Unilin Granted Its Highest Number of New Patents in 2017

Wielsbeke, Belgium, January 9, 2018-In 2017, the number of patents newly granted to Unilin’s IP business reached an all-time high of 221, including 108 patents in the European territory, 29 U.S. patents and 16 Chinese patents. These new grants bring the total amount of currently valid and granted Unilin IP patents to more than 1,700.

The 221 new grants are mainly concentrated in the technological areas of fold-down locking systems, LVT/WPC/SPC flooring and digital printing.

In the fold-down locking technology, the grants relate both to Pergo’s broad, pioneering patent applications in this area, as well as to more recent developments regarding one- and two-piece fold-down locking systems. With an addition of 91 patents over the last year, Unilin now holds more than 250 granted patents covering all fold-down embodiments currently on the market.

In the LVT/WPC/SPC flooring field, Unilin’s pioneering R&D activities in the period 2009 to 2011 were rewarded with broad granted patent claims for glass fiber reinforced panels, foamed or other rigid thermoplastic cores and locking systems specifically adapted for such products. The 52 patents granted over the last year in this product category, almost double Unilin’s IP portfolio to more than 110 grants with claims that protect all resilient and rigid plastic-type flooring products currently on the market.

In the digital printing field, Unilin received grants relating to digital printing on boards, digital printing for decorative papers, and digital structuring. With 17 extra grants in 2017 for the digital printing technologies, this part of the IP portfolio now also contains over 250 granted patents.

Unilin will showcase its technologies in these and other fields at the upcoming Domotex fair in Hannover, starting Friday January 12, 2018 in Hall 12, Booth B58.

Related Topics:Mohawk Industries, Domotex