US 12,281,482 B2
Floor covering with interlocking design
John M. Whispell, Woodstown, NJ (US); and Hao A. Chen, Chadds Ford, PA (US)
Assigned to VÄLINGE INNOVATION AB, Viken (SE)
Filed by Välinge Innovation AB, Viken (SE)
Filed on Sep. 18, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/369,836.
Application 18/369,836 is a continuation of application No. 17/743,795, filed on May 13, 2022, granted, now 11,795,701.
Application 17/743,795 is a continuation of application No. 16/887,559, filed on May 29, 2020, granted, now 11,359,387, issued on Jun. 14, 2022.
Application 16/887,559 is a continuation of application No. 15/072,829, filed on Mar. 17, 2016, granted, now 10,704,269, issued on Jul. 7, 2020.
Application 15/072,829 is a continuation of application No. 14/463,008, filed on Aug. 19, 2014, granted, now 9,695,601, issued on Jul. 4, 2017.
Application 14/463,008 is a continuation of application No. 12/987,573, filed on Jan. 10, 2011, granted, now 8,833,028, issued on Sep. 16, 2014.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/293,831, filed on Jan. 11, 2010.
Prior Publication US 2024/0191518 A1, Jun. 13, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. E04F 13/02 (2006.01); B32B 3/06 (2006.01); B32B 5/02 (2006.01); B32B 5/18 (2006.01); B32B 5/24 (2006.01); B32B 7/12 (2006.01); E04F 15/02 (2006.01); E04F 15/10 (2006.01)
CPC E04F 15/107 (2013.01) [B32B 3/06 (2013.01); B32B 5/024 (2013.01); B32B 5/18 (2013.01); B32B 5/245 (2013.01); B32B 7/12 (2013.01); E04F 15/02 (2013.01); E04F 15/02005 (2013.01); E04F 15/02016 (2013.01); E04F 15/02033 (2013.01); E04F 15/02038 (2013.01); E04F 15/0215 (2013.01); E04F 15/102 (2013.01); E04F 15/105 (2013.01); B32B 2255/02 (2013.01); B32B 2266/0235 (2013.01); B32B 2419/04 (2013.01); E04F 2201/0153 (2013.01); E04F 2201/0161 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A plank comprising:
a resilient composite sheet having four sides, an upper surface, a lower surface, and an overall thickness, and said resilient composite sheet comprising at least one base layer, wherein said at least one base layer comprising at least one polymeric material and at least one filler, wherein opposite sides of the resilient composite sheet comprise a first tongue on a first side and a first groove on a second side which is opposite to the first side along a first direction, wherein the first tongue and first groove have a complementary shape to each other to be interlockingly engageable with a corresponding groove or tongue on an adjacent floor plank, and having at least one of the following features:
(a) wherein said first tongue has a first tongue length (TL) measured along the first direction between the first side of the resilient composite sheet and a distal end of the first tongue, wherein the ratio of the first tongue length (TL) to the resilient composite sheet overall thickness (CSt) is at least about 1.5; and/or
(b) wherein said first groove on said second side is defined between a first flange extending along a first edge of the resilient composite sheet and protruding from said second side of the resilient composite sheet and a second flange extending along an opposite second edge of the resilient composite sheet and protruding from said second side of the resilient composite sheet, wherein said first groove includes a groove bottom portion and a minimum groove thickness (Tg) is defined between said groove bottom portion and a horizontal plane of the lower surface of the resilient composite sheet, and the second flange comprises an interference having a first height (H) that projects in a direction toward a horizontal plane of the upper surface of the resilient composite sheet, and said first tongue comprises a member having a minimum thickness (Tt) extending from the first side, and the distal end of said first tongue includes a downward extending projection comprising a tongue underside and having a second height (H′) from the member, wherein Tg and Tt are within ±24% of each other and H and H′ are within ±7% of each other, and wherein a tongue tip thickness (Tt′) is defined as a shortest vertical distance between the horizontal plane of the upper surface of the resilient composite sheet and the tongue underside, wherein Tg/Tt′ is from about 0.35 to about 0.82.