US 12,012,764 B2
Floor panel
Laurent Meersseman, Mont de l'Enclus (BE); and Martin Segaert, Ypres (BE)
Assigned to UNILIN BV, Wielsbeke (BE)
Filed by FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED, SARL, Bertrange (LU)
Filed on Jan. 18, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/155,979.
Application 14/015,307 is a division of application No. 13/696,769, granted, now 8,549,807, issued on Oct. 8, 2013, previously published as PCT/IB2011/051884, filed on Apr. 28, 2011.
Application 18/155,979 is a continuation of application No. 16/796,217, filed on Feb. 20, 2020.
Application 16/796,217 is a continuation of application No. 15/695,163, filed on Sep. 5, 2017, granted, now 10,597,876, issued on Mar. 24, 2020.
Application 15/695,163 is a continuation of application No. 15/045,389, filed on Feb. 17, 2016, granted, now 9,783,995, issued on Oct. 10, 2017.
Application 15/045,389 is a continuation of application No. 14/015,307, filed on Aug. 30, 2013, granted, now 9,322,184, issued on Apr. 26, 2016.
Claims priority of application No. 2010/0283 (BE), filed on May 10, 2010.
Prior Publication US 2023/0151617 A1, May 18, 2023
Int. Cl. B29C 48/21 (2019.01); B32B 3/06 (2006.01); B32B 3/12 (2006.01); B32B 5/14 (2006.01); B32B 5/18 (2006.01); B32B 7/02 (2019.01); B32B 7/12 (2006.01); B32B 21/02 (2006.01); B32B 27/06 (2006.01); B32B 27/08 (2006.01); B32B 27/20 (2006.01); B32B 27/30 (2006.01); B32B 27/40 (2006.01); B32B 37/06 (2006.01); B32B 37/15 (2006.01); B32B 37/16 (2006.01); B32B 37/22 (2006.01); B44C 1/24 (2006.01); B44C 5/04 (2006.01); E04F 15/02 (2006.01); E04F 15/10 (2006.01); E04F 15/18 (2006.01); B29C 48/17 (2019.01); B29C 48/19 (2019.01); B29C 65/00 (2006.01); B29C 65/56 (2006.01); B29C 65/72 (2006.01); B29C 65/78 (2006.01); B32B 38/00 (2006.01)
CPC E04F 15/02038 (2013.01) [B29C 48/21 (2019.02); B32B 3/06 (2013.01); B32B 3/12 (2013.01); B32B 5/145 (2013.01); B32B 5/18 (2013.01); B32B 7/02 (2013.01); B32B 7/12 (2013.01); B32B 21/02 (2013.01); B32B 27/065 (2013.01); B32B 27/08 (2013.01); B32B 27/20 (2013.01); B32B 27/30 (2013.01); B32B 27/40 (2013.01); B32B 37/06 (2013.01); B32B 37/153 (2013.01); B32B 37/16 (2013.01); B32B 37/226 (2013.01); B44C 1/24 (2013.01); B44C 5/04 (2013.01); E04F 15/02194 (2013.01); E04F 15/10 (2013.01); E04F 15/102 (2013.01); E04F 15/105 (2013.01); E04F 15/107 (2013.01); E04F 15/18 (2013.01); B29C 48/175 (2019.02); B29C 48/19 (2019.02); B29C 65/56 (2013.01); B29C 65/72 (2013.01); B29C 65/7861 (2013.01); B29C 66/45 (2013.01); B29C 2793/0072 (2013.01); B32B 38/145 (2013.01); B32B 2266/0235 (2013.01); B32B 2266/08 (2013.01); B32B 2307/412 (2013.01); B32B 2307/414 (2013.01); B32B 2307/72 (2013.01); B32B 2309/02 (2013.01); B32B 2309/04 (2013.01); B32B 2309/105 (2013.01); B32B 2309/12 (2013.01); B32B 2310/0825 (2013.01); B32B 2327/06 (2013.01); B32B 2419/04 (2013.01); B32B 2451/00 (2013.01); B32B 2471/00 (2013.01); E04F 2201/0107 (2013.01); E04F 2201/023 (2013.01); Y10T 156/10 (2015.01); Y10T 156/1039 (2015.01); Y10T 156/1084 (2015.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for manufacturing a plurality of floor panels, said floor panels being rectangular, having at least a pair of longitudinal opposite edges and a pair of short opposite edges the method comprising:
forming a board larger than a single one of said floor panels; said board comprising at least a synthetic material substrate, a printed polyvinyl chloride film located on top of said synthetic material substrate, and a transparent or translucent wear layer located on top of said printed polyvinyl chloride film; said synthetic material substrate having a density of more than 450 kilograms per cubic meter and comprising polyvinyl chloride and fillers; said transparent or translucent wear layer comprising a vinyl film having a thickness of 0.2 mm to 1 mm;
wherein forming said board includes
a first step of extruding synthetic material substrate;
a second step of providing a top layer on said synthetic material substrate by at least adhering the printed polyvinyl chloride film to said synthetic material substrate by at least one of heating or pressing and providing said transparent or translucent wear layer on said printed polyvinyl chloride film by at least adhering the transparent or translucent wear layer to said polyvinyl chloride film by at least one of heating or pressing; and
a third step of mechanically embossing said top layer in such a way that impressions formed from said mechanically embossing are limited in depth to said transparent or translucent wear layer;
wherein said first step and said second step are performed in a continuous manner on a same production line;
obtaining said plurality of floor panels from said board; wherein said obtaining said plurality of floor panels from said board comprises a dividing operation;
wherein said obtaining said plurality of floor panels from said board comprises a milling treatment with rotating milling tools at least for providing mechanical coupling parts to at least the pair of longitudinal opposite edges of said plurality of floor panels;
wherein said mechanical coupling parts are configured to allow two of said plurality of floor panels to couple to each other at the corresponding pair of longitudinal opposite edges;
wherein said mechanical coupling parts include vertically active locking surfaces configured to provide locking in a vertical direction between the two of said plurality of floor panels perpendicular to a plane of the coupled floor panels;
wherein said mechanical coupling parts include horizontally active locking surfaces configured to provide locking in a horizontal direction between the two of said plurality of floor panels in the plane of the coupled floor panels;
wherein the vertically active locking surfaces and horizontally active locking surfaces are realized in said synthetic material substrate; and
wherein said milling treatment occurs after said dividing operation.