Patent ID: 9611656
Date: 2017-04-04
CPC Classifications: E04F

Claim:
1. A surface element designed to be assembled together with similar surface elements to form a plurality of joined surface elements: the surface element being a floor panel comprising a decorative upper surface, an opposed lower surface and at least four edges disposed between the upper and lower surfaces; the four edges comprising a first edge and a second edge defining a first pair of opposite sides, and a third edge and a fourth edge defining a second pair of opposite sides; the four edges including upper edge portions, towards which the surface elements seen from the top visually extend in joined condition; wherein the first edge of the surface element comprises a first male joining member and the second edge comprises a first female joining member; the first male joining member comprising a tongue and the first female joining member comprising a groove which is bordered by an upper lip and a lower lip, said lower lip forming a lower cheek extending in distal direction further than said upper lip; said lower cheek having an upwardly directed lip; said tongue having a lower side protrusion, said protrusion having a lowermost portion; said lowermost portion being located proximally from a vertical plane through the upper edge portion belonging to said first edge; a lower side groove located at said first edge; the first male joining member and the first female joining member being configured such that two of such surface elements can be coupled and locked at their respective first and second edges, wherein said locking provides a vertical locking as well as a horizontal locking; the vertical locking being realized in that the tongue fits in the groove that is bordered by the upper lip and the lower lip; the horizontal locking being realized in that said upwardly directed lip at said lower cheek cooperates with said lower side groove; wherein the third edge of the surface element comprises a second male joining member and the fourth edge comprises a second female joining member; said second male joining member and second female joining member of the surface element being configured such that two of such surface elements at their respective third edge and fourth edge can be engaged by a downward motion of the third edge of one of said two surface elements with respect to the fourth edge of the other of said two surface elements; said second male joining member being formed as an upper cheek protruding at said third edge and provided with a downward directed portion; said second female joining member being formed as a lower cheek protruding at said fourth edge and provided with an upward directed portion; said second male joining member comprising a male cheek surface at a lower side of said upper cheek and said second female joining member comprising a female cheek surface at an upper side of said lower cheek, the male and female cheek surfaces being arranged to interact with one another so that two joined adjacent surface elements become locked to each other in a horizontal direction; said third and fourth edges each comprising one or more locking surfaces for locking the third edge and a fourth edge of two of such coupled surface elements against vertical separation; and each of said locking surfaces of the fourth edge being located distally from a vertical plane through the upper edge portion belonging to the fourth edge.