Decorative panel

Abstract

A decorative panel with a thermoplastic substrate or with a substrate that comprises one or more layers that expand under the influence of temperature, with a decorative layer on one side and with mechanical coupling parts on a first pair of opposite edges. The panel includes, on this pair of edges, a first, second, third and fourth sealing face, all substantially perpendicular to the panel. The third sealing face is under the first sealing face; and the fourth sealing face is under the second sealing face. On coupling two such panels, the first and the second sealing faces abut against each other and the third and fourth sealing faces abut against each other.

1 .- 51 . (canceled) 
     
     
         52 . A decorative panel, wherein the panel comprises a substrate and a top layer, wherein the top layer comprises a decorative layer,
 wherein the substrate comprises one or more thermoplastic layers or   wherein the substrate is a thermoplastic substrate or wherein the substrate comprises one or more layers that expand under the influence of temperature;   wherein the panel comprises a first pair of opposite edges, namely a first edge and a second edge,   wherein the first edge comprises a male coupling part and the second edge comprises a female coupling part, so that the first edge of the panel can be coupled to the second edge of another such panel;   wherein these coupling parts form a first locking system that provides locking in the plane of the panels and perpendicular to the coupled edges, and also form a second locking system that provides locking transverse to the plane of the panels;   wherein the first edge in the upper half of the panel comprises a first sealing face, substantially perpendicular to the plane of the panel and/or with an angle less than 10° relative to the plane perpendicular to the plane of the panel and parallel to the first edge;   wherein the second edge comprises, in the upper half of the panel, a second sealing face, substantially perpendicular to the plane of the panel and/or with an angle less than 10° relative to the plane perpendicular to the plane of the panel and parallel to the second edge;   wherein in the coupled state of the first edge of the panel on the second edge of another such panel, the first sealing face of the panel and the second sealing face of the other such panel abut against each other,   wherein the first sealing face and the second sealing face come into contact or wherein the distance between the first sealing face and the second sealing face measured parallel to the plane of the panel and perpendicular to the coupled edges is less than 0.07 mm;   wherein the first edge, located closer to the underside of the panel than the first sealing face, comprises a third sealing face, substantially perpendicular to the plane of the panel and/or with an angle less than 10° relative to the plane perpendicular to the plane of the panel and parallel to the first edge;   in that the second edge located closer to the underside of the panel than the second sealing face, comprises a fourth sealing face, substantially perpendicular to the plane of the panel and/or with an angle less than 10° relative to the plane perpendicular to the plane of the panel and parallel to the second edge;   wherein in the coupled state of the first edge of the panel on the second edge of another such panel, the third sealing face of the panel and the fourth sealing face of the other such panel abut against each other,   wherein the third sealing face and the fourth sealing face come into contact or   wherein the distance between the third sealing face and the fourth sealing face measured parallel to the plane of the panel and perpendicular to the coupled edges is less than 0.07 mm.   
     
     
         53 . The decorative panel as in  claim 52 , wherein the first sealing face, the second sealing face, the third sealing face and the fourth sealing face are configured so that in the cross-section of the panel perpendicular to the plane of the panel and perpendicular to the first pair of opposite edges, the length of the contact when there is contact between the first sealing face and the second sealing face is less than the length of the contact when there is contact between the third sealing face and the fourth sealing face. 
     
     
         54 . The decorative panel as in  claim 52 , wherein the first sealing face, the second sealing face, the third sealing face and the fourth sealing face are configured so that in the cross-section of the panel perpendicular to the plane of the panel and perpendicular to the first pair of opposite edges, the length of the contact when there is contact between the first sealing face and the second sealing face is greater than the length of the contact when there is contact between the third sealing face and the fourth sealing face. 
     
     
         55 . The decorative panel as in  claim 52 , wherein the difference between a first length and a second length relative to the average of the first length and the second length is less than 35%,
 wherein the first length is the length of the contact when there is contact between the first sealing face and the second sealing face; and   wherein the second length is the length of the contact when there is contact between the third sealing face and the fourth sealing face.   
     
     
         56 . The decorative panel as in  claim 52 , wherein the third sealing face is located in the lower half of the thickness of the panel; and in that the fourth sealing face is located in the lower half of the thickness of the panel. 
     
     
         57 . The decorative panel as in  claim 52 , wherein the first sealing face and the second sealing face are formed at least partly in the substrate,
 wherein the first sealing face and the second sealing face are each formed in the substrate for at least 75 percent of their surface.   
     
     
         58 . The decorative panel as in  claim 52 , wherein the male coupling part is configured on the first edge substantially in the form of a tongue, while the female coupling part is configured on the second edge substantially in the form of a groove;
 wherein the groove is delimited by an upper lip and a lower lip projects farther in the distal direction than the upper lip and wherein the lower lip comprises a locking element in the form of an upwards directed locking element,   wherein this upwards directed locking element together with a recess on the underside of the tongue, in the coupled state of the panel with its first edge on the second edge of another such panel, provides locking in the plane of the panels and perpendicular to the coupled edges;   wherein the panel can be coupled with its first edge on the second edge of another such panel by a turning motion of the panel relative to the second edge of the other such panel; and/or by a sliding motion of the panel parallel to the other such panel, giving rise to a snap connection.   
     
     
         59 . The decorative panel as in  claim 58 , wherein the fourth sealing face is located at the distal end of the lower lip of the second edge. 
     
     
         60 . The decorative panel as in  claim 52 , wherein the coupling parts on the first pair of edges are configured in such a way that the panel can be coupled on its first edge by a downward motion of the panel relative to another such panel, to the second edge of the other such panel,
 wherein the first locking system of the first pair of opposite edges is formed at least from an upwards directed lower hook-shaped portion that is located on the second edge, and a downwards directed upper hook-shaped portion that is located on the first edge,   wherein the upwards directed lower hook-shaped portion consists of a lip with an upwards directed locking element,   wherein proximally of the upwards directed locking element, the female coupling part is formed in the form of a recess, whereas the downwards directed upper hook-shaped portion consists of a lip with a downwards directed locking element;   wherein this downwards directed locking element forms the male coupling part;   wherein in the downward motion, the downwards directed locking element on the first edge of the panel hooks behind the upwards directed locking element on the second edge of the rear such panel.   
     
     
         61 . The decorative panel as in  claim 60 , wherein the fourth sealing face is located at the distal end of the upwards directed locking element. 
     
     
         62 . The decorative panel as in  claim 60 , wherein in the coupled state of the panel on its first edge to the second edge of another such panel, the second locking system is formed at least by a locking element at the distal end of the lip and/or of the upwards directed locking element of the second edge of the other such panel and a locking element on the opposite first edge of the panel, interacting therewith,
 wherein one of these locking elements is formed by an undercut and the other by a projection.   
     
     
         63 . The decorative panel as in  claim 62 , wherein the third sealing face is located under the locking element of the first edge; and in that the fourth sealing face is located under the locking element at the distal end of the lip and/or of the upwards directed locking element of the second edge. 
     
     
         64 . The decorative panel as in  claim 52 , wherein the third sealing face is made completely in the substrate; and in that the fourth sealing face is made completely in the substrate. 
     
     
         65 . The decorative panel as  claim 52 , wherein in the coupled state of the first edge of the panel on the second edge of another such panel, the third sealing face of the panel and the fourth sealing face of the other such panel come into contact with each other; and in that the third sealing face and the fourth sealing face are configured so that in the cross-section of the panel perpendicular to the plane of the panel and perpendicular to the first pair of opposite edges, the length of the contact between the third sealing face and the fourth sealing face is at least 10% of the thickness of the panel. 
     
     
         66 . The decorative panel as in  claim 52 , wherein the substrate comprises one or more layers that comprise a thermoplastic matrix,
 wherein the thermoplastic matrix is formed from one of the following materials: polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), thermoplastic polyester, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or a thermoplastic polyamide.   
     
     
         67 . The decorative panel as in  claim 66 , wherein one or more of the one or more layers of the substrate comprise inorganic filler such as lime, chalk, talc, stone particles or clay. 
     
     
         68 . The decorative panel as in  claim 66 , wherein the substrate comprises a layer that comprises a thermoplastic matrix,
 wherein the thermoplastic matrix comprises a foamed thermoplastic matrix.   
     
     
         69 . The decorative panel as in  claim 66 , wherein the substrate comprises at least one layer,
 wherein the thermoplastic matrix contains plasticizer in an amount greater than 15 phr.   
     
     
         70 . The decorative panel as in  claim 66 , wherein the substrate comprises at least one layer,
 wherein the thermoplastic matrix contains less than 5 phr plasticizer, and   wherein the thermoplastic matrix does not contain plasticizer.   
     
     
         71 . The decorative panel as in  claim 66 , wherein the substrate comprises a first layer with a thermoplastic matrix and comprises a second layer with a thermoplastic matrix,
 wherein the thermoplastic matrix of the second layer expressed in phr (“parts per hundred resin”) contains more plasticizer than the thermoplastic matrix of the first layer,   wherein the second layer is located closer to the surface of the panel than the first layer.