Panel for floor coverings and relative floor covering consisting of floor panels

Abstract

Panel for floor coverings and relative floor covering consisting of floor panels made of composite material, wherein the floor covering comprises a plurality of panels ( 10 ) arranged adjacent to each other and joined together two by two in correspondence with at least two respective sides and wherein the panels include, on the opposite longitudinal sides, first male coupling means (“C”) and first female coupling means (“D”), and, on the opposite butt sides, second male coupling means (“E”) and mating second female coupling means (“F”). The butt end male-female coupling means (“E”, “F”) have respective and mating cam-type ends ( 33, 36 ) able to cooperate through interference in the butt-wise coupling of two adjacent panels.

1 - Panel made of composite material such as MDF, HDF or impregnated chipboard, including at least one upper face or plane ( 48 ) and a lower face or plane ( 49 ), said panel ( 10 ) including two opposite longitudinal sides having respective male means (“C”) and female means (“D”) for the reciprocal connection of two panels ( 10 ), said male means (“C”) including at least a projecting portion ( 11 ) extending coplanar to said upper plane ( 48 ), and said female means (“D”) including at least a projecting portion ( 16 ) extending coplanar to said lower plane ( 49 ), the panel having a thickness (“1”) and a median longitudinal axis (“X”), characterized in that said male-female means have, in reciprocal cooperation: 
 i) said male means (“C”) a wall ( 112 ) which begins from the upper plane ( 48 ) and is orthogonal thereto, said wall ( 112 ) terminating with a tooth ( 12 ) protruding towards the outside for a width ( 40 ) and substantially parallel to said upper plane ( 48 ), said tooth ( 12 ) extending downwards for a height ( 50 ) substantially equal to the width ( 40 ) and connecting with an underlying horizontal plane ( 13 ) which extends towards the inside so as to define a bevel ( 15 ) inclined by an angle (β) with respect to the vertical, the bevel ( 15 ) cooperating with a recess ( 14 ) defined by a substantially vertical wall ( 314 ) separated from said wall ( 112 ) by a width ( 43 ), said wall ( 314 ) connecting with a horizontal plane ( 414 ) of a width ( 42 ) which terminates on a wall ( 22 ) which extends as far as said lower plane ( 49 ), the width ( 41  = 40 + 42 + 43 ) of said projecting portion ( 11 ), defined between the outer end of said tooth ( 12 ) and said wall ( 22 ), being equal to about the value of the thickness (“l”) of the panel ( 10 );  
 ii) said female means (“D”) a first wall ( 44 ) beginning from said upper plane ( 48 ) and having a height ( 47 ) substantially equal to the height of said wall ( 112 ) of the male means (“C”), said first wall ( 44 ) including a substantially vertical first upper tract ( 121 ) and a second lower tract ( 221 ) inclined towards the inside by an angle (γ), said second lower tract ( 221 ) extending in a horizontal recess ( 21 ) defined by a horizontal wall ( 321 ), a vertical wall ( 421 ) and a horizontal plane ( 19 ), said recess ( 21 ) having a length ( 40 ) and height ( 50 ) mating with the length and height of said tooth ( 12 ) of the male means (“C”), said horizontal plane ( 19 ) having a length mating with that of said plane ( 13 ) of the male means (“C”), said plane ( 19 ) extending with a groove ( 20 ) connected to a tooth ( 17 ) comprising a substantially vertical wall ( 118 ) which connects with a substantially horizontal upper plane ( 18 ), the upper plane ( 18 ) connecting to said lower plane ( 49 ) with a substantially vertical wall.  
 
     
     
         2 - Panel as in  claim 1 , characterized in that the tooth ( 12 ) has a length ( 40 ) equal to about ¼ of said thickness (“l”).  
     
     
         3 - Panel as in  claim 1 , characterized in that between said tooth ( 12 ) and said plane ( 13 ) there is a bevel ( 113 ) directed rearwards and defining an angle (α) with respect to the vertical, said angle (α) being between about 20° and about 30°.  
     
     
         4 - Panel as in  claim 3 , characterized in that said bevel ( 113 ) is arranged substantially astride said median axis (“X”) of the panel ( 10 ).  
     
     
         5 - Panel as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that the height ( 52 ) of said plane ( 13 ) with respect to said lower plane ( 49 ) is equal to about ⅓ of the thickness (“l”) of said panel ( 10 ).  
     
     
         6 - Panel as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that the inclination (β) of said bevel ( 15 ) with respect to the vertical is equal to about 45°.  
     
     
         7 - Panel as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said wall ( 22 ) consists of a first tract ( 114 ) orthogonal to said upper plane ( 48 ) and a second tract ( 214 ) angled rearwards with respect to the vertical by an angle (γ), said angle (γ) being equal to about half of said angle (α).  
     
     
         8 - Panel as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that the distance ( 42 ) between said wall ( 112 ) and said wall ( 314 ) is equal to about ⅓ of the thickness (“l”) of the panel ( 10 ).  
     
     
         9 - Panel as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said upper plane ( 18 ) of the female means (“D”) has a width ( 42 ) mating with the width of said plane ( 414 ) of said male means (“C”).  
     
     
         10 - Panel as in  claim 9 , characterized in that said upper plane ( 18 ) of the female means (“D”) is located at a height slightly lower than the height of the plane ( 414 ) of the male means (“C”).  
     
     
         11 - Panel as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said groove ( 20 ) is able to perform an at least partial function of elastic hinge for the terminal end of said female means (“D”) at least during the coupling phase of two adjacent panels, when said bevel ( 15 ) thrusts against said upper plane ( 18 ).  
     
     
         12 - Panel as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said groove ( 20 ) has a minimum section equal to at most a quarter of the total thickness of the panel ( 10 ).  
     
     
         13 - Panel made of composite material such as MDF, HDF or impregnated chipboard, including at least one upper face or plane ( 48 ) and a lower face or plane ( 49 ), said panel ( 10 ) including a thickness “l” and respective male means (“E”) and female means (“F”) for the reciprocal butt-wise connection of two panels ( 10 ), said male means (“E”) including a projecting extension ( 34 ) extending coplanar to said upper plane ( 48 ), and said female means (“F”) including a projecting extension ( 30 ) extending coplanar to said lower plane ( 49 ), characterized in that said male-female means (“E”, “F”) have, in reciprocal cooperation: 
 i) said male means (“E”) a vertical wall ( 53 ) beginning from said upper plane ( 48 ) and substantially orthogonal thereto, which is connected to a plane ( 35 ) facing towards the inside and substantially horizontal, said plane ( 35 ) extending terminally in an S-shaped profile lying on a vertical plane, said S-shaped profile defining a cam-type end ( 36 ) which extends so as to define a recess-type seat ( 56 ) the bottom of which is displaced towards the outside of the panel ( 10 ) with respect to the vertical plane passing through the edge of said cam-type end ( 36 ), said recess-type seat ( 56 ) being connected to a substantially horizontal wall ( 58 ), said wall ( 58 ) extending with a wall ( 60 ) connecting to said lower plane ( 49 );  
 ii) said female means (“F”) a first wall ( 62 ) beginning from said upper plane ( 48 ) and substantially orthogonal thereto, said wall ( 62 ) extending with a substantially horizontal wall ( 31 ) on which at least the front end of said plane ( 35 ) of the male means (“E”) is able to rest, said wall ( 31 ) extending in a groove ( 32 ) defining a bottom ( 132 ), said groove ( 32 ) extending upwards so as to define an S-shaped profile lying on a vertical plane and defined by a cam-type end ( 33 ) the edge of which faces towards said vertical wall ( 62 ), said cam-type end ( 33 ) of said female means (“F”) being able to cooperate through interference, during the coupling phase of two panels ( 10 ), with the mating cam-type end ( 36 ) of the male means (“E”) and to be at least partly housed in said recess-type seat ( 56 ), said cam-type end ( 33 ) extending in a substantially horizontal wall ( 63 ) of a width ( 64 ) mating with the width of said wall ( 58 ) of said male means (“E”), said wall ( 63 ) being connected to said lower plane ( 49 ) by means of a substantially vertical wall ( 65 ).  
 
     
     
         14 - Panel as in  claim 13 , characterized in that said vertical wall ( 53 ) has a height ( 54 ) equal to at least half the thickness (“l”) of said panel ( 10 ).  
     
     
         15 - Panel as in  claim 13  or  14 , characterized in that said wall ( 60 ) has a first tract ( 160 ) substantially orthogonal to said lower plane ( 49 ) and a second tract ( 260 ) inclined rearwards by an angle (α1).  
     
     
         16 - Panel as in any claim from  13  to  15  inclusive, characterized in that the distance ( 59 ) between said wall ( 58 ) and said lower plane ( 49 ) is at least equal to half the thickness (“l”) of said panel ( 10 ).  
     
     
         17 - Panel as in any claim from  13  to  16  inclusive, characterized in that said wall ( 31 ) has a first tract ( 131 ) and a second tract ( 231 ) joined by a bevel ( 331 ) inclined downwards, so that said second tract ( 231 ) is sunken with respect to said first tract ( 131 ).  
     
     
         18 - Panel as in any claim from  13  to  17  inclusive, characterized in that the bottom ( 132 ) of said groove ( 32 ) is connected and sunken with respect to said wall ( 31 ).  
     
     
         19 - Floor covering formed by panels made of composite material, comprising a plurality of panels ( 10 ) arranged adjacent to each other and joined two by two in correspondence with at least two respective sides, characterized in that, on a first pair of opposite longitudinal sides, said panels have first male coupling means (“C”) and first female coupling means (“D”), and, on the opposite butt sides, second male coupling means (“E”) and mating second female coupling means (“F”), the coupling of two adjacent panels being obtained by coupling said first male coupling means (“C”) of one panel ( 10 ) to said first female coupling means (“D”) of an adjacent panel ( 10 ), then by taking into contact the butt edges ( 37 ,  38 ) of said two panels ( 10 ), and then by rotating one panel ( 10 ) to be positioned with respect to an already positioned panel ( 10 ) in a scissor-like manner from up to down, in order to couple, through interference, one cam-type end ( 36 ) of said second male coupling means (“E”) of one panel ( 10 ) included in correspondence with the butt side with a mating cam-type end ( 33 ) of said second female coupling means (“F”) of the adjacent panel ( 10 ).