Patent ID: 8966851
Filing Date: 2015-03-03
Classification: E04F,F16B

Abstract:
1. A building panel comprising: a device for connecting the building panel to at least one further similar building panel on a sub-surface, wherein the building panel is intended to be lowered against an already installed building panel, wherein each building panel has mutually opposing profiled first and second side surfaces, at each of which an abutting surface is disposed, which is perpendicular to a usable surface or surface of the building panel; the abutting surface of the first side surface transitions into a first groove, which extends along the first side surface of the building panel; a locking arm protrudes further horizontally than the abutting surface of the first side surface of the building panel; the locking arm ends in an approximately trapezoidal lip, which is directed towards the usable surface and has, in turn, an inner surface ending in a bottom of the locking arm; the first groove has a bottom, which is set back with respect to the abutting surface of the first side surface; an elongated, at least partly flexible, separate connector, which in the installed state of the building panels cooperates with the second side surface of an opposing building panel, is inserted at least partly in the first groove of the building panel; the connector, in the undeformed state, has an approximately gutter-shaped cross-section and an at least partly arched wall, comprising a base part and a leg; an at least sectionally partly cylindrical or partly elliptical inner surface of the wall transitions at one edge of this inner surface, as seen in the cross-section of the connector, into a head piece and, at a different edge, into a foot; the foot has a side surface, which is directed outward and faces the inner surface of the lip in the installed state, and a base adjoining the side surface; in the installed state of the connector, the head piece of the connector points in the direction of the usable surface; in the installed state of the connector, the leg, which adjoins the base part and ends in the head piece, is disposed movably so that, when the building panels are joined, the leg is swiveled together with the head piece in the direction of the groove bottom; the second side surface has a locking roller, which, while two building panels are being joined, engages with the inner space of the opposing building panel spanned by the inner surface of the connector, the locking roller transitions into a recess of the building panel which is open in the direction of the base surface; the bottom of the locking arm and the first groove, as well as the inclined inner surface of the lip, form a seat for accommodating the connector; and wherein the head piece, in the state in which the connector is fitted into the first groove, presses at least in some sections against a first flank of said groove, characterized in that: the side surface and the base of the foot of the connector as well as the base part of the connector facing the bottom are in contact with the inner surface of the lip and the bottom of the locking arm before and after two building panels are joined, wherein: wherein the locking roller has at least one flat pressing surface, which, during the connection of two building panels, strikes against the head piece, whereby the head piece is swiveled in the direction of the groove bottom, and wherein the connector, in the undeformed state, has a substantially curved, arched section that defines a locking roller receiving space, the connector including a plurality of rectangular tongues that protrude outwardly from the connector in a direction away from the locking roller receiving space in a curved manner, each tongue having a substantially arched shape.