Flooring system having large floor pattern

Abstract

Laminated flooring planks include decorative motifs, mechanically embossed-in-registration surface textures, recessed perimeters, and locking mechanisms. By arranging portions of the decorative motifs along edges of a flooring plank, a periodic flooring pattern larger than an individual plank and that spans across both the length and width of a number of planks may be formed by placing identical planks adjacent to one another in a horizontal direction and adjacent in a vertical direction.

1 . A system of forming a decorative pattern, the system comprising: 
 a first unit, the first unit comprising:    a first plurality of subunits having a pattern, wherein a subunit of the first plurality of subunits includes a decorative motif substantially different from the unit pattern; and    a second unit adjacent the first unit, the second unit comprising:    a second plurality of subunits having the pattern, wherein a subunit of the second plurality of subunits includes the decorative motif where the first subunit and the second subunit align with one another such that the decorative motifs of the first subunit and the second subunit align with one another thereby forming the decorative pattern.    
   
   
       2 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , the system further comprising: 
 a third unit, the third unit comprising:    a third plurality of subunits having the pattern, wherein a subunit of the third plurality of subunits includes the decorative motif such that the decorative motif of the third subunit forms the decorative pattern with the decorative motif of both the first subunit and the second subunit.    
   
   
       3 . The system as recited in  claim 2 , the system further comprising: 
 a fourth unit, the fourth unit having at least four subunits.    
   
   
       4 . The system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the subunit of the first unit having the decorative motif is adjacent the subunit of the second unit having the decorative motif.  
   
   
       5 . The system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein an edge unit of the first unit has the decorative motif.  
   
   
       6 . The system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein a subunit adjacent an edge unit of the second unit has the decorative motif.  
   
   
       7 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first unit includes at least four subunits.  
   
   
       8 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the second unit includes at least four subunits.  
   
   
       9 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first unit and the second unit are laminate flooring planks having wood grain patterns.  
   
   
       10 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the subunits comprise an embossed surface texture in registration with the decorative motif.  
   
   
       11 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , the first unit comprising: 
 a tongue extending from a perimeter of one edge of the first unit; and    a groove running along a perimeter of an opposite edge of the first unit.    
   
   
       12 . The system as recited in  claim 11 , the second unit comprising: 
 a tongue extending from a perimeter of one edge of the second unit; and    a groove running along a perimeter of an opposite edge of the second unit where any of the grooves are capable of receiving any of the tongues.    
   
   
       13 . The system as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the pattern comprises an embossed surface texture.  
   
   
       14 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second units are laminate flooring planks having a ceramic tile surface pattern.  
   
   
       15 . A method of forming a decorative pattern, the method comprising: 
 arranging a first unit, the first unit having a plurality of subunits with a pattern where a first subunit of the first plurality of subunits has a decorative motif with a pattern different from the subunit pattern; and    placing a second unit adjacent the first unit, the second unit having a plurality of subunits with the subunit pattern where one subunit of the second plurality of subunits has the decorative motif where the first subunit having the decorative motif is adjacent the second subunit having the decorative motif thereby forming the decorative pattern.    
   
   
       16 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , the method further comprising: 
 arranging a third unit adjacent the first unit or the second unit, the third unit having a plurality of subunits where one subunit of the third plurality of subunits has the decorative motif where the third subunit having the decorative motif is adjacent one of the first subunits having the decorative motif and the second subunit having the decorative motif.    
   
   
       17 . The method as recited an  claim 15 , wherein the first unit has a tongue extending from a perimeter of a first edge and a groove at a perimeter of a second edge opposite the first edge.  
   
   
       18 . The method as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the second unit has a tongue extending from a perimeter of a first edge and a groove at a perimeter of a second edge opposite the first edge.  
   
   
       19 . The method as recited in  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 interlocking the second unit tongue with the first unit groove.    
   
   
       20 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the first unit and the second unit are laminate flooring planks having wood flooring planks.  
   
   
       21 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the subunits comprise an embossed surface texture in registration with the decorative motif.  
   
   
       22 . The method as recited in  claim 20 , wherein the pattern comprises an embossed surface texture.  
   
   
       23 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the first and second units are laminate flooring planks having ceramic tile patterns.  
   
   
       24 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , wherein both the first unit and the second unit include at least four subunits.  
   
   
       25 . A system for forming a decorative pattern, the system comprising: 
 a first unit having a plurality of subunits where the first plurality of subunits have a pattern disposed thereon, one subunit of the first plurality of subunits having a decorative motif where the decorative motif is substantially different from the subunit pattern; and    a second unit having a plurality of subunits where the second plurality of subunits have the subunit pattern and one subunit of the second plurality of subunits has the decorative motif where the decorative motifs of the first subunit and the second subunit align with each other when the first unit is set offset relative to the second unit wherein the aligned decorative motifs form the decorative pattern.    
   
   
       26 . The system as recited in  claim 25 , the system further comprising: 
 a third unit having at least four subunits, where one of the one subunits has the decorative motif such that when the third unit is set offset relative to both the first and second units, the decorative motif of the third subunit aligns with the decorative motifs on the first subunit and the second subunit.    
   
   
       27 . The system as recited in  claim 25 , the system further comprising: 
 a fourth unit having at least four subunits.    
   
   
       28 . The system as recited in  claim 25 , wherein both the first unit and the second unit have at least four subunits.