Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/AU2002217740C1/en
Timestamp: 2020-01-22 08:44:26
Document Index: 350815487

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 49', 'art 49', 'art 49', 'art 66', 'art 44', 'arts 42', 'art.\n46', 'art.\n104']

AU2002217740C1 - Floorboard and locking system - Google Patents
AU2002217740C1
AU2002217740C1 AU2002217740A AU2002217740A AU2002217740C1 AU 2002217740 C1 AU2002217740 C1 AU 2002217740C1 AU 2002217740 A AU2002217740 A AU 2002217740A AU 2002217740 A AU2002217740 A AU 2002217740A AU 2002217740 C1 AU2002217740 C1 AU 2002217740C1
AU2002217740B2 (en
2008-10-09 First worldwide family litigation filed litigation Critical https://patents.darts-ip.com/?family=26655372&utm_source=google_patent&utm_medium=platform_link&utm_campaign=public_patent_search&patent=AU2002217740(C1) "Global patent litigation dataset” by Darts-ip is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
210000000088 Lip Anatomy 0 description 107
WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 1 FLOORBOARD AND LOCKING SYSTEM: The present invention relates to a locking system for mechanical joining of floorboards and floorboards having such a locking system.
Technical Field The invention is particularly suited for floorboards which are based on wood material and in the normal case have a core of wood and which are intended to be mechanically joined. The following description of prior-art technique and the objects and features of the invention will therefore be directed at this field of application and, above all, rectangular parquet floors which are joined on long side as well as short side. The invention is particularly suited for floating floors, i.e. floors that can move in relation to the base. However, it should be emphasis ed that the invention can be used on all types of existing hard floors, such as homogeneous wooden floors, wooden floors with a lamellar core or plywood core, floors with a surface of veneer and a core of wood fibre, thin laminate floors, floors with a plastic core and the like. The invention can, of course; also be used in other types of floorboards which can be machined with cutting tools, such as subfloors of plywood or particle board. Even if it is not preferred, the floorboards can after installation be fixed to the base.
Technical Background of the Invention Mechanical joints have in a short time taken great market shares mainly owing to their superior laying properties, joint strength and joint quality. Even if the floor according to WO 9426999 as described in more detail below and the floor marketed under the trademark Alloc@ have great advantages compared with traditional, glued floors, further improvements are, however, desirable.
Mechanical joint systems are very convenient for joining not only of laminate floors but also wooden WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 2 floors and composite floors. Such floorboards may consist of a large number of different materials in the surface, core and rear side. As will be described below, these materials can also be included in the different parts of the joint system, such as strip, locking element and tongue. A solution involving an integrated strip which is formed according to, for example, WO 9426999 or WO 9747834 and which provides the horizontal joint, and also involving a tongue which provides the vertical joint, results, however, in costs in the form of material waste in connection with the forming of the mechanical joint by machining of the board material.
For optimal function, for instance a parquet floor should have a strip which is of a width which is approximately the same as the thickness of the floor, i.e. about 15 mm. With a tongue of about 3 mm, the amount of waste will be 18 mm. The floorboard has a normal width of about 200 mm. Therefore the amount of material waste will be abou In general, the cost of material waste will be great if the floorboards consist of expensive materials, if they are thick or if their format is small, so that the number of running meters of joint per square meter of floor will be great.
WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 3 When a strip produced by machining of the floorboard material is involved, the reverse is the case. Thus, the format of the floorboards must be adjusted so that there is enough material for forming the strip and the tongue.
The invention starts from known floorboards which have a core, a front side, a rear side and opposite joint edge portions, of which one is formed as a tongue groove defined by upper and lower lips and having a bottom end, and the other is formed as a tongue with an upwardly directed portion at its free outer end. The tongue groove has the shape of an undercut groove with an opening, an inner portion and an inner locking surface. At least parts of the lower lip are formed integrally with the core of the floorboard and the tongue has a locking surface which is designed to coact with the inner locking surface in the tongue groove of an adjoining floorboard, when two such floorboards are mechanically joined, so that their front sides are located in the same surface WO 02/0-55809 WO 02/55809PCT/SE02/00042 4 plane (HP) and meet at a joint plane (VP) directed perpendicular thereto. This tec:hnique is disclosed in, inter alia WO0 9627721, DE-AL-1212275 and JP 3169967, which will be discussed in more detail below.
Description of Prior Art To facilitate the understanding and description of the present invention as well as the knowledge of the problems behind the invention, here follows a description of both the basic construction and the function of floorboards according to WO0 9426999 and WO0 9966151, with reference to Figs 1-10 in the accompanying drawings. In applicable parts, the following description of the priorart technique also applies o the embodiments of the present invention as described below.
Ficqs 3a and 3b show a floorboard 1 accordinq to WO0 9426999 from above and from below, respectively. The board 1 is rectangular with an upper side 2, an underside 3, two opposite long sides with joint edge portions 4a and 4b, and two opposite short sides with joint edge portions 5a and 23 The Joint edge portions 4a, 4b of the long sides as well as the joint edge portions 5a, Sb of the short sides can be joined mechanically without glue in a direction D2 in Fig. 1c, so as to meet in a joint planc %VP (marked in Fig. 2c) and so as to have, in their laid state, their upper sides in a common surface plane HP (marked in Fig. 2c).
In the shown embodiment, which is an example of floorboards according to WO0 9426999 (Figs 1-3 in the accompanying drawings), the board 1 has a factory-mounted SS plane strip 6 which extends along the entire long side 4a and which is made of a flexible, resilient aluminium sheet. The strip 6 extends outwards beyond the joint WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 plane VP at the joint edge portion 4a. The strip 6 can be attached mechanically according to the shown embodiment or else by glue or in some other manner. As stated in said documents, it is possible to use as material for a strip that is attached to the floorboard at the factory, also other strip materials, such as sheet of some other metal, aluminium or plastic sections. As is also stated in WO 9426999 and as described and shown in WO 9966151, the strip 6 can instead be formed integrally with the board 1, for instance by suitable machining of the core of the board 1.
A similar, although shorter strip 6' is arranged along one short side 5a of the board 1. The part of the strip 6 projecting beyond the joint plane VP is formed with a locking element 8 which extends along the entire strip 6. The locking element 8 has in its lower part an operative locking surface 10 facing the joint plane VP and having a height of, for instance, 0.5 mm. In laying, this locking surface 10 coacts with a locking groove 14 which is made in the underside 3 of the joint edge portion 4b of the opposite long side of an adjoining board The strip 6' along the short side is provided with a corresponding locking element and the joint edge portion 5b of the opposite short side has a corresponding locking groove 14'. The edge of the locking grooves 14, WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 6 14' facing away from the joint plane VP forns an operative locking surface 10' for coaction with the operative locking surface 10 of the locking element.
The locking tongue 20 enters completely the recess or tongue groove 16 while at the same time the locking ele- WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 ment 8 of the strip 6 snaps into the locking groove 14.
In their joined position according to Fig. Ic, the boards 1, 1' are certainly locked in the D1 direction as well as the D2 direction along their long side edge portions 4a, 4b, but the boards 1, 1' can be displaced relative to each other in the longitudinal direction of the joint along the long sides direction D3).
By repeating the operations shown in Figs la-c and 2a-c, the entire floor can be laid without glue and along all joint edges. Thus, prior-art floorboards of the above type can be joined mechanically by first, as a rule, being angled downwards on the long side and by the short sides, when the long side has been locked, being snapped together by horizontal displacement of the new board 1' along the long side of the previously laid board 1 (direction D3). The boards 1, 1' can, without the joint being damaged, be taken up again in reverse order of WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 8 laying and then be laid once more. Parts of these laying principles are applicable also in connection with the present invention.
The most common and safest laying method is that the long side is first angled downwards and locked against WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 another floorboard. Subsequently, a displacement in the locked position takes place towards the short side of a third floorboard, so that the snapping-in of the short side can take place. Laying can also be made by one side, long side or short side, being snapped together with another board. Then a displacement in the locked position takes place until the other side snaps together with a third board. These two methods require snapping-in of at least one side. However, laying can also take place without snap action. The third alternative is that the short side of a first board is angled inwards first towards the short side of a second board, which is already joined on its long side with a third board. After this joiningtogether, the first and the second board are slightly angled upwards. The first board is displaced in the upwardly angled position along its short side until the upper joint edges of the first and the third board are in contact with each other, after which the two boards are jointly angled downwards.
One more known design of mechanical locking systems for boards is shown in GB-A-1430423 and Figs 5a-5b in the accompanying drawings. This system is basically a tongue- WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 and-groove joint which is provided with an extra holding hook on an extended lip on one side of the tongue groove and which has a corresponding holding ridge formed on the upper side of the tongue. The system requires considerable elasticity of the lip provided with the hook, and dismounting cannot take place without destroying the joint edges of the boards. A tight fit makes manufacture difficult and the geometry of the joint causes a large amount of material waste.
Some of the boards that are disclosed in WO 9747834 and that have been designed for connection and dismounting either by an angular motion or by snapping together (Figs 2-4 in WO 9747834 and Figs 14a-c in the accompanying drawings), have at their one edge a groove and a strip projecting below the groove and extending beyond a joint plane where the upper sides of two joined boards meet. The strip is designed to coact with an essentially complementarily formed portion on the opposite edge of the board, so that two similar boards can be joined. A common feature of these floorboards is that the upper side of the tongue of the boards and the corresponding upper boundary surface of the groove are plane and parallel with the upper side or surface of the floorboards. The connection of the boards to prevent them from being pulled apart transversely of the joint plane is WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 11 obtained exclusively by means of locking surfaces on the one hand on the underside of the tongue and, on the other hand, on the upper side of the lower lip or strip below the groove. These locking systems also suffer from the drawback that they require a strip portion which extends beyond the joint plane, which causes material waste also within the joint edge portion where the groove is formed.
Another known system is disclosed in DE-A-1212275 and shown in Figs 8a-b in the accompanying drawings. This known system is suited for sports floors of plastic material and cannot be manufactured by means of large diskshaped cutting tools for forming the sharply undercut groove. Also this known system cannot be dismounted without the material having so great elasticity that the upper and lower lips round the undercut groove can be greatly deformed while being pulled apart. This type of joint is therefore not suited for floorboards that are 12 upper and lower lips round the undercut groove can be Cl greatly deformed while being pulled apart. This type of joint is therefore not suited for floorboards that are <based on wood-based-based material, if high-quality joints are desired.
FR-A-2675174 discloses a mechanical joint system for ceramic tiles which have complementarily formed opposite edge portions, in which case use is made of separate spring clips which are mounted at a distance from each c-i 10 other and which are formed to grasp a bead on the edge portion of an adjoining tile. The joint system is not designed for dismounting by pivoting, which is obvious from Fig. 10a and, in particular, Fig. 10b in the accompanying drawings.
It would be desirable to satisfy this need and provide such an optimal locking system for floorboards and such optimal floorboards. It would also be desirable to provide a snap joint which can be produced in a rational manner.
Summary of the Invention A floorboard and an openable locking system therefor comprise an undercut groove on one long side of the floorboard and a projecting tongue on the opposite long side of the floorboard. The undercut groove has a corresponding upwardly directed inner locking surface at a distance from its tip. The tongue and the undercut groove are formed to be brought together by snap action. Preferred embodiments are also dismountable by an angling motion which has its centre close to the intersection between the surface planes and the common joint plane of two adjoining floorboards. The undercut in the tongue groove of such a locking system can be produced by means of disk-shaped cutting tools whose rotary shafts are inclined relative to each other to form first an inner part of the undercut portion of the groove and then a locking surface positioned closer to the opening of the groove.
The present invention provides a locking system for mechanical joining of floorboards at a joint plane, said floorboards having a core, a front side, a rear side and opposite joint edge portions, of which one is formed as a tongue groove, which is defined by upper and lower lips and has a bottom end, and the other is formed as a tongue with an upwardly directed portion at its free outer end, the tongue groove, seen from the joint plane, having the shape of an undercut groove with an opening, an inner portion and an inner locking surface, and at least parts of the lower lip being formed integrally with the core of the floorboard, and 13a the tongue having a locking surface which is formed to coact with the inner locking surface in the tongue groove of an adjoining floorboard, when two such floorboards are mechanically joined, so that their front sides are positioned in the same surface plane and meet at the joint plane directed perpendicular thereto, wherein the inner locking surface of the tongue groove is formed on the upper lip within the undercut portion of the tongue groove for coaction with the corresponding locking surface of the tongue, said locking surface being formed on the upwardly directed portion of the tongue to counteract pulling-apart of two mechanically joined boards in a direction perpendicular to the joint plane, that the lower lip has a supporting surface for coaction with a corresponding supporting surface on the tongue, said supporting surfaces being intended to coact to counteract a relative displacement of two mechanically joined boards in a direction perpendicular to the surface plane, that all parts of the portions of the lower lip which are connected with the core, seen from the point where the surface plane and the joint plane intersect, are located outside a plane which is positioned further away from said point than a locking plane which is parallel therewith and which is tangent to the coacting locking surfaces of the tongue groove and the tongue where these are most inclined relative to the surface plane, and that all parts of the portions of the lower lip which are connected with the core are shorter than the upper lip and terminate at a distance from the joint plane, that the lower lip is flexible, that the upper lip is more rigid than the lower lip, that the supporting surface of the lower lip, seen parallel with the surface plane, is positioned at a distance from, and closer to the joint plane than the inner part of the undercut groove, and 13b that the upper and lower lips of the joint edge portions are formed to enable connection of a laid floorboard with a new floorboard by a pushing-together motion essentially parallel with the surface plane of the laid floorboard for snapping together the parts of the locking system during downward bending of the lower lip of the tongue groove.
The present invention also provides a floorboard having a core, a front side, a rear side and two opposite parallel joint edge portions which are formed as parts of a mechanical locking system and of which one is formed as a tongue groove defined by upper and lower lips and having a bottom end, and the other is formed as a tongue with an upwardly directed portion at its free outer end, the tongue groove, seen from the joint plane, having the shape of an undercut groove with an opening, an inner portion and an inner locking surface, and at least parts of the lower lip being integrally formed with the core of the floorboard, and the tongue having a locking surface which is designed to coact with the inner locking surface in the tongue groove of an adjoining floorboard when two such floorboards are mechanically joined, so that their front sides are positioned in the same surface plane and meet at the joint plane directed perpendicular thereto, wherein the inner locking surface of the tongue groove is formed on the upper lip within the undercut portion of the tongue groove for coaction with the corresponding locking surface of the tongue, which is formed on the upwardly directed portion of the tongue to counteract pulling apart of two mechanically joined boards in a direction perpendicular to the joint plane, that the lower lip has a supporting surface for coaction with a corresponding supporting surface on the tongue, said supporting surfaces being adapted to coact to 13c counteract a relative displacement of two mechanically joined boards in a direction perpendicular to the surface plane, that all parts of the portions of the lower lip, which are connected with the core, seen from the point where the surface plane and the joint plane intersect, are positioned outside a plane which is positioned further away from said point than a locking plane which is parallel therewith and which is tangent to the coacting locking surfaces of the tongue groove and the tongue where these locking surfaces are most inclined relative to the surface plane, and that all parts of the portions of the lower lip, which are connected with the core, are shorter than the upper lip and terminate at a distance from the joint plane, that the lower lip is flexible, that the upper lip is more rigid than the lower lip, that the supporting surface of the lower lip, seen parallel with the surface plane, is positioned at a distance from, and closer to the joint plane that the inner part of the undercut groove, and that the upper and lower lips of the joint edge portions are designed to enable connection of a laid floorboard with a new floorboard by a pushing-together motion essentially parallel with the surface plane of the laid floorboard for snapping together the parts of the locking system during downward bending of the lower lip of the tongue groove.
13d Before specific and preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, the basic concept of the invention and the strength and function requirements will be described.
High Joint Quality By high joint quality is meant a tight fit in the locked position between the floorboards both vertically and horizontally. It should be possible to join the floorboards without very large visible gaps or differences in level between the joint edges in the unloaded as well as in the normally loaded state. In a highquality floor, joint gaps and differences in level should not be greater than 0.2 and 0.1 mm respectively.
Upward Angling about Joint Edge In general, it should be possible to angle the long side of a floorboard upwards so that the floorboards can be released. Since the boards in the starting position are joined with tight joint edges, this upward angling must thus also be able to take place with upper joint edges in contact with each other and with rotation at the joint edge. This possibility of upward angling is very important not only when changing floorboards or moving a floor. Many floorboards are trial-laid or laid incorrectly adjacent to doors, in corners etc. during installation. It is a serious drawback if the floorboard cannot be easily released without the joint system being damaged. Nor is it always the case that a board that can be angled inwards can also be angled up again. In connection with the downward angling, a slight downwards bending of the strip usually takes place, so that the locking element is bent backwards and downwards and opens. If the joint system is not formed with suitable angles and radii, the board can after laying be locked in such manner that taking-up is not possible. The short side can, after the joint of the long side has been opened by upward angling, usually be pulled out along the joint edge, but it is advantageous if also the short side can be opened by upward angling. This is particularly advantageous when the boards are long, for instance 2.4 m, which makes pulling out of short sides difficult. The upward angling should take place with great safety with- WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 parts of the joint system be flexible and bendable. Even if inward angling of long sides is much easier and quicker than snapping-in, it is an advantage if also the long side can be snapped in, since certain laying operations, for instance round doors, require that the boards be joined horizontally. In case of a snappable joint, there is a risk of edge rising at the joint if the joint geometry is inappropriate.
Displaceability To make it possible to lock all four sides, it must be possible for a newly laid board to be displaced in WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 16 the locked position along a previously laid board. This should take place using a reasonable amount of force, for instance by driving together using a block and hammer, without the joint edges being damaged and without the joint system having to be formed with visible play horizontally and vertically. Displaceability is more important on long side than on short side since the friction is there essentially greater owing to a longer joint.
Measuring A good function, production tolerance and quality require that the joint profile can be continuously measured and checked. The critical par:s in a mechanical joint system should be designed in such manner that production and measurement are facilitated. It should be possible to produce them with tolerances of a few hundredths of a millimetre, and it should therefore be possible to measure them with great accuracy, for instance in a so-called profile projector. If the joint system is produced with linear cutting machining, the joint system will, except for certain production tolerances, have the same profile over the entire edge portion. Therefore the joint system can be measured with great accuracy by cutting out some samples by sawing from the floorboards and measuring them in the profile projector or a measuring microscope. Rational production, however, requires that the joint system can also be measured quickly and easily without destructive methods, for instance using gages. This is facilitated if the critical parts in the locking system are as few as possible.
Optimisation of Long and Short Side For a floorboard to be manufactured optimally at a minimum cost, long and short side should be optimised in WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 17 view of their different properties as stated above. For instance, the long side should be optimised for downward angling, upward angling, positioning and displaceability, while the short side should be optimised for snapping-in and high strength. An optimally designed floorboard should thus have different joint systems on long and short side.
The invention is also based on a second understanding, which is based on the knowledge of the requirements that must be satisfied by a mechanical joint sys- WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 18 tem for optimal function. This understanding has made it possible to satisfy these requirements in a manner that has previously not been known, viz. by a combination of a) the design of the joint system with, for instance, specific angles, radii, play, free surfaces and ratios between the different parts of the system, and b) optimal utilisation of the material properties of the core or core, such as compression, elongation, bending, tensile strength and compressive strength.
WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 The floorboards can also have a locking system according to the invention on all four sides.
At least two opposite sides of the floorboard thus have a joint system which is designed according to the invention and which comprises a tongue and a tongue groove defined by upper and lower lips, where the tongue in its outer and upper part has an upwardly directed part and where the tongue groove in its inner and upper part has an undercut. The upwardly directed part of the tongue and the undercut of the tongue groove in the upper lip have locking surfaces that counteract and prevent horizontal separation in a direction D2 transversely of the joint plane. The tongue and the tongue groove also have coacting supporting surfaces which prevent vertical separation in a direction D1 parallel with the joint plane.
The tongue, the tongue groove, the locking element and the undercut are designed so that they can be manufactured by machining using tools which have a greater tool diameter than the thickness of the floorboard. The tongue can with its upwardly directed portion be inserted into the tongue groove and its undercut by essentially horizontal snapping-in, the lower lip being bent so that the upwardly directed portion of the tongue can be inserted into the undercut. The lower lip is shorter than the upper lip, which facilitates the possibility of forming an undercut with a locking surface which has a relatively high inclination to the surface plane of the board and which thus gives a high horizontal locking force, which can be combined with a flexible lower lip.
According to a second aspect of the invention, the floorboard has two edge portions with a joint system WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 according to the invention, where the tongue with its upwardly directed portion both can be inserted into the tongue groove and its undercut by a snap function and can leave the tongue groove by upward angling while at the same time the boards are kept in contact with each other with their upper joint edges.
Different aspects of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accom- WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 21 panying drawings which show different embodiments of the invention. The parts of the inventive board that are equivalent to those of the prior-art board in Figs 1-2 have throughout been given the same reference numerals.
Figs la-c Figs 2a-c Figs 3a-b Figs 4a-b Figs Figs 5a-b 6a-b Figs 7a-b Brief Description of the Drawings show in three steps a downward angling method for mechanical joining of long sides of floorboards according to WO 9426999.
shows this variant of the invention to illustrate taking-up by upward angling while Figs Figs Figs Figs Sa-b 9a-b 10a-b lla-b Figs 12a-c Figs 13a-c Fig. 14 Fig. 15 Figs 13a-c show a downward and upward angling method using an embodiment invention.
Figs 20a-b show snapping-in of the outer and inner corner portion of the short side.
Fig 21 shows a joint system according to the invention with a flexible tongue.
Figs 22a-e show in detail snapping-in of the outer corner portion of the short side by using an embodiment of the invention.
Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments A first preferred embodiment of a floorboard 1, 1', which is provided with a mechanical locking system according to the invention, will now be described with reference to Figs lla and llb. To facilitate the understanding, the joint system is shown schematically. It should be emphasised that a better function can be achieved with other preferred embodiments that will be described below.
Figs 11a, llb show schematically a section through a joint between a long side edge portion 4a of a board 1 and an opposite long side edge portion 4b of another board 1' WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 23 direction D2 which extends perpendicular to the joint plane VP. During the laying of a floor with juxtaposed rows of boards, one board however, can be displaced along the other board in a direction D3 (see Fig. 19) along the joint plane VP. Such a displacement can be used, for instance, to provide locking-together of floorboards that are positioned in the same row.
The balancing layer 34 of the rear side may consist of a 2 mm veneer layer. In some cases, it may be advantageous to use different types of wood materials in different WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 24 parts of the floorboard for optimal properties within the individual parts of the floorboard.
Above the tongue groove, there is an upper edge portion or joint edge surface 41 which extends up to the surface plane HP. Inside the opening of the tongue groove, there is an upper engaging or supporting surface 43 which in this case is parallel with the surface plane HP. This enqaqinq or supporting surface passes into an inclined locking surface 43 which has a locking angle A to the horizontal plane HP. Inside the locking surface, there is surface portion 46 which forms the upper boundary surface of the undercut portion 35 of the tongue groove. The tongue groove further has a bottom end 48 which extends down to the lower lip 40. On the upper side of this lip there is an engaging or supporting surface 50. The outer end of the lower lip has a joint edge surface 52 which is positioned at a distance from the joint plane VP.
The shape of the tongue is also best seen in Fig. llb. The tongue is made of the material of the core or core 30 and extends beyond the joint plane VP when this joint edge portion 4b is mechanically joined with the joint edge portion 4a of an adjoining floorboard. The joint edge portion 4b also has an upper edge portion or upper joint edge surface 61 which extends along the joint plane VP down to the root of the tongue 38. The upper side of the root of the tongue has an upper engaging or WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 supporting surface 64 which in this case extends to an inclined locking surface 65 of an upwardly directed portion 8 close to the tip of the tongue. The locking surface 65 passes into a guiding surface portion 66 which ends in an upper surface 67 of the upwardly directed portion 8 of the tongue. After the surface 67 follows a bevel which may serve as a guiding surface 68. This extends to the tip 69 of the tongue. At the lower end of the tip 69 there is a further guiding surface which extends obliquely downwards to the lower edge of the tongue and an engaging or supporting surface 71. The supporting surface 71 is intended to coact with the supporting surface 50 of the lower lip when two such floorboards are mechanically joined, so that their upper sides are positioned in the same surface plane HP and meet at a joint plane VP directed perpendicular thereto, so that the upper joint edge surface 41, 61 of the boards engage each other. The tongue has a lower joint edge surface 72 which extends to the underside.
In this embodiment there are separate engaging or supporting surface 43, 64 in the tongue groove and on the tongue, respectively, which in the locked state engage each other and coact with the lower supporting surfaces 71 on the lower lip and on the tongue, respectively, to provide the locking in the direction D1 perpendicular to the surface plane HP. In other embodiments, which will be described below, use is made of the locking surfaces 65 both as locking surfaces for locking together in the direction D2 parallel with the surface plane HP and as supporting surfaces for counteracting movements in the direction D1 perpendicular to the surface plane. In the embodiment according to Figs lla, 2b, the locking surfaces 45, 65 and the engaging surfaces 43, 64 coact as upper supporting surfaces in the system.
As is apparent from the drawing, the tongue 38 extends beyond the joint plane VP and has an upwardly directed portion 8 at its free outer end or tip 69. The WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 tongue has also a locking surface 65 which is formed to coact with the inner locking surface 45 in the tongue groove 36 of an adjoining floorboard when two such floorboards are mechanically joined, so that their front sides are positioned in the same surface plane HP and meet at a joint plane VP directed perpendicular thereto.
As is evident from Fig. llb, the tongue 38 has a surface portion 52 between the locking surface 51 and the joint plane VP. When two floorboards are joined, the surface portion 52 engages the surface portion 45 of the upper lip 8. To facilitate insertion of the tongue into the undercut groove by inward angling or snapping-in, the tongue can, as shown in Figs lla, lib, have a bevel 66 between the locking surface 65 and the surface portion 57. Moreover, a bevel 68 can be positioned between the surface portion 57 and the tip 69 of the tongue. The bevel 66 may serve as a guiding part by having a lower angle of inclination to the surface plane than the angle of inclination A of the locking surfaces 43, 51.
According to the invention, the lower lip 40 has a supporting surface 50 for coaction with the corresponding supporting surface 71 on the tongue 36. In this embodiment, this supporting surface is positioned at a distance from the bottom end 48 of the undercut groove. When two floorboards are joined with each other, there is engagement both between the supporting surfaces 50, 71 and between the engaging or supporting surface 43 of the upper lip 39 and the corresponding engaging or supporting surface 64 of the tongue. In this way, locking of the boards in the direction Dl perpendicular to the surface plane HP is obtained.
Preferably, at least the major part of the bottom end 48 of the undercut groove, seen parallel with the WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 27 surface plane HP, is located further away from the joint plane VP than is the outer end or tip 69 of the tongue 36. By this design, manufacture is simplified to a considerable extent, and displacement of one floorboard relative to another along the joint plane is facilitated.
This means that the joint system will have high strength although the lower lip is resilient and thus has a limited capability of counteracting a downward component. This results in optimisation for obtaining a high locking force in combination with lower resistance to snappingin. High resistance to snapping-in makes snapping-in difficult and increases the risk of damage to the joint edge portions of the floorboards. The inventor has found that most materials used in floorboards can be made suf- WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 28 ficiently resilient by being formed with lips of a suitable thickness and length which can work in the preferred joint system and provide sufficient locking force.
Figs 13a-c show that the locking system according to Figs 12a-c can also be used for upward angling and downward angling in connection with taking-up and laying. The upper and lower lips 39, 40 and the tongue 38 are formed to enable disconnection of two mechanically joined floorboards by one floorboard being pivoted upwards relative to the other about a pivoting centre close to the intersection C between the surface plane HF and the joint plane VP so that the tongue of this floorbcard is pivoted out of the undercut groove of the other floorboard.
In this embodiment, the tongue groove is essentially deeper than is required to receive the tongue. As a result, a higher bendability of the lower lip 40 is obtained. Moreover, the locking system has a long tongue with a thick locking element 8. The locking surfaces are also heavily inclined. The dashed line indicates the snapping motion.
However, in other more preferred embodiments of the WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 29 invention, no downward bending of the lower lip is necessary when disconnecting the floorboards.
WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 Figs 16a-c illustrate an example of a floorboard according to the invention. This embodiment shows specifically that the joint system on long side and short side is differently designed. On the short side, the locking system is optimised for snapping by means of a high locking angle, deep tongue groove and upper lip shorter than lower lip while at the same time the locking surfaces have a low height to reduce the requirement for downward bending. On the long side, the joint system has been adjusted for joining/taking-up by angular motions.
It is also possible to vary the material along the length of a side. Thus, for instance the blocks that are positioned between the two short sides can be of different kinds of wood or materials so that some can be selected with regard to their contributing suitable properties which improve laying, strength etc. Different properties can also be achieved with different orientation of fibres on long side and short side, and also plastic materials can be used on the short sides and, for instance, on different parts of the long side. If the WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 31 floorboard or parts of its core consist of e.g. plywood with several layers, these layers can be selected so that the upper lip, the tongue and the lower lip on both long side and short side can all have parts with different composition of materials, orientation of fibres etc.
Figs 17a-c show the basic principle of how the lower part of the tongue should be designed in relation to the lower lip 40 so as to facilitate a horizontal snapping-in according to the invention in a joint system with an undercut or locking groove 8 in a rigid upper lip 39 and with a flexible lower lip 40. In this embodiment, the upper lip 39 is significantly more rigid, among other things owing to the fact that it can be thicker or that it may consist of harder and more rigid materials. The lower lip 40 can be thinner and softer and the essential bending will therefore, in connection with snapping-in, take place in the lower lip 40. Snapping-in can be significantly facilitated among other things by the maximum bending of the lower lip 40 being limited as far as possible. Fig. 17a shows that the bending of the lower lip will increase to a maximum bending level B1 which is characterized in that the tongue 38 is inserted so far into the tongue groove 36 that the rounded guiding parts come into contact with each other. When the tongue 38 is inserted still more, the lower lip 40 will be bent back until the snapping-in is terminated and the locking element 8 is fully inserted in its final position in the undercut 35. The lower and front part 49 of the tongue 38 should be designed so as not to bend down the lower lip which instead should be forced downward by the lower supporting surface 50. This part 49 of the tongue should have a shape which either touches or goes clear of the maximum bending level of the lower lip 40 when this lower lip 40 is bent along the outer part of the lower engaging surface 50 of the tongue 38. If the tongue 38 has a shape WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 32 which in this position overlaps the lower lip 40, indicated by the dashed line 49b, the bending B2 according to Fig. 17b can be significantly greater. This may result in high friction in connection with snapping-in and a risk of the joint being damaged. Fig. 17c shows that the maximum bending can be limited by the tongue groove 36 and the tongue 38 being designed so that there is a space S4 between the lower and outer part 49 of the tongue and the lower lip 40. The upper lip being made more rigid and the lower lip more flexible reduces the risk of edge rising on the upper side of the laid floor as the floor shrinks and swells depending on the relative humidity of the indoor air. The greater rigidity of the upper lip in combination with the arrangement of the locking surfaces also makes it possible for the joint to take up great pulling-apart forces transversely of the joint. Also the bending away of the lower lip contributes to minimising the risk of edge rising.
Horizontal snapping-in is normally used in connection with snapping-in of the short side after locking of the long side. When snapping-in the long side, it is also possible to snap the joint system according to the invention with one board in a slightly upwardly angled position. This upwardly angled snap position is illustrated in Fig. 18. Only a small degree of bending B3 of the lower lip 40 is necessary for the guiding part 66 of the locking element to come into contact with the guiding part 44 of the locking groove so that the locking element can then by downward angling be inserted into the undercut Figs 19 and 20 also describe a problem which can arise in connection with snapping-in of two short sides of two boards 2a and 2b which are already joined on their long sides with another first board 1. When the floorboard 2a is to be joined with the floorboard 2b by snap action, the inner corner portions 91 and 92, closest to the long side of the first board 1, are positioned in the WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 33 same plane. This is due to the fact that the two boards 2a and 2b on their respective long sides are joined to the same floorboard 1. According to Fig. 20b, which shows the section C3-C4, the tongue 38 cannot be inserted into the tongue groove 39 to begin the downward bending of the lower lip 40. In the outer corner portions 93, 94 on the other long side, in the section C3-C4 shown in Fig. the tongue 38 can be inserted into the tongue groove 36 to begin the downward bending of the lower lip 40 by the board 2b being automatically pressed and angled upwards corresponding to the height of the locking element 8.
When snapping-in such a specially designed joint system, the following takes place. In lateral displacement, the outer guiding parts 42, 68 of the tongue and the upper lip coact and force the upwardly directed portion or locking element 8 of the tongue under the outer part of the upper lip 39. The tongue bends downward and the upper lip bends upward. This is indicated by arrows in Fig. 20b. The corner portion 92 in Fig. 19 is pressed upward by the lower lip 40 on the long side of the board 2b being bent and the corner portion 91 being pressed downward by the upper lip on the long side of the board 2a being bent upward. The joint system should be constructed so that the sum of these four deformations is so great that the locking element can slide along the upper lip and snap into the undercut 35. It is known that it should be possible for the tongue groove 36 to widen WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 34 in connection with snapping-in. However, it is not known that it may be an advantage if the tongue, which normally should be rigid, should also be designed so as to be able to bend in connection with snapping-in.
Fig. 23c shows that the tongue 38 at the inner corner 91, 92 will be bent downward. At the outer corner 93, 94 according to Fig. 22c, the tongue 38 is bent upward and the lower lip 40 downward. According to Figs 22d, 23d, this bending continues as the boards are pushed towards each other still more and now also the lower lip 40 is bent at the inner corner 91, 92 according to Fig. 23d.
WO 02/055809 PCT/SE02/00042 Figs 22d, 23e show the snapped-in position. Thus, snapping-in can be facilitated significantly if the tongue 38 is also flexible and if the outer part of the tongue 38 is positioned inside the outer part of the lower lip 40 when tongue and groove come into contact with each other when the boards are positioned in the same plane in connection with snapping-in that takes place after locking of the floorboard along its two other sides.
1. A locking system for mechanical joining of floor- boards at a joint plane, said floorboards having a core, a front side, a rear side and opposite joint edge portions, of which one is formed as a tongue groove, which is defined by upper and lower lips and has a bottom end, and the other is formed as a tongue with an upwardly directed portion at its free outer end, the tongue groove, seen from the joint plane, having the shape of an undercut groove with an opening, an inner portion and an inner locking surface, and at least parts of the lower lip being formed integrally with the core of the floorboard, and the tongue having a locking surface which is formed to coact with the inner locking surface in the tongue groove of an adjoining floorboard, when two such floorboards are mechanically joined, so that their front sides are positioned in the same surface plane and meet at the joint plane directed perpendicular thereto, wherein the inner locking surface of the tongue groove is formed on the upper lip within the undercut portion of the tongue groove for coaction with the corresponding locking surface of the tongue, said locking surface being formed on the upwardly directed portion of the tongue to counteract pulling-apart of two mechanically joined boards in a direction perpendicular to the joint plane, that the lower lip has a supporting surface for coaction with a corresponding supporting surface on the tongue, said supporting surfaces being intended to coact to counteract a relative displacement of two mechanically joined boards in a direction perpendicular to the surface plane, that all parts of the portions of the lower lip which are connected with the core, seen from the point where the surface plane and the joint plane intersect, are located outside a plane which is positioned further away from said point than a locking plane which is parallel therewith and which is tangent to the coacting locking surfaces of the tongue groove and the tongue where these are most inclined relative to the surface plane, and that all parts of the portions of the lower lip which are connected with the core are shorter than the upper lip and terminate at a distance from the joint plane, that the lower lip is flexible, that the upper lip is more rigid than the lower lip, that the supporting surface of the lower lip, seen parallel with the surface plane, is positioned at a distance from, and closer to the joint plane than the inner part of the undercut groove, and that the upper and lower lips of the joint edge portions are formed to enable connection of a laid floorboard with a new floorboard by a pushing-together motion essentially parallel with the surface plane of the laid floorboard for snapping together the parts of the locking system during downward bending of the lower lip of the tongue groove.
2. A locking system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tongue is flexible.
3. A locking system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the joint edge portions are designed to enable connection of a laid floorboard with a new floorboard by a pushing-together motion with the surface plane of the floorboards essentially aligned with each other during bending of the tongue and the lower lip.
4. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the upper and lower lips of the joint edges are designed to enable disconnection of two mechanically joined floorboards by upward pivoting of one floorboard relative to the other about a pivoting centre 38 close to a point of intersection between the surface plane and the joint plane for disconnecting the tongue of the one floorboard from the tongue groove of the other floorboard.
5. A locking system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the upper and lower lips of the joint edges are designed to enable disconnection of two mechanically joined floorboards by upward pivoting of one floorboard relative to the other about a pivoting centre close to a point of intersection between the surface plane and the joint plane for disconnecting the tongue of one floorboard from the tongue groove of the other floorboard during downward bending of the lower lip.
6. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein at least the major part of the bottom end of the tongue groove, seen parallel with the surface plane, is located further away from the joint plane than is the outer end of the tongue.
7. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the supporting surfaces of the tongue and the lower lip, which are designed for coaction, are set at a smaller angle to the surface plane than are the coacting locking surfaces of the upper lip and the tongue.
8. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the locking surfaces are set at essentially the same angle to the surface plane as a tangent to a circular arc, which is tangent to the locking surfaces engaging each other, at a point closest to the bottom of the undercut groove and which has its centre at the point where the surface plane and the joint plane intersect.
9. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the locking surfaces are set at greater angle to the surface plane than a tangent to a circular arc, which is tangent to the locking surfaces engaging each other at a point closest to the bottom of the 39 undercut groove and which has its centre at the point where the surface plane and the joint plane intersect. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the upper lip and the tongue have contact surfaces which in their locked state coact with each other and which are positioned within an area between the joint plane and the locking surfaces of the tongue and the upper lip, which locking surfaces in the locked state coact with each other.
11. A locking system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the contact surfaces, seen from the coacting locking surfaces of the tongue and the upper lip, are inclined upwards and outwards to the joint plane.
12. A locking system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the contact surfaces are essentially parallel with the surface plane.
13. A locking system as claimed in claim 10, 11 or 12, wherein the contact surfaces are essentially plane.
14. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the undercut groove and the tongue are of such a design that the outer end of the tongue is positioned at a distance from the undercut groove along essentially the entire distance from the locking surfaces of the upper lip and the tongue which locking surfaces engage each other, to the coacting supporting surfaces of the lower lip and the tongue. A locking system as claimed in claim 14, wherein a surface portion of the outer end of the tongue, which is in contact with a surface portion of the undercut groove has a smaller extent seen in the vertical plane than do the locking surfaces when two such boards are mechanically joined.
16. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the edge portions with their tongue and tongue groove, respectively, are designed so that, when two floorboards are joined, there is surface contact between the edge portions along at most 30% of the edge surface of the edge portion supporting the tongue, measured from the upper side of the floorboard to its underside.
17. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the coacting supporting surfaces of the tongue and the lower lip are set at an angle of at least 100 to the surface plane.
18. A locking system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the coacting supporting surfaces of the tongue and the lower lip are set at an angle of at most 30' to the surface plane.
19. A locking system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the coacting supporting surfaces of the tongue and the lower lip are set at an angle at most 200 to the surface plane. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein at least parts of the supporting surfaces of the lower lip and the tongue are positioned at a greater distance from the joint plane than are the inclined locking surfaces of the upper lip and the tongue.
21. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the undercut groove and the tongue are designed to enable a floorboard which is mechanically joined with a similar floorboard to be displaced in a direction along the joint plane.
22. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the tongue and the undercut groove are designed to enable disconnection of one board from another by pivoting one board relative to the other while maintaining contact between the boards at a point of the joint edge portions of the boards close to the intersection between the surface plane and the joint plane.
23. A locking system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the tongue and the undercut groove are designed to enable disconnection of boards by pivoting one board relative to another while maintaining contact between the boards at a point of the joint edge portions of the boards close to the intersection between the surface plane and the joint plane without essential contact between the tongue side facing away from the surface plane and the lower lip.
24. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein the distance between the locking plane and the plane parallel therewith, outside which all parts of the lower lip portions connected with the core are located, is at least 10% of the thickness of the floorboard. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 24, wherein the locking surfaces of the upper lip and the tongue form an angle to the surface plane of below 900 but at least 200.
26. A locking system as claimed in claim 25, wherein locking surfaces of the upper lip and the tongue form an angle to the surface plane of at least
27. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 26, wherein the coacting supporting surfaces of the tongue and the lower lip are directed at an angle to the joint plane which is equal to or smaller than a tangent to a circular arc which is tangent to the supporting surfaces engaging each other at a point closest to the bottom of the undercut groove and which has its centre at the point where the surface plane and the joint plane intersect, seen in cross-section through the board.
28. A locking system as claimed in claim 27, wherein the coacting supporting surfaces of the tongue and the lower lip are set at a greater angle to the surface plane than a tangent to a circular arc, which is tangent to the supporting surfaces engaging each other at a point closest to the bottom of the undercut groove and which has its centre at the point where the surface plane and the joint plane intersect.
29. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 28, wherein the supporting surfaces of the tongue and the lower lip, which are designed for coaction, are set at a smaller angle to the surface plane than are the coacting locking surfaces of the upper lip and the tongue.
30. A locking system as claimed in claim 29, wherein the supporting surfaces of the tongue and the lower lip, which are designed for coaction, are inclined in the same direction as but at a smaller angle to the surface plane than are the coacting locking surfaces of the upper lip and the tongue.
31. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 27 to 30, wherein the supporting surfaces form an at least 20* greater angle to the surface plane than do the locking surfaces.
32. A locking system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the supporting surfaces form an at least 200 greater angle to the surface plane than do the locking surfaces.
33. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 32, wherein the locking surfaces of the upper lip and the tongue are essentially plane within at least the surface portions which are intended to coact with each other when two such boards are joined.
34. A locking system as claimed in claim 33, wherein the tongue has a guiding surface which is positioned outside the locking surface of the tongue, seen from the. joint plane, and which has a smaller angle to the surface plane than does this locking surface. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 34, wherein the upper lip has a guiding surface which is positioned closer to the opening of the tongue groove than is the locking surface of the upper lip and which has a smaller angle to the surface plane than does the locking surface of the upper lip.
36. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 35, wherein at least parts of the supporting surfaces of the lower lip and the tongue are positioned at a greater distance from the joint plane than are the inclined locking surfaces of the upper lip and the tongue.
37. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 36, wherein the locking surface of the tongue is arranged at a distance of at least 0.1 times the thickness of the floorboard from the tip of the tongue.
38. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 37, wherein the vertical extent of the locking surfaces coacting with each other is smaller than half the vertical extent of the undercut, seen from the joint plane and parallel with the surface plane.
39. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 38, wherein the locking surfaces, seen in a vertical section through the floorboard, have an extent which is at most 10% of the thickness of the floorboard. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 39, wherein the length of the tongue, seen perpendicular away from the joint plane, is at least 0.3 times the thickness of the board.
41. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 40, whereinthe joint edge portion supporting the tongue and/or the joint edge portion supporting the tongue groove has/ have a recess which is positioned above the tongue and terminates at a distance from the surface plane.
42. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 41, wherein the undercut groove, seen in the cross- section, has an outer opening portion which tapers inwards in the form of a funnel.
43. A locking system as claimed in claim 42, wherein the upper lip has a bevel at its outer edge positioned furthest away from the surface plane.
44. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 43, wherein the tongue, seen in cross-section, has a tip that tapers. 44 A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 44, wherein the tongue, seen in cross-section, has a split tip with an upper and a lower tongue part.
46. A locking system as claimed in claim 45, wherein the upper and lower tongue parts of the tongue are made of different materials with different material properties.
47. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 46, wherein the tongue groove and the tongue are formed integrally with the floorboard.
48. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 47, wherein the upper lip is thicker than the lower lip.
49. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 48, wherein the minimum thickness of the upper lip adjacent to the undercut is greater than the maximum thickness of the lower lip adjacent to the supporting surface. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 49, wherein the extent of the supporting surfaces is at most 15% of the thickness of the floorboard.
51. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 50, wherein the vertical extent of the tongue groove between the upper and the lower lip, measured parallel with the joint plane and at the outer end of the supporting surface, is at least 30% of the thickness of the floorboard.
52. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 51, wherein the depth of the tongue groove, measured from the joint plane, is at least 2% greater than the corresponding extent of the tongue.
53. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 52, wherein the tongue has other material properties than the upper or lower lip.
54. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 53, wherein the upper and lower lips are made of materials with different properties. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 54, wherein the locking system also comprises a second mechanical lock, which is formed of a locking groove which is formed on the underside of the joint edge portion supporting the tongue and extends parallel with the joint plane, and a locking strip which is integrally attached to the joint edge portion of the board under the groove and extends along essentially the entire length of the joint edge portion and has a locking component which projects from the strip and which, when two such boards are mechanically joined, is received in the locking groove of the adjoining board.
56. A locking system as claimed in claim 55, wherein the locking strip projects beyond the joint plane.
57. A locking system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 56, wherein it is formed in a board which has a core of wood-fibre-based material.
58. A locking system as claimed in claim 57, wherein it is formed in a board which has a core of wood.
59. A floorboard having a core, a front side, a rear side and two opposite parallel joint edge portions which are formed as parts of a mechanical locking system and of which one is formed as a tongue groove defined by upper and lower lips and having a bottom end, and the other is formed as a tongue with an upwardly directed portion at its free outer end, the tongue groove, seen from the joint plane, having the shape of an undercut groove with an opening, an inner portion and an inner locking surface, and at least parts of the lower lip being integrally formed with the core of the floorboard, and the tongue having a locking surface which is designed to coact with the inner locking surface in the tongue groove of an adjoining floorboard when two such floorboards are mechanically joined, so that their front sides are positioned in the same surface plane and meet at the joint plane directed perpendicular thereto, w h e r e i n the inner locking surface of the tongue groove is formed on the upper lip within the undercut portion of the tongue groove for coaction with the corresponding locking surface of the tongue, which is formed on the upwardly directed portion of the tongue to counteract pulling apart of two mechanically joined boards in a direction perpendicular to the joint plane, that the lower lip has a supporting surface for coaction with a corresponding supporting surface on the tongue, said supporting surfaces being adapted to coact to counteract a relative displacement of two mechanically joined boards in a direction perpendicular to the surface plane, that all parts of the portions of the lower lip, which are connected with the core, seen from the point where the surface plane and the joint plane intersect, are positioned outside a plane which is positioned further away from said point than a locking plane which is parallel therewith and which is tangent to the coacting locking surfaces of the tongue groove and the tongue where these locking surfaces are most inclined relative to the surface plane, and that all parts of the portions of the lower lip, which are connected with the core, are shorter than the upper lip and terminate at a distance from the joint plane, that the lower lip is flexible, that the upper lip is more rigid than the lower lip, that the supporting surface of the lower lip, seen parallel with the surface plane, is positioned at a distance from, and closer to the joint plane than the inner part of the undercut groove, and that the upper and lower lips of the joint edge portions are designed to enable connection of a laid floorboard with a new floorboard by a pushing- together motion essentially parallel with the sur- face plane of the laid floorboard for snapping together the parts of the locking system during downward bending of the lower lip of the tongue groove. A floorboard as claimed in claim 59, wherein the tongue is flexible.
61. A floorboard as claimed in claim 59 or wherein the joint edge portions are designed to enable connection of a laid floorboard with a new floorboard by a pushing-together motion with the surface planes of the floorboards essentially aligned with each other during bending of the tongue and the lower lip.
62. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 61, wherein the upper and lower lips of the joint edges are designed to enable disconnection of two mechanically joined floorboards by upward pivoting of one floorboard relative to the other about a pivoting centre close to a point of intersection between the surface plane and the joint plane for disconnecting the tongue of one floorboard from the tongue groove of the other floorboard.
63. A floorboard as claimed in claim 62, wherein the upper and lower lips of the joint edges are designed to enable disconnection of two mechanically joined floorboards by upward pivoting of one floorboard relative to the other about a pivoting centre close to a point of intersection between the surface plane and the joint plane for disconnecting the tongue of one floorboard from the tongue groove of the other floorboard during downward bending of the lower lip.
64. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 63, wherein at least the major part of the bottom end of the tongue groove, seen parallel with the surface plane, is positioned further away from the joint plane than is the outer end of the tongue. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 64, wherein the supporting surfaces of the tongue and the lower lip, which are designed for coaction, are set at a smaller angle to the surface plane than are the coacting locking surfaces of the upper lip and the tongue.
66. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 65, wherein the locking surfaces are set at essentially the same angle to the surface plane as a tangent to a circular arc which is tangent to the locking surfaces engaging each other at a point closest to the bottom of the undercut groove and which has its centre at the point where the surface plane and the joint plane intersect.
67. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 65, wherein the locking surfaces are set at a greater angle to the surface plane than a tangent to a circular arc which is tangent to the supporting surfaces engaging each other at a point closest to the bottom of the undercut groove and which has its centre at the point where the surface plane and the joint plane intersect.
68. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 67, wherein the upper lip and the tongue have contact surfaces which in their locked state coact with each other and which are positioned within an area between the joint plane and the locking surfaces of the tongue and the upper lip, which in their locked state coact with each other.
69. A floorboard as claimed in claim 68, wherein the contact surfaces, seen from the coacting locking surfaces of the tongue and the upper lip, are inclined upwards and outwards to the joint plane.
70. A floorboard as claimed in claim 68, wherein the contact surfaces are essentially parallel with the surface plane.
71. A floorboard as claimed in claim 68, 69 or wherein the contact surfaces are essentially plane.
72. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 71, wherein the undercut groove and the tongue are of such a design that the outer end of the tongue is located at a distance from the undercut groove along essentially the entire distance from the locking surfaces of the upper lip and the tongue, which engage each other, to the coacting supporting surfaces of the lower lip and the tongue.
73. A floorboard as claimed in claim 72, wherein a surface portion of the outer end of the tongue, which is in contact with a surface portion of the undercut groove has a smaller extent in the vertical plane than do the locking surfaces when two such boards are mechanically joined.
74. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 73, wherein the edge portions with their tongue and tongue groove are designed so that when two floorboards are joined, there is surface contact between the edge portions along at most 30% of the edge surface of the edge portion supporting to the tongue, measured from the upper side of the floorboard to its underside. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 74, wherein the coacting supporting surfaces of the tongue and the lower lip are set at an angle of at least to the surface plane.
76. A floorboard as claimed in claim 75, wherein the coacting supporting surfaces of the tongue and the lower lip are set at angle of at most 300 to the surface plane.
77. A floorboard as claimed in claim 76, wherein the coacting supporting surfaces of the tongue and the lower lip are set at an angle of at most 200 to the surface plane.
78. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 77, wherein at least parts of the supporting surfaces of the lower lip and the tongue are positioned at a greater distance from the joint plane than are the inclined locking surfaces of the upper lip and the tongue.
79. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 78, wherein the undercut groove and the tongue are designed to enable a floorboard which is mechanically joined with a similar board to be displaced in a direction along the joint plane. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 79, wherein the tongue and the undercut groove are designed to enable disconnection of one board from another by pivoting one board relative to the other while maintaining contact between the boards at a point of the joint edge portions of the boards close to the intersection between the surface plane and the joint plane.
81. A floorboard as claimed in claim 80, wherein the tongue and the undercut groove are designed to enable disconnection of boards by pivoting one board relative to another while maintaining contact between the boards at a point of the joint edge portions of the boards close to the intersection between the surface plane and the joint plane without essential contact between the tongue side facing away from the surface plane and the lower lip.
82. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 81, wherein the distance between the locking plane and the plane parallel therewith, outside which all parts of the portions of the lower lip, which are connected with the core, are positioned, is at least 10% of the thickness of the floorboard.
83. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 82, wherein the locking surfaces of the upper lip and the tongue form an angle to the surface plane of below 900 but at least 200.
84. A floorboard as claimed in claim 83, wherein the locking surfaces of the upper lip and the tongue form an angle to the surface plane of at least 300. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 84, wherein the coacting supporting surfaces of the tongue and the lower lip are directed at an angle to the joint plane which is equal to or smaller than a tangent to a circular arc, which is tangent to the supporting surfaces engaging each other at a point closest to the bottom of the undercut groove and which has its centre at the point where the surface plane and the joint plane intersect, seen in cross-section through the board.
86. A floorboard as claimed in claim 85, wherein the coacting supporting surfaces of the tongue and the lower lip are set at a greater angle to the surface plane than a tangent to a circular arc, which is tangent to the supporting surfaces engaging each other at a point closest to the bottom of the undercut groove and which has its centre at the point where the surface plane and the joint plane intersect.
87. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 86, wherein the supporting surfaces of the tongue and the lower lip, which are designed for coaction, are set at a smaller angle to the surface plane than are the coacting locking surfaces of the upper lip and the tongue.
88. A floorboard as claimed in claim 87, wherein the supporting surfaces of the tongue and the lower lip, which are designed for coaction, are inclined in the same direction as but at a smaller angle to the surface plane than are the coacting locking surfaces of the upper lip and the tongue.
89. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims to 88, wherein the supporting surfaces form an at least 200 greater angle to the surface plane than do the locking surfaces. A floorboard as claimed in claim 79, wherein the supporting surfaces form an at least 200 greater angle to the surface plane than do the locking surfaces.
91. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 90, wherein the coacting locking surfaces of the upper lip and the tongue are essentially plane within at least the surface portions which are adapted to coact with each other when two such boards are joined.
92. A floorboard as claimed in claim 91, wherein the tongue has a guiding surface which is located outside the locking surface of the tongue, seen from the joint plane, and which has a smaller angle to the surface plane than does this locking surface.
93. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 92, wherein the upper lip has a guiding surface which is located closer to the opening of the tongue groove than is the locking surface of the upper lip and which has a smaller angle to the surface plane than does the locking surface of the upper lip.
94. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 93, wherein at least parts of the supporting surfaces of the lower lip and the tongue are positioned at a greater distance from the joint plane than are the inclined locking surfaces of the upper lip and the tongue. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 94, wherein the locking surface of the tongue is arranged at a distance of at least 0.1 times the thickness of the floorboard from the tip of the tongue.
96. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 95, wherein the vertical extent of the locking surfaces coacting with each other is less than half the vertical extent of the undercut, seen from the joint plane and parallel with the surface plane.
97. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 96, wherein the locking surfaces, seen in a vertical section through the floorboard, have an extent which is at most 10% of the thickness of the floorboard.
98. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 97, wherein the length of the tongue, seen perpendicular away from the joint plane, is at least 0.3 times the thickness of the board.
99. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 98, wherein the joint edge portion supporting the tongue and/or the joint edge portion supporting the tongue groove has/have a recess which is positioned above the tongue and terminates at a distance from the surface plane.
100. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 99, wherein the undercut groove, seen in cross- section, has an outer opening portion which tapers inwards in the form of a funnel.
101. A floorboard as claimed in claim 100, wherein the upper lip has a bevel at its outer edge located furthest away from the surface plane.
102. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 101, wherein the tongue, seen in cross-section, has a tip that tapers.
103. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 102, wherein the tongue, seen in cross-section, has a split tip with an upper and a lower tongue part.
104. A floorboard as claimed in claim 103, wherein the upper and lower tongue parts of the tongue are made of different materials with different material properties.
105. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 104, wherein the tongue groove and the tongue are formed integrally with the floorboard.
106. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 105, wherein the upper lip is thicker than the lower lip.
107. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 61 to 110, wherein the minimum thickness of the upper lip adjacent to the undercut is greater than the maximum thickness of the lower lip adjacent to the supporting surface.
108. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 107, wherein the extent of the supporting surfaces is at most 15% of the thickness of the floorboard.
109. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 108, wherein the vertical extent of the groove between the upper and the lower lip, measured parallel with the joint plane and at the outer end of the supporting surface, is at least 30% of the thickness of the floorboard.
110. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 109, wherein the depth of the tongue groove, measured from the joint plane, is at least 2% greater than the corresponding extent of the tongue.
111. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 110, wherein the tongue has other material properties than the upper or lower lip.
112. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 111, wherein the upper and lower lips are made of materials with different properties.
113. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 112, wherein that the locking system also comprises a second mechanical lock which is formed of a locking groove which is formed on the underside of the joint edge portion supporting the tongue and extends parallel with the joint plane, and a locking strip which is integrally attached to the joint edge portion of the board under the tongue groove and extends along essentially the entire length of the joint edge portion and has a locking component which projects from the strip and which, when two such boards are mechanically joined, is received in the locking groove of the adjoining board.
114. A floorboard as claimed in claim 113, wherein the locking strip projects beyond the joint plane.
115. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 114, wherein it is formed in a board which has a core of wood-fibre-based material.
116. A floorboard as claimed in claim 115, wherein it is formed in a board which has a core of wood.
117. A floorboard as claimed in any one of claims 59 to 116, wherein it is quadrilateral with sides which are parallel in pairs.
118. A floorboard as claimed in claim 117, wherein it has mechanical locking systems at all its four lateral edge portions.
119. A floorboard as claimed in claim 117 or 118, wherein the joint edge portion with the tongue and/or the joint edge portion with the tongue groove on one pair of parallel joint edge portions has/have been formed with other material properties than the joint edge portion with the tongue and/or the joint edge portion with the tongue groove on the other pair of parallel joint edge portions.
120. A locking system according to claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of Figure lla to Figure 23e of the accompanying drawings.
121. A floorboard according to claim 59 substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of Figure 11a to Figure 23e of the accompanying drawings.
AU2002217740B2 AU2002217740B2 (en) 2005-08-25
AU2002217740C1 true AU2002217740C1 (en) 2006-02-16
US8904729B2 (en) 2014-12-09 Floor covering