U.S. patent application number 11/072450 was filed with the patent office on 2005-09-08 for wooden material board, in particular flooring panel.
This patent application is currently assigned to Kronotec AG.. Invention is credited to Vogel, Hans.
Application Number | 20050193677 11/072450 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34813628 |
Filed Date | 2005-09-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050193677 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Vogel, Hans |
September 8, 2005 |
Wooden material board, in particular flooring panel
Abstract
An amendment to an abstract is also provided herein. The changes
are minor in nature, and, as such, a replacement abstract with
markings to show all changes relative to the immediate prior
version, is attached hereto.
Inventors: |
Vogel, Hans; (Ruswil,
CH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GREENBLUM & BERNSTEIN, P.L.C.
1950 ROLAND CLARKE PLACE
RESTON
VA
20191
US
|
Assignee: |
Kronotec AG.
Luzern
CH
|
Family ID: |
34813628 |
Appl. No.: |
11/072450 |
Filed: |
March 7, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/592.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04F 15/02 20130101;
E04F 13/0867 20130101; B44C 5/043 20130101; E04F 15/20 20130101;
E04F 15/181 20130101; E04F 2201/03 20130101; E04F 13/0871
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/592.1 |
International
Class: |
E04F 013/08; E04B
002/18 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 8, 2004 |
DE |
10 2004 011 531.1 |
Claims
1. A wooden material board, comprising a tongue formed on at least
one side edge I and a groove formed on a opposite side edge II,
which comprises a pattern printed onto a top side, a first elastic
varnish layer applied to the printed pattern and a second varnish
layer applied to the first elastic varnish layer and is harder than
the first elastic varnish layer.
2. The wooden material board as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
second varnish layer is inelastic.
3. The wooden material board as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
varnishes of the first and second varnish layers are
UV-curable.
4. The wooden material board as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
first and second varnish layers are transparent.
5. The wooden material board as claimed in claim 1, which comprises
a tongue formed on a further side edge III and a groove formed on
another opposite side edge IV.
6. The wooden material board as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
tongue and the groove have locking means which, in the case of two
panels joined to each other, prevent displacement transversely with
respect to a joining direction.
7. The wooden material board as claimed in claim 5, wherein the
tongue and the groove have locking means which, in the case of two
panels joined to each other, prevent displacement transversely with
respect to a joining direction.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119 of German Patent Application No. 10 2004 011 531.1, filed
on Mar. 8, 2004, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated
by reference herein in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to a wooden material board, in
particular a flooring panel, having a tongue formed on at least one
side edge and a groove formed on the opposite side edge, and a top
side and an underside.
[0004] 2. Discussion of Background Information
[0005] Flooring panels having a wooden material supporting board
are normally designated laminate panels and have been on the market
for many years as a substitute for parquet. The desired pattern
(parquet, wood grain, tiles and so on) is printed onto a paper web,
which is then coated with resin and rolled up onto a roll. The
decorative web prefabricated in this way is placed on the
supporting board at the flooring manufacturer and is pressed. As a
result of pressing the pattern onto the paper web, the subsequent
sealing of the paper web with synthetic resin and the following
joining of the decorative layer to the supporting board by pressure
and temperature, the dimensions of the paper web change. Those
skilled in the art speak of the paper growing. The paper grows both
in terms of length (length growth) and in terms of width (width
growth). If this decorative board is now to be cut to size to form
individual panels, the length and width growth must be taken into
account, since otherwise there would be an unequal distribution of
decoration on the individual panels. The consequence of this would
be that the floor composed of unequally distributed decorative
layers would exhibit jumps in the decoration at the joining edges
of the panels. Even if such jumps in the decoration only amount to
a few millimeters, they stand out when viewed, which has a
detrimental influence on the esthetic impression and therefore
reduces the quality of the laid floor.
[0006] In order to be able to produce with a suitable quality, the
paper growth must be registered and the saw which cuts the panels
to shape from the supporting board must be set appropriately.
Manual setting is very complicated. DE 100 19 054 describes a
method of cutting panels to size from a supporting board, with
which the saw can be adapted automatically to the paper growth.
Cameras are needed for this purpose, which determine the actual
position of defined decorative points. The actual position is
therefore compared with the desired position and the deviation of
the width or length dimension is determined, so that the saw can be
set appropriately.
[0007] The soundproofing qualities of laminate panels are poorer as
compared with parquet. In order to reduce the development of noise
when the flooring is walked on, either insulating mats of plastic
are laid on the subfloor, onto which the panels are then laid, or
an insulating layer is already applied to the underside of the
supporting board at the factory.
[0008] As a result of the necessary insulating layer, firstly the
structure of the flooring becomes thicker. For the purpose of
subsequent laying of rooms with laminate panels (for example as a
replacement for carpets), however, it is desirable if the panels
are thin. Secondly, applying the insulating layer to the underside
of the supporting board requires a further operation and additional
material, which increases the manufacturing costs. Laying an
insulating film on the subfloor must be carried out very carefully
in order to lead to the effective damping of footfalls.
3. SUMMARY
[0009] Starting from this problem, the wooden material board
described at the beginning is to be improved.
[0010] The solution to the problem in the case of a wooden material
board of the generic type is found by the pattern being printed
directly onto the top side, a first elastic varnish layer being
applied to the decoration and a second varnish layer, which is
harder than the first varnish layer, being applied to the first
varnish layer.
[0011] As a result of this configuration, first of all the paper
layer is eliminated. Consequently, the pattern can change neither
in length nor in width. The saw with which panels are later cut to
size can be preset. By means of the elastic varnish layer which is
applied directly to the pattern, footfalls are damped, so that the
footfall characteristics are improved. The harder varnish layer
applied to the elastic varnish layer prevents wear caused by
abrasion or damage to the surface.
[0012] Corundum particles can be scattered in the second varnish
layer, in order to increase the abrasion resistance of the flooring
panel.
[0013] If the second varnish layer is inelastic, it is possible to
set a surface hardness which corresponds to that of conventional
laminate floor panels.
[0014] The varnishes of the varnish layers are preferably
UV-curable, which means that the fabrication times are
shortened.
[0015] In order to have the printed decoration act in a brilliant
way, the varnish layers are preferably transparent.
[0016] A tongue is also preferably formed on a further side edge
and a groove on the opposite side edge.
[0017] If the tongue and the groove are provided with locking means
which prevent displacement transversely with respect to the joining
direction in the case of two panels joined to each other, the
flooring can be laid in a floating manner without glue.
4. DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0018] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is to be described
in more detail below with the aid of a drawing, in which:
[0019] FIG. 1 shows a flooring panel in cross section;
[0020] FIG. 2 shows two panels joined to each other by their
transverse edges.
5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT OF INVENTION
[0021] The flooring panel 7 has a core of wooden material,
preferably HDF or MDF. On one longitudinal edge I and one
transverse edge III, the panel 7 is provided with a tongue 1, 11
and, on the opposite side edge II, IV, is provided with a groove 2,
12 corresponding thereto. A pattern, for example a wood grain, is
printed directly onto the top side 10. An elastic varnish layer 3
is applied to the decoration and this is in turn covered by an
inelastic varnish layer 4, into which corundum particles can be
scattered. The varnishes of the varnish layers 3, 4 are UV-curable.
On the underside 9, if necessary, a counteracting layer is provided
(not shown), which prevents the panel (7) bending as a result of
the tensile forces occurring because of the varnish layers 3, 4.
The tongues 1, 11 are provided with locking means 5, which
correspond to the locking means 6 provided in the groove 2 and lock
the panels against displacement in the transverse direction.
* * * * *