U.S. patent application number 11/002856 was filed with the patent office on 2006-04-06 for hardwood flooring board.
Invention is credited to Tryggvi Magnusson.
Application Number | 20060070325 11/002856 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36927733 |
Filed Date | 2006-04-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060070325 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Magnusson; Tryggvi |
April 6, 2006 |
Hardwood flooring board
Abstract
The present invention is a hardwood flooring board including a
middle layer formed from a non-hardwood flooring material and a
hardwood material upper layer which is secured to an upper surface
of the middle layer that is thick enough to include decorative
designs. The middle layer forms between 45% and 75% of the overall
material of the board and enables the board to be manufactured to
be more dimensionally stable, i.e., wider and longer, than
conventional hardwood flooring boards such that the boards can be
more uniformly constructed. Also the use of the non-hardwood
material in the middle layer greatly increases the dimensional
stability and long term performance of the flooring boards, while
providing a genuine hardwood appearance to the floor. The board
also includes a lower layer that can be formed from either a
hardwood material or a non-hardwood material to function as a base
for the board. The upper layer is secured to the middle layer by an
adhesive that is urged into the openings or cracks in the upper
layer during the assembly of the board to prevent the cracks from
spreading through the upper layer when the boards are in use.
Inventors: |
Magnusson; Tryggvi; (Wausau,
WA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BOYLE FREDRICKSON NEWHOLM STEIN & GRATZ, S.C.
250 E. WISCONSIN AVENUE
SUITE 1030
MILWAUKEE
WI
53202
US
|
Family ID: |
36927733 |
Appl. No.: |
11/002856 |
Filed: |
November 30, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10863696 |
Jun 8, 2004 |
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11002856 |
Nov 30, 2004 |
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60563638 |
Apr 20, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
52/403.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B32B 3/06 20130101; B32B
3/30 20130101; E04F 15/02 20130101; B32B 2250/03 20130101; B32B
2307/5825 20130101; B32B 21/14 20130101; B32B 2419/04 20130101;
E04F 2201/0115 20130101; B32B 2250/40 20130101; E04F 15/04
20130101; B32B 21/13 20130101; E04F 2201/023 20130101; B32B 21/00
20130101; B32B 21/02 20130101; B32B 3/263 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/403.1 |
International
Class: |
E04F 15/22 20060101
E04F015/22 |
Claims
1-21. (canceled)
21. A flooring board comprising: a) a first layer formed of a first
material having an upper surface and a lower surface, the lower
surface including a number of openings extending into the upper
layer generally perpendicular to the lower surface; b) a second
layer formed of a non-hardwood material; and c) an adhesive joining
the lower surface of the first layer to the second layer, the
adhesive extending from the lower surface into the openings in the
upper surface.
22. The board of claim 21 wherein the openings in the lower surface
of the first layer are cracks created during the formation of the
first layer.
23. The board of claim 21 wherein the first material is a hardwood
material.
24. The board of claim 21 wherein the non-hardwood material is a
non-oriented fiberboard.
25. The board of claim 24 wherein the second layer has a density of
at least 790 kg/m.sup.3.
26. The board of claim 21 wherein the adhesive has a viscosity of
between about 25 poise and about 40 poise.
27. The board of claim 21 wherein the adhesive is an urea
formaldehyde adhesive.
28. A method of forming a hardwood flooring board, the method
comprising the steps of: a) providing a first layer formed of a
hardwood material and having a number of openings on one surface of
the first layer, and a second layer formed of a non-hardwood
material; b) applying an adhesive to one of the first layer or the
second layer; and c) pressing the first layer and the second layer
against one another to urge the adhesive into the openings in the
first layer.
29. The method of claim 28 wherein the step of pressing the first
layer and the second layer against one another compression pressing
the first layer against the second layer of a pressure of at least
200 psi.
30. A flooring board comprising: a) an upper layer formed of a
hardwood material and having a thickness greater than 2 mm; and b)
a middle layer formed of a non-hardwood material and secured to the
upper layer, wherein the upper layer includes at least one
decorative design opposite the middle layer.
31. The board of claim 30 wherein the at least one decorative
design is a bevel disposed in at least one side of the upper
layer.
32. The board of claim 30 further comprising a lower layer secured
to the middle layer opposite the upper layer.
33. The board of claim 32 wherein the lower layer includes at least
one channel adapted to receive a fastener that secures the board
directed to a support surface.
34. The board of claim 30 wherein the upper layer includes a number
of openings extending into the upper layer from a lower surface,
and further comprising an adhesive extending from the middle layer
into the openings in the upper layer.
35. The board of claim 34 wherein the middle layer has a density of
at least 790 kg/m.sup.3.
36. The board of claim 30 wherein the upper layer has a thickness
of between about 2 mm and about 5 mm.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/863,696 for an Improved Hardwood Flooring
Board filed on Jun. 8, 2004, that claims priority from U.S.
Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/563,638, filed on Apr.
20, 2004, the entirety of which are incorporated herein by
reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to flooring surfaces, more
specifically to a flooring surface made of individual flooring
boards secured to one another to form the flooring surface.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] In a large number of commercial and residential buildings,
hardwood flooring surfaces are utilized to provide an aesthetically
pleasing appearance to the interior of the building. In most
instances, the flooring surface is formed from a number of flooring
boards or planks engaged with one another to form the flooring
surface. These boards are usually formed entirely of the desired
hardwood, with each board being formed into the desired shape to
facilitate the use of the boards to form the flooring surface.
[0004] However, while these hardwood flooring surfaces provide the
desired appearance to the interior of the building, the natural
characteristics of traditional solid wood flooring often create
challenges during installation and can develop later effecting the
long term performance of the floor.
[0005] To reduce these problems, a number of different types of
flooring boards have been developed that are formed from
non-hardwood materials that give the appearance of a hardwood.
While these boards are faster to install and can be less expensive,
the quality of the hardwood appearance is often unsatisfactory, and
long term performance is poor, as normal wear and tear can often
damage the hardwood-appearing surface of the boards, exposing the
non-hardwood material forming the board.
[0006] Therefore, it is desirable to develop a flooring board that
is made of wood, yet is easy to install with a special profile and
construction that insures long term performance. Further, the board
should be able to be maintained in a manner similar to that of a
hardwood surface and offer all the aesthetic features of a
traditional solid wood floor.
[0007] Furthermore, with regard to the veneer layers applied to
flooring boards of this type, the veneer layers are constructed
from sheets of a hardwood material that are cut in a known manner
to form the thin veneers from the hardwood material. In this
process, the veneer is usually formed with cracks or gaps in one
surface of the veneer, with the other surface being a smooth
surface that forms the exposed surface of the flooring board. While
these cracks initially do not mar the appearance of the veneer
after it is used to form the flooring board, due to fluctuating
humidity levels after installation, the cracks can propagate
completely through the veneer layer and can break the smooth
surface of the veneer, detrimentally effecting the appearance of
the hardwood flooring board.
[0008] Therefore, it is also desirable to develop a hardwood
flooring board in which the cracks initially present in any veneer
layer used to form the exposed, aesthetically pleasing surface of
the flooring board are treated to prevent the cracks from
propagating through the veneer layer and affecting the overall
appearance of the board.
[0009] Also, in order to enhance the appearance of the flooring
board and the flooring surface formed by the board, certain
decorative features (i.e., a beveled edge, scraping, or embossing)
can be added to the hardwood decorative surfaces of the boards
during the production and milling process. However, due to the fact
that traditional solid hardwood boards need to be sanded on the job
site after installation and prior to finishing, any decorative
enhancement that was added to the hardwood surface during the
production and milling process would be eliminated or significantly
altered during this sanding process.
[0010] Thus, it is further desirable to develop a laminate hardwood
flooring board that has the ability to incorporate designs on the
exposed surface of the board in order to enhance the appearance of
the board in manner that would not be eliminated or altered after
installation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] According to a primary aspect of the present invention, an
improved hardwood flooring is constructed with upper and lower
layers formed of a conventional flooring material and a central or
middle layer formed of an alternative non-hardwood flooring
material. The board includes a hardwood layer forming the upper
layer of the board to give the board the appearance of a
conventional hardwood flooring surface when the boards are
assembled to form the flooring surface. This enables the boards to
be sanded when damaged similarly to a hardwood only board in order
to maintain the hardwood appearance of the board.
[0012] However, the use of the alternative flooring material as the
middle layer or core of the board greatly increases the dimensional
stability of the board. In addition, the raw material cost for the
non-hardwood material forming the middle layer costs less than that
of the hardwood forming the upper layer. Further, the types of
non-hardwood materials that can be used to form the middle layer
can be chosen to enhance various properties of the board, such as
the dimensional stability, longer average board length and a
specially milled connection between each board that significantly
minimizes any future visible contraction of each board.
[0013] According to another aspect of the present invention, the
upper layer or veneer layer of the board is secured to the middle
layer by a suitable adhesive in a process which urges the adhesive
into the cracks present on an inner surface of the veneer layer. By
urging the adhesive into the cracks, the adhesive effectively
prevents the spread or propagation of the cracks in the veneer
layer such that these cracks will not detrimentally affect the
appearance of the veneer layer by spreading completely through the
veneer layer due to any changes in the environmental conditions
surrounding the boards.
[0014] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
the high-strength construction enables the board to be sanded and
precisely milled after it is formed, and prior to installation,
such that once the boards is installed they require only a light
screening (i.e., sanding with 120 grit sandpaper) that lightly
abrades the surface of the board so that the wood readily accepts a
finish. Also, because the board does not require significant
sanding after installation, the board may be formed with a wide
range of decorative features (i.e., a beveled edge, scraping, or
embossing) that enhance the appearance of the boards and the
resulting flooring surface formed by the boards.
[0015] Other aspects, features and advantages of the present
invention will be made apparent from the following detailed
description taken together with the drawing and figure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The drawings illustrate the best most currently contemplated
of practicing the present invention.
[0017] In the drawings:
[0018] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a flooring surface
constructed using boards formed according to the present
invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a flooring board constructed
according to the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along line 3-3 of FIG.
2;
[0021] FIGS. 4A-4B are partially broken away cross-sectional views
of the boards of FIG. 3 in connected and disconnected
configurations;
[0022] FIGS. 5A-5D are partially broken away cross-sectional views
illustrating the connection of the boards of FIGS. 4A-4B; and
[0023] FIG. 6 is a partially broken away cross-sectional view of a
flooring board having a veneer surface secured to the board using
the adhesive and method of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0024] With reference now to the drawing figures in which like
reference numerals designate like parts throughout the disclosure,
a flooring surface is shown generally at 8 in FIG. 1. The surface
is formed over a support surface 9, such as a concrete slab, from a
number of flooring boards 10 constructed according the present
invention.
[0025] Looking now at FIGS. 2-3, each board 10 is between 0.10
inches and 1.00 inches, and preferably about 0.75 inches in
thickness, and includes an upper layer 12, a core or middle layer
14 and a lower layer 16. The upper layer 12 and the lower layer 16
can be attached to opposites sides of the middle layer 14 in any
conventional manner, such as by using an adhesive or mechanical
fasteners, in conjunction with heat and/or pressure, so as long as
the upper layer 12 and lower layer 16 are prevented from
delaminating or otherwise becoming detached from the middle layer
14 during the installation and use of the boards 10.
[0026] The upper layer 12 is formed of a conventional hardwood
material in order to provide the desired aesthetic appearance to
the flooring surface 8 constructed using the boards 10. Any
particular hardwood material can be used for upper layer 12,
depending upon the desired appearance for the flooring surface 8.
The upper layer 12 has a thickness of between about two (2) mm and
about five (5) mm. This allows the upper layer 12 to be sanded
approximately 3-5 times before the layer 12 is worn completely
through. Thus, any gouging, scratching or refinishing of the upper
layer 12 can be done similarly to a conventional hardwood flooring
board without exposing the middle layer 14, as occurs with the
prior art engineered non-hardwood flooring boards. Also, due to the
use of a hardwood material to form the upper layer 12, the board 10
can have a face grade from the National Oak Flooring Manufacturers
Association similar to the boards formed entirely of the
hardwood.
[0027] The lower layer 16 can also be formed from a hardwood
material similar to the upper layer 12, or can be formed from a
non-hardwood material that has certain selected properties, e.g.,
water resistance or rigidity, as a base for the board 10. The
material forming the lower layer 16 is capable of being secured to
the support surface 9 by any suitable means, such as an adhesive,
when the boards 10 are attached "in flex," or a mechanical
fastener, e.g., a nail or screw, to hold the boards 10 thereon to
form the flooring surface 8. The lower layer 16 also has a
thickness comparable to the upper layer 12, preferably between
about two (2) mm and about five (5) mm.
[0028] The middle layer 14 is formed of an alternative,
non-hardwood flooring material that provides a stable core for the
board 10. The non-hardwood material used in the middle layer 14 can
be any suitable generally rigid and non-compressible material, but
is preferably a material such as High Density Fiber Board, Medium
Density Fiber Board, plywood, chipboard, Orientated Strand Board, a
cheaper wood or wood composite material, or the like, in comparison
to the materials utilized to form the upper layer 12 and the lower
layer 16. This non-hardwood material can be selected and used to
form the middle layer 14 to create boards 10 that are more
dimensionally stable such as by orienting the non-hardwood material
in a direction perpendicular to the length of the board 10 and the
grain of the hardwood forming the upper layer 12. This enables the
boards 10 to be made longer and wider than conventional flooring
boards which results in fewer boards 10 being required to form the
flooring surface 8. Also, the non-hardwood material forming the
middle layer 14 can be formed or milled very precisely prior to
assembly into the board 10, which results in uniform boards 10 with
tight tolerances than can easily by engaged with one another to
form the flooring surface 8.
[0029] To accomplish this, the middle layer 14 is preferably formed
to have a thickness of between about six (6) mm and fifteen (15)
mm. Thus, the middle layer 14 forms between about 40% and about 75%
of the total material of the board 10, more preferably between 45%
and 65% of the total board material, and most preferably about 55%
of the total board material.
[0030] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the upper layer 12
and middle layer 14 are secured to one another, with or without the
bottom layer 16, in a process where the middle layer 14 and upper
layer 12 are adhered to one another utilizing a suitable adhesive
100, as best shown in FIG. 6. The adhesive 100 is spread on either
the upper layer 12 or middle layer 14, with the upper layer 12 and
middle layer 14 subsequently being pressed together in a known
manner. During the compression of the upper layer 12 and the middle
layer 14, the adhesive 100 is cured, such as by heating, UV light,
or by mixing of a catalyst into the adhesive prior to application
to the layers 12 and 14, to securely adhere the layers 12 and 14 to
one another to form the board 10. Also, if a bottom layer 16 is
present, the bottom layer 16 can be secured to the middle layer 14
in the same manner as the upper layer 12, and at the same time as
the upper layer 12, or in a completely different manner subsequent
to the compression of the upper layer 12 to the middle layer
14.
[0031] Prior to the adhesive completely curing, the adhesive 100 is
forced by the compression of the upper layer 12 and middle layer 14
against one another into gaps or cracks 102 present in a lower
surface 104 of the upper layer 12 in order to more securely adhere
the upper layer 12 to the middle layer 14. The presence of the
adhesive 100 in the cracks 102 also serves to prevent the spread or
propagation of the cracks 102 from the lower surface 104 through
the entire upper layer 12. As such, the cracks 102 will not
detrimentally affect the appearance of the exposed upper surface
106 of the upper layer 12.
[0032] To enhance the direction of the adhesive 100 into the cracks
102 during compression, the middle layer 14 is formed of a
non-oriented fiberboard, in a preferred embodiment that prevents
the adhesive 100 from being compressed or flowing into the board
forming the middle layer 14, consequently urging the adhesive 100
upwardly into the cracks 102. More preferably, this non-oriented
fiberboard has a high density at least long the side positioned
adjacent the upper layer 12, i.e., greater than 790 kg/m.sup.3, and
preferably greater than 850 kg/m.sup.3, to enable the middle layer
14 to more easily urge the adhesive 100 into the cracks 102 in the
upper layer 12. To further facilitate the adhesive 100 flowing into
the cracks 102, an adhesive having a viscosity of between
twenty-five (25) poise and forty (40) poise is utilized, with an
adhesive having a viscosity of about thirty (30) poise being
especially preferred. In a particularly preferred embodiment for
the adhesive 100, the adhesive 100 takes the form of a urea
formaldehyde resin that is catalyst curable, such as the urea
formaldehyde resin sold under the trade name SYNTEKO 1203 by Casco
Products AB of Stockholm, Sweden.
[0033] The compression force utilized to secure the upper layer 12
and middle layer 14 to one another must be high enough to direct
the adhesive 100 into the cracks 102 without damaging the upper
surface 106 of the upper layer 12. Preferably, this force exerted
on the layers 12 and 14 is greater than two hundred (200) psi in
order to ensure that the adhesive 100 is urged into the cracks 102
within the upper layer 12. The elevated pressure applied to the
layers 12 and 14 works in a synergistic fashion with the
non-oriented high density construction of the middle layer 14 to
urge the adhesive 100 into the upper layer 12 while also forming a
secure bond between the upper layer 12 and a middle layer 14.
[0034] Looking now at FIGS. 3-5D in order to enable the boards 10
to be secured to one another to form the flooring surface 8, the
middle layer 14 also includes a tongue 18 and a groove 20
positioned on and extending along opposite sides of the board 10.
The tongue 18 is preferably formed integrally with the middle layer
14, but may be formed of a separate, more rigid or more flexible
material that is secured to the board 10, if desired. The tongue 18
can have any suitable shape but preferably has a base portion 21
extending outwardly from the middle layer 14 that has a rounded end
22 disposed opposite the middle layer 14. A notch or recess 24 is
formed on one side of the base portion 21 adjacent the upper layer
12 to facilitate the engagement of the tongue 18 within the groove
20 and to allow a certain amount of expansion of the tongue 18 due
to the changing moisture content of the board 10.
[0035] The groove 20 is shaped to be complimentary to the tongue 18
and preferably defines an interior space 28 slightly greater than
the size of the tongue 18 to accommodate the normal expansion and
contraction of the tongue 18 based on the changing moisture content
of the board 10. The tongue 18 can be secured within the groove 20
simply by using a friction fit between them, or an adhesive (not
shown) or other suitable means to permanently hold the tongue 18 in
engagement with the groove 20. The groove 20 can be milled out of
the middle layer 14 during the formation of the middle layer 14,
similarly to the tongue 18.
[0036] The side of the board 10 including either the tongue 18 or
the groove 20 can be formed such that the upper layer 12 extends
outwardly further than the lower layer 16 to enable the boards 10
to be joined to form a surface 8 with a minimum of space between
the upper layers 12 on adjacent boards 10.
[0037] In one particularly preferred embodiment shown best in FIGS.
3, 4A-4B and 5A-5D, the groove 20 includes one of a connecting rib
26 or connecting notch 28 integrally formed therein. The rib 26 or
notch 28 is engageable with an opposed rib 26 or notch 28 formed on
the tongue 18. The engagement of the rib 26 with the notch 28
secures the tongue 18 in engagement with the groove 20 without
using any materials other than the boards 10 themselves, thus
reducing the complexity of forming the surface 8 using the boards
10. To properly engage the notch 28 with the rib 26, the tongue 18
is formed with a recessed portion 30 that enables the tongue 18 and
notch 28 to be inserted beneath the rib 26 and then engaged with
one another to secure the boards 10 to each other as illustrated in
FIGS. 5A-5D. The engagement of the rib 26 with the notch 28
maintains the positioning of the adjacent boards 10 with one
another, such that the boards 10 present a continuous flooring
surface 8 as the individual boards 10 take on and lose moisture due
to the changing environmental conditions.
[0038] Also, in order to enable the boards 10 to be more easily
attached to the support surface, the lower layer 16 may include one
or more recesses 32 within which an adhesive or other fastening
means to be utilized can be positioned to enable the board 10 to be
positioned flush on the support surface 9 when secured to the
support surface 9. In situations where mechanical fasteners (not
shown) such as nails or screws are used, the fastener on occasion
creates splinters when breaking through the bottom layer 16, the
recesses 32 is designated to facilitate these splinters. More
particularly, the recesses 32 enable the board 10, and specifically
the lower layer 16, to flex under the force of the fastener being
engaged with the board 10 and the support surface 9.
[0039] As stated previously, the construction of the board 10
allows it to be precisely sanded and milled to form highly uniform
boards 10, such that the tongue 18 and the groove 20 can be very
accurately formed to ensure the proper engagement of the boards 10
with one another when forming a flooring surface 8. This also
allows the board 10 to be formed with various decorative features
on the exposed surfaces of the board 10. Virtually any desired
decorative design or feature can be formed on the board 10, and
more particularly on the upper surface 106 of the upper layer 12,
to enhance the appearance of the finished board 10. For example, as
best shown in FIG. 3, the board 10 includes a pair of bevels 200
formed along each longitudinal side 202 of the upper surface 14.
However, the bevels 200 can be formed along each edge of the upper
layer, if desired. The bevels 200 are preferably formed at a
forty-five degree (45.degree.) angle with regard to the upper
surface 106, but can be formed to have any desired angle or slope,
and are formed on the board 10 in any conventional manner, such as
by contacting the sides 202 of the upper layer 14 with a grinding
wheel or other suitable device.
[0040] The bevels 200 are formed on the upper surface 106 of the
upper layer 12 after the board 10 has been sanded and milled into
the appropriate shape, so that the board 10 is ready to be
installed without any further sanding. The boards 10, due to their
precise and uniform construction, only need to be lightly screened
after installation in order to promote the penetration of the
selected stain (not shown) into the boards 10. Thus, the bevels 200
remain clear and distinct after installation of the boards 10.
[0041] Various alternatives are contemplated as being within the
scope of the following claims, particularly pointing out and
distinctly claiming a subject matter regarded as the invention.
* * * * *