DE20121828U1 - flooring - Google Patents

Description

Floor covering

The present invention relates to a floor covering, in particular of the type consisting of hard panels.

In particular, it concerns a floor covering made of laminate panels, also known as laminate parquet.

It is known that such laminate panels can be made of different layers. Most often the panels are formed from wood-based boards, such as chipboard or fibreboard, in particular MDF or HDF, to which at least on the upper side one or more layers, including a decorative layer, are applied. The decorative layer may be a printed paper layer, but in certain embodiments may just as well be a wood layer, in particular veneer. Such panels may also be made of other materials, for example only plastic, or from a wood-based base board, such as chipboard, MDF or HDF or the like, to which, instead of a printed paper layer or veneer, another material, such as cork, thin wood strips and the like, is applied.

It is also known to couple these panels at their edges during installation, either by means of a conventional tongue and groove joint, possibly gluing them together, or by means of a glueless joint which ensures mutual locking of the panels in both the horizontal and vertical directions, for example as described in International Patent Application No 97/47834.

The present invention aims at a floor covering made of

hard panels, in particular laminate panels, which, according to different aspects, provides new embodiments that offer corresponding advantages.

According to a first aspect, the invention provides a floor covering consisting of hard panels, said panels being provided, at least on two opposite edges, with coupling means formed integrally with the panels so that a plurality of such panels can be coupled together, said coupling means ensuring locking both in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering and in a direction perpendicular to the respective edges and parallel to the plane of the floor covering, said coupling means comprising a groove and a tongue, and the lip on the underside of the groove, hereinafter referred to as the lower lip, being longer than the lip on the top, hereinafter referred to as the upper lip, characterized in that the edge provided with the tongue is designed to be flexible.

Since the edge on which the tongue is provided is flexible, any bending occurring during the coupling of the panels is absorbed by this edge and the above-mentioned upper lip is protected from large bending, thus eliminating tearing of the material due to bending of the lower lip.

The lower lip is preferably made even more rigid by making it sufficiently thick so that any bending in this lip is completely excluded.

According to a first possibility, the above-mentioned flexibility is obtained by making at least the spring flexible. According to a second possibility, which is preferably combined with the first and which still

To further contribute to achieving the required flexibility, the spring is located on a part which is connected to the actual panel by means of a flexible zone in the form of a local thinning.

Specific advantages of the embodiment according to the first aspect are further explained in the following detailed description.

The coupling means are preferably designed in such a way that they allow the panels to be coupled by sliding them sideways towards each other.

According to a second aspect, the invention provides a floor covering consisting of hard panels, which panels are provided with coupling means on at least two opposite edges, whereby a plurality of such panels can be coupled together, which coupling means ensure locking both in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering and in a direction perpendicular to the respective edges and parallel to the plane of the floor covering, said coupling means comprising a groove and a tongue and wherein the lip on the underside of the groove, hereinafter referred to as the lower lip, is longer than the lip on the upper side, hereinafter referred to as the upper lip, characterized in that the coupling means consist of at least first coupling parts formed by cooperating contact surfaces on the upper side of the tongue and the underside of the upper lip, respectively; second coupling parts formed by contact surfaces on the upper side of the lower lip and an opposite part of the other panel, respectively; and third coupling parts, which provide the horizontal locking, which are located on the lower lip, but further than the free end of the

upper lip, said third coupling means being arranged between the first and the second.

This distributes the vertical forces generated when the floor covering is walked on over two points, resulting in better force distribution.

The third coupling parts preferably consist of an inwardly directed contact surface provided near the free end of the lower lip, on this lip, and a cooperating contact surface formed on the other panel.

The second coupling parts preferably consist of a contact surface formed on the upper side of the free end of the lower lip, as well as a cooperating contact surface on the underside of the other panel.

In addition, a free space is preferably provided under the spring, extending from the tip of the spring to the third coupling parts. This makes it easier to place the spring in the groove without having to take very precise tolerances into account.

According to a third aspect, the invention provides a floor covering consisting of hard panels, said panels being provided with coupling means at least on two opposite edges so that a plurality of such panels can be coupled together, said coupling means providing locking both in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering and in a direction perpendicular to the respective edges and parallel to the plane of the floor covering, said coupling means comprising a groove and a tongue and the lip located on the underside of the groove, hereinafter referred to as the lower lip, being longer than the lip on the

Upper side, hereinafter called upper lip, characterized in that the coupling means consist of at least first coupling parts formed by mutually interacting contact surfaces on the upper side of the tongue and the lower side of the upper lip respectively; second coupling parts formed by contact surfaces on the upper side of the lower lip and an opposite part of the other panel respectively; and third coupling parts which effect the horizontal locking, which are located on the lower lip but further than the free end of the upper lip, the second coupling means being arranged between the first and the third, and these second coupling parts consisting of mutually interacting contact surfaces defining a local contact zone located in the middle or practically in the middle between the tip of the tongue and the third coupling parts.

By using such a local contact zone, a space remains between this zone and the tip of the spring, at the bottom of the latter, which ensures that free movement of the spring is possible when the panels are joined together.

According to a fourth aspect, the invention provides a floor covering consisting of hard panels, said panels being provided on at least two opposite edges with coupling means made in one piece with the panels, whereby a plurality of such panels can be coupled together, said coupling means providing locking both in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering and in a direction perpendicular to the respective edges and parallel to the plane of the floor covering, said coupling means comprising a groove and a tongue, characterized in that the lip located on the upper side of the groove, hereinafter referred to as upper

lip, is longer than the lip located on the underside of the groove, hereinafter called lower lip, and that the above-mentioned coupling means comprise coupling parts which ensure locking in the horizontal direction, these coupling parts consisting at least of cooperating contact surfaces which are attached to the underside of the upper lip, outside the distal end of the lower lip, or to the opposite part of the edge of the other panel.

Since the locking takes place on the upper lip, it is easier to check the reliability of the locking when laying the floor than if the locking takes place on the lower lip.

According to a fifth aspect, the invention provides a floor covering consisting of hard panels, said panels being provided on at least two opposite edges with coupling means made in one piece with the panels, whereby a plurality of such panels can be coupled together, said coupling means providing locking both in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering and in a direction perpendicular to the respective edges and parallel to the plane of the floor covering, said coupling means comprising a groove and a tongue, characterized in that the lip located on the upper side of the groove, hereinafter referred to as the upper lip, is longer than the lip located on the lower side of the groove, hereinafter referred to as the lower lip, and in that the above-mentioned coupling means contain coupling parts which provide locking in a horizontal direction, said coupling parts enabling these panels to be released from one another by pivoting them with their lower side downwards and towards one another.

Thanks to the use of coupling agents,

that the panels are released from each other by pivoting them downwards, and that they are preferably only detachable from each other by this movement, it is obtained that such panels fit particularly well together at the coupling means in question and, when walked on, are pressed even closer together.

The panels are preferably rectangular and are provided with coupling means on two pairs of edges which allow the panels to be released from one another by means of an upward rotation in order to unlock them, while on the other pair of edges, as mentioned above, they are provided with coupling means which only allow release from one another by pivoting the coupled panels with their undersides towards one another. The opposite rotation movements also increase the guarantee that a good coupling always remains available.

It should be noted that in the case of elongated panels, the coupling means allowing the panels to be disengaged from one another by pivoting them upwards are preferably provided on the long sides, while the coupling means allowing the panels to be disengaged from one another by pivoting them downwards are preferably provided on the narrow sides.

According to a sixth aspect, the invention provides a floor covering consisting of hard panels, said panels being provided on at least two opposite edges with coupling means made in one piece with the panels, whereby several such panels can be coupled together, said coupling means being designed for locking both in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering and in a direction perpendicular to the respective edges and parallel to the plane of the

floor covering, said coupling means comprising a groove and a tongue, characterized in that the locking in the horizontal direction is formed at least by coupling parts in the form of a local projection in the upper side of the above-mentioned tongue, which engages in a recess in the lip delimiting the upper side of the groove.

An advantage of this design is that, since the projection is local, the recess can also have relatively small dimensions and the upper lip is only locally weakened.

According to the sixth aspect, there is preferably no locking in the horizontal direction on the lower lip.

According to a seventh aspect, the invention provides a floor covering consisting of hard panels, said panels being provided on at least two opposite edges with coupling means made integral with the panels, whereby a plurality of such panels can be coupled together, said coupling means providing locking both in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering and in a direction perpendicular to the respective edges and parallel to the plane of the floor covering, and wherein:

the above-mentioned coupling means comprise a groove and a tongue, said groove being delimited at the bottom and top respectively by a lip, hereinafter referred to as lower lip and upper lip respectively, the free end of the upper lip defining a vertical plane, hereinafter referred to as plane VI; the lower lip is longer than the upper lip; a locking part at the end of the lower lip extending beyond the free end of the upper lip

lip is present, with a contact surface which, in the coupled state, cooperates with a contact surface provided on the other panel, these contact surfaces, in the coupled state, forming a contact zone whose centre defines a vertical plane, hereinafter referred to as plane V2;

in front of the above-mentioned locking part, in the direction of the groove, a space is formed in the lower lip which is open at the top;

in the coupled state, there is a contact zone in cross-section, wherein the top of the spring is in contact with the bottom of the upper lip, the most inward point of this contact zone defining a first vertical plane, hereinafter called plane V3, the most outward point of this contact zone defining a second vertical plane, hereinafter called plane V4, and the two planes V3 and V4 defining a vertical plane midway therebetween, hereinafter called plane V5; the top of the locking part defines a horizontal level, hereinafter called level Nl; the bottom of the part on which the spring is mounted and which extends from the tip of the spring to the locking zone defines a horizontal level, hereinafter called level N2; the levels Nl and N2 define a midway level therebetween, hereinafter called level N3;

the average height of the contact zone between the top of the spring and the bottom of the upper lip defines a horizontal level, hereinafter referred to as level N4,

the distance between levels Vl and V2 is at least half the distance between levels N3 and N4;
characterized in that the floor covering continues

provides for at least the combination of the following characteristics: that the panels, and essentially also the lips mentioned above, are made of fibreboard of the MDF or HDF type;

that the coupling means are designed such that the panels can be joined together by pushing them towards each other; and

that the above-mentioned space extends below the upper lip, so that this space corresponds to at least one of the following two characteristics:

(a) that part of this space situated below level N3 extends inwards at least beyond level Vl;

(b) that part of this space below level Nl extends inwards at least beyond level V5.

If all the above criteria are met, an embodiment according to the invention is obtained, in which the above-mentioned space is, on the one hand, relatively large compared to the other parameters and, on the other hand, thanks to the specific use of the MDF or HDF material, the structure nevertheless remains sufficiently stable. The relatively large space formed in the lower lip offers both the advantage that the tongue can more easily fit into the groove and the advantage that the tongue can be made relatively solid.

According to a particular embodiment, this floor covering is characterized in that the panels are rectangular and in that coupling means are formed on both pairs of edges, which provide locking in the horizontal and vertical directions, said coupling means being formed, as mentioned above, on at least one pair of said edges, and in that on at least two edges at right angles to each other a groove is used which

is delimited by an upper lip and a lower lip respectively, the lower lip projecting further than the upper lip, such that two such longer lips meet at at least one corner of the panel, at least the above-mentioned space at said corner continuing to the end of the panel, in other words extending through the free end of the lip at a right angle. Since the above-mentioned space is continuous, great flexibility can also be guaranteed at the corner in question, since the locking parts of the longitudinal lower lip and the transverse lower lip are then decoupled from one another by this continuous recess.

According to an eighth aspect, the invention provides a floor covering consisting of hard panels, said panels being provided on at least two opposite edges with coupling means made integral with the panels, whereby a plurality of such panels can be coupled together, said coupling means providing locking both in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering and in a direction perpendicular to the respective edges and parallel to the plane of the floor covering, and wherein:

the above-mentioned coupling means comprise a groove and a tongue, said groove being delimited at the bottom and top respectively by a lip, hereinafter referred to as the lower lip and the upper lip respectively;

the lower lip is longer than the upper lip;

a locking member is provided on the part of the lower lip extending beyond the free end of the upper lip, having a contact surface which, when coupled, cooperates with a contact surface provided on the other panel; and

in front of the above-mentioned locking part, in the direction

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the groove, in the lower lip a space is formed which is open at the top;

characterized in that the coupling means are designed such that the panels can be joined by sliding them together, and in the underside of the part on which the tongue is attached and which extends from the tip of the tongue to the locking zone, a cavity is formed so that this cavity cooperates with the locking part in a position in which the tongue is in front of the groove. It is thus obtained that, as the tongue is being fitted, the tongue slides downwards somewhat at the moment when the locking part takes its place in the cavity, so that the tongue is subsequently better positioned in front of the groove of the other panel.

The hard panel floor panels known to date, which allow for glueless locking, do not allow panels to be temporarily removed from the middle of the floor covering after the floor covering has been completely laid. This has the disadvantage that it is difficult to replace damaged panels and it is impossible to remove the floor covering locally, for example to carry out work on or in the subfloor, to install or remove cables under the floor covering, etc. With the known systems, the panels must always be systematically removed from one edge of the floor covering.

According to a ninth aspect, the invention also relates to a floor covering made of hard panels, whereby it is possible to remove any panel from an existing floor covering and also to reattach it without the floor covering having to be systematically broken up from one edge of the whole.

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According to this ninth aspect, the invention provides for a floor covering consisting of hard panels, said panels being provided on at least two opposite edges with coupling means made in one piece with the panels, whereby a plurality of such panels can be coupled together, said coupling means ensuring locking both in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering and in a direction perpendicular to the respective edges and parallel to the plane of the floor covering, the above-mentioned coupling means being designed in such a way that two coupled panels, starting from a flat position, can, on the one hand, be rotated with their undersides through at least a certain angle to one another, and this rotational movement, on the other hand, makes it possible to remove said two panels from between adjacent panels.

According to a first preferred embodiment, the coupling means are designed to allow the two panels, when located in a floor covering, to be lifted up at their coupled edges so that decoupling takes place at least at one of the opposite edges providing a connection to the adjacent panels.

According to a second preferred embodiment, the coupling means are designed such that they allow the two panels, when they are in a floor covering, to be lifted up at their coupled edges, so that the coupling, in particular the vertical coupling, is interrupted at the edges in question and decoupling becomes possible.

In a particularly practical embodiment, the floor covering is characterized in that the coupling means essentially consist of a tongue and groove,

wherein the lip located at the bottom of the groove is longer than the lip at the top and the locking is obtained substantially in a horizontal direction thanks to a locking part located at the bottom of the groove and a cooperating locking part at the bottom of the other panel, said coupling means allowing the panels to be joined together by means of a rotary movement and wherein, in the coupled position, spaces are provided both above the first-mentioned locking part and below the second-mentioned locking part allowing further rotary movement.

The nine aspects of the invention described above may occur separately or may be combined with each other in all possible combinations, provided that the embodiments as described according to the aforementioned nine aspects do not have mutually contradictory properties.

Of course, the invention also relates to panels with which the floor coverings described above can be realized.

In order to better explain the characteristics of the invention, the following preferred embodiments are described below, by way of example and without any limiting character, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 schematically represents a hard panel; Figure 2 schematically represents a part of a floor covering consisting of hard panels; Figure 3 represents an embodiment of coupling means used in a floor covering according to the invention, seen according to a cross-section, for example with

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Cross section III-III in Figure 2;

Figure 4 shows a cross-section according to line IV-IV in Figure 2;

Figure 5 shows a variant of Figure 4; the

Figures 6 to 8 show the coupling means of Figure 3 in different positions;

Figure 9 shows a variant of the coupling means of Figure 3;

Figure 10 shows another variant; the

Figures 11 to 13 show the variant of Figure 10 in different positions;

Figure 14 shows another variant;

Figure 15 shows yet another variant; the

Figures 16 and 17 show the coupling means of Figure 15 in two other positions;

Figure 18 shows a corner part of a panel according to the invention;

Figure 19 shows a cross-section of another embodiment according to the invention;

Figure 20 shows a cross-section of another embodiment of a floor covering according to the invention;

Figure 21 shows the part indicated by F21 in Figure 20 on a larger scale;

Figure 22 shows how the panels of the floor covering of Figure 20 can be decoupled or coupled;

Figure 23 shows the part indicated by F23 in Figure 22 on a larger scale;

Figure 24 is a view analogous to that in Figure 21 for another variant;

Figure 25 shows how the panels of Figure 24 can be decoupled or coupled;

Figure 26 shows the part indicated by F26 in Figure F25 on a larger scale.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the

Invention both a floor covering 1, as well as the hard panels 2, from which such a floor covering 1 is constructed

As described in International Patent Application No. 97/47834, it is known that such panels 2 can be joined without glue by using coupling means which, when the panels 2 are rectangular, provide an interlocking at least on one pair of opposite edges 3-4, and preferably on both pairs of edges 3-4 and 5-6, respectively, both in a direction R1 perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering 1, and in a direction R2 perpendicular to the respective edges 3-4 or 5-6 and parallel to the plane of the floor covering 1.

In this case, coupling means can be used which allow various coupling methods, but preferably both coupling by rotating the panels into one another and by pushing the panels into one another. The latter allows such panels 2 to be coupled to one another in a known manner by first pivoting them into one another at their edges 3-4 with a pivoting movement Wl, as shown by means of the panel 2A in Figure 2, and then locking them into one another at their edges 5-6 by means of a translation Tl. According to a variant, the connection at the edges 3-4 of the panels 2 in question can also be implemented by starting from a position as schematically indicated with reference 2B and by coupling the panel 2 in question by means of a translation T2.

Also, while a panel 2A is held in the pivoted position, a following panel 2C can be coupled to it at the respective edges 5 and 6, either by means of a translation T3 or by means of a

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mutual rotation between panels 2A and 2C, after which both panels 2A and 2C are then pivoted downwards to be locked to the preceding row of panels.

As explained in the introduction, the present invention aims at various new embodiments of coupling means for connecting such panels 2 to one another.

Figure 3 shows an embodiment according to the above-mentioned first aspect of the invention.

In this embodiment, the floor covering 1 also consists of hard panels 2, which are provided on at least two opposite edges, in this case 5-6, with coupling means 7 made in one piece with the panels 2, so that several such panels 2 can be coupled together. These coupling means 7 ensure locking in both the direction R1 and R2.

Furthermore, these coupling means 7 have a spring 8 attached to the edge 5 and a groove 9 attached to the edge 6, into which the spring 8 fits. The groove 9 is delimited at the top by a lip 10, hereinafter referred to as the upper lip. At the bottom it is delimited by a lip 11, hereinafter referred to as the lower lip, which is longer than the upper lip 10, in other words, which extends further in the horizontal direction than the distal end 12 of the lip 10.

The locking in the direction R2 is obtained in that a locking part 13 with an inwardly directed contact surface 14 is formed on the lower lip 11, which in the coupled state can cooperate with a contact surface 15 formed on the edge 5.

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According to the invention, the edge 5 provided with the spring 8 is designed to be flexible, while the lip 11 is preferably designed to be rigid, the latter by making it relatively thick, as can be clearly seen in Figure 3.

The edge 5 is designed in such a way that it can bend at various points. For example, the spring 8 is flexible, but it is even more important that this spring 8 is preferably located, as shown, on a part 16 which is connected to the actual panel 2 by means of a flexible zone 17 in the form of a local thinning.

This flexible zone 17 is preferably located at the location shown in Figure 3, in other words, viewed from the spring 8, beyond the contact surface 15, and said flexible zone 17 has, in the direction Rl, a thickness Dl which is less than half the thickness of the panels 2 and/or less than 2/3 of the thickness D2 of the part 16 on which the spring 8 is located.

If the panels 2 are made of fibreboard of the MDF or HDF type, the thickness Dl is preferably even less than 3 mm, and even better less than 2 mm.

The flexible zone 17 is located against the upper side 18 of the respective panel 2, which is particularly useful when MDF or HDF board is used, since such materials have a greater density on the outer surface and thus the thickness can be reduced to the maximum in these places in order to obtain optimum flexibility.

In addition to the advantages already mentioned in the introduction, the invention according to said first aspect also offers the following advantageous features:

Since the contact surface 14 is arranged relatively high, said contact surface 14 can be mounted in a more vertical position without deviating much from the tangential directions Pl and P2 shown in Figure 3. Thus, a firm locking is obtained.

Since the flexibility in the coupling is located in the top of the panel, the lock is obtained to be pulled even tighter when a pulling force is applied to the panels.
- In the design shown in Figure 3, a stress concentration occurs on the top of the panel 2, directly behind the tongue 8, which leads to bending. This brings the stress concentration to the strongest point of the panel. During assembly, practically no forces are created at the deepest point of a groove 9, so that the formation of cracks at this deepest point is almost impossible.

According to the aforementioned second aspect of the invention, which in the example shown in Figure 3 is combined with the aforementioned first aspect, the coupling means 7 consist of at least first coupling parts, which are formed from mutually interacting contact surfaces 19-20, on the upper side of the tongue 8 and the lower side of the upper lip 10, respectively; second coupling parts, formed from contact surfaces 21-22, on the upper side of the lower lip and the opposite part 16 of the other panel 2, respectively; and third coupling parts, which ensure the horizontal locking, which are located at the level of the lower lip 11, but further than the free end 12 of the upper lip 10, which are formed by the aforementioned contact surfaces 14 and 15. The special feature here is that the third coupling parts are

between the first and the second.

The second coupling parts are preferably located directly next to the third coupling parts. The contact surface 21 is formed by the top of the aforementioned locking part 13, while the contact surface 22 is located exactly opposite it.

According to the embodiment of Figure 3, there is a free space 23 under the spring 8, which extends from the tip 24 of the spring 8 to the third coupling parts, in other words, the contact surface 14.

The coupling means 7 are mainly intended to be applied to one pair of edges 5-6, while the other edges 3-4 are preferably provided with coupling means 25 as shown in Figure 4 or Figure 5, which are described in the international patent application No. 97/47834 and which enable the panels 2 in question to be joined together or detached from each other at least by means of a rotational movement along their upper edges. In the case that the panels 2 are elongated as shown, the coupling means 7 are preferably provided on the short edges 5-6.

However, the foregoing does not exclude that the coupling means 7 are applied to both pairs of edges 3-4 and 5-6, or to the longitudinal edges 3-4, while a different connection is provided on the narrow sides.

It is also not excluded to provide the panels 2 with coupling means only on one pair of edges, in this case the coupling means 7.

Furthermore, the coupling means 7 are preferably designed such that the panels 2 with their respective

Edges, in this case the edges 5 and 6, can be connected to one another by freely sliding the panels 2 towards one another, as shown step by step in Figures 6 to 8 and as will be described in more detail below. In addition, the coupling means 7 are designed such that the edges in question, in this case the edges 5 and 6, can also be connected to one another or detached from one another by means of a rotational movement, as shown by a dot-dash line in Figure 3.

The laying of the floor covering 1, with panels 2 containing coupling means 7, can then be carried out, for example, but not necessarily, as follows. In a state as shown in Figure 2, the panel 2A is first connected with its edge 3 to an edge 4 of already laid panels by placing the panel 2A at an angle and pivoting the aforementioned edges 3-4 into one another, thereby creating a connection such as in Figure 4, or alternatively Figure 5.

The panel 2A can then be connected to the preceding panel with a translation Tl, the states as shown in Figures 6 to 8 occurring successively on the coupling means 7. It is clear that this is accompanied by a bending in the spring 8, and to a greater extent also in the flexible zone 17, the part 16 with the contact surface 15 finally snapping downwards behind the contact surface 14.

Figure 9 shows an embodiment which is implemented according to the above-mentioned third aspect of the invention. The coupling means 26 used here represent, analogously to the coupling means 7, first contact surfaces 19 and 20

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formed coupling parts and third coupling parts formed by contact surfaces 14 and 15. The special feature here is that the above-mentioned second coupling parts are located between the first and third, and that the second coupling parts consist of cooperating contact surfaces 27-28 which define a local contact zone 29 which is located in the middle or practically in the middle between the tip 24 of the spring 8 and the third coupling parts, in other words, the contact surface 14.

As shown in Figure 9, a protuberance 30 can be provided in the lower lip 11 at the contact zone 29.

Figures 10 to 13 show, for different positions, an embodiment with coupling means 31 corresponding to the above-mentioned fourth aspect of the invention. The upper lip 10 is longer than the lower lip 11 and the coupling means 25, which realize the locking in the horizontal direction, consist of coupling parts formed from cooperating contact surfaces 32-33, which are respectively attached to the underside of the upper lip 10, outside the distal end of the lower lip 11, and to the opposite part of the edge of the other panel 2.

The coupling means 31 are designed in such a way that the connection can be realized by pushing the panels 2 with the relevant edges 5-6 towards each other, for example over a substrate, whereby they fit systematically into each other, as shown in Figures 10 to 12.

As shown in the figures, the spring 8 has a thinned end 34. Also, a free space 35 is provided between the free end 36 of the lower lip 11 and the

opposite part 37 under the spring 8 of the other panel 2.

The embodiment of Figures 10 to 13 also illustrates the fifth aspect of the invention, in other words that the edges, in this case the edges 5-6, are provided with coupling means 31 which allow the panels 2 in question to be detached from each other by pivoting them downwards and towards each other with their lower sides 38, as specifically shown in Figure 13. The aforementioned space 35 is helpful in this regard.

The embodiment of Figures 10 to 13 also corresponds to the sixth aspect of the invention, with the feature that the locking in the horizontal direction is formed from coupling parts in the form of a local projection 39 in the upper side 40 of the above-mentioned spring 8, which engages in a recess 41 in the upper lip 10.

Figure 14 shows a variant which also applies the above-mentioned features of the sixth aspect of the invention.

Other features of this embodiment, which do not all have to be combined with one another according to variants not shown, are that the upper side 40 of the tongue 8, with the exception of the local projection 39, runs substantially parallel to the surface of the floor covering 1, and that the lower side 42 of the tongue 8 is substantially formed by a smoothly curved surface which extends to the upper side 40 of the tongue 8. This embodiment also allows the panels 2 to be fitted together by means of a substantially horizontal movement.

Figure 15 shows a connection with coupling means 43, which are realized according to the above-mentioned seventh aspect of the invention. This is a connection, wherein:

the coupling means 43 comprise a tongue 8 and a groove, said groove 9 being delimited at the bottom and the top respectively by a lip, hereinafter referred to as the lower lip 11 and the upper lip 10, respectively, the distal end 12 of the upper lip 10 defining a vertical plane, hereinafter referred to as plane VI;
the lower lip 11 is longer than the upper lip 10;

a locking part 13 is present on the part of the lower lip 11 extending beyond the free end 12 of the upper lip 10, with a contact surface 14 which, when coupled, cooperates with a contact surface 15 attached to the other panel 2, these contact surfaces 14-15, when coupled, forming a contact zone whose centre M1 defines a vertical plane, hereinafter called plane V2;

in front of the above-mentioned locking part 13, in the direction of the groove 9, an open space 44 is formed in the lower lip 11, which is open at the top;

in the coupled state, there is a contact zone in cross-section, in which the upper side of the spring 8 is in contact with the lower side of the upper lip 10, the innermost point C3 of this contact zone defining a first vertical plane, hereinafter referred to as plane V3, the outermost point C4 of this contact zone defining a second vertical plane, hereinafter referred to as plane V4, and

the two planes V3 and V4 define a vertical plane located between them, hereinafter called plane V5;

the upper side of the locking part 13 defines a horizontal level, hereinafter referred to as level Nl;

the lower surface of the part 16 to which the spring 8 is attached and which extends from the tip 24 of the spring 8 to the locking zone defines a horizontal level, hereinafter called level N2;

the levels N1 and N2 define a horizontal level located midway between them, hereinafter called level N3;

the average height of the contact zone between the upper side of the spring 8 and the lower side of the upper lip 10 defines a horizontal level, hereinafter referred to as level N4; and

the distance between planes Vl and V2 is at least half the distance between planes N3 and N4.

The special feature of this floor covering 1 is that it provides at least the combination of the following characteristics:

- that the panels 2, and essentially also the aforementioned lips 10-11, are made of fibreboard of the MDF or HDF type;

- that the coupling means 43 are designed such that the panels 2 can be joined together by pushing them towards each other; and
that the above-mentioned space 44 extends below the upper lip 10, such that this space 44 corresponds to at least one of the following two characteristics:

(a) that the part of this area below level N3

space 44 extends inwards at least beyond level Vl;

(b) that part of this space 4 4 situated below level Nl extends inwards at least beyond level V5.

Thanks to this specific combination, a space 44 is obtained which, in relation to the other dimensions, behaves like a cavity extending over a relatively large distance in the direction R2, thus obtaining the advantages mentioned in the introduction. Despite the relatively large cavity and, consequently, the fact that the lower lip 11 is relatively thin, the strength still remains sufficient due to the use of MDF or HDF as base material, which has a layered fiber structure.

The distance between the levels N1 and N2 is preferably less than 1/3 of the distance between the levels N2 and N4. Thus, the obstacle formed by the locking part 13 when the panels are pushed together is limited to a minimum, whereby the panels can be pushed together quickly.

Furthermore, the intersection point P4 between the plane V4 and the lower surface of the spring 8, viewed in cross-section, is preferably lower than the level Nl, and preferably lower than the level N3. The spring 8 thus acquires a relatively great thickness, which increases its strength. Furthermore, it is even more advisable that the intersection point P5 between the plane V5 and the lower surface of the spring 8 is lower than the level Nl, and preferably lower than the level N3.

In particular, the intersection point P3 between the plane V3 and the bottom of the spring 8 is lower than the level Nl,

27
and even better lower than level N3.

According to a preferred feature of the invention, the part of the above-mentioned space 44 located below the plane N3 extends at least inwardly to the vertical plane V6 defined by the tip 24 of the spring 8.

In the case where the panels 2 are rectangular and coupling means are formed on both pairs of edges 3-4 and 5-6, which provide vertical and horizontal locking, both edges 4 and 6 having a lower lip 11 or HA, which is longer than the upper lip 11, it is preferred that, as shown in Figure 18, in the corner 45 at least the aforementioned space 44 is designed to run continuously to the end of the panel 2, in other words, to extend through the end of the lip 10A arranged at right angles, in particular its locking part 13A. Because the space 44 is relatively large on the one hand and this space 44 extends through the locking part 13A on the other hand and the locking parts 13 and 13A are decoupled from one another, a particularly flexible corner is obtained, which facilitates the joining of the panels together.

Figure 19 illustrates the above-mentioned eighth aspect of the invention, wherein a cavity 4 6 is provided in the underside of the tongue 8, such that in the position of the two panels 2 in relation to each other as shown in Figure 19, the tongue 8 is better positioned in front of the groove.

It should be noted that in all the above-mentioned embodiments, the contact surfaces providing the horizontal locking are preferably inclined with respect to the plane of the floor element 1. This includes

However, this does not exclude the possibility that, according to a variant, one or both contact surfaces may also be perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering. The contact surfaces themselves may also be curved, with the tangent in the middle of the contact zone determining the aforementioned angle of inclination.

In the case that these contact surfaces, or their tangent, are directed obliquely, they preferably extend in a direction which is tangential or almost tangential to a circle whose centre is located on a pivot point about which the panels 2 can be pivoted apart. As indicated in Figure 3, this means that the angle of inclination or direction Bl of the contact surfaces deviates only slightly from the angle of inclination of the tangent B2 to the circle C.

In order to provide a locking effect, the direction Bl corresponding to the contact surfaces deviates from the direction of the aforementioned tangent B2 and is directed inwards so that, when the panels are pivoted into one another, a locking effect is created, the aforementioned direction Bl deviating by a maximum of 30° from the aforementioned tangential direction B2.

The foregoing can be applied in all the pivoting embodiments described above, also in the embodiments wherein the pivoting apart of the panels 2 is obtained by pivoting them downwards.

The coupling means designed according to one or more of the first eight aspects of the invention are all particularly suitable for being applied to edges 3-4 and/or 5-6 where it must be possible to slide the panels 2 into one another.

In the case that the panels 2 are rectangular, in other words square or oblong, they are preferably provided on all four edges 3-4 and 5-6 with coupling means allowing vertical and horizontal locking, coupling means as described in one or more of the aforementioned first eight aspects then being applied to at least two opposite edges 3-4 or 5-6.

In the case that the panels 2 are rectangular, the new coupling means are preferably present at least on the narrow sides 5-6. Furthermore, coupling means are then preferably present on the long edges 3-4, which allow joining or separating from one another by means of a rotational movement, which can be of a known type or which can also be implemented according to one of the eight aspects mentioned above.

Figures 20 to 23 show an embodiment according to the ninth aspect of the invention. According to this ninth aspect, there is a floor covering 1 consisting of hard panels 2, wherein these panels 2 are provided at least on two opposite edges, in the case of elongated panels 2 preferably on the longitudinal edges 3-4, with coupling means 7 made in one piece with the panels 2, so that several such panels 2 can be connected to one another, wherein these coupling means 7 ensure locking both in a direction R1 perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering 1, and in a direction R2 perpendicular to the respective edges 3-4 and parallel to the plane of the floor covering 1, wherein the above-mentioned coupling means 7 are designed in such a way that two coupled panels 2, starting from a flat position, can on the one hand be rotated with their undersides through at least a certain angle to one another, wherein this rotational movement on the other hand allows the two

the aforementioned panels 2 can be removed between other adjacent panels 2D and 2E.

According to the embodiment of Figures 20 to 23, the coupling means 7 are further designed to allow, as shown in Figure 22, the two panels 2 to be lifted at their coupled edges 3-4 from a flat position so that decoupling occurs at at least one of the opposite edges providing the connection to the adjacent panels 2D and 2E. Thus, the panels 2 can be removed from an existing floor covering 1 by first lifting them as mentioned above and then pivoting the left panel 2 of Figure 22 upwards as shown by means of a dotted line so that the left panel 2 of Figure 22 can be removed. Subsequently, the right panel 2 can also be removed. The initial lifting of the panels 2 can be done in any way, for example by means of a suction cup or by inserting a hook or the like through an opening formed in the floor covering, for example a drill hole.

Figures 20 to 26 show variants in which the coupling means 7 are designed in such a way that they allow the two panels 2, starting from a flat state, to be lifted at their coupled edges 3-4 so that the connection, in particular the vertical connection, is released at the edges 3-4 in question. In this case, it is not necessary to first release the panels 2D and/or 2E from each other in order to release the two panels 2 from each other.

Both in the embodiment of Figures 20 to 23 and in that of Figures 24 to 26, the coupling means 7 essentially consist of a spring 8 and a groove 9, wherein

the lip 11 located on the underside of the groove 9 is longer than the lip 10 on the top, and the locking according to the substantially horizontal direction is obtained by means of a locking part 13 on the lip 11 and a cooperating locking part 47 on the underside of the other panel 2, these coupling means 7 allowing the panels 2 to be brought into one another by means of a rotational movement and wherein, in the coupled state, spaces 48-49 are present both above the first-mentioned locking part 13 and below the second-mentioned locking part 47, which allow further rotation.

Conveniently, the above-mentioned locking parts 13-47 are positioned in such a way that during the aforementioned further twisting a lateral play S is generated, as schematically shown in Figure 21, so that a certain freedom of movement is obtained which is desirable for extracting the panels 2 from between the fixed panels 2D and 2E.

In the embodiment of Figures 24 to 26, this lateral play S, as well as the shape of the tongue 8 and the groove 9, is selected such that the right panel 2, in the state of Figure 26, so to speak detaches and can be easily removed from the left panel 2.

In particular, the distance Zl between the tip of the spring 8 and the locking part 47 located on the same edge is less than or equal to the distance Z2 between the tip of the lip 10 which delimits the top of the groove 9 and the locking part 13 which is located on the lip 11 which delimits the bottom of the groove 9.

It should be noted that in the embodiments of Figures 20 to 26, the spring 8 is preferably designed

is designed so that it can perform a rotational movement in the groove 9, because said spring 8 is more or less rounded, as shown in Figures 20 to 23, or because it is relatively short, as shown in Figures 24 to 26.

As shown, coupling means are preferably provided on both the narrow sides and the long sides, allowing locking in both the vertical and horizontal directions, all of which can be designed to allow connection and release as described above with reference to Figures 20 to 26. It is also possible to apply the coupling means shown in these figures only to the long edges, while coupling means of a different shape are applied to the narrow sides, for example as shown in Figure 4.

The present invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described above as shown in the accompanying drawings; rather, such a floor covering can be realized in different shapes and dimensions without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (17)

1. Floor covering consisting of hard panels ( 2 ), said panels ( 2 ) being provided with coupling means ( 7 ) on at least two opposite edges ( 3-4 , 5-6 ), whereby a plurality of such panels ( 2 ) can be coupled to one another, said coupling means ( 7 ) ensuring locking both in a direction (R1) perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering ( 1 ) and in a direction (R2) perpendicular to the respective edges and parallel to the plane of the floor covering ( 1 ), said coupling means ( 7 ) being designed in such a way that two coupled panels ( 2 ), starting from a flat position, can, on the one hand, be rotated with their undersides towards one another through at least a certain angle, and said rotational movement, on the other hand, makes it possible to remove said two panels ( 2 ) from between adjacent panels ( 2 ). 2. Floor covering according to claim 1, characterized in that the coupling means ( 7 ) are designed such that they allow the two panels ( 2 ) to be lifted at their coupled edges from a flat position so that decoupling takes place at least at one of the opposite edges which provide a connection to the adjacent panels ( 2 ). 3. Floor covering according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the coupling means ( 7 ) are designed such that they allow two panels ( 2 ) to be lifted at their coupled edges from a flat position, so that the coupling, in particular the vertical coupling, is released at the edges in question. 4. Floor covering according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the coupling means ( 7 ) consist essentially of a groove ( 9 ) and a tongue ( 8 ), the lip ( 11 ) located at the bottom of the groove ( 9 ) being longer than the lip ( 10 ) at the top and the locking being obtained essentially in the horizontal direction thanks to a locking part ( 13 ) located at the bottom of the groove ( 9 ) and a locking part ( 47 ) cooperating therewith at the bottom of the other panel ( 2 ), said coupling means ( 7 ) allowing the panels ( 2 ) to be joined together by means of a rotational movement and wherein, in the coupled position, spaces ( 48-49 ) are provided both above the first-mentioned locking part ( 13 ) and below the second-mentioned locking part ( 47 ) which allow a further Allow rotational movement. 5. Floor covering according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the above-mentioned locking parts ( 13-47 ) are positioned such that a lateral play (S) is generated during the above-mentioned further rotation. 6. Floor covering according to claim 5, characterized in that both the lateral play (S) and the shape of the groove ( 9 ) and the tongue ( 8 ) are chosen such that the panel ( 2 ), the tongue ( 8 ) of which belongs to the above-mentioned coupling means ( 7 ), comes off substantially at the edge where this tongue ( 8 ) is provided. 7. Floor covering according to claim 6, characterized in that the distance (Z1) between the tip ( 24 ) of the tongue ( 8 ) and the locking part ( 47 ) located on the same edge is less than or equal to the distance (Z2) between the tip ( 24 ) of the lip ( 10 ) delimiting the upper side of the groove ( 9 ) and the locking part ( 13 ) located on the lip ( 11 ) delimiting the lower side of the groove ( 9 ). 8. Floor covering according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spring ( 8 ) is preferably designed such that it can perform a rotational movement in the groove ( 9 ). 9. Floor covering according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the coupling means are designed in such a way that, after said two panels ( 2 ) have been removed from between adjacent panels ( 2 ), they or similar panels ( 2 ) can also be inserted again between the aforementioned adjacent panels ( 2 ). 10. Floor covering according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the coupling means are designed such that during systematic laying of the panels ( 2 ) to form the floor covering, two such panels ( 2 ) can be joined together by means of a substantially horizontal movement. 11. Floor covering according to claim 10, characterized in that the groove ( 9 ) and the tongue ( 8 ) are designed in such a way that when two such panels ( 2 ) are freely pushed towards each other, over a substrate or the like, the tongue ( 8 ) automatically enters the groove ( 9 ). 12. Floor covering according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the above-mentioned coupling means are designed in such a way that during systematic laying of the panels ( 2 ) to form the floor covering, two such panels ( 2 ) can be rotated in and/or apart at least by means of a rotational movement. 13. Floor covering according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said coupling means ( 7 ) are manufactured in one piece with the panels ( 2 ). 14. Floor covering according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the panels ( 2 ) are rectangular and that they are provided on four edges with coupling means allowing vertical and horizontal locking, at least a first pair of two opposite edges being provided with coupling means as described in one of the preceding claims. 15. Floor covering according to claim 14, characterized in that the second pair of two opposite edges is provided with coupling means which are designed such that two such panels ( 2 ) can be joined together at these edges by means of a substantially horizontal movement. 16. Floor covering according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the panels ( 2 ) are elongated and that the first pair of two opposite edges is formed by the longitudinal sides. 17. Panel, characterized in that it has the features as described in the preceding claims and that it thus enables, together with similar panels ( 2 ), the realization of a floor covering ( 1 ) according to one of these claims.