Panel

Abstract

The panel includes a first pair of opposite edges; these comprise male and female coupling parts—in the form of a tongue and groove and locking elements—in order to couple two such panels to each other on their first pair of opposite edges. The panel and coupling parts thereof are configured so that in a covering formed with these panels, the expansion and contraction of the panels in the coupling zone on the first pair of opposite edges is compensated in this coupling zone itself.

1 . A panel, 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,   wherein the second edge comprises a female coupling part,   wherein the male coupling part and the female coupling part are configured in such a way that two such panels can, by means of their male and female coupling parts, be coupled to each other in one plane and a coupled state can thus be realized between the panels;   wherein the male coupling part comprises a tongue;   wherein the female coupling part comprises a groove, wherein the groove is delimited by an upper lip and a lower lip;   wherein the lower lip extends in a distal direction beyond an open or free end of the upper lip;   wherein the tongue and the groove, in the coupled state, form a tongue-and-groove joint, which produces a mechanical locking between the panels in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the panels;   wherein the male coupling part and the female coupling part each comprise a locking element, said locking elements, in the coupled state, produce a mechanical locking between the panels in the direction in the plane of the panels and perpendicular to the first pair of opposite edges;   wherein the panel comprises a substrate and a decorative design;   wherein the decorative design is provided on at least a part of an upper edge of the tongue;   wherein in the coupled state directly after the coupling of the panel on its first edge to the second edge of a second such panel, the decorative design present on said part of the upper edge of the tongue is visible from above.   
     
     
         2 . The panel as in  claim 1 , wherein the tongue and the upper lip are configured with overlapping contours, so that in the coupled state of two such panels, on their first pair of opposite edges a pretension is formed between the tongue of the panel and the upper lip of said coupled panel. 
     
     
         3 . The panel as in  claim 2 , wherein the overlap of the overlapping contours in the direction perpendicular relative to the surface of the panel is at least 0.03 millimetre. 
     
     
         4 . The panel as in  claim 2 , wherein owing to the pretension, the tongue bends, and not the upper lip. 
     
     
         5 . The panel as in  claim 1 , wherein the decorative design comprises a decorative layer. 
     
     
         6 . The panel as in  claim 5 , wherein the decorative layer comprises a film. 
     
     
         7 . The panel as in  claim 5 , wherein the panel comprises a bevel-straight and/or curved-on the top of its first edge, wherein the decorative layer at least partially forms said bevel on said first edge. 
     
     
         8 . The panel as in  claim 1 , wherein the upper edge of the tongue comprises a contact surface for coming into contact with the bottom edge of the upper lip of another such panel to which the panel is coupled on its first edge; wherein the decorative design present on said part of the upper edge of the tongue does not run onto the contact surface on the upper edge of the tongue. 
     
     
         9 . The panel as in  claim 8 , wherein the contact surface on the upper edge of the tongue is a milled contact surface. 
     
     
         10 . The panel as in  claim 8 , wherein the contact surface on the upper edge of the tongue is formed from the substrate. 
     
     
         11 . The panel as in  claim 7 , wherein the panel comprises a bevel-straight and/or curved-on the top of its second edge; wherein the contact surface of the top of the first edge, in the coupled state of the panel on its first edge to the second edge of another such, is located completely under the bevel on the top of the second edge of the other such panel. 
     
     
         12 . A panel, wherein the panel is mainly constructed from a material that mainly consists of wood fibres, and 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,   wherein the second edge comprises a female coupling part,   wherein the male coupling part and the female coupling part are configured in such a way that two such panels can, by means of their male and female coupling parts, be coupled to each other in one plane and a coupled state can thus be realized between the panels;   wherein the male coupling part comprises a tongue;   wherein the female coupling part comprises a groove, wherein the groove is delimited by an upper lip and a lower lip;   wherein the tongue and the groove, in the coupled state, form a tongue-and-groove joint, which produces a mechanical locking between the panels in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the panels;   wherein the male coupling part and the female coupling part each comprise a locking element, said locking elements, in the coupled state, produce a mechanical locking between the panels in the direction in the plane of the panels and perpendicular to the first pair of opposite edges;   wherein the panel has a first closing face on the first edge above the tongue; and wherein the second edge has a second closing face, wherein at a first level of relative humidity, there is contact between the first closing face of the panel and the second closing face of the other such panel,   wherein at a second level of relative humidity, said second level of relative humidity being lower than said first level of relative humidity, a distance of at least 0.35 millimetre between the first closing face of the panel and the second closing face of the other such panel is present while maintaining the mechanical locking between the panels in the direction in the plane of the panels and perpendicular to the first pair of opposite edges.   
     
     
         13 . The panel as in  claim 12 , wherein the panel comprises a Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) or High Density Fibreboard (HDF) substrate. 
     
     
         14 . The panel as in  claim 12 , wherein the second edge comprises a notch or an undercut under the lower lip. 
     
     
         15 . The panel as in  claim 14 , wherein the length of the notch or undercut, measured in the plane parallel to the surface of the panel and perpendicular to the second edge, is less than the distance between the most distal point of the upper lip and the most distal point of the lower lip. 
     
     
         16 . The panel as in  claim 12 , wherein there is a space between the lowest point of the tongue of the panel and the lower lip of the second such panel. 
     
     
         17 . The panel as in  claim 12 , wherein the locking element of the male coupling part is provided on the underside of the tongue; wherein the locking element of the female coupling part is provided on the upper side of the lower lip. 
     
     
         18 . The panel as in  claim 12 , wherein the panel is rectangular—either square or oblong—and wherein the panel comprises a second pair of opposite edges,
 more specifically a third edge and a fourth edge; 
 wherein the panel possesses coupling parts on its second pair of opposite edges, which allow the panel to be coupled on its third edge to the fourth edge of another such panel, wherein a locking occurs in the direction in the plane of the thus coupled panels and perpendicular to the thus coupled edges; and perpendicular to the plane of the coupled panels. 
 
     
     
         19 . The panel as in  claim 18 , wherein the coupling parts of the second pair of opposite edges are designed so that the panel can be coupled on its third edge to the fourth edge of another such panel by means of one or more of: a rotating movement, pushing the panel parallel to the plane of the panel with a snap effect, movement of the third edge of the panel perpendicular to the plane of the panel. 
     
     
         20 . The panel as in  claim 12 , wherein the panel is rectangular—either square or oblong—; wherein the panel, under the influence of temperature changes and/or changes in air humidity, relatively speaking changes less in dimension in the direction parallel to the first pair of opposite edges than in the direction perpendicular to the first pair of opposite edges.