Floor Panel Coupling Profiles for Multi-Thickness Tooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing floor panels with mechanical coupling parts struggle to optimize the contour of coupling parts for different thicknesses, limiting the ease of production and coupling of panels with varying thicknesses.
Innovation Solution
The floor panels are designed with specific profiles on opposite sides that allow for the use of the same cutting tools to produce panels of different thicknesses, enabling easy coupling through an angling movement, with optimized vertical and horizontal locking mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the contour of coupling parts is optimized for different thicknesses of floor panels, then the adaptability of the manufacturing process improves, but the device complexity increases due to the need for multiple cutting tools or complex tooling setups
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a single cutting tool configuration that can process floor panels of different thicknesses. The tool is positioned at a specific height above the lower edge of the panel, and through this universal setup, coupling parts are formed that are adapted to various panel thicknesses without requiring multiple specialized tools or complex tooling changes.
2Manufacturing precision
If material-removal machining with multiple milling cutters is used to form coupling parts, then the manufacturing precision of the coupling contour improves, but the productivity decreases due to the time-consuming multi-step process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for multiple milling cutters and complex material-removal machining steps. By using a simplified cutting tool configuration positioned at a specific height, the method directly forms the coupling parts without requiring multiple sequential machining operations, thereby maintaining precision while significantly improving productivity.
3Device complexity
If the contour of coupling parts is not optimized for different thicknesses, then the device complexity and manufacturing process simplicity are maintained, but the ease of coupling deteriorates due to improper fit and locking mechanism performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by positioning the cutting tool at a specific height parameter above the lower edge of the panel. This parameter adjustment ensures that the coupling parts are properly formed for different panel thicknesses, enabling effective locking mechanisms and easy coupling operations while maintaining a simple manufacturing process without requiring complex tooling.
Data Source
AI summary
Floor panels have coupling parts in the form of a tongue and groove with locking surfaces. In a coupled state of two such panels, an open space is present, viewed vertically, between the tongue and the lower lip, and viewed horizontally, between the contact zone and the contact between the horizontally active locking surfaces. The underside of the tongue in the open space comprises a first face. The top side of the lower lip in the open space comprises a second face parallel to the first face. In the coupled state of two such panels, at least one face is perpendicular to the panel and intersects both the first face of the first coupled panel and the second plane of the panel coupled to the first panel.