Floor covering

Abstract

A floor covering has a decorative surface lying in a plane of the floor covering and includes rectangular floor panels, with each floor panel having: a core and a decorative layer on the core. At least a first pair of opposite edges is provided with mechanical coupling means so a plurality of similar panels can be coupled to one another. The coupling means provides for an interlocking in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering, and a direction perpendicular to the coupled edges and parallel to the plane of the floor covering. The floor covering includes a plurality of alignment elements with each edge of the floor panel and at least partially defining a hollow receiving cavity below the decorative layer and having a shape such that, when a first edge of a second floor panel is coupled to a second edge of a first floor panel.

1 .- 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A floor covering having a decorative surface lying in a plane of the floor covering, said floor covering comprising rectangular floor panels, each floor panel having:
 a core,   a first edge and a second edge forming a first pair of opposite edges,   a third edge and a fourth edge forming a second pair of opposite edges, and   four corners at intersections of said edges,   at least said first pair of opposite edges being provided with mechanical coupling means so that a plurality of said floor panels can be coupled to one another, said coupling means providing for an interlocking in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering, as well as in a direction perpendicular to the coupled edges and parallel to the plane of the floor covering,   said floor covering further comprising a plurality of alignment elements,   wherein each edge of said floor panels at least partially defines a hollow receiving cavity below said decorative layer, the hollow receiving cavity having a shape such that when a first edge of a second floor panel is coupled to a second edge of a first floor panel, said hollow receiving cavities are aligned to form a receiving pocket within which one of said plurality of alignment elements is at least partially received.   
     
     
         20 . The floor covering according to  claim 19 , wherein said hollow receiving cavity is provided at each corner of said floor panels, said hollow receiving cavity extending from the intersection of the two edges forming the corner and part way along each of the two edges. 
     
     
         21 . The floor covering according to  claim 19 , wherein said floor panels are laid to form a chessboard pattern, with no offset edges. 
     
     
         22 . The floor covering according to  claim 21 , wherein said hollow receiving cavity is provided at each corner of said floor panels, said hollow receiving cavity extending from the intersection of the two edges forming the corner and part way along each of the two edges and wherein at a meeting point of four floor panels, a substantially closed receiving compartment is formed by the hollow receiving cavities of the corners of the meeting point, said substantially closed receiving compartment accommodating one of said plurality of alignment elements. 
     
     
         23 . The floor covering according to  claim 22 , wherein each hollow receiving cavity is essentially right-triangular shaped such that said substantially closed receiving compartment is essentially square-shaped. 
     
     
         24 . The floor covering according to  claim 22 , wherein each hollow receiving cavity is essentially right-triangular shaped such that said closed receiving compartment is essentially lozenge-shaped, said lozenge shape having a major diagonal and a minor diagonal, the major diagonal having a length which is at least 20% greater than the length of the minor diagonal. 
     
     
         25 . The floor covering according to  claim 24 , wherein the length of the major diagonal is between three and four times greater than the length of the minor diagonal. 
     
     
         26 . The floor covering according to  claim 24 , wherein each essentially right-triangular shaped hollow receiving cavity has a hypotenuse which is curved. 
     
     
         27 . The floor covering according to  claim 19 , wherein each said hollow receiving cavity is located along each edge, midway along each edge. 
     
     
         28 . The floor covering according to  claim 19 , wherein each of said plurality of alignment elements has a shape corresponding substantially to that of the receiving pocket or substantially closed receiving compartment. 
     
     
         29 . The floor covering according to  claim 19 , wherein each of said plurality of alignment elements has a substantially planar profile having a thickness. 
     
     
         30 . The floor covering according to  claim 19 , wherein each of said plurality of alignment elements is made of a plastic material. 
     
     
         31 . The floor covering according to  claim 19 , wherein said receiving pocket and/or said substantially closed receiving compartment has a depth in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering, said depth being greater than, or substantially equal to, a thickness of said plurality of alignment elements. 
     
     
         32 . The floor covering according to  claim 19 , wherein the mechanical locking means are constituted by a tongue and a cooperating groove delimited by an upper lip and a lower lip,
 wherein said tongue and groove comprise locking elements which prevent the tongue and groove from moving apart in a coupled condition,   wherein said locking elements comprise an upwardly directed locking element on the lower lip and a downwardly directed locking element on the tongue cooperating with said upwardly directed locking element and   wherein, in a coupled condition, a contact surface is formed between the top of the tongue and the bottom of the upper lip,   wherein said receiving pocket and/or said substantially closed receiving compartment has a depth in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering, said depth being greater than, or substantially equal to, the thickness of the tongue, being the dimension of the tongue in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor panel from the contact surface to the lowest point of the downwardly directed locking element of the tongue and   wherein the top of said receiving pocket and/or said substantially closed receiving compartment extends at the height of said contact surface.   
     
     
         33 . The floor covering according to  claim 19 , wherein the thickness of the part of the panel situated above the the receiving pocket and/or said substantially closed receiving compartment, being the dimension in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering, between the top of the panel and the receiving pocket and/or said substantially closed receiving compartment, is at least 1.2 mm. 
     
     
         34 . The floor covering according to  claim 32 , wherein the thickness of the part of the panel situated above the the receiving pocket and/or said substantially closed receiving compartment, being the dimension in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering, between the top of the panel and the receiving pocket and/or said substantially closed receiving compartment, is at least 1.2 mm and
 wherein the part of the panel situated above the the receiving pocket and/or said substantially closed receiving compartment, is the part of the panel situated above the tongue and wherein said part has an equal thickness as the biggest thickness of the upper lip of the groove.   
     
     
         35 . The floor covering according to  claim 19 , wherein said mechanical coupling means allow said floor panels to be coupled to one another via a snap action. 
     
     
         36 . The floor covering according to  claim 35 , wherein said snap action occurs as two floor panels are shifted towards each other in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the floor covering and/or said snap action occurs as two floor panels are shifted towards each other in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering. 
     
     
         37 . The floor covering according to  claim 19 , wherein a decorative layer is provided on said core, said decorative layer forming a portion of said decorative surface. 
     
     
         38 . The floor covering according to  claim 23 , wherein each essentially right-triangular shaped hollow receiving cavity has a hypotenuse which is curved.