Floor Plank Connection Joints for Reduced Material Waste
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tongue and groove connection joints in wood flooring require substantial thickness for strength, leading to material waste and vulnerability to buckling and loosening due to humidity changes, as they necessitate thick planks that reduce the wear layer and increase residual waste when refinished.
Innovation Solution
The development of connection joints with unique shapes, such as wedge and wedge-shaped slot, and cleat and cleft designs that allow for a thinner overall plank thickness while maintaining a higher wear layer percentage, incorporating gaps and swell reliefs to enhance structural strength and stability across temperature and humidity changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If tongue and groove connection joints are used, then structural strength is achieved, but plank thickness must be substantial leading to material waste
Solution Approach 1:
The connection joint is divided into distinct functional segments: a tongue portion extending from one plank, a groove portion in the adjacent plank, and a separate fastening mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, enabling the joint to achieve sufficient strength with thinner planks by distributing structural requirements across multiple specialized elements rather than requiring uniform thickness throughout the entire plank.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection joint transitions from a two-dimensional surface connection to a three-dimensional interlocking structure with vertical engagement. The tongue extends upward from the plank surface while the groove receives it with fasteners penetrating through both planks, creating a multi-level connection that achieves superior strength in thinner materials by utilizing the third dimension for structural integrity.
2Loss of substance
If plank thickness is reduced to minimize waste, then material usage decreases, but connection joint strength is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The connection joint incorporates locally optimized features including a tongue with increased thickness at its root portion for strength, a groove with reinforced walls, and strategically positioned fastener holes. These localized quality enhancements concentrate structural strength where needed most in the joint interface, allowing the overall plank thickness to be reduced while maintaining connection integrity through targeted reinforcement at critical locations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional tongue and groove joints are used, then planks can be joined, but they are vulnerable to buckling and loosening due to humidity changes
Solution Approach 1:
The connection joint incorporates dynamic adjustment capabilities through elongated fastener holes that allow controlled movement of planks relative to each other. As humidity changes cause plank expansion or contraction, the fasteners can shift within the elongated holes, maintaining connection integrity while accommodating dimensional changes. This dynamic adaptability prevents buckling and loosening by allowing the joint to flex with environmental conditions rather than resisting rigidly.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection joint design changes key geometric parameters including the shape and orientation of fastener holes, the profile of the tongue and groove interfaces, and the spacing of connection points. These parameter modifications enable the joint to accommodate thermal and moisture-induced dimensional changes while maintaining structural reliability, transforming the joint from a rigid fixed connection to an adaptable system that responds to environmental parameter variations.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1C
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3D
AI summary
The present technology relates to connection joints for surface coverings which includes but is not limited to floor coverings and building panels. Embodiments of the present technology include connection joints that are strong and allow for the use of less material than is needed for tongue and groove connection joints. In embodiments related to floor coverings, these advantages are accomplished by reducing total thickness of a floor plank while increasing the thickness of the wear layer relative to the overall thickness of the floor plank and still be able to maintain a structurally strong connection joint.