Glue-Down Decorative Floor Covering System

Abstract

The invention relates to a glue-down decorative floor covering system. The invention also relates to a glue-down floor covering realized by a plurality of tiles of the glue-down floor covering system according to the invention. The invention further relates to a tile for use in a glue-down floor covering system according to the invention.

1 . A glue-down decorative floor covering system, comprising:
 a plurality of interlockable decorative flexible floor tiles, wherein each floor tile has a substrate layer and is rectangular, either oblong or square, and thus comprises a first pair of opposite edges and a second pair of opposite edges;   wherein the first pair of opposite edges comprise mechanical coupling parts allowing to mutually mechanically couple a plurality of such tiles to each other, wherein said coupling parts form a first locking system which effects a locking of mutually coupled tiles in the plane of the tiles and perpendicular to the respective edges, as well as form a second locking system which effects a locking of mutually coupled tiles perpendicular to the plane of the tiles, wherein these coupling parts are realized from said substrate layer;   wherein the coupling parts of the first pair of opposite edges comprise (i) at a first edge a first coupling part comprising a sideward tongue extending in a direction substantially parallel to the plane of the tile, the bottom front region of said sideward tongue at least partially being rounded or being flat, the bottom back region of said tongue being configured as bearing region, wherein the bottom back region is located closer to the level of the upper side of the tile than a lowest part of the bottom front region, and wherein the coupling parts of the first pair of opposite edges comprise (ii) at an opposite second edge a second coupling part comprising a recess for accommodating at least a part of the sideward tongue of a further tile, said recess being defined by an upper lip and a lower lip, said lower lip being provided with a upwardly protruding shoulder for supporting the bearing region of the sideward tongue, the sideward tongue being designed such that locking takes place by an introduction movement into the recess of the sideward tongue a further tile and a angling down movement about an axis parallel to the first edge, as a result of which a top side of the sideward tongue will engage the upper lip and the bearing region of the sideward tongue will be supported by and/or facing the shoulder of the lower lip, leading to interlocking of adjacent tiles at the first and second edges, wherein the bearing region is connected to a substantially vertical second end surface of the tile, in particular of the substrate layer, and wherein, in coupled condition of adjacent tiles, the first end surface faces the second end surface, such that the first end surface and the second end surface mutually enclose a lower glue chamber, and wherein the second pair of opposite edges comprises further mechanical coupling parts allowing to mutually mechanically couple a plurality of such tiles to each other, wherein these coupling parts are configured to form a first locking system which effects a locking of mutually coupled tiles in the plane of the tiles and perpendicular to the respective edges, as well as to form a second locking system which effects a locking of mutually coupled tiles perpendicular to the plane of the tiles, wherein these coupling parts of the second pair of edges are realized from said substrate layer, wherein the coupling parts of the second pair of opposite edges comprise (iii) at a third edge a lower bridge to which an upward tongue is connected, wherein the upward tongue comprises an inner side which faces an upward flank of said coupling part, wherein said inner side of the upward tongue and the upward flank enclose an upward groove, and wherein an outer side of the upward tongue is provided with a first locking element, and wherein the coupling parts of the second pair of opposite edges comprise (iv) at an opposite fourth edge an upper bridge to which a downward tongue is connected, wherein the downward tongue insertable into the upward groove of another floor tile, wherein a downward groove is enclosed by said downward tongue and a downward flank, wherein the upward tongue of another floor tile is insertable in said downward groove, wherein the downward flank is provided with a second locking element configured to co-act, in a coupled position, with the first locking element of an adjacent floor tile, and wherein, in coupled position, a gap is present in between the outer side of the upward tongue and the downward flank allowing glue to flow into said gap.   
     
     
         2 . The floor covering system according to  claim 1 , wherein the coupling parts of the first pair of opposite edges are designed to snap or click together during mutual coupling. 
     
     
         3 . The floor covering system according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one coupling part of the coupling parts of the first pair of opposite edges is designed to resiliently deform during mutual coupling. 
     
     
         4 . The floor covering system according to  claim 1 , wherein, in coupled condition of the coupling parts, the sideward tongue and the recess mutually enclose a plurality of gaps. 
     
     
         5 . The floor covering system according to  claim 1 , wherein a lower surface of the bearing region, which is configured to be supported by and/or to face the shoulder of the lower lip, is upwardly inclined in the direction of the bottom front region of the sideward tongue. 
     
     
         6 . The floor covering system according to  claim 1 , wherein an upper surface of the shoulder of the lower lip is upwardly inclined in the direction of the upper lip. 
     
     
         7 . The floor covering system according to  claim 1 , wherein the distance between the upper surface of the tile and a lower surface of the bearing region, which is configured to be supported by and/or to face the shoulder of the lower lip, is smaller than the distance between the upper surface of the tile and the shoulder of the lower lip. 
     
     
         8 . The floor covering system according to  claim 1 , wherein, in coupled condition of adjacent tiles, the bearing region and the shoulder of the lower lip mutually enclose an upper glue chamber. 
     
     
         9 . The floor covering system according to  claim 8 , wherein the upper glue chamber is connected to the lower glue chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The floor covering system according to  claim 1 , wherein the lower lip is provided with a substantially vertical first end surface. 
     
     
         11 . The floor covering system according to  claim 1 , wherein the bearing region is connected to a substantially vertical second end surface of the tile, in particular of the substrate layer. 
     
     
         12 . The floor covering system according to  claim 11 , wherein, in coupled condition of adjacent tiles, the first end surface faces the second end surface, such that the first end surface and the second end surface mutually enclose a lower glue chamber, wherein preferably the lower glue chamber is arranged at a distance from the bottom of the tiles and/or wherein the first end surface and the second end surface are located at a distance from each other, preferably a distance of at least 0.2 mm, to allow sufficient glue to enter between the faces. 
     
     
         13 . The floor covering system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first locking element is a bulge, and wherein the second locking element is a recess, wherein in coupled condition of adjacent floor tiles the first locking element is positioned at a distance from the second locking element. 
     
     
         14 . The floor covering system according to  claim 1 , wherein each tile comprises at least one printed decorative layer affixed, either directly or indirectly, to an upper surface of the substrate layer, at least one wear layer affixed, either directly or indirectly, to an upper surface of the decorative layer. 
     
     
         15 . The floor covering system according to  claim 1 , wherein each floor tile has a thickness of less than 4.7 mm. 
     
     
         16 . The floor covering system according to  claim 1 , wherein each floor tile comprises at least one flexible substrate layer at least partially composed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). 
     
     
         17 . The floor covering system according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate layer comprises at least one inert filler, such as calcium carbonate. 
     
     
         18 . The glue-down floor covering realized by interlocking a plurality of tiles of the glue-down floor covering system according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         19 . The glue-down floor covering according to  claim 18 , wherein the floor covering is glued onto a subfloor. 
     
     
         20 . A glue-down decorative floor covering system, comprising a plurality of interlockable decorative flexible floor tiles, wherein each floor tile is rectangular, either oblong or square, and comprises a first pair of opposite edges and a second pair of opposite edges; wherein the first pair of opposite edges comprise mechanical coupling parts allowing to mutually mechanically couple a plurality of such tiles to each other, wherein said coupling parts form a first locking system that effects a locking of mutually coupled tiles in a plane of the tiles and perpendicular to the respective edges, as well as form a second locking system that effects a locking of mutually coupled tiles perpendicular to the plane of the tiles, wherein the coupling parts substantially are realized from said substrate layer; wherein the coupling parts at said first pair of opposite edges are configured such that two of such tiles can be coupled to each other at said edges by a turning movement and/or vertical movement, and wherein the second pair of opposite edges is free of any mechanical coupling parts,
 wherein the second pair of opposite edges consists of a third edge and an opposite fourth edge, wherein the third edge is provided with a substantially vertical third end surface and wherein the fourth edge is provided with a substantially vertical fourth end surface, wherein, in coupled condition of adjacent tiles, a top section of the third end surface and the fourth end surface face and engage to each other, or are in contact with each other, over at least half the thickness of the tiles.