shown schematically. It should be emphasized that improved or different functions may be achieved using combinations of the preferred embodiments. 
     All embodiments may be used separately or in combinations. Angles, dimensions, rounded parts, spaces between surfaces etc. are only examples and may be adjusted within the basic principles of the disclosure. 
       FIGS. 2 a  -2 d    show a first preferred embodiment of a short edge locking system provided with a flexible and displaceable tongue  30  in an edge of a second panel  1 ′ inserted in a displacement groove  40  and extending along the edge of the second panel. The displaceable tongue  30  has a tongue locking surface  31  located at an upper and outer part that cooperates with a groove locking surface  21  located at an inner and upper part of a tongue groove  20  formed in an adjacent edge of a first panel  1 . The locking surfaces lock the panels in a first vertical direction. The locking surfaces are preferably inclined with an angle A 2  that is about 10-60 degrees. The displacement groove is preferably also inclined and the outer part is closer to the panel surface than an inner part. 
     The first panel  1  comprises a protruding strip  6  that extends outwardly beyond a vertical plane VP. The strip comprises a locking element  8 . The second panel  1 ′ comprises a locking groove  14  that cooperates with the locking element  8  and locks the panels in a horizontal direction. The strip  6  has an upper part  6 , which is in contact with a lower part  37  of the adjacent edge and locks the panels in a second vertical direction. 
     The displaceable tongue  30  comprises a protrusion  34  extending from a main tongue body  36 . The second panel  1 ′ comprises at least one cavity  35  for housing the protrusion. The cavity extends from the displacement groove to the locking groove  14 . 
     The cavity may be formed by a screw cutter or by displaceable saw blades. 
     The protrusion comprises a tongue pressing surface  32  which cooperates with a strip pressing surface  33  on the locking element. The strip pressing surface  33  and the tongue pressing surface  32  are inclined with an angle A 1  which is preferably 25-75 degrees against a horizontal plane HP. 
     The displaceable tongue is displaced essentially in one direction towards the tongue groove when the inclined pressing surfaces are sliding against each other during the vertical displacement of the adjacent edges. The tongue may be locked with a strong pressure against the tongue groove  21  and the locking element  14  prevents the tongue from sliding back into the displacement groove. 
     One major problem related to a “press lock system” as described above is the risk that they may split with a crack  50  between the displacement groove  40  and the locking groove  14  as shown in  FIG. 2 d   . Therefore it is preferable that the upper parts of the locking groove  14   a  and the locking element  8   a  are made in the lower part of the floor panel, preferably below the center line C that divides the floor panel in two equal parts, one upper part UP and one lower part LP. It is also preferable that the tongue pressing surface  32  is located vertically below the tongue locking surface  31 . The tongue pressing surface and the tongue locking surface are preferably offset vertically and are preferably located on different horizontal planes H 2 , H 1 . It is also preferred that an upper part of the locking element  8   a  and/or an upper part of the locking groove  14   a  are located vertically below the tongue locking surface  31 . The innermost part of the displaceable tongue  30  is preferably located below the outermost part of such tongue. 
     The cavities  35  are preferably formed by rotating saw blades and comprise preferably an upper rounded part with an outer part  35   b  that is located above an inner part  35   a  as shown in  FIG. 2 d   . The cavity is preferably formed such that it intersects the inner part  14   b  of the locking groove  14 . 
       FIGS. 3 a  -3 d    show the locking function during the vertical displacement of the second panel  1 ′ against the first panel  1 . The displaceable tongue  30  is gradually pressed into the tongue groove  20  by the cooperating pressing surfaces  32 , 33  and the panels are locked vertically with two pairs of cooperating locking surfaces, the tongue locking surface  31  and the groove locking surface  21  and an upper part  6 ′ of the strip  6  and a lower part  37  of the adjacent edge  1 ′. 
       FIGS. 4 a -4 e    show different embodiments.  FIG. 4 a    shows a displaceable tongue  30  with a protrusion  34  located under the main tongue body. The locking groove  14  is located vertically under an upper part of the displacement groove  40 .  FIG. 4 b    shows a tongue pressing surface  32  that locks against a strip pressing surface that is not active in the horizontal locking.  FIG. 4 c    shows that the same locking surface  33  on the locking element  8  may be used as a pressing surface and as a locking surface for the horizontal locking.  FIG. 4 d    shows that the strip pressing surface may be formed on a separate pushing rod  42 .  FIG. 4 e    shows a protrusion  34  that comprises a curved cross section and a locking element that comprises an upper part  44  formed as local protrusion that protrudes above the inner part of the locking groove  14  and into the cavities  35 . 
       FIGS. 5 a  -5 e    show vertical folding of three panels wherein the long edges  2 , 2 ′ are connected with angling and the short edges  1 ,  1 ′ with a scissor like motion that combines angling and vertical displacement.  FIG. 5 b    shows that the displaceable tongue is gradually inserted into the tongue groove  20  from one part of the edges that is adjacent to the installed long edge  2  to the other free long edge.  FIG. 5 c    shows the tongue in the cross section A-A and  FIGS. 5 d , 5 e    show the tongue position in the cross sections B-B, and C-C. The strip  6  and the locking element  8  are in this embodiment designed such that they bend backwards during locking and this facilitates locking since the necessary flexibility may be provided partly or completely with such strip bending. The locking groove is positioned vertically under the lower part of the displacement groove  40 . 
       FIG. 6 a    shows that the locking system may be formed such that several parts are flexible for example the protrusion  34 , the locking strip  6  and the locking element  8 . This flexibility may be used to eliminate production tolerances and to facilitate an easy and strong locking.  FIG. 6 a    shows that the strip  6  may be bended downwards and the locking element  8  may be bended downwards and outwardly. Such a strip bending may facilitate locking that may even be accomplished with a displaceable tongue that comprises a limited flexibility such as a tongue that essentially comprises wood fibre material. A locking be accomplished with a flexibility where a part of the displaceable tongue  30  is bended or compressed marginally for example only about 0.1-1.0 mm in the horizontal direction. 
       FIGS. 6 b  and 6 c    show embodiments of the tongue. The displaceable tongue may be fixed into the displaceable groove with a friction connection  38 . The protrusion  34  may comprise flexible parts  39  that create a pre-tension against the tongue groove  20 . The cavity  35  may be considerably larger than the protrusion and preferably there is a space S that may be about 1-3 mm. 
       FIG. 6 d    shows a locking system with a sliding surface  45  that protrudes beyond a vertical plane VP. The tongue groove  20  is preferably formed on an inclined edge surface  46 . Such an embodiment offers the advantages that the displaceable tongue  30  may be pressed inwardly and the conventional two-way snapping action may be combined with a one way pressing motion that may be used to create the final locking. 
       FIG. 6 e    shows a separate tongue  30 , located in a sideway open groove  40  on the second panel  1 ′, comprising an upwardly extending snap tab  47  that cooperates with a downwardly extending sliding surface  45  that is located on the first panel  1  and that protrudes beyond the upper edge and the vertical plane VP. The second panel  1 ′ comprises preferably an inclined edge surface  46 ′ located above and and/or below the tongue  30 . An easy snapping may be obtained even with panels that have straight and sharp upper adjacent edges. The snap tab may be replaced with a displaceable tongue that comprises flexible snapping protrusions along its length. The locking system shown in  FIG. 1 d    may also be adjusted such that it comprises inclined edge surfaces and such a design may be used to increase the strength of the joint. 
     The locking system according to the disclosure may also be formed without a locking grove  14  and a locking element  8  such that it only locks the edges in a vertical direction. The locking element  8  may be replaced with local protrusions that extend upwards from a strip  6  and are in locked position located in the cavities. The short edges may be locked horizontally by friction between the long edges. 
     All locking systems may be designed such that they be unlocked with angling and/or sliding along the edges. 
       FIG. 7 a , 7 b    show a tongue blank  43  that comprise several displaceable tongues that are preferably asymmetric along the tongue length.  FIG. 7 a    shows injection-moulded tongues  30  and  FIG. 7 b    shows displaceable tongues  30  made of a wood based material that is preferably machined and punched. 
     The cavities  35  that are preferably formed by rotating saw blades comprises an upper part that is rounded and may comprise an inner part that is located below an outer part. The locking system may be partly or completely formed by carving tools. 
     While illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described herein, the present invention is not limited to the various preferred embodiments described herein but includes any and all embodiments having equivalent elements, modifications, omissions, combinations (e.g. of aspects across various embodiments), adaptations and/or alterations as would be appreciated by those in the art based on the present disclosure. The limitations in the claims are to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims and not limited to the examples described in the present specification or during prosecution of the application, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive.