Patent ID: 7669377
Filing Date: 2010-03-02
Classification: B27F,B27M,E04B,E04F,F16B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A hard floor panel, for providing a floor covering, comprising a panel that is rectangular in shape, including elongated and square forms, and includes an upper side, an underside, and a first and a second pair of opposite side edges, including upper side edges adjacent the upper side; wherein at said first pair of opposite side edges of the panel, at least the following features are provided: coupling parts substantially in the form of a tongue and a groove, said groove being delimited by an upper lip and a lower lip, wherein the coupling parts are configured to enable two of such panels to be coupled to each other at the first pair of side edges by placing a tongue of one panel in a groove of the other panel, with the respective panel upper side edges adjoining each other; and the coupling parts are provided with mechanical locking elements integrated with and constituting part of the tongue and groove which cooperate with each other upon coupling of a pair of the panels to prevent the drifting apart of two coupled flooring panels at the upper side edges of adjacent coupled side edges in a direction perpendicular to the related edges and parallel to the underside of the coupled panels, said locking elements including cooperating locking surfaces; wherein at said second pair of opposite sides edges of the panel the following features are provided: coupling parts substantially in the form of a tongue and a groove, said groove being delimited by an upper lip and a lower lip, wherein the coupling parts are configured to enable two of such panels to be coupled to each other at the second pair of side edges by placing a tongue part of one panel in a groove part of the other panel, with the respective panel upper side edges adjoining each other; the coupling parts are provided with mechanical locking elements integrated with and constituting part of the coupling parts which cooperate with each other upon coupling of a pair of the panels to prevent the drifting apart of two coupled flooring panels at the upper side edges of adjacent coupled side edges in a direction perpendicular to the related edges and parallel to the underside of the coupled floor panels, said locking elements including cooperating locking surfaces; the locking elements comprise a distally upwardly directed portion at the tongue extending upwardly in the distal direction along an upper portion of the tongue and a distally downwardly directed portion at the upper lip extending downwardly in the distal direction along a lower portion of the upper lip; said locking surfaces of the locking elements comprising at least said upwardly directed upper portion of the tongue and said downwardly directed portion of the upper lip, said locking surfaces of the tongue and upper lip contacting each other upon coupling of a pair of panels; said tongue having a lower side portion in contact with an upper side portion of the lower lip upon coupling between a pair of panels; and said distally upwardly directed portion at the tongue and said distally downwardly directed portion at the upper lip, said upper side edges and said locking elements being configured such that said coupling of a pair of panels is enabled by a turning movement wherein one panel by its side edge is angled-in to the side edge of the other panel until a tongue of one panel is fully received in a groove of the second panel, with said locking surfaces of the tongue and upper lip in contact with each other to prevent separation of the panels at said second pair of side edges.