Bertrange, Luxembourg -- In 2017, Unilin’s intellectual property (IP) business reached an all-time high of 221 new patents, 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 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, during 2009-2011, Unilin gained patent claims for glass fiber reinforced panels, foamed or other rigid thermoplastic cores, and locking systems specifically adapted for these 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.

Unilin showcased its technologies in these and other fields at Domotex Hannover.

For more information, visit www.unilintechnologies.com.