UA85821C2 - Removable floor boarding - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to flooring and floor bridges. The flooring consists of laminated bridges, the length of which does not exceed 80 cm and the width is 10 cm. The side surfaces of the bridges have connecting means, which fix them by turning inwards. On the short side, the bridges have locking means that connect the bridges in the horizontal direction. The invention contributes to the efficient use of wood, reducing the gouging of bridges and the gaps between them, formed due to drying of wood.

Description

The present invention relates generally to the field of floorboards. The invention relates to floorboards which can be mechanically joined to form different patterns in a manner similar to a traditional parquet floor consisting of parquet blocks. The invention also relates to methods of laying and manufacturing floorboards. The invention is particularly suitable for use with removable flooring consisting of floorboards having a laminate surface and joined by mechanical joining systems incorporated into the floorboards, for example of the type not entirely made of the core of the floorboard. However, the invention is also applicable to other similar floorboards which, for example, have a surface layer of wood or plastic and which are joined in a detachable manner by possible mechanical joining systems.

The present invention is particularly suitable for use with removable laminate flooring with mechanical joint systems. Flooring of this type typically consists of a laminate surface layer, a core and a leveling layer and is made in the form of rectangular planks intended to be joined mechanically, i.e. without glue, along both long sides and short sides with vertical and horizontal interlocking.

The following description of the prior art, the disadvantages of known systems and the objects and features of the present invention will thus be, as non-limiting examples, applicable to the entire above-mentioned field of application. However, it should be emphasized that the invention can be used with respect to possible floorboards that are intended to be connected in various patterns by means of a mechanical connection system. Thus, the invention can also be used with solid wooden flooring and wooden flooring consisting of several layers, with flooring with a core of wood fibers or plastic and with a surface that is printed or that consists of plastic, cork, woven felt and the like.

Parquet flooring was originally laid by laying blocks of the required configuration and size in various patterns and joined by gluing them to the subfloor. The floor was then usually sanded to obtain a smooth floor surface and finished using, for example, varnish or oil paint. Traditional parquet blocks corresponding to this technology do not have any connecting means at all, since they are fixed by gluing to the subfloor. The main disadvantage of such flooring is that it is very difficult to lay. The main advantage is that the lack of connecting means allows the floor to be laid in complex and attractive patterns.

According to another known method, grooves are formed in the blocks along all edges around the perimeter of the block.

When the blocks are then laid by gluing to the subfloor, tongues are inserted into the grooves at the required positions. This results in a floor covering in which the blocks are fixed vertically to each other by a tongue that engages the grooves of two adjacent blocks. This results in a smooth surface and the blocks can thus be supplied with a finished lacquered surface. The horizontal fixing can be achieved by nailing or gluing to the subfloor.

Traditional parquet blocks are rectangular in shape and usually have dimensions of about 7x40 cm. The advantage of this flooring is that the blocks can be laid in desired patterns, for example, in parallel rows with short sides offset relative to each other, in a diamond pattern or a "herringbone" pattern, when the blocks are connected with a long side to a short side.

The main disadvantage of this type of flooring is that it is difficult and expensive to install and manufacture. This type of flooring cannot be moved relative to the subfloor. When the blocks shrink and swell due to changes in relative humidity, undesirable gaps appear at the joints between the blocks.

To solve these problems, removable wooden floorboards were initially developed. Such a floorboard consists of significantly larger boards, which have a width of, for example, 20 cm and a length of 120-240 cm. The surface, as a rule, consists of parquet blocks, which are connected in parallel rows. Such boards facilitate laying, since a plurality of blocks can be connected simultaneously.

The main disadvantage is that it is not possible to create patterns that fit together. Later, laminated removable floorboards were developed, which basically copied wooden removable floorboards, except that the decorative surface layer consisted of a printed and impregnated sheet of paper, which is applied to a wood fiber core. Such a floorboard was less expensive than wooden flooring and had a more wear-resistant and impact-resistant surface. Removable floorboards of this type are connected only by joint edges, i.e. without gluing to the existing subfloor, which may not be perfectly smooth or even. Any unevenness is eliminated by using a backing material in the form of, for example, hard wood fiber board, cork or foam material. This way, they can move freely on the subfloor. In the event of changes in relative humidity, the entire floorboard swells or shrinks. The advantage of a removable floor covering with a surface, for example, of wood or laminate, is that the joints between the boards remain tight and the resulting dimensional change remains hidden under the skirting boards. Such boards have a significantly larger surface area than blocks, which contributes to faster installation and efficient production. Such traditional removable laminate and wood floor coverings are usually connected by tongue and groove joints (i.e. joints with a tongue on one board and a tongue and groove on the adjacent board) on the long side and on the short side. When laying the boards, they are pushed together horizontally, and the protruding tongue, which runs along one edge of the joint of one board, is inserted into the tongue and groove, which runs along the edge of the joint of the adjacent board. The same method is used for the long side and the short side, and the planks are usually laid in parallel rows with the long side to the long side and the short side to the short side.

In addition to such traditional removable flooring, which is connected by means of glued tongue and groove joints, in recent years, floorboards have been developed that do not require the use of glue and are instead connected mechanically by means of mechanical connection systems. These systems include locking means that lock the floorboards in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction. The mechanical connection systems can be made integral with the floorboard, for example by machining a part of the core of the floorboard. Alternatively, parts of the connection system can be made of a separate material that is connected to the floorboard,

i.e. connected to the floorboard during its manufacture in the factory. The boards are butted, i.e. connected to each other or locked relative to each other by various combinations of rotation relative to each other, snapping and inserting along the edge of the joint in the connected position. The boards are connected in series, i.e. the previous board is connected to the other board by one long side and one short side when the new board is connected to the previous one.

The main advantages of removable flooring with mechanical connection systems are that they can be installed more easily and quickly and with great precision using various combinations of inward turning and/or snap-in connections. In contrast to glued flooring, they can also be easily removed and reused in another location.

In the text below, the visible surface of the installed board is called the "face", while the opposite side of the board facing the subfloor is called the "back". The sheet material used in the production is called the "core". When the core is covered with a surface layer closest to the face, and usually also with a leveling layer closest to the back, it forms a semi-finished product which is called a "flooring panel" or "flooring element" in the case where the semi-finished product is divided into a plurality of the above-mentioned floor panels in a further operation. When the floor panels are machined along their edges in such a way as to obtain their finished profile with a joint system, they are called "bridges". "Surface layer" refers to all layers applied to the core as close as possible to the face and, typically, such as cover the entire face of the board. "Decorative surface layer" refers to a layer that is primarily intended to give the floor covering a decorative appearance. The term "wear layer" refers to a layer that is primarily adapted to increase the durability of the face. The term "laminate flooring" refers to a board with a surface layer of a thermosetting laminate containing one or more sheets of paper impregnated with a thermosetting resin. The wear layer of a laminated flooring typically consists of a transparent sheet of aluminum oxide paper impregnated with melamine resin. The decorative layer consists of a melamine-impregnated decorative sheet of paper.

The outer parts of the board on the edge of the board between the front side and the back side are called the "joint edge". As a rule, the joint edge has several "joint surfaces", which can be vertical, horizontal, inclined, rounded, beveled, etc. These joint surfaces exist on various materials, for example on laminate, wood-fiber material, wood, plastic, metal (especially aluminum) or sealing material. By "joint" or "joint system" is meant the interacting connecting means that connect the boards in the vertical and/or horizontal direction. By "mechanical joint system" is meant that the connection can be made without the use of glue in the horizontal direction parallel to the surface and in the vertical direction perpendicular to the surface. Mechanical joint systems can in many cases also be joined using glue. The term "integrated" means that the joint system can be made integral with the floorboard or from a separate material that is joined to the floorboard in the factory. The term "removable flooring" means a floor covering made of floorboards that are only joined by their respective joint edges and are therefore not glued to the subfloor. In the event of movement due to moisture, the joint remains tight. Movement due to moisture occurs in the outer areas of the floorboard along the walls and is hidden under the skirting boards. The term "parquet block" means a rectangular floorboard that has the shape of a traditional parquet block or strip. The most common format is around 40x7cm. However, a parquet block can also have a length of 15-80cm and a width of 4-10cm. The term "flooring element" refers to several planks that are connected and that form part of a floor covering. The terms "length" and "width" of a plank generally refer to the length and width of the face.

The size of the floorboard depends significantly on the material from which the floorboard is made, the mechanical processing of the edges, the type of connecting system and the installation of the floorboards.

It is usually preferable to make a floorboard from solid wood that is small in size, since defects such as cracks, knots, etc. can be cut out and the wood raw material can be used more efficiently.

However, most other types of floorboards, especially laminated floorboards, are preferably manufactured in large sizes, as this allows for better use of raw material and lower production costs. This is particularly advantageous when the floorboards are made from large floorboards with an artificial surface, for example printed. In such cases, it is of course preferable to reduce the amount of sawdust as much as possible.

Machining the joint edges to form the boards is an expensive operation for all types of flooring materials. It is known that flooring consisting of large panels with a small number of joints provides significant savings compared to flooring consisting of a large number of small panels. It is also known that the small size of the flooring panels can lead to disadvantages in the flooring, especially flooring in which the boards are rectangular and narrow, as a result of which they have extended joints on the long sides of the narrow panels.

It is known that small-sized boards with mechanical connection systems are more expensive to manufacture than similar panels with traditional tongue and groove connection systems. It is also known that mechanical connection systems that provide a high-quality pivot connection, due to the greater amount of material required to form the connection system, are generally more expensive and require more complex mechanical work than more compact snap-in systems. The cost of manufacturing any type of mechanical connection system on the long sides of a rectangular panel is generally higher than the cost of manufacturing any type of mechanical connection system on the short sides.

Typically, flooring that consists of large panels can be installed more quickly than flooring that consists of small flooring panels.

The document (MUO01/66877| describes a system for creating a patterned floor covering consisting of laminated planks. Two embodiments of the invention are described: the first (Fig. 4a, 4b) in which an integrated connecting system is used, and the second (Fig. 5, Fig. b) in which a separate connecting profile is used. The planks are locked only by means of a non-separable vertical snap-in. In the first, integrated embodiment, two different types of planks are required, called "enveloped" and "enveloped". Vertical snap-in installation is complicated and there is a significant risk that the edges or part of the connecting system will be damaged when locking or unlocking. In addition, the document

ИМУО01/66877| describes floorboards that have dimensions of 1200mmx200mm.

The document (MUO00/207051 describes a system for connecting laminated floorboards using a separate connecting profile, which is connected to the floorboards during their installation. The connecting profile is adapted only for the permanent connection of the floorboards by means of snapping. The specific task specified in the document (MUO00/207051 is to reduce the amount of material waste during the production of the floorboards and, in particular, when forming a mechanical connecting system.

The document (OE 19718319 C2) describes a solid wood parquet strip having a connecting system along its long and short edges for connecting the parquet strip to other parquet strips during installation. However, gluing is required, and the purpose of the mechanical connection is to hold the boards in a connected state during the hardening of the adhesive. The mechanical locking is carried out only in the horizontal direction. It is indicated that the parquet strips have a length of 250-1000 mm and a width of 45-80 mm.

To facilitate the understanding and description of the present invention, as well as to familiarize with the problems to which the invention is directed, a more detailed description of these specific features relating to dimensions and prior art technology will now be given with reference to Figures 1-3 of the accompanying drawings.

The majority of all removable laminate flooring (Fig. 1a) consists of rectangular planks 1" with a length of 4a, which is about 120 cm, and a width of Ba, which is about 20 cm. Thanks to modern printing technology, it is possible to produce laminated flooring that, in terms of appearance, very realistically imitates various natural materials such as wood and stone. The most common pattern is an imitation of parquet flooring consisting of blocks 40. These blocks are usually about 7 cm wide and 20-40 cm long. As a rule, the plank contains three rows of parallel blocks, the short sides of which are offset relative to each other. This means that at least one block 41 on the short side ba, 56 of the plank will be shorter than the other two blocks. When the planks are connected (Fig. 15), an unnatural appearance will be obtained compared to real traditional parquet a floor covering consisting of blocks of the same length, the short sides of which are offset from each other. This also applies to removable wooden flooring.

Another problem that leads to an unnatural appearance is related to the production technology. This is shown in Fig. 2. Laminated flooring is made by impregnating a printed sheet of paper with melamine resin and applying it to a wood fiber core, forming a flooring element 2. The flooring element 2 is then sawn, for example, into ten of any flooring panels C, which are machined along their edges to produce floorboards 1. The machined along the edges is carried out by first machining the long sides 4a, 45 of the panels using a device 101, after which they are moved to another device 105, which processes the short sides. As a result of the impregnation, the decorative paper swells in an uncontrolled manner. Swelling and manufacturing tolerances associated with lamination, cutting, and machining along the edges result in blocks being positioned off-center in different boards.

When two planks are connected to each other by their short sides, the blocks 41a, 416 can be displaced from each other in the transverse direction, and their length can vary significantly (Fig. 1c). All these circumstances cause great manufacturing problems in the manufacture of laminated flooring with a three-block pattern.

To solve these problems, a number of expensive methods of controlling the production process in the manufacture of laminated flooring have been used. The most common method is that the production process is controlled using modern television cameras that automatically measure and position the semi-finished products during the process. The different patterns are also performed by special displacement of the blocks in order to hide positioning defects as much as possible. In wooden flooring, blocks of different lengths and a parallel displacement are used to hide the shortened blocks on the short side. All methods of the prior art give unsatisfactory results. Removable flooring could be in greater demand if it were possible to create natural parquet patterns in combination with rational production and installation.

Fig.3-34 shows examples of mechanical connection systems used in removable floor coverings. All of these systems produce waste MU. This waste is increased by cutting (5B) and by machining to obtain mechanical connections. To reduce this waste, the manufacturer tries to make the boards as large as possible and with the minimum number of joints possible.

Thus, the boards must be wide and long. Narrow boards include many joints per square meter of floor surface. Such narrow laminated boards with a width and length corresponding to a traditional parquet block are unknown. The narrowest laminated boards have a width exceeding 15 cm and a length exceeding 100 cm. Fig. 3 shows a connection with a turn inward, and Fig. 3! shows a connection by snapping two adjacent sides 1, 1" of two boards.

The object of the present invention is to provide floorboards that can be mechanically joined to form a removable floor covering with a natural parquet pattern, which in terms of appearance corresponds to traditional parquet blocks. Another object is to provide suitable joining systems, laying methods and laying patterns for these floorboards.

The invention is based on the fact that modern production technology and mechanical connection systems in combination with special laying methods make it possible to join very small planks quickly and with very high precision. The unexpected result was that a floor covering consisting of small planks can be laid almost as quickly and with the same quality as a traditional floor covering made of significantly larger planks. It is also possible to ensure laying that is carried out faster and with better results than when using large planks with mechanical connection systems. The reason is that it has been found that small planks are easier to handle, the friction surfaces along the long sides of the parts to be joined will be smaller, which makes it easier to move, and finally, the snapping of the short side can be carried out with less effort, since the curved parts for securing the snapping are smaller and create less resistance. An additional advantage is that the short side of the narrow boards can be equipped with a connecting system that is locked only horizontally and does not require vertical clamping. Such a connecting system can be made, for example, by removing the tongue 22 on the short side of a rectangular board with a connecting system similar to that shown in Fig. 3p. The narrow short sides (5a, 55) of the two connected boards will, however, be held in the required vertical position by the connected long sides (4a, 4b) in the floor covering, where the boards are laid in parallel rows with the short sides offset (see

Fig. 9i, 4a-44). Such a floor can be laid very easily, since the laying only requires the connection of the long sides with a rotation relative to each other. The boards can be produced with a rotary connection system on the long side and without any connection system at all on the short side. The short sides can be held together by friction on the long sides or by gluing and/or nailing the boards to the subfloor. Such narrow short sides can be installed more quickly, but with the same high quality as wide short sides. | On the contrary, wider short sides without any vertical locking system could increase the risk that the short sides will be dented and the floor will thus be uneven.

The invention is based, moreover, on the fact that the production costs in the manufacture of small floorboards with mechanical connection systems will not necessarily be higher than in the manufacture of large floorboards.

Small boards undoubtedly contain a significantly higher number of joints per square meter of floor than large boards, and the cost of machining and the amount of waste are high when using mechanical connection systems of the prior art. However, these problems can be largely eliminated if the boards and connection systems are formed according to the invention. It is intended that with small boards a larger amount of raw wood material can be used, since it is easier to produce small blocks without knots and defects than large panels. The format of the board and its location in the floor covering can also be used to create an economical decorative appearance of the floor covering, which is produced by sawing a floor covering element, for example, a laminated floor covering. When sawing, for example, a floor covering element of format 2.1x.bm with a printed pattern of the facing, several hundred boards can be produced. Such small boards, which are shaped like parquet blocks, can be joined together in different patterns with different laying directions. In this case, it is possible to create a parquet pattern from blocks, which is not possible with modern technology. The problems of swelling of the decorative paper are eliminated, and there is no need to precisely position and align the pattern after cutting. This reduces production costs. If the boards are narrow, any angular errors between the long side and the short side will be less noticeable on a narrow board than on a wide board.

The invention is also based on the fact that it is possible and even preferable to use small planks in removable floor coverings of a format corresponding, for example, to traditional blocks. Such a removable floor covering will contain a significantly larger number of joints than a traditional floor covering consisting of large panels. A large number of joints per unit area reduces the amount of movement of the floor covering along the walls, since each joint has a certain degree of flexibility. Laminated floor coverings move, for example, by about 1 mm per meter when the relative humidity changes during the year.

If the boards are, for example, bbmm wide, there will be 15 joints per metre. In this case, shrinkage will result in a joint gap of 0.0bmm between the two adjacent upper edges of two boards, provided that the load prevents the floor covering from moving. This joint gap is invisible. This joint gap must be adapted to the type of floor covering. For laminated flooring, a joint gap of 0.01-0.1mm or slightly more may be sufficient. For wooden flooring made of oak, the joint gap may be in the range of 0.1-0.2mm. It may be advantageous if such a joint gap can be combined with chamfers on the upper adjacent edges, which in dry conditions hide the gap. Removable flooring consisting of small planks can thus be laid in large spaces, especially if they are equipped with a connecting system that allows at least some horizontal movement along and/or towards the joint edges in the connected position.

Such a floor covering will essentially act as a semi-moving floor covering, in which movement of the entire floor covering and movement within the joint system can be used to compensate for changes in humidity.

The invention is further based on the fact that narrow planks will bend significantly less when relative humidity changes than wide planks. As a result, the floor covering is smoother and easier to lay.

The invention is based, moreover, on the fact that a floor covering consisting of a plurality of small planks provides more opportunities to achieve high-quality laying with invisible gaps in the joints.

Laminated and wooden floorboards can bend sideways due to uneven moisture levels in the floorboards. This "banana shape" can lead to visible gaps in the joints. If the length of the floorboards is reduced, for example from 1200mm to 400mm, the gap in the joint will be significantly reduced. In addition, narrow floorboards bend more easily, and in practice, a mechanical connection system will automatically pull the floorboards together and completely eliminate the banana shape.

The invention is also based on the fact that moisture problems that often arise when gluing wooden blocks to a concrete floor can be solved by connecting the wooden blocks in a "floating" manner so that a moisture-resistant barrier layer of plastic can be placed between the wooden decking and the concrete.

The invention is also further based on the fact that a very convenient way of creating a natural parquet pattern consisting of wooden blocks is to make the planks narrow with a width and, in the typical case, also with a length corresponding to the parquet block.

The invention is based, moreover, on the fact that it is possible to create a flooring system which consists, for example, of small boards, preferably of the same width and preferably of different lengths, the length being an even multiple of the width, the boards in said flooring system having mirror-inverted mechanical connection systems. Such a flooring system enables the laying of all successively laid patterns which can be obtained using traditional parquet blocks. The laying can be carried out significantly faster and with higher precision.

Such a flooring system allows for the creation of successively stacked patterns, also with a surface layer, which in traditional use can only be used in a few variants. A surface layer of woven felt or linoleum can, for example, be glued to a solid wood-fiber board. If such flooring elements are produced in different color variants and subjected to mechanical processing to obtain a flooring system according to the invention, the connection of different planks of different colors can give diverse and successively stacked patterns that cannot be obtained with the original surface layer.

Finally, the invention is based on the fact that the short side of a narrow board should be able to withstand the same load as the much wider short side of a traditional floor covering. The reason is that the point load on an individual row can be the same.

For example, a short side of 85mm wide flooring according to the invention should therefore be able to withstand the same load as a short side of 200mm wide traditional flooring. The short side should have a strength that allows it to withstand a tensile load of 100kg or more. Joint systems that are laid with a downward turn on the short side, offset along the joint edge and with a downward turn on the long side are particularly convenient when used with narrow boards. The reason is that a joint system that is joined with a turn can be stronger than a joint system that is joined with a snap. The boards according to the invention can have joint systems on the long side and on the short side that can be joined with a downward turn.

Thus, the above means that according to the invention, it is possible to use small planks of a format corresponding to traditional parquet blocks, which, unexpectedly and contrary to what was previously thought possible, can offer advantages in the implementation of removable floor coverings. These advantages significantly outweigh the known disadvantages.

The principles of the invention described above can also be applied to flooring systems comprising elements with formats other than traditional parquet blocks. For example, stone reproductions can be produced in formats of 200x400mm, 200xb0Omm, etc. with mirror-inverted connection systems that can be joined by turning and/or snapping. The bridges of these formats can be joined in patterns that are sequentially laid, as mentioned above, long side to long side, short side to short side or long side to short side.

These objects are achieved in whole or in part by means of the floorboards, floor covering systems, floorboard blocks and methods of laying and manufacturing set forth in the independent claims. The dependent claims and the description define embodiments of the invention.

Thus, according to the first object of the invention, a rectangular board for manufacturing a removable patterned floor covering is obtained, the board being equipped, at least along its opposite long edges, with integrated connecting means for its contact with a second board in such a way that the upper edge parts of the said board and the second board in the docked position together form a vertical plane. The connecting means are made with the possibility of locking the said board and the second board together in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the said vertical plane, and the connecting means are made with the possibility of locking the said board and the second board together in a vertical direction perpendicular to the main plane of the said board. The board is characterized in that the long edge of the said board has a length not exceeding 80 cm, and the short edge of the said board (1) has a length not exceeding 10 cm.

A floor made of such small planks will provide an improved imitation of a parquet floor with a classic pattern, since the joints will be consistent with the parquet blocks and will not exhibit any pattern shifts or "extra" joints that exist in known parquet or laminated panel flooring. Thus, compared to known parquet planks, the problem of two adjacent planks having non-connecting patterns will be eliminated.

Thanks to the integrated mechanical connection system, the planks are easier to install than classic parquet flooring planks.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the connecting means can be configured to lock said board and said second board relative to each other at least by means of a pivoting connection, whereby the upper edges of the joint come into contact with each other. The ability of the connecting means to provide a pivoting connection relative to each other is advantageous because a pivoting connection system can be stronger and easier to install than a snap-in connection system.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the connecting means can be configured to be able to separate said plank and said second plank by pivoting upwards from the subfloor. Such separation or unlocking of the planks facilitates the laying, fitting, replacement and reuse of the planks.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the second plank may be substantially identical to said plank. Thus, only one type of plank needs to be produced to produce the flooring.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the floorboard may have a surface layer containing a thermosetting resin. By providing the floorboard with such a laminated surface, its wear resistance can be increased compared to the wooden surface of parquet planks with a classic pattern.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the floorboard may have a surface layer comprising wood or wood veneer. The surface layer of wood or wood veneer will create the appearance and feel of a real wood parquet flooring and, at the same time, will reduce the cost compared to traditional parquet flooring. Thus, the core of the floorboard may be made of any known material, such as wood tiles, high-density fiberboard, medium-density fiberboard, particleboard, laminated plywood, etc.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the connecting means may be a separate part that extends from the joint edge and is mechanically connected to the core of the board. Such a separate part may be used instead of removing material from the edge of the board, thereby reducing material waste.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the surface of the floorboard may have a decorative finish and shape corresponding to a traditional parquet block 30-80 cm long and 5-10 cm wide.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the joint ribs arranged opposite each other in pairs on the long sides of the boards may comprise a protruding locking element connected to the board, the opposite second rib portion in this pair comprising a locking groove for accommodating therein the locking element of the adjacent board.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the long edge of the floorboard may have a length exceeding 15 cm, and the short edge of the floorboard may have a length exceeding 4 cm.

According to a second aspect of the invention, a removable patterned floor covering is obtained, the pattern of which is formed by the corresponding shapes of the planks constituting the patterned floor covering. The floor covering is characterized in that the removable patterned floor covering comprises the planks described above.

According to a third object of the invention, a block of boards for making a removable floor covering is obtained. The block of boards is characterized in that the said block contains at least two boards as described above, and these at least two boards are arranged so that at least one short edge of the first of the at least two boards is aligned with at least one short edge of the second of the at least two boards.

Several embodiments of the invention are possible. The decks can be equipped with all the mechanical connection systems of the prior art. Special deck blocks can be produced, consisting, for example, of 9 decks according to the invention, which are connected in three offset parallel rows. Thus, the short sides are not straight and are formed by offset rows. Such decks can be laid using a combination of a downwards-turning connection on the long side, a lateral offset and a snap-in connection on the short side. Other variants can also be laid using a downwards-turning connection on the short side, a lateral offset and a downwards-turning connection. Finally, various combinations of a snap-in connection or insertion along the joint edge on the long side or the short side, a lateral offset and a snap-in connection on the other long side or the short side can also be used.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing a rectangular floorboard having long edges and short edges, the long edges being provided with a connecting system comprising integrated connecting means for joining said floorboard and a second floorboard to each other. The method comprises the steps of linearly moving a floorboard element with dimensions adapted to obtain at least two floorboard panels and a set of tools for machining a first pair of opposing edge portions of the floorboard element to obtain a completed configuration of at least part of said short edges of the floorboard, dividing the floorboard element into said at least two floorboard panels, and linearly displacing one of said at least two floorboard panels and a set of tools for machining a second pair of opposing edge portions of said floorboard panel to obtain at least part of said connecting system. The manufacturing method described above is particularly suitable for producing small floorboards, such as those described above.

This method allows for the efficient production of small boards. Both the first and second operations can be performed on the same production line. If the boards have the same joint systems on the long side and the short side, one set of tools can be used to process both the long side and the short side. Mirrored boards A and B can be made from a panel with a profile to obtain the short side before the cutting is reoriented by 180 degrees.

The fifth and sixth objects of the present invention provide for the production of corresponding flooring systems made of boards of the same width, but of different lengths, which may be multiples of the width. According to one embodiment of the invention, the boards have mirror-inverted connection systems, which can be joined with a turn inward. They can be laid in many different patterns, in which the long sides are connected to the short sides. According to another embodiment of the invention, it is possible to use boards of four different types, differing from each other in length and/or orientation of the connection system (normal - mirror-inverted).

The seventh and eighth objects of the invention relate to alternative methods of laying a floor covering using the above-described planks. Using one of these methods, it is possible to carry out a quick and efficient laying of a floor covering according to the present invention. According to one alternative, the planks are joined at an angle, with the connecting means coming into contact with each other, but in a position that is offset from the final position when the planks are arranged in one plane on the subfloor. The plank is then offset by a distance corresponding to its full length relative to another plank in the previous row before the final locking is carried out.

The manufacturing and installation technology described above is particularly suitable for small floorboards, but, of course, can be used to advantage for floorboards of other and larger formats.

The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the attached schematic drawings, which show by way of example embodiments of the invention according to its various objects, where:

Fig.Ta-c - views of the floorboards of the prior art.

Figure 2 is a view illustrating the manufacture of laminated flooring according to prior art technology.

Fig. 3-4 are views of examples of known mechanical connecting systems.

Fig. 4a-e are views of floor coverings according to the present invention.

Fig. 5a-a are views of connecting systems corresponding to an embodiment of the invention.

Fig.ba-4 is a view of a method of laying according to the invention.

Fig. 1-e is a view of a method of laying according to the present invention.

Fig.va-e is a view illustrating a method of manufacturing floorboards according to the invention.

Fig. 3-6 is a view of a flooring system according to the invention.

Figure 10 is a view of laying floorboards according to the invention.

Fig. 11a-16be are views of examples of various patterns and methods of laying according to the invention.

Fig. 17a-17c are views of examples of floor covering systems with planks according to the invention, in formats and laying patterns suitable for imitating stone flooring.

Figures 4a-c show views of the floorboards 1, 1", the long sides 4a, 46 and the short sides 5a, 56 of which are equipped with mechanical connection systems. The vertical locking means may comprise, for example, a tongue and groove 23 and a tongue 22 (see Figure 5a). The horizontal locking means may comprise locking elements 8 cooperating with locking grooves 14. All the floorboards are rectangular in shape and have a width corresponding to a traditional parquet block. Thus, the width is about one third of the width of a traditional laminated floorboard. As shown in Figure 4a, the surface of the floorboard has a parquet block configuration. As shown in Figure 4b, the surface has a decorative surface layer consisting of two parquet blocks, and in Figure 4c the surface layer consists of three parquet blocks.

The surface layer can be made of laminate, wood, plastic, linoleum, cork, various fibrous materials such as woven felt, etc. The surface can also be printed and/or varnished.

Fig. 44 shows that such floorboards, which may thus consist of one or more blocks, can be joined together to form a floor covering which naturally forms a brickwork pattern. All blocks except those located in the outer parts of the floorboard may be full length. If the floorboard consists of more than one block (Fig. 4p, 4c), some pattern alignment is required during manufacture. On the other hand, if the floorboard consists of a single block, as shown in

Fig. 4a, such alignment of the pattern is not necessary. The bridge can be made by sawing a floor element that has only a pattern, composed, for example, of veneer with different shades to imitate wooden blocks made from different logs of the same type of wood. In the floor covering corresponding to the one shown in Fig. 4d, the blocks are offset by a distance corresponding to half their length. Fig. 4e shows an example of an offset of one third of the length.

Fig. 5a-d shows that the amount of waste can be reduced to essentially the amount produced by cutting if the connecting system is made by means of a separate strip b, which is mechanically fixed by a tongue 38, which interacts with the tongue groove 36. The locking can be carried out by means of a snap-in in the joint edge of the floorboard 1 in such a way that the upper projection 20 and the lower projection 21 are bent upwards and downwards, respectively, when the strip b is inserted into the tongue groove 3b of the floorboard 1. The locking element 37 interacts with the locking groove 39. The connection of the strip b with the tongue groove 36 can be carried out in many alternative ways. For example, a locking groove 39 may be formed in the lower projection 21, and a locking element 37 may be formed in the lower front part of the strip 6 for interaction with the locking groove 39. The connection of the strip 6 to the edge of the floorboard joint can also be carried out by turning the strip 6 inward or snapping the strip 6 in any upwardly inclined position. This connection system provides for the economical manufacture of narrow floorboards without a large amount of waste. Fig. shows an example of a laminated floorboard 71, 1 with a core 30 of wood fiber and a surface layer 31 of the laminate. In this embodiment, a separate strip b consists of wood fiber. The material for the wood fiber strip b may be solid wood, plywood, particle board, fiberboard such as medium density fiberboard and high density fiberboard, a dense laminate made of wood fiber impregnated with a thermosetting resin, or similar materials. Fig. 55 shows a connecting system that can be locked by turning inward and snapping, and Fig. 5c, 5a shows a connecting system that can be locked by snapping. The elongated part

P2 of the strip 6, which extends beyond the top of the joint ribs, in this embodiment of the invention can be equal to or greater than the thickness T of the floor covering. This facilitates locking by turning around the top of the joint ribs. A connecting system which allows locking and unlocking by turning and which comprises a separate strip is particularly advantageous on the long side of a narrow floorboard.

Fig. 1 shows the laying procedure. The boards are rectangular and can be joined mechanically. The laying operation begins, for example, with the laying of a first row K1, which is joined, for example, by the short sides of the boards with a rotation relative to each other. The first row, which may actually be possible in the floor covering, contains a board C1, which is called the first board. The second board C2 in the second row K2 (Fig. 1a) is arranged at an angle A to the first board C and its upper joint edge is in contact with the joint edge of the first board C1. Fig. 6p shows that laying can be facilitated if a wedge-shaped tool MUT is used as a support. Then the new board 53 in the second row K2 is joined by its short side to the short side of the second board 2 in the second row. This connection of the short sides can be carried out by placing it along the short side joint edge, by turning it inwards or by snapping it in relation to the short side joint edge. When turning inwards and, preferably, also by snapping it, this connection is carried out in such a way that the upper joint edge of the new board 0Z is arranged at a distance from the upper joint edge of the first board C1. When inserting it along the short side joint edge, this is not necessary, since the new board 53 can be placed in such a way that it comes into contact with the first board. The new plank 3 can also be first connected to the first plank 01 by snapping, after which it is displaced in the transverse direction along the long side in such a way that the short side snaps into the short side of the second plank 2. Then both the new 53 and the second plank 22 are displaced in the transverse direction (Fig. 5bs) along their long sides parallel to the first plank 51. The first transverse displacement can be substantially equal to the plank length 4a. An additional new plank 3" can then be joined in accordance with Fig. 5a.

When essentially the entire row of K2 is filled, all the planks are turned and locked. Essentially the entire installation can be done in this manner.

Fig. 7a-7e show the same laying from above. When the new boards 3, 53 and 33" are displaced after turning, a second row K2 is built up. This laying can be repeated until the second board 2 reaches the outer part of the floor covering according to Fig. 7a. The main advantage is that the entire row K2 can be laid without having to move the floor covering layer along the rows of the flooring. Due to the weight and flexibility of the boards, boards that are tilted upwards differently will be at different angles. They can easily slide in a semi-locked state. This is shown in Fig. 5p. The locking means 22, 23 and 8, 14 are not completely locked and thus reduce friction, while the boards 1, 1" are prevented from sliding apart from each other by the locking element 8, which is partially inserted into the locking groove 14.

This method of laying is particularly suitable for small boards, but it can also be used with large boards. The laying method makes automated laying possible. Another advantage is that this method of laying allows automated laying by means of a laying device. According to the invention, which thus also comprises a laying device for boards, the boards can be laid using a suitable device, which, for example, consists of the following parts and performs the following functions. The device has a magazine containing a number of new boards 3, 3, etc. These boards are, for example, stacked one on top of the other. It has a first inserting device, which first inserts a new board 0Z at an angle to the first board C1 in the first row K1. The inserting movement is carried out along the short sides in such a way that the short sides of the second 2 and third 3 boards are mechanically joined. The device also includes a second inserting device that moves the two joined boards in a transverse direction parallel to the first row K1. When the device is moved from the first row K1, all boards that have not yet reached a position parallel to the subfloor will eventually be tilted downwards towards the subfloor.

Fig. 8 shows a method of manufacturing a floor covering with mechanical connection systems.

The 2" flooring element is sawn into new 2" flooring elements. These flooring elements are then machined along their long sides, for example on a two-chain machine.

Thus, a semi-finished product is produced in the form of a 2" panel with a profile to obtain short sides.

This machining, which is thus a rational machining of the long sides of the flooring element, actually forms the short sides of the floorboards. After this first machining, the panel 2" with the profile for obtaining the short sides is sawn onto the floorboard panel C, the edges of which are then machined along the long sides 4a, 40, for example on a machine with only one chain. The method is based on the fact that the production, in contrast to modern production, is carried out in such a way that the long sides are machined last, and a special cutting or separating operation is carried out between the machining of the short side of the board and the machining of its long side. The method thus provides that the short sides can be manufactured in a large format very efficiently, even if the boards are narrow. Modern machines operate with lower productivity, since the machining of the short sides is carried out by means of cams on chains, which means that the boards are machined at a distance from each other, which in Figure 2 is indicated by position 0. The risk of angular errors between the long side and the short side can be significantly lower than with traditional production. Any transverse distortions that may occur due to cutting to obtain floor panels can be eliminated by leveling the boards using a KI guide before machining the long sides.

If the board is 85mm wide and 85mm long, machining the long sides will require a machining time that is six times longer than machining the short sides. An efficient production line may consist of a short side profiler and sawing unit, and a plurality of long side profilers, for example six.

Mirrored connection systems can be made, for example, by rotating the 2" panel 180 degrees before cutting. Alternatively, the Z flooring panel can be rotated accordingly after cutting.

The machining of the long sides and the short sides can be carried out on the same machine and using the same set of tools. Several options are possible. For example, the long sides can be machined first. In this case, the flooring element has a length corresponding to several planks and a width corresponding to one plank. After the first machining, the flooring element is divided into several flooring panels, the edges of which are then machined along the short sides.

Fig. 1a-1e shows a flooring system consisting of planks of two different formats with mirror-image mechanical connection systems that can be joined by turning inwards on the long sides and on the short sides.

Fig. 3a shows a connecting system which in this embodiment of the invention is made integral with the core of the floorboard and which is made in such a way that the long side can be joined to the short side. Vertical locking is achieved by means of a tongue 22 and a groove 23. Horizontal locking is achieved by means of a strip and a locking element 8 on one of the boards 1, which interacts with a locking groove 12 in the other board 1". It is preferable that the connection systems are essentially identical on both the long side and the short side. In this embodiment of the invention, the connection systems are identical. However, it should be noted that the invention can also be applied to boards with different connection systems and/or connection systems comprising separate materials or materials different from the core material. Such differences may exist between different boards and/or between the long side and the short side. The connection system can be joined by turning inwards. In this embodiment of the invention, the connection system withstands a high tensile load, corresponding to approximately 100 kg in a connection system having a length along the edge of the joint, which is 100mm. The locking element 8 has a significant vertical MT and horizontal

HT. In this embodiment of the invention, the value of MT vertically is 0.1 of the thickness T of the floor covering, and the value of HT horizontally is 0.3 of the thickness T of the floor covering.

Figure 95 shows a floorboard 41 A having a width of 1M and a length of BM, which is b times the width.

It may be advantageous if the dimensional accuracy is less than 0.1 mm and possibly even within a tolerance of 0.05 mm or less. With the use of modern machines, tolerances of 0.02 mm can be achieved. Fig. 8c shows an identical floorboard 418, which differs in that the connecting system is mirror-inverted.

The A1A and 418 boards have the same short sides 22, 23 with tongue and groove. The long side of the ATA board has a tongue 22 on the side where the 4288 board has a groove. Thus, the connection systems are mirror-inverted.

This flooring system allows for sequential installation of patterns, as the long sides can be connected to the short sides and the direction of installation can be varied. A modular system with lengths that are an exact multiple of the width increases the possibilities for variation.

Figures 1a and 1b show corresponding planks of length 9M, which in this embodiment of the invention is, for example, nine times the width of 1M. Furthermore, if the flooring system consists of planks of different lengths, an even greater number of successively stacked patterns can be obtained.

It is obvious that within the above principles a number of variants are possible. Fig. 9e shows two short sides 5a and 565 of two adjacent edges of the boards. In this embodiment of the invention, only the horizontal locking is carried out, which is performed by the strip 6, the locking element 8 and the locking groove 12.

Such boards may have a joint system on the long sides, as shown in Fig. 2a, and may be laid in parallel rows. If the boards have mirror-image joint systems as described above, they may be laid in a herringbone pattern with the long side to the short side. The boards may have many different lengths and widths. A flooring system may consist of three or more boards of different sizes, and the boards may have the same width but any length. Some boards may be 1m wide and others 2m or more. The boards do not necessarily have to have parallel sides. For example, the short sides may be made at an angle of 45 degrees to the long sides. Such production may be rationally carried out on a two-chain machine, where the chain cams are offset so that the boards will pass the cutters at an angle of, for example, 45 degrees. In this way, other possible angles may also be obtained.

Fig. 10 shows examples of how the planks 41A can be connected to an already laid plank 428 long side to short side by turning inwards. According to the invention, the long sides of the planks 41A are connected by turning inwards. Such a plank, called the second plank

A1A, is in the initial laying phase in an upwardly inclined position relative to the first, previously laid plank 4288 in the first row. The short side of this second plank 41A comes into contact with the long side of the already laid first plank 428. Preferably, a support MUT is used to hold this and the already laid planks in the second row in an upwardly inclined position. The new board ATA" is connected with a twist on its long side to the second board 41A in the second row, which is perpendicular to the first laid board 428. The new board 41A, which is connected to the second board 41A, is then moved along the joint edge in the connected state until its upper short side edge comes into contact with the long side edge of the first board 42B. The entire second row of boards 41A, 41A" is then turned down to the subfloor. If the appropriate laying order is used, patterns can be laid sequentially using this double twist connection method. The connection system becomes very strong, and large floor coverings can be laid without compensating joints between sections of the floor covering.

Figure 11a shows how planks 41A and 42A of different lengths can be combined in a floor section of a flooring system in such a way that all rows have the same length and the entire floor section has a connection system on all sides.

Fig. 115 and 11c show how the length of the floor section PO can be varied by combining planks of different lengths. The length of the floor section can be varied in steps equal to half the length of the shortest plank. The width can be varied by the number of rows, as shown in Fig. 11c.

Fig. 12a shows how the section PO of the floor covering can be adjusted to the size of the room in such a way that a decorative frame can be formed from sawn-off boards 41a, which can be used to finalize the floor covering to the size of the room. To create a decorative pattern, boards 41A and 418 with mirror-inverted connection systems are used. Positions 01-04 indicate the laying order that can be used to connect the boards using the double-turn method. After the section PO has been laid in parallel rows of boards of different lengths, the mirror-inverted board 418 is connected to the short sides of the section 02 of the floor covering. This board has a length that in this alternative corresponds to the width of six boards. Then the vertical rows 03 are connected in a double-twisted manner, and finally the flooring is completed with the horizontal rows 04, which are also connected in this manner.

Of course, these and other patterns can also be laid using a combination of twist, offset and snap-in connections or using snap-in, offset and snap-in only. In addition, it is possible to use a connection by inserting along the edge of the joint. The connection system on the short sides without a tongue, shown in Fig. 9i, allows for laying with only twist on the long sides.

Fig. 125 shows a variant, which in this case contains a plurality of mirror-inverted boards 418. The stacking can also be carried out as indicated above, for example, according to the stacking order 01-09.

One condition for the above-mentioned laying of the floor covering with high quality and without visible gaps in the joints is that the floorboards must be manufactured with high dimensional accuracy. It is preferable that a certain degree of flexibility can be given to each joint, so that the manufacturing tolerances are balanced. In this context, it is preferable to have a gap P between the locking surfaces of the locking element 8 and the locking groove 12, shown in Figs. 3a and 9i, which is, for example, 0.05 mm. Such a gap P does not cause a visible gap to form in the joint. In order to hide the gap in the joint, as well as to remove parts of the hard surface layer, so that the upper edges of the joint are more flexible and can be compressed, it is also possible to use chamfers 133 on the upper edges of the joint.

Figure 13a shows another pattern that can be laid according to the double-turn method in order 01-07. The pattern can be created using only one type of planks, which may not have mirror-inverted connection systems.

Fig. 14a-6 shows a diamond pattern with offset diamond elements that can be laid by first connecting the boards in two sections P 1 and P O 2 of the floor covering. These two sections of the floor covering are then connected to each other, for example by turning inwards.

Figures 15a-c show alternative patterns that can be created using the flooring systems and installation methods described above.

Figures 1ba-5 show herringbone patterns that can be laid by joining the long sides with a turn inward and joining the short sides with a snap to the long sides. The laying can be done in many different ways, for example, by turning only on the long sides. On

Fig.16 the floor covering is laid with both the side 23 with the groove and the side 22 with the tongue in the direction IO of laying.

It is even more convenient if the laying is carried out only with the side 23 with the groove in the laying direction, as shown in Fig.16br.

Fig. 1bs-e shows the "herringbone" patterns of two and three blocks.

Fig. 17a-c shows how suitable patterns can be created using floorboards having a format that imitates, for example, stone. The floorboards have a decorative groove OO on one long side and one short side, which is made, for example, by removing part of the outer decorative layer in such a way that other parts of the surface layer located under the decorative layer, or the core, become visible.

Figure 17c shows how mirror-inverted floorboards can be joined in successively stacked patterns, in which decorative grooves frame the floorboards after stacking.

It should be noted that the invention can be used with even smaller boards, blocks or strips than those described above. Such strips may be, for example, 2 cm wide and 10 cm long. The invention can also be used to produce very narrow floor panels, for example, about 1 cm wide or less, which can be used to connect different sections of the floor or for decorative purposes. "from the che: is

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Claims (8)

1. A floor covering comprising rectangular planks (1) with a laminate surface for obtaining a removable patterned floor covering, the rectangular planks (1) comprising along opposite long edges (4a, 45) integrated first and second connecting means for connecting one plank and a second plank (1) together by rotating the long sides in such a way that the upper edge parts of the plank (1) and the second plank (1) in the connected state together form a vertical plane (UR), whereby the first connecting means form an upwardly projecting locking element on one long side which cooperates with a locking groove on the other long side of the second plank for locking the planks (1) and the second plank (1) relative to each other in a horizontal direction (02) perpendicular to the vertical plane (UR), whereby the second connecting means comprise a tongue and groove for locking one relative to the other plank (1) 1 of the second plank (1) in the vertical direction (01) perpendicular to the main plane of the plank (1), and the long edge (4a, 45) of the plank (1) has a length not exceeding 80 cm, and the short edge (5a, 565) of the plank (1) has a length not exceeding 10 cm, characterized in that the planks are arranged in parallel rows with the long side to the long side and the short side to the short side with the short sides offset, and the short side has a connecting system that provides the connection only in the horizontal direction, while the narrow short sides (5a, 55) of the two connected planks are held in the required vertical position by the connected long sides (4a, 45). 2. The flooring according to claim 1, characterized in that the connecting means are configured to lock said plank and said second plank relative to each other at least by turning inward, as a result of which the upper edges of the joint come into contact with each other. 3. The flooring according to claim 2, characterized in that the connecting means are configured to unlock said floorboard and said second floorboard by pivoting upwardly, away from the subfloor. 4. The flooring according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second plank (1) is made essentially identical to plank (1). 5. The flooring according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the floorboard has a surface layer (3 1) containing a thermosetting resin. 6. A flooring according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the floorboard has a surface layer (3 1) comprising wood or wood veneer. 7. A decking according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the joint ribs, which are opposite to each other in pairs and are located on the long ribs (4a, 45) of the boards, comprise a protruding locking element (8) integrated with the board (1), the opposite rib portion in the same pair comprising a locking groove (14) for accommodating the locking element (8) of the adjacent board (1). 8. The flooring according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the surface of the plank has a decorative finish and shape corresponding to a traditional parquet block with a length exceeding 15 cm and a width exceeding 4 cm. The invention relates to flooring and floor boards. The flooring consists of laminated planks, the length of which does not exceed 80 cm and the width - 10 cm. The side surfaces of the floorboards have connecting means that fix them with an inward rotation. On the short side, the floorboards have fixing means that connect the floorboards in the horizontal direction. The invention contributes to the efficient use of wood, reducing the groove in the floorboards and the gaps between them that form as a result of wood drying out. The invention relates to flooring and floorboards. The flooring consists of laminated planks, the length of which does not exceed 80 cm, and the width - 10 cm. The side surfaces of the floorboards have connecting means that fix them by turning them inward. On the short side of the floorboards, there are fixing devices that connect the floorboards in a horizontal direction. The invention contributes to the effective use of wood, the reduction of warping of the floorboards and the gaps between them, which are formed due to the withering of the wood.