Chiral flexible rectangular floor covering element

Abstract

A flexible, preferably polymer-based, rectangular floor covering element of double-angling type has six sides: a decorative top face and a bottom face, as well as four edges. The first long edge has a first connection profile with a recess at the bottom face and a tongue overhanging the recess. The second long edge opposite the first long edge has a second connection profile with a protrusion at the bottom face and a groove for receiving the tongue of the first profile. The first short edge is equipped with the first profile and the second short edge is equipped with the second profile. When looking at the floor covering element from above the top face, the edges of the floor covering element are arranged in the following order in the clockwise direction: 1) the first long edge, 2) the first short edge, 3) the second long edge and 4) the second short edge.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A flexible rectangular floor covering element with a decorative top face and a bottom face for contacting an underfloor, the floor covering element having four edges with tongue-and-groove connection profiles, that is to say:
 a first long edge with a first connection profile, the first connection profile having a recess at said bottom face and a tongue overhanging said recess and laterally protruding from the edge,   a second long edge with a second connection profile that is complementary to the first connection profile, the second connection profile having a protrusion at said bottom face and a groove laterally extending into the edge of the floor covering element for receiving the tongue of the first profile,   a first short edge with said first connection profile; and   a second short edge with said second connection profile;   wherein, when looking at the floor covering element from above the top face, the edges are arranged in the following order in the clockwise direction: 1) the first long edge, 2) the first short edge, 3) the second long edge and 4) the second short edge;   wherein the tongue of the first connection profile comprises a substantially horizontal, upper tongue surface and a lower tongue surface located one vertically above the other;   wherein the second connection profile comprises a substantially horizontal, upper groove surface and a lower groove surface located one vertically above the other so as to delimit the groove from above and from below; and   wherein the floor covering element is a double-angling-type floor covering element, the first connection profile and the second connection profile being configured so that the second connection profile can be angled under the first connection profile and by said angling the tongue of the first connection profile being allowed to laterally enter into the groove of the second connection profile, whereby the upper tongue surface and the upper groove surface as well as the lower tongue surface and the lower groove surface come into contact.   
     
     
         2 . The floor covering element as claimed in  claim 1 , the floor covering element being a synthetic floor covering element. 
     
     
         3 . The floor covering element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the decorative top face comprises a decorative pattern representing a wood flooring, a bamboo flooring, a stone flooring, a ceramic flooring or a cork flooring. 
     
     
         4 . The floor covering element as claimed in  claim 1 , the floor covering element being a vinyl tile or plank, a solid vinyl tile or a luxury vinyl tile. 
     
     
         5 . The floor covering element as claimed in  claim 1 , having a height comprised in the range from 3 to 7 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The floor covering element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first and second connection profiles are configured for interlocking floor covering elements to be assembled by angling the first connection profile into the second connection profile and then bringing the floor covering elements to be assembled into alignment, wherein, when the first and second connection profiles are interlocked with one another, the first and second connection profiles are secured against purely translational disengagement in a direction vertical to the floor covering element. 
     
     
         7 . The floor covering element as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the first and second connection profiles are configured in such a way as to deform resiliently and to snap into place when the floor covering elements to be assembled are brought into alignment. 
     
     
         8 . A set of floor covering elements as claimed in  claim 1 , having user information associated therewith indicating that the set of floor covering elements is for right-handed persons and/or for installation from left to right. 
     
     
         9 . A set of floor covering elements, each floor covering element being a mirror image of but otherwise identical with the floor covering element of  claim 1 , the set of floor covering elements having user information associated therewith indicating that the set of floor covering elements is for left-handed persons and/or for installation from right to left. 
     
     
         10 . The set of floor covering elements as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein each floor element has a decorative top face and a bottom face for contacting an underfloor and comprises:
 a first long edge with a first connection profile, the first connection profile having a recess at said bottom face and a tongue overhanging said recess,   a second long edge with a second connection profile that is complementary to the first connection profile, the second connection profile having a protrusion at said bottom face and a groove for receiving the tongue of the first profile,   a first short edge with said first connection profile; and   a second short edge with said second connection profile;   wherein on each floor covering element, when looking at the floor element from above the top face, the edges are arranged in the following order in the clockwise direction: 1) the first long edge, 2) the second short edge, 3) the second long edge and 4) the first short edge.   
     
     
         11 . The floor covering element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the floor covering element is a plank or a tile. 
     
     
         12 . The floor covering element of  claim 4 , wherein the floor covering element is a vinyl composition tile. 
     
     
         13 . The set of floor covering elements of  claim 8 , wherein said set of floor covering elements is contained in a package, said package comprising said user information in the form of a textual or pictorial notice. 
     
     
         14 . The set of floor covering elements of  claim 8 , wherein said set of floor covering elements is contained in a package, the package comprising on an outside or interior thereof an Internet link in textual form or in the form of a machine-readable code, said Internet link pointing to an Internet site on which said user information is available as a text, pictures, a sound file or stream, a video file or stream, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The set of floor covering elements of  claim 10 , wherein said set of floor covering elements is contained in a package, said package comprising said user information in the form of a textual or pictorial notice. 
     
     
         16 . The set of floor covering elements of  claim 10 , wherein said set of floor covering elements is contained in a package, the package comprising on an outside or interior thereof an Internet link in textual form or in the form of a machine-readable code, said Internet link pointing to an Internet site on which said user information is available as a text, pictures, a sound file or stream, a video file or stream, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The floor covering element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the floor covering element is bendable to a radius of curvature of 50 cm or to a smaller radius of curvature without visible deterioration. 
     
     
         18 . The floor covering element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the tongue has a height and wherein the tongue laterally protrudes from the edge by a length approximately equal to the height of the tongue. 
     
     
         19 . The floor covering element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the groove has a depth and a height, and wherein the depth of the groove is approximately equal to the height of the groove. 
     
     
         20 . The floor covering element as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the tongue has a height and wherein the tongue laterally protrudes from the edge by a length approximately equal to the height of the tongue, wherein the groove has a depth and a height, the height of the groove being substantially equal to the height of the tongue and the depth of the groove amounting to at least the length by which the tongue laterally protrudes from the edge.