Methods for packaging floor panels, as well as packed set of floor panels

Abstract

Method for packaging floor panels, more particularly floor panels of the type that consists of rectangular oblong floor panels that are intended to form a floor covering, wherein these floor panels are industrially manufactured in at least two widths and are provided with coupling parts at least at two opposite sides, wherein floor panels of different width are provided in the same package, more particularly the same box, wherein these floor panels are provided in a box in layers, wherein in at least one of these layers at least two floor panels are placed next to each other, with their longitudinal directions substantially parallel to each other.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/494,480, filed on Jun. 30, 2009, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/494,480 is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/887,363 filed on Sep. 28, 2007 which is a national stage application of PCT Application No. PCT/IB/000993 filed on Mar. 28, 2006 which claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/672,538, filed on Apr. 19, 2005, Belgian application BE 2005/0169 filed on Mar. 31, 2005, and Belgian application BE 2006/0024 filed on Jan. 12, 2006. The entirety of these application is incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to methods for packaging of floor panels, as well as to packed sets of floor panels.

BACKGROUND

In general, the invention relates to packaged hard floor panels, which, at two or more sides, are provided with coupling parts and which can be provided on an existing subfloor, either floatingly or glued, or in any other manner, in order to form a floor covering. Hereby, the invention is intended in particular for laminate panels, for example, with a printed decor and a top structure on the basis of synthetic material, prefabricated parquet, with panels mostly consisting of several layers of material with, at the upper side, a top layer of solid wood with a thickness of several millimeters, veneer parquet consisting of panels having a layer of veneer at their upper side, or solid parquet. This does not exclude that the invention is also applied for other hard floor panels, whether or not composed of several parts, for example, with top layers of other materials, such as, amongst others, cork, stone or stone-like materials, linoleum, vinyl, carpet, and so on. According to an important example, the invention is used for packaging so-called LVT flooring (Luxury vinyl tiles) or CVT flooring (composite vinyl tile). Such flooring is essentially manufactured from PVC (polyvinylchloride) and, in the case of LVT flooring, comprises several fused layers of soft PVC, i.e. PVC comprising a plasticizer content larger than 12 phr. It is clear that also LVT or CVT flooring panels may be provided with coupling parts.

It is known that such coupling parts can be formed by means of a classical tongue and groove connection, wherein these, when installing the floor panels, possibly are glued into each other, or by means of mechanical coupling parts providing for a mutual locking of the floor panels in horizontal as well as in vertical directions, for example, as described in the international patent application WO 97/47834. This document describes how the respective coupling parts at two opposite sides can be formed in a continuous machine, in other words, while moving the floor panel over rotating mechanical cutting tools. This method is also called “continuous milling”.

It is clear that it is not excluded that such locking system can also be performed in other forms than in a tongue and groove connection.

SUMMARY

According to a first object, the invention aims at an improved method for packaging floor panels, which allows a particularly smooth and efficient packaging. To this aim, the invention relates to a method for packaging floor panels, of the type, wherein several floor panels, which are provided with coupling parts at least at two opposite sides, are packaged in a box, which is composed of at least one sheet-shaped packaging element by means of a folding process. Preferably, at least part of the aforementioned folding process is performed while the packaging element and the floor panels to be packaged have already been brought together.

Preferably, said sheet-shaped packaging element consists of cardboard, in particular corrugated cardboard.

The method according to the first object of the invention allows to package the floor panels in a smooth manner at a high frequency, as a result of which one packaging machine applying this method has such a high packaging capacity that this latter corresponds to the production capacity of several production lines of floor panels. Hereby, it is noted that such packaging machine may or may not be installed in line with one or more production lines. Also, such packaging machine can be fed with floor panels coming from a magazine in which major amounts of panels are stocked after having been produced on one or more production lines.

A method for packaging floor panels according to the first object of the present invention also offers the advantage that a buffer magazine for already folded boxes possibly is made redundant.

In a preferred form of embodiment of the present invention, the packaging element is folded around the quantity of floor panels to be packaged therein. This is, for example, possible by depositing the quantity of floor panels to be packed on said packaging element, while this, either when it is still unfolded or already partially folded, before, as already mentioned, folding the packaging element around the quantity of floor panels to be packaged. An important advantage of such packaging method is that the box can be assembled very close around the floor panels, such that floor panels in the box can not shift in mutual respect, which might lead to scratches on the decorative layer of the floor panels, to a heightened risk of damage to the coupling parts and/or other parts. In particular, this is of importance with floor panels comprising a core of MDF or HDF and/or wherein the coupling parts substantially consist of MDF of HDF.

In order to obtain a good packaging, preferably, during the folding process, the quantity of floor panels to be packaged and the bottom of the box to be formed first will be positioned against each other, directly or indirectly, and only afterwards the sidewalls will be folded against the quantity of floor panels. This offers the advantage that stacked upon each other floor panels, which are somewhat shifted in mutual respect, automatically will be positioned in mutual respect during folding of the sidewalls.

Preferably, also at least a number of portions of the box are interconnected during the formation thereof by means of glue, more particularly so-called “hot melt” glue. This offers the advantage that a number of complicated steps from traditional folding processes can be excluded.

It is noted that said box further also can be packaged in a plastic film, for example, a shrink film, such that the risk of moisture penetration, for example, during transport or stocking, is restricted. Because a package obtained according to the eighth aspect of the invention can rest very closely against the floor panels, the risk of a floor panel piercing this plastic film is minimized, too, such that an optimum protection against moisture penetration is obtained.

It is also noted that the floor panels in most cases are packaged in a quantity of 5 to 30 panels, and when relatively large panels are concerned, for example, panels that are longer than 1 m, preferably less than 10, such that in all cases the weight of the packaging unit is limited to a weight that is ergonomic for the user of the floor panels and that does not pose too high requirements in respect to the solidity of the packaging material. Within the scope of the invention, it is also possible that panels differing from each other, for example, panels of different length, are packaged together.

A method for packaging floor panels according to the the present invention can be applied with any form of boxes. So, for example, boxes with inwardly inclined sidewalls can be applied, whereby the sidewalls then are folded against the floor panels. This kind of boxes may, for example, find its application there, where floor panels of differing shape are packed together, such as, for example, when packaging floor panels of different widths together, whereby the floor panels are stacked in layers in such a manner, that preferably the width of the layers decreases from the bottom towards the top in the box. Applying such box also allows for that, when several of such boxes, preferably with their sidewalls towards each other and alternately with the bottom directed upward or downward, are stacked on a pallet, there is almost no lost space or, in other words, that the space taken on the pallet consists almost exclusively of floor panels and of packaging material.

It is noted that according to the invention, by a “box” always a packaging element has to be understood that is manufactured from one or more sheet-shaped elements and that, after folding, has at least a bottom, or a portion present at the bottom of the packed set of floor panels, and at least two sidewalls. The sheet-shaped element may be manufactured of different materials, however, here it is clear that herein, materials are intended that as such have a certain rigidity, such as, for example, cardboard, corrugated cardboard or the like.

It is clear that the invention also relates to a set of floor panels that is thus packaged.

The invention also relates to a packed set of floor panels, with as a characteristic that the set of floor panels is packed in a package that consists at least of a folded sheet-shaped element comprising a bottom and a number of upright sidewalls, whereby at least a number of the sidewalls are interconnected by means of glue. Moreover, preferably a shrink film or the like is provided around the whole. According to a variant, it is, however, not excluded to omit the shrink film and to provide the box with a cover lid. Preferably, the box herein is oblong and glue connections are exclusively present at the short sides. This latter allows a smooth production of such boxes, in view of the fact that exclusively glue connections have to be performed at the location of the short sides.

According to a second object, the invention aims at a method for advantageously packaging floor panels of different widths in one and the same package. To this aim, the invention relates to a method for packaging floor panels, more particularly floor panels of the type consisting of rectangular oblong floor panels that are intended for forming a floor covering, whereby these floor panels are industrially manufactured in at least two widths and are provided with coupling parts at least at two opposite sides, wherein floor panels of different widths are provided in the same package, more particularly the same box, with the characteristic that these floor panels are provided in a box in layers, wherein in at least one of these layers at least two floor panels are placed next to each other, with their longitudinal directions substantially parallel to each other.

This method has the advantage that a variety of beneficial packaging possibilities is created for providing and/or presenting such floor panels of different widths in a package, more particularly a box. So, for example, may the floor panels be provided next to each other in successive layers in such a manner that the filling degree of the package is optimized, notwithstanding the fact that different widths are present in one box. This method also allows to provide the floor panels next to each other in such a manner that the presence of different width is immediately, or almost immediately, visible, either immediately through a transparent portion of the package, or rather immediately after such box has been opened and possibly only a number of floor panels has been removed from it.

It is clear that, in order to obtain an efficient packaging, the majority of the layers and preferably all layers take up at least 70% of the internal width of the box, such that the freedom of movement of the floor panels in the package is restricted.

In a preferred form of embodiment, the filling degree of the package, seen in width direction, for each of the aforesaid layers is at least 90%, whereby the filling degree is defined as (A/B)×100, wherein:

A=the sum of the entire widths of the floor panels situated next to each other in one layer;

• a. B=the internal width of the box.

By “width of the floor panels”, herein the total width of the floor panels is meant, including the coupling means. In this form of embodiment, the risk of a mutual shifting of the floor panels is minimized, such that, for example, the risk that the decorative layer of the floor panels, as, for example, laminate panels, becomes damaged, is also restricted. With floor panels that are provided with coupling parts of MDF of HDF, the thus limited freedom of movement also results in a restriction of the risk of damage at these coupling parts.

The internal width of the box may, for example, be chosen such that it substantially corresponds to the largest of the aforesaid different widths of the floor panels. In this manner, the shifting of the widest floor panels is optimally restricted or even excluded. Additionally, this choice leads to a sturdy packaging, as the widest panels can contribute to the strength of the package.

It is clear that a method for packaging according to the tenth aspect requires less efforts in the distribution. In order to obtain that the installing person has too little or too much of a certain width, one box moreover preferably has as many floor panels of each width, and still better as many or almost as many meters run of floor panels of each width.

In a preferred form of embodiment, the method is applied for packaging floor panels of three different widths in the same package, wherein the sum of a first width and a second width is a whole, or almost a whole, multiple of the third width. So, for example, does the sum of the widths of the narrowest and of the widest floor panels substantially correspond to two times the width of the floor panels of intermediate width. According to an important form of embodiment of the invention, the present example allows a very compact packaging, whereby according to this form of embodiment, on the one hand, at least layers are formed, which, seen in a cross-section of the package, comprise exactly two floor panels that are of the intermediate width, and, on the other hand, layers are formed, which, also seen in a cross-section of the package, at the same time comprise only two floor panels, of which a first, however, is of the smallest width and a second is of the largest width.

It is noted that in one and the same package, also floor panels of different widths can be combined with floor panels of different lengths, preferably in a manner that does not allow any, or almost any, mutual shifting among the different floor panels, in width direction of the floor panels as well as in the longitudinal direction of the floor panels. Preferably, herein in one box of each width the same amount of meters run shall be provided, and/or of each length the same amount of square meters. For packaging these panels, a combination can be made of the present invention according to the tenth aspect and the packaging method for panels of different lengths that is known from BE 1015299.

The packaging method that is applied according to the invention preferably can be a method such as described by means of the first object of the invention, as such packaging still further restricts the shifting of the panels, however, other packaging methods can be applied as well, for example, packaging in an already assembled cardboard box and/or a shrink film.

It is noted that avoiding scratches by means of applying a method according to the invention is of particular importance with laminate panels.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

With the intention of better showing the characteristics of the invention, hereafter, as an example without any limitative character, several preferred forms of embodiment are described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a method according to the invention;

FIGS. 2 to 7, in perspective, represent views of the packaging steps taking place in the areas indicated by F16, F17, F18, F19, F20 and F21 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 represents a view in perspective onto a set of floor panels that is obtained, amongst others, by means of a method according to the invention;

FIG. 9 represents a cross-section according to the line XXIII-XXIII in FIG. 8;

FIGS. 10 and 11 represent variants according to a same view as in FIG. 23.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 to 7 show a method for packaging floor panels 1 according to the present invention. Hereby, several floor panels 1, which, at least at two opposite sides 3A-3B and/or 4A-4B, are provided with coupling parts, for example, 17A-17B, as described above, are packaged in a box 35. This box 35 consists of at least one sheet-shaped packaging element 36 that is composed by means of a folding process.

According to the packaging process represented in FIG. 1, floor panels 1 are supplied in stacks by pushing a fixed number of such floor panels 1, in this case seven, from a stack 37 onto a transport device 38 by means of a to- and fro-moving drive element 39. Said stack 37 is each time filled up from below and ordered by means of a pressing element 40, such that the floor panels 1 are lying precisely one above the other. The supply of the packaging elements 36 here takes place by providing them one after the other on a second transport device 41.

Said transport devices 38 and 41 bring the floor panels 1 and the packaging elements 36 together during the folding process, after which the packaging elements 36 are folded around the quantity of floor panels 1 to be packed therein and subsequently the packed floor panels 1 are transported off, such as schematically represented at the uppermost portion of the transport device 41. When bringing them together, the floor panels 1 are put on the aforementioned packaging element 36, while the packaging element 36 either is still unfolded or is already partially folded, before, as aforementioned, folding the packaging element 36 around the quantity of floor panels 1 to be packaged. Preferably, the panels 1 are automatically deposited at the right place on the packaging element 36. This is possible, for example, by adjusting the supply from both aforementioned transport devices 38 and 41 to each other, for example, by means of sensors that detect the location of the floor panels 1 as well as of the packaging elements 36 and regulate the speed of the respective supplies.

FIGS. 2 through 7 show how such packaging element 36 can be folded in various successive stages. FIGS. 2 and 3 show that, in this example, the folding process is performed in part, before the packaging element 36 is brought together with the floor panels 1. During the further course of the folding process, represented in FIGS. 4 to 7, a box 35 with a bottom 42 and sidewalls 43 is formed, wherein the quantity of floor panels 1 and the bottom 42 first, directly or indirectly, are positioned against each other and only afterwards the sidewalls 43 are folded against the quantity of floor panels 1. Preferably, at least a number of portions of the box 35 during the formation thereof are connected by means of glue 44, more particularly so-called “hot melt” glue. In the represented example, the portions that are connected by means of glue 44 can be restricted to the transverse walls of the box 35, which in this manner are connected to the flaps 45.

It is clear that the box 36 represented in FIGS. 16 to 21 also meets the characteristics of the ninth aspect of the invention.

FIGS. 8 and 9 represent a set of floor panels 1, which is obtained by means of a method according to, amongst others, the tenth aspect of this invention. In this method for packaging floor panels 1, it is started from rectangular oblong floor panels 1, which industrially have been manufactured in at least two widths, in this case three widths B1-B2-B3, and are provided with coupling parts at least at two opposite sides 3A-3B. Herein, floor panels 1 of different width are provided in the same package, more particularly in the same box 35, and preferably afterwards have been wrapped with a film 46, for example, a shrink film.

The floor panels 1 are provided in the box 35 in layers 47, wherein in at least one of these layers 47 at least two floor panels 1 are placed next to each other, with their longitudinal directions substantially parallel to each other. The filling degree of the package, seen in width direction, for each of the layers 47, as represented, preferably is at least 90%. In the example of FIG. 23, the filling degree is defined as (B1+B2)/W in respect to the layers 47 in which two floor panels 1 are provided next to each other, and B3/W in respect to the layers 47 in which only one floor panel 1 is provided. Wherein B1, B2 and B3 relate to the various total widths of the floor panels 1 and W relates to the internal width of the box 35. In this example, it applies that the sum of a first width B1 and a second width B2 is a whole, or almost a whole, multiple of the third width B3 and in this case is equal, or almost equal, to the width B3 of the widest floor panels 1.

FIG. 10 shows an important variant of such set of floor panels 1. This set is obtained by applying a method according to the tenth aspect of the invention, wherein, on the one hand, layers 47 are formed, which, seen in a cross-section, comprise exactly two floor panels 1 that have the intermediate width B2, and, on the other hand, layers 47 are formed, which, seen in cross-section, also comprise only two floor panels 1, of which a first, however, has the narrowest width B1 and a second has the largest width B3. In this example, the widths are chosen such that the sum of the width B1 of the narrowest floor panels 1 and the width B3 of the widest floor panels 1 substantially corresponds to two times the width B2 of the floor panels 1 of intermediate width.

FIG. 11 shows a variant wherein at least two floor panels 1 of a first width B1 are commonly wrapped or packaged to provide a first subpackage 48A; and wherein at least two floor panels 1 of a second width B2 are commonly wrapped or packaged to provide for a second subpackage 48B; wherein said second subpackage 48B is separate from said first subpackage 48A and preferably free from floor panels having said first width; and in that said first and second subpackage 48A-48B are provided in the same box 35 or another common package, such that at least two floor panels 1 of different width B1-B2 are placed next to each other, with their longitudinal directions substantially parallel to each other. In the example a third subpackage 48C is provided for comprising at least two floor panels 1 of a third width B3. Clearly also here, the floor panels 1 are provided in the box 35 in layers 47.

In the illustrated example the subpackage 48A-48B-48C has been created by wrapping said at least two panels of a common width B1-B2-B3 with a transparent film 46. According to another example, cardboard could be used for the subpackages as well, be it in combination with a film 46 or not.

Preferably, the packed set of panels according to the invention is such that the decorative side 11 of at least one floor panel 1 can be seen through the packaging material. As is the case in FIGS. 10 and 11, preferably the decorative sides 11 of at least two floor panels 1 of different width B1, B3 are visible through the packaging material. Such embodiment is helpful to the consumer making his choice in a DIY store. In the embodiment of FIG. 11, all three different widths B1, B2, B3 are visible.

It is to be noted that the box 35 not necessarily needs to have a bottom 42 that runs continuously from one side edge of the package to the other side edge, like in FIGS. 9 to 11. It is possible, but not illustrated here, that the box 35 in fact consists of two or more L-shaped or U-shaped elements, preferably made from card board, wherein each element preferably encapsulates the edges of the layers 47 of the packed set of floor panels and cover at least the coupling parts 3A, or 3B as the case may be, at the respective edge. Preferably the element also coves at least a portion of the bottom of the packed set of floor panels 1 close to the coupling parts 3A.

It is also clear that the invention also relates to sets of floor panels that are packaged by the application of methods of the invention.

Claims

1. Method for packaging floor panels of the type that consists of rectangular oblong floor panels that are intended to form a floor covering, wherein these floor panels are industrially manufactured in at least two widths and are provided with coupling parts at least at two opposite sides, wherein floor panels of different width are provided in the same package including a box, wherein these floor panels are provided in the box in layers, wherein in at least one of these layers at least two floor panels are placed next to each other, with their longitudinal directions substantially parallel to each other.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the filling degree of the package, seen in width direction, for each of the aforesaid layers is at least 90%, whereby the filling degree is defined as wherein:

(A/B)×100,

A=the sum of the entire widths of the floor panel situated next to each other in one layer;

B=the internal width of the box.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein herein floor panels of three different widths are provided in the same package, wherein the sum of the first width and a second width is a whole, or almost a whole, multiple of the third width.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein herein floor panels of three different widths are provided in the same package, wherein the sum of the width of the narrowest and the width of the broadest floor panels substantially corresponds to two times the width of the floor panels of intermediate width.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein herein floor panels of three different widths are provided in the same package when packaging the floor panels, and wherein, on the one hand, at least layers are formed, which, seen in a cross-section, comprise exactly two floor panels that are of the intermediate width, and, on the other hand, layers are formed, which, seen in cross-section, also comprise only two floor panels, of which a first, however, is of the smallest width and a second is of the largest width.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least two floor panels of a first width are commonly wrapped or packaged to provide a first subpackage; and wherein at least two floor panels of a second width are commonly wrapped or packaged to provide for a second subpackage; and in that said first and second subpackage are provided in the same box or another common package, such that at least two floor panels of different width are placed next to each other, with their longitudinal directions substantially parallel to each other.