Wide width lock and fold laminate

Abstract

Lock and fold floor covering panels can be installed by angling a long locking edge into a previously installed row of panels and dropping or locking the projection of the tongue of the short side into the depression of the lower lip forming the groove in the short side. By incorporating a force increasing means in the fold joint, the width of the panels that can be installed with a lock and fold system can be increased beyond the conventionally accepted 3.5 inches. The fold joint is designed to permit it to be engaged, disengaged and reengaged without damaging the fold joint.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of flooring including wood laminate flooring, such as high density fiberboard (HDF) laminate flooring and medium density fiberboard (MDF) laminate flooring, solid wood flooring and engineered wood flooring, which includes a plurality of wood layers. More particularly, the present invention relates flooring having locking edge profiles BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Floor covering panels, including wood laminate flooring, solid wood flooring and engineered wood flooring are well known in the prior art. To increase the ease of installation by removing the need for glues or adhesives, these floor coverings have been made with locking edges having a tongue with a projection and a groove with a corresponding depression in the core of the floor covering panel that together form coupling parts or means, which prevents substantial movement perpendicular to the major surfaces of the laminate flooring and p...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention solves the problem of excessive friction between adjacent laminate panels during installation by controlling the friction between the short edges of the panels. This allows for easy installation with minimal pressure near the short edge during installation, while still being able to disengage and reassemble the panels without permanent damage to the lock and fold edges. The lock and fold edge design allows for multiple disengagements and reassemblies without losing the desired friction. Various embodiments are shown, including a small projection and groove feature on one or two vertical surfaces of the panels, roughening or applying a pressure-sensitive adhesive to the second opposed side edges, or using hook and loop material on one or both of the horizontal surfaces. The disengaging pressure can also be increased by modifying the horizontal surfaces or by using a double-curved profile on the perpendicular surfaces. The key feature is that at least one pair of the corresponding surfaces of the second two opposed edges is perpendicular to the upper surface and the corresponding surfaces are non-planar, which increases the force to disengage the panels.

Problems solved by technology

However, the structure of the present lock and fold edge permits the laminate panels to be disengaged and reassembled, at least a number of times, without permanent damage to the lock and fold edges resulting in the loss of the desired friction.

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