Floor panel
The invention concerns a floor panel (1) comprising a carrier panel portion (2) that is provided at a top side with a duty layer arrangement (3), which duty layer arrangement (3) is provided with a decorative representation, wherein provided in the duty layer arrangement (3) is an anti-wear means (66), and edge locking profiles (F1, F1′, F2, F2′) at at least two mutually opposite edges of the floor panel (1), wherein at least one edge locking profile (1) has at least one elastically bendable locking means (V), wherein the decorative representation is covered with a transparent lacquer layer (65) and that the anti-wear means (66) is provided in the lacquer layer (65).
1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a floor panel comprising a carrier panel portion that is provided at a top side with a duty layer arrangement, which duty layer arrangement has a decorative representation, wherein an anti-wear means is provided in the duty layer arrangement, and edge locking profiles at at least two mutually opposite edges of the floor panel, wherein at least one edge locking profile has at least one elastically bendable locking means.
2. Description of the Background
A floor panel of the general kind set forth is known from
It is also known from WO 01/96689 that that floor panel imitates the appearance of wood. For that purpose, the duty or utility layer arrangement of the floor panel has two elements, namely a paper and a translucent layer, which is generally referred to as an overlay. The paper is printed with a decorative representational imaging that represents a wood surface. The overlay is arranged on the printed paper and is saturated with synthetic resin. In accordance with WO 01/96689 A1, the synthetic resin may contain an anti-wear means that is intended to provide protection from wear and tear and cracking and tearing. Because of the particular structure of the wood imitation by means of synthetic resin, the construction of the known floor panel is complicated and costly to produce. That is because the synthetic resin of the translucent overlay must be melted to join it to the printed paper. For that purpose, the printed paper is preferably also to be resin-impregnated. The paper and the overlay are then pressed together with the carrier plate portion in a hot pressing operation.
The use of the resin-impregnated layers is costly and, as is generally known, problematical for the reason that resin impregnation of the printed paper with a hot liquid wax causes a growth in the length and the width of the paper. That growth is a variable that is dependent on influencing factors such as air humidity, paper quality, resin quality, etc.
In addition, the use of resin-impregnated layers on a top side of the carrier plate portion, in consideration of differing characteristics in respect of thermal expansion between the carrier plate portion and the layers, requires what is referred to as a counteracting means such as, for example, a resin-impregnated layer at the underside of the carrier plate portion. That provides a balance that prevents thermal distortion of the floor panel after the hot pressing operation.
The complexity involved in the processing of resin and paper increases the reject rate in the manufacture of the resin-impregnated printed paper. Papers that are less than or exceed the target size cannot be used for the production of a floor panel. In addition, the energy and installation costs for pressing resin-bearing papers and a carrier plate portion are high because high temperatures and large amounts of heat have to be applied to the layers to be joined together, in order to cause the resin to fuse, and in that way to join the layers together.
A further disadvantage is seen in the arrangement of the anti-wear means. Two alternatives are known for integrating an anti-wear means in particle form.
Alternative 1: the particles are provided within the overlay. They are added, for example, during the production of the overlay paper to the cellulose of the overlay paper. The overlay paper is then impregnated with particle-free resin.
Alternative 2: the overlay is free of particles. Instead, the particles are mixed into a resin, in which case the overlay, for example, an overlay paper, is, however, coated only on one side with the resin/particle mixture and the opposite side of the overlay is coated with particle-free resin.
Both alternatives suffer from the disadvantage that the uppermost layer of a floor panel, namely the overlay, is partially formed from particle-free material without anti-wear means. That particle-free material wears quickly in use of the floor panel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAn object of the invention is to provide a wear-resistant floor panel that is inexpensive to produce.
According to the invention, that object is attained in that the decorative. representation is coated with a transparent lacquer layer and that the anti-wear means is provided in the lacquer layer.
Because the anti-wear means is disposed in a lacquer, it is possible to completely dispense with resin. No supply of heat for the purposes of causing resin to melt is necessary for applying the duty layer arrangement to the carrier plate portion. That means that the energy costs for manufacture are reduced. In addition, no heat distortion occurs if the duty layer arrangement is applied to the carrier plate portion without the use of a considerable amount of heat.
The elastically bendable locking means of the floor panel, according to the invention, protects the edge locking profile from fracture. In accordance with the invention, it can basically be provided at various locations of the edge locking profile. If the arrangement involves an edge locking profile in the manner of a tongue-and-groove connection, at least one of the groove walls can be of an elastically bendable nature. Alternatively, the tongue can be elastically bendable. It is equally possible for both the tongue and also at least one of the groove walls to be elastically bendable. The arrangement with the elastically bendable locking means is advantageous both for edge locking profiles that have an undercut configuration that resists joined floor panels being pulled away from each other, and also for those edge locking profiles that do not have any such undercut configuration that resists joined floor panels being pulled away from each other.
Desirably, the anti-wear means has abrasion-resistant particles. That can involve, for example, corundum in powder form that is embedded in finely distributed fashion in the duty layer arrangement.
A particular benefit is achieved if the decorative representation and the lacquer layer are arranged on a prefabricated decorative layer. The whole thing, namely the decorative representation and the lacquer layer on the decorative layer, form the duty or utility layer arrangement of the floor panel. The duty layer arrangement can be produced in the form of a pre-product. That pre-product is joined to the carrier panel portion in the finished condition of the floor panel. The manufacturer of the floor panel now only joins the prefabricated duty layer arrangement to a carrier panel portion on which the edge locking profiles are provided or on which they are produced.
The lacquered decorative layer that forms the underside of the duty layer arrangement is easily applied to the carrier panel portion with an adhesive. Any suitably cold or hot, chemically or physically setting, single-component or multi-component adhesive can be used for that purpose.
A further benefit is enjoyed if the decorative representation is subdivided into different imaging or representational regions. In that way, for example, a floor panel can be designed with a wood motif in which individual wood planks are represented in individual imaging regions of the decorative representation. They can be arranged, for example, in a plurality of juxtaposed rows, as in the case of the bottom of a ship.
The floor panel can be further improved if there is provided a relief having depressions and raised portions at the surface of the duty layer arrangement. The depressions and raised portions can, for example, be such that they correspond to or imitate a wood grain effect.
The quality of the floor panel can additionally be improved if the depressions are in overlapping relationship with given imaging regions and the raised portions are in overlapping relationship with other imaging regions of the decorative representation. That provides a floor panel in which the optical impression and the tactile impression, when taken together, have a particularly genuine effect. For example, when a floor panel of such a nature, with a wood motif, includes a graphic representation of a branch, the floor panel has a relief on the surface of the position of the branch, in exact conformity with the graphic representation. Equally, it is possible to imitate the surface of a tile covering by graphic representations of tiles with joints therebetween being provided and by the relief in overlapping relationship with the graphics imitating, for example, recessed joints and raised tile surfaces. In that case, a joint surface can be rough like sand and the surface of tiles can be imitated with a corresponding structure.
In a preferred embodiment, the depressions of the relief in the lacquer layer of the duty layer arrangement are produced by a chemical. Reliefs can be produced in a particularly simple and inexpensive fashion by that method. The chemical can, for example, react with lacquer and break it down where it is applied.
An alternative provides that the floor panel is provided with a relief, the depressions of which are produced by mechanical embossing of the lacquer layer.
Desirably, material is removed at least at one side edge at the top side of the floor panel, resulting in the formation of an obtuse edge with a protection surface, and the protection surface of the obtuse edge is provided with a coating.
Due to the removal of material at the obtuse edge, the edge of the floor panel has a protection surface that is less susceptible to damage than a right-angled edge without the removal of material. The removal of material extends into the material of the carrier plate portion. The coating on the protection surface serves both for visual purposes and also to preserve the protection surface.
Advantageously, at least the decorative representation of the duty layer arrangement is bent over at the side edge portion of the floor panel and the coating on the protection surface of the obtuse edge is formed by the bent-over part of the duty layer arrangement.
Two different things are achieved in that way. On the one hand, the coating on the protection surface can be such that there is no difference in quality in relation to the duty surface on the top side of the floor panel, unless the bent-over portion of the coating is to be deliberately of a different quality from the duty layer arrangement on the top side of the floor panel. The latter would be the case, for example, when the top side is provided with an anti-wear means, whereas the anti-wear means is dispensed with in the region of the coating on the protection surface because the abrasion wear is less there. On the other hand, there is a bend edge instead of the butt joint known from the state of the art. The duty layer arrangement forms an integral transition into the coating on the protection surface at the bend edge.
The one-piece configuration of the duty layer arrangement and the coating on the protection surface avoids a butt surface that is endangered by a tendency to peeling.
In a particular embodiment, it can be provided that there is a separate coating at least on the protection surface of one of the obtuse edges at the side edge portion of the floor panel. That can be desirable if this involves a protection surface that is short in comparison with other protection surfaces on the floor panel and, as a result, it can be assumed that there is a reduced susceptibility to damage to the coating.
The above-mentioned separate coating can be, for example, in the form of a self-adhesive film.
In addition, the area of use of the floor panel can be enlarged by the provision of at least one imitation intermediate joint, which is in the form of a groove in the top side of the floor panel and which subdivides the decorative representation into decorative regions.
Industrially produced floor panels are packaged and supplied in packs consisting of a plurality thereof. For inexpensive manufacture, it is advantageous for floor panels that are offered in packs each to be of the same respective panel length. The production of panels of differing lengths and the packaging of different panel lengths in one pack can be avoided by imitation intermediate joints. Admittedly, panels of different lengths are required in the case of floor panels of real wood in order to achieve good utilization of the natural raw material, but that is inappropriate in the case of an artificial decorative imaging representation because the production, storage and sale of floor panels of different sizes is expensive. Production of the new floor panels in contrast is inexpensive because it is possible to produce uniform panel lengths, wherein one or more intermediate joints in the top side of a panel can nonetheless give the impression as though a laid floor covering consists of floor panels of differing lengths.
It is desirable if the imitation intermediate joint is of the same free cross-section as the free space that is produced when joining two floor panels, by virtue of the mutually adjoining obtuse edges thereof. That measure provides that the imitation intermediate joint is substantially matched to an actual butt joint forming a joint between mutually adjoining floor panels.
The effect of the intermediate joint can be further improved by the provision of a coating on the surface of the groove of the imitation intermediate joint. The visual appearance of the coating can be matched to the decorative layer of the duty layer arrangement. A possible way of achieving that provides that the groove is produced prior to application of the decorative layer and, in an additional working step, after application of the duty layer arrangement with the decorative layer, the duty layer arrangement in the region of the groove is introduced into the groove. In that respect, it is helpful if the duty layer arrangement that initially extends over the groove can be stretched in order, for example, to be pushed or sucked into the groove. That is possible, for example, with a film. Simpler coatings for the groove can comprise, for example, a lacquer.
If the edge locking profile has locking means that engage in positively locking relationship at at least two oppositely disposed edges of the floor panel, that is considered to be a further advantage.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe invention is illustrated by way of example hereinafter in the drawings and described in detail with reference to individual Figures of the drawings in which:
FIGS. 1 to 4 show floor panels without obtuse edges. FIGS. 5 to 9 show floor panels with obtuse edges. An obtuse edge involves removal of material at a side edge portion of a top side of the floor panel. The removal of material results in the formation of a protection surface, which makes the side edge portion of the floor panel less susceptible to damage.
Respective edge locking profiles are illustrated at each of the edges of all floor panels in FIGS. 1 to 9. Arranged at the oppositely disposed edges are respective corresponding edge locking profiles F1, F1′ and F2, F2′. A plurality of those floor panels can be joined by means of the edge locking profiles F1, F1′ and F2, F2′ to afford a floor surface because further floor panels can be locked to a floor panel at all sides. The edge locking profiles F1, F1′ and F2, F2′ are shown in FIGS. 1 to 9 by way of example in the form of tongue-and-groove profiles which have an elastically bendable locking means V and V1, V2, respectively. Different examples of edge locking profiles are described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 14.
Each of the floor panels in FIGS. 1 to 9 is provided with a duty or utility layer arrangement. The duty layer arrangement can be constructed as described and illustrated with reference to
Referring to
The embodiment of a floor panel 200 as shown in
It will be noted that the groove 211 of the intermediate joint 210 can also have a separate coating that is independent of the duty layer arrangement or the decorative layer.
The embodiment shown in
A further alternative of the floor panel 400, which is described with reference to
FIGS. 5 to 9 show rectangular floor panels 1. They have a carrier panel portion 2. Provided in mutually opposite relationship are two long edges and two oppositely disposed short edges. A utility or duty layer arrangement 3 is provided at the top side of the carrier panel portion 2. The duty layer arrangement 3 has a decorative layer D that represents a wood motif 4 or a plurality of wood motifs 4a, 4b, and 4c. The wood grain lines 5, 5a, 5b, and 5c of the wood motifs 4, 4a, 4b, and 4c are illustrated.
Respective edge locking profiles F1/F1′ and F2/F2′ are illustrated at the respective edges of the floor panels shown in FIGS. 5 to 9. Respective corresponding edge locking profiles are arranged at the oppositely disposed edges. A plurality of those floor panels can thus be joined to form a floor surface because further floor panels can be locked to a floor panel at all sides.
The edge locking profiles F1/F1′ and F2/F2′ are shown in FIGS. 5 to 9, for example, in the form of a tongue-and-groove profile having an elastically bendable locking means V. Each of the floor panels shown in FIGS. 5 to 9 can alternatively have one of those edge locking profiles that are proposed hereinafter in the description relating to FIGS. 10 to 14. FIGS. 5 to 9 serve essentially to explain alternatives in respect of the configuration of the top side of the floor panel and the side edge portions of the top side of the floor panel 1.
Looking at
Provided at the side edge portions of the top side of the embodiment shown in
All four side edge portions at the top side of the floor panel 1 are provided with beveled protection surfaces 8a and 9a. All those protection surfaces have a coating. The coating embraces the decorative layer D of the duty layer arrangement. For that purpose, the decorative layer D is bent over, for example, at a bend edge K at a side edge portion of the floor panel 1 and covers the protection surface 9a. The same applies for the other side edges.
It will be appreciated that it is possible for regions of the edge of the floor panel, which extend beyond the protection surface 9a, to be coated with that decorative layer D. An edge of the floor panel 1 can be coated, for example, entirely or partially with the bent-over decorative layer D.
Shown at the protection surface 9a of the long edge of the floor panel is a wood grain line M that extends from the beveled protection surface 9a over the bend edge K into the duty layer arrangement 3 of the top side of the floor panel 1.
The floor panel shown in
The floor panel shown in
The imitation intermediate joint in
As shown in
It will be noted that the groove 10a of the intermediate joint 10 can also have a separate coating that is independent of the duty layer arrangement or the decorative layer.
The embodiment shown in
The groove 10a of the imitation intermediate joint 10 also has a coating. This also encloses the decorative layer D of the duty layer arrangement 3, which is bent over onto the surface of the groove 10a. The wood grain lines 5a of the wood motif 4a pass over a bend edge L1 of the groove 10 and extend into the bottom of the groove 10a. The wood grain lines 5c of the wood motif 4c also pass over the other bend edge L2 of the groove 10a and extend into the bottom of the groove 10a. Viewed from the top side of the floor panel 1, the wood motifs 4a and 4c as well as the intermediate joint 10 and the protection surfaces 8a and 9a of the top side of the floor panel 1 afford a very good impression of being authentic.
A further alternative of the floor panel 1, which is not illustrated here, has a bent-over decorative layer D with separate imaging or representational regions, in the area of the intermediate joint 10. Those imaging regions are provided with their own motifs that differ from those motifs that are to be found on the top side of the floor panel 1. The same can apply for one or more of the protection surfaces 8a and 9a, respectively, which can also be coated with a bent-over decorative layer D that, in turn, is provided with separate imaging regions for the protection surfaces 8a and 9a, respectively.
In that way, it is possible to provide the motif of a longitudinal section through a tree trunk, for example, for the top side 3 of the floor panel 1, as is shown in FIGS. 5 to 9, whereas the bent-over portions of the decorative layer D, at the corresponding protection surfaces 8a and 9a, respectively, and the intermediate joint 10, have such motifs that represent a section transversely through a tree trunk.
Portions of two floor panels are shown in each of FIGS. 10 to 14. The portions show edge locking profiles in the connected condition thereof. Each individual one of the illustrated floor panels always has both edge locking profiles, namely one with a groove and one with a tongue. The groove and the tongue are respectively arranged at oppositely disposed edges of the floor panel.
Reference will now be made to FIGS. 10 to 14 to describe, on the one hand, different configurations of edge locking profiles. On the other hand, different shapes of obtuse edges at a top side of a floor panel are described and illustrated. In that respect, the shape of the obtuse edges is independent of the configuration of the edge locking profiles. Therefore, a floor panel with an obtuse edge as shown in
The floor panels 11 and 12 in
The edge locking profile 17 shown in
The embodiment shown in
Provided on the carrier panel portion 33 is a duty layer arrangement 34 having a decorative layer D. The duty layer arrangement 34 including the decorative layer D is bent around the rounding 32 of the obtuse edge and forms the coating thereon. The coating, however, also extends onto the top side of a tongue 35 of the edge locking profile and reaches the end of the top side of the tongue. The rounded shape of the protection surface of the floor panel 31 corresponds to the rounding 32 of the floor panel 30. A utility layer arrangement 37, inclusive of a decorative layer D, is bent around that rounding 36 of the obtuse edge and extends as far as an end edge of an upper groove wall of the groove profile of the floor panel 31.
The coating on the protection surfaces involves the same material quality as the duty layer arrangements 34 and 35 at the top side of the floor panels 30 and 31.
The edge locking profiles shown in
A further configuration of the top side of floor panels 40 and 41 can be seen from
The edge locking profiles are provided with a groove 45 and a tongue 46, wherein provided between the groove 45 and the tongue 46 is an undercut configuration that resists the floor panels 40 and 41 being pulled apart. There is provided an elastically bendable locking means V, more specifically an elastically bendable lower groove wall 47 for the groove 45, which is longer than the upper groove wall 48 of the groove 45. The lower groove wall 47 is free of any bend in the locked position as illustrated. Its elastic bendability, however, is effective when an external loading is applied to the connection between the groove and the tongue. The elastic lower groove wall 47 protects the remaining regions of the connection from fracture.
The embodiment shown in
The edge locking profiles provided are equipped with a groove 54 and a tongue 55 which do not have an undercut configuration. The embodiment shown in
It will be appreciated that a conventional tongue-and-groove profile that has joining surfaces for the groove, which are arranged in parallel relationship with the top side of the floor panel and with joining surfaces for the tongue, which are also arranged in parallel relationship with the top side of the floor panel, can also be supplemented by an elastically bendable locking means. In that case, the elastically bendable locking means protects the remaining regions of the groove and the tongue from fracture if a loading is applied to the tongue-and-groove connection. It is sufficient if, for example, the tongue or one of the groove walls is of an elastically bendable nature.
For the purposes of describing the structure of a utility or duty layer arrangement,
Referring to
A duty layer arrangement as shown in
- 1 floor panel
- 2 carrier panel portion
- 3 duty layer arrangement
- 4 wood motif
- 4a wood motif
- 4b wood motif
- 4c wood motif
- 5 wood grain line
- 5a wood grain line
- 5b wood grain line
- 5c wood grain line
- F2 edge locking profile
- 6b edge locking profile
- F1 edge locking profile
- 7b edge locking profile
- 8 short obtuse edge
- 8a protection surface
- 9 short obtuse edge
- 9a protection surface
- 10 intermediate joint
- 10a groove
- 20 floor panel
- 21 floor panel
- 22 45° bevel
- 23 45° bevel
- 24 carrier panel portion
- 25 duty layer arrangement
- 26 tongue
- 27 groove
- 30 floor panel
- 31 floor panel
- 32 rounding
- 33 carrier panel portion
- 34 duty layer arrangement
- 35 tongue
- 36 rounding
- 37 duty layer arrangement
- 40 floor panel
- 41 floor panel
- 42 rounding
- 43 carrier panel portion
- 44 duty layer arrangement
- 45 groove
- 46 tongue
- 47 lower groove wall
- 48 upper groove wall
- 50 floor panel
- 50a carrier panel portion
- 50b duty layer arrangement
- 51 floor panel
- 52 rounding
- 53 rounding
- 54 groove
- 55 tongue
- 56 lower groove wall
- 61 paper
- 62 graphics
- 63 zone
- 64 zone
- 65 lacquer layer
- 66 anti-wear means
- 67 relief
- 67a depression
- 67b raised portion
- A imaging region
- B imaging region
- D decorative layer
- K bend edge
- L1 bend edge
- L2 bend edge
- M wood grain line
- N bend edge
- V locking means
- V1 locking means
- V2 locking means
- 100 floor panel
- 110 carrier panel portion
- 120 duty layer arrangement
- 130 wood motif
- 140 wood grain line
- 200 floor panel
- 210 intermediate joint
- 211 groove
- 220 duty layer arrangement
- 230 carrier panel portion
- 240 wood motif
- 250 wood motif
- 260 wood grain line
- 270 wood grain line
- 300 floor panel
- 310 intermediate joint
- 311 groove
- 320 duty layer arrangement
- 330 carrier panel portion
- 340 wood motif
- 350 wood motif
- 360 wood grain line
- 370 wood grain line
- 400 floor panel
- 410 intermediate joint
- 411 groove
- 420 duty layer arrangement
- 430 carrier panel portion
- 440 wood motif
- 450 wood motif
- 460 wood grain line
- 470 wood grain line
- F1 edge locking profile
- F1′ edge locking profile
- F2 edge locking profile
- F2′ edge locking profile
Claims
1. A floor panel comprising a carrier panel portion that is provided at a top side with a duty layer arrangement, which duty layer arrangement is provided with a decorative representation, wherein provided in the duty layer arrangement is an anti-wear means, and edge locking profiles at at least two mutually opposite edges of the floor panel, wherein at least one edge locking profile has at least one elastically bendable locking means, characterised in that the decorative representation is covered with a transparent lacquer layer and that the anti-wear means is provided in the lacquer layer.
2. The floor panel according to claim 1, characterised in that the anti-wear means has abrasion-resistant particles.
3. The floor panel according to claim 1, characterised in that the decorative representation and the lacquer layer are in the form of a prefabricated decorative layer and that the decorative layer forms at least a part of the duty layer arrangement that, in the finished condition, is connected to the carrier panel portion.
4. The floor panel according to claim 3, characterised in that the lacquered decorative layer is attached with an adhesive to the carrier panel portion.
5. The floor panel according to claim 1, characterised in that the decorative representation is subdivided into different imaging regions.
6. The floor panel according to claim 1, characterised in that the surface of the duty layer arrangement has a relief with depressions and raised portions.
7. The floor panel according to claim 6, characterised in that the depressions are in overlapping relationship with given zones of the decorative layer and the raised portions are in overlapping relationship with other zones of the decorative representation.
8. The floor panel according to claim 6, characterised in that the depressions of the relief are produced by a chemical that reacts with the lacquer.
9. The floor panel according to claim 6, characterised in that the depressions of the relief are produced by mechanical embossing.
10. The floor panel according to claim 1, characterised in that material is removed at least at a side edge portion at the top side of the floor panel and thereby an obtuse edge is formed having a protection surface, and wherein the protection surface of the obtuse edge is provided with a coating.
11. The floor panel according to claim 10, characterised in that the decorative representation of the duty layer arrangement is bent over at the side edge portion of the floor panel and that the coating on the protection surface of the obtuse edge is formed by the bent-over part of the duty layer arrangement.
12. The floor panel according to claim 10, characterised in that there is a separate coating at least on the protection surface of one of the obtuse edges at the side edge portion of the floor panel.
13. The floor panel according to claim 12, characterised in that the separate coating is in the form of a self-adhesive film.
14. The floor panel according to claim 1, characterised in that there is provided at least one imitation intermediate joint, which is in the form of a groove in the top side of the floor panel, and that the imitation intermediate joint subdivides the decorative representation into different imaging regions.
15. The floor panel according to claim 14, characterised in that the imitation intermediate joint is of the same free cross-section as the free space that is afforded when two floor panels are connected by mutually adjoining obtuse edges thereof.
16. The floor panel according to claim 14, characterised in that there is a coating provided on the surface of the groove of the imitation intermediate joint.
17. The floor panel according to claim 1, characterised in that the edge locking profile of at least two oppositely disposed edges of the floor panel has locking means that act in positively locking relationship.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 12, 2006
Publication Date: Jul 13, 2006
Inventor: Ralf Eisermann (Cochem)
Application Number: 11/330,895
International Classification: E04C 3/00 (20060101);