EP0139660B1 - Method for making a parquet from end grain wood blocks - Google Patents

Abstract

A parquet is made from end grain wood blocks (1) which are fixed to a resilient slab (2) by gluing the lower face (4) of each of the blocks by means of an elastic glue (6). The edges in contact with the support are softened so as to avoid tearing the support and the edges on the facing side are bevelled to conceal the possible interstices between adjacent blocks and obtain a surface continuity effect. Prefabricated laying elements are obtained by assembling the blocks on an adhesive width cut to the required dimensions and applied to the facing side.

Description

The present invention relates to a process for making parquet on a substantially flat existing sub-floor from blocks of wood sawn transversely to the wood fiber and arranged slightly apart and so that the wood fiber is substantially vertical. It also relates to parquet or veneer, made according to the above-mentioned process.

The parquet according to the invention is above all intended to cover a perfectly flat area of a sub-floor established in various materials, such as possibly reinforced concrete slabs, light concrete, raised floor slabs, for example computers, gymnastics, sports, museums, halls, multipurpose rooms.

The arrangement of the blocks of end or head wood implies that the wood fiber is substantially vertical. The fiber can possibly be oblique.

Document US-A-1,302,560 discloses a parquet consisting of wooden pavers, treated on the surface to increase its surface hardness and avoid shrinkage. The pavers are arranged in rows. The base of each of the wooden pavers is fixed to the sub-floor, by gluing the side walls together using an appropriate glue.

These known parquet floors however have the disadvantage of forming a rigid assembly subject to cracks coming from the natural play of wood.

Document FR-A-1 321 924 also discloses a prefabricated end-of-life mosaic parquet, consisting of prefabricated tiles formed from small pieces of wood or cleats arranged upright, that is to say that the fibers are arranged perpendicular to the laying surface.

These tabs are juxtaposed and fixed to each other either by lateral bonding, or by stapling below, or by bonding to an insulating plate, or quite simply glued to a sheet of resistant paper, on the upper face.

In order to absorb possible expansion of the prefabricated slabs subjected to significant hygrometric variations, an expansion joint of compressible material is interposed between each joint of the prefabricated slabs.

The presence of expansion joints does not make it possible to obtain a parquet of uniform appearance. When you want to have access to the sub-floor, for example in order to reach the electrical or heating pipes, the presence of elastic joints makes the removal of a prefabricated slab difficult and replacing the slab requires the intervention of a tradesman.

The document FR-A-804 580 describes a flexible wooden parquet made from strips of wood. The edges adjacent to the upper surface are chamfered so as to produce a V-groove when the blades are placed edge to edge. The interconnected grooves form a grid which is filled with a very adhesive synthetic rubber latex composition. The grooves are wide enough to present a sufficient grip to the above latex composition, adhering to the wood subjecting the blades in the manner of hinges.

Document FR-A-1 218 883 describes improvements made to the plates for covering floors. The aforementioned plates relate above all to ceramic plates which are arranged so as to provide grooves or meshes 4 and 5 which are filled with mastic or cement. This putty actually makes the cover plates irremovable.

The cover plates are moreover permanently fixed to cork support plates of dimensions different from those of the cover plates, which also contributes to making the assembly rigid and irremovable.

Document US-A-3,579,941 relates to covering elements for wooden floors. This includes a sheet of synthetic material on which rests a set of blocks each consisting of wooden strips. Each block has a wooden tongue at its perimeter.

The making of such a tongue is impractical in end grain. In addition, it prevents relative vertical movement of two neighboring blocks.

It is also known from document DE-A-2 841 081 a method for producing a floor covering for a gym with point elasticity. It is a coating with a closed facing surface, comprising several layers of elastic materials made of polyurethane flakes. The point elasticity is obtained there by deformation of an elastic coating. This process does not make it possible to obtain removable parquet tiles which can be laid and removed at will without creating unpleasant joints between the tiles.

The present invention aims to avoid the above drawbacks and provides a method for making a parquet having an extremely hard wear surface, but flexible enough to absorb shock, minimal adhesion of dirt without being too smooth, as well as '' excellent thermal and sound insulation.

In the process according to the invention for making on a substantially flat sub-floor, parquet from blocks of wood sawn transversely to the wood fiber and arranged slightly apart and so that the wood fiber is substantially vertical, process by which horizontal lapped edges are provided for each of the blocks, so as to hide from view the variations in the possible interstices separating two adjacent blocks, the sub-floor is covered with a possibly waterproof layer of damping and thermal and acoustic insulation in resilient and elastic material and the damping layer is covered with a tear-resistant frame, on which the blocks are fixed of said wood by gluing the underside of each of the blocks to said frame using an elastic adhesive, the wooden blocks being thus capable of sliding vertically relative to one another.

Advantageously, elements preassembled in removable tiles are produced, by assembling a determined number of blocks of wood, possibly cantilevered, on a layer of damping and of thermal and acoustic insulation made of resilient and elastic material cut to the required dimensions, we put on the sub-floor.

According to the invention, the damping layer is covered with a tear-resistant frame:

Provision is therefore made for each of the blocks of lower and upper horizontal lapped edges.

Other preferred embodiments of the method according to the invention are described in claims 3 and 4.

The invention also relates to a parquet element made according to the method described below, from wooden blocks arranged slightly apart from each other and so that the wood fiber is substantially vertical, characterized in that the blocks are provided with horizontal lapped edges and are fixed by their lower face on a tear-resistant frame using an elastic adhesive resting on a possibly waterproof layer of damping and of thermal and acoustic insulation in resilient and elastic material, so that you can slide vertically relative to each other.

Another preferred embodiment of the parquet element is described in claim 6.

Other features and details of the invention will become apparent during the detailed description of a particular embodiment of a floor covering according to the invention, illustrated by the following drawings.

• - la figure 1 est une vue en élévation latérale d'un parquet suivant l'invention ;
• - la figure 2 illustre les propriétés élastiques du parquet montrées à la figure 1 ;
• - la figure 3 est une vue analogue à la figure 1 d'un parquet dont la couche d'amortissement est munie d'une trame sensiblement inextensible ;
• - la figure 4 montre un élément de pose préfabriqué muni d'une couche d'amortissement.

In these drawings:

• - Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a parquet according to the invention;
• - Figure 2 illustrates the elastic properties of the parquet shown in Figure 1;
• - Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1 of a parquet whose cushioning layer is provided with a substantially inextensible frame;
• - Figure 4 shows a prefabricated laying element provided with a damping layer.

As illustrated in Figure 1, the parquet according to the invention consists of blocks, slabs or pavers 1 of wood, which cover a cushioning layer 2 of resilient and elastic material. These blocks 1 have a parallelepiped shape with smooth side walls 3, that is to say devoid of lateral tongues or grooves.

These blocks 1 are fixed to the damping layer 2 of resilient and elastic material by bonding their lower face 4. It is ensured that there is no glue or obstruction on the side walls 3 of each block. This damping layer 2 is advantageously made of foam.

This results in a point elasticity: when the block 1 undergoes a pressure on the surface, it compresses the foam and sinks therein in a measure directly proportional to the force of said pressure and inversely proportional to the resistance of the foam and to the dimensions of the facing face 4 of block 1.

The admissible insertion depth of the blocks is mainly adjustable by the choice of density of the foam and the dimensions of the blocks, which choice is made according to the compressive forces predicted for each use of the system.

Preferably, blocks are used whose edges are slightly lapped, so that they are not sharp. In addition, the wood fiber is advantageously placed vertically or obliquely so as to avoid splinters, which makes the parquet safer in a sports or gymnastic hall.

To avoid sudden discontinuities on the surface of the parquet, provision is made to interpose between the damping layer 2 and the blocks 1, an inextensible frame 5. Therefore, when blocks 1 are driven under loads punctually located on said blocks, these lower the weft 5 around them, the weft 5 drives the adjacent blocks 1 'of the loaded blocks and compresses the foam in an inclined plane around the loaded point. A slope is formed which connects the sunken blocks to the general level of the parquet.

This inextensible film therefore makes the parquet safer, since it prevents the formation, between adjacent blocks, of a sudden discontinuity on which one could stumble.

In addition, said frame reinforces the foam and prevents tears therein.

If the damping layer 2 is an extruded synthetic foam, it is in principle covered with a skin which is an integral part of its own structure and whose surface cells have not been sliced. In this case, this skin, much less elastic than the underlying cells, drives the neighboring blocks in the same downward movement. This solution requires bonding the blocks to the foam with a flexible adhesive.

If the cushioning layer is on the other hand an expanded synthetic foam, it has cut cells.

In this case also, the adhesive used should be at least as elastic as the foam mat, so as not to cause any damage to the cells of the mat during the movements.

The perforated or permeable film of the weft 5 may not contain son or micro- or macroscopically cutting fibers which would damage the carpet.

The slightly spaced blocks are placed and the joints are filled with a translucent paste 6 making the blocks integral. This translucent paste can fluctuate in the interstices following the movements of the blocks. It can be based on synthetic resins or be that provided for in Belgian Patent No. 894,573.

The point elasticity resulting from the installation of a damping layer 2 is different from the natural elasticity of a wooden strip.

While the latter acts rather as a spring, the point elasticity acts as a shock absorber which absorbs shock. In addition, the damping layer according to the invention provides excellent thermal and acoustic insulation.

According to a feature of the invention, the method makes it possible to assemble the blocks on a tear-resistant frame 5 cut to the required dimensions so as to form a prefabricated laying element 8. The frame 5 may optionally include an adhesive layer on which the wooden blocks 1 are applied.

The elements pre-assembled into removable tiles of a determined number of wooden blocks can each be glued to the damping layer 2. They can optionally each have their damping layer 2 made of elastic resilient material.

The flexible sole of the pre-assembled elements allows the laying of slabs on supports which are not in perfect condition such as, for example, more or less cracked or damaged screeds, or even on screeds originally intended for simple carpets and not having the mechanical strength required to stick end grain to it. These preassembled elements do not necessarily have to be glued to the support, they can therefore be placed on lighter panels than those used when gluing the parquet on the support panel.

The edges of the facing face are advantageously lapped or dehorned so as to hide from view any interstices separating two adjacent blocks. These lapped edges play the role of a plank chamfer. They serve to conceal any gaps between blocks, caused by the natural play of wood. This regularity of substantially identical visible joints over the entire surface of the parquet, provides a remarkable surface continuity effect.

The installation of pre-assembled elements when they are removable is done by simple gravity. For thin or light slabs, a detachable glue is preferably used. To remove a slab, it is lifted with a suction cup.

• suppression des encadrements métalliques visibles des planches surélevées amovibles ;
• possibilité de réaliser les dalles amovibles du support surélevé en matériau bon marché;
• suppression du sertissage de pavés de bois dans des cadres métalliques ;
• souplesse d'utilisation partout où un accès fréquent aux conduites électriques et tuyaux de chauffage est exigé ;
• possibilité de remplacer une ou plusieurs dalles ;
• embellissement avec l'usure :
• absence d'échardes ;
• isolant acoustique ;
• haute résistance à l'écrasement ;
• sensation élastique ;
• isolant thermique ;
• pose facile et rapide.

The process according to the invention offers the following advantages:

• removal of visible metal frames from removable raised boards;
• possibility of making the removable slabs of the raised support in inexpensive material;
• elimination of the setting of wooden pavers in metal frames;
• flexibility of use wherever frequent access to electrical and heating pipes is required;
• possibility of replacing one or more tiles;
• beautification with wear:
• absence of splinters;
• acoustic insulation;
• high crush resistance;
• elastic feeling;
• thermal insulator ;
• easy and quick installation.

Claims (6)

1. A method of making up parquet flooring, on a substantially flat sub-floor, from blocks of wood (1) sawn transversely to the wood grain and arranged slightly apart and such that the wood grain is substantially vertical, a method according to which ground horizontal edges are provided for each of the blocks (1), the subfloor is covered by an optionally sealed damping and heat and sound insulating layer (2) composed of resilient and elastic material and the damping layer (2) is covered by a tear-proof screen (5) on which the above-mentioned wood blocks (1) are fixed by sticking the lower face of each of the blocks (1) on said screen (5) by means of an elastic adhesive (6), the wood blocks (1) thus being capable of sliding vertically relative to one another.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that some pre-assembled elements composed of removable tiles are produced by assembling a predetermined number of wood blocks (1) optionally in overhanging manner on a damping and heat and sound insulating layer composed of resilient and elastic material (2) cut to the required dimensions, which is placed on the sub-floor:

3. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the damping layer is produced from synthetic material which is extruded in a thin layer.

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the damping layer is produced from expanded synthetic material.

5. A parquet flooring element made up according to any one of the preceding claims from wood blocks (1) arranged slightly apart from one another and such that the wood grain is substantially vertical, characterised in that the blocks are provided with ground horizontal edges and are fixed by their lower face on a tear-proof screen (5) by means of an elastic adhesive (6) resting on an optionally sealed damping and heat and sound insulating layer composed of resilient and elastic material (2) so that they can slide vertically relative to one another.

6. A parquet flooring or veneering element according to claim 5, characterised in that it rests on a damping layer composed of extruded polyethylene foam covered by a tear-proof screen.

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