Laminated Floor Panel Hooked Tongue Structure Against Thermal Decoupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laminated floor panels experience significant mechanical stress and potential decoupling due to thermal expansion and contraction, especially at the short sides, when subjected to non-uniform moisture, leading to issues with tongue and groove coupling.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a first hook on the second upward tongue that protrudes parallel to the second side, allowing it to hook into the clearance between the lower upward tongue block and the second upward tongue of an adjacent panel, and a second hook on the fourth downward tongue that hooks into the upper downward tongue block of another panel, creating a continuous upward or downward tongue for enhanced coupling and reducing thermal expansion effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional tongue and groove coupling is used to join floor panels, then the floor covering can be assembled without glue, but thermal expansion and contraction cause significant mechanical stress leading to decoupling of panels
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling system is segmented into multiple independent coupling points along the panel edges. Instead of a single continuous tongue-groove interface, the coupling is divided into discrete segments that can independently accommodate thermal movement, reducing stress concentration and preventing decoupling while maintaining glue-free assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling system incorporates dynamic elements that allow for thermal expansion and contraction. The segmented tongue and groove structures can move relative to each other within controlled ranges, enabling the floor covering to adapt to dimensional changes without generating excessive mechanical stress that would cause decoupling
2Productivity
If floor panels are coupled using tongue and groove at short sides, then panels can be quickly assembled, but mechanical stress builds up causing local disengagement from subflooring
Solution Approach 1:
The short side coupling is segmented into multiple discrete coupling zones rather than a single continuous joint. This segmentation allows each zone to independently maintain panel positioning while accommodating local thermal movements, preventing cumulative stress that would cause disengagement from subflooring
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the coupling interface are given different functional properties. Certain areas are designed with tighter tolerances for stable positioning, while other areas incorporate clearance or flexibility to accommodate thermal expansion, creating a differentiated coupling system that simultaneously achieves quick assembly and maintains panel stability
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 configuration significantly reduces the adverse effects of thermal expansion and contraction by strengthening the coupling between panels, minimizing the risk of decoupling and ensuring a stable floor covering.
Implementation Method 1
A well known problem of floor coverings comprising laminated floor panels is related to thermal expansion or contraction, particularly when the floor panels are subjected to moisture in a non-uniform manner.
Data Source
AI summary
A floor panel and a floor covering including a plurality of such floor panels, and more particularly, a laminated floor panel. The floor panel includes a hook that protrudes from an upward tongue of one floor panel to engage a clearance between an upward tongue block and an upward tongue of an adjacent floor panel.