US 12,134,900 B2
Floor panel and method for manufacturing the same
Benny Schacht, Wielsbeke (BE); and Jan De Rick, Geraardsbergen (BE)
Assigned to UNILIN BV, Wielsbeke (BE)
Appl. No. 17/427,770
Filed by FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED, SARL, Bertrange (LU)
PCT Filed Feb. 4, 2020, PCT No. PCT/IB2020/050860
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 2, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/161609, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 13, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2019/5064 (BE), filed on Feb. 4, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0120096 A1, Apr. 21, 2022
Int. Cl. E04F 15/10 (2006.01); B32B 3/06 (2006.01); B32B 5/18 (2006.01); B32B 27/06 (2006.01); B32B 27/20 (2006.01); B32B 27/22 (2006.01); B32B 27/30 (2006.01); B32B 27/32 (2006.01); E04F 15/02 (2006.01)
CPC E04F 15/107 (2013.01) [B32B 3/06 (2013.01); B32B 5/18 (2013.01); B32B 27/065 (2013.01); B32B 27/20 (2013.01); B32B 27/22 (2013.01); B32B 27/304 (2013.01); B32B 27/32 (2013.01); E04F 15/02038 (2013.01); E04F 15/105 (2013.01); B32B 2264/10 (2013.01); B32B 2307/72 (2013.01); B32B 2307/732 (2013.01); B32B 2419/04 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A floor panel having a rectangular shape with a pair of long opposite edges and a pair of short opposite edges, the floor panel comprising a core and a decorative layer which is applied thereon,
wherein material of the aforementioned forming the core is a plastic composite comprising thermoplastic material and at least 40 weight percent of filler, wherein the material has a density of more than 1000 kg/m3;
wherein the thermoplastic material is polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene, polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate, and said filler has a greater specific weight than the thermoplastic material;
wherein the decorative layer comprises a printed thermoplastic film showing a pattern and a thermoplastic plastic layer situated on top of the pattern;
wherein the core forms one or more spaces on a bottom side thereof;
wherein the floor panel is provided, on the pair of long opposite edges and on the pair of short opposite edges, with mechanical coupling parts arranged for coupling two of such floor panels to each other at respective sides, an interlocking is arranged to be produced in a coupled state of two of such floor panels, at least in a direction at right angles to the respective sides and in a plane of the floor panels;
wherein the mechanical coupling parts comprise a male coupling part and a female coupling part that cooperate with each other in said coupled state;
wherein the female coupling part is provided with a lip projecting beyond an associated top edge and wherein the lip is provided with a locking element in the form of an upright portion at a top side of the lip which can cooperate with a locking element on the bottom side of the male coupling part, in the form of a space in the bottom side of the male coupling part;
wherein in the coupled state at least horizontally active locking surfaces are produced on the locking elements;
wherein the bottom of the lip comprises one or more of the spaces;
wherein the one or more of the spaces has a depth such that the one or more of the spaces remains completely below the top side of the lip.