Floor covering, floor element and method for manufacturing floor elements

Abstract

Floor covering, made of floor elements, which, at least at two opposite sides, comprise a male and a female coupling part, which allow that two of such floor elements can be interconnected at the respective sides at the respective sides by pushing one of these floor elements with the associated male coupling part, by means of a downward movement, home into the female coupling part of the other floor element, wherein at least one of said coupling parts, either the male coupling part or the female coupling part, is made as least partially in a filled synthetic material composite, such as extruded wood.

1 . A floor element for forming a floor covering with a herringbone pattern, wherein said floor element is rectangular and comprises a first pair of opposite short sides and a second pair of opposite long sides, wherein the floor element at the first pair of opposite short sides as well as at the second pair of opposite long sides, comprises coupling parts, wherein the coupling parts situated at the second pair of opposite long sides are made as a male coupling part and a female coupling part and respectively can cooperate with the female coupling part and the male coupling part of the second pair of opposite long sides of an identical floor element, and wherein both the coupling parts at the first pair of opposite short sides are male coupling parts designed such that each of these male coupling parts can cooperate with the male coupling part as well as with the female coupling part of the second pair of opposite long sides of an identical second floor element. 
     
     
         2 . The floor element of  claim 1 , wherein all of said coupling parts are provided with vertically active locking portions, which, when the coupling parts of two of such floor elements cooperate with each other, effect a locking in vertical direction, perpendicular to a plane of the floor covering, and also are provided with horizontally active locking portions, which, when the coupling parts of two of such floor elements cooperate with each other, effect a locking in horizontal direction, perpendicular to the said opposite sides and in the plane of the floor covering. 
     
     
         3 . The floor element of  claim 1 , wherein said coupling parts of the second pair of opposite long sides are of the type allowing that two of such floor elements can be connected to each other at said second pair of long sides by a turning movement or a horizontal shifting movement, wherein said coupling parts of the first pair of opposite short sides are of the type allowing that two of such floor elements can be connected to each other by a downward movement. 
     
     
         4 . The floor element of  claim 1 , wherein the male coupling parts at the first pair of opposite short sides are identical coupling parts. 
     
     
         5 . The floor element of  claim 1 , wherein the floor element comprises a substrate and a top layer, said substrate being made of a filled synthetic material composite and forming both sides of said first pair of opposite short sides and both sides of said second pair of opposite long sides, such that the coupling parts are at least partially made of said filled synthetic material composite, and said top layer comprising a decorative film with a printed decor, wherein said filled synthetic material composite comprises a thermoplastic material and an inorganic filling material, the weight ratio between the applied thermoplastic material and the applied inorganic filling material is between 50:50 and 20:80, and wherein said coupling parts are formed as milled profiles. 
     
     
         6 . The floor element of  claim 5 , wherein said thermoplastic material is selected from polyethylene, polypropylene and polyvinylchloride. 
     
     
         7 . The floor element of  claim 5 , wherein the coupling parts are made entirely of the filled synthetic material composite. 
     
     
         8 . The floor element of  claim 1 , wherein the male coupling part and the female coupling part of the second pair of opposite long sides are configured as a tongue and a groove delimited by means of a lower lip and an upper lip, wherein the tongue and groove are provided with locking elements that prevent the tongue and groove moving apart and wherein the locking elements comprise an upright locking element on the lower lip and, interacting therewith, a downward directed locking element on the underside of the tongue. 
     
     
         9 . The floor element of  claim 1 , wherein the floor element comprises a substrate and a top layer, said substrate being made of a filled synthetic material composite and forming both sides of said first pair of short sides and both sides of said second pair of opposite long sides, such that the coupling parts are at least partially made of said filled synthetic material composite, and said top layer comprising a decorative film with a printed décor, wherein said filled synthetic material composite comprises a thermoplastic material and an inorganic filling material, a weight ratio of thermoplastic material to inorganic filling material being lower than 50:50, and wherein said coupling parts are formed as milled profiles. 
     
     
         10 . The floor element of  claim 9 , wherein said thermoplastic material is selected from polyethylene, polypropylene and polyvinylchloride. 
     
     
         11 . The floor element of  claim 9 , wherein the content of thermoplastic material is higher than 10 percent. 
     
     
         12 . The floor element of  claim 9 , wherein the content of thermoplastic material is higher than 20 percent. 
     
     
         13 . The floor element of  claim 9 , wherein the coupling parts are made entirely of the filled synthetic material composite. 
     
     
         14 . The floor element of  claim 1 , wherein a said first male coupling part at the first pair of opposite short sides is of the type allowing that this male coupling part be connected to the female coupling part of the second pair of opposite long sides of an identical second floor element by a downward movement. 
     
     
         15 . The floor element of  claim 14 , wherein said first male coupling part at the first pair of opposite short sides is of the type allowing that this male coupling part be connected to the male coupling part of the second pair of opposite long sides of an identical second floor element by a horizontal shifting movement. 
     
     
         16 . A floor element for forming a floor covering with a herringbone pattern, wherein said floor element is rectangular and comprises a first pair of opposite short sides and a second pair of opposite long sides, wherein the floor element at the first pair of opposite short sides as well as at the second pair of opposite long sides, comprise coupling parts, wherein the coupling parts situated at the second pair of opposite long sides are made as a male coupling part and a female coupling part and respectively can cooperate with the female coupling part and the male coupling part of the second pair of opposite long sides of an identical floor element, and wherein both the coupling parts at the first pair of opposite short sides are male coupling parts designed such that each of these male coupling parts can cooperate with the male coupling part as well as with the female coupling part of the second pair of opposite long sides of an identical second floor element, wherein all of said coupling parts are provided with vertically active locking portions, which, when the coupling parts of two of such floor elements cooperate with each other, effect a locking in vertical direction, perpendicular to a plane of the floor covering, and also are provided with horizontally active locking portions, which, when the coupling parts of two of such floor elements cooperate with each other, effect a locking in horizontal direction, perpendicular to the said opposite sides and in the plane of the floor covering, wherein said coupling parts of the second pair of opposite long sides are of the type allowing that two of such floor elements can be connected to each other at said second pair of long sides by a turning movement or a horizontal shifting movement, wherein said coupling parts of the first pair of opposite short sides are of the type allowing that two of such floor elements can be connected to each other by a downward movement. 
     
     
         17 . The floor element of  claim 16 , wherein the male coupling parts at the first pair of opposite short sides are identical coupling parts. 
     
     
         18 . The floor element of  claim 17 , wherein the floor element comprises a substrate and a top layer, said substrate being made of a filled synthetic material composite and forming both sides of said first pair of opposite short sides and both sides of said second pair of opposite long sides, such that the coupling parts are at least partially made of said filled synthetic material composite, and said top layer comprising a decorative film with a printed decor; wherein said filled synthetic material composite comprises a thermoplastic material and an inorganic filling material, the weight ratio between the applied thermoplastic material and the applied inorganic filling material being lower than 50:50, and wherein said coupling parts are formed as milled profiles. 
     
     
         19 . The floor element of  claim 18 , wherein said thermoplastic material is selected from polyethylene, polypropylene and polyvinylchloride. 
     
     
         20 . The floor element of  claim 19 , wherein the male coupling part and the female coupling part of the second pair of opposite long sides are configured as a tongue and a groove delimited by means of a lower lip and an upper lip, wherein the tongue and groove are provided with locking elements that prevent the tongue and groove moving apart and wherein the locking elements comprise an upright locking element on the lower lip and, interacting therewith, a downward directed locking element on the underside of the tongue.