Floor Panel for Forming a Floor Covering and Method for Manufacturing a Floor Panel

Abstract

A floor panel for forming a floor covering, wherein this floor panel comprises a substrate, which substrate is manufactured on the basis of synthetic material; wherein this floor panel, on at least one pair of opposite edges, comprises coupling parts, which coupling parts allow that two such floor panels can be coupled to each other by a downward movement of one floor panel in respect to the other floor panel.

1 . A floor panel for forming a floor covering, wherein the floor panel comprises: a substrate comprising thermoplastic material, the floor panel, on at least one pair of opposite edges, comprises coupling parts, which coupling parts allow that two such floor panels can be coupled to each other by a downward movement of one floor panel in respect to the other floor panel;
 the coupling parts allowing a locking in a first direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor panel, and in a second direction perpendicular to the edges and in the plane of the floor panel, the coupling parts substantially being formed of the material of said substrate and are made in one piece therewith, the coupling parts consist of a downward-directed upper hook-shaped part, which is situated on the one edge of said pair of opposite edges, and an upward-directed lower hook-shaped part, which is situated on the other, opposite edge of said pair of opposite edges, which hook-shaped parts can be engaged behind each other by said downward movement;   wherein the upper hook-shaped part consists of a lip which is provided with a downward-directed locking element, whereas the lower hook-shaped part consists of a lip which is provided with an upward-directed locking element; wherein the locking elements are provided with locking surfaces which at least partially allow a locking in said second direction, which locking surfaces comprise a first and second locking surface, which first locking surface belongs to a proximal side of the downward-directed locking element and which second locking surface belongs to a proximal side of the upward-directed locking element, and that said locking surfaces extend continuously over a major part of the length of the respective edges;   wherein said coupling parts are configured such that, in the coupled condition of two such floor panels, at least in said second direction perpendicular to the edges and in the plane of the floor panel, a tensioning force is present at the location of a vertical closing surface formed between the two floor panels;   wherein the lip of the lower hook-shaped part comprises a first support surface for supporting the downward-directed locking element; and wherein a first interspace is present between said vertical closing surface and the aforementioned first support surface;   wherein the lip of the lower hook-shaped part comprises a floating support surface for the downward-directed locking element.   
     
     
         2 . The floor panel of  claim 1 , wherein a second interspace is present between the floating support surface and the downward-directed locking element, wherein said second interspace is part of the first interspace. 
     
     
         3 . The floor panel of  claim 2 , wherein the maximum dimension of said second interspace in the first direction is maximum 2 mm. 
     
     
         4 . The floor panel of  claim 1 , wherein the first support surface is situated lower than the floating support surface. 
     
     
         5 . The floor panel of  claim 1 , wherein the first support surface is situated closer to the upward-directed locking element than the floating support surface. 
     
     
         6 . The floor panel of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling parts are configured such that their contours overlap. 
     
     
         7 . The floor panel of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic material is polyvinyl chloride. 
     
     
         8 . The floor panel of  claim 1 , wherein the floor panel is oblong and wherein said pair of opposite edges is situated at the short sides of the floor panel; and wherein the pair of opposite edges on the long sides of the floor panel also comprise coupling parts, which coupling parts allow a locking in the first direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor panel, and in the second direction perpendicular to said edges and in the plane of the floor panel. 
     
     
         9 . The floor panel of  claim 8 , wherein the coupling parts on the opposite pair of edges on the long sides of the floor panel are configured such that two such floor panels can be coupled at the edges by a turning movement of one floor panel in respect to the other floor panel, in such a manner that a plurality of such floor panels can be coupled by a “fold-down” technique. 
     
     
         10 . The floor panel of  claim 1 , wherein the lip of the upper hook-shaped part has a minimum thickness of less than half the thickness of the panel. 
     
     
         11 . The floor panel of  claim 1 , wherein the lip of the upper hook-shaped part becomes thicker in a direction away from the downward-directed locking element, reaching a thickness of at least half the thickness of the panel. 
     
     
         12 . The floor panel of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate has a thickness which is smaller than 5 mm. 
     
     
         13 . The floor panel of  claim 1 , wherein the coupling parts are configured such that, in the coupled condition of two such floor panels, the downward-directed locking element is clamped between the vertical closing surface and a proximal side of the upward-directed locking element. 
     
     
         14 . The floor panel of  claim 1 , wherein the lip of the lower hook-shaped part has a minimum thickness which is larger than ¼ of the overall thickness of the floor panel. 
     
     
         15 . The floor panel of  claim 1 , wherein the lip of the lower hook-shaped part becomes thicker in a direction away from the upward-directed locking element. 
     
     
         16 . A floor panel for forming a floor covering, wherein the floor panel comprises: a substrate comprising thermoplastic material, the floor panel, on at least one pair of opposite edges, comprises coupling parts, which coupling parts allow that two such floor panels can be coupled to each other by a downward movement of one floor panel in respect to the other floor panel;
 the coupling parts allowing a locking in a first direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor panel, and in a second direction perpendicular to the edges and in the plane of the floor panel, the coupling parts substantially being formed of the material of said substrate and are made in one piece therewith, the coupling parts consist of a downward-directed upper hook-shaped part, which is situated on the one edge of said pair of opposite edges, and an upward-directed lower hook-shaped part, which is situated on the other, opposite edge of said pair of opposite edges, which hook-shaped parts can be engaged behind each other by said downward movement;   wherein the upper hook-shaped part consists of a lip which is provided with a downward-directed locking element, whereas the lower hook-shaped part consists of a lip which is provided with an upward-directed locking element; wherein the locking elements are provided with locking surfaces which at least partially allow the locking in said second direction, which locking surfaces comprise a first and second locking surface, which first locking surface belongs to a proximal side of the downward-directed locking element and which second locking surface belongs to a proximal side of the upward-directed locking element, and that said locking surfaces extend continuously over a major part of the length of the respective edges;   wherein said coupling parts are configured such that, in the coupled condition of two such floor panels, at least in said second direction perpendicular to the edges and in the plane of the floor panel, a tensioning force is present at the location of a vertical closing surface formed between the two floor panels;   wherein the lip of the lower hook-shaped part comprises a first support surface for supporting the downward-directed locking element; and wherein a first interspace is present between said vertical closing surface and the aforementioned first support surface;   wherein the lip of the lower hook-shaped part comprises a floating support surface for the downward-directed locking element;   wherein the first support surface is situated lower than the floating support surface;   wherein the first support surface is situated closer to the upward-directed locking element than the floating support surface.   
     
     
         17 . The floor panel of  claim 16 , wherein a second interspace is present between the floating support surface and the downward-directed locking element, wherein said second interspace forms part of the first interspace and wherein the maximum dimension of said second interspace in the first direction is maximum 2 mm. 
     
     
         18 . The floor panel of  claim 17 , wherein the floor panel is oblong and wherein said pair of opposite edges is situated at the short sides of the floor panel; and wherein the pair of opposite edges on the long sides of the floor panel also comprise coupling parts, which coupling parts allow a locking in the first direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor panel, and in the second direction perpendicular to said edges and in the plane of the floor panel and wherein the coupling parts on the opposite pair of edges on the long sides of the floor panel are configured such that two such floor panels can be coupled at the edges by a turning movement of one floor panel in respect to the other floor panel, in such a manner that a plurality of such floor panels can be coupled by a “fold-down” technique. 
     
     
         19 . The floor panel of  claim 18 , wherein the thermoplastic material is polyvinyl chloride and wherein the substrate comprises at least one filler material. 
     
     
         20 . The floor panel of  claim 18 , wherein the coupling parts are configured such that their contours overlap.