Patent Grant
12180717
This application is a U.S. national phase application of International Application No. PCT/SE2020/051203, filed Dec. 11, 2020, designating the United States, which claims priority to Swedish Application No. 1951462-9, filed Dec. 13, 2019.
The invention relates to a joining system for floor panels, comprising a female coupling recess formed in a first floor panel. The female coupling recess is shaped for receiving a male coupling tongue projecting from an adjoining second floor panel in a direction away from a main floor surface plane in which the floor panels are laid. The male coupling tongue is provided with vertical locking means enabling a vertical interlocking engagement with a matching vertical locking means in the female coupling recess.
A current trend in joining systems for prefabricated floor panels is to use one of many variants of angle-in tongue- and groove joints on the long sides of a typical rectangular floor panels and then use a so-called fold-down joint for joining the remaining short sides of the floor panels. This combined use of angle-in joints and fold-down joints and fold-down joints makes it easier and less time-consuming to lay a floor both for professionals and for DIY (Do-It-Yourself) customers compared with earlier angle-in/angle-in joining systems that required both the long and the short sides of the floor panels to be angled into connection.
A fold-down joining system typically includes some kind of vertical snap-lock action which allows the joint to easily snap in place as the floor panels are folded down into engagement along the short sides of the floor panels. Existing prior-art snap-lock designs for fold-down joints include various forms of vertical locking means, such as angled or rounded locking lugs intended to snap into engagement with corresponding locking recesses—or vice versa. Some fold-down joints include separately inserted resilient plastic or rubber tongue elements for obtaining an efficient and positive locking between two adjoining floor panels. These joints generally function well, although they are also more complicated and thus more expensive to manufacture compared to joints without such separate inserts, rendering them unsuitable for large scale flooring production.
Prefabricated floor panels are manufactured globally in a vast variety of materials and structural designs, such as laminate flooring, wood flooring, LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tiles), PVC to name but a few. All these floor panels have very different material and manufacturing properties and it is far from certain that a particular fold-down joining system which works well in one type of floor panel will work equally well in another type of floor panel of different composition and material. For this reason it is highly desirable for floor manufacturers to find a fold-down joining system which allows for an effective snap-lock action in as many of the widely used floor panel types as possible.
In view of that stated above, the object of the present invention is to provide a joining system for floor panels which ameliorates some of the problems with prior art solutions.
To achieve at least one of the above objects and also other objects that will be evident from the following description, a joining having the features defined in claim 1 is provided according to the present invention. Preferred embodiments of the device will be evident from the dependent claims.
More specifically, there is provided according to the present invention a joining system for floor panels comprising a female coupling formed in a first floor panel and a male coupling formed in a second floor panel. The female coupling comprising:
The female coupling tongue is resilient and comprises a distally arranged locking protrusion protruding from the female coupling tongue in a direction towards the main floor surface plane and is arranged to be received in a groove in the second panel for horizontal locking of the panels. The locking protrusion is configured to come into contact with the male coupling tongue during joining of the first and second panels. The female coupling tongue further comprising a lower recess enabling the locking protrusion of the female coupling tongue to be depressed during joining of the panels. The joining system further comprises:
The recess may in one embodiment extend from a distal surface of the female coupling tongue. The recess may have a greater extension D than the width F of the locking protrusion. A recess extending longer horizontally than the width of the protrusion will facilitate deflection of the female coupling tongue by the male coupling tongue, as a vertical force applied on the locking protrusion will result in a momentum force due to the underlying recess and the momentum force increases with increased extension of the recess past the locking protrusion.
Further still, the recess may extend on the underside of the female coupling tongue a distance D, from a distal surface thereof to between 60% to 90% of the length C of the female coupling tongue, preferably approximately 85% of the length of the female coupling tongue as measured from the distal surface
The recess may be defined by an inclined surface extending from a distal surface of the female coupling tongue a distance D, from a distal surface thereof to between 60% to 90% of the length C of the female coupling tongue, preferably approximately 85% of the length of the female coupling tongue as measured from the distal surface.
The locking protrusion may further comprise an inclined abutment surface arranged between an essentially vertical abutment surface on the female locking tongue and the top surface of the female locking tongue. The essentially vertical abutment surface and/or the inclined abutment surface cooperating with an abutment surface on the male coupling tongue to prevent horizontal movement of the panels away from each other. The provision of the inclined abutment surface facilitates insertion of the male coupling tongue into the female coupling recess, as it guides the male coupling tongue into the female coupling recess. The inclined abutment surface is arranged such that the male coupling tongue will abut against it when the vertical locking means are arranged against the upper guiding surface during joining, a vertical force subsequently placed on the second panel will force the female coupling tongue downwards while the male coupling tongue slides on the inclined abutment surface into the female coupling recess.
The first panel may further still comprise a support surface being configured to cooperate with a support surface on the second panel to provide a vertical support when the first and second panel are connected. The support surfaces add to the vertical load bearing capacity of the joining system, further improving the alignment between the floor panels.
In one embodiment, the male coupling tongue is rigid and non-resilient.
The second panel may furthermore comprise an upper joint surface adjoining the support surface, the upper joint surface being configured to abut against an upper joint surface on the first panel when the first and second panels are joined together. The two joint surfaces together with the support surfaces forms an additional load support and increases the structural strength of the joining system.
The support surface and the joint surface on the second panel may together form a protrusion which corresponds to a recess formed by the support surface and the upper joint surface on the first panel.
In one embodiment, a distance M between the upper surface of the groove and a top surface of the locking protrusion when the first and second panels are joined together is between 10% to 40% of the thickness Q of the first and second panel.
A horizontal channel may be provided between the female coupling tongue and a main portion of the second panel. The horizontal channel may enable horizontal movement of the female coupling tongue.
In one embodiment, the horizontal distance N from a distal surface of the female coupling tongue and a distal surface of the main portion of the second panel between 5% and 15% of the length C of the female coupling member. The above relationship between the female coupling tongue and the horizontal distance allows a horizontal movement in the female coupling tongue which may occur during the joining of the panels.
The joining system may further comprise a coupling release rod placeable in the coupling release channel for deflecting the female coupling tongue and thereby release the lock.
The male coupling tongue may in one embodiment comprise a bottom surface configured to face a female coupling recess bottom surface, wherein the shape of the bottom surface corresponds to the shape of the female coupling recess bottom surface. A vertical force placed on the joint will thus be transferred from the male coupling tongue to the female coupling tongue without causing any momentum force, which is desired as it increases the load bearing capacity of the joint and reduces the risk of unintentional deflection of the female coupling tongue.
In one embodiment, the joint surface protrudes a distance H horizontally from the male coupling tongue, the distance being larger than a distance which the vertical locking means protrudes from the male coupling tongue such that the vertical locking means is positioned closer to the main portion of the second panel than the joint surface.
In one embodiment, the inclined surface has an inclination between 5° and 20°.
The male coupling tongue may further comprise a clearance surface, the clearance surface being arranged proximal of and adjacent to the bottom surface on the male coupling tongue, whereby the second panel may be released from the first panel by pivoting the second panel around the male coupling tongue. The clearance surface provides a lower risk of damaging the female coupling tongue and the female locking protrusion during release of the first and second panel by means of pivoting. The joining system can thus be released both by means of the coupling release tool, by pivoting and/or by means of sliding the first and second panel in the longitudinal direction in relation to one another.
The clearance surface may be chamfered or rounded, and an abutment surface of the male coupling tongue may be arranged at angle in relation to the surface plane and configured to abut against an inclined abutment surface on the female locking protrusion.
In a second aspect is a floor panel provided, comprising a female coupling formed along at least one first side of the floor panel for interconnecting the floor panel to a male coupling of a second floor panel, the female coupling comprising:
An upper guiding surface being located on a side of the female coupling recess on the first panel forming a guide for the male coupling tongue upon insertion thereof, limiting movement of said male coupling tongue in a horizontal direction towards the main portion of the first floor panel.
A vertical locking means configured to cooperate with vertical locking means in the male coupling, enabling a vertical interlocking engagement therewith. The female coupling tongue is resilient and comprises a distally arranged locking protrusion protruding from the female coupling tongue in a direction towards the main floor surface plane and being arranged to be received in a groove in the second panel for horizontal locking of the panels. The locking protrusion is configured to come into contact with the male coupling tongue during joining of the first and second panels. The female coupling tongue further comprises a lower recess enabling the locking protrusion of the female coupling tongue to be depressed during joining of the panels. The female coupling forms at least a part of:
In one embodiment, the floor panel further comprises a second female coupling formed along a side substantially perpendicular to the at least one first side of the floor panel, for interconnecting the floor panel to a male coupling of a second floor panel, the second female coupling comprising:
An upper guiding surface being located on a side of the female coupling recess on the first panel forming a guide for the male coupling tongue upon insertion thereof, limiting movement of said male coupling tongue in a horizontal direction towards the main portion of the first floor panel.
A vertical locking means configured to cooperate with vertical locking means in the male coupling, enabling a vertical interlocking engagement therewith. The female coupling tongue is resilient and comprises a distally arranged locking protrusion protruding from the female coupling tongue in a direction towards the main floor surface plane and being arranged to be received in a groove in the second panel for horizontal locking of the panels. The locking protrusion is configured to come into contact with the male coupling tongue during joining of the first and second panels. The female coupling tongue further comprises a lower recess enabling the locking protrusion of the female coupling tongue to be depressed during joining of the panels. The female coupling forms at least a part of:
The floor panel may further still comprise a first male coupling formed along a side parallel to the at least one first side of the floor panel for interconnecting the floor panel to a female coupling of a further floor panel. The male coupling comprising:
The male coupling further comprises a groove in the floor panel being arranged to receive the distally arranged locking protrusion protruding from the female coupling tongue for horizontal locking of the panels. The male coupling forms at least a part of:
In yet another embodiment, the floor panel further comprises a second male coupling formed along a side substantially perpendicular to the side on which the first male coupling is formed, the second male coupling being adapted for interconnecting the floor panel to a female coupling on a further floor panel, the second male coupling comprising:
The male coupling further comprises a groove in the floor panel being arranged to receive the distally arranged locking protrusion protruding from the female coupling tongue for horizontal locking of the panels. The male coupling forms at least a part of:
In one embodiment, the floor panel is rectangular.
In yet another embodiment, the floor panel is square.
The floor panel may in one embodiment have the shape of a parallelogram.
In a third aspect is a flooring system provided comprising a first floor panel having a female coupling according to the first aspect arranged on a short side thereof, a male coupling according to the first aspect arranged on an opposite short side thereof, a female coupling according to first aspect arranged on a long side thereof and a male coupling according to the first aspect being arranged on an opposite long side thereof, the flooring system further comprising a second panel being identical with the first panel but mirrored either in a vertical plane along one of the short sides of the first floor panel or in a vertical plane along one of the long sides of the first floor panel.
In a fourth aspect is a method for joining a first floor panel to a second floor panel and to a third floor panel provided. the first panel having a male coupling according to the first aspect arranged on a first side thereof and a male coupling according to the first aspect arranged on an adjoining second side, the method comprising:
In one embodiment, the first side of the first panel is joined to the side of the second panel in a vertical motion and the second side of the first panel is joined to the side of the third panel in a vertical motion.
In yet another embodiment, the first side of the first panel is joined to the side of the second panel in a vertical motion and the second side of the first panel is joined to the side of the third panel in a folding motion pivoting around the first side of the first panel after joining of the first side of the first panel.
In one embodiment, the method further comprises releasing the first panel from the second panel and/or the third panel by depressing the female coupling tongue on the side of the second panel and/or on the side of the third panel.
Generally, all terms used in the claims are to be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the technical field, unless explicitly defined otherwise herein. All references to “a/an/the [element, device, component, means, step, etc]” are to be interpreted openly as referring to at least one instance of said element, device, component, means, step, etc., unless explicitly stated otherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless explicitly stated.
The above, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be better understood through the following illustrative and non-limiting detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention, with reference to the appended drawings, where the same reference numerals will be used for similar elements, wherein:
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which currently preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided for thoroughness and completeness, and fully convey the scope of the invention to the skilled person.
Some prior art fold-down joining systems include the use of elasticity slots or grooves located in the vicinity of the vertical locking means. Such elasticity slots will improve the resilient properties of the joint, rendering it more suitable for a wider range of floor panel types in order to avoid undesired stress loads for more brittle materials or composite floor panel designs.
Usually, fold down joining systems with elasticity slots rely on male joint elements that are flexible at least partly by the provision of the elasticity slot such that the can elastically bend during joining of the panels in order to be able to be accommodated by a corresponding female join element. The elasticity slot will however cause a structural weakness in the joint which in some embodiment may be undesired. Furthermore, it is beneficial to be able release the joint in case of if a panel is damaged or incorrectly placed.
Hence it is the object of the present invention to provide a system for joining floor panels which allows a secure and easy joining of floor panels, which provides an improvement of the structural rigidity of the joint and which is releasable.
Although the invention is described hereinafter with more particular reference to rectangular floor panels, it is equally conceivable that the floor panels have any other geometric shape, for example square.
Additionally, variations of the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by the skilled person in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.
The floor panels mentioned herein could for example be floor panels comprising a main substrate made of for example wood or a wood-based material such as MDF or HDF, or a main substrate made of SPC (Stone Plastic Composite) or, plastic or composite polymer materials like PVC or LVT or other polymer materials and metals such as aluminium. Additionally, the floor panels comprise a top layer. Examples of top layers are wooden top layers, such as veneer, or decorative films and other layers comprising a printed décor, such as laminate layers of the DPL (Direct Pressure Laminate) or HPL (High Pressure Laminate) type. The top layer may comprise a carrier sheet immersed in resin or in synthetic material, the sheet consists, for example, of paper. The carrier sheet shows a printed décor that is visible at the upper side of the floor panels and forms a so-called decorative layer.
With initial reference to
In the embodiment shown in
The male coupling tongue 40 preferably has a protrusion length K as measured from an upper surface 71 of a groove 70 in the second panel of between 10% to 40% of a thickness Q of the first and second panel 10, 20, preferably between 20% and 30%.
The female coupling recess 30 of the first floor panel is adapted to receive a male coupling tongue 40 projecting from an adjoining second floor panel 20 in a direction away from a main floor surface plane SP, such as for instance substantially perpendicularly in relation to the main floor surface plane SP in which the floor panels 10, 20 are laid, and away from the top layer 12.
The male coupling tongue 40 comprises a bottom surface 46 configured to face a female coupling recess bottom surface 48. In one embodiment, the shape of the bottom surface 46 corresponds to the shape of the female coupling recess bottom surface 48.
The first floor panel 10 further comprises a locking protrusion 31 protruding from a lower part of the substrate in a direction towards the top layer 12, i.e. towards the main surface plane SP. The locking protrusion 31 is as shown arranged distally on the female coupling tongue 32, forming a horizontal lock which restricts movement of the second panel 20 away from the first panel 10, and vice versa, by its interaction with the male coupling tongue 40.
The female coupling tongue 32 further comprises a lower recess 33 on the opposite side of the female coupling tongue 32 in relation the locking protrusion 31. The lower recess 33 allows the female coupling tongue 32, which is resilient, to temporarily deflect during insertion of the male coupling tongue 40, as will be elaborated on further below.
The second floor panel 20 further comprises a groove 70 formed in the second floor panel 20 and having an opening in a direction away from the top layer 12. The locking protrusion 31 is configured to be positioned in the groove 70 and abut the male coupling tongue 40 and to thereby create a horizontal lock together with the male coupling tongue 40, when the male coupling is engaged in the female coupling. The horizontal width F of the locking protrusion is preferably in the range of 4 mm to 7 mm, even more preferred approximately 5.5 mm. In the embodiment shown in
The female coupling further comprises a vertical locking means 60 adapted to receive a vertical locking means 50 from the adjoining second floor panel 20. The vertical locking means 50, 60 on the first and second panel 10, 20 respectively prevents vertical misalignment in the joint between the first and second panels 10, 20. It is shown in
The female coupling further comprises an upper guiding surface 34 which is located on a side 35 of the female coupling recess 30 on the first panel 10. The guiding surface 34 forms an essentially non-resilient vertical guide for the male coupling tongue 40 upon insertion thereof, limiting movement of the male coupling tongue 40 in a horizontal direction towards the main portion 120 of the first floor panel 10. The interaction between the male coupling tongue 40 and the guiding surface 34 results in that the male coupling tongue 40 will come into contact with the female coupling tongue 32 during joining of the panels 10, 20, more specifically with the locking protrusion 31 thereof.
The female coupling tongue 32 will need to be depressed, pushed downwards, temporarily (as shown in
In the embodiment shown in
When inserting a coupling release rod 110 into the coupling release channel 41, the female coupling tongue 32 will be pressed downwards until the locking protrusion 31 releases the male coupling tongue 40 such that it can horizontally move in order to release the vertical locking means 50, 60, as is shown in further detail in
The interaction between the vertical guiding surface 34 and the vertical locking means 50 on the male coupling preferably steers the male coupling tongue 40 such that it pushes against the locking protrusion 31 on the inclined abutment surface 38 during connection of the panels 10, 20. This is accomplished when the vertical locking means 50, which protrudes from the male coupling tongue 40, abuts against the vertical guiding surface 34. This forces the male coupling tongue 40, which preferably has a horizontal width J essentially corresponding to the horizontal width L of the female coupling recess 30, to abut against the inclined abutment surface 38. In one embodiment, the horizontal width J of the male coupling tongue 40 is between 5 mm and 7 mm. The horizontal width L of the female coupling recess 30 may be between 5 mm and 7 mm. The horizontal width J as well as the vertical thickness P are both wider than the thickness E, making the female coupling tongue 32 more resilient than the male coupling tongue 40, such that the main resilience and movement is performed by the female coupling tongue 32.
The horizontal locking by the female coupling tongue 32 may be formed by the essentially vertical abutment surface 37 on the locking protrusion 31 which may cooperate with an abutment surface 47, which is also essentially vertically arranged, on the male coupling tongue 40. It may also be formed by the inclined abutment surface 38 as shown in
As can be seen in the fully engaged state shown in
What can further be seen in the embodiment of
The lower recess 33 in the female coupling tongue 32 may further be formed by an inclined surface 45 extending a distance D from the distal surface 44 of the female coupling tongue 32 to between 60% to 90% of the length C of the female coupling tongue 32, preferably approximately 85% of the length C of the female coupling tongue 32 as measured from the distal surface 44. The inclined surface may have an inclination a between 5° and 20°, preferably approximately 7°.
In order to avoid an excessive narrowing of the material between the inclined surface 45 and the recess 30 in the female coupling tongue 32, the female coupling recess bottom surface 48 may comprise an inclined recess portion 39 may be provided opposite the inclined surface 45. If the female coupling recess 30 had an entirely flat bottom surface 48 without the inclined recess portion 39, the distal corner of the female coupling recess bottom surface 48 and the inclined surface 45 on the underside of the female coupling tongue 32 would result in a potentially structurally weakend female coupling tongue 32, which may in some embodiments be undesireable. The two opposite inclined surface 45 and the inclined recess portion 39 prevents this and provides improved structural integrity to the female coupling tongue 32. The inclined surface 45 and the inclined recess portion 48 forms an inclined portion 36 of the female coupling tongue 32. The inclined portion 36 has a thickness E which at least partly defines the elasticity of the female coupling tongue 32, more specifically the force required for depression of the female coupling tongue 32. The thickness E is as mentioned preferably less than the thickness P of the second panel 20. In one embodiment, the thickness E is approximately 50% to 80% of the thickness P. The female coupling tongue 32 may instead or additionally be made out of a material having a lower elastic modulus than the material of the male coupling, facilitating that the elastic deformation is performed by the female coupling and not by the male coupling.
The male coupling may be supported vertically by the female coupling tongue 32, more specifically by the interaction between the male coupling tongue 40 and bottom of the female coupling recess 30 in the female coupling tongue 32. The vertical locking means 50, 60 on the first and second panel 10, 20 respectively adds to the vertical support.
In one embodiment, in order to increase the vertical load bearing capacity in the joint and to improve the vertical alignment between the first and second panel 10, 20, the first panel may comprise a support surface 111 being configured to cooperate with a support surface 112 on the second panel 20. The support surfaces 111, 112 are horizontally arranged but oppositely facing such that a ledge is formed by the surface 111 on the first panel 10, on which the support surface 112 on the second panel 20 abuts when the two panels are joined together. Preferably, the support surface 111 on the first panel 10 faces upwards and the support surface 112 on the second panel 20 faces downwards.
The support surfaces 111, 112 facilitates distribution of vertical loads exerted on the joint and prevents unintentional depression of the male coupling tongue 40 when the first and second panel 10, 20 are connected. The support surface 111 on the first panel 10 is arranged on the proximally of the female coupling recess 30 and the support surface 112 on the second panel 20 is arranged distally of the male coupling tongue 40.
The second panel may further comprise an upper joint surface 114 adjoining the support surface 112, which is configured to abut against an upper joint surface 113 on the first panel 10. At least one of the joint surfaces 113, 114 may in one embodiment be vertically arranged. However, in one embodiment which is shown
The support surface 112 and the joint surface 114 on the second panel 20 together form a protrusion 116 which corresponds to a recess 118, i.e. the shelf, formed by the support surface 111 and the upper joint surface 113 on the first panel 10. Preferably, the upper joint surface 114 on the second panel 20 protrudes a distance H being larger than a distance I which vertical locking means 50 protrudes. In the embodiment shown in
The horizontal distance A, shown in
In
Preferably, the horizontal width F of the locking protrusion is equal to or smaller than the horizontal width O of the groove 70.
Turning now to
The coupling release rod 110 may be at least partly tapered having an increasing cross-sectional area from, or at a distance from, a tip portion thereof towards a base portion thereof (as shown in
The female coupling tongue 32 further comprises a lower recess 33, arranged distally on the female coupling tongue 32. The female coupling tongue 32 further comprises a distally arranged locking protrusion 31, which protrudes upwards from the female coupling tongue 32 towards the main floor surface plane SP. The locking protrusion 31 is configured to be arranged in a groove 70 of the adjoining second panel to form a horizontal lock therewith. The recess 33 allows the female coupling tongue 32 to be depressed by interaction with the male coupling tongue 40 and to resiliently snap back into place with the locking protrusion 31 in the groove 70 when the male coupling tongue 40 is in the female coupling recess 30.
The floor panel 10′ shown in
The male coupling comprises a male coupling tongue 40 formed in one piece in the floor panel 10′. The groove 70 is adapted to leave room for the female coupling tongue 32 to deflect when forming the snap joint interlocking engagement.
The groove 70 together with the locking protrusion 31 forms a coupling release channel 41 for receiving a coupling release rod. The coupling release rod (as shown in
The floor panel 10″ further comprises a second short side having a female coupling FC′ and a second long side having a female coupling, both female couplings being the female couplings as described with reference to
If a mistake is made when installing the floor, or if a floor panel needs to be replaced for some reason, the coupling between two panels on at least the short ends can be released with the use of the coupling release rod shown in
The floor panel 10′″ further comprises a second short side having a female coupling FC′ and a second long side having a female coupling, both female couplings being the female couplings as described with reference to
If a mistake is made when installing the floor, or if a floor panel needs to be replaced for some reason, the coupling between two panels on at least the short ends can be released with the use of the coupling release rod shown in
Turning now to
As is previously mentioned, the first and second panels 10, 20 may also comprise joint surfaces 113, 114 having a negative angle or inclination such that a small space is formed between the joint surfaces 113, 114 when the panels 10, 20 are joined together. In another embodiment, the joint surfaces 113, 114 are essentially vertical and wherein at least the joint surface 113 on the first panel 10 or the joint surface 114 on the second panel comprises a recess forming a space between the joint surfaces 113, 114 when the first and second panels 10, 20 are joined together. While the embodiments of
Turning now to
The abutment surface 47 on the male coupling tongue 40 is preferably arranged at an angle in relation to the horizontal plane SP in which the floor panels 10, 20 are laid. The angle of the abutment surface 47 may be between 50° and 70°, preferably approximately 60°. The abutment surface 47 is configured to abut against the inclined abutment surface 38 on the female coupling tongue 32, the inclined abutment surface 38 is preferably arranged such that it faces the abutment surface 47 and is essentially parallel therewith.
The embodiment shown in
The female coupling comprises a protruding vertical locking means 60 arranged on the side 35 of the female coupling recess 30. The protruding vertical locking means 60 being configured to cooperate with a corresponding recessed vertical locking means 50 in the male coupling on the side of the male coupling tongue 40.
An upper inclined surface 61 may be provided on the vertical locking means 60 on the first panel 10, which is configured to be arranged facing a corresponding upper inclined surface 54 in the recessed vertical locking means 50 on the second panel 20 when the first and second panels 10, 20 are joined together as shown in
The upper inclined surface 61 is adjacent to and forms an extension of the upper guiding surface 34 on the first panel 10. When connecting, e.g. by folding, the two panels 10, 20 together, the upper inclined surface 61 on the first panel 10 and the upper inclined surface 54 on the second panel 20 will slidingly cooperate to achieve connection between the panels 10, 20 and the male coupling tongue 40 will resiliently depress/deflect the female coupling tongue 32 during insertion until the two panels 10, 20 are joined together.
A lower inclined surface 62 may be provided on the vertical locking means 60 of the first panel 10, the lower inclined surface 62 being configured to be arranged facing a corresponding lower inclined surface 55 on the second panel 20 when the first and second panels 10, 20 are joined together as shown in
As is illustrated in
The inclined side surface 63 on the first panel 10 and the inclined side surface 56 on the second panel 20 may respectively be arranged at an angle δ in relation to a vertical plane. Preferably, the angle δ is essentially the same for both the first and second panel 10, 20. The angle δ may be between 20° and 50°, preferably approximately 35°.
The bottom surface 48 of the female coupling recess 30 is essentially parallel to the surface plane SP, as is the corresponding bottom surface 46 of the male coupling tongue 40. However, these surfaces 46, 48 may be arranged at other orientations in relation to the surface plane SP as well.
The female coupling recess 30 may further be provided with a corner recess 51. The corner recess 51 is arranged in the corner of the recess 30 arranged farthest from the main portion 120 of the first panel 10. The bottom surface 48 is arranged between the corner recess 51 and the inclined side surface 63. The corner recess 51 is recessed below the bottom surface 48.
The male coupling tongue 40 may be provided with a corner recess 53 which is intended to be arranged facing the corner recess 51 in the female coupling recess 30. The male coupling tongue 40 and the female coupling recess 30 will thus not be in contact with each other in the portions thereof which constitutes the respective corner recesses 51, 53.
The respective corner recess 51, 53 may be especially beneficial if the second panel 20 is to be released from the first panel 10 by pivoting around the male coupling tongue 40, which will thus not immediately come into contact with the locking protrusion 31 due to the presence of the respective corner recesses 51, 53. A pivoting movement of the second panel 20 can thus be achieved without generating large strains by the male coupling tongue 40 pushing on the female locking protrusion 31, which could be the case if the male coupling tongue 40 entirely conformed to the shape of the female recess 30. The risk of failure of the joining system due to structural failure of the female coupling tongue 32 during release of the joining system by pivoting can thus be reduced.
The corner recess 51 in the female coupling recess 30 may further facilitate connecting the first and second panel 10, 20 together, as it improves resilience in the female coupling tongue 32. Specifically may the locking protrusion 31 thereof resiliently bend outwards and downwards, for instance by a force generated thereon by the male coupling tongue 40 during sliding cooperation of the upper inclined surfaces 61, 54 when connecting the panels 10, 20, as explained above.
An inclined abutment surface 38 of the female coupling tongue 32, in the female coupling recess 30, is provided. The inclined abutment surface 38 is configured to be arranged facing a corresponding inclined abutment surface 57 on the male coupling tongue 40. The inclined abutment surface 38 being arranged on the side of the female recess 30 farthest from the main portion 120 of the first panel 10, while the inclined abutment surface 57 on the male coupling tongue 40 is arranged on the side thereof which faces towards from the main portion 220 of the second panel 20.
The inclined abutment surface 38 on the first panel 10 and the inclined abutment surface 57 on the second panel 20 may respectively be arranged at an angle ε in relation to a plane parallel with the surface plane SP. Preferably, the angle ε is essentially the same for both the first and second panel 10, 20. The angle ε may be between 40° and 80°, preferably approximately 60°.
The inclined abutment surface 38 on the first panel 10 is configured to abut against the inclined abutment surface 57 on the second panel 20, thus forming a horizontal lock such that the first and second panel 10, 20 cannot move horizontally away from each other. The inclined abutment surface 38 of the first panel may be arranged between the corner recess 51 and a top surface 42 of the female locking protrusion 31. The inclined abutment surface 57 on the second panel 20 may be arranged between the corner recess 53 and an upper surface 71 in the groove 70 in the second panel 20.
The female locking protrusion 31 may further be provided with an inclined top surface 42, which is configured to be arranged facing a corresponding inclined upper surface 71 in the groove 70 in the second panel 20. The respective inclined top and upper surfaces 42, 71 between them form the coupling release channel 41.
The inclined top surface 38 on the first panel 10 and the inclined upper surface 71 on the second panel 20 may respectively be arranged at an angle θ in relation to a plane parallel with the surface plane SP. Preferably, the angle θ is essentially the same for both the first and second panel 10, 20. The angle θ may be between 0° and 40°, preferably approximately 16°.
The height G of the locking protrusion 31 and/or the distance R, as illustrated in
Turning lastly to
The embodiment in
The first and second panel 10, 20 may as shown be provided with a respective corner recess 51, 53. The female locking protrusion 31 is further provided with a first vertical abutment surface 37a and a second vertical abutment surface 37b. The first and second vertical abutment surfaces 37a, 37b being offset from each other in the direction of the surface plane SP.
An inclined abutment surface 52 is arranged between and adjoining the first and second vertical abutment surfaces 37a, 37b.
The male coupling tongue 40 is provided, on the side thereof facing the main portion 220 of the second panel 20, with first and second abutment surfaces 47a, 47b which are vertically arranged and corresponding to the vertical abutment surfaces 37a, 37b on the first panel 10.
The first and second abutment surfaces 47a, 47b being offset from each other in the direction of the surface plane SP and configured to be arranged facing the vertical abutment surfaces 37a, 37b when the two panels 10, 20 are connected. An inclined abutment surface 58 is arranged between and adjoining the first and second abutment surfaces 47a, 47b on the male coupling tongue 40, configured to be arranged facing the inclined abutment surface 52 in the female coupling recess 30 when the first and second panels 10, 20 are connected. The shape of the locking protrusion 31 and correspondingly of the male coupling tongue 40 provides a strong lock in the horizontal direction, i.e. in the surface plane SP which prevents a gap forming between the first and second panels 10, 20.
The embodiment illustrated in
The joining system according to the invention is equally applicable to a wide variety of materials, such as for example solid wood, laminated wood, different types of fibreboard materials like MDF or HDF materials, plastic or composite polymer materials like PVC or LVT or other polymer materials and metals such as aluminium. The joining system may also be used for joining hollow profile beams in plastic, steel or aluminium.
It will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments shown. Several modifications and variations are thus conceivable within the scope of the invention which thus is exclusively defined by the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951462-9 | Dec 2019 | SE | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/SE2020/051203 | 12/11/2020 | WO |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2021/118448 | 6/17/2021 | WO | A |
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| 2017115202 | Jul 2017 | WO |
| 2018172955 | Sep 2018 | WO |
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| Entry |
|---|
| WIPO; App No.; PCT/SE2020/051203; International Report on Patentability mailed Nov. 11, 2021. |
| WIPO; App No.; PCT/SE2020/051203; International Search Report and Written Opinion mailed May 2, 2021. |
| EPO; Supplementary Partial European Search Report and Search Opinion; EPO Application No. EP20898174; Mar. 11, 2024 (12 pages). |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20230015897 A1 | Jan 2023 | US |
