US 12,448,786 B2
Floor panel for forming a floor covering
Mark Cappelle, Staden (BE); and Pieter Devos, Koolskamp (BE)
Assigned to UNILIN, BV, Wielsbeke (BE)
Filed by UNILIN, BV, Wielsbeke (BE)
Filed on Apr. 10, 2025, as Appl. No. 19/175,208.
Application 19/175,208 is a continuation of application No. 18/888,406, filed on Sep. 18, 2024.
Application 18/888,406 is a continuation of application No. 18/450,112, filed on Aug. 15, 2023, granted, now 12,158,013, issued on Dec. 3, 2024.
Application 18/450,112 is a continuation of application No. 18/087,529, filed on Dec. 22, 2022, granted, now 11,834,846, issued on Dec. 5, 2023.
Application 18/087,529 is a continuation of application No. 17/336,793, filed on Jun. 2, 2021, granted, now 11,629,508, issued on Apr. 18, 2023.
Application 17/336,793 is a continuation of application No. 17/036,958, filed on Sep. 29, 2020, granted, now 11,066,837, issued on Jul. 20, 2021.
Application 17/036,958 is a continuation of application No. 16/675,562, filed on Nov. 6, 2019, granted, now 10,829,940, issued on Nov. 10, 2020.
Application 16/675,562 is a continuation of application No. 16/108,659, filed on Aug. 22, 2018, granted, now 10,501,944, issued on Dec. 10, 2019.
Application 16/108,659 is a continuation of application No. 15/110,268, granted, now 10,060,140, issued on Aug. 28, 2018, previously published as PCT/IB2015/050171, filed on Jan. 9, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/925,352, filed on Jan. 9, 2014.
Prior Publication US 2025/0237066 A1, Jul. 24, 2025
Int. Cl. E04F 15/02 (2006.01); E04F 15/10 (2006.01)
CPC E04F 15/02038 (2013.01) [E04F 15/102 (2013.01); E04F 15/105 (2013.01); E04F 15/107 (2013.01); E04F 2201/0153 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A floor panel for forming a floor covering,
wherein the floor panel comprises a substrate and at least one top layer;
wherein the floor panel is rectangular, either oblong or square, and comprises a first pair of opposite edges;
wherein the first pair of opposite edges comprises coupling parts which allow mutually coupling a plurality of such floor panels to each other;
wherein said coupling parts, on the first pair of opposite edges, form a first locking system which, in a coupled condition of two of such floor panels, effects a locking in a plane of the floor panels and perpendicular to the respective edges, and said coupling parts, on the first pair of opposite edges also form a second locking system, which, in a coupled condition of two of such floor panels, effects a locking transverse to the plane of the floor panels;
wherein the coupling parts on the first pair of opposite edges substantially are formed of the material of the floor panel itself and in said substrate;
wherein the coupling parts of the first pair of opposite edges are configured such that two of such panels can be coupled to each other at their first pair of opposite edges by means of a turning movement, and such that the coupling parts on the first pair of opposite edges include a tongue and a groove as well as locking parts which, in the coupled condition, prevent shifting apart of the tongue and groove; and
wherein, on the first pair of opposite edges, the groove is bordered by a lower lip and an upper lip, of which the lower lip extends laterally to beyond a distal end of the upper lip;
wherein, said locking parts are provided with locking surfaces, wherein at least one locking part is provided with a said locking surface which is located in a portion of said lower lip which is situated beyond said distal end of said upper lip;
wherein a contact is present between the underside of the tongue and the upper side of the lower lip, wherein said contact, in respect to the groove side, is located proximally from the locking surfaces;
wherein an upper side of the lower lip at a height of a closing plane, in the coupled condition of two of such panels, is located on a first level (N1) which is situated higher than a second level (N2) which is determined by a lowermost point of the locking part located on the underside of the tongue; the closing plane(S) being defined as a first vertical plane through said distal end of the upper lip;
wherein a first space is present underneath the tongue, wherein said first space extends from the tip of the tongue and merges, at the height of an area of the lower lip located beneath the upper lip, into a second space, wherein said second space ends at said contact present between the underside of the tongue and the upper side of the lower lip;
wherein said floor panel has a global thickness which is greater than or equal to 4.5 millimeter;
wherein the substrate is MDF (medium density fiberboard) or HDF (high density fiber board);
wherein the top layer comprises a decorative layer with a print, and comprises a translucent or transparent wear layer;
wherein the floor panel comprises a second pair of opposite edges, wherein the second pair of opposite edges comprises coupling parts which allow mutually coupling a plurality of such floor panels to each other;
wherein said coupling parts, on the second pair of opposite edges, form a first locking system which, in a coupled condition of two of such floor panels, effects a locking in the plane of the floor panels and perpendicular to the respective edges, and said coupling parts, on the second pair of opposite edges also form a second locking system, which, in a coupled condition of two of such floor panels, effects a locking transverse to the plane of the floor panels.