Mechanical Floor Panel Coupling for Stable Herringbone Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floor panels struggle with the challenge of forming a stable herringbone pattern while minimizing height differences, gaps, or slits between coupled panels, especially those made from materials like synthetic materials that undergo significant dimensional changes with temperature fluctuations.
Innovation Solution
The floor panels are designed with oblong rectangular shapes featuring mechanical coupling parts on all edges, allowing for a turning movement to interlock in a herringbone pattern, with male and female parts on opposite edges providing both horizontal and vertical locking, and additional locking portions for enhanced stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If floor panels are made from synthetic materials that undergo dimensional changes with temperature, then adaptability to environmental conditions is improved, but height differences and gaps between coupled panels increase
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling parts are designed with adjustable geometric parameters including elongation in the longitudinal direction and lateral compression in the transverse direction. This allows the coupling parts to adapt to dimensional changes of the floor panels caused by temperature fluctuations, maintaining firm coupling while accommodating material expansion and contraction
Solution Approach 2:
The floor panel edge is divided into separate coupling parts that can independently deform and adapt. The coupling part is segmented into male and female portions with specific geometric features that allow differential movement, enabling the system to accommodate thermal expansion while maintaining structural integrity
2Ease of operation
If mechanical coupling parts are provided on all edges of floor panels, then ease of installation in herringbone pattern is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling part design provides multi-functionality by enabling the same coupling mechanism to work for all four edges of rectangular floor panels. The male and female coupling parts can be positioned on any edge, allowing flexible installation patterns including herringbone, straight, and diagonal layouts using the same basic coupling geometry
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling parts feature asymmetric geometry with male portions having protruding elements and female portions having corresponding recesses. This asymmetric design provides directional coupling that guides proper panel orientation during installation while maintaining relatively simple manufacturing processes
3Reliability
If locking portions are added to coupling parts for vertical locking, then reliability of coupling is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling part geometry incorporates built-in compensation features that cushion against manufacturing tolerances. The elongated male coupling part with lateral compression capability provides a tolerance buffer that absorbs alignment variations, reducing the stringency of manufacturing precision requirements while maintaining reliable locking
Solution Approach 2:
The locking portions are designed with adjustable geometric parameters including length, width, and engagement depth. These parameters can be optimized to balance locking reliability with tolerance accommodation, allowing the system to achieve firm coupling without requiring extremely tight manufacturing tolerances
Data Source
AI summary
A set of floor panels includes floor panels that are oblong rectangular and have a pair of long edges and a pair of short edges. The long and the short edges are provided with mechanical coupling parts, which allow coupling the floor panels of the set to each other such that a herringbone pattern can be realized herewith.