FLOOR PANEL

Abstract

Described is a floor panel that is provided with a tread surface layer, a core containing at least two core layers made of a wood material and elements of a connector device, whereby these elements are arranged on at least two opposing sides. In order to equip such a floor panel with improved noise insulation in a simple and effective manner, it is proposed that the core layers be arranged so that they lie directly one on the other and that they be glued to each other.

Description

The invention relates to a floor panel of the type explained in the generic term of claim 1.

Such a floor panel is known from WO03/016655. The known floor panel is executed in such a way as to provide impact noise insulation and is given a layer of a noise-insulation material made, for example, of cork or a synthetic material that is integrated into the structure of the floor panel at some location. While an arrangement directly below the tread surface layer is preferred, the layer of the noise-insulation material can also be arranged between two core layers of wood or a wood material, particularly an MDF and/or HDF board. This arrangement between two core layers is only chosen, however, if noise-insulation material that cannot be provided directly with the tread surface layer is to be used. The noise-insulation material is provided in a wound-up form and is integrated into the structure during the manufacture of the floor panel, which nevertheless requires additional effort, however.

A further floor panel known from EP 1 264 946 consists of a hard, wear-resistant and decorative tread surface layer and a core made of a wood material. The core consists of a single board made of a wood material, which can be, for example, solid wood or a wood fibre material of the known type, in other words, for example, a particle board, an MDF board or an HDF board. The known floor panel is provided with elements of a connector device, which is arranged on at least two opposing sides. In the case of the known floor panel, the core consists of only one layer, and the elements of the connector device are incorporated into the layer of the core. The known floor panel furthermore contains at least one layer made of a noise-insulation material. This layer is, however, provided outside of the core. The noise-insulation layer consists of a noise-insulation material, particularly one made of plastic.

The object of the invention is to provide an effective noise-insulated floor panel that can be easily manufactured.

This object is solved by means of the invention indicated in claim 1.

It has become apparent that a noise-insulation material does not necessarily have to be used for effective noise insulation. As a result of the multi-layered structure of the core with the adhesive arranged between the layers, the noise conduction is effectively interrupted, so that good noise insulation results in a simple manner, even without noise-insulation material arranged between the layers.

Advantageous further developments of the invention can be derived from the dependent claims.

A further improvement in the noise insulation, particularly the impact noise insulation, results if the elements of the connector device are arranged on only one of the core layers, which is preferably that core layer that is not provided with the tread surface layer. In this way, the core layers are essentially decoupled from one another with respect to noise propagation between adjacent panels, which further improves the noise insulation. It is also possible, however, to provide the elements of the connector device on all of the layers or on a separate layer.

The manufacture of the floor panel according to the invention is particularly simple if two subpanels are glued to each other, whereby one of the subpanels is provided with the tread surface layer and the other subpanel is provided with the elements of the connector device.

Nevertheless, a further layer made of a material developed especially for noise insulation can additionally be provided, whereby this material can be arranged at any suitable location, e.g., at the locations below the tread surface layer described in EP 1 264 946, directly as the bottommost support layer or above the bottommost support layer.

The invention is particularly well-suited for floor panels with a connector device formed for mechanical interlocking. A large number of such mechanically interlocking, glue-free connector devices are known.

The invention is furthermore particularly well-suited for floor panels that are provided with the elements of the connector device on more than two opposing sides.

The noise insulation is further improved by the use of an adhesive that is, in the adhesive state, more elastic than are the core layers.

One embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail in the following, using the drawings. Shown are:

FIG. 1 A section of a floor panel according to the invention in a schematic representation and

FIG. 2 The exploded and magnified detail A from FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 is a schematic, perspective representation of a floor panel 1 according to the invention, whereby this floor panel 1 has the conventional geometric form in the embodiment shown, meaning that it is essentially formed with a longish, rectangular, board-like shape and has two pairs of opposing sides, whereby only one pair of the opposing sides 2a, 2b, which are parallel to one another, is shown and the sides of the second pair run at a right angle to these.

At least two opposing sides (in the depicted embodiment the two parallel long sides 2a, 2b) are provided with corresponding positive and negative elements 3a, 3b (indicated only schematically) of a locking mechanism 3.

The locking mechanism can be of the customary mechanically interlocking type, which interlocks adjacent panels together in both a horizontal and preferably also in a vertical level, so that a connection between adjacent panels is possible even without the use of glue, whereby these panels are held securely in this position relative to each other. Such connector devices are known in the state of the art and contain positive and negative elements that bring about the interlocking by means of being attached diagonally and then bent away, possibly with a limited horizontal movement and/or by means of snapping in the horizontal direction with the negative and positive elements of adjacent panels.

A particularly preferred locking mechanism is, for example, known from WO94/26999, whose disclosure content is hereby included by means of reference. The locking mechanism described therein additionally contains a locking strip, in addition to the positive and negative elements, whereby this locking strip is arranged on the underside of the panel, extending beyond one of the long sides or cross-sides. The free side of this locking strip is provided with an additional interlocking or snap-on element, which is formed in such a way that it can engage in a corresponding groove which extends along the other long side of the panel, so that adjacent panels are likewise connected to one another by means of the locking strip. A further locking mechanism that is suitable for the invention under consideration can be derived, for example, from WO97/47834. This locking mechanism contains snap-on or snap-in protuberances that are integrated into the elements, as well as assigned grooves.

The floor panel 1 contains a tread surface layer 4. The tread surface layer 4 is located on the upper side of the panel 1 and has decorative characteristics and protective characteristics, as well as characteristics that increase the stability. Suitable materials for a tread surface layer are known and do not have to be explained in detail. For example, a suitable tread surface layer 4 consists of a laminate of a decorative layer and a wear-resistant protective layer.

The tread surface layer 4 is connected to a core 6 by means of known measures, preferably by means of compressing and possibly via an additional noise-insulation layer 5. The core 6 consists of a wood material, e.g., of solid wood or a wood fibre material from a very wide range of developments, for example, a particle board, however preferably an MDF board or an HDF board. The core 6 is that portion of the floor panel 1 that makes the prominent contribution towards the total thickness D of the floor panel 1 and that ensures the torsional stiffness and/or flexural strength of the floor panel 1. For this reason, the core 6 is that layer of a floor panel 1 with the greatest thickness d.

According to the invention, the core 6 consists of a multiple number of horizontal core layers, whereby two core layers 6a and 6b are provided in the depicted embodiment. The core layers 6a, 6b can, as shown in the depicted embodiment, have the same thickness d1, d2, but can also have different thicknesses. The two core layers 6a, 6b preferably are made of the same wood material, but can also be made of different wood materials.

The total thickness D can, as is customary for floor panels, be roughly 7 to 11 mm, but can also be thicker, for example, 11 to 15 mm. The thickness d of the core 6 can essentially correspond to the thickness D, particularly in the case that no additional noise-protection material is used and if the tread surface layer is only fractions of a millimetre thick. The thicknesses d1 and d2 can therefore be ½ D, whereby preferably, however, the core layer 6a has a thickness that is less than that of the core layer 6b. Preferably the thickness d1 of the core layer 6a is 3 to 6 mm, preferably 5 mm, while the thickness d2 of the second core layer 6b is 6 to 10 mm, preferably 8 mm.

The two core layers 6a, 6b are arranged so that they lie directly one on the other and are connected together with the help of an adhesive 7. The connection is preferably made across the entire surface, i.e., across the entire surfaces of the core layers 6a, 6b, whereby these surfaces face each other. In the depicted embodiment, the adhesive 7 is shown as a layer, but it is also possible to apply the adhesive so thinly that it only fills in the uneven areas in the opposing surfaces of the core layers 6a, 6b. The adhesive 7 should be elastic and should preferably be more elastic than the material of the two core layers 6a, 6b. A number of adhesives that are suitable for connecting surfaces made of wood or wood materials are suitable for use as the adhesive 7. These are, for example, hot-melt adhesives such as are used, for example, for gluing veneers, dispersion adhesives or solvent adhesives (e.g., casein glue), contact adhesives such as are used, for example, for particle boards or hardboards, glues such as, for example, joiner's glue such as is conventionally used for wooden joints, or reactive adhesives, e.g., multi-component adhesives based on epoxy resin, or UF (urea-formaldehyde) resin, MF (melamine formaldehyde) resin, PF (phenol formaldehyde) resin or RF (resorcinol formaldehyde) resin. The adhesive 7 can, however, also be applied more thickly, as would be necessary for purely connecting purposes. It has, however, turned out that the adhesive 7 is capable of insulating the two core layers 6a, 6b with respect to noise propagation.

The core 6, particularly the second core layer 6b, can lie free downwards, but can however instead also be provided with a conventional compensation layer 8 and/or with a noise-insulation layer 9 of conventional development. The compensation layer 8 and/or the noise-insulation layer 9 are attached to the core 6 with the help of conventional measures, e.g., by means of compressing.

As particularly FIG. 1 shows, the elements 3a, 3b are provided in that core layer that is not provided with the tread surface layer 4, i.e., in the second core layer 6b. In this way, effective decoupling with respect to noise propagation is created between the tread surface layer and an adjacent panel. The elements can, however, also be provided in both core layers 6a, 6b and/or in an additional layer, e.g., the compensation layer 8 or the like.

The floor panel 1 according to the invention is preferably manufactured by first manufacturing two subpanels 10a and 10b. In particular, the first subpanel 10a is assembled from the first core layer 6a, which has the shape of an essentially rectangular, board-like panel, whose outer dimensions along the opposing sides correspond to the outer dimensions of the floor panel in the laminate of the floor after it has been laid. The first subpanel 10a furthermore contains the tread surface layer 4, possibly the conventional noise-insulation layer 5 that supports the tread surface layer 4 and possibly even more layers that are assigned to the tread surface layer. The peripheral surfaces 11 of the first subpanel 10a are preferably flat and preferably extend at a right angle to the tread surface layer 4.

The second subpanel 10b contains the second core layer 6b, which is likewise formed as a longish rectangular, board-like panel, but which is larger than the first core layer 6a by the dimensions of one of the elements 3a, 3b. The lateral surfaces or peripheral surfaces 12 of the second core layer 6b are provided with the elements 3a, 3b of the connector device 3 in the customary manner. In the depicted embodiment, the elements 3a, 3b are worked from the material of the second core layer 6b; preferably they are milled out.

Furthermore, the second core layer 6b possibly holds the layer 9 made of noise-insulation material, which is connected to the core layer 6b via the preferably present compensation layer 8. Both subpanels 10a, 10b are then connected to each other via the noise-insulating adhesive 7.

The subpanels 10a, 10b can also be derived from conventional individual panels. In this case, only the tread surface layer of the second subpanel 10b is replaced by the first subpanel 10a, and the first subpanel 10a is given a lower surface that can be glued.

In modification of the described and drawn embodiments, it is also possible to provide more than two core layers that are connected to each other by more than a layer of adhesive, whereby all of these interfaces and adhesive layers can serve as impact noise insulation.

Claims

1. A floor panel with a surface layer, a core containing at least two core layers made of a wood material and connectors arranged on at least two opposing sides wherein the core layers are arranged so that they lie directly one on the other and are glued to each other.

2. A floor panel in accordance with claim 1, wherein the connectors are arranged on one of the core layers.

3. A floor panel in accordance with claim 2, wherein the connectors are arranged on a core layer that is not provided with the surface layer.

4. A floor panel in accordance with claim 3 wherein the panel comprises subpanels that are glued together, wherein one subpanel is provided with the surface layer and at least one subpanel is provided with the connectors.

5. A floor panel in accordance with claim 4, wherein the panel is comprised of a layer made of noise-insulating material.

6. A floor panel in accordance with claims 5, wherein the connectors allow for mechanical interlocking of adjacent panels and are formed by bending away and/or snapping in place in a generally horizontal direction for producing an interlock both in a vertical direction and in a horizontal direction.

7. A floor panel in accordance with claim 6, wherein the panel comprises two pairs of opposing sides, and connectors are provided on both pairs.

8. A floor panel in accordance with claim 7, wherein the core layers are connected at least in part by an adhesive that is more elastic than the wood material of the core layers.

9. A floor panel in accordance with claim 1, wherein the connectors are arranged on a core layer that is not provided with the surface layer.

10. A floor panel in accordance with claim 1, wherein the panel comprises subpanels that are glued together, wherein one subpanel is provided with the surface layer and at least one subpanel is provided with the connectors.

11. A floor panel in accordance with claim 1, wherein the panel comprises a layer made of noise-insulating material.

12. A floor panel in accordance with claim 1, wherein the connectors allow for mechanical interlocking of adjacent panels and are formed by means of bending away and/or snapping in place in a generally horizontal direction for producing an interlock both in a vertical direction and in a horizontal direction.

13. A floor panel in accordance with claim 1, wherein the panel comprises two pairs of opposing sides, and connectors are provided on both pairs.

14. A floor panel in accordance with claim 1, wherein the core layers are connected at least in part by an adhesive that is more elastic than the wood material of the core layers.

15. A floor panel comprised of a surface layer, a core comprised of at least two layers, at least two of said core layers being made of a wood material, a connector on each of at least two opposing sides of said panel, adjacent ones of said core layers being glued to each other.

16. A floor panel in accordance with claim 15 wherein, the number of core layers made of wood is two, and the connectors are disposed on a core layer other than a core layer adjacent to the surface layer, said panel including at least one core layer made of noise-insulating material.

17. A floor panel comprised of a surface layer, a core comprised of at least two layers, at least two of said core layers being made of a wood material, a connector on each of at least two opposing sides of said panel, adjacent ones of said core layers being glued to each other, the number of core layers made of wood is two, and the connectors are disposed on a core layer other than a core layer adjacent to the surface layer, said panel including at least one core layer made of noise-insulating material, and at least two of said core layers being connected at least in part by an adhesive that is both noise-insulating and more elastic than said wood material.