US-12624554-B2 - Panel

US12624554B2US 12624554 B2US12624554 B2US 12624554B2US-12624554-B2

Abstract

A panel, which, at two opposite edges, includes coupling parts that allow joining by a downward movement, the coupling parts including a male part that fits in a female part, wherein the male part comprises a laterally protruding lip with at a lower side a downward facing support surface.

Inventors

Charles Edward Stevens, JR.

Assignees

UNILIN NORDIC AB

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20250228

Claims (20)

1 . A panel system comprising: at least a first panel and a second panel, the first panel and the second panel each having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a first pair of opposite edges and a second pair of opposite edges; the second pair of opposite edges comprising a first edge having a first joint profile and a second edge having a second joint profile, wherein the first and second joint profiles are in one piece from a panel material and define coupling parts allowing that the first panel and the second panel are joinable by a downward movement of the first edge of the first panel with respect to the second edge of the second panel, and wherein the coupling parts, in a coupled condition of the first and second panels, provide a locking in a vertical direction perpendicular to a plane of the first and second panels, as well as in a horizontal direction parallel to the plane of the first and second panels and perpendicular to the first and second edges; the first joint profile comprising a first laterally projecting lip with a downward projecting locking part, the downward projecting locking part defining a male part, wherein the second joint profile comprises a second laterally projecting lip with an upward projecting locking part, the upward projecting locking part defining, proximally thereof, a recess acting as a female part, wherein the first laterally projecting lip with the downward projecting locking part defines a downward directed hook, wherein the second laterally projecting lip with the upward projecting locking part defines an upward directed hook, and wherein, in the coupled condition of the first and second panels, the downward directed hook and the upward directed hook engage behind each other to prevent drifting apart of the first panel and the second panel in the horizontal direction; wherein the first and second joint profiles comprise vertically active locking portions, which at least define a first point of contact and a second point of contact, the first and second points of contact being located at opposite sides of the male and female parts; the vertically active locking portions comprising a first locking portion and a second locking portion at respective opposite sides of the male part and a third locking portion and a fourth locking portion at respective opposite sides of the female part; the first and third locking portions defining, in the coupled condition of the first and the second panels, the first point of contact; the second and fourth locking portions defining, in the coupled condition of the first and second panels, the second point of contact and each having a contact surface defining an inclined tangent line; the male part of the first joint profile has a distal side and a proximal side, the second locking portion being located at the distal side; wherein the second point of contact is closer to the plane defined by the upper surface of the first and second panels than the first point of contact, and wherein, measured according to a direction perpendicular to the plane defined by the upper surface of the first and second panels, a distance between the first point of contact and the second point of contact is larger than 0.10 times the overall thickness of the first panel; wherein the distance between the first point of contact and the second point of contact measured parallel to the plane defined by the upper surface of the first and second panels and perpendicular to the second pair of opposite edges is smaller than 4 times a vertical distance between the first point of contact and the second point of contact; wherein the downward projecting locking part of the first joint profile is at least solid between the first and second points of contact; and wherein co-operation at the second point of contact occurs by two co-operating flat inclined surfaces at the second and fourth locking portions.
2 . The panel system of claim 1 , wherein co-operation at the first point of contact occurs by two co-operating surfaces at the first and third locking portions, wherein at least one of said two co-operating surfaces is curved.
3 . The panel system of claim 2 , wherein said at least one of said two co-operating surface of the first or the third locking portion that is curved, seen in the horizontal direction towards a distal side of a respective joint profile, comprises a concave surface part followed by a convex surface part, wherein said first point of contact is located between said concave surface part and said convex surface part.
4 . The panel system of claim 1 , wherein co-operation at the first point of contact occurs by two co-operating curved surfaces at the first and third locking portions.
5 . The panel system of claim 4 , wherein each curved co-operating surface of the first and the third locking portion, seen in the horizontal direction towards a distal side of a respective joint profile, comprises a concave surface part followed by a convex surface part, wherein said first point of contact is located between said concave and convex surface parts.
6 . The panel system of claim 1 , wherein co-operation of the first and second joint profiles at the first point of contact occurs at least by friction.
7 . The panel of claim 1 , wherein the first joint profile and the second joint profile are configured such that, when the first and the second panel are joined together, the first and the second panel fit together with a pretension wherein the first and second panels are urged towards each other.
8 . The panel system of claim 1 , wherein the contact surface of the second locking portion and the contact surface of the fourth locking portion are located completely above a level defined by an upper edge of the upward projecting locking part, with a lowermost contact at the second point of contact being located higher than an uppermost contact at the first point of contact.
9 . The panel system of claim 1 , wherein the first and third locking portions each have a contact surface defining an inclined tangent line, wherein said tangent line is steeper than the tangent line defined at the second point of contact.
10 . The panel system of claim 1 , wherein the male part only comprises one vertically active locking portion at each side of the male part.
11 . The panel system of claim 1 , wherein the first point of contact is a local point of contact and wherein the second point of contact extends over an area.
12 . The panel system of claim 1 , wherein in the coupled condition of the first and second panels, intermediate spaces between the downward directed hook and the upward directed hook are present locations of: underneath the male part, wherein at least one intermediate space is located underneath the male part; above the upward projecting locking part, wherein an upper edge of the upward projecting locking part is located at a distance from a lower side of the first laterally projecting lip, wherein the lower side is located adjacent to the downward projecting locking part.
13 . The panel system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second panels comprise a core and a surface layer, wherein the core is a wood fiber board.
14 . The panel system of claim 1 , wherein the first pair of opposite edges comprises coupling parts that, in the coupled condition of the first and the second panel, provide a locking at respective edges in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the first and second panels, as well as in a direction parallel to the plane of the first and second panels and perpendicular to the respective edges, and wherein the coupling parts at the first pair of edges are configured such that respective first and second panels are joinable by an angling motion of one panel in respect to another panel, the first joint profile and the second joint profile of the second pair of opposite edges being configured such that joining of the first and second panels at the second pair of edges can take place at a same time and concurrently with the angling motion at the first pair of opposite edges.
15 . The panel system of claim 1 , wherein a bottom part of a distal side of the upward projecting locking part comprises a chamfer.
16 . The panel system of claim 1 , wherein in the coupled condition of the first and second panels, the first and second joint profiles define a closing plane, wherein a space is present between the closing plane and the second point of contact.
17 . The panel system of claim 1 , wherein in the coupled condition of the first and second panels, the first locking portion grips behind the third locking portion with a horizontal overlap in a range of 0.05 to 0.3 mm.
18 . A panel system comprising: at least a first panel and a second panel, the first panel and the second panel each having an upper surface, a lower surface, and a first pair of opposite edges and a second pair of opposite edges; the second pair of opposite edges comprising a first edge having a first joint profile and a second edge having a second joint profile, wherein the first and second joint profiles are in one piece from a panel material and define coupling parts allowing that the first panel and the second panel are joinable by a downward movement of the first edge of the first panel with respect to the second edge of the second panel, and wherein the coupling parts, in a coupled condition of the first and second panels, provide a locking in a vertical direction perpendicular to a plane of the first and second panels, as well as in a horizontal direction parallel to the plane of the first and second panels and perpendicular to the first and second edges; the first joint profile comprising a first laterally projecting lip with a downward projecting locking part, the downward projecting locking part defining a male part, wherein the second joint profile comprises a second laterally projecting lip with an upward projecting locking part, the upward projecting locking part defining, proximally thereof, a recess acting as a female part, wherein the first laterally projecting lip with the downward projecting locking part defines a downward directed hook, wherein the second laterally projecting lip with the upward projecting locking part defines an upward directed hook, and wherein, in the coupled condition of the first and second panels, the downward directed hook and the upward directed hook engage behind each other to prevent drifting apart of the first panel and the second panel in the horizontal direction; wherein the first and second joint profiles comprise locking portions, which at least define a first point of contact and a second point of contact, the first and second points of contact being located at opposite sides of the male and female parts; wherein said locking portions comprise horizontal active locking portions which define a first point of contact to prevent drifting apart of the first panel and the second panel in the horizontal direction; the locking portions further comprising vertically active locking portions which at least define the second point of contact and counteract separation in the vertical direction of the first and second panels in the coupled condition of the first and second panels; the locking portions comprising a first locking portion and a second locking portion at the respective opposite sides of the male part and a third locking portion and a fourth locking portion at the respective opposite sides of the female part; the first and third locking portions defining, in the coupled condition of the first and the second panels, the first point of contact; the second and fourth locking portions defining, in the coupled condition of the first and second panels, the second point of contact and each having a contact surface defining an inclined tangent line; the male part of the first joint profile has a distal side and a proximal side, the second locking portion being located at the distal side; wherein the downward projecting locking part of the first joint profile is at least solid in between the first and second points of contact; wherein the co-operation at the second point of contact occurs by co-operating flat inclined surfaces at the second and fourth locking portions and wherein said flat inclined surfaces at the second and fourth locking portions are configured to counteract separation in the vertical direction of the first and second panels in the coupled condition of the first and second panels; wherein co-operation of the first and second joint profiles at the first point of contact occurs at least by friction; wherein an intermediate space is provided at least underneath the male part and above the upper side of the second laterally projecting lip, such that there is no support between a distal lower end of the male part and an upper side of the second laterally projecting lip, and wherein said intermediate space is situated more proximal than the third locking portion; wherein the first and second panels are laminated floor panels or engineered wood panels.
19 . The panel system of claim 18 , wherein the first pair of opposite edges comprises coupling parts that, in the coupled condition of the first and the second panel, provide a locking at respective edges in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the first and second panels, as well as in a direction parallel to the plane of the first and second panels and perpendicular to the respective edges, and wherein the coupling parts at the first pair of edges are configured such that respective first and second panels are joinable by an angling motion of one panel in respect to another panel, the first joint profile and the second joint profile of the second pair of opposite edges being configured such that joining of the first and second panels at the second pair of edges can take place at a same time and concurrently with the angling motion at the first pair of opposite edges.
20 . The panel system of claim 19 , wherein the first and third locking portions are also vertically active locking portions, and wherein the first and third locking portions define an inclined tangent line, wherein said tangent line is steeper than the tangent line defined at the second point of contact.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/746,390, filed Jun. 18, 2024, which is a continuation and claims priority to the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/953,793, filed Sep. 27, 2022, now U.S. Pat. No. 12,044,014, which is a continuation of and claims priority to the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/104,715, filed on Nov. 25, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,479,977 which is a continuation of and claims priority to the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/600,957, filed on Oct. 14, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,883,277 which is a continuation of and claims priority to the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/005,364, filed Jun. 11, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,443,248 which is a continuation of and claims priority to the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/419,505, filed Jan. 30, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,995,045 which is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/633,923, filed Feb. 27, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,574,354 which is a continuation of and claims priority to PCT Patent Application No. PCT/IB2013/058022 filed Aug. 27, 2013, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/693,668, filed Aug. 27, 2012, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein. BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field The present invention relates to a panel. In first instance, it relates to a floor panel, however, more generally, the invention can also be applied in other types of panels, for example, panels for a wall covering or ceiling. More specifically, the invention relates to panels which on their edges can be coupled to each other and interlocked. In particular, the invention relates to a panel of the type having an upper surface, a lower surface and at least one pair of opposite edges; wherein said pair of edges comprises a first edge having a first joint profile and a second edge having a second joint profile;wherein said joint profiles define coupling parts allowing that two of such panels can be joined, or are joinable, by a downward movement of the edge of one panel in respect to the edge of the other panel, wherein said coupling parts in a coupled condition provide a locking in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the coupled panels, as well as in a direction parallel to the plane of the coupled panels and perpendicular to the respective edges;wherein the first joint profile comprises a first laterally projecting lip with a downward projecting locking part, said downward projecting locking part defining a male part;wherein the second joint profile comprises a second laterally projecting lip with an upward projecting locking part, said upward projecting locking part defining proximally thereof a recess acting as a female part;wherein the first laterally projecting lip with the downward projecting locking part defines a downward directed hook, whereas the second laterally projecting lip with the upward projecting locking part defines an upward directed hook;wherein, in the coupled condition of two of such panels, the downward directed hook and upward directed hook engage behind each other so as to prevent drifting apart of the panels;wherein said coupling parts further comprise vertically active locking portions which at least define a first point of contact and a second point of contact, said points of contact being located at opposite sides of said male and female parts;wherein said vertically active locking portions comprise a first locking portion and a second locking portion at the respective opposite sides of said male part and a third locking portion and a fourth locking portion at the respective opposite sides of the female part;wherein said first and third locking portions in the coupled condition of two of such panels define said first point of contact and have contact surfaces that in the coupled condition of two of such panels define an inclined tangent line;wherein said second and fourth locking portions in the coupled condition of two of such panels define said second point of contact and have contact surfaces that in the coupled condition of two of such panels define an inclined tangent line;wherein said male part has a distal side and a proximal side, said second locking portion being located at the distal side;wherein the panel at said first edge has a distal edge defining the closing plane of the panels, said second locking portion being located in an inwardly offset position in regard to said distal edge; andwherein said joint profiles are in one piece from the panel material; andwherein measured according to a direction perpendicular to the plane defined by the panels, the second point of contact is closer to the plane defined by the upper surface of the panels than the first point of contact. 2. Related Art Panels of this type are known from document DE 103 05 695 A1. An aim of the present invention is to improve the panels of this type