Wide width lock and fold laminate

Abstract

Lock and fold floor covering panels can be installed by angling a long locking edge into a previously installed row of panels and dropping or locking the projection of the tongue of the short side into the depression of the lower lip forming the groove in the short side. By incorporating a force increasing means in the fold joint, the width of the panels that can be installed with a lock and fold system can be increased beyond the conventionally accepted 3.5 inches. The fold joint is designed to permit it to be engaged, disengaged and reengaged without damaging the fold joint.

1 . A floor covering panel comprising (a) a core, (b) an upper decorative surface, (c) a lower surface, the lower surface being parallel and opposed to the upper decorative surface with the core interposed between the upper decorative surface and the lower surface, and (d) first and second opposed side edges interposed between the upper decorative surface and the lower surface; 
 the first opposed side edges having coupling parts configured to cooperate by coupling with cooperative coupling parts of another panel, whereby the panels lock together in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the upper surface when cooperative coupling parts of the panels are engaged; the coupling parts being capable of engagement by engaging one of the first two opposed side edges in an edge of a first previously installed panel with the other of the first two opposed side edges out of the plane of the upper surface of the panel and rotating the other of the first two opposed side edges into and below the plane of the upper decorative surface of the panel;    wherein the second two opposed edges comprise mating profiles,    the first of the second opposed edges comprising (a) a lower lip extending substantially parallel to the plane of the upper surface past the edge of the upper decorative surface, (b) an upper surface on the lower lip, the upper surface being substantially parallel to the upper decorative surface, and (c) a lower lip proximal contact surface adjacent the upper decorative surface, the lower lip proximal contact surface being substantially perpendicular to upper decorative surface;    the second of the second opposed edges comprising (a) an upper lip extending substantially parallel to the plane of the upper surface past the edge of the lower surface, (b) a lower surface on the upper lip, the lower surface being substantially parallel to the upper decorative surface, and (c) an upper lip distal contact surface adjacent the upper decorative surface, the upper lip distal contact surface being substantially perpendicular to the upper decorative surface;    wherein when the floor covering panel is assembled with other floor covering panels, the lower lip proximal contact surface is adjacent an upper lip distal contact surface of a first adjacent panel, and the upper lip distal contact surface is adjacent a lower lip proximal contact surface of a second adjacent panel;    the second two opposed edges further comprising force increasing engagement and disengagement means, whereby the second two opposed edges can be engaged, disengaged and reengaged with the force required to engage, disengage and reengage the second two opposed side edges being greater than the force required to engage, disengage and reengage panels having second opposed side edges without the force increasing means.    
   
   
       2 . The floor covering panel of  claim 1 , wherein the panels lock together in a direction parallel to the plane of the upper surface when cooperative coupling parts of the panels are engaged, 
 the first of the second opposed edges comprising (a) a lower lip extending substantially parallel to the plane of the upper surface past the edge of the upper decorative surface, (b) a lower lip distal projection located at the end of the lower lip distal to the panel, the lower lip and lower lip distal projection forming a lower lip locking groove, (c) a surface between the lower surface of the locking groove and the upper surface of the distal projection forming a lower lip distal contact surface, the lower lip distal contact surface being substantially perpendicular to the upper decorative surface, and (d) a lower lip proximal contact surface adjacent the upper decorative surface, the lower lip proximal contact surface being substantially perpendicular to upper decorative surface;    the second of the second opposed edges comprising (a) an upper lip extending substantially parallel to the plane of the upper surface past the edge of the lower surface, (b) an upper lip distal locking projection located at the end of the upper lip distal to the panel, the body of the panel adjacent the lower surface and upper lip distal locking projection forming an upper lip proximal groove, (c) a surface between the upper surface of the proximal groove and the lower surface of the locking projection forming an upper lip proximal contact surface, the upper lip proximal contact surface being substantially perpendicular to the upper decorative surface, and (d) an upper lip distal contact surface adjacent the upper decorative surface, the upper lip distal contact surface being substantially perpendicular to the upper decorative surface;    wherein when the floor covering panel is assembled with other floor covering panels, the lower lip distal contact surface is adjacent an upper lip proximal contact surface of a first adjacent panel, the lower lip proximal contact surface is adjacent an upper lip distal contact surface of the first adjacent panel, the upper lip distal contact surface is adjacent a lower lip proximal contact surface of a second adjacent panel, and the upper lip proximal contact surface is adjacent a lower lip distal contact surface of the second adjacent panel;    the second two opposed edges further comprising force increasing engagement and disengagement means, whereby the second two opposed edges can be engaged, disengaged and reengaged with the force required to engage, disengage and reengage the second two opposed side edges being greater than the force required to engage, disengage and reengage panels having second opposed side edges without the force increasing means.    
   
   
       3 . The floor covering panel of  claim 2 , wherein the force increasing means is a contact surface projection in at least one of the contact surfaces of the panel whereby when the panels are engaged, the contact surface projection on the panel engages the corresponding contact surface in the adjacent panel.  
   
   
       4 . The floor covering panel of  claim 2 , wherein the force increasing means is a contact surface projection in at least one of the contact surfaces of the panel and a contact surface groove in the adjacent contact surface of an adjacent panel, whereby when the panels are engaged, the contact surface projection on the panel engages the corresponding contact surface groove in the adjacent panel.  
   
   
       5 . The floor covering panel of  claim 4 , wherein the contact surface projection and contact surface groove have a rectangular profile.  
   
   
       6 . The floor covering panel of  claim 4 , wherein the contact surface projection and contact surface groove have a curved profile.  
   
   
       7 . The floor covering panel of  claim 3 , wherein the contact surface projection is formed as one piece from panel core.  
   
   
       8 . The floor covering panel of  claim 3 , wherein the contact surface projection is adhered to one of the panel core.  
   
   
       9 . The floor covering panel of  claim 2 , wherein at least one pair of the corresponding contact surfaces are roughened.  
   
   
       10 . The floor covering panel of  claim 2 , wherein at least one pair of the corresponding contact surfaces have a double curved profile.  
   
   
       11 . The floor covering panel of  claim 10 , wherein the corresponding contact surfaces are beveled.  
   
   
       12 . The floor covering panel of  claim 2 , wherein at least one pair of the corresponding contact surfaces or locking groove and locking projection have a pressure sensitive adhesive applied thereto.  
   
   
       13 . The floor covering panel of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the corresponding contact surfaces or locking groove and locking projection has a loop material adhered thereto and the other adjacent corresponding contact surface or locking groove and locking projection has a hook material adhered thereto.  
   
   
       14 . The floor covering panel of  claim 2 , wherein at least one pair of the corresponding contact surfaces or locking groove and locking projection has a pressure sensitive adhesive adhered thereto.  
   
   
       15 . The floor covering panel of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the upper surface on the lower lip and lower surface on the upper lip has a wedge projecting from the surface with the distal portion of the wedge having a greater cross-section than the proximal portion of the wedge, and the other of the upper surface on the lower lip and lower surface on the upper lip has a correspondingly shaped groove.  
   
   
       16 . The floor covering panel of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the upper surface on the lower lip and lower surface on the upper lip has a projection in the shape of an arrowhead, and the other of the upper surface on the lower lip and lower surface on the upper lip has a corresponding groove with a simple rectangular cross-section.  
   
   
       17 . The floor covering panel of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the upper surface on the lower lip and lower surface on the upper lip has a loop material adhered thereto and the other of the upper surface on the lower lip and lower surface on the upper lip has a hook material adhered thereto.  
   
   
       18 . The floor covering panel of  claim 1 , wherein the upper surface on the lower lip and lower surface on the upper lip have pressure sensitive adhesive adhered thereto.  
   
   
       19 . The floor covering panel of  claim 1 , wherein the floor covering panel is selected from the group consisting of a HDF laminate floor panel, a MDF laminate floor panel, a solid wood floor panel and an engineered wood floor panel.  
   
   
       20 . The floor covering panel of  claim 2 , wherein the floor covering panel is selected from the group consisting of a HDF laminate floor panel, a MDF laminate floor panel, a solid wood floor panel and an engineered wood floor panel.