WO2003095762A1

WO2003095762A1 - Floorboard

Info

Publication number: WO2003095762A1
Application number: PCT/EP2003/050151
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bengt Ohlsson
Original assignee: Tarkett Sas.
Priority date: 2002-05-10
Filing date: 2003-05-07
Publication date: 2003-11-20
Also published as: AU2003240837A1; EP1361320A1

Abstract

A floorboard (10), such as e.g. a parquet element, has a first edge provided with a tongue (24) and an opposite, second edge provided with a groove (18), the tongue (24) and groove (18) fitting into corresponding grooves and tongues of further similar floorboards. The groove (18) has a stepped profile, which is configured so that the back end of the groove (18) is narrower than its entrance. The tongue (24) has a stepped profile substantially matching that of the groove (18).

Description

FLOORBOARD

Field of the invention

The present invention generally relates to a floorboard, such as e.g. a laminate panel, a parquet element, a veneer floor element, a ready-to-lay parquet element or the like.

Background of the invention

A floorboard such as e.g. a parquet element for a parquet floor generally has a rectangular shape and comprises a supporting plate made of wood material provided on at least one face with a covering. The floorboard has a first longitudinal edge provided with a tongue, and an opposite, second longitudinal edge provided with a groove, the tongue and groove fitting into corresponding grooves and tongues of further similar floorboards. Tongues and grooves have a rectangular profile and are configured in such a way that tongues fit into grooves, almost without play, after glue has been applied.

When such floorboards are laid to form a floor, the tongue of a floorboard to be laid is engaged into the groove of an already assembled floorboard. Fixation of these two adjacent floorboards is achieved by means of glue provided at the tongue-and-groove joint. Therefore, glue is applied at the entrance of the groove before the tongue is engaged therein. A disadvantage of such floorboards is that, due to the tight fitting between groove and tongue — which by the way requires a great deal of dexterity to engage the tongue into the groove — glue is pushed towards the back end of the groove, and is not properly spread on the surfaces of the tongue and groove. Hence, the glued zones are rather randomly distributed and have undefined dimensions, whereby a poor gluing quality is obtained. Object of the invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a floorboard, which can be more easily assembled and which allows for a more efficient gluing. This object is achieved by a floorboard as claimed in claim 1.

Summary of the invention

A floorboard according to the present invention has a first edge with a tongue and an opposite, second edge with a groove, the tongue and groove fitting into corresponding grooves and tongues of further similar floorboards. It will be appreciated that the groove has a stepped profile, which is configured so that the back end of the groove is narrower than its entrance. The tongue has a stepped profile substantially matching that of the groove.

Since tongue and groove have matching profiles, the front part of the tongue is narrower than the entrance of the groove, and can thus more easily be engaged therein. As the tongue is further inserted into the groove, the front part of the tongue will reach the part of the groove that dimensionally matches this front part. Hence, although there is some clearance between tongue and groove for the engagement into the groove, it is still possible to provide for a tight fitting between matching parts of groove and tongue, whereby a precise positioning is obtained. This easier engagement of the tongue into the groove shall reduce the time needed for laying the flooring by up to 20%.

Furthermore, due to the clearance between groove entrance and front part of the tongue, the glue applied at the entrance of the groove will first be spread on this narrower, front end of the tongue, before being squeezed out between the matching parts of groove and tongue. As a result, the glue is not any more pushed towards the back of the groove but is spread on larger surfaces of the tongue and groove joint, so that an improved gluing efficiency is obtained.

It is to be noted that the floorboard according to the present invention is to be assembled by fitting and gluing, and does not exhibit any protruding locking element on its tongue, contrary to interlocking floorboards. This allows for an easy introduction of a tongue into a corresponding groove by pushing the floorboard in a single direction. Without glue at the tongue and groove joints, the floorboards will not hold together. Tongue and groove profiles are preferably configured in such a way that upon assembly, a small clearance remains between tongue and groove at the level of a junction between two consecutive stepped sections of the groove. This clearance forms a longitudinal glue collecting channel — for surplus glue — which results in a longitudinal gluing zone between tongue and groove.

In a preferred embodiment, the tongue is formed as two rectangular portions. A first portion is adjacent the first edge of the floorboard and a second portion further protrudes from the first portion, the first portion being thicker than the second portion. The groove comprises two consecutive rectangular sections, a first section forming the entrance of the groove and a narrower, second section forming the back end of the groove. Assembly of such a floorboard with a similar floorboard is thus facilitated by the larger entrance of the groove, but precise guidance is still obtained as the front end (i.e. the second portion) of the groove reaches the matching, back end (i.e. the second section) of the groove.

In this connection, tongue and groove profiles are preferably configured in such a way that upon assembly, a small clearance remains between tongue and groove at the level of the junction between the first and second sections of the groove. This provides for possible variations in manufacturing tolerances, which could otherwise prevent an intimate contact between two adjacent floorboards. In addition, glue may collect in this clearance, thereby providing a longitudinal gluing zone between tongue and groove.

Advantageously, the tongue is shorter than the groove, so as to provide a free space for surplus glue towards the back of the groove.

An undercut is preferably provided above the groove, respectively the tongue. Upon assembly of the floorboards, this provides a free space for adjusting the floorboards and so that an intimate contact between the upper parts of two adjacent floorboards is obtained.

A floorboard conventionally has a generally rectangular shape. The tongue shall thus extend along a longitudinal edge of the floorboard and the groove shall extend along the opposite longitudinal edge thereof. In addition, the tongue may extend along a transverse edge of the floorboard and the groove along the opposite transverse edge of the floorboard.

The floorboard shall generally comprise a supporting layer provided on one face with a covering layer, the tongue and groove being arranged on the edges of this supporting layer. The floorboard may further include a lower layer on the face of the support layer opposed to the covering layer.

Brief description of the drawings

The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig.1 : is a section view through two adjacent floorboards in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the floorboards being shown before they are brought together; Fig.2: is a section view through the assembled-together floorboards of Fig. . In the Figures, same reference numbers indicate similar or equivalent elements.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment

Two floorboards 10 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention are partially shown in cross-section in the drawings. Each floorboard 10 conventionally has a generally rectangular shape and comprises e.g. three layers of wood or wood derived material, which are glued to one another. For example, the upper layer 12 may be made of oak, the middle layer 14, hereinafter called support layer, may consist of battened wood, and the lower layer 16 may consist of battened wood or plywood.

Each floorboard has at one longitudinal edge a continuous groove 18 provided in the support layer 14. It will be appreciated that the groove has a stepped profile, as can be seen in Fig.1. In the present embodiment, the groove 18 comprises a first rectangular section 20 forming the entrance of the groove 18, and a consecutive, second section 22 forming the back end of the groove 18. The width of the second section 22, indicated w in Fig.1 , is narrower than that of the first section 20. These two rectangular sections 20 and 22 are preferably centrally aligned with each other along a plane parallel to the upper surface 23 of the floorboard 10.

On its second longitudinal edge, each floorboard is provided with a tongue 24 protruding from the support layer 14, in a direction perpendicular to the upper surface 23 of the floorboard 10. It will be appreciated that the tongue 24 also has a stepped profile, which substantially matches that of the groove 18. The tongue 24 is formed as two rectangular portions. A first portion 26 is adjacent the second edge of the floorboard and a second portion 28 further protrudes from the first portion 26. The two portions 26, 28 are centrally aligned along a plane parallel to the upper surface 23 of the floorboard 10. The front end of the tongue 24, i.e. the second portion 28, has a thickness matching the width of the second section 22 of the groove 18, and the thickness of the first portion 26 of the tongue 24 matches the width of the entrance of the groove 18.

When a flooring is laid using such floorboards, glue is preferably applied e.g. at the entrance of the groove 18, but it may also be applied, alternatively or in addition, on the tongue 24.

When two floorboards 10 are brought together from the position shown in Fig.1 to the position shown in Fig.2, matching parts of tongue 24 and groove 18 come into contact with one other. In other words, the upper 30 and lower 32 faces of the first portion 26 of the tongue 24 come into contact with the upper 34 and lower 36 inside faces of the first section 20 of the groove 18, and the upper 38 and lower 40 faces of the second portion 28 of the tongue 24 come into contact with the upper 42 and lower 44 inside faces of the second section 22 of the groove 18. These contact regions can be better seen Fig.2.

Since the entrance of the groove 18 is narrower than the front end (i.e. the second portion 28) of the tongue 24, the latter can easily be engaged into the groove 18. As the tongue 24 is further inserted into the groove 18, the first portion reaches the back end of the groove 18 and is guided in the narrower, second section 22. Hence, although there is some clearance for introducing the tongue 24 into the groove 18, it is possible to have a tight fitting between corresponding parts of tongue 24 and groove 18, so that a precise positioning of the floorboards 10 is obtained.

Furthermore, due to the clearance between the entrance of the groove 18 and the front part of the tongue 24, the glue applied at the groove entrance will first be spread on this narrower, front end of the tongue 24 before being squeezed out between the matching parts of groove 18 and tongue 24. As a result, the glue is spread on large surfaces of the tongue 24 and groove 18, so that an improved gluing efficiency is obtained.

As can be seen in Fig.2, the tongue-and-groove joint is preferably configured in such a way that upon assembly, a small clearance 46 remains between tongue 24 and groove 18 at the level of the junction between the first 20 and second 22 sections of the groove 18. This configuration is due to the position of the sloped surfaces 47, respectively 47', which make the junction between the first 28 and second 28 tongue portions, respectively between the first 20 and second 22 groove sections. The clearances 46 provide for possible variations in manufacturing tolerances, which could otherwise prevent an intimate contact between two adjacent floorboards. In addition, surplus glue may collect in this clearances 46, which form glue collecting channels for surplus glue. This results in longitudinal glued zones between tongues and grooves, which strengthen the assembly.

As is also shown in Fig.2, the tongue 24 is preferably shorter than the groove 18, so as to provide a free space 48 for surplus glue.

It remains to be noted that two undercuts 52 and 54 are provided between the upper surface 23 of the floorboard 10 and the tongue 24, respectively the groove 18. Upon assembly of the floorboards, this provides a free space for adjusting the floorboards and so that an intimate contact between the upper parts of two adjacent floorboards is obtained.

It will be noted that the present floorboard 10 is of the simple type, that is assembled by gluing and fitting, and its tongue is not provided with any protruding locking element, as is the case with an interlocking floorboard. This allows for an easy assembly of the present floorboards, which is simply carried out by horizontally pushing the tongue of a floorboard to be laid into the groove of an already laid floorboard. In other words, the tongues and grooves of the preser floorboards are designed to allow insertion of the tongue into the groove b pushing in a single direction, and there is no need to adroitly manipulate t < tongue to insert it into the groove, as is the case with interlocking floorboards.

List of reference numbers:

10 floorboard

12 upper layer

14 middle layer

16 lower layer

18 groove

20 first rectangular section

22 second section

23 upper surface

24 tongue

26 first portion

28 second portion

30, 38 upper face

32, 40 lower face

34, 42 upper inside face

36, 44 lower inside face

46 clearance

48 free space

52, 54 undercut

Claims

1. A floorboard comprising: a first edge provided with a tongue; and an opposite, second edge provided with a groove having an entrance and a back end; said tongue and groove fitting into corresponding grooves and tongues of further similar floorboards, wherein said groove has a stepped profile, which is configured so that the back end of said groove is narrower than its entrance; and said tongue has a stepped profile substantially matching that of said groove.

2. The floorboard according to claim 1 , wherein said tongue is formed as two rectangular portions, a first portion adjacent the first edge of the floorboard and a second portion further extending from said first portion, said first portion being thicker than said second portion; and said groove comprises two consecutive rectangular sections, a first section forming the entrance of said groove and a narrower, second section, forming the end part of said groove.

3. The floorboard according to claim 2, wherein said tongue and groove are configured in such a way that upon assembly, a small clearance remains between tongue and groove at the junction between the first and second sections of the groove.

4. The floorboard according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said tongue is shorter than said groove.

5. The floorboard according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein an undercut is provided between the upper surface of said floorboard and said tongue, respectively said groove.

6. The floorboard according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said floorboard has a generally rectangular shape and said tongue extends along a longitudinal edge of the floorboard and the groove extends along the opposite longitudinal edge thereof.

7. The floorboard according to the preceding claim, wherein said tongue further extends along a transverse edge of said floorboard and said groove further extends on the opposite transverse edge of said floorboard.

8. The floorboard according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said floorboard comprises a supporting layer provided on one face with a covering layer, said tongue and groove being arranged on the edges of said supporting layer.

9. The floorboard according to the preceding claim, wherein said floorboard is further provided with an inferior layer on the face of said supporting layer opposed to said covering layer.

10. A flooring comprising a multiplicity of floorboards according to any one of claims 1 to 9 assembled together.