Floor panels for forming floor coverings

Abstract

A floor panel comprises opposite edges, which comprise coupling portions for associating two floor panels. The coupling portions comprise locking planes: a first locking plane and a second locking plane on a first edge, the angle between the first locking plane and the second locking plane being 90° to 175°; and a third locking plane and a fourth locking plane on a second edge, the angle between the third locking plane and the fourth locking plane being 90° to 175°. The first locking plane is closer to the top of the floor panel than the second locking plane. The angle between the first locking plane and the floor panel surface is smaller than the angle between the second locking plane and the floor panel surface. The angle between the third locking plane and the floor panel surface is smaller than the angle between the fourth locking plane and the floor panel surface. The second locking plane is configured to interact with the fourth locking plane of the coupled panel. The first locking plane is configured to interact with the third locking plane of the coupled panel.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a floor panel for forming a floor covering, in particular for forming a floor covering which can be mounted on a surface.

[0002] More specifically, the invention relates to floor panels provided with coupling portions at at least two opposing edges, which coupling portions allow the floor panels to be mechanically coupled. Examples of such floor panels are described, for example, in WO 97 / 47834, WO 01 / 98603, US 6.769.219, WO 2006 / 032398 and WO 2004 / 074597.

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a floor panel which can be connected more easily (in other words with less force) when installing the floor covering.

[0004] To this end, the invention relates to a floor panel for forming a floor covering. The floor panel comprises a substrate and a decorative layer. The floor panel is rectangular (oblong or square) and therefore comprises a first pair of opposite edges and a second pair of opposite edges. The first pair of opposite edges comprises a first coupling portion allowing a plurality of such floor panels to be coupled together. These first coupling portions constitute a first locking system, wherein the first locking system produces a locking in the plane of the floor panels and perpendicular to the relevant edges in the coupled state of two such floor panels, and a second locking system produces a locking across the panel surface in the coupled state of two such floor panels. These first coupling portions are mainly composed of the material of the floor panels themselves, and preferably of the substrate. In order to realize the first locking system, these first coupling portions comprise a locking portion that prevents the plurality of first coupling portions from sliding apart in the coupled state. The locking portion is provided with a locking plane. The locking portion of the coupling portion on the first edge of the first pair of opposite edges comprises a first locking plane and a second locking plane. The first locking plane and the second locking plane are adjacent, while the first locking plane and the second locking plane form the convex part of the coupling portion to which these locking planes belong. There is an angle of 90° to 175° between the first locking plane and the second locking plane. Preferably, the angle is greater than 100°, more preferably greater than 120°, more preferably greater than 140°. Preferably, the first locking plane and the second locking plane are separated by a curved line or an arc-shaped curved plane. The locking portion of the coupling portion on the second edge of the first pair of opposite edges includes a third locking plane and a fourth locking plane. The third locking plane and the fourth locking plane are adjacent. The third locking plane and the fourth locking plane form a concave portion of the coupling portion to which these locking planes belong. There is an angle of 90° to 175° between the third locking plane and the fourth locking plane. Preferably, the angle is greater than 100°, more preferably greater than 120°, more preferably greater than 140°. Preferably, the third locking plane and the fourth locking plane are separated by a curved line or an arc-shaped curved plane. The first locking plane is closer to the top of the floor panel than the second locking plane. The angle between the first locking plane and the floor panel surface is smaller than the angle between the second locking plane and the floor panel surface. The angle between the third locking plane and the floor panel surface is smaller than the angle between the fourth locking plane and the floor panel surface. The second locking plane is arranged to interact with the fourth locking plane of the connected similar panel. The first locking plane is arranged to interact with the third locking plane of the connected similar panel.

[0005] In the coupled state of the panels, no contact is necessarily made between the first locking plane and the third locking plane and / or between the second locking plane and the fourth locking plane. The gap between the locking planes may have been arranged for interaction with each other. However, certain loads in the horizontal direction of the coupling between the coupled panels will cause contact between the locking planes for interaction with each other, which may be due to elastic deformation or even plastic deformation of the coupling part. Preferably, in the coupled state, there is contact between the second locking plane and the fourth locking plane, or, under loads in the horizontal direction, a first contact is formed between the second locking plane and the fourth locking plane unless there are other loads between the first locking plane and the third locking plane. However, in the coupled state of the two panels, it is impossible to make contact simultaneously between the first locking plane and the third locking plane and between the second locking plane and the fourth locking plane.

[0006] Because less force needs to be overcome to mechanically couple the first coupling part (and thus the two panels) together, the floor panel according to the invention can be installed more easily; however, the coupling strength will still be sufficiently high. This means that a sufficiently large pulling force is still required to pull the coupled panels apart horizontally.

[0007] Preferably, the angle between the first locking plane and the floor panel surface is at least 10° smaller than the angle between the second locking plane and the floor panel surface, and preferably less than 20°. Such an embodiment reduces the force required to mechanically couple the two first coupling parts (thus the two panels) together, while still creating a suitable coupling between the panels in the horizontal direction. This means that a sufficiently large pulling force is still required to pull the coupled panels apart horizontally.

[0008] Preferably, the angle between the third locking plane and the floor panel surface is at least 10° smaller than the angle between the fourth locking plane and the floor panel surface, and preferably less than 20°. Such an embodiment reduces the force required to mechanically couple the two first coupling parts (thus the two panels) together, while still creating a suitable coupling between the panels in the horizontal direction. This means that a sufficiently large pulling force is still required to pull the coupled panels apart horizontally.

[0009] Preferably, the first locking plane, the second locking plane, the third locking plane and the fourth locking plane are all located in the lower half of the thickness of the floor panel.This further facilitates the mechanical coupling of the two panels.

[0010] Preferably, the area of ​​the first boundary plane is larger than the area of ​​the second boundary plane.Such an embodiment provides a further reduction in the force required to mechanically couple two such panels together.

[0011] Preferably, the area of ​​the second boundary plane is at least one third, preferably at least half, of the area of ​​the first boundary plane.Such an embodiment provides a balance between mechanically coupling the panels with low forces and a sufficiently strong coupling in the horizontal direction.

[0012] Preferably, the area of ​​the third boundary plane is greater than the area of ​​the fourth boundary plane.Such an embodiment provides a further reduction in the force required to mechanically couple two such panels together.

[0013] Preferably, the area of ​​the fourth boundary plane is at least one third, preferably at least half, of the area of ​​the third boundary plane.Such an embodiment provides a balance between mechanically coupling the panels with less force and a sufficiently strong coupling in the horizontal direction.

[0014] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the angle between the first locking plane and the second locking plane is smaller than the angle between the third locking plane and the fourth locking plane. In such an embodiment, tolerances in the manufacture of the first coupling part can be compensated, while the panels can still be mounted more easily and a coupling with sufficient tensile strength in the horizontal direction of the coupling is achieved.

[0015] Preferably, the difference between the angle between the first locking plane and the floor panel surface and the angle between the third locking plane and the floor panel surface is greater than the difference between the angle between the second locking plane and the floor panel surface and the angle between the fourth locking plane and the floor panel surface. An advantage of such an embodiment is that under horizontal loads of the coupling, there is or initially contact between the second locking plane and the fourth locking plane and only thereafter does contact occur between the first locking plane and the second locking plane. Since the second locking plane is more vertical than the first locking plane, this means a higher tolerance of the coupling to horizontal loads.

[0016] Preferably, the difference between the angle between the second locking plane and the floor panel surface and the angle between the fourth locking plane and the floor panel surface is less than 3° in absolute value, preferably less than 2° in absolute value. Such an embodiment ensures that upon coupling, there is a firm contact between the second locking plane and the fourth locking plane instead of a direct contact between the first locking plane and the second locking plane. This serves to obtain high tensile strength values ​​for these panels coupled in horizontal direction.

[0017] Preferably, the coupling portion on the first edge of the first pair of opposing edges comprises a horizontally facing lip (preferably at the underside of the floor panel) and an upwardly facing hook at the distal end of the lip. Here, the first locking plane and the second locking plane are located on the inner side of the upwardly facing hook. More preferably, a horizontal line is centrally disposed between the first locking plane and the second locking plane in the vertical direction and is located in the lower half of the distance between the highest point of the upwardly facing hook and the lowest point of the top of the lip. More preferably, the horizontal line is located at the lower 40% of the distance between the highest point of the upwardly facing hook and the lowest point of the upper lip.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment, the first coupling portion is configured to allow two such panels to be coupled together on the edges by a tilting movement and / or by horizontal sliding.

[0019] Preferably, the angle between the second locking plane and the floor panel surface is 48° to 72°, more preferably the angle is greater than 55°. More preferably, the angle is less than 65°. Such an embodiment provides sufficient strength for the connection in horizontal direction.

[0020] Preferably, the first coupling part consists of a tongue and groove including a locking part. Preferably, the first coupling part is configured to allow two such floor panels to be mechanically coupled at the edges by horizontal sliding and / or tilting. Such horizontally coupled floor panels according to the invention can be horizontally slid together with little effort (i.e. with little force).

[0021] Preferably, in an embodiment where the coupling portion consists of a tongue and a groove comprising a locking portion, on the first pair of opposite edges, the groove is bounded by a lower lip and an upper lip, more preferably the lower lip extends laterally beyond the distal end of the upper lip, and the lower lip comprises an upwardly facing hook at its distal end. The first locking plane and the second locking plane are located on the inner side of the upwardly facing hook.

[0022] Preferably, the lower lip is at least partially elastically bent in the coupled state and thereby generates a clamping force so that the floor panels are coupled together while the floor panels are pressed together on or near the floor panel surface. This provides a stronger coupling for the floor panels.

[0023] Preferably, the first coupling portion is configured so that in the coupled state, the horizontal distance between a vertical line passing through the center between the first locking plane and the second locking plane in the vertical direction and a plane located on or near the surface of the coupled panels where the coupled panels form a sealed lock is less than 5.5 mm, more preferably less than 5 mm, more preferably less than 4 mm. Typically, floor panels with such a short first coupling portion require a greater coupling force than floor panels with a longer coupling portion. The present invention ensures that such panels with a short first coupling portion can still be mechanically coupled with less effort (i.e., by applying less force), while the coupling strength in the horizontal direction is still up to a sufficient strength.

[0024] In an embodiment of the invention, the floor panel is rectangular, and the first pair of opposing edges are on long sides of the floor panel.

[0025] In an embodiment of the invention, the floor panel is rectangular, and the first pair of opposing edges are on short sides of the floor panel.

[0026] Preferably, the second pair of opposite edges comprises second coupling parts allowing a plurality of such floor panels to be coupled together. At the second pair of opposite edges, these second coupling parts constitute a third locking system, wherein the third locking system produces a locking in the plane of the floor panels and perpendicular to said edges when two such floor panels are coupled together, and a fourth locking system, wherein the fourth locking system produces a locking across the plane of the panels when two such floor panels are coupled together. These second coupling parts at the second pair of opposite edges consist mainly of the material of the floor panels themselves, and more specifically of said substrate.

[0027] Preferably, the second coupling portion is configured at the second pair of edges to allow coupling of two such panels by a tilting movement and / or by horizontal sliding.

[0028] Preferably, the second coupling portion is configured at the second pair of edges to allow two such panels to be coupled at these edges by horizontal sliding.

[0029] Preferably, the second coupling portion is configured at the second pair of edges to allow two such panels to be coupled at these edges by downward movement of one panel relative to the other. In combination with an embodiment in which the first coupling portion is configured to allow coupling of the first coupling portion by a tilting movement, such floor panels can be installed to form a floor covering by a so-called "fold-down" movement.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein the second coupling portion is configured at the second pair of edges to allow two such floor panels to be coupled at these edges by downward movement of one panel relative to the other, the second coupling portion being substantially composed of the material of the substrate and configured integrally with the substrate. The third locking system comprises at least a downwardly facing upper hook-shaped section on one of the pair of opposite edges, and further comprises an upwardly facing lower hook-shaped section on the other of the pair of opposite edges. These hook-shaped sections can be hooked together by said downward movement. The upper hook-shaped section is composed of a lip with a downwardly facing locking element, and the upper hook-shaped section is composed of a lip with an upwardly facing locking element.

[0031] In an embodiment as described in the previous section, the fourth locking system should preferably comprise one or more protrusions in at least one or more coupling parts which engage in one or more undercuts in another second coupling part of the coupled floor panel.

[0032] Preferably, in the fourth locking system, the separate locking part is provided by a movable and / or deformable insert which provides a vertical locking by means of the insert engaging in undercuts in the two coupling edges of coupled floor panels.

[0033] Preferably, the second coupling part at the second pair of edges has the features described in any embodiment of the first coupling part. Such a floor panel allows two pairs of edges to be coupled with less force while still obtaining a sufficiently strong horizontal coupling. More preferably, the panel is rectangular and the second pair of opposite edges are located on the short sides of the floor panel. Even more preferably, the angle between the second locking plane of the first coupling part and the floor panel surface is smaller than the angle between the second locking plane of the second coupling part and the floor panel surface, preferably at least 5° smaller. Such a floor panel is particularly interesting. The second coupling part is located at the short side of the floor panel. The coupling force per unit length on the short side is higher than on the long side because the angle of the second locking plane of the second coupling part is larger than the angle of the second locking plane of the first coupling part. Since the length to be coupled is smaller (much smaller) on the short side of the floor panel, this is not a disadvantage (the total force required for the coupling is equal to the coupling force per unit length multiplied by the length to be coupled), but a higher strength is obtained in the horizontal direction of the coupling at the short side. It should also be noted that the edge of the floor panel cannot be completely straight, which requires additional coupling force. Such irregular shapes are more likely to occur on the long sides, and it is of interest to design the configuration of the coupling portions at a pair of edges of the side sides so that less force is required to couple them.

[0034] The floor panel substrate preferably consists of multiple layers.

[0035] Preferably, the floor panel consists essentially of one or more base layers and at least one top layer.

[0036] The floor panel should preferably comprise a laminate panel having a substrate comprising MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) or HDF (High Density Fiberboard).

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, the floor panels are engineered wood panels.

[0038] Preferably, the thickness of the floor panel is greater than 4.5 mm.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, the floor panel is a resilient floor panel, preferably of the flexible type.

[0040] Flexible floor panels are floor panels which are suitable for the following situations: in the case of rectangular panels (e.g. panels with a width of less than 50 cm and a length extending over 100 cm) when these floor panels are clamped on one of the short sides of the panel and are not supported, the panel deflects under its own weight, wherein the deflection at the free end relative to the clamped end is at least 10 cm. For this deflection, a deflection time of 10 seconds is taken into account starting from the horizontal position of the panel.

[0041] The flexible or resilient composite floor panel according to the present invention, and more particularly such a vinyl plank, preferably has one of the following characteristics:

[0042] - the floor panel consists essentially of one or more base layers and at least one top layer, wherein the top layer may be a single layer or may comprise a plurality of layers;

[0043] - the top layer comprises at least one decorative layer, preferably in printed form, preferably applied on a foil or film;

[0044] - the top layer comprises an at least translucent or transparent wear layer;

[0045] - the floor panel consists mainly of a thermoplastic material, preferably a soft thermoplastic material;

[0046] - the floor panel or at least one or more of its base layers consists essentially of polyvinyl chloride, more particularly of soft polyvinyl chloride, more particularly provided with a plasticizer or the like; a composition "essentially" based on PVC should be interpreted broadly, since a large number of additives (such as fillers) can be used in PVC floorings;

[0047] - The floor panel comprises at least one reinforcement layer, which is preferably made of fibers, more particularly of reinforcing fibers such as glass fibers.

[0048] It should be noted that "soft PVC" is a term that expresses the fact that it refers to flexible PVC, in other words PVC that is relatively easy to bend. The concept of soft PVC is well known in the art. The soft PVC consists of PVC that has been plasticized, preferably by a plasticizer added during production. Different degrees of flexibility can be achieved by the amount of plasticizer added.

[0049] Plasticizers are understood to mean any substance which, when added, makes the PVC more flexible. Common examples include phthalate plasticizers and isosorbide plasticizers.

[0050] Already plasticized PVC may of course also include PVC or PVC-based compounds which have the property of being flexible themselves, for example because they have been modified.

[0051] Preferably, the substrate comprises a thermoplastic matrix material, preferably polyvinyl chloride (PVC), more preferably the substrate comprises a layer comprising foamed PVC, polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE). More preferably, the substrate comprises one or more fillers, preferably selected from the list consisting of stone, wood fiber, chalk, limestone and lime. The substrate is preferably provided with at least one reinforcement layer, preferably a reinforcement layer of glass fibers.

[0052] In a preferred embodiment, the floor panel is premium vinyl flooring (LVT).

[0053] In a preferred embodiment, the floor panels are stone plastic composite (SPC) or wood plastic composite (WPC).

[0054] Preferably, the thickness of a floor panel of the elastic type or flexible type according to the invention is less than or equal to 4.5 mm; more preferably less than or equal to 4 mm.

[0055] In order to illustrate the features according to the present invention, some embodiments are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0056] - Figure 1 Schematically shows a top view of a floor panel according to the invention;

[0057] - Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 A cross section of the floor panel according to the present invention taken along line II-II;

[0058] - Figure 3 and Figure 4 Shows Figure 1 and Figure 2 Details of the joints of the floor panels;

[0059] - Figure 5Shows two connections in a connected state Figure 1 and Figure 2 Floor panels;

[0060] - Figure 6 Shows Figure 5 Details of the connection;

[0061] - Figure 7 Shows two Figure 1 The joints at the short edges of the floor panels shown; and

[0062] - Figure 8 It is shown how, in an embodiment of the invention, floor panels are installed by a so-called "fold-down" movement to form a floor covering.

[0063] The same reference numbers are used throughout the various drawings to represent the same elements.

[0064] Figure 1 A floor panel according to the invention is schematically shown in a top view. Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 A cross section of the floor panel according to the present invention taken along line II-II. Figure 3 and Figure 4 Shows Figure 1 and Figure 2 Details of the joints of the floor panels. Figure 5 Shows two connections in a connected state Figure 1 and Figure 2 Floor panels. Figure 6 Shows Figure 5 Details of the connection.

[0065] Figures 1 to 8 The floor panel (1) shown in the figure is a floor panel for forming a floor covering. The floor panel has a thickness T. The floor panel (1) comprises a substrate (10) such as HDF (High Density Fiberboard) and comprises a decorative layer (12). The floor panel (1) in this example is rectangular. The floor panel has a first pair of opposite edges (2, 3) and a second pair of opposite edges (4, 5). The first pair of opposite edges (2, 3) comprises a first coupling portion (6, 7) which allows a plurality of floor panels (1) to be connected as one another by a tilting movement or by sliding the coupling portions horizontally into each other. Figure 5 Connect together as shown.

[0066] The first coupling parts (6, 7) constitute a first locking system, wherein the first locking system produces a locking in the plane of the floor panels and perpendicular to the relevant edge in the coupled state of two such floor panels, and a second locking system produces a locking across the panel surface in the coupled state of two such floor panels. The first coupling parts (6, 7) are arranged in a base (10).

[0067] For the first locking system to be realized, these first coupling parts (6, 7) include locking parts, which prevent the plurality of first coupling parts from sliding apart in the coupled state. The first coupling parts are composed of a tongue (40) and a groove (42) including a locking part. These first coupling parts (tongue 40 and groove 42) are configured to allow two such floor panels to be mechanically coupled to the edges by horizontal sliding and also by tilting. The groove (42) is defined by a lower lip (33) and an upper lip (44) at a first pair of opposite edges. The lower lip (33) extends laterally beyond the distal end of the upper lip (44). The lower lip (33) has an upwardly facing hook (34) at its distal end.

[0068] The locking portion is equipped with a plurality of locking planes (21, 22, 23, 24). The locking portion of the coupling portion (6) at the first edge (2) of the first pair of opposite edges comprises a first locking plane (21) and a second locking plane (22). The first locking plane (21) and the second locking plane (22) are located on the inner side of the hook portion (34) facing upward. The first locking plane is closer to the top of the floor panel than the second locking plane. In this example, the first locking plane and the second locking plane are adjacent and separated by a bending line (27). The first locking plane and the second locking plane form a convex portion (30) of the coupling portion to which these locking planes belong.

[0069] The locking portion of the coupling portion (7) on the second edge (3) of the first pair of opposite edges comprises a third locking plane (23) and a fourth locking plane (24). In this example, the third locking plane (23) and the fourth locking plane (24) are adjacent and separated by a bending line (29). The third locking plane (23) and the fourth locking plane (24) form a concave section (28) of the coupling portion to which these locking planes belong. The first locking plane, the second locking plane, the third locking plane and the fourth locking plane are all located in the lower half of the thickness (T) of the floor panel.

[0070] The angle γ1 between the first locking plane (21) and the floor panel surface (15) (47° in the example) is smaller than the angle γ2 between the second locking plane (22) and the floor panel surface (15) (60° in the example). The angle γ3 between the third locking plane (23) and the floor panel surface (15) (50° in the example) is smaller than the angle γ4 between the fourth locking plane (24) and the floor panel surface (15) (60° in the example). The second locking plane is arranged to interact with the fourth locking plane of the same type of panel to be connected. The first locking plane is arranged to interact with the third locking plane of the same type of panel to be connected. There is an angle α of 165° between the first locking plane and the second locking plane. There is an angle β of 172° between the third locking plane and the fourth locking plane.

[0071] Preferably, the area of ​​the first boundary plane is larger than the area of ​​the second boundary plane. In this example, the area of ​​the second boundary plane is 42% of the area of ​​the first boundary plane. The area of ​​the third boundary plane is larger than the area of ​​the fourth boundary plane.

[0072] like Figure 5 As shown, the lower lip is partially elastically bent downward in the coupled state, thereby generating a clamping force (F) that associates the floor panels together. This causes the tensioning force (F) to ensure that the floor panels are pressed together at or near the floor panel surface.

[0073] The first coupling portion of this example is configured so that in the coupled state (see Figure 5 ), the horizontal distance (A) between a vertical line (V1) passing through the center between the first locking plane and the second locking plane in the vertical direction and a plane at or near the surface of the connected panels that seals the connected panels together is 5 mm.

[0074] When two such floor panels are coupled by a tilting movement, the boundary surface of the tongue (40) must push against the boundary surface located on the inner side of the hook (34) facing upwards. Since the angle between the first boundary plane and the floor panel surface is smaller than the angle between the second boundary plane and the floor panel surface, and since the angle between the third boundary plane and the floor panel surface is smaller than the angle between the fourth boundary plane and the floor panel surface, contact between the boundary plane of the tongue and the boundary plane of the hook is then achieved during the coupling process. This reduces the force required to achieve such coupling by the tilting movement of the tongue (40) in the groove (42). Due to the choice made in the example of the angles between the locking planes and the floor panel surfaces, in the coupled state, there is contact between the second locking plane and the fourth locking plane, and there is just no contact between the first locking plane and the third locking plane. In the event that the load on the coupling wants to move the coupled panels apart, the deformation of the coupled parts will also cause contact between the first locking plane and the third locking plane, thereby generating a horizontal coupling strength.

[0075] Figure 7 Shows two Figure 1 The floor panels of the example are joined on their short sides. Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 7 for reference. The second pair of opposite edges (4, 5) of the floor panel 1 comprises second coupling parts (8, 9) which allow a plurality of such floor panels (1) to be coupled together. These second coupling parts (8, 9) constitute a third locking system and a fourth locking system on the second pair of opposite edges (4, 5), wherein the third locking system produces a locking in the plane of the floor panels and perpendicular to the relevant edges in the coupled state of two such floor panels, and the fourth locking system produces a locking perpendicular to the plane of the panels in the coupled state of two such floor panels. These second coupling parts on the second pair of opposite edges are mainly composed of the material of the floor panels themselves, and more specifically of the material of the substrate. The second coupling parts on the second pair of edges are configured to allow two such floor panels to be coupled together on these edges by downward movement of one panel relative to the other.

[0076] The third locking system is composed of a downwardly facing upper hook-shaped section (49) located on one of the pair of opposite edges and an upwardly facing lower hook-shaped section (50) located on the other of the pair of opposite edges. These hook-shaped sections can be hooked together by a downward movement (M). The upper hook-shaped section (49) is composed of a lip (52) with a downwardly facing locking element (54). The lower hook-shaped section is composed of a lip (56) with an upwardly facing locking element (57).

[0077] The downwardly facing locking element comprises projections (60, 61) which engage in undercuts (63, 64) in the upwardly facing locking element of the coupled floor panel.

[0078] Figure 8 The invention according to the invention is shown in the example of how a floor panel can be installed as a floor covering by means of a so-called "fold down" (FD) movement. The floor panel 1 has at its long sides the following Figure 2 , Figure 6 and the floor panel has a connection portion as shown in Figure 7 At the long edges, the floor panels can be connected by tilting at the long edges of the already installed floor panels. The floor panels can then be folded down further, while the hooks of the short edges are connected together by this downward movement. This is called connection by "folding down".

[0079] The invention is by no means limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and such floor panels may be realized in various shapes and sizes without exceeding the scope of the invention.

[0080] For example, it should be noted that although Figure 1 , the invention can also be applied to square floor panels. Figure 1 The edges of a first pair of opposing edges in are labeled as edges 2, 3 of the long edge, but it is clear that by definition the first pair of edges may also exist on the short edge and the second pair of edges on the long edge.

Claims

1. A floor panel for forming a floor covering, in, The floor panel (1) comprises a substrate (10) and a decorative layer (12); Wherein, the floor panel (1) is rectangular; And thus, the floor panel comprises a first pair of opposing edges (2, 3) and a second pair of opposing edges (4, 5); wherein the first pair of opposite edges (2, 3) comprises a plurality of first connecting portions (6, 7), the first connecting portions being capable of connecting a plurality of the floor panels (1) together; wherein the first coupling parts (6, 7) constitute a first locking system, the first locking system producing a locking system in the plane of the floor panels and perpendicular to the relevant edge in the coupled state of two such floor panels, and a second locking system producing a transverse locking in the plane of the floor panels in the coupled state of two such floor panels; wherein the first connecting portion (6, 7) is mainly composed of the material of the floor panel itself; wherein, for the purpose of the first locking system, the first coupling parts (6, 7) comprise locking parts which prevent the plurality of first coupling parts from moving apart in the coupled state; The locking portion is equipped with a plurality of locking planes (21, 22, 23, 24); wherein the first coupling portion comprises a tongue (40) and a groove (42) containing the locking portion, the first coupling portion being configured to enable two such floor panels to be mechanically connected at these edges by horizontal sliding and / or by tilting, and wherein, at the first pair of opposite edges, the groove (42) is defined by a lower lip (33) and an upper lip (44), the lower lip (33) extending laterally beyond the distal end of the upper lip; and wherein the lower lip comprises an upwardly facing hook (34) at the distal end of the lower lip, Characterized in that the locking portion of the first coupling portion on the first edge (2) of the first pair of opposite edges comprises a first locking plane (21) and a second locking plane (22), wherein the first locking plane and the second locking plane are adjacent and separated by a bending line (27) or an arc-shaped bending plane, wherein the first locking plane and the second locking plane form a convex portion (30) of the coupling portion to which these locking planes belong; wherein the angle (α) between the first locking plane and the second locking plane is 90° to 175°, and wherein the first locking plane (21) and the second locking plane (22) are both located at the inner side of the upwardly facing hook portion; wherein the locking portion of the first coupling portion on the second edge (3) of the first pair of opposite edges comprises a third locking plane (23) and a fourth locking plane (24), wherein the third locking plane and the fourth locking plane are adjacent and separated by a bending line (29) or an arc-shaped bending plane, wherein the third locking plane (23) and the fourth locking plane (24) form a concave section (28) of the coupling portion to which these locking planes belong; and an angle (β) between the third locking plane and the fourth locking plane is 90° to 175°; wherein the first locking plane is closer to the top of the floor panel than the second locking plane; wherein an angle (γ1) between the first locking plane and the floor panel surface (15) is smaller than an angle (γ2) between the second locking plane and the floor panel surface (15); wherein the angle (γ3) between the third locking plane and the floor panel surface (15) is smaller than the angle (γ4) between the fourth locking plane and the floor panel surface (15); wherein said second locking plane is arranged for interaction with said fourth locking plane of a connected like floor panel; wherein the first locking plane is arranged to interact with the third locking plane of a connected similar floor panel, wherein an angle (γ2) between the second locking plane and the floor panel surface is 48° to 72°; And wherein the angle (γ1) between the first locking plane (21) and the floor panel surface (15) is at least 10° and less than 20° smaller than the angle (γ2) between the second locking plane (22) and the floor panel surface.

2. The floor panel according to claim 1, wherein The angle (γ3) between the third locking plane (23) and the floor panel surface (15) is at least 10° smaller than the angle (γ4) between the fourth locking plane (24) and the floor panel surface (15).

3. The floor panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first locking plane, the second locking plane, the third locking plane and the fourth locking plane are all located in a lower half of the thickness (T) of the floor panel.

4. The floor panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: An area of ​​the first locking plane is greater than an area of ​​the second locking plane.

5. The floor panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The area of ​​the second locking plane is at least one third of the area of ​​the first locking plane.

6. The floor panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: An area of ​​the third locking plane is greater than an area of ​​the fourth locking plane.

7. The floor panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The area of ​​the fourth locking plane is at least one third of the area of ​​the third locking plane.

8. The floor panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: An angle (α) between the first locking plane and the second locking plane is smaller than an angle (β) between the third locking plane and the fourth locking plane.

9. The floor panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The difference between the angle (γ1) between the first locking plane and the floor panel surface (15) and the angle (γ3) between the third locking plane and the floor panel surface (15) is greater than the difference between the angle (γ2) between the second locking plane and the floor panel surface (15) and the angle (γ4) between the fourth locking plane and the floor panel surface (15).

10. The floor panel according to claim 9, wherein The absolute value of the difference between the angle (γ2) between the second locking plane and the floor panel surface (15) and the angle (γ4) between the fourth locking plane and the floor panel surface (15) is less than 3°.

11. The floor panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: A horizontal line is vertically centered between the first and second locking planes, the line being located in the lower half of the distance between the highest point of the upwardly facing hook and the lowest point of the top of the lower lip.

12. The floor panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first coupling portion is configured to enable two such floor panels to be connected to each other at the edges by a tilting movement.

13. The floor panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The lower lip (33) is at least partially elastically bent in the coupled state and thereby provides a clamping force (F) which ensures that the coupled floor panels are forced together while the floor panels are pressed together at or near the floor panel surfaces.

14. The floor panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The first connecting portion is configured so that in the connected state, a horizontal distance (A) between a vertical line (V1) passing through the center between the first locking plane and the second locking plane in the vertical direction and a plane located at or near a surface of the connected floor panels that seals the connected floor panels together is less than 5.5 mm.

15. The floor panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The floor panel is rectangular, and the first pair of opposing edges are located at the long sides.

16. The floor panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The floor panel is rectangular, and the first pair of opposing edges are located at short sides.

17. The floor panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The second pair of opposing edges (4, 5) comprises a plurality of second coupling portions (8, 9) which enable a plurality of such floor panels (1) to be coupled together; wherein the second coupling portion (8, 9) forms a third locking system at the second pair of opposite edges (4, 5), which, in the coupled state of two such floor panels, produces a locking in the plane of the floor panels and perpendicular to the edges concerned, and said second coupling portion also forms a fourth locking system at said second pair of opposite edges, said fourth locking system producing a locking across the plane of the floor panels in a coupled state of two such floor panels; Wherein, the second coupling portion at the second pair of opposite edges is substantially constituted by the material of the floor panel itself.

18. The floor panel according to claim 17, wherein The second coupling portion is configured at the second pair of opposite edges such that two such floor panels (1) can be coupled together by a tilting movement.

19. The floor panel according to claim 17, wherein: The second coupling portion is configured at the second pair of opposite edges to enable two such floor panels to be coupled together by horizontal sliding.

20. The floor panel of claim 17, wherein: The second coupling portion is configured at the second pair of opposing edges to enable two such floor panels to be coupled at these edges by downward movement of one floor panel relative to the other.

21. The floor panel according to claim 20, in, The second coupling portion consists essentially of the material of the substrate and is integral with the substrate, wherein the third locking system is composed of at least an upper hook-shaped section (49) facing downwards located on one of the pair of opposite edges and a lower hook-shaped section (50) facing upwards located on the other of the pair of opposite edges, and these hook-shaped sections can be hooked together by the downward movement; Therein, the upper hook-shaped section includes a lip (52) having a downwardly facing locking element (54), and the lower hook-shaped section includes a lip (56) having an upwardly facing locking element (57).

22. The floor panel of claim 21, wherein In the fourth locking system, at least one of the second coupling parts comprises one or more projections (60, 61) which engage in one or more undercuts (63, 64) in another second coupling part of the coupled floor panel.

23. The floor panel of claim 21, wherein The fourth locking system has a separate locking element by means of a movable and / or deformable insert which provides a vertical locking while the insert engages in undercuts in the two coupling edges of the coupled floor panels.

24. The floor panel of claim 17, wherein: The second connecting part includes a locking part that prevents multiple second connecting parts from moving apart in the connected state, and the second connecting part includes a first locking plane and a second locking plane on the first edge of the second pair of opposite edges, wherein the first locking plane and the second locking plane of the second connecting part are adjacent and separated by a bending line or an arc-shaped bending plane.

25. The floor panel of claim 17, wherein: The floor panel is rectangular, and the second pair of opposing edges are located at short sides.

26. The floor panel of claim 24, wherein: An angle between the second locking plane of the first coupling portion and the floor panel surface is smaller than an angle between the second locking plane of the second coupling portion and the floor panel surface.

27. The floor panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The substrate consists of a plurality of layers.

28. The floor panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The floor panel (1) essentially consists of one or more base layers and at least one top layer.

29. The floor panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The floor panel comprises a laminate panel having a substrate comprising medium density fiberboard or comprising high density fiberboard.

30. The floor panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The floor panels are engineered wood panels.

31. The floor panel of claim 29, wherein: The floor panel has a thickness (T) greater than 4.5 mm.

32. The floor panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The floor panel is a resilient floor panel.

33. The floor panel of claim 32, wherein: The floor panel is a flexible type of floor panel.

34. The floor panel of claim 32, wherein: The substrate includes a thermoplastic matrix material.

35. The floor panel of claim 34, wherein: The substrate includes one or more fillers.

36. The floor panel of claim 32, wherein: The floor panels are high grade vinyl plank (LVT).

37. The floor panel according to claim 32, wherein The floor panel is a stone plastic composite (SPC) or a wood plastic composite (WPC).

38. The floor panel of claim 32, wherein: The substrate includes at least one reinforcement layer.

39. The floor panel of claim 32, wherein: The thickness of the floor panel is less than or equal to 4.5 mm.

40. The floor panel of claim 1, wherein: The first coupling part (6, 7) is mainly composed of the substrate.

41. The floor panel of claim 1, wherein: An angle (α) between the first locking plane and the second locking plane is greater than 100°.

42. The floor panel of claim 41, wherein An angle (α) between the first locking plane and the second locking plane is greater than 120°.

43. The floor panel of claim 42, wherein: An angle (α) between the first locking plane and the second locking plane is greater than 140°.

44. The floor panel of claim 1, wherein: An included angle (β) between the third locking plane and the fourth locking plane is greater than 100°.

45. The floor panel of claim 44, wherein An included angle (β) between the third locking plane and the fourth locking plane is greater than 120°.

46. ​​The floor panel of claim 45, wherein An included angle (β) between the third locking plane and the fourth locking plane is greater than 140°.

47. The floor panel of claim 1, wherein: An angle (γ2) between the second locking plane and the floor panel surface is greater than 55°.

48. The floor panel of claim 47, wherein An angle (γ2) between the second locking plane and the floor panel surface is less than 65°.

49. The floor panel of claim 2, wherein: An angle (γ3) between the third locking plane (23) and the floor panel surface (15) is less than 20° smaller than an angle (γ4) between the fourth locking plane (24) and the floor panel surface (15).

50. The floor panel of claim 5, wherein: The area of ​​the second locking plane is at least half the area of ​​the first locking plane.

51. The floor panel of claim 7, wherein: The area of ​​the fourth locking plane is at least half the area of ​​the third locking plane.

52. The floor panel of claim 10, wherein: The absolute value of the difference between the angle (γ2) between the second locking plane and the floor panel surface (15) and the angle (γ4) between the fourth locking plane and the floor panel surface (15) is less than 2°.

53. The floor panel of claim 11, wherein: The line is located in the lower 40% of the distance between the highest point of the upwardly facing hook and the lowest point of the top of the lower lip.

54. The floor panel of claim 14, wherein: The horizontal distance (A) between a vertical line (V1) passing through the center between the first locking plane and the second locking plane in the vertical direction and such plane is less than 5 mm.

55. The floor panel of claim 54, wherein: The horizontal distance (A) between a vertical line (V1) passing through the center between the first locking plane and the second locking plane in the vertical direction and such plane is less than 4 mm.

56. The floor panel of claim 17, wherein: The second coupling portion at the second pair of opposing edges consists essentially of the substrate.

57. The floor panel of claim 26, wherein: An angle between the second locking plane of the first coupling part and the floor panel surface is at least 5° smaller than an angle between the second locking plane of the second coupling part and the floor panel surface.

58. The floor panel of claim 34, wherein: The thermoplastic matrix material is polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE).

59. The floor panel of claim 35, wherein: The filler is selected from the list consisting of stone, wood fiber, chalk, limestone and lime.

60. The floor panel of claim 38, wherein: The reinforcement layer is a glass fiber reinforcement layer.

61. The floor panel of claim 39, wherein: The thickness of the floor panel is less than or equal to 4 mm.

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