US 12,435,523 B2
Decorative panel, and covering of such decorative panels
Eddy Alberic Boucké, Turnhout (BE)
Assigned to i4F Licensing NV, Turnhout (BE)
Appl. No. 18/035,781
Filed by I4F Licensing NV, Turnhout (BE)
PCT Filed Nov. 8, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/080947
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 8, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/096712, PCT Pub. Date May 12, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2026858 (NL), filed on Nov. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0399856 A1, Dec. 14, 2023
Int. Cl. E04F 15/00 (2006.01); E04F 13/08 (2006.01); E04F 15/02 (2006.01)
CPC E04F 15/02038 (2013.01) [E04F 13/0894 (2013.01); E04F 2201/0146 (2013.01); E04F 2201/0161 (2013.01); E04F 2201/023 (2013.01); E04F 2201/042 (2013.01); E04F 2201/043 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A decorative panel, comprising, at least at a first pair of opposite edges, a first coupling part and a second coupling part allowing that several of such panels can be coupled to each other, whereby the first and second coupling parts, in coupled condition of two of such panels, provide a locking in a first direction (R1) perpendicular to a plane of the panels, as well as in a second direction (R2) perpendicular to respective edges and parallel to the plane of the panels,
wherein said first coupling part comprises a sideward tongue, wherein said sideward tongue comprises a front region and a back region, wherein a bottom surface and/or a side surface of said front region being rounded at least partly, wherein a top surface of the front region is at least partially inclined downwardly in a direction away from the back region, and wherein a bottom surface and/or side surface of the back region of said sideward tongue defines a first contact portion, and wherein the sideward tongue comprises a passive bottom surface situated adjacent to the first contact portion, wherein said passive bottom surface is defined by a cut-out portion at a lower side of the sideward tongue,
wherein said second coupling part comprises a recess for accommodating at least a part of the sideward tongue of a further panel, said recess being defined by an upper lip and a lower lip, wherein the lower lip extends beyond the upper lip, and wherein the lower lip being provided with a upwardly protruding shoulder defining a second contact portion configured to actively co-act with said first contact portion of another panel, in coupled condition of said panels, such that that the panels are forced with a tension force (T1) at least laterally towards each other, wherein a top surface of said lower lip is smoothly curved at least partially and is configured as sliding surface for the at least partially rounded bottom surface and/or side surface of the front region of the sideward tongue of another panel during coupling, and wherein said at least partially curved top surface of the lower lip and said passive bottom surface of the sideward tongue are mutually situated such that, in coupled condition of two panels, an intermediate space is present adjacent to actively co-acting first and second contact portions, and wherein a lower surface of the upper lip is at least partially inclined and configured to abut at least a part of the top surface of the front region of the sideward tongue of another panel, wherein the bottom surface and/or side surface of the front region of the sideward tongue is configured to co-act with the lower lip in coupled condition of two panels, and together define a bottom front contact surface, wherein a seam formed by two panels in coupled condition define a vertical plane (VP), wherein said vertical plane subdivides the lower lip into an inner lower lip part and an outer lower lip lower part, and wherein an entire bottom front contact surface and the first and second contact portions are situated at the same side of the vertical plane.