Self-Locking Floor Panel Couplings for Heavy-Load Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing self-locking floor panels experience sliding and uncoupling issues under traffic stress, especially when subjected to heavy loads, and conventional solutions either fail to provide sufficient resistance or complicate installation.
Innovation Solution
The panels feature male and female coupling means with parallel grooves and tenons on vertical edges, and lugs/notches on inclined edges, enhancing resistance to horizontal and vertical uncoupling, allowing for reduced thickness while maintaining strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If panels use conventional coupling means for inclined assembly, then assembly is simple, but panels slide under traffic and apply high stresses to vertical assembly means
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling system is segmented into two independent functional pairs: inclined assembly coupling means (male/female tongues) for ease of installation, and vertical assembly means (lugs/notches) for stability under traffic. This segmentation allows each subsystem to optimize its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a second dimension of coupling by adding vertical assembly means (lugs and notches) that operate perpendicular to the inclined assembly direction. This multi-dimensional coupling approach prevents sliding along the assembly rotation axis while maintaining the simplicity of inclined assembly.
2Reliability
If panels use flexible tongue coupling to limit sliding, then resistance to uncoupling improves, but panels cannot withstand heavy loads like forklifts
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling system combines rigid elements (lugs and notches for vertical assembly, outer walls for inclined assembly) with flexible elements (inner male tongue for inclined engagement). This composite approach provides both the flexibility needed for assembly and the rigidity required to withstand heavy loads like forklifts.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner male tongue is designed with flexibility to deform during inclined engagement, allowing smooth assembly. The combination of flexible and rigid components creates a coupling system that can accommodate assembly movements while resisting heavy vertical and horizontal loads.
3Reliability
If panels are glued to support to prevent uncoupling, then stability improves, but installation becomes long and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The panels perform their own coupling function through the self-locking mechanism of the lugs and notches, eliminating the need for external adhesives or complex fastening systems. The mechanical interlocking provides inherent stability without requiring additional materials or complex installation procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the chemical bonding method (gluing) with a mechanical coupling system (lugs and notches) that provides equivalent or superior stability while simplifying installation. The mechanical interlocking allows for easy assembly and disassembly without requiring adhesives.
4Ease of operation
If panels use conventional coupling means, then assembly is straightforward, but panel thickness must be greater to maintain strength
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling means are segmented into distinct functional elements (lugs, notches, tongues, outer walls) that can be optimized independently. This allows the use of thinner panels while maintaining sufficient strength in each coupling component, as the load is distributed across multiple specialized elements rather than requiring a single thick structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the panel edge are assigned different local qualities: lugs and notches provide vertical interlocking, outer walls provide inclined assembly guidance, and the inner tongue provides flexible engagement. This localized optimization allows thinner overall panel thickness while maintaining adequate strength in each functional zone.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a panel for producing of a floor covering, the panel comprising two pairs of opposite sides defining—two opposite edges for the assembly at an angle, of which one edge comprises male coupling means provided from a side wall of the panel, and an opposite edge comprises complementary female coupling means provided from a side wall of the panel; two opposite edges for vertical assembly, of which one edge comprises a male coupling means provide provided from a bottom face of the panel, and an opposite edge comprises complementary female coupling means provided from a top face of the panel. According to the invention, the male coupling means of the edges for vertical assembly comprise two parallel groves that extend along the edge and open onto a lower face of the panel so as to define an inner male groove.