Floor Panel Locking Element With Curved Control Portion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floor panel assemblies with deformable locking elements face challenges in reliable guidance and engagement of locking surfaces, often requiring synchronized movement and gradual engagement, which can lead to gaps and instability, especially under varying loads and non-parallel panel orientations.
Innovation Solution
The floor panel assembly incorporates a deformable locking element with a control portion that transitions from a curved to a straight shape, utilizing pivots and spring-like connections to ensure reliable engagement of locking surfaces, allowing for instantaneous locking under spring force, even with non-parallel panel movements, and features a male and female joining member configuration with inclined locking surfaces to facilitate secure interlocking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a deformable locking element is used in floor panel assemblies, then the locking mechanism can adapt to panel movements, but the guidance and engagement of locking surfaces becomes unreliable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a control portion as an intermediary element that mediates between the panel edges and the locking element. This control portion, through its curved guide and pivots, ensures reliable transmission of movement forces to the locking element, thereby maintaining reliable locking surface engagement while adapting to panel movements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical engagement between panel edges and locking element with a controlled deformation mechanism. The control portion deforms in a controlled manner (from curved to straight shape) to drive the locking element, substituting direct force transmission with a controlled deformation process that improves reliability.
2Manufacturing precision
If synchronized movement and gradual engagement are required for locking surfaces, then engagement precision may be improved, but gaps and instability occur under varying loads and non-parallel orientations
Solution Approach 1:
The control portion is pre-formed with a curved shape that is designed to deform into a straight shape during panel assembly. This preliminary configuration ensures that as the panels move into position, the control portion automatically drives the locking element to engage the locking surfaces, achieving both precision and stability without requiring synchronized movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a dynamic control portion that can deform from a curved to a straight shape during the locking process. This dynamic adaptation allows the mechanism to accommodate non-parallel panel orientations and varying loads, maintaining engagement precision and stability simultaneously.
3Ease of operation
If the locking element requires gradual engagement, then control over the locking process is improved, but instantaneous locking cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The control portion's deformation process occurs in a controlled sequence: initially curved to allow panel insertion, then progressively straightening as panels move into position, culminating in instantaneous locking when the straightened control portion engages the locking surfaces. This periodic action provides both control and speed.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution ensures secure and gap-free interlocking of floor panels, maintaining stability under varying loads and non-parallel orientations, with instantaneous engagement of locking surfaces, reducing the need for synchronized movement and enhancing the locking mechanism's resilience against disengagement.
Implementation Method 1
the control portion of the locking element is curved in the first position of the locking element in which the tongue of the locking element is inactive and is moved to a more straight shape in the second position of the locking element
Implementation Method 2
The connecting portion (35) of the locking element (20) includes a spring-like part to absorb the movement of the control portion (36) and to transfer it to the tongue (33)
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The invention relates to a floor panel assembly comprising sheet-shaped floor panels (1, 2) provided with edges, a lower side (10) and an upper side (9), whereby each panel is provided, on a first edge (5), with a first joining member (11) and, on a second edge (6), with a second joining member (12), said joining members (11, 12) being adapted to be joined by a movement of two panels with their first and second panel edges towards to each other, said joining members (11, 12) locking the panels at the adjacent edges (5, 6) vertically and horizontally, said joining members (11, 12) being provided with a locking element (20) which is deformable and/or movable, during said joining, from a first position allowing the joining members to be joined, to a second position in which it locks the joining members to each other, wherein the locking element (20) is provided on one of the joining members and comprises a first locking surface (37) adapted to co-operate with a second locking surface (38) on the other joining member. In order to allow a reliable guiding of the locking element upon joining, it is foreseen that the locking element (20) has: a tongue (33) on one end bearing said first locking surface (37); a control portion (36) near the other end; and a connecting portion (35) between them, whereby said connection portion (35) is slidably accommodated in a channel (34) and pushed towards a first end of the channel (34) when the locking element is moved and/or deformed from the first to the second position by means of the control portion (36) extending from an opposite end of the channel for co-operation with the other joining member.