PANEL BOARD

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a wooden multilayer laminated panel board comprising an interlocking profile consists of a tongue and a groove for the uses as truck body and truck flooring.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Wooden panels with an interlocking profile are commonly used nowadays. Such wooden panels can be made of various composite wood materials such as plywood, oriented strand board, wafer board, particle board and fiberboard. The wooden panels are generally installed by being glued at the tongue and groove with wood adhesives. However, common interlocking profile tends to create gaps in between installed panels. The presence of the gaps would cause collection of dust and moisture that leads to growth of mold. As a result, the service life of the installed panels would be reduced.

United States Patent No. US2003079820 (Al) has disclosed a flooring material comprises a male and a female joining member. The male joining member is provided with a tongue and a lower side groove. The female joining member is provided with a groove and a cheek, the cheek being provided with a lip. Another prior art European Patent No. EP1380710 (A2) has disclosed an interlocking profile that includes a tongue and a groove. The groove has an upper lip and a lower lip with a protrusion that has an upper side and a front side. Further, the groove has a bearing region corresponding to the protrusion adjoins to an undercut. United States Patent No. US2004128934 (Al) has disclosed a floor panel which is provided with a tongue and a corresponding recess, that the recess comprises a top lip and a bottom lip, and the bottom lip forms a shoulder with a front shoulder side, and the shoulder is blocking the panels in the transverse direction. Japan Patent No. JP2004338106 discloses a large woody laminated sheet comprising a V-shape male and female end parts to be used as a loading platform on a truck.

The manufacturing and installing processes of such interlocking profiles are complicated. Hence, a skilled handyman is needed to install the panels securely with respect to one another to achieve a minimal offset of the panels. Consequently, the installation work of the mentioned interlocking profiles are labor and cost extensive. Thus, there is a need to create an interlocking profile to overcome the shortcomings mentioned above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention offers an improved tongue and groove wooden panel which allows straightforward and secure interlocking between two panels. Another object of the present invention is to provide a strong interlocking joint that is capable of sustaining large load capacity which is suitable for truck body and truck flooring.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a panel with one or more interlocking profiles which could be connected to one or more panels to achieve an extended surface for truck body and truck flooring.

Also another object of the present invention is to provide a panel with an interlocking profile that consists of angled side-edges. The angled side-edges facilitates self- alignment between two joined panels to avoid formation of gaps.

At least one of the preceding objects is met, in whole or in part, by the present invention, in which the embodiment of the present invention describes a panel (100) comprised of an interlocking profile located adjacent to a side-edge of the panel, that the interlocking profile has a groove (104) juxtaposed to a tongue (204), both extending in parallel to the adjacent side-edge, wherein the tongue (102) and groove (104) are complementary to one another with the peak of tongue and the trough of the groove being flattened, whereby two substantially identical panels ar& secured together by registering interlocking profile of one panel to another.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows a detailed perspective view of a panel having an interlocking profile consists of a tongue and a groove. Figure 2 shows the panels of Figure 1 after assembly.

Figure 3 shows a detailed cross-section diagram of panels as Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows a detailed cross-section diagram of panels as Figure 1 after assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiment described herein is not intended as limitations on the scope of the invention.

Referring to Figure 1, the two panels (100) and (200) are substantially identical, particularly carrying identical interlocking profile that facilitates joining of the two panels. In a preferred embodiment, the panel (100) comprises an interlocking profile located adjacent to a side-edge of the panel, that the interlocking profile has a groove (104) juxtaposed to a tongue (204), both extending in parallel to the adjacent sloping side-edges, wherein the tongue (102) and groove (104) are complementary to one another with the peak of tongue and the trough of the groove being flattened, whereby two substantially identical panels are secured together by registering interlocking profile of one panel to another. Preferably, the panel may have more than one interlocking profiles at different side-edges of the panel. The interlocking profile on each side-edge in the panel can be registered with an interlocking profile of another panel. Hence more than one panels can be registered to the panel to form a surface made of multiple panels for truck body and truck flooring.

Preferably, the wooden panel board is made of laminated veneer lumber. Other composite wood materials such as plywood, fiberboard, chipboard or particleboard can also be used. Besides, solid wood materials can also be employed to avoid swelling of core. Swelling is usually encountered in composite wood materials when these composite wood materials are exposed to substantially high moisture at side- edges.

Preferably, the tongue (102) has a thickness less than the thickness of the panel and the tongue (102) tapers towards its edge (101). Depth of the groove of one panel is formed so as to be complementary to the thickness of the tongue of another panel to assure a fit match of the groove (104) to the tongue (204). Consequently, a fit match will induce secure registration of interlocking profile between two panels. Further, adhesives can be applied to secure the interlocking profile between two panels. The preferred adhesive is applied on the abutting surfaces of the interlocking profile before joining two panels together. Thermosetting adhesives such as urea- formaldehyde resin, polyurethane or epoxy resin can be used. Preferentially, resorcinol resin glue is employed.

It is also preferable to apply heat and pressure over the glued interlocking joint to ensure secure fit between two panels. The applied pressure is preferably in the range of 7 to 10 kg/cm ² . In a condition where applied pressure is insufficient, the interlocking joint may not be joined snugly. On the contrary, an imprinted water mark due to high pressure may affect the aesthetic view of the joined panels.

The applied temperature for joining two panels is preferably in a range of 100 to 140 °C. In a condition where the applied temperature is less than 100 °C, the employed thermosetting adhesive may not harden sufficiently to hold two panels together. In a condition where the applied temperature is more than 140 °C, there may be curvatures formed on the joining panels that lead to insecure fitting of two joining panels.

The extending side-surfaces of the tongue and groove are angled into slope. In a preferred embodiment, the tongue has two inclined slopes (101) and (103), and a flattened peak (102). In particular, the slope of the tongue has inclination angle ranged between 35 to 60 degree in relation to the horizontal axis. In the preferred embodiment, the groove has two declined slopes (103) and (105), and a flattened trough (104). In particular, the slope of the tongue has declination angle in a range of 35 to 60 degree in relation to the horizontal axis. Further, the groove (104) and the tongue (102) of the interlocking profile on a single panel share a mutual slope (103). The mutual slope (103) on a panel corresponds to another mutual slope (203) on another panel during registration of interlocking profile between two panels. The angled side-edges of tongue and groove provide larger surface area for a substantially larger dispersion of adhesives over abutting surfaces of the interlocking profile.

Further, the flatten surfaces on the peak of the tongue and the trough of the groove increases surface area of contact between two panels. Larger surface areas of the tongue and groove surfaces are capable of strengthening the interlocking profile on the panel. Hence the strength of the joint is able to withstand applied forces from heavy loads for truck body and truck flooring.

Figure 2 shows the disclosed panels illustrated in Figure 1, being joined using the interlocking profile. The assembly of the interlocking joint in the present invention is straightforward and simple in contrast to the prior arts. By virtue of the sloping surfaces (101) and (103) of the tongue (102), the slopes serve to direct tongue (102) into groove (202). Similarly, by virtue of sloping surfaces (103) and (105) of the groove (104), the slopes serve to direct tongue (204) into groove (104). Consequently, the sloping surfaces facilitate self-alignment of the interlocking profile between two panels. Hence the interlocking profile can be fitted snugly between two panels to avoid formation of a gap.