Wooden Flooring Board Interlocking System with Plywood Lamella

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wooden flooring boards face challenges in forming precise interlocking means at transverse ends, leading to inefficient manufacturing and imprecise interlocking with adjacent boards, due to the orientation of wood fibers and the use of softwood lamellas that can detach during machining.

Innovation Solution

The wooden flooring board features a plywood structure with interlocking layers and connection grooves at transverse ends, where each wood layer has a distinct fiber direction, and a core made of softwood lamellas that can be easily shaped for precise interlocking, ensuring stable connections with adjacent boards.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If interlocking means are formed at the second pair of opposite edges with wood fibers extending parallel to the edges, then the flooring board can provide interlocking capability at all edges, but the interlocking means do not show mechanical properties aligned with standard requirements and cannot be precisely formed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinterlocking capability at all edgesVSAvoidprecision of interlocking means

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The flooring board is divided into a decor layer and a core layer, each with different wood fiber orientations. The decor layer has fibers perpendicular to the first pair of edges for precise interlocking, while the core layer has fibers parallel to the second pair of edges for structural support and interlocking capability at all edges.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the flooring board have different wood fiber orientations tailored to their specific functions. The decor layer provides precise interlocking at the first pair of edges where precision is critical, while the core layer provides structural integrity and interlocking at the second pair of edges where structural support is prioritized.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of manufacture

If the core is made from joint wood lamellas made from soft wood, then the lamellas can be easily shaped, but the joints are located at the location of machining which creates the risk of detaching a wood lamella

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of shaping lamellasVSAvoidstability of wood lamella connection

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The wood lamellas are pre-assembled into a stable core structure with joints positioned away from machining locations before the interlocking means are formed. This preliminary assembly ensures that the joints are not subjected to machining forces that could cause detachment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of positioning joints at machining locations for ease of assembly, the joints are deliberately positioned away from machining locations. The core structure is designed with joints at stable positions, and the interlocking means are then formed at the edges away from these joints, inverting the conventional approach.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Manufacturing precision

If interlocking means are formed at the first pair of opposite edges with wood fibers perpendicular to the edges, then the edges are easily machinable with high precision, but the interlocking means at the second pair of edges cannot be precisely formed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprecision of interlocking means at first edgesVSAvoidinterlocking capability at second edges

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The flooring board is segmented into decor layer and core layer with complementary fiber orientations. The decor layer provides precise interlocking at the first pair of edges, while the core layer provides structural support and enables interlocking at the second pair of edges through its parallel fiber orientation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The decor layer and core layer have asymmetric wood fiber orientations relative to the board edges. The decor layer has fibers perpendicular to the first pair of edges for precise machining, while the core layer has fibers parallel to the second pair of edges, creating an asymmetric structure that optimizes both precision and versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentEP3315687B1Wooden flooring board with a connection system having a plywood lamella and kit of boards

Publication Date: 2020.05.27 TARKETT GDL

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AI summary

This wooden flooring board (100) comprises first and second longitudinal ends (110, 120) extending parallel to a longitudinal axis (X), first and second transversal ends (130, 140) extending parallel to a transversal axis (Y), first and second connection means with a flooring board. The first connection means (200) comprise wood layers (212), the wood fibre direction of at least two successive wood layers (212) differing one from another of more than 45°. The board comprises a connection groove (214) having a first recess (216) and a protrusion (218) which define an interlocking surface (220). The board comprises an interlocking layer (222) of greater thickness than the thickness of the remaining wood layers (212), forming the interlocking surface (220) and having a wood fibre direction being substantially different from the wood fibre direction of at least a wood layer (212, 226) adjacent to the interlocking surface.