DE20017461U1 - Floor panel - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a floor panel which is delimited in the horizontal plane by an upper side provided with a decorative layer or the like and an underside intended to be placed on a subfloor, and which is provided with means for detachably connecting to further panels.

Such a floor panel is known, for example, from DE 198 51 10 200 Cl or WO97/47834. These panels are provided with so-called click profiles. This is a tongue and groove design on opposite long and/or short sides, via which the panels can be inserted into one another. Projections or recesses are provided in the groove or on the tongue, which can lock together. This prevents two panels from moving in the opposite direction to the connection.

The panels are made of a wood material, especially MDF or HDF. The top is made of a

Hanover:

Koblenzer Straße 21 D-30173 Hannover Federal Republic of Germany Telephone 0^fT &iacgr;Φ&Egr;&Ggr;75 07.**. Fax 05ll /!968*75 09 .*

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Brunswick:

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applied decorative layer. Panels put together to form a floor covering must be tight at the connection point on the top side to prevent moisture from penetrating the connection point, which would cause the carrier material of the panels to swell. For this reason, the locking devices are designed in such a way that two panels inserted into one another are under pre-tension and the connection points on the top side are pressed firmly together. The panels must be connected to one another on both the long and short sides. When laying, the long sides are usually connected to one another first. Then the last panel attached must be moved lengthwise in order to be connected to the short side. Due to the pre-tension in the tongue and groove connection, relative movement of two panels is only possible under the influence of corresponding force, which must be applied from the outside by hammer blows.

There is a risk that the sensitive transverse side of the panel will be damaged by the hammer blows. If the last panel installed is moved too far, wear will occur at the connection point, which can lead to a gap through which moisture can penetrate the laid floor and destroy it in the short or long term.

Based on this problem, the floor panel described at the beginning is to be improved.

The problem is solved with a generic floor panel by

a step-shaped milling provided on a longitudinal and/or transverse side and extending from the underside, the step forming a shoulder on the outer edge protruding towards the underside, and

- a step-shaped milling provided on the opposite longitudinal and/or transverse side, extending from the upper side, whereby the step forms a shoulder on the outer edge protruding in the direction of the upper side.

This design means that the profile of the panel is L-shaped on both sides, with the profiles essentially mirroring each other and rotated by 180°. Two panels can be connected by placing them inside each other.

Preferably, the steps each extend beyond the middle of the panel so that the step-shaped millings can correspond to each other in such a way that the steps of two interconnected panels can be supported in the lower part of the other step.

If the outer edge of the heel facing the bottom and the inner edge of the step forming the heel facing the top are bevelled relative to the top, it is easier to place two panels into one another.

When panels are inserted into one another, projections that protrude horizontally in the upper and lower areas can be supported by the other panel, creating a pre-stress at the connection point. To prevent the connection forces from becoming too great, the projections are designed in such a way that free spaces can form within the connection.

In a preferred embodiment of the panel, the outer edge of the step directed towards the underside is bevelled relative to the upper side and the inner edge of the step forming the step directed towards the upper side is perpendicular relative to the upper side. This design allows a free space to be formed in the panel connection, which allows a

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Avoids tension and is suitable for absorbing protective particles or chips.

If the inner edge of the heel facing the underside then runs parallel to its outer edge, the heel can engage in a correspondingly bevelled area on the inner edge of the heel facing upwards, so that a tensile connection is created in the laying direction.

With the help of a drawing, embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail below. It shows:

Figure 1 - a cross-section of the floor panel in a first embodiment;

Figure 2 - the partial cross-section of two panels according to Figure 1 at the connection point;

Figure 3 - a cross-section of the floor panel in a second embodiment;

Figure 4 - the partial cross-section of two panels according to Figure 3 at the connection point.

The panel 1, 2 is made of MDF and is provided with a decorative or covering layer 17 on its upper side 8. The panel 1, 2 is placed on a subfloor (screed or the like) with its lower side 14. The panel 1, 2 is provided with step-shaped millings 3, 11 on two opposite sides. The first milling 3 starts from the lower side 14. The step forms a deeper part 5 and a step 4 protruding towards the lower side. The second milling 11 provided on the opposite side starts from the upper side 8 of the panel 1, 2, and here too the step forms a deeper part 10 and a step 12 protruding towards the upper side 8.

In the following, reference is made to Figure 3 to explain the invention. The shoulders 4, 12 extend beyond the center line M of the panel 1, 2. The outer edge 6 of the shoulder 4 runs outwards at an angle relative to the top 8. At the upper edge, it merges into a horizontal projection 7. The inner edge 9 of the stepped milling 11 also runs at an angle to the surface 8 and essentially parallel to the edge 6. The angle of the edges 6, 9 relative to the vertical is not greater than 10° and is advantageously 7°. The two deeper

Parts 5, 10 and the heels 4, 12 run parallel to the upper side 8. At the lower edge, the outer edge of the heel 12 merges into a horizontal projection 13.

As Figure 4 shows, the projection 13 of the panel 1 abuts the inner edge of the milled recess 3 of the panel 2 and the projection 7 abuts the edge 9 of the panel 1. As a result, free spaces 15, 16 are formed in the connection and the prestress is applied, which leads to a tight connection between two panels 1, 2 at the top 8.

In the embodiment of the invention according to Figures 1 and 2, it is evident that in the milled recess 11 extending from the top, the inner edge 9' does not run obliquely but at a right angle to the top 8. The opposite side initially runs vertically and then merges into a beveled region 18. The side edges 19, 20 of the recess 5 run essentially parallel to the edge 6. In its upper region, the edge 6 runs perpendicular to the top 8.

As Figure 2 shows, the panels 1, 2 lie against each other at the connection point 21 with the vertically running areas. The tension is applied via the side edge 19 of the panel 2, which engages in the beveled area 18 of the panel 1.

Re/us

20

List of reference symbols Panel 1 Panel 2 Milling 3 Paragraph 4 deeper part 5 Edge 6 head Start 7 Top 8th Edge 9 Edge 9' deeper part 10 Milling 11 Paragraph 12 head Start 13 bottom 14 free space 15 free space 16 Decorative/top layer 17 Edge 18 Side edge/inner edge 19 Side edge 20 Connection point 21 Center of the panel M

Claims (9)

1. Floor panel which is delimited in the horizontal plane by an upper side ( 8 ) provided with a decorative layer or the like and an underside ( 14 ) intended to rest on a subfloor, and which is provided with means for detachably connecting to further panels ( 1 , 2 ), characterized by - a step-shaped milling ( 3 ) provided on a longitudinal and/or transverse side and extending from the underside ( 14 ), the step forming a shoulder ( 4 ) protruding in the direction of the underside ( 14 ) on the outer edge, and - a step-shaped milling ( 11 ) provided on the opposite longitudinal and/or transverse side and extending from the upper side ( 8 ), wherein the step forms a shoulder ( 12 ) protruding in the direction of the upper side ( 8 ) on the outer edge. 2. Floor panel according to claim 1, characterized in that the shoulders ( 4 , 12 ) each protrude beyond the center (M) of the panel ( 1 , 2 ). 3. Floor panel according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer edge ( 6 ) of the shoulder ( 4) directed towards the underside (14 ) and the inner edge ( 9 ) of the step forming the shoulder ( 12 ) directed towards the upper side ( 8 ) are bevelled relative to the upper side ( 8 ). 4. Floor panel according to claim 3, characterized in that the edges ( 6 , 9 ) run parallel to each other. 5. Floor panel according to claim 1, characterized in that the step-shaped millings ( 3 , 11 ) correspond to one another in such a way that the shoulders ( 4 , 12 ) of two interconnected panels ( 1 , 2 ) are each supported on the lower part ( 10 , 5 ) of the other step. 6. Floor panel according to claim 1, characterized in that projections ( 7 , 13 ) projecting in the horizontal direction are provided in the region of the upper side ( 8 ) and in the region of the lower side ( 14 ), so that free spaces ( 15 , 16 ) are formed within the connection between two panels ( 1 , 2 ). 7. Floor panel according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer edge ( 6 ) of the step ( 4 ) directed towards the underside ( 14 ) runs bevelled relative to the upper side ( 8 ) and the inner edge ( 9 ') of the step forming the step ( 12 ) directed towards the upper side ( 8 ) runs perpendicular relative to the upper side ( 8 ). 8. Floor panel according to claim 1 or 7, characterized in that the inner edge ( 19 ) of the shoulder ( 4 ) runs parallel to the outer edge ( 6 ). 9. Floor panel according to claim 8, characterized in that the inner edge ( 20 ) of the milled recess ( 3 ) extending from the underside ( 14 ) runs parallel to the inner edge ( 19 ) of the shoulder ( 4 ).