Stable flooring products and method of making same

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an article of manufacture suitable for flooring utilization which comprises a flooring panel adapted for interlocking connection with another correspondingly adapted flooring panel, such article having at least one edge with one or more elements formed such that they are operative to mate with one or more reciprocal elements associated with said other correspondingly adapted flooring panel, which article further comprises a frictional backing material that is non-adhesive in respect of, but exhibits resistance to movement with respect to, a surface underlying the article when in contact with the surface; and a method of making same.

Description

PRIORITY INFORMATION[0001]The priority of U.S. Application Ser. No. 61 / 702,992, filed Sep. 19, 2012, is claimed, the subject matter of such provisional application being incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to flooring products, including laminate flooring panels such as floor tiles, adapted so that adjacent units of flooring products are capable of interlocking with one another.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]There is increasing sensitivity in the flooring industry to safety and durability concerns relating to flooring products, including the minimization of movement of such flooring products after installation, while concomitantly enhancing durability and maintaining an attractive performance profile. One particularly pressing dilemma is utilization of highly desirable interlocking mechanisms, such as tongue-and-groove systems, for connecting units of flooring products together without shifting and / or movement of those units w...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is an interlocking flooring product that solves issues of instability and non-uniformity underfoot, and movement against the surface it rests on. It also has improved ease of installation compared to current non-adhesive interlocking products. The frictionally backed material prevents the flooring from moving or becoming uneven. This invention maintains the benefits of interlocking flooring products such as efficiency, aesthetics, and convenience, while reducing the negative effects of interlocking connections like movement. The invention also maintains the desirable performance characteristics of interlocking mechanisms, such as favorable "optics" by avoiding adhering flooring to an underlying surface.

Problems solved by technology

One particularly pressing dilemma is utilization of highly desirable interlocking mechanisms, such as tongue-and-groove systems, for connecting units of flooring products together without shifting and / or movement of those units when in contact with the underlying surface being covered.

A dilemma arises because though tongue-and-groove or other interlocking joinder is highly desirable in some ways, at the same time it can impede attainment of stability and traction of the flooring panels on an underlying surface.

However, on the other, securing panels by means of interlocking connection can also lead to a stability shortfall.

This is especially so if the interlocking connection is, as customary, effected only on two opposite sides of a rectangular product, a common approach, since to interlock on all four sides introduces undesirable difficulty.

This erodes the performance profile of interlocking flooring products because product units interconnected on only two sides as aforesaid can shift when not anchored to the surface thereunder.

There is the aesthetic disadvantage of creeping misalignment, and typically an overlapping of adjacent panels at their edges.

The cumulative effect of even small shifts over an expanse of panels can cause stacking and thus unevenness at panel interfaces.

And, even more important, shifting poses a risk of injury should there be product movement underfoot or uneven surfaces due to the stacking of panels, each of which may lead to a fall or the like.

But, the benefit of using interlocking mechanisms, namely, easier installation due to the omission of adhesive, is lost.

Furthermore, use of adhesive can be troublesome as removal of the product is laborious, and the product is induced to conform to imperfections in the underlying surface.

That is to say thicker panels have two important drawbacks, they require more material to produce, and they weigh more.

These factors increase production and transportation costs, which are then passed on to the consumer in the form of higher floor panel prices.

In addition, with thicker flooring products come environmental consequences, such as increased fuel consumption attendant upon transporting greater volumes and weights of thicker flooring products, and disposal difficulties.

(The aforementioned problems complicate both compliance with government regulations and conformity with voluntary standards which entitles one to publicize that fact for competitive advantage.)

Accordingly, laminate products are increasingly attractive, and yet the interconnection of same via interlocking elements is likewise afflicted by the problems applicable to more traditional products.

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