Interlocking Composite Floor Planks for Adhesive-Free Floating Floors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floor coverings face issues such as the need for adhesive application, which is time-consuming, costly, and messy, and mechanical locking systems in laminate flooring are heavy, water-resistant, and prone to joint strength failures due to humidity changes.
Innovation Solution
The development of resilient composite planks with interlocking tongue and groove profiles that are lightweight, water-resistant, and easy to install, featuring balanced cross-sectional areas and angled edges for enhanced joint strength and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If adhesive is used to secure floor covering, then the floor covering is held in place and achieves a level surface, but the installation process becomes time-consuming, costly, and messy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the adhesive component from the flooring system entirely, replacing it with a mechanical interlocking mechanism between planks. The tongue and groove profiles engage with each other and with the subfloor, eliminating the need for adhesive application while maintaining floor covering stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical bonding system (adhesive) with a mechanical interlocking system. The tongue and groove profiles create physical connections through engagement with the subfloor and adjacent planks, providing stability through mechanical means rather than chemical adhesion.
2Reliability
If full-spread adhesive is applied to secure resilient floor covering, then the floor covering remains in place and stays level, but the installation process becomes cumbersome and requires extensive floor preparation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the adhesive from the system and replaces it with mechanical interlocking features. The tongue and groove profiles provide direct mechanical connection to the subfloor and adjacent planks, eliminating the need for adhesive application and associated preparation steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The flooring planks are designed with self-leveling and self-securing features through their geometric profiles. The tongue and groove configuration automatically positions and secures planks during installation without requiring adhesive application or extensive subfloor preparation, making the system self-sufficient.
3Ease of operation
If laminate flooring uses mechanical locking system, then installation is easier without adhesive, but the flooring becomes heavy and water-resistant with joint strength failures due to humidity changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite material construction with a resin-bound aggregate layer over a backing layer, creating a material that is both lightweight and dimensionally stable. This composite structure resists humidity-induced swelling and shrinking, maintaining joint strength while enabling easy mechanical installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the material properties of the flooring planks by using resin-bound aggregates with specific grain sizes and resin content ratios. These parameter changes create a material that is lightweight yet dimensionally stable, preventing joint strength failures while maintaining ease of mechanical installation.
4Ease of operation
If wood-based core is used in laminate flooring, then mechanical locking system can be implemented, but the flooring becomes susceptible to moisture and humidity changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces wood-based cores with composite materials consisting of resin-bound aggregates. This composite construction provides dimensional stability and moisture resistance while maintaining compatibility with mechanical locking systems, eliminating the harmful effects of moisture and humidity changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material composition from wood-based to resin-bound aggregate composites. This parameter change fundamentally alters the material's response to moisture, making it resistant to swelling and shrinking while preserving the mechanical joining capabilities needed for easy installation.
Data Source
AI summary
Surface coverings, such as floor coverings, with an interlocking design are described. Methods of making the surface coverings are further described. A plank including a resilient composite sheet having four sides, an upper surface, a lower surface, and an overall thickness, and said composite sheet including at least one base layer, wherein said at least one base layer including at least one polymeric material and at least one filler, wherein opposite sides of the composite sheet include a first tongue on a first side and a first groove on the opposite second side, wherein the first tongue and first groove have complementary shape to each other to be interlockingly engageable with a corresponding groove or tongue on an adjacent floor plank.