Mohawk Industries has been granted a patent for a floor board with a decorative surface layer applied to a substrate. The substrate, made of MDF or HDF material, has a side edge that is treated with an impregnation agent and/or a sealing agent based on a super absorbing material. The patent also includes a method for manufacturing such floor boards, which involves applying the decorative surface layer to the substrate, dividing it into planks, profiling the side edge, and impregnating it with the impregnation agent. The MDF/HDF material at the side edge has a higher density region of at least 900 kg/m3, with a zone that has a density at least 10 percent lower than 900 kg/m3. The impregnation agent is sprayed onto the side edge while the floor board is transported on a transporting device. GlobalData’s report on Mohawk Industries gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
Smarter leaders trust GlobalData
According to GlobalData’s company profile on Mohawk Industries, Extrusion-based additive manufacturing was a key innovation area identified from patents. Mohawk Industries's grant share as of September 2023 was 55%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Patent granted for floor board with treated side edge
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11746537B2) describes a method for manufacturing a floor board with a decorative surface layer applied to a substrate. The method involves providing a substrate material made of MDF/HDF material and applying a decorative surface layer to the top surface of the substrate material. The substrate material is then divided into planks of approximately the size of the floor board. The side edge of the planks is profiled, exposing the MDF/HDF material. The exposed side edge is impregnated with an impregnation agent, which is sprayed onto the side edge while the floor board is transported on a transporting device.
The patent also includes various claims related to the impregnation process and the design of the floor board. For example, claim 2 states that the impregnation of the side edge can be done on a transporting device incorporated in a milling machine that profiles the side edge. Claim 7 describes the floor board having mechanical coupling parts on the first pair of opposite side edges, allowing the floor board to be locked with a similar floor board in multiple directions. Claim 10 introduces a different type of mechanical coupling parts on the second pair of opposite side edges, enabling the floor boards to be locked with a downward motion.
The method also includes additional features such as the use of MDF/HDF material with zones of locally lowered density at the side edge (claim 6), the inclusion of additional locking elements in the tongue and groove design of the mechanical coupling parts (claim 9), and the impregnation agent penetrating the substrate below the decorative surface layer (claim 18).
Overall, this patent presents a method for manufacturing floor boards with a decorative surface layer and provides various options for impregnating the side edges and designing the mechanical coupling parts. These features aim to enhance the durability and stability of the floor boards while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
To know more about GlobalData’s detailed insights on Mohawk Industries, buy the report here.
Data Insights
From
The gold standard of business intelligence.
Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalData’s unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode what’s happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors.
GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
