Edge profiles for industrial floor panels

Abstract

A panel having a first longitudinal edge with a groove and a second longitudinal edge with a tongue for interlocking and engaging the complementary edges of an adjacent panel. A shoulder is located at the juncture between one side wall of the tongue and the second longitudinal edge. The upper portion of the second longitudinal edge and an outer surface of the shoulder lie in a second plane that is parallel to a first plane that includes the first longitudinal edge, and the lower portion of the second longitudinal edge lies in a third plane that is parallel to and spaced inwardly of the second plane. A width of the tongue between the upper portion of the second longitudinal edge and the distal end of the tongue is less than a width of the groove as defined between the first plane and the floor of the groove.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] Interconnecting tongue and groove wood panels or boards are well known and widely used in the construction industry. These panels are commonly constructed from plywood, particleboard, waferboard, strandboard or other composite wood product materials. Tongue and groove composite wood panels are particularly well suited for installation on a joist framing assembly for subflooring because the interlocking edges of the panels reduce vertical offset between adjacent panels, thereby providing a smoother structural sub-floor. In addition, the load carrying transfer along the interconnected edges prevents relative movement between adjacent panel edges as persons walk along the floor, thereby reducing floor squeaking. Typically, carpet, tile or hardwood is installed over a structural sub-floor to provide a finished floor surface.

[0002] While tongue and groove composite wood panels are generally very useful, such composite panels commonly swell and expand due to the absorption of moisture by the panel. This expansion causes the interconnected edges of the adjacent wood panels to press tightly against one another creating stress along the panel edges. As a result, the interconnected wood panels begin to buckle and bow. In addition, the stress along the panel edges can cause undesirable popping, cracking, or squeaking when persons step upon or near the joints.

[0003] Accordingly, there is a need in the building industry for tongue and groove panels that reduce unwanted stress along the interconnected panel edges during panel expansion, while continuing to reduce vertical offset and provide effective load carrying transfer along the length of the tongue and groove joint.SUMMARY

[0004] One implementation of the present disclosure is a panel having a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge parallel to the first longitudinal edge, the panel including: a groove formed along said first longitudinal edge, said groove having two sides and a floor transverse thereto; a tongue formed along said second longitudinal edge, said tongue having an upper side wall and a lower side wall and a head extending outward from said second longitudinal edge to a distal end, thereby forming a juncture between the side walls of the tongue and the second longitudinal edge; and a shoulder located at the juncture of said lower side wall and the second longitudinal edge. The upper portion of the second longitudinal edge and an outer surface of the shoulder lie in a second plane that is parallel to a first plane that includes the first longitudinal edge, and a lower portion of the second longitudinal edge lies in a third plane that is parallel to and spaced inwardly of the second plane relative to the distal end of the tongue. A width of the tongue between the upper portion of the second longitudinal edge and the distal end of the tongue is less than a width of the groove as defined between the first plane and the floor of the groove.

[0005] In some implementations, the shoulder is compressible.

[0006] In some implementations, the tongue continues uninterrupted along an entire length of the second longitudinal edge.

[0007] In some implementations, the panel is a composite wood panel.

[0008] In some implementations, the groove is a first groove and the tongue is a first tongue, and the panel includes a second groove defined along a first lateral edge of the panel and a second tongue extending from and along a second lateral edge of the panel.

[0009] In some implementations, a first aperture is defined between the distal end of the tongue and the floor of the groove.

[0010] In some implementations, the first aperture is further defined (i) between the upper side wall of the groove and the upper side wall of the tongue and (ii) between the lower side wall of the groove and the lower side wall of the tongue.

[0011] In some implementations, a second aperture is defined between the third plane including the lower portion of the second longitudinal edge and the first plane including the lower portion of the first longitudinal edge.

[0012] In some implementations, the width of the second aperture is between 1 / 32 and ¼ inches.

[0013] In some implementations, the tongue is complementary to the groove.

[0014] Another implementation of the present disclosure is a panel system including: a first panel having a groove formed along a first longitudinal edge, said groove having two sides and a floor transverse thereto; and a second panel having (i) a tongue formed along a second longitudinal edge, said tongue having two side walls and a head extending outward from said second longitudinal edge to a distal end, thereby forming a juncture between the side walls of the tongue and the second longitudinal edge, and (ii) a shoulder located at the juncture between a side wall of the tongue and a lower portion of the second longitudinal edge. Upon engaging the first and second panels to form a tongue and groove joint, an upper portion of the second longitudinal edge and an outer surface of the shoulder lie in a second plane that is parallel to a first plane that includes the first longitudinal edge, and the lower portion of the second longitudinal edge lies in a third plane that is parallel to and spaced inwardly of the second plane relative to the distal end of the tongue. A width of the tongue between the upper portion of the second longitudinal edge and the distal end of the tongue is less than a width of the groove as defined between the first plane and the floor of the groove.

[0015] In some implementations, the shoulder is compressible.

[0016] In some implementations, the tongue continues uninterrupted along an entire length of the second longitudinal edge.

[0017] In some implementations, the first panel is a composite wood panel.

[0018] In some implementations, the groove is a first groove and the tongue is a first tongue, and the first panel includes a second groove defined along a first lateral edge of the first panel and a second tongue extending from and along a second lateral edge of the first panel.

[0019] In some implementations, a first aperture is defined between the distal end of the tongue and the floor of the groove.

[0020] In some implementations, the first aperture is further defined (i) between the upper side wall of the groove and the upper side wall of the tongue and (ii) between the lower side wall of the groove and the lower side wall of the tongue.

[0021] In some implementations, a second aperture is defined between the third plane including the lower portion of the second longitudinal edge and the first plane including the lower portion of the first longitudinal edge.

[0022] In some implementations, the width of the second aperture is between 1 / 32 and ¼ inches.

[0023] In some implementations, the tongue is complementary to the groove.

[0024] Additional advantages are set forth in part in the description that follows or may be learned by practice. The advantages are realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive, as claimed.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional profile of tongue and groove panels assembled together, according to the prior art.

[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional profile of tongue and groove panels assembled together, according to one implementation.

[0027] FIG. 3 illustrates the cross-sectional profile according to FIG. 2 with exemplary dimensions for various elements of the tongue and groove joint.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative implementation wherein the tongue and groove joints disclosed herein may further be defined along lateral edges of a panel, as well as along the longitudinal edges.

[0029] Various objects, aspects, features, and advantages of the disclosure become more apparent and better understood by referring to the detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters identify corresponding elements throughout. In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and / or structurally similar elements.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional profile of tongue and groove composite wood panels assembled together, according to the prior art, which may be used in the assembly of flooring and sub-flooring. Tongue and groove wood panels such as shown in FIG. 1 may also be utilized as wall boards, decks, roofing, countertops, or any other suitable surface wherein the wood panels employed are subject to undesired swelling or expansion, which may create pressure or stress along interconnected panel joints. FIG. 1 illustrates the cross-sectional profile of a tongue and groove joint, approved by the American Plywood Association, currently utilized in flooring and sub-flooring assembly.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 1, a board or panel of wood 1 is provided with a rectangular groove 2 on one side edge and a complementary second board or panel 3 is provided with a rectangular section tongue 6, having disproportionate upper and lower side walls 8, 10, on a second side edge facing the groove 2. The tongue is formed such that the lower side wall 10 is of a length shorter than the upper side wall 8. Thus, when the boards or panels 1 and 3 are connected to form a tongue and groove joint, the edge of panel 1 below the groove 2, and the edge of panel 3 below the tongue 6, abut each other to form a tight bottom joint 12. A first aperture 4 is formed between the partially engaged tongue and groove and a second aperture 13 is formed between the side edges of panel 1 and 3 above the tongue and groove joint.

[0032] As used herein, “upper” refers to the outward facing surface when the panel is installed, and “lower” refers to the inward facing surface when the panel is installed. For example, the upper surface of a flooring panel is the surface that faces away from the floor joists supporting the flooring panel, and the lower surface of the flooring panel is the surface that faces toward the floor joists supporting the flooring panel. Similarly, an upper surface of a wall panel is the surface facing away from the wall framing, and the lower surface of the wall panel is the surface facing toward the wall framing.

[0033] When such interconnected boards or panels are subjected to moisture, the boards or panels tend to expand. Since the boards or panels are substantially rigidly interconnected by the tight bottom joint 12, there is no opportunity to reduce the resulting stress along the joint and consequently the boards or panels tend to buckle or bow. In addition, the stress along the joint can result in cracking and squeaking along the edges of the interconnected boards or panels when persons walk or step along or near the joint. Additionally, the gap or aperture 13 formed between the panels 1, 3 creates a discontinuous upper surface of the flooring system. The resulting flooring system including a plurality of panels is not completely flat, due to this gap, which may lead to issues for some applications (e.g., industrial or commercial flooring applications).

[0034] The tongue and groove joints of this disclosure overcome these deficiencies in the prior art by providing an area for panel expansion below the engaged tongue and groove joint, along with a flat surface above the engaged tongue and groove joint, without compromising the strength and utility of the tongue and groove intersection.

[0035] FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional profile of a tongue and groove joint formed by engaging similar tongue and groove panels, according to one implementation. Each board or panel 21, 23 is provided with a groove 17 along a first longitudinal edge 14 and a tongue 24 along a second longitudinal edge 15. Each of the first longitudinal edge 14 and the second longitudinal edge 15 includes an upper and lower portion of the longitudinal edges 14, 15 on either side of the groove 17 or the tongue 24, respectively. Although the tongue 24 and groove 17 in FIG. 2 are shown having beveled edges, in other implementations the tongue and groove may have other complementary profiles (e.g., rounded, tapered, or rectangular).

[0036] The groove 17 has an upper side wall 18, a lower side wall 19, and a floor 16 transverse thereto. The tongue 24 has an upper side wall 28, a lower side wall 30, and a head 26 extending outward from the second longitudinal edge 15 to a distal end, thereby forming a juncture between the side walls 28, 30 of the tongue 24 and the second longitudinal edge 15. The tongue 24 may extend uninterrupted along the entire length of the second longitudinal edge 15, or in the alternative, the tongue may be segmented to allow for water to pass in between adjacent tongue segments. A shoulder 32 is disposed at the junction between the lower side wall 30 of the tongue 24 and the lower portion of the second longitudinal edge 15. Similar to the tongue 24, the shoulder 32 may extend uninterrupted along the entire length of the second longitudinal edge 15, or in the alternative, the shoulder may be segmented to allow for water to pass in between adjacent shoulder segments.

[0037] The upper portion of the second longitudinal edge 15 and an outer surface 35 of the shoulder 32 lie in a second plane that is parallel to a first plane that includes the first longitudinal edge 14. The lower portion of the second longitudinal edge 15 (i.e., below the shoulder 32) lies a third plane that is parallel to and spaced inwardly of the second plane relative to the distal end of the tongue 24. A width of the tongue 24 between the upper portion of the second longitudinal edge 15 and the distal end of the tongue 24 is less than a width of the groove 17 as defined between the first plane and the floor 16 of the groove. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, in a specific example implementation, the width of the tongue is 0.313 inches and the width of the groove is 0.375 inches.

[0038] When two panels 21, 23 are installed together, the first longitudinal edge 14 and groove 17 of the first panel 21 face the second longitudinal edge 15 and tongue 24 of the second panel 23, and the tongue 24 is engaged with the groove 17.

[0039] The shoulder 32 abuts the lower portion of the first longitudinal edge 14, which prevents the tongue 24 from being completely introduced into the complementary groove 17. As a result, a first aperture 20 is formed between the head 26 at the distal end of the tongue 24 and the floor 16 of the groove 17. Due to the dimensional difference between the tongue 24 and the groove 17 and where each is defined along the height of the respective longitudinal edge 14, 15, the first aperture 20 is further defined (i) between the upper side wall 18 of groove 17 and the upper side wall 28 of the tongue 24 and (ii) between the lower side wall 19 of the groove 17 and the lower side wall 30 of the tongue 24. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the height of the exemplary tongue is 0.200 inches and the height of the exemplary groove is 0.240 inches. The first aperture 20 formed around the surfaces of the groove 17 and tongue 24 defines a space, and this space can, for example, be used for retaining applied adhesive (e.g., wood glue or other industrial flooring adhesives) during installation.

[0040] A second aperture 22 is formed between the lower portions of the first longitudinal edge 14 and the second longitudinal edge 15 of the adjacent panels 21, 23 below the engaged tongue 24 and groove 17 (i.e., between the third plane and the first plane that includes the first longitudinal edge 14). The second aperture 22 may have a width between the first and second longitudinal edges 14, 15 of, for example, between 1 / 32″ and ¼″ (e.g., between 1 / 16″ and ⅛″). However, a smaller or larger aperture may be utilized depending on the composition of the panels and the expected exposure to moisture. In this way, the edges of the complementary panels 21, 23 do not form a tight joint along the lower panel edge, and the aperture 22 allows for expansion of the interconnected panels 21, 23. Moreover, the resulting tongue and groove joint provides effective load carrying transfer along the length of the joint and reduces vertical offset between the interconnected panels 21, 23.

[0041] Notably, a corresponding aperture is not present on the upper side of the first and second longitudinal edges 14, 15. Instead, the upper portions of the first and second longitudinal edges 14, 15, which lie in the first and second planes, directly abut each other to form a continuous or substantially continuous upper surface 33 of the engaged panels 21, 23. In other words, the adjacent upper surfaces of the panel 21 and the panel 23 abut each other in the same plane (or substantially the same plane) to form a continuous upper surface 33. The upper surface 33 between the complementary panels 21, 23 allows for a flat, even, and / or continuous floor surface across a plurality of installed panels.

[0042] The shoulder 32 is formed so that it is relatively weak, compared with the overall strength of the first longitudinal edge 14 to which the shoulder 32 abuts. However, in some implementations, the shoulder and the first longitudinal edge have a similar strength, but the smaller contact area on the shoulder results in a stress concentration at the shoulder. As a result, the shoulder 32 partially deforms or compresses as a result of the force applied by the first longitudinal edge 14 when the panels 21, 23 expand. In this way, the interconnected panels 21, 23 may expand slightly, allowing the panels 21, 23 to absorb moisture without bowing or cracking along the edges 14, 15 of the panels 21, 23. The expansion of the panels 21, 23 may continue until the edges 14, 15 of the complementary panels 21, 23 come into contact or until the shoulder 32 is unable to deform any further. In some implementations, the shoulder is sized and shaped so that, should expansion of the interconnected panels occur, the shoulder may compress under the pressure of the expansion without visible damage or modification at the panel surface. Further, the shoulder may be of any shape or form and may be provided at any convenient place along the longitudinal edge from which the tongue extends. In general, the shoulder acts as a spacer to create an aperture between the longitudinal edges of the interconnected panels and an aperture between the head of the tongue and the floor of the groove. The size of the aperture created may depend on the needs of the user and may be adjusted by the size and shape of the shoulder, or in the alternative, the size and shape of the complementary tongue and groove.

[0043] FIG. 3 illustrates the cross-sectional profile according to FIG. 2 with exemplary dimensions for various elements of the tongue and groove joint. The dimensions shown are all in inches. In other implementations, the shape, dimensions, and orientation of the panels and tongue and groove joints described herein may be adjusted based on the functional requirements of the application (e.g., in a flooring, a wall, or countertop application).

[0044] In some implementations, the tongue and groove joints disclosed herein may be utilized along the lateral edge of two complementary panels, either in the alternative or in addition to tongue and groove joints utilized on the longitudinal edge of the panel, wherein the lateral edge refers to an edge of the panel substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal edge. Together, two longitudinal edges and two lateral edges spaced therebetween may form a rectangular panel. In implementations in which the panel is square, any two edges that are opposite and spaced apart from each other may be designated the longitudinal edges, and the other two edges that are opposite and spaced apart from each other are the lateral edges. Accordingly, a panel may have a tongue along a first longitudinal edge and a first lateral edge complementing a groove along the second longitudinal edge and a second lateral edge. As a result, complementary boards may be interconnected with tongue and groove joints along all four edges of the panels. In this way, interconnected panels may swell along both their length (i.e., a direction along a longitudinal edge) and width (i.e., a direction along a lateral edge), without undesired stress and pressure along the panel edges. For example, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative implementation in which a tongue 36 is shown along a first longitudinal edge and a groove 34 is shown along a second lateral edge. Although not shown in FIG. 4, a groove runs along a second longitudinal edge and a tongue runs along a first lateral edge. Optionally, tongue and groove joints may be placed, or be absent, along any of the four edges of the panels, in any order or fashion, as needed by the user.

[0045] The panels described above in relation to FIGS. 2-4 can be composite wood panels. For example, in some implementations, composite wood panels are manufactured from lignocellulosic wood composites comprising multiple wood parts (e.g., wood (or other lignocellulosic material) strands, flakes, particle chips dust, etc.) bonded together with a thermoset binder resin and wax, according to various implementations. In particular, in some implementations, the composite wood panels are made from oriented strand board (OSB). In other implementations, the panels described above in relation to FIGS. 2-4 can be manufactured with any interconnecting wood or other lignocellulosic material, such as plywood or solid wood products, to form strong tongue and groove joints, which allow for subsequent expansion of the interconnected wood panels, without the detrimental effects resulting from stress along the interconnected panel edges. And, in yet other implementations, the panels described above in relation to FIGS. 2-4 comprise other suitable materials such as metal, plastic, or composite materials having sufficient strength and stiffness properties to form a tongue and groove joint (e.g., in a flooring, a wall, or countertop application).Configuration of Certain Implementations

[0046] The construction and arrangement of the systems and methods as shown in the various implementations are illustrative only. Although only a few implementations have been described in detail in this disclosure, many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes, and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.). For example, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative implementations. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the implementations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0047] It is to be understood that the methods and systems are not limited to specific synthetic methods, specific components, or to particular compositions. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular implementations only and is not intended to be limiting.

[0048] As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,”“an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value, and / or to “about” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another implementation includes from the one particular value and / or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it is understood that the particular value forms another implementation. It is further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint.

[0049] “Optional” or “optionally” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the description includes instances where said event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not. Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the word “comprise” and variations of the word, such as “comprising” and “comprises,” means “including but not limited to,” and is not intended to exclude, for example, other additives, components, integers or steps. “Exemplary” means “an example of” and is not intended to convey an indication of a preferred or ideal implementation. “Such as” is not used in a restrictive sense, but for explanatory purposes.

[0050] Disclosed are components that can be used to perform the disclosed methods and systems. These and other components are disclosed herein, and it is understood that when combinations, subsets, interactions, groups, etc. of these components are disclosed that while specific reference of each various individual and collective combinations and permutation of these may not be explicitly disclosed, each is specifically contemplated and described herein, for all methods and systems. This principle applies to all aspects of this application including, but not limited to, steps in disclosed methods. Thus, if there are a variety of additional steps that can be performed it is understood that each of these additional steps can be performed with any specific implementation or combination of implementations of the disclosed methods.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0030]FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional profile of tongue and groove composite wood panels assembled together, according to the prior art, which may be used in the assembly of flooring and sub-flooring. Tongue and groove wood panels such as shown in FIG. 1 may also be utilized as wall boards, decks, roofing, countertops, or any other suitable surface wherein the wood panels employed are subject to undesired swelling or expansion, which may create pressure or stress along interconnected panel joints. FIG. 1 illustrates the cross-sectional profile of a tongue and groove joint, approved by the American Plywood Association, currently utilized in flooring and sub-flooring assembly.

[0031]Referring to FIG. 1, a board or panel of wood 1 is provided with a rectangular groove 2 on one side edge and a complementary second board or panel 3 is provided with a rectangular section tongue 6, having disproportionate upper and lower side walls 8, 10, on a second side edge facing the groove 2. The ...

BACKGROUND

[0001] Interconnecting tongue and groove wood panels or boards are well known and widely used in the construction industry. These panels are commonly constructed from plywood, particleboard, waferboard, strandboard or other composite wood product materials. Tongue and groove composite wood panels are particularly well suited for installation on a joist framing assembly for subflooring because the interlocking edges of the panels reduce vertical offset between adjacent panels, thereby providing a smoother structural sub-floor. In addition, the load carrying transfer along the interconnected edges prevents relative movement between adjacent panel edges as persons walk along the floor, thereby reducing floor squeaking. Typically, carpet, tile or hardwood is installed over a structural sub-floor to provide a finished floor surface.

[0002] While tongue and groove composite wood panels are generally very useful, such composite panels commonly swell and expand due to the absorption of moisture by the panel. This expansion causes the interconnected edges of the adjacent wood panels to press tightly against one another creating stress along the panel edges. As a result, the interconnected wood panels begin to buckle and bow. In addition, the stress along the panel edges can cause undesirable popping, cracking, or squeaking when persons step upon or near the joints.

[0003] Accordingly, there is a need in the building industry for tongue and groove panels that reduce unwanted stress along the interconnected panel edges during panel expansion, while continuing to reduce vertical offset and provide effective load carrying transfer along the length of the tongue and groove joint.SUMMARY

[0004] One implementation of the present disclosure is a panel having a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge parallel to the first longitudinal edge, the panel including: a groove formed along said first longitudinal edge, said groove having two sides and a floor transverse thereto; a tongue formed along said second longitudinal edge, said tongue having an upper side wall and a lower side wall and a head extending outward from said second longitudinal edge to a distal end, thereby forming a juncture between the side walls of the tongue and the second longitudinal edge; and a shoulder located at the juncture of said lower side wall and the second longitudinal edge. The upper portion of the second longitudinal edge and an outer surface of the shoulder lie in a second plane that is parallel to a first plane that includes the first longitudinal edge, and a lower portion of the second longitudinal edge lies in a third plane that is parallel to and spaced inwardly of the second plane relative to the distal end of the tongue. A width of the tongue between the upper portion of the second longitudinal edge and the distal end of the tongue is less than a width of the groove as defined between the first plane and the floor of the groove.

[0005] In some implementations, the shoulder is compressible.

[0006] In some implementations, the tongue continues uninterrupted along an entire length of the second longitudinal edge.

[0007] In some implementations, the panel is a composite wood panel.

[0008] In some implementations, the groove is a first groove and the tongue is a first tongue, and the panel includes a second groove defined along a first lateral edge of the panel and a second tongue extending from and along a second lateral edge of the panel.

[0009] In some implementations, a first aperture is defined between the distal end of the tongue and the floor of the groove.

[0010] In some implementations, the first aperture is further defined (i) between the upper side wall of the groove and the upper side wall of the tongue and (ii) between the lower side wall of the groove and the lower side wall of the tongue.

[0011] In some implementations, a second aperture is defined between the third plane including the lower portion of the second longitudinal edge and the first plane including the lower portion of the first longitudinal edge.

[0012] In some implementations, the width of the second aperture is between 1 / 32 and ¼ inches.

[0013] In some implementations, the tongue is complementary to the groove.

[0014] Another implementation of the present disclosure is a panel system including: a first panel having a groove formed along a first longitudinal edge, said groove having two sides and a floor transverse thereto; and a second panel having (i) a tongue formed along a second longitudinal edge, said tongue having two side walls and a head extending outward from said second longitudinal edge to a distal end, thereby forming a juncture between the side walls of the tongue and the second longitudinal edge, and (ii) a shoulder located at the juncture between a side wall of the tongue and a lower portion of the second longitudinal edge. Upon engaging the first and second panels to form a tongue and groove joint, an upper portion of the second longitudinal edge and an outer surface of the shoulder lie in a second plane that is parallel to a first plane that includes the first longitudinal edge, and the lower portion of the second longitudinal edge lies in a third plane that is parallel to and spaced inwardly of the second plane relative to the distal end of the tongue. A width of the tongue between the upper portion of the second longitudinal edge and the distal end of the tongue is less than a width of the groove as defined between the first plane and the floor of the groove.

[0015] In some implementations, the shoulder is compressible.

[0016] In some implementations, the tongue continues uninterrupted along an entire length of the second longitudinal edge.

[0017] In some implementations, the first panel is a composite wood panel.

[0018] In some implementations, the groove is a first groove and the tongue is a first tongue, and the first panel includes a second groove defined along a first lateral edge of the first panel and a second tongue extending from and along a second lateral edge of the first panel.

[0019] In some implementations, a first aperture is defined between the distal end of the tongue and the floor of the groove.

[0020] In some implementations, the first aperture is further defined (i) between the upper side wall of the groove and the upper side wall of the tongue and (ii) between the lower side wall of the groove and the lower side wall of the tongue.

[0021] In some implementations, a second aperture is defined between the third plane including the lower portion of the second longitudinal edge and the first plane including the lower portion of the first longitudinal edge.

[0022] In some implementations, the width of the second aperture is between 1 / 32 and ¼ inches.

[0023] In some implementations, the tongue is complementary to the groove.

[0024] Additional advantages are set forth in part in the description that follows or may be learned by practice. The advantages are realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive, as claimed.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional profile of tongue and groove panels assembled together, according to the prior art.

[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional profile of tongue and groove panels assembled together, according to one implementation.

[0027] FIG. 3 illustrates the cross-sectional profile according to FIG. 2 with exemplary dimensions for various elements of the tongue and groove joint.

[0028] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative implementation wherein the tongue and groove joints disclosed herein may further be defined along lateral edges of a panel, as well as along the longitudinal edges.

[0029] Various objects, aspects, features, and advantages of the disclosure become more apparent and better understood by referring to the detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters identify corresponding elements throughout. In the drawings, like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and / or structurally similar elements.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional profile of tongue and groove composite wood panels assembled together, according to the prior art, which may be used in the assembly of flooring and sub-flooring. Tongue and groove wood panels such as shown in FIG. 1 may also be utilized as wall boards, decks, roofing, countertops, or any other suitable surface wherein the wood panels employed are subject to undesired swelling or expansion, which may create pressure or stress along interconnected panel joints. FIG. 1 illustrates the cross-sectional profile of a tongue and groove joint, approved by the American Plywood Association, currently utilized in flooring and sub-flooring assembly.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 1, a board or panel of wood 1 is provided with a rectangular groove 2 on one side edge and a complementary second board or panel 3 is provided with a rectangular section tongue 6, having disproportionate upper and lower side walls 8, 10, on a second side edge facing the groove 2. The tongue is formed such that the lower side wall 10 is of a length shorter than the upper side wall 8. Thus, when the boards or panels 1 and 3 are connected to form a tongue and groove joint, the edge of panel 1 below the groove 2, and the edge of panel 3 below the tongue 6, abut each other to form a tight bottom joint 12. A first aperture 4 is formed between the partially engaged tongue and groove and a second aperture 13 is formed between the side edges of panel 1 and 3 above the tongue and groove joint.

[0032] As used herein, “upper” refers to the outward facing surface when the panel is installed, and “lower” refers to the inward facing surface when the panel is installed. For example, the upper surface of a flooring panel is the surface that faces away from the floor joists supporting the flooring panel, and the lower surface of the flooring panel is the surface that faces toward the floor joists supporting the flooring panel. Similarly, an upper surface of a wall panel is the surface facing away from the wall framing, and the lower surface of the wall panel is the surface facing toward the wall framing.

[0033] When such interconnected boards or panels are subjected to moisture, the boards or panels tend to expand. Since the boards or panels are substantially rigidly interconnected by the tight bottom joint 12, there is no opportunity to reduce the resulting stress along the joint and consequently the boards or panels tend to buckle or bow. In addition, the stress along the joint can result in cracking and squeaking along the edges of the interconnected boards or panels when persons walk or step along or near the joint. Additionally, the gap or aperture 13 formed between the panels 1, 3 creates a discontinuous upper surface of the flooring system. The resulting flooring system including a plurality of panels is not completely flat, due to this gap, which may lead to issues for some applications (e.g., industrial or commercial flooring applications).

[0034] The tongue and groove joints of this disclosure overcome these deficiencies in the prior art by providing an area for panel expansion below the engaged tongue and groove joint, along with a flat surface above the engaged tongue and groove joint, without compromising the strength and utility of the tongue and groove intersection.

[0035] FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional profile of a tongue and groove joint formed by engaging similar tongue and groove panels, according to one implementation. Each board or panel 21, 23 is provided with a groove 17 along a first longitudinal edge 14 and a tongue 24 along a second longitudinal edge 15. Each of the first longitudinal edge 14 and the second longitudinal edge 15 includes an upper and lower portion of the longitudinal edges 14, 15 on either side of the groove 17 or the tongue 24, respectively. Although the tongue 24 and groove 17 in FIG. 2 are shown having beveled edges, in other implementations the tongue and groove may have other complementary profiles (e.g., rounded, tapered, or rectangular).

[0036] The groove 17 has an upper side wall 18, a lower side wall 19, and a floor 16 transverse thereto. The tongue 24 has an upper side wall 28, a lower side wall 30, and a head 26 extending outward from the second longitudinal edge 15 to a distal end, thereby forming a juncture between the side walls 28, 30 of the tongue 24 and the second longitudinal edge 15. The tongue 24 may extend uninterrupted along the entire length of the second longitudinal edge 15, or in the alternative, the tongue may be segmented to allow for water to pass in between adjacent tongue segments. A shoulder 32 is disposed at the junction between the lower side wall 30 of the tongue 24 and the lower portion of the second longitudinal edge 15. Similar to the tongue 24, the shoulder 32 may extend uninterrupted along the entire length of the second longitudinal edge 15, or in the alternative, the shoulder may be segmented to allow for water to pass in between adjacent shoulder segments.

[0037] The upper portion of the second longitudinal edge 15 and an outer surface 35 of the shoulder 32 lie in a second plane that is parallel to a first plane that includes the first longitudinal edge 14. The lower portion of the second longitudinal edge 15 (i.e., below the shoulder 32) lies a third plane that is parallel to and spaced inwardly of the second plane relative to the distal end of the tongue 24. A width of the tongue 24 between the upper portion of the second longitudinal edge 15 and the distal end of the tongue 24 is less than a width of the groove 17 as defined between the first plane and the floor 16 of the groove. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, in a specific example implementation, the width of the tongue is 0.313 inches and the width of the groove is 0.375 inches.

[0038] When two panels 21, 23 are installed together, the first longitudinal edge 14 and groove 17 of the first panel 21 face the second longitudinal edge 15 and tongue 24 of the second panel 23, and the tongue 24 is engaged with the groove 17.

[0039] The shoulder 32 abuts the lower portion of the first longitudinal edge 14, which prevents the tongue 24 from being completely introduced into the complementary groove 17. As a result, a first aperture 20 is formed between the head 26 at the distal end of the tongue 24 and the floor 16 of the groove 17. Due to the dimensional difference between the tongue 24 and the groove 17 and where each is defined along the height of the respective longitudinal edge 14, 15, the first aperture 20 is further defined (i) between the upper side wall 18 of groove 17 and the upper side wall 28 of the tongue 24 and (ii) between the lower side wall 19 of the groove 17 and the lower side wall 30 of the tongue 24. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the height of the exemplary tongue is 0.200 inches and the height of the exemplary groove is 0.240 inches. The first aperture 20 formed around the surfaces of the groove 17 and tongue 24 defines a space, and this space can, for example, be used for retaining applied adhesive (e.g., wood glue or other industrial flooring adhesives) during installation.

[0040] A second aperture 22 is formed between the lower portions of the first longitudinal edge 14 and the second longitudinal edge 15 of the adjacent panels 21, 23 below the engaged tongue 24 and groove 17 (i.e., between the third plane and the first plane that includes the first longitudinal edge 14). The second aperture 22 may have a width between the first and second longitudinal edges 14, 15 of, for example, between 1 / 32″ and ¼″ (e.g., between 1 / 16″ and ⅛″). However, a smaller or larger aperture may be utilized depending on the composition of the panels and the expected exposure to moisture. In this way, the edges of the complementary panels 21, 23 do not form a tight joint along the lower panel edge, and the aperture 22 allows for expansion of the interconnected panels 21, 23. Moreover, the resulting tongue and groove joint provides effective load carrying transfer along the length of the joint and reduces vertical offset between the interconnected panels 21, 23.

[0041] Notably, a corresponding aperture is not present on the upper side of the first and second longitudinal edges 14, 15. Instead, the upper portions of the first and second longitudinal edges 14, 15, which lie in the first and second planes, directly abut each other to form a continuous or substantially continuous upper surface 33 of the engaged panels 21, 23. In other words, the adjacent upper surfaces of the panel 21 and the panel 23 abut each other in the same plane (or substantially the same plane) to form a continuous upper surface 33. The upper surface 33 between the complementary panels 21, 23 allows for a flat, even, and / or continuous floor surface across a plurality of installed panels.

[0042] The shoulder 32 is formed so that it is relatively weak, compared with the overall strength of the first longitudinal edge 14 to which the shoulder 32 abuts. However, in some implementations, the shoulder and the first longitudinal edge have a similar strength, but the smaller contact area on the shoulder results in a stress concentration at the shoulder. As a result, the shoulder 32 partially deforms or compresses as a result of the force applied by the first longitudinal edge 14 when the panels 21, 23 expand. In this way, the interconnected panels 21, 23 may expand slightly, allowing the panels 21, 23 to absorb moisture without bowing or cracking along the edges 14, 15 of the panels 21, 23. The expansion of the panels 21, 23 may continue until the edges 14, 15 of the complementary panels 21, 23 come into contact or until the shoulder 32 is unable to deform any further. In some implementations, the shoulder is sized and shaped so that, should expansion of the interconnected panels occur, the shoulder may compress under the pressure of the expansion without visible damage or modification at the panel surface. Further, the shoulder may be of any shape or form and may be provided at any convenient place along the longitudinal edge from which the tongue extends. In general, the shoulder acts as a spacer to create an aperture between the longitudinal edges of the interconnected panels and an aperture between the head of the tongue and the floor of the groove. The size of the aperture created may depend on the needs of the user and may be adjusted by the size and shape of the shoulder, or in the alternative, the size and shape of the complementary tongue and groove.

[0043] FIG. 3 illustrates the cross-sectional profile according to FIG. 2 with exemplary dimensions for various elements of the tongue and groove joint. The dimensions shown are all in inches. In other implementations, the shape, dimensions, and orientation of the panels and tongue and groove joints described herein may be adjusted based on the functional requirements of the application (e.g., in a flooring, a wall, or countertop application).

[0044] In some implementations, the tongue and groove joints disclosed herein may be utilized along the lateral edge of two complementary panels, either in the alternative or in addition to tongue and groove joints utilized on the longitudinal edge of the panel, wherein the lateral edge refers to an edge of the panel substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal edge. Together, two longitudinal edges and two lateral edges spaced therebetween may form a rectangular panel. In implementations in which the panel is square, any two edges that are opposite and spaced apart from each other may be designated the longitudinal edges, and the other two edges that are opposite and spaced apart from each other are the lateral edges. Accordingly, a panel may have a tongue along a first longitudinal edge and a first lateral edge complementing a groove along the second longitudinal edge and a second lateral edge. As a result, complementary boards may be interconnected with tongue and groove joints along all four edges of the panels. In this way, interconnected panels may swell along both their length (i.e., a direction along a longitudinal edge) and width (i.e., a direction along a lateral edge), without undesired stress and pressure along the panel edges. For example, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative implementation in which a tongue 36 is shown along a first longitudinal edge and a groove 34 is shown along a second lateral edge. Although not shown in FIG. 4, a groove runs along a second longitudinal edge and a tongue runs along a first lateral edge. Optionally, tongue and groove joints may be placed, or be absent, along any of the four edges of the panels, in any order or fashion, as needed by the user.

[0045] The panels described above in relation to FIGS. 2-4 can be composite wood panels. For example, in some implementations, composite wood panels are manufactured from lignocellulosic wood composites comprising multiple wood parts (e.g., wood (or other lignocellulosic material) strands, flakes, particle chips dust, etc.) bonded together with a thermoset binder resin and wax, according to various implementations. In particular, in some implementations, the composite wood panels are made from oriented strand board (OSB). In other implementations, the panels described above in relation to FIGS. 2-4 can be manufactured with any interconnecting wood or other lignocellulosic material, such as plywood or solid wood products, to form strong tongue and groove joints, which allow for subsequent expansion of the interconnected wood panels, without the detrimental effects resulting from stress along the interconnected panel edges. And, in yet other implementations, the panels described above in relation to FIGS. 2-4 comprise other suitable materials such as metal, plastic, or composite materials having sufficient strength and stiffness properties to form a tongue and groove joint (e.g., in a flooring, a wall, or countertop application).Configuration of Certain Implementations

[0046] The construction and arrangement of the systems and methods as shown in the various implementations are illustrative only. Although only a few implementations have been described in detail in this disclosure, many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes, and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, etc.). For example, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions may be altered or varied. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure. The order or sequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative implementations. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the implementations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0047] It is to be understood that the methods and systems are not limited to specific synthetic methods, specific components, or to particular compositions. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular implementations only and is not intended to be limiting.

[0048] As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,”“an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” one particular value, and / or to “about” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another implementation includes from the one particular value and / or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it is understood that the particular value forms another implementation. It is further understood that the endpoints of each of the ranges are significant both in relation to the other endpoint, and independently of the other endpoint.

[0049] “Optional” or “optionally” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and that the description includes instances where said event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not. Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the word “comprise” and variations of the word, such as “comprising” and “comprises,” means “including but not limited to,” and is not intended to exclude, for example, other additives, components, integers or steps. “Exemplary” means “an example of” and is not intended to convey an indication of a preferred or ideal implementation. “Such as” is not used in a restrictive sense, but for explanatory purposes.

[0050] Disclosed are components that can be used to perform the disclosed methods and systems. These and other components are disclosed herein, and it is understood that when combinations, subsets, interactions, groups, etc. of these components are disclosed that while specific reference of each various individual and collective combinations and permutation of these may not be explicitly disclosed, each is specifically contemplated and described herein, for all methods and systems. This principle applies to all aspects of this application including, but not limited to, steps in disclosed methods. Thus, if there are a variety of additional steps that can be performed it is understood that each of these additional steps can be performed with any specific implementation or combination of implementations of the disclosed methods.

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0030]FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional profile of tongue and groove composite wood panels assembled together, according to the prior art, which may be used in the assembly of flooring and sub-flooring. Tongue and groove wood panels such as shown in FIG. 1 may also be utilized as wall boards, decks, roofing, countertops, or any other suitable surface wherein the wood panels employed are subject to undesired swelling or expansion, which may create pressure or stress along interconnected panel joints. FIG. 1 illustrates the cross-sectional profile of a tongue and groove joint, approved by the American Plywood Association, currently utilized in flooring and sub-flooring assembly.

[0031]Referring to FIG. 1, a board or panel of wood 1 is provided with a rectangular groove 2 on one side edge and a complementary second board or panel 3 is provided with a rectangular section tongue 6, having disproportionate upper and lower side walls 8, 10, on a second side edge facing the groove 2. The ...

Claims

1. A panel having a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge parallel to the first longitudinal edge, the panel comprising:a groove formed along said first longitudinal edge, said groove having two sides and a floor transverse thereto;a tongue formed along said second longitudinal edge, said tongue having an upper side wall and a lower side wall and a head extending outward from said second longitudinal edge to a distal end, thereby forming a juncture between the side walls of the tongue and the second longitudinal edge; anda shoulder located at the juncture of said lower side wall and the second longitudinal edge,wherein an upper portion of the second longitudinal edge and an outer surface of the shoulder lie in a second plane that is parallel to a first plane that includes the first longitudinal edge, and a lower portion of the second longitudinal edge lies in a third plane that is parallel to and spaced inwardly of the second plane relative to the distal end of the tongue, andwherein a width of the tongue between the upper portion of the second longitudinal edge and the distal end of the tongue is less than a width of the groove as defined between the first plane and the floor of the groove.

2. The panel of claim 1, wherein the shoulder is compressible.

3. The panel of claim 1, wherein the tongue continues uninterrupted along an entire length of the second longitudinal edge.

4. The panel of claim 1, wherein the panel is a composite wood panel.

5. The panel of claim 1, wherein the groove is a first groove and the tongue is a first tongue, and the panel comprises a second groove defined along a first lateral edge of the panel and a second tongue extending from and along a second lateral edge of the panel.

6. The panel of claim 1, wherein a first aperture is defined between the distal end of the tongue and the floor of the groove.

7. The panel of claim 6, wherein the first aperture is further defined (i) between the upper side wall of the groove and the upper side wall of the tongue and (ii) between the lower side wall of the groove and the lower side wall of the tongue.

8. The panel of claim 1, wherein a second aperture is defined between the third plane including the lower portion of the second longitudinal edge and the first plane including the lower portion of the first longitudinal edge.

9. The panel of claim 8, wherein the width of the second aperture is between 1 / 32 and ¼ inches.

10. The panel of claim 1, wherein the tongue is complementary to the groove.

11. A panel system comprising:a first panel having a groove formed along a first longitudinal edge, said groove having two sides and a floor transverse thereto; anda second panel having (i) a tongue formed along a second longitudinal edge, said tongue having two side walls and a head extending outward from said second longitudinal edge to a distal end, thereby forming a juncture between the side walls of the tongue and the second longitudinal edge, and (ii) a shoulder located at the juncture between a side wall of the tongue and a lower portion of the second longitudinal edge,wherein upon engaging the first and second panels to form a tongue and groove joint, an upper portion of the second longitudinal edge and an outer surface of the shoulder lie in a second plane that is parallel to a first plane that includes the first longitudinal edge, and the lower portion of the second longitudinal edge lies in a third plane that is parallel to and spaced inwardly of the second plane relative to the distal end of the tongue, andwherein a width of the tongue between the upper portion of the second longitudinal edge and the distal end of the tongue is less than a width of the groove as defined between the first plane and the floor of the groove.

12. The panel system of claim 11, wherein the shoulder is compressible.

13. The panel system of claim 11, wherein the tongue continues uninterrupted along an entire length of the second longitudinal edge.

14. The panel system of claim 11, wherein the first panel is a composite wood panel.

15. The panel system of claim 11, wherein the groove is a first groove and the tongue is a first tongue, and the first panel comprises a second groove defined along a first lateral edge of the first panel and a second tongue extending from and along a second lateral edge of the first panel.

16. The panel system of claim 11, wherein a first aperture is defined between the distal end of the tongue and the floor of the groove.

17. The panel system of claim 16, wherein the first aperture is further defined (i) between the upper side wall of the groove and the upper side wall of the tongue and (ii) between the lower side wall of the groove and the lower side wall of the tongue.

18. The panel system of claim 11, wherein a second aperture is defined between the third plane including the lower portion of the second longitudinal edge and the first plane including the lower portion of the first longitudinal edge.

19. The panel system of claim 18, wherein the width of the second aperture is between 1 / 32 and ¼ inches.

20. The panel system of claim 11, wherein the tongue is complementary to the groove.

Images