Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
  • E04F15/00—Flooring
  • E04F15/02—Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements
  • E04F15/04—Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements only of wood or with a top layer of wood, e.g. with wooden or metal connecting members
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
  • E04F2201/00—Joining sheets or plates or panels
  • E04F2201/01—Joining sheets, plates or panels with edges in abutting relationship
  • E04F2201/0153—Joining sheets, plates or panels with edges in abutting relationship by rotating the sheets, plates or panels around an axis which is parallel to the abutting edges, possibly combined with a sliding movement
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
  • E04F2201/00—Joining sheets or plates or panels
  • E04F2201/02—Non-undercut connections, e.g. tongue and groove connections
  • E04F2201/023—Non-undercut connections, e.g. tongue and groove connections with a continuous tongue or groove
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
  • E04F2201/00—Joining sheets or plates or panels
  • E04F2201/05—Separate connectors or inserts, e.g. pegs, pins, keys or strips
  • E04F2201/0594—Hinge-like connectors

Definitions

• the invention relates to a locking system for panels with at least two opposite edges of the panels arranged edge profiles for positive connection of similar panels, comprising an edge profile formed as a groove profile with an upper groove wall and a lower groove wall and an edge profile designed as a tongue profile with a locking projection arranged on the underside of the tongue , which engages behind a snap-in recess in the lower groove wall of a neighboring panel in the joined state, the engaging edge profiles forming a joint which, both in the upward and downward deflected state of the connection, brings about a restoring effect of the panels in their laying plane.
• the invention also relates to a panel with the locking system according to the invention.
• Such locking systems are used, for example, for floor panels, such as parquet panels with a real wood surface or laminate panels.
• the latter are made from a core of MDF, HDF or chipboard and have a reproduced surface from an art decor.
• a generic locking system is known, the connection of which has an articulated function.
• Locking systems of this type are used for floor coverings which, for example, lie on uneven surfaces or which are subject to deflection in the connection area because of a soft base, for example impact sound insulation have to.
• a deflection of the connection causes high stress in the area of the tongue and groove profiles of two locked panels, because the connection warps under load.
• the material of the panels cannot withstand the high stresses in the area of the edge profiles and fails in the connection area.
• the known articulated connection can be laid in two ways, the type of laying described as the second having the undesirable side effect that the connection has a particularly low strength against pulling apart.
• a new panel is preferably placed obliquely with the spring in front of a lying panel and then folded down or turned down until it lies in the common installation plane of the panels and locks automatically.
• the spring of the known locking system has a long, pointed shape.
• An inclined surface is arranged on the top of the tongue, which is intended to facilitate the threading of the spring tip into the groove.
• the spring With manual handling, the spring proves to be very easily vulnerable due to its pointed shape. This has an adverse effect on ease of installation, the lifespan and usability of the product.
• the invention has for its object to provide a locking system for an articulated panel connection, which is easier to handle, has better strength against pulling apart and is more durable than the known locking system.
• the object is achieved in that the upper groove wall has a free surface on the inside that opens to the free end of the groove wall
• a leveling surface running towards the base of the groove is connected to the free surface, by means of which an exact height alignment is achieved without a height offset between locked panels.
• the part of the inside of the upper groove wall that runs from the free surface to the groove base forms the leveling surface, the distance between it and the surface of the panel exactly matching the distance between the top of the tongue and the surface of the panel, so that there is no height offset between locked panels.
• the free surface can have a curved or a flat course, a straight course being favorable in terms of production technology and a curved course being somewhat gentler for the joining process of the panels.
• a leveling surface is also provided on the top of the tongue, which in the assembled state of the panels interacts with the leveling surface of the upper groove wall. Since the upper groove wall has a free surface at the front free end, the leveling surface of the tongue is only partially in contact with the leveling surface of the upper groove wall, namely in the region of the free end of the tongue. If the leveling surface of the tongue were in contact with the upper groove wall along the entire length of the tongue surface, this would result in a rigid connection. The free area gives the connection a resilience which favors the joint function of the connection and reduces the stresses in the material of the edge profiles.
• connection created in this way enables the joint to move without causing a break in the tongue or damaging the groove walls due to excessive tension.
• the handling and the durability of the locking system is improved if the spring dimension, so that the tongue protrudes over the upper edge of the panel, is less than or equal to the thickness of the upper groove wall of the groove profile.
• a spring with these dimensions is a spring that is short compared to the prior art.
• the short feather has the advantage that a relatively short threading path of the tongue must be covered when inserting it obliquely into a groove profile.
• the proposed locking system is therefore particularly easy to handle and can be installed much faster than the known locking system.
• the spring has a blunt surface at its free end, which is more robust and durable than the pointed shape of the spring of the known locking system.
• the groove depth of the groove profile by which the groove protrudes behind the upper edge of the panel, is expediently approximately half that of the spring dimension described above.
• the tongue protrudes by a tongue dimension of 2/3 into the groove when two panels are assembled, so that it extends between the free end of the tongue and the groove base
• Such a large groove depth would not be necessary to merely accommodate the tongue in the groove.
• the large groove depth influences the resilient length of the lower groove wall protruding freely from the edge of the one panel. This makes the connection resiliently reduces the stresses in the material and therefore increases the durability of the connection.
• the resilient length of the lower groove wall preferably corresponds almost to the thickness of the panel. This is because the spring travel required at the free end of the lower groove wall is only relatively small in relation to the length of the tongue and the elastic expansion when joining the panels causes only slight stresses in the material which can be borne without problems.
• the depth of the latching recess in the lower groove wall is advantageously approximately one third of the thickness of the tongue. A degree of undercut in the assembled state is thus achieved, which prevents the panels from being pulled apart when installed. prevented under normal operating conditions.
• the amount of undercut of the locking system according to the invention has been approximately doubled, and the associated strength against pulling apart of panels located in the laying plane has been drastically increased.
• the cutting dimensions at the edges of the panels are relatively small. They are preferably different on the groove profile side and on the tongue profile side.
• a panel in particular a floor panel, is advantageously equipped with a locking system according to the invention.
• the locking profile is preferably used for laminate flooring panels that consist of a core material made of HDF, MDF or chipboard, with the edge profiles of the locking system being milled on the edges of the panels.
• Fig. 1 A locking system based on a tongue profile and a groove profile of two assembled Panee- le,
• FIG. 4 is an illustration of the locking system according to FIG. 1 in a connection which is deflected downwards towards the laying substrate.
• the locking system 1 consists of two form-fitting interlocking edge profiles, which are arranged on the edges of a panel 2 or 3.
• the edge profiles are largely complementary to one another as groove profile 4 and tongue profile 5.
• the groove profile 4 on one edge of a panel 2 or 3 is always opposed by a spring profile 5 on the opposite edge of the same panel 2 or 3. In this way, panels 2 and 3 with the same profile can be connected to one another.
• the locking system 1 is advantageously provided on all opposite sides of a panel 2 or 3.
• the described embodiment relates to floor panels which are provided with the locking system according to the invention.
• the locking system can of course also be used, for example, for wall and ceiling cladding panels or for panels for the fence or house building where the problem of deflection arises to a lesser extent.
• the locking system according to the invention is a modified tongue and groove profile.
• the groove walls 6 and 7 of the groove profile 4 protrude differently from the edge of the panel 3.
• Areas 8 and 9 next to the spring 10 of the spring profile 5 apply that they protrude differently from the edge of the panel 2.
• Spring profile 5 and groove profile 4 are adapted to one another with their aforementioned projecting groove walls 6 and 7 or the recessed areas 8 and 9 in such a way that they can be joined together.
• a concave locking recess 11 is incorporated in the inside of the lower groove wall 7, which is engaged behind by a convex locking projection 12 in the assembled state according to FIG.
• the convex locking projection 12 is arranged on the underside of the spring 10 facing the laying base U.
• an edge strip 13 forms a resistance against the flat pulling out of the tongue 10 of the panel 2 from the groove profile 4 of the neighboring panel 3.
• edges of the edge profiles are in contact with one another only in three regions.
• the first to be mentioned is the upper edge of the two panels 2 and 3 facing away from the laying substrate U, on which there is a closed gap-free joint.
• abutting surfaces 14 and 15 come into contact.
• the second point of contact is the point of contact between the upper side of the tongue and the inside of the upper groove wall.
• leveling surfaces 16 and 17 of the two edge profiles are in contact with one another, both the leveling surface 16 of the tongue 10 and the leveling surface 17 of the upper groove wall 6 having exactly the same distance dimension from the top of the respective panel 2 or 3. In this way, a height offset between the joined panels 2 and 3 is avoided.
• the third point of contact is the contact between the concave latching recess 11 of the lower groove wall 7 and the convex latching projection 12 of the tongue 10. This point of contact is located on the part of the latching recess 11 facing the free end of the lower groove wall 7. There are generous free spaces between these points of contact 18, 19 and 20 are provided so that a contact actually only ever occurs at the desired contact points and a gap-free, closed joint is ensured on the top of a floor covering and there is no height offset.
• a flat free surface 21 is provided on the inside of the upper groove wall 6, so that the upper side of the tongue only serves as a leveling surface 16 in the region of its free end, which is in contact with the leveling surface 17 of the upper groove wall 6.
• a spring dimension f is shown, by which the spring 10 protrudes over the upper edge of the panel 2.
• This spring dimension f is less than or equal to the thickness n of the upper groove wall 6. It is a relatively small projecting spring 10.
• the oblique free surface 21 on the upper groove wall 6 forms a wide mouth-like opening 22 into which the short Spring 10 can be inserted very easily.
• the groove depth t by which the groove protrudes behind the upper edge of the panel 3, is approximately half deeper than the spring dimension f. Such a groove depth t would not be required to accommodate the spring 10. However, it favors the resilience of the groove walls 6 and 7, in particular the lower groove wall 7, which has to be widened by a slight amount in a spring-elastic manner in order to join the panels 2 and 3. The resilience of the material results in a restoring effect.
• the panels 2 and 3 spring back to the zero position shown in FIG. 1, in which both panels are in a common plane.
• the resulting free space 19 also serves to hold dirt particles that can get into the connection during the laying of the panels 2 and 3.
• Au- the connection can be improved by adding adhesive in the free space 19, but depending on the choice of adhesive, a change in the joint properties of the connection occurs.
• FIG. 2 shows the attachment of a panel 2 with the tongue profile 5 to the groove profile 4 of a panel 3 that is already on the laying substrate U.
• the blunt free end 23 of the tongue 10 can be inserted diagonally very easily over a short threading path.
• a first edge contact 24 results at the upper edge of the panels 2 and 3.
• a second edge contact 25 results at the tongue upper side with the upper groove wall 6 and a third contact 26 at the convex locking projection 12 of the tongue 10 and the concave locking recess 11 of the lower one Groove wall 7. From the position shown in FIG. 2, a minimal widening is brought about by continuing the joining process, essentially by springing the lower groove wall 7 away from the laying substrate U.
• the convex locking projection 12 of the spring 10 is moved into the locking recess 11 of the lower groove wall 7 and the final position of the panels 2 and 3 is reached, as shown in FIG. 1.
• the locking projection 12 of the spring 10 engages behind the edge strip of the lower groove wall 7 and ensures a firm hold against planar pulling apart.
• the locking system 1 is used for floor coverings that lie, for example, on uneven laying grounds U.
• connection In order to withstand such loads, constructive measures are provided that give the connection the necessary articulated flexibility.
• the flexibility prevents a deflection of the connection from causing such high stresses in the area of the groove profile 4 and the tongue profile 5 that the material of the panels 2 and 3 fails under the high stresses.
• the positions shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are arbitrary positions for the movement. They are not end positions for the joint movement.
• Figure 3 shows the connection, in an upwards, i.e. Deflection state moved away from the installation base U. In this position there is again a slight resilient deflection essentially on the lower groove wall 7. Due to its resilience, the lower groove wall 7 exerts a restoring effect on the panels 2 and 3 as soon as the load is removed. As a result of the articulation, the free space 20 between the root of the spring 10 and the edge strip 13 of the lower groove wall 7 has been reduced. The available free space 20 allows the articulated flexibility of the connection. The free space 18, however, increases.
• FIG. 4 shows a deflection of the locking system in the opposite direction, towards the laying base U.
• a resilient widening essentially of the lower groove wall 7 is to be noted, which likewise has a restoring effect on the panels 2 and 3 when the load is withdrawn exercises. Due to the articulated movement, the free space 18 between the spring 10 and the free surface 21 of the upper groove wall 6 has now been reduced. In this case, the free space 18 allows the joint to be flexible. The free space 20, however, increases.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Wood Science & Technology (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Floor Finish (AREA)
• Finishing Walls (AREA)
• Load-Engaging Elements For Cranes (AREA)
• Butt Welding And Welding Of Specific Article (AREA)
• Joining Of Building Structures In Genera (AREA)
• Connection Of Plates (AREA)
• Roof Covering Using Slabs Or Stiff Sheets (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (2)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (11)

Cited By (1)

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• 2002
  • 2002-04-04 DE DE10214972A patent/DE10214972A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2002-04-04 DE DE20220655U patent/DE20220655U1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2002-09-17 US US10/245,611 patent/US7146772B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2003
  • 2003-03-28 EP EP03722237A patent/EP1490566B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-03-28 ES ES03722237T patent/ES2270017T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-03-28 PL PL374055A patent/PL204800B1/pl unknown
  • 2003-03-28 AU AU2003229498A patent/AU2003229498A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-03-28 RU RU2004132214/03A patent/RU2004132214A/ru unknown
  • 2003-03-28 AT AT03722237T patent/ATE335893T1/de active
  • 2003-03-28 CN CNB038074591A patent/CN100354491C/zh not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-03-28 WO PCT/DE2003/001025 patent/WO2003085222A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 2003-03-28 DE DE50304572T patent/DE50304572D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2003-03-28 CA CA002481393A patent/CA2481393C/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2006
  • 2006-12-12 US US11/637,441 patent/US7454874B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2007
  • 2007-08-01 RU RU2007129572/03A patent/RU2451783C2/ru active

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