Patent Publication Number: US-2007107359-A1

Title: Panels to be engaged with each other through a locking element

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
      This application claims priority from Chinese Patent Application Number 200510115777.3, filed on Nov. 11, 2005, and titled “Panels To Be Engaged With Each Other Through A Locking Element.” The complete disclosure of this prior application, including drawings, is hereby incorporated into this application by reference.  
     TECHNICAL FIELD  
      The present invention relates to a construction decoration material, especially to flat strip flooring, or more particularly, to panels to be engaged with each other through locking elements, which panels can be used for various planar places.  
     BACKGROUND  
      Strip flooring is a construction decoration material which is widely used. Especially in recent years, flooring has been broadly used in homes and various public places. Most of the earlier floorings are solid wood floorings, but now laminate flooring using HDF or MDF (high or medium density fiber) board have been introduced into homes with the development of technology. Laminate flooring has obvious advantageous over solid wood flooring, such as homogeneous material in nature, no tortuousness, no shrink and easy installation with no need of support assemblies. At present, laminate flooring is installed through its locking structure, such as those described in CN1419625A and CN1087056C. CN1419625A discloses a combination of horizontal connection and locking element connection, wherein the former is realized through tenon and groove structure provided at the edges of panels, which limits the movement and separation of two adjacent panels in vertical direction, and the latter is realized through a locking element, which limits the movement, separation and displacement of two adjacent panels in horizontal direction. The disadvantage by using such combination is that the clearances between the panels when in use could not be completely avoided because the panel and the locking element are made of different materials with different rigidities and expansion coefficients. CN1087056C has made certain improvement in comparison with CN1419625A, as in the former, a limiting structure for limiting the separation of two adjacent panels in horizontal direction is added to the tenon and groove structure, which brings the advantage of relatively simple installation; however, the disadvantages are: deformation tends to occur during the installation and in actual use; it requires high manufacturing precision and high uniformity in density, rigidity and homogeneousness of different panels, which definitely increases the cost; moreover, the overlapped parts of horizontally engaged tenon and groove locking structure occupy 6 to 8 percent of the total breadth of the two connected panels, which causes waste of 6 to 8 percent from the point of view of flooring material use efficiency. The productivity of laminate flooring within China has reached hundreds of millions of square meters annually, thus it is estimated that tens of hundreds square meters of materials will be wasted based on the annual productivity, which problem needs to be resolved. Furthermore, the said two kinds of planar materials are basically used as flooring and cannot be used as covering materials for walls and tops of constructions.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      One purpose of present invention is to provide a kind of simply structured panel which can achieve efficient use of the flooring material and can be engaged with another such panel.  
      The other purpose of present application is to provide a planar covering material which can be used in various places.  
      To achieve the above mentioned purposes, the present invention provides a panel to be engaged through a locking element. Said panel includes a strip board part and locking element part, wherein adjacent said strip boards can be engaged with each other through said locking element. There are grooves formed at the coupling ends of the strip board and in the vertical direction; said locking element comprises two tenons extending from the bottom plate of the locking element; the positions and the shapes of the two tenons correspond to the said grooves. When assembling the said board and said locking element, said tenons are engaged in the grooves, thus the adjacent strip boards are connected with each other through the locking element.  
      The panels according to present invention are connected through the grooves on the board and the tenons on the locking element. Therefore, the panel has simple structure and is easy to be installed and removed. Moreover, except the grooves, there is no need to form tenons on the strip board, which can greatly save materials.  
      Preferably, a middle pole can be formed on the locking element. Said middle pole, which is provided between the two tenons, extends from the bottom board of the locking element and in the same direction of the tenons. When assembled, the two sides of the middle pole abut against the sides of the two adjacent strip boards respectively.  
      Forming a middle pole on the locking element will not only increase the structural strength of the locking element but also make it convenient for installation. Meanwhile, holding the middle pole between the two sides of the adjacent boards will increase the elasticity of the installed flooring.  
      Preferably, said grooves can be formed on the top or bottom surface of the strip board, that is to say, the opening of the groove can face up or down. When the groove faces up, the locking element can be fitted above the board, which makes the installation more convenient and makes it possible that the floorings after installation can present in various appearances.  
      Preferably, the grooves on the two sides of the strip board are symmetrically provided, and the two tenons on the locking element corresponding to the grooves are symmetrically provided accordingly.  
      When the grooves are symmetrically provided, a hook portion is provided at the lower end of the outer wall of the groove, and a hook body is accordingly provided at the end of the tenons of the locking element; said hook portion can be engaged with the hook body. The horizontal displacements and the vertical positions between the boards can be better limited through the engagement of the hook portion and the hook body.  
      On the other hand, said grooves on the two sides of the strip boards can be asymmetrically provided, and then the two tenons on the locking element corresponding to the grooves are asymmetrically provided accordingly.  
      When the grooves are asymmetrically provided, a hook portion is provided on the lower end of the outer wall of one side of the board, and a hook body is provided on the end of one tenon; while a recessed portion is provided on the outer wall of the other side of the board, and a protruded portion is provided on one side of the corresponding tenon of the locking element, wherein the said protruded portion can be engaged with the said recessed portion.  
      Preferably, the engaging surfaces of the said hook portion and said hook body are inclined surfaces or smooth transition surfaces or surfaces with a similar S-shaped profile. Such engaging surfaces would smooth the installation and removal of the boards.  
      Preferably, a clearance is provided between the hook portion and the hook body and/or a side surface slot is provided on the lateral surface of the strip board so as to receive remained glue.  
      Preferably, there is a gap of 0.1 mm to 1 mm between the lower end surface of the outer wall of the strip board and the surface of the bottom plate of the said locking element, which makes the flooring in use more elastic and enables the flooring to get better foot feeling.  
      Preferably, a hollow chamber is provided in one tenon of the locking element, which makes the tenon more elastic.  
      Preferably, an inclined plane is formed on the outside of the lateral surface of the strip board. A panel with an inclined plane formed at the lateral surface will benefit the installation of the boards and make the surfaces of the boards abut against each other closely.  
      Preferably, the contacting portions of the surfaces of the strip board and the locking element are designed with circular transition, which would be convenient for the assembly of the board and the locking element so as to avoid interference.  
      Preferably, one or more rigid strip-shaped elements can be provided within the central portion of the bottom plate of the said locking element, which will increase the rigidity of the locking element.  
      Preferably, a small inclined plane can be provided at the upper edge of the lateral surface of the strip board. After installation, therefore, a shallow V-shape groove can be formed between adjacent panels, which will enhance the aesthetic effect of the flooring.  
      In order to realize the second purpose of the invention, at least two through holes are provided at the bottom plate of the locking element, which allow the locking element to be fixed to a wall or to a ceiling through fasteners such as screws. In this way, the application range of the panels according to present invention is broadened.  
      Preferably, the top surface of the middle pole is lower than or in the same level with the surface of the strip board; said top surface of the middle pole is a planar surface or a convex surface, or in a reversed V shape or in a concave V shape. When the top surface of the middle pole is lower than the top surface of the strip board, the middle pole can be hidden under the surface of the flooring; while when the top surface of the middle pole is in the same level with the surface of the board, then the top surface of the middle pole can be designed in different shapes so as to increase the aesthetic effect of the flooring surface after installation.  
      Preferably, the sides of the locking element contact closely with the strip boards after installation, which will help to limit the relative horizontal displacement between the strip boards.  
      Preferably, the groove can extend along the whole length of the board, and locking elements can be correspondingly provided along the whole length of the board, which will increase the strength of the connection and give a better impression of the whole appearance. Or, grooves can be formed at intervals along the length direction of the board and accordingly, locking elements can be provided corresponding to the positions of the grooves, so that the purpose of saving the amount of the locking element can be achieved.  
      The panel according to present invention is simple in general structure and has comprehensive advantages of being applicable to various decoration places, moreover, it has advantages of easy installation and easy use, good performance in limiting the displacement in both vertical and horizontal directions, and comfortable foot feeling. Since the laminate flooring using HDF or MDF board has uniformity in respect of material and has minor deformation, the space allowing horizontal expansion of the panel can be ensured after installation and at the same time, it is almost impossible that the displacement of the panel in the vertical direction will occur. The present invention offers a better solution to limit horizontal displacement of the panels and to save materials. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a section view of a board of the panel with symmetrical structure according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a section view of a board of the panel with asymmetrical structure according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  is a section view of the first embodiment of the installed panel according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 4  is a section view of a variety of the first embodiment according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 5  is a section view of another variety of the first embodiment according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 6  is a section view of a further variety of the first embodiment according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 7  is a section view of the fourth variety of the first embodiment according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 8  is a section view of the second embodiment according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 9  is a section view of the first variety of the second embodiment according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 10  is a section view of the second variety of the second embodiment according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 11  is a section view of the third variety of the second embodiment according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 12  is a section view of the fourth variety of the second embodiment according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 13  is a section view of the fifth variety of the second embodiment according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 14  is a section view of the sixth variety of the second embodiment according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 15  is a section view of the seventh variety of the second embodiment according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 16  is a section view of the eighth variety of the second embodiment according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 17  is a section view of the ninth variety of the second embodiment according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 18  is a section view of the tenth variety of the second embodiment according to the present invention; and  
       FIG. 19  is a section view of the fifth variety of the first embodiment according to the present invention.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      The panel according to present invention includes strip board  1  and locking element  2 .  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  are the sectional views of different boards  1 .  FIG. 3  shows the section view of the assembled board  1  and locking element  2  of the first embodiment. It can be seen that the board  1  according to present invention has a rectangular strip-shaped board body. A groove  3  in the vertical direction is provided approaching each of the two sides of one surface of the strip board  1 . The grooves  3  can be provided symmetrically, as shown in  FIG. 1 , or asymmetrically, as shown in  FIG. 2 . In  FIG. 3 , the locking element  2 , as a separate part, is used to lock two strip boards  1 . Locking element  2  comprises a bottom plate and tenons  4  extending upwardly from said bottom plate. The tenons  4  are used to engage with the grooves  3  of the boards so as to connect two strip boards  1 . In the first embodiment according to present invention, the section of the locking element  2  is in a inversed-Π-shape. The locking element  2  is made of macromolecule materials with certain elasticity or is made of metal materials. When the locking element  2  is made of macromolecule materials, it will leave certain room for deformation and displacement of the strip board  1  in the horizontal direction.  
      Said grooves  3  on the board  1  can face either up or down. When the grooves  3  face down, the top surfaces of the installed panels are formed by the similar surfaces of the strip boards  1 ; when the grooves  3  faces up, however, the top surfaces of the installed panels are formed by stagger boards  1  and locking elements  2 , which will make it more convenient for flooring installation, removal and maintenance, and at the same time add the possibility for variety of the surface appearances of the floorings and variety of foot feelings.  
      Moreover, the grooves  3  can extend along the whole length of the board  1 , and corresponding locking elements  2  can be provided along the whole length of the board  1  accordingly, which will increase the strength of the connection and give a better whole appearance. Or, grooves  3  can be formed at intervals along the length direction of the board and accordingly, a locking element  2  can be provided corresponding to each position of the grooves, so that the purpose of saving materials for the locking element can be achieved.  
      As shown in  FIG. 3 , the grooves  3  on opposite sides of the strip boards  1  are symmetrically provided, and the corresponding two tenons of the locking element  2  are symmetrically provided too, wherein the said tenons  4  and the corresponding grooves  3  engage with each other. The engagement of the locking element  2  and the grooves  3  of the strip boards  1  firstly limits the displacement of the boards  1  in the horizontal direction; locking element  2  makes the corresponding sides of the two strip boards  1  press closely against each other, which not only limits the displacement of the strip boards  1  in the horizontal direction but also limits the positions in the vertical direction.  
      In  FIG. 1 , a hook portion  302  is provided at the lower part of the outer wall  301  of the said groove  3 , and a hook body  401  ( FIG. 3 ) is provided at the end of the corresponding tenon  4  of the locking element  2 . The hook portions  302  and the hook bodies  401  can engage with each other. Such locking structure can not only limit the horizontal displacement of the board  1  but also limit the displacement of the lateral surfaces of the board  1  in the vertical direction. Since the locking element  2  is made of plastic material with elasticity, multi-directional deformations will occur at the upper portion of the locking element  2  during installation, which depends on the size and shape of the chamber formed by the groove  3  and the direction of forces carried onto the groove  3 . Such multi-directional deformations will make the material of the panels  1  avoid suffering excess inside tension, which will greatly benefit the panels  1  during long term use.  
      If the grooves  3  at both sides of the strip board  1  are asymmetrically provided, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the two tenons  4  of the locking element  2  are asymmetrically provided accordingly, wherein the said tenons  4  and the corresponding grooves  3  can engage to form a locking structure as shown in  FIG. 5 . Asymmetrically provided grooves  3  will allow better distribution of the forces applied to the engaged tenons  4  and grooves  3 , which will improve the engagement performance. Asymmetrical structure not only allows easier installation but also allows more convenient maintenance and removal of the flooring, which provides convenience to the after sale service.  
       FIG. 4  is the section view of the first variety of the first embodiment according to the present invention. The grooves  3  of the board  1  and the tenons  4  of the locking element  2  are asymmetrically provided. Additionally, a chamber  7  is provided within one tenon  4  of the locking element  2 , which makes the tenon  4  more elastic.  
       FIG. 5  is the section view of the second variety of the first embodiment according to present invention. The grooves  3  of the board  1  and the tenons  4  of the locking element  2  are asymmetrically provided, too. A hook portion  302  is provided on the lower end of the outer wall  301  of the groove  3 , a hook body  401  is provided on the end of one tenon  4 ; while a recessed portion  304  is provided on the outer wall  303  of the other side of the groove  3 , and a protruded portion  402  is provided on one side of the corresponding tenon  4  of the locking element  2 . Moreover, there is a gap of 0.1 to 1 mm between the lower end surface of the outer wall of the strip board  1  and the surface of the bottom plate of the said locking element  2 , as shown by reference number  10 . Providing a certain gap will allow automatic correction of certain amount of the error due to installation or slight deformation of the ground surface during installation and in use. Furthermore, it will make the whole flooring more elastic and provide more comfortable foot feeling when in use. When the flooring bears pressure, the pressure will be firstly passed onto the board  1 , then the end portion of the tenons of the locking element  2  within the groove  3  will slightly deform due to the pressure, which will increase the engaging force between the boards and therefore increase the engaging strength accordingly.  
      Preferably, a clearance  5  is provided between the said hook portion  302  and the hook body  401 . The clearance  5 , on one hand, provides the room for deformation of locking element  2 , and on the other hand, receives remained glue when glue is needed under certain installation conditions. The clearance  5  can properly overcome the slight banana deformation of the board  1 . Moreover, a side surface slot  6  may be also provided at the lateral surface of the strip board  1 . Side surface slot  6  may be used to receive remained glue.  
      As can be seen from  FIGS. 3, 4  and  5 , the engaging surfaces of the said hook portion  302  and hook body  401  are inclined surfaces or smooth transition surfaces or surfaces with a similar S-shaped profile. Such engaging surfaces would smooth the installation and removal of the flooring due to small deformation. Smooth transition surfaces or surfaces with a similar S-shaped profile of engaging surfaces of the hook portion  302  and hook body  401  make it possible to use various kinds of boards with different density. Locking element  2  can be made of macromolecule materials with different elasticity or plastic materials which contain considerable intensity (or rigidity).  
      Furthermore, one or more chambers can be provided in the bottom plate of the locking element  2 , which chamber extends along the length direction of the locking element  2 . A strip-shaped element  11  is provided within the chamber, which will increase the rigidity of locking element  2  and facilitate the installation. The said strip-shaped element  11  may have a flat section. The other shapes of the section, such as circular or oval, can also be chosen, depending on the specific requirements on the size and strength of the locking element  2 . The strip-shaped element  11  can be elastic steel wire.  
       FIG. 6  shows the third variety of the first embodiment according to present invention. In the third variety, a inclined plane  8  is provided on the outside of the lateral surface of the strip board  1 . Upon installation, a triangular space with a sharp angle point will be formed. Such space can receive remained glue. And, in this way, any difficulties for installation and inconvenience for removal due to various reasons can be avoided, and the upper parts of the corresponding side of the board  1  can contact with each other better.  
      In the second the third varieties, the contacting portions of the surfaces of the strip board  1  and the locking element  2  are designed with circular transition, which would be convenient for the assembly of the board and the locking element.  
       FIG. 7  shows the fourth variety of the first embodiment according to present invention. In this variety, the grooves of the board  1  are formed on the top surface of the board  1 , i.e. the grooves face up. The locking element  2  can be fitted at the top surface of the board. In this way, the top surfaces of the installed panels are formed by stagger boards  1  and locking elements  2 , which will make it more convenient for installation, removal and maintenance, and at the same time, obtain the possibility for diversity of the decoration surface appearances and variety of foot feelings.  
       FIG. 19  shows the fifth variety of the first embodiment according to present invention. In this variety, multiple through holes  13  are provided at the bottom plate of the locking element  2 . Such holes can be straight wall through holes or counterbores, which are used for the passing through of fasteners such as screws. By using such holes, the panels can be used for a surface other than a floor surface. During installation, the locking element  2  is firstly fixed to the straight walls or the top of the constructions via fasteners such as screws, then the strip board  1  can be engaged with the locking element  2 . Such structure will considerably broaden the use of the panels according to present invention. The multiple through holes  13  should be arranged at equal or unequal intervals along the length direction of the locking element  2 , which depends on the specific application conditions.  
      More preferably, a small inclined plane can be provided at the edge of the upper surface of the strip board  1 . After installation, a shallow V-shape groove can be formed between adjacent boards. The shallow V-shape grooves may be arranged in the lateral or length direction or in both directions, which will get more stereo feeling of the flooring after installation.  
       FIG. 8  shows the second embodiment of present invention. Similarly, the panel according to the second embodiment also includes a strip board  1  and a locking element  2 . The board  1  and locking element  2  engage with each other through the grooves  3  provided on the board  1  and the tenons  4  provided on the locking element  2 . The difference is a middle pole  12 , which is provided in the middle between the two tenons  4 , extending from the bottom plate of the locking element  2  and in the same direction of the tenons  4 , which makes the section of the locking element  2  in a  -shape. The middle pole  12  can not only increase the structural strength of the locking element  2  but also make it convenient for installation. Meanwhile, holding the middle pole  12  between the two sides of the adjacent boards  1  will increase the elasticity of the installed flooring. Similarly, the locking element  2  is made of macromolecule materials with certain elasticity or is made of metal materials.  
      If the locking element  2  is made of plastic materials, then when the floorings bear pressure, the pressure will be firstly passed onto the middle pole  12 , then the end portion of the tenons  4  of the locking element  2  within the groove  3  will slightly deform due to the pressure, which will increase the engaging force between the boards  1  and therefore increase the engaging strength accordingly. The middle pole  12  will help to avoid damage to the edges of the panels when two engaged panels press against each other due to forces applied thereto, thus protecting the panels.  
       FIG. 9  shows the section view of the first variety of the second embodiment according to present invention. Similar to the first embodiment, a hook portion  302  is provided at the lower end of the outer wall  301  of the groove  3 , a hook body  401  is provided at the end of one tenon  4 ; while a recessed portion  304  is provided on the outer wall  303  of the other side of the groove  3 , and a protruded portion  402  is provided on one side of the corresponding tenon  4  of the locking element  2 ; the recessed portion  304  engages with the protruded portion  402 , the size and shape of the hook body  401  and protruded portion  402  can be different, which makes the depths of the engaged parts of the hook body  401  and protruded portion  402  within the grooves  3  different, and therefore makes the deformation amounts of the elastic plastic different too. Similarly, in the variety of the second embodiment, a chamber  7  for elastic deformation and strip-shaped element  11  for increasing the rigidity can also be provided in the locking element  2 .  
       FIG. 10  is the section view of the second variety of the second embodiment according to present invention. The top surface of the middle pole  12  is lower than the surface of strip board  1 , while in  FIG. 9 , the said two surfaces are on the same level. In this way, the middle pole  12  is covered by the two engaged panels and therefore is hidden within the panels, and the edges of the two engaged panels hold the middle pole  12  between the two panels.  
      In the third variety as shown in  FIG. 11 , the top surface of the middle pole  12  is in the same level with the top surface of the strip board  1 . Then, the top surface of the middle pole  12  is exposed to the flooring surface after installation of the panels.  
      In the fourth variety as shown in  FIG. 12 , the middle pole  12  is lower than the surface of the strip board  1 . At the same time, a gap  10  is provided between the engaging surfaces of the board  1  and the locking element  2 .  
      The top surface of the middle pole  12  can be a planar surface or a concave V surface of the fifth variety as shown in  FIG. 13 , or a reversed V surface of the sixth variety as shown in  FIG. 14 ; or a convex surface of the seventh variety as shown in  FIG. 15 ; or a concave surface of the eighth variety as shown in  FIG. 16 . The top surfaces, which can be in various shapes, of the middle pole  12  may not only enhance the stereo feeling of the whole profile of the flooring after installation but also prolonging the lifetime of the flooring. The concave V shape of the top surface of the middle pole  12  will make the installed flooring have more aesthetic feeling.  
       FIG. 17  is the section view of the ninth variety of the second embodiment according to present invention. Similar as the variety of the first embodiment as shown in  FIG. 6 , a inclined plane  8  is provided at the outside of the lateral surface of the strip board  1 . Upon installation, due to the existence of the inclined plane  8 , a triangular space with a sharp angle point will be formed between the strip boards  1  and the middle pole  12  of the locking element  2 . Such space can receive remained glue when glue is used for installation, and, in this way, any difficulties for installation and inconvenience for removal due to various reasons can be avoided, and the upper parts of the corresponding side of the board  1  can contact with each other better.  
      In the tenth variety as shown in  FIG. 18 , the locking element  2  is provided above the board  1 . And, in this variety, the side surfaces of the locking element  2  closely contact the strip boards  1 ; no gap is provided between the side surfaces of the locking element  2  and the strip boards  1 , which can improve the seal and engaging strength of the tenons and achieve a good effect against the contracting force in the plane.  
      Although it is not shown, but as it can be imaged, several screw holes can be provided on the bottom of the locking element  2  in the second embodiment. Such holes can be used to install the locking element  2  to the walls or ceilings of houses, after then, the board  1  can be fit to the locking element. In this way, the application range of the panels can be broadened.  
      The panel according to present invention only comprises two parts, i.e. the board and the locking element, which are assembled through a way of locking. Thus, the panel according to present invention is simple in general structure and easy in installation and use. Since the locking element can be fixed to other construction surfaces besides the floor surfaces, thus the panel according to present invention is applicable to various decoration places. Through the engagement of the hook portion and hook body, the panel according to present invention can achieve good performance in limiting the displacement in both vertical and horizontal directions, and get comfortable foot feeling. Since the laminate flooring using HDF or MDF board has uniformity in respect of material and has minor deformation, the space allowing the expansion of the panel in the horizontal direction can be ensured after installation and at the same time, it is almost impossible that the displacement of the panel in the vertical direction will occur. The present invention offers a better solution to limit the displacement of the panels in the horizontal direction and to save materials. Moreover, except the grooves, there is no need to form tenons on the strip board, while the tenons are provided on the locking elements that can be made of different materials. Thus, materials for manufacturing the board can be greatly saved.  
      Although only the above two embodiments are provided to describe the present invention, persons skilled in the art would recognize that certain modifications and changes would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the scope of this invention.