公开(公告)号：EP1112420A1

公开(公告)日：2001-07-04

申请号：EP99946871.3

申请日：1999-09-10

Applicant: Robbins Inc.

Inventor： NIESE, Michael ,  ELLIOTT, Paul

IPC: E04B5/02

CPC classification number: E04F15/048 ,  E04F15/04 ,  E04F2201/0153 ,  E04F2201/023 ,  E04F2201/025 ,  E04F2201/04

Abstract: A wood floor system comprises a plurality of parallel rows (10a, 10b...10z) of floorboards (10) laid end-to-end, and each of the floorboards (10) includes a compression nub (20) extending along a side surface (13) thereof, adjacent the top surface (11). These compression nubs (20) affirmatively engage an opposing side surface (14) of an adjacent floorboard row (10a), thereby sealing, or isolating, the top surface of the floor from the side surfaces (13, 14) of the floorboard rows (10a, 10b...10z). This uniformly distributes expansion and contraction forces throughout the floor, due to uniform spacing between the floorboard rows (10a, 10b...10z). The isolation of the floorboard upper surface from the side surfaces (13, 14) also prevents undesired downward migration or flow of liquid finishing solution (28), which can have serious adverse affects for a wood floor. The invention reduces the total volume of finishing solution necessary for finishing the floor.