Floor panel for forming floor covering

Abstract

A floor panel includes opposing edges that include a coupling portion for associating two floor panels. The connecting part comprises a locking plane, a first locking plane and a second locking plane, wherein the first locking plane and the second locking plane are arranged on the first edge, and the included angle between the first locking plane and the second locking plane ranges from 90 degrees to 175 degrees. The third locking plane and the fourth locking plane are arranged on the second edge, and the included angle between the third locking plane and the fourth locking plane ranges from 90 degrees to 175 degrees. The first locking plane is closer to the top of the floor panel than the second locking plane. An angle between the first locking plane and the floor panel surface is smaller than an 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 provided for interacting with a fourth locking plane of the coupled panel. The first locking plane is provided for interaction with the third locking plane of the coupled panel.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese patent invention application "Floor panel for forming floor covering" with an application date of October 2, 2020 and application number 202080070366.X. Technical Field

[0002] 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. Background Art

[0003] 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. Summary of the invention

[0004] 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.

[0005] To this end, the present 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 and a second locking system, wherein the first locking system produces a locking in the plane of the floor panel and perpendicular to the relevant edge in the coupled state of two such floor panels, and the 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 panel itself, and preferably of the substrate. In order to realize the first locking system, these first coupling portions include 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.

[0006] 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.

[0007] 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.

[0008] 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.

[0009] 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.

[0010] 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.

[0011] 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.

[0012] 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.

[0013] 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.

[0014] 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.

[0015] 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.

[0016] 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.

[0017] 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.

[0018] 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 arranged 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.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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 slid together horizontally with little effort, i.e. with little force.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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 high enough.

[0025] 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[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 horizontal sliding.

[0030] 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 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.

[0034] Preferably, the second coupling portion at the second pair of edges has the features described in any embodiment of the first coupling portion. 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 portion and the floor panel surface is smaller than the angle between the second locking plane of the second coupling portion and the floor panel surface, preferably at least 5° smaller. Such a floor panel is particularly interesting. The second coupling portion 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 portion is larger than the angle of the second locking plane of the first coupling portion. 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.

[0035] The floor panel substrate preferably consists of multiple layers.

[0036] Preferably, the floor panel consists essentially of one or more base layers and at least one top layer.

[0037] The floor panel should preferably comprise a laminate panel having a substrate comprising MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) or HDF (High Density Fiberboard).

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the floor panels are engineered wood panels.

[0039] Preferably, the thickness of the floor panel is greater than 4.5 mm.

[0040] In a preferred embodiment, the floor panel is a resilient floor panel, preferably of the flexible type.

[0041] Flexible floor panels are floor panels suitable for use in the following cases: in the case of rectangular panels (e.g. panels with a width of less than 50 cm and extending over a length of more than 100 cm) when these floor panels are clamped on one of the short sides of the panel and unsupported, the panel deflects under its own weight by at least 10 cm at the free end relative to the clamped end. For this deflection, a deflection time of 10 seconds is taken into account starting from the horizontal position of the panel.

[0042] 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:

[0043] - a 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;

[0044] - the top layer comprises at least one decorative layer, preferably in printed form, preferably applied on a foil or film;

[0045] - the top layer comprises an at least translucent or transparent wear layer;

[0046] - the floor panel consists mainly of a thermoplastic material, preferably a soft thermoplastic material;

[0047] - 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 plasticizers etc.; "essentially" PVC-based compositions should be interpreted broadly, since a large number of additives (such as fillers) can be used in PVC floorings;

[0048] The floor panel comprises at least one reinforcement layer, which is preferably made of fibers, more particularly of reinforcing fibers such as glass fibers.

[0049] 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.

[0050] Plasticizers are understood to mean any substance which, when added, makes the PVC more flexible. Common examples include phthalate plasticizers and isosorbide plasticizers.

[0051] 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.

[0052] 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.

[0053] In a preferred embodiment, the floor panel is premium vinyl flooring (LVT).

[0054] In a preferred embodiment, the floor panels are stone plastic composite (SPC) or wood plastic composite (WPC).

[0055] 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. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] In order to illustrate the features according to the present invention, some embodiments are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0057] - Figure 1 Schematically shows a top view of a floor panel according to the invention;

[0058] - Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 A cross section of the floor panel according to the present invention taken along line II-II;

[0059] - Figure 3 and Figure 4 Shows Figure 1 and Figure 2 Details of the joints of the floor panels;

[0060] - Figure 5 Shows two connections in a connected state Figure 1 and Figure 2 Floor panels;

[0061] - Figure 6 Shows Figure 5 Details of the connection;

[0062] - Figure 7 Shows two Figure 1 The joints at the short edges of the floor panels shown; and

[0063] - 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. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] The same reference numbers are used throughout the various drawings to represent the same elements.

[0065] 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.

[0066] Figures 1 to 8 The floor panel 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a floor panel for forming a floor covering. The floor panel has a thickness T. The floor panel 1 comprises a substrate 10, for example 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.

[0067] The first coupling parts 6, 7 constitute a first locking system, which in the coupled state of two such floor panels produces a locking in the plane of the floor panels and perpendicular to the relevant edge, and a second locking system, which in the coupled state of two such floor panels produces a locking across the panel face. The first coupling parts 6, 7 are arranged in the base 10.

[0068] For the first locking system to be realized, these first coupling parts 6, 7 include locking parts, which prevent the 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 these 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.

[0069] 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 34 facing upwards. 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 concave section 30 of the coupling portion to which these locking planes belong.

[0070] 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 bend 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] The first coupling portion of this example is configured so that in the coupled state (see Figure 5 ), 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 at or near the surface of the connected panels that seals the connected panels together is 5 mm.

[0075] 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.

[0076] 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 portions 8, 9 which allow a plurality of such floor panels 1 to be coupled together. These second coupling portions 8, 9 constitute on the second pair of opposite edges 4, 5 a third locking system, wherein the third 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 fourth locking system, wherein 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 portions on the second pair of opposite edges consist mainly of the material of the floor panels themselves, and more specifically of the material of the substrate. The second coupling portions on the second pair of edges are configured to allow two such floor panels to be coupled together on these edges by a downward movement of one panel relative to the other.

[0077] The third locking system is composed of a downwardly facing upper hook section 49 located on one of the pair of opposite edges and an upwardly facing lower hook section 50 located on the other of the pair of opposite edges. These hook sections can be hooked together by a downward movement M. The upper hook section 49 is composed of a lip 52 with a downwardly facing locking element 54. The lower hook section is composed of a lip 56 with an upwardly facing locking element 57.

[0078] 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.

[0079] 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 such as 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".

[0080] 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.

[0081] 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, either a rectangle or a square; 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 coupling portions (6, 7), the first coupling portions being capable of coupling 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, in the coupled state of two such floor panels, a locking system in the plane of the floor panels and perpendicular to the relevant edge, and a second locking system producing, in the coupled state of two such floor panels, a transverse locking in the plane of the panels; wherein the first coupling portion (6, 7) is mainly composed of the material of the floor panel itself, and preferably of the substrate; 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); Characterized in that the locking portion of the coupling portion (6) 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 preferably 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 is preferably greater than 100°, preferably greater than 120°, preferably greater than 140°; wherein 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), wherein the third locking plane and the fourth locking plane are adjacent and preferably 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 portion (28) of the coupling portion to which these locking planes belong; an angle (β) between the third locking plane and the fourth locking plane is 90° to 175°, and is preferably greater than 100°, preferably greater than 120°, preferably greater than 140°; 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 an angle (γ3) between the third locking plane and the floor panel surface (15) is smaller than an angle (γ4) between the fourth locking plane and the floor panel surface (15); wherein the second locking plane is configured to interact with the fourth locking plane of a connected similar panel; wherein the first locking plane is arranged to interact with the third locking plane of a connected similar panel, wherein the second pair of opposite 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, in the coupled state of two such floor panels, a locking across the plane of the panels; wherein the second coupling portion at the second pair of opposite edges consists essentially of the material of the floor panel itself, and more particularly of the substrate, Wherein said second coupling portion is configured at said second pair of opposing edges to enable two such floor panels to be coupled at these edges by downward movement of one panel relative to the other.

2. The floor panel according to claim 1, 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 (8) 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, which hook-shaped sections can be hooked together by the downward movement (M); Therein, the upper hook section includes a lip (52) having a downwardly facing locking element (54), and the lower hook section includes a lip (56) having an upwardly facing locking element (57).

3. The floor panel according to claim 2, 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.

4. A floor panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The floor panel is rectangular, and the second pair of opposing edges are located at short sides.

5. A floor panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The angle (γ1) between the first locking plane (21) and the floor panel surface (15) is at least 10° smaller than the angle (γ2) between the second locking plane (22) and the floor panel surface, and preferably less than 20°.

6. A floor panel according to any one of the preceding claims, 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), and preferably less than 20°.

7. A floor panel according to any one of the preceding claims, 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.

8. A floor panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein An area of ​​the first locking plane is greater than an area of ​​the second locking plane.

9. A floor panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The area of ​​the second locking plane is at least one third, and preferably at least half, of the area of ​​the first locking plane.

10. A floor panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein An area of ​​the third locking plane is greater than an area of ​​the fourth locking plane.

11. A floor panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The area of ​​the fourth locking plane is at least one third, and preferably at least half, of the area of ​​the third locking plane.

12. A floor panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein An included angle (α) between the first locking plane and the second locking plane is smaller than an included angle (β) between the third locking plane and the fourth locking plane.

13. A floor panel according to any one of the preceding claims, 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).

14. The floor panel according to claim 13, wherein 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° in absolute value, preferably less than 2° in absolute value.

15. A floor panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The coupling portion on the first edge of the first pair of opposing edges comprises a horizontally facing lip (33) and an upwardly facing hook (34) at the distal end of the lip, wherein the lip is preferably located at the bottom of the floor panel; wherein the first locking plane (21) and the second locking plane (22) are located on the inner side of the upwardly facing hook.

16. The floor panel according to claim 15, wherein The horizontal line is centered vertically between the first locking plane and the second locking plane, 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 (33); Preferably, 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 (33).

17. A floor panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The first coupling portion is configured to enable two such panels to be connected to each other at the edges by a tilting movement.

18. A floor panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The angle (γ2) between the second locking plane and the floor panel surface is 48° to 72°, preferably greater than 55° and preferably less than 65°.

19. A floor panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein The first coupling portion comprises a tongue (40) and a groove (42) containing the locking portion, preferably the first coupling portion is configured to enable two such floor panels to be mechanically connected at the edges by horizontal sliding and / or by tilting.

20. The floor panel of claim 19, wherein At the first pair of opposite edges, the groove (42) is defined by a lower lip (33) and an upper lip (44), preferably the lower lip (33) extending laterally beyond the distal end of the upper lip; and wherein the lower lip includes an upwardly facing hook (34) at the distal end of the lower lip, wherein the first locking plane (21) and the second locking plane (22) are both located on the inner side of the upwardly facing hook.

21. The floor panel of claim 20, 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 panels are forced together while the floor panels are pressed together at or near the floor panel surfaces.

22. A floor panel according to any one of the preceding claims, 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 such a plane is less than 5.5 mm, preferably less than 5 mm, preferably less than 4 mm, wherein the plane is located at or near the surface of the connected panels that seals the connected panels together.

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