U.S. patent application number 11/729518 was filed with the patent office on 2007-07-26 for locking engineered wood flooring.
Invention is credited to Moon G. Kim, Fang Qiao, David P. Reichwein.
Application Number | 20070172688 11/729518 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34633545 |
Filed Date | 2007-07-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070172688 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Reichwein; David P. ; et
al. |
July 26, 2007 |
Locking engineered wood flooring
Abstract
A plywood laminate having dimensional stability and resistance
to warping and delamination is formed from a plurality of higher
quality plies and a plurality of lower quality plies. The higher
quality plies may be of hardwood and the lower quality plies may be
of softwood or lower quality hardwoods, or the higher quality plies
may have a veneer grade of better than ANSI/HPVA HP-1-2000 veneer
grade C and the lower quality plies may have a veneer grade of no
greater than ANSI/HPVA HP-1-2000 veneer grade C. The exposed plies
are of the higher quality. In most embodiments, at least two
adjacent interior plies are of the lower quality. In those
embodiments having a tongue and groove or click-lock edge
configuration, the tongue comprises portions of at least two plies
and at least one of the plies is a higher quality ply.
Inventors: |
Reichwein; David P.;
(Elizabethtown, PA) ; Kim; Moon G.; (Starkville,
MS) ; Qiao; Fang; (Lancaster, PA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ARMSTRONG WORLD INDUSTRIES, INC.
2500 COLUMBIA AVENUE
P.O. BOX 3001
LANCASTER
PA
17604-3001
US
|
Family ID: |
34633545 |
Appl. No.: |
11/729518 |
Filed: |
March 28, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10727749 |
Dec 4, 2003 |
|
|
|
11729518 |
Mar 28, 2007 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
428/537.1 ;
428/60 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B32B 3/02 20130101; B32B
21/14 20130101; E04F 15/04 20130101; Y10T 428/3196 20150401; E04F
2201/07 20130101; Y10T 428/24777 20150115; B32B 2419/04 20130101;
E04F 15/046 20130101; B32B 3/06 20130101; Y10T 428/2495 20150115;
E04F 2201/0153 20130101; Y10T 428/31957 20150401; E04F 2201/0115
20130101; Y10T 428/195 20150115; B32B 2307/734 20130101; Y10T
428/31989 20150401; Y10T 428/31982 20150401; B32B 21/13
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
428/537.1 ;
428/060 |
International
Class: |
B32B 21/13 20060101
B32B021/13; B32B 3/00 20060101 B32B003/00 |
Claims
1. A decorative plywood laminate comprising a plurality of plies,
at least one edge configuration of the plywood laminate being
selected from the group consisting of a tongue configuration and a
groove configuration, wherein the edge configuration when mated
with the edge configuration of a second decorative plywood laminate
forms a locking connection that prevents substantial separation the
mated decorative plywood laminates in a direction perpendicular to
the plane of the mated decorative plywood laminates and in a
direction parallel to the plane of the mated decorative plywood
laminates and perpendicular to the mated edges of the mated
decorative plywood laminates, the edge configuration including a
projection, the thickness of the projection being greater than the
thickness of each of the plies forming the decorative plywood
laminate.
2. The decorative plywood laminate of claim 1, wherein the locking
connection is a tongue and groove and the projection is a
tongue.
3. The decorative plywood laminate of claim 2, wherein the locking
tongue and groove forms a click-lock connection.
4. The decorative plywood laminate of claim 1, wherein the
projection comprises a portion of at least one higher quality
ply.
5. The decorative plywood laminate of claim 4, wherein the
projection comprises a portion of at least one lower quality ply
and a portion of at least one higher quality ply.
6. The decorative plywood laminate of claim 1, further comprising a
decorative wood ply that is exposed to view.
7. A decorative plywood laminate floor comprising a plurality of
the decorative plywood laminates of claim 1.
8. A decorative plywood laminate comprising a plurality of plies,
at least one edge configuration of the plywood laminate being
selected from the group consisting of a tongue configuration and a
groove configuration, wherein the edge configuration when mated
with the edge configuration of a second decorative plywood laminate
forms a locking connection that prevents substantial separation the
mated decorative plywood laminates in a direction perpendicular to
the plane of the mated decorative plywood laminates and in a
direction parallel to the plane of the mated decorative plywood
laminates and perpendicular to the mated edges of the mated
decorative plywood laminates, the edge configuration including a
projection, the projection having an upper surface and a lower
surface spaced from the upper surface, at least one adhesive layer
being interposed between the upper surface and the lower surface of
the projection.
9. The decorative plywood laminate of claim 8, wherein the locking
connection is a tongue and groove and the projection is a
tongue.
10. The decorative plywood laminate of claim 9, wherein the locking
tongue and groove forms a click-lock connection.
11. The decorative plywood laminate of claim 8, wherein the
projection comprises a portion of at least one higher quality
ply.
12. The decorative plywood laminate of claim 11, wherein the
projection comprises a portion of at least one lower quality ply
and a portion of at least one higher quality ply.
13. The decorative plywood laminate of claim 8, further comprising
a decorative wood ply that is exposed to view.
14. A decorative plywood laminate floor comprising a plurality of
the decorative plywood laminates of claim 8.
15. A decorative plywood laminate comprising a plurality of plies,
at least one edge configuration of the plywood laminate being
selected from the group consisting of a tongue configuration and a
groove configuration, wherein the edge configuration when mated
with the edge configuration of a second decorative plywood laminate
forms a locking connection that prevents substantial separation the
mated decorative plywood laminates in a direction perpendicular to
the plane of the mated decorative plywood laminates and in a
direction parallel to the plane of the mated decorative plywood
laminates and perpendicular to the mated edges of the mated
decorative plywood laminates, the edge configuration including a
projection, the projection comprising portions of at least three
plies.
16. The decorative plywood laminate of claim 15, wherein the
locking connection is a tongue and groove and the projection is a
tongue.
17. The decorative plywood laminate of claim 16, wherein the
locking tongue and groove forms a click-lock connection.
18. The decorative plywood laminate of claim 15, wherein the
projection comprises a portion of at least one higher quality
ply.
19. The decorative plywood laminate of claim 18, wherein the
projection comprises a portion of at least one lower quality ply
and a portion of at least one higher quality ply.
20. The decorative plywood laminate of claim 15, further comprising
a decorative wood ply that is exposed to view.
21. A decorative plywood laminate floor comprising a plurality of
the decorative plywood laminates of claim 15.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention is related to plywood structures
comprising a plurality of wood veneer plies and decorative plywood
laminates, and particularly to plywood laminates and decorative
laminates having improved dimensional stability and resistance to
warping and delamination. Further, the invention is directed to
such decorative laminates having a click-lock or tongue and groove
edge configuration.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Plywood structures are well known in the art. They are
composed of layers or plies of wood veneer with adjacent plies
bonded with an adhesive. Decorative plywood laminates include a
decorative ply adhered to a plywood substrate. The ply of the
substrate opposite or distal the decorative ply is known as the
back ply. One of the limitations of the prior art plywood is its
relatively poor dimensional stability, which results in warping and
cracking.
[0003] Those skilled in the art have tried to improve the
dimensional stability of plywood by various means. Most commonly
the direction of the grain of adjacent plies have been aligned
substantially perpendicular to each other. The plies having grain
perpendicular to the grain of the decorative ply being crossband
plies. Typically, the grain of the decorative veneer or ply is
parallel to the lengthwise edge of the veneer.
[0004] Improved dimensional stability can be obtained by increasing
the number of plies or decreasing the thickness of the plies. For a
given desired thickness, the thinner the plies, the more plies
comprise the plywood and the stronger and more stable the
plywood.
[0005] Most plywood is made using the same species of wood.
However, Hsu U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,582 discloses a multi species
laminated veneer lumber (a specialty plywood used for lumber
manufacture), as well as laminated veneer lumber made from the
combination of hardwoods and softwoods. Hsu notes the difference in
shrinkage and expansion between the different wood species,
particularly between high and low density wood species. He teaches
that the species sequence from face to core must be identical or
very similar on either side of the center ply when an odd number of
plies are used or on either side of the center line when an even
number of plies are used.
[0006] Walser et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,747 teaches a symmetrical
lay-up of, from top to bottom, multiple plies of a low density, 6%
to 15% moisture content spruce, multiple plies of a high density,
less than 5% moisture content Douglas fir, and multiple plies of a
low density, 6% to 15% moisture content spruce.
[0007] Polymer laminates comprising phenolic resin-impregnated
paper, such as taught in Nelson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,989,668 have
a dimensional stability superior to that of plywood. The
dimensional stability of the resin-impregnated laminates permit the
use of click-lock edge structures such as disclosed in Pervan U.S.
Pat. No. 6,023,907 and Morian et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,006,486.
[0008] As such, a need exists for a plywood laminate having
improved stability and resistance to warping and delamination,
particularly one that uses less expensive wood plies. Such a
plywood laminate would permit the use of click-lock edge
structures.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] It is therefore, an object of the present invention to
provide a plywood laminate including higher quality wood plies,
lower quality wood plys, and an adhesive. The higher quality wood
plies may be better than ANSI/HPVA HP-1-2000 veneer grade C and the
lower quality plies may be no greater than ANSI/HPVA HP-1-2000
veneer grade C. The higher quality wood plies may be a hardwood and
the lower quality plies may be a lower quality hardwood or a
softwood.
[0010] It is also an object of the present invention to provide a
plywood laminate having plies of at least two different qualities
in which the effects of the anisotropic nature of wood is minimized
in the laminate while lay-up of the plies is structurally
asymmetrical.
[0011] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a
plywood laminate in which the plies may have different
thicknesses.
[0012] It is another object of the present invention to provide a
plywood laminate in which the moisture content is controlled to
improve dimensional stability. The moisture content may be
controlled between 6% and 8%.
[0013] A still further object of the present invention to provide a
decorative plywood laminate including a decorative ply and the
plywood laminate of the present invention.
[0014] Yet another object of the present invention to provide a
decorative plywood laminate having a click-lock edge configuration,
particularly in which at least one adhesive layer is interposed
between the upper surface and the lower surface of the tongue. This
permits the use of the decorative plywood laminates in a floating
floor, in which the segmented floor pieces are not glued to the
subfloor.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] FIG. 1 is cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the
invention with portions removed to more clearly show the features
of the invention.
[0016] FIG. 2 is cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the
invention with portions removed to more clearly show the features
of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] Segmented floors with click-lock edge configurations are
currently manufactured only using non-wood or polymer
resin-impregnated laminates or similar structural substrates since
the click-lock system requires substrates with good strength and
minimal anisotropic differences, which yield good dimensional
stability. Good dimensional stability is of increased importance in
segmented floors that are installed without adhesively bonding the
floor to the subfloor. Segmented plywood floors of the prior art,
which have tongue and groove edge configurations and float on the
subfloor, expand and contract under varying humidity conditions,
causing warping of the segmented pieces. Any warping of the
segmented pieces can appear as raised spots in the floor.
[0018] Wood materials are preferred in general as flooring
substrates over the polymer resin-impregnated laminates, but have
lower strength and dimensional stability. Due to the anisotropic
nature of wood, plywood structures have been considered unsuitable
in manufacturing segmented floors with the click-lock edge
configuration. Such edge configurations require intricate cutting
and the anisotropic properties of the wood tend to cause the
tongues to break during use.
[0019] The plywood structure of the present invention has
sufficient strength and dimensional stability for the click-lock
edge configuration to be efficiently manufactured and used. The
resultant segmented pieces also have sufficient dimensional
stability and mechanical performance properties to deter warping
and delamination.
[0020] The present inventors have developed a plywood laminate that
has sufficient strength and dimensional stability to permit
click-lock edge configurations while minimizing the number of
higher quality plies, thereby minimizing the cost of the decorative
plywood laminate. The decorative plywood laminate 1 of the present
invention comprise a decorative ply 2, such as oak or other
hardwood, and a plywood laminate substrate 3. The plywood laminate
substrate 3 comprises at least two pluralities of plies 4 and 5.
Plies 4 are of quality higher than the quality of plies 5. The
plies are adhered together with an adhesive, which forms an
adhesive layer 7 interposed between the plies.
[0021] For example, plies 4 may be a hardwood species and plies 5
may be a softwood or lower quality hardwood species. In another
embodiment, plies 4 have a veneer grade of greater than ANSI/HPVA
HP-1-2000 veneer grade C and the plurality of lower grade plies
have a veneer grade of no greater than ANSI/HPVA HP-1-2000 veneer
grade C.
[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, in one embodiment a higher quality ply 4
is adjacent the decorative ply 2. The third ply from the decorative
ply and the bottom ply, which is distal the decorative ply, are
also higher quality plies 4. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the
higher quality plies 4 are adjacent the decorative ply 2, fourth
ply from the decorative ply and the bottom ply, which is distal the
decorative ply.
[0023] As in prior art plywood laminates, the dimensional stability
is improved by having the grain of adjacent plies perpendicular to
each other. In the present invention, if there is an even number of
plies in the substrate, the ply adjacent the decorative ply is a
crossband ply having its grain perpendicular to the grain of the
decorative ply, and the bottom, or distal, ply has a grain parallel
to the grain of the decorative ply. In this embodiment, the grains
of adjacent plies are perpendicular as in the prior art. However,
if there is an odd number of plies in the substrate, the ply
adjacent the decorative ply should have its grain perpendicular to
the grain of the decorative ply, and the bottom, or distal, ply has
a grain parallel to the grain of the decorative ply. Therefore, two
adjacent inner plies have grain in the same direction.
[0024] In a one embodiment, the top and bottom plies of the
substrate are chosen from the plurality of higher quality plies. At
least two adjacent interior plies are chosen from the plurality of
lower quality plies. If there are an even number of plies in the
substrate and since the grain of adjacent plies are perpendicular
to each other, the grain of the adjacent lower quality plies, such
as shown in the figures, are perpendicular to each other. Further,
the plurality of higher quality plies typically have at least one
ply with grain parallel to the grain of the decorative ply and at
least one ply with grain perpendicular to the grain of the
decorative ply.
[0025] While not limited to decorative plywood laminates having a
tongue and groove, or click-lock edge configuration, the present
invention has certain advantages in such structures. By using lower
quality plies, the overall cost of the laminate is reduced, however
adequate dimensional stability and resistance to warping is
obtained. Furthermore, to ensure adequate strength of the tongue,
at least one of the plies forming the tongue is chosen from the
plurality of higher quality plies. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, if
either the third or fourth ply from the bottom of the substrate is
a higher quality ply, the tongue 6 comprises a higher quality
ply.
[0026] It is also noted, by choosing the proper thickness of the
plies, the tongue comprises portions of at least two plies. Again,
since the grains of adjacent plies are perpendicular to each other,
the strength of the tongue is increased. Further, the horizontal
surfaces of the edge configurations do not coincide with the
adhesive layer between the plies. Since the adhesive layer is
intact, the two perpendicular layers in the tongue minimize the
amount of chipping and checking.
[0027] The invention is not limited to a substrate having 6 plies
or even a substrate having an even number of plies. There should be
at least 4 plies forming the laminate substrate. The maximum number
is limited by economics. However, the greater the number of plies
per given thickness, the greater is the strength and stability, and
the anisotropic nature of the wood is minimized.
[0028] Since the decorative ply is a higher quality ply, if the ply
of the substrate adjacent the decorative ply is a higher quality
ply, it can be of a quality less than the quality of the other
higher quality plies in the substrate. For example, the ply
adjacent to decorative ply can have a veneer grade of ANSI/HPVA
HP-1-2000 veneer grade C+, while the remaining higher quality plies
can have a veneer grade of ANSI/HPVA HP-1-2000 veneer grade B or
greater.
[0029] In some embodiments, the higher quality and lower quality
plies are hardwoods selected from Shorea spp., and more
particularly Meranti or Lauan. These hardwoods are relative
inexpensive and the grain of the Meranti wood is straighter than
many hardwoods, thereby lowering the tendency of warping. The
density of the wood is preferably between about 400 and about 600
kg/m.sup.3.
[0030] The adhesive should be an exterior grade, high quality
structural adhesive. These adhesives, once cured, are water
resistant and not permeable to moisture. The thickness of the
adhesive layer between the plies is typically a minimum of 6 mils.
In some embodiments the adhesive is phenol resin or amine resin
adhesive. In some embodiments, aqueous-based UV-curable urethane
adhesives, such as melamine-urethane-formaldehyde resins, are
preferred to adhere the decorative ply to the substrate. In some
embodiments the adhesive is a phenol-formaldehyde resin, a water
and boil proof glue that passes British Standard 6566-1985 WPB,
i.e. the 72-hour boiled test samples should show 40% or higher wood
failure values at the broken glue lines for at least 60% of the
sample set.
[0031] The thickness of the plies is typically between about 0.03
inches to about 0.07 inches (between about 0.75 and about 1.75 mm).
Thinner plies are more difficult to cut and thicker plies yield
laminate that are less stable for a given thickness. To make such
problems less likely, the thickness of the plies can be maintained
between about 0.04 inch and about 0.063 inch (between about 1.0 mm
and about 1.6 mm).
[0032] It has been found that the bottom or distal ply may be
thinner than the other plies. In one embodiment, the other plies
are between about 0.06 inch and about 0.063 inch (between about 1.5
mm and about 1.6 mm) and the bottom ply is about 0.04 inch (about 1
mm).
[0033] To improve dimensional stability and good bonding, the
moisture content of the decorative plies, the substrate plywood
laminate and the finished decorative laminate is controlled during
manufacture and shipment. The moisture content is maintained
between about 6% and about 8%, tested according to ASTM D4442-92.
Otherwise, the wood will absorb or expel water resulting in
expansion and warping.
[0034] To assist in the control of moisture content of the finished
decorative laminates, the tongues and grooves are coated with a
high quality water repellent, lubricating coating and the back face
is coated with a sealer coat. The back face, tongues and groove may
also be coated with a fungicide.
[0035] The effectiveness of the coatings is determined by measuring
the average moisture content of a coated decorative plywood
laminate and an uncoated decorative plywood laminate, placing them
in a constant humidity chamber, exposing them to a 90% relative
humidity environment at 80.degree. F. for 7 days, and then
measuring the average moisture content. The increases in the
average moisture content of the coated and uncoated laminates are
compared. It is desired that the increase in the average moisture
content of the coated laminate be less than 20% of the increase in
the average moisture content of the uncoated laminate (80%
effectiveness), and preferably less than 10% (90%
effectiveness).
[0036] The dimensional stability of a plywood is dependant, among
other properties, on the grain direction of the plies being
accurately parallel or perpendicular to the longitudinal direction
of the plywood. The grain direction is identified by visual
inspection. It is the direction parallel to the vessels and rays of
the wood, which for most hardwoods such as lauan appear as
straight, short streaks on the finished veneer surfaces. The grain
direction is measured by using a ruler to draw a line parallel to
the short lines, and determining how much it diverges from the edge
of the plywood laminate. The grain direction is reported as a
fraction, such as 1/48, i.e. there is a one inch deviation in every
48 inches of length. It is desirable to have a grain direction of
1/48 or less, preferably 1/96 or less.
[0037] Because of the dimensional stability of the substrate
plywood, it can be used in another embodiment in which a melamine
overlay, such as a polymer resin impregnated layer described in the
Nelson et al. '668 patent, is adhered to the substrate. The
melamine overlay is then printed by a direct printing method known
in the art.
* * * * *