Hardwood flooring board

Abstract

The present invention is a hardwood flooring board including a middle layer formed from a non-hardwood flooring material and a hardwood material upper layer which is secured to an upper surface of the middle layer. The middle layer forms between 45% and 75% of the overall material of the board and enables the board to be manufactured to be more dimensionally stable, i.e., wider and longer, than conventional hardwood flooring boards. Also the use of the non-hardwood material in the middle layer greatly increases the dimensional stability and long term performance of the flooring boards, while providing a genuine hardwood appearance to the floor. The board also includes a lower layer that can be formed from either a hardwood material or a non-hardwood material to function as a base for the board.

1 . A flooring board comprising: 
 a) an upper layer formed of a first material;    b) a middle layer formed of a non-hardwood material and joined to the upper layer; and    c) a lower layer formed of a third material and joined to the middle layer opposite the upper layer.    
   
   
       2 . The board of  claim 1  wherein the first material and the second material are each formed from a hardwood material.  
   
   
       3 . The board of  claim 2  where the first material and the second material are formed from the same hardwood material.  
   
   
       4 . The board of  claim 1  wherein the non-hardwood material is selected from the group consisting of: HDF, MDF, plywood, chipboard, OSB board and non-flooring hardwoods.  
   
   
       5 . The board of  claim 1  wherein the middle layer further comprises; 
 a) a tongue disposed along one side of the middle layer; and    b) a groove disposed opposite the tongue along the other side of the middle layer.    
   
   
       6 . The board of  claim 5  wherein the tongue is formed with a cross-sectional area less than that of the groove, such that the tongue can expand within the groove.  
   
   
       7 . The board of  claim 5  further comprising a securing means engaging the tongue within the groove.  
   
   
       8 . The board of  claim 7  wherein the securing means comprises one of a connecting notch or a connecting rib disposed on the tongue that is engageable with the other of the connecting rib or connecting notch disposed within the groove.  
   
   
       9 . The board of  claim 1  wherein the bottom layer includes at least one recess disposed opposite the middle layer.  
   
   
       10 . The board of  claim 1  wherein the middle layer has a thickness approximately 2-4 times the thickness of the upper layer.  
   
   
       11 . The board of  claim 1  wherein the middle layer has a thickness approximately 2-4 times the thickness of the bottom layer.  
   
   
       12 . The board of  claim 1  wherein the upper layer and the lower layer are joined to the middle layer by an adhesive.  
   
   
       13 . A method of forming a hardwood floor, the method comprising the steps of: 
 a) providing a number of flooring boards each including an upper layer formed of a hardwood material, a middle layer formed of a non-hardwood material and affixed to the upper layer, and a lower layer affixed to the middle layer opposite the upper layer;    b) placing a first flooring board on a support surface with the lower layer positioned in contact with the support surface;    c) placing a second flooring board on the support surface with the lower layer of the second board positioned in contact with the support surface;    c) engaging the second board with the first board; and    e) repeating steps c) and d) until the support surface is entirely covered by the flooring boards.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein each of the number of flooring boards includes a tongue disposed along one side of each board and a groove disposed along the other side of each board, and wherein the step of engaging the second board with the first board comprises engaging one of the tongue or the groove on the second board with the other of the tongue or groove on the first board.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the groove in each board includes one of a connecting rib or a connecting notch, and the tongue on each board includes the other of the connecting rib or the connecting notch, and the step of engaging one of the tongue or groove on the second board with the other of the tongue or groove on the first board comprises engaging one of the connecting notch or the connecting rib on the second board with the other of the connecting notch or the connecting rib on the first board.  
   
   
       16 . A hardwood flooring board comprising: 
 a) an upper layer formed of a hardwood material;    b) a middle layer affixed to one side of the upper layer, the middle layer formed of a non-hardwood material; and    c) a lower layer affixed to the middle layer opposite the upper layer, wherein the middle layer forms between about 45% to about 75% of the total material of the flooring board.    
   
   
       17 . The board of  claim 16  wherein the middle layer forms between about 50% and about 65% of the total material of the flooring board.  
   
   
       18 . The board of  claim 17  wherein the middle layer forms approximately 55% of the total material of the flooring board.  
   
   
       19 . The board of  claim 16  wherein the flooring board is between 0.10 and 1.00 inches in thickness.  
   
   
       20 . The board of  claim 16  wherein the flooring board is approximate 0.75 inches in thickness.  
   
   
       21 . The board of  claim 16 , wherein the board is adapted to be fixed directly to a support surface.  
   
   
       22 . The board of  claim 21 , wherein the lower layer includes at least one notch extending into the lower layer towards the middle layer.  
   
   
       23 . The board of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one notch extends longitudinally across the board.  
   
   
       24 . The board of  claim 22 , wherein the lower layer includes three notches spaced from one another.  
   
   
       25 . The board of  claim 21 , wherein the board is adapted to be fixed to the support surface by a fastener.  
   
   
       26 . The board of  claim 25  wherein the fastener is selected from the group consisting of a nail and a screw.