MXPA98009830A - Article with interlocking edges and covering product prepared therefrom - Google Patents

Abstract

An article that is suitable for use in surface coverings, such as laminate floorings, wherein the article has at least one interlocking edge of a first profile and at least one interlocking edge of a second profile. The interlocking edges provide the ability to interlock adjacent articles without the need for an adhesive, and yet form a substantially gapless seam between the articles. The articles may be joined and unjoined from each other a plurality of times without any substantial deterioration of the interlocking edge profiles.

Description

ARTÍCU IT WITH ENCLOSURE EDGES AND COVER PRODUCT PREPARED WITH THE MIS MO BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an article a ^ μe having interleaving edges and its use for preparing a cover product useful for covering flat surfaces as well as round surfaces, particularly useful for preparing a product. laminated parquet that is easy to install, easy to repair, essentially glue-free in the installation and essentially waterproof in use, due to the profile and composition of its curled edges Discussion of the Background In recent years the use of laminated products In the parquet industry as a replacement or substitute for temporary parquet floorboards, it has grown enormously due to the durability and easy care of laminate products. However, the laminate flooring products currently available often have several disadvantages. Many conventional laminate flooring products have edges that are machined to fit one another. However, the conventional method for preparing said edges provides an interference fit (shown in Figure 1). In the type of edge interface adjustment, any glue that is placed on the outer edge portion of the edge will be forced outward by inserting the corresponding edge of an adjacent part. of the laminate. However, due to the tight fit, adjusting the laminated pieces together often requires pressure and clamps to hold the pieces together. Additionally, when the pieces are joined and the glue of the outer cutting edge is forced out, there is no way to control the direction in which the glue will come out. It can exit either in an upward direction to the visible surface on the floorboard or in a downward direction to the adjacent surface of the secondary flooring. Either of these options can be detrimental to both the appearance and function of the resulting floor. In the Patent of E. U.A. 5,618,602, an improved laminate floor was provided in which the rib of the outer cut edges of the laminate floor sections are machined in such a manner as to provide an escape path for the glue from the outer cutting edge to the visible surface of the laminate. floor while maintaining enough glue on the surface of the edge to join adjacent sections together. However, since glue is essentially not allowed to come out from the bottom of the laminate floor, the resulting floor may have problems due to water entering the seam formed by the edges from below. Since the substrate of the laminate floor described herein is based on hardboard (based on wood), the ingress of water can cause the filling, ultimately resulting in buckling or other floor distortions.

Additionally, most laminated parquet requires the use of glue applied to the interface of each parquet section and for direct bonding applications the glue is placed on the underside of the parquet section to adhere it to the bottom of the floor. Once the glue hardens, the resulting floor can be extremely difficult to repair or replace. Additionally, due to the expansion and / or contraction within the individual sections of laminate flooring, the resulting floor can be subjected to various stresses causing distortion, buckling, etc. , thus compromising the appearance of the floor. A new type of surface cover edge design, particularly in the laminated parquet area, is necessary to overcome these disadvantages. COMPRISING THE I NVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a new surface cover product that is easy to install, which, if desired, is installed without glue, which is easy to repair and / or replace and that is essentially waterproof. A further object of the present invention is to provide a new surface cover product having an edge design that can be assembled and disassembled into a simple form without tools or glue.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a surface cover product having a substantially hydrophobic interior to provide a watertight seam between the sections. Another object of the present invention is to provide a laminated parquet prepared from the surface covering product of the present invention. Another object of the present invention is to provide a surface cover product that can be used as a flooring, wall covering, ceilings and on curved surfaces. These and other objects of the present invention have been met by the discovery of an article that is suitable for use on surface covers such as laminate floorings, wherein the article has a flat decorative surface, a lower flat surface and at least a male edge and at least one female edge, with the male and female edges having profiles that provide the ability to enclose the adjacent articles by approaching one article to the other at an angle, inserting the male edge into the female edge and causing the surfaces Flat bottoms of the two articles become coplanar, thus forming a seam without spaces between the articles that can be formed, if desired, without glue and which, if desired, can be water-tight. BRIEF D ESC R I PC OF THE FI G U RAS A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the advantages due thereto will be readily obtained as they are better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 1, shows a conventional forced fit edge in a rolled product. Figure 2 shows a laminated parquet edge according to the Patent of E.U.A. 5,618,602. Figures 3A-3C show a preferred embodiment of a surface covering formed of an article of the present invention, namely, a laminate flooring of the present invention and the manner in which the articles of the present invention can be joined. Figure 4 shows an enlarged portion of a preferred edge design according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES The article of the present invention comprises a central matrix having a top surface and a bottom surface and a plurality of edge surfaces around its periphery. The upper surface and the lower surface can be selected independently of the upper and lower surfaces of the central matrix, respectively; a decorative layer, such as a high pressure decorative laminate, a solid surface sheet or a solid surface laminate (such as that described in the Application for the E. U .A. No. 08/899, 1 18); or any other conventional decorative layer that can be attached to the central matrix. Preferably, the upper and lower surfaces are each a decorative layer, respectively, still more preferably a decorative high-pressure laminate layer. The upper and lower decorative layers may be the same or different. The decorative layers can be formed from a variety of materials. Suitable materials for the decorative layers include, but are not limited to, conventional high-pressure decorative laminate (made from layers of brown paper impregnated with melamine formaldehyde), wood veneers or conventional polymer solid-surface laminates or laminates. The decorative layers can be attached to the matrix using conventional means, such as adhesives or by coextrusion of the matrix and decorative layers, either with or without an adjustment layer. When the matrix forms the entire article, the matrix can be prepared from wood, wood-based products such as hardboard (such as high-density hardboard), polymeric materials, etc. Suitable polymeric materials include, but are not limited to, rigid thermoplastics and thermosetting, as well as more flexible elastomers and rubbers. When the article of the present invention is used to form a surface covering for a curved surface (either concave or convex), the article is preferably made of one of these more flexible materials in order to conform to the curved surface, particularly when the surface is convex. The preferred design of the male and female edges of the present article allow significant rotation when the surface cover formed thereof is used on a concave curved surface. However, if the article is formed of a wood or polymer product (either foam or solid laminate), the resulting surface covering has little or no flexibility when placed on a convex surface. The matrix of the present product can be formed from a variety of materials, such as wood or wood-based products, plastics, metals, etc. In order to obtain the maximum in waterproof and dimensional stability over time, it is preferred to form a central matrix of a plastic, more preferably a hydrophobic polymer. Suitable hydrophobic polymers include polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polyolefins, etc. The matrix is more preferably prepared from a hydrophobic polymer, such as an ABS, HIPS or polyvinyl chloride foam having a preferred density reduction of from about 0 to 50%, more preferably from 20 to 40% density reduction, more preferably about 30% density reduction. Within the context of the present invention, the term "density reduction" is defined as the percentage by which the foam density is lower than the density of the polymer without foam comprising the foam. The use of the hydrophobic polymer foam of the present invention provides improved water-tight sewing properties as well as ease of handling due to the lighter weight of the foam. The matrix can be formed by any conventional process, including but not limited to, molding, casting, extrusion, etc. , when the matrix is formed of a polymeric material. When the matrix is formed of a hard cardboard composition, the matrix can be prepared by any conventional process. When the article is a solid piece of wood, the article can be prepared by conventional carpentry techniques, while the edge profile is prepared to meet the requirements of the invention. The profile of the edges of the laminated parquet of the present invention can be formed by grooving, cutting, etc. , as necessary. In addition, when the matrix is made of a polymeric material, the profile of the edges can be formed or can be formed by extruding the matrix with the profiles intact. The article of the present invention has a top surface and a bottom surface, with at least one male edge and at least one female edge, wherein at least one male edge and at least one female edge are located on the sides opposite one from the other. The edges are formed to provide a profile so that two pieces of the article can be joined along the male and female edges of the adjacent pieces as shown in Figure 3A, bringing a piece closer to the article with a second piece of the article. from an angle, to, as shown in Figure 3B. Referring to Figure 3A and Figure 3B, the part containing the edge 10, has the rib 11 that is inserted into a corresponding slot 21 in the part containing the male edge 20. Once the rib 11 sits in the corresponding groove 21 of the part containing the female edge 20, the part containing the male edge 20 is lowered so that the upper surface of the parts of the article become coplanar and the lower surfaces of the two parts of the article become also coplanar. The profile of the edge of each piece is formed in a pattern so that upon reaching the final coplanar arrangement, the female edge and the male edge of the pieces form a seam without interspacing spaces, as shown in Figure 3C. The interlock is sufficient to prevent separation of the two pieces of the article by applying force on either or both pieces of the article along a vector parallel to the upper and lower surfaces. Edge profiles are formed in order to provide an approach angle of 10 to 45 degrees, preferably 10 to 20 degrees, more preferably 15-18 degrees. While the edge profiles are not separated by pulling the two pieces in opposite directions (without breaking any profile of the male edge or female edge), in a preferred embodiment, the edge profile is configured so that the two pieces can also be formed. join by aligning the two pieces so that the upper surfaces are coplanar and the lower surfaces they are coplanar and the two pieces are pushed to press the male and female edges and form the seam without spaces. However, although this embodiment can not be separated by pulling the pieces in opposite directions without breaking the male or female edge due to the interlock nature of the edge profiles. A most preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figure 4, which shows two adjacent sections of a laminate flooring product of the present invention, each ha a flat decorative surface 1 and a lower flat surface 2, with a piece ha a male edge 10 and an adjacent piece ha a female edge 20. The male edge 10 and the female edge 20 each ha an index surface 12 and 22 respectively. The two index flat surfaces 12 and 22 are each at the same distance from the flat decorative surface 1. The remaining description of the edge profile will focus on the male edge of the preferred embodiment, with the understanding that the female edge is designed to provide the easily constructed qualities of the present invention and to be at least almost completely accurate, complementary. to the profile of the male edge. Within the context of the present invention, the term "almost completely" indicates that the lower surfaces of the male and female edges can not form a completely seam without spaces, as shown in space 50 of Figure 3C. This space does not have to be present but is preferred in order to allow the use of the cutting tools used to form the edge profile, which could somehow cause a perfect fit seam to gradually force the flat coplanar lower surfaces. With the small space 50 at the bottom of the edge, the cutters can last longer between the changes without detrimentally affecting the seam fit. In the most preferred embodiment of Figure 4, the male edge 10 has a rib 11 above the index flat surface 12. Between the rib 11 and the flat decorative surface 1 there is a groove 13. The rib 11 is angled from the plane index surface 12 the plane formed by the flat decorative surface 1 so that a first lower surface 11a of the rib 11 forms an angle? with the flat surface of index 12. The angle? it may be from 20 to 50 degrees, preferably from 25 to 45 degrees, more preferably from 30 to 40 degrees. The rib 11 has a distal end 11b and a first upper surface 11c of the rib that is not parallel with the first lower surface 11a of the rib 11, so that the first upper surface 11c of the rib 11 forms an angle? with the plane formed by the flat surface of index 12. Consequently,? < ? The first upper surface 11 of the rib 11 also forms a second lower surface 11c of the first groove 13. The first groove 13 has a second upper surface 13a which is joined to the second lower surface 11c by a first rounded cut 13b. The second upper surface 13a extends from the first rounded cut 13b to an upper edge surface 14. The upper edge surface 14 extends from the second top surface 13a of the first groove 13 to meet the flat decorative surface 1. Below the flat index line 12 at the male edge there is a second groove 15 ha a third upper surface corresponding to the flat line of index 12. The third upper surface (flat line of index 12) is coupled to a third lower surface 15a by means of the second rounded cut 15b. The third lower surface 15a extends to find a lower edge surface 16 that extends from the third lower surface 15a to decrease the flat bottom surface 2. The female edge 20 has a profile that is complementary to the male edge to the extent that by joining an article that has a male edge with an article that has a female edge, it forms a seam so that it is without spaces from at least one point below and adjacent to the flat decorative surface 1 (corresponding to the intersection of the surface of the upper edge 14 and the second upper surface 13a of the first slot 13) at least one point above the adjacent lower flat surface 2 (corresponding to the intersection of the third lower surface 15a of the second slot 15 and the lower edge surface 16). In a preferred additional embodiment, it is possible to level the decorative surface of each of the male and female edges to provide an angled surface down to the point where the flat decorative surface is in the central matrix. This could provide a grooved or grooved seam by joining adjacent sections to the additional decorative effect on a surface cover product, particularly on a laminate flooring. Obviously, further modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in view of the above teachings. Therefore, it should be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced in a manner other than that specifically described herein.

Claims (19)

1. CLAIMS 1. An article comprising a flat top surface, a bottom flat surface, at least one male edge and at least one female edge; wherein at least one male edge and at least one female edge has a profile so that the article can be joined to a second adjacent article of similar construction by a process comprising: causing a male edge and a female edge of two. adjacent articles approach each other at an angle a, where it represents an angle formed by the lower flat surfaces of the two articles; inserting the male edge on an article on the female edge of the other article; and causing the lower flat surfaces of the two articles to become coplanar; to form a seam without spaces wherein the two adjacent articles can not be separated by pulling each of the two adjacent articles in opposite directions parallel to the lower flat surfaces of the two adjacent articles without breaking at least one of the male or female edges . The article of claim 1, wherein the upper planar surface and the lower planar surface are formed by laminating a surface material on a central matrix and at least one
2. male edge and at least one female edge are located at the exposed edges of the central matrix.
3. 3. The article of claim 2, wherein the central matrix is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of hard cardboard, solid polymeric materials and foamed polymeric materials.
4. 4. The article of claim 2, wherein the central matrix is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic polymers.
5. The article of claim 2, wherein the upper planar surface and the lower planar surface are each independently selected from the group consisting of high pressure decorative laminates and polymeric surface materials.
6. The article of claim 2, wherein each upper flat surface and said lower planar surface are a high pressure decorative laminate and the central matrix is a foamed polymer material, wherein the upper planar surface and the lower planar surface can be same or different.
7. The article of claim 6, wherein the foamed polymeric material is a foamed polyvinyl chloride, polyacrylonitrile-co-butadiene-co-styrene (ABS), polyamide or high impact polystyrene (HIPS).
8. 8. The article of claim 7, wherein the foamed polyvinyl chloride has a density reduction of 0 to 50%.
9. 9. An article comprising a top flat surface, a bottom flat surface, at least one male edge and at least one female edge; wherein each of at least one male edge and at least one female edge has a flat index surface located at an identical fixed distance from the upper planar surface; wherein at least one male edge has a rib above the index flat surface, with the first groove above the index flat surface and between the rib and the upper planar surface, wherein the rib is angled from the surface index plan towards a first plane formed by the upper flat surface, so that a first lower surface of the rib forms an angle? with a second plane formed of the index flat surface, the rib having a rounded distal end and a first top surface extending from the distal end rounded to the second plane, such that a line extending along the first surface superior intersects with the second plane at an angle?, where? < ? said first upper surface of the rib also forming a second lower surface of the first groove, having a second upper surface joined to the second lower surface by a first rounded cut portion and extending to meet an upper edge surface, in
10. where the surface of the upper edge extends to find the upper flat surface; wherein at least one male edge has a second groove below the index flat surface, wherein the second groove has a third upper surface foamed by the index flat surface and coupled to a third lower surface by a second rounded cut portion , wherein the third upper surface extends to find a lower edge surface, the lower edge surface meeting the lower flat surface; and wherein at least one female edge has a profile that is complementary to at least one male edge so that when joining two of the articles, a seam made in an interface of the male edge of an article and the edge A female of another article is within the spaces of at least one point below and adjacent to the upper planar surface toward at least one point above and adjacent to the lower planar surface. The article of claim 9, wherein the upper flat surface and the lower planar surface are formed by laminating a surface material on a central matrix and at least one male edge and at least one female edge are located at the edges exposed from the central matrix.
11. 11. The article of claim 10, wherein the central matrix is formed of a material selected from the group that

    It consists of hard cardboard, solid polymeric materials and foamed polymeric materials.
12. 12. The article of claim 10, wherein the central matrix is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of hydrophobic polymers.
13. 13. The article of claim 10, wherein the upper planar surface and the lower planar surface are each independently selected from the group consisting of high pressure decorative laminates and polymer surface materials.
14. The article of claim 10, wherein each upper planar surface and said lower planar surface are a high pressure decorative laminate and the central matrix is a foamed polymeric material, wherein the upper planar surface and the lower planar surface can be the same or different.
15. 15. The article of claim 14, wherein the foamed polymeric material is a foamed polyvinyl chloride, polyacrylonitrile-co-butadiene-co-styrene (ABS), polyamide or high impact polystyrene (HIPS).
16. 16. The article of claim 15, wherein the foamed polyvinyl chloride has a density reduction of 0 to 50%.
17. 17. An article of claim 9, wherein the upper edge surface is perpendicular to the upper planar surface.
18. 18. The article of claim 9, wherein the lower edge surface is perpendicular to the lower planar surface.
19. 19. The article of claim 17, wherein a portion of the female edge, corresponding in location to said lower edge surface of male edge, forms an obtuse angle with the lower planar surface.