Patent ID: 7640708
Filing Date: 2010-01-05
Classification: B27F,B27M,E04B,E04F,F16B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. Floor covering panel, comprising an upper side, an underside and first and second pairs of opposite side edges having upper side edges at their upper ends adjacent the upper panel side, said side edges being provided with coupling parts substantially in the form of a tongue and a groove, said coupling parts configured so as to enable two of such floor panels to be coupled to each other by placement of the tongue of one panel in the groove of the other panel, with the respective upper side edges of the panels adjoining each other; said coupling parts being provided with integrated mechanical locking elements which in coupled condition of two of such panels cooperate with each other to prevent the drifting apart of two coupled floor panels in a direction perpendicular to the related edges and parallel to an underside of the coupled floor panels; wherein said groove is bordered by an upper lip and a lower lip, said lower lip at least at the first pair of side edges extending beyond said upper lip; further wherein at least at the first pair of side edges said locking elements comprise a locking element in the form of a protrusion at the lower side of the tongue and a locking element formed in an upper side of said lower lip which borders a recess, and wherein said locking elements at the first pair of side edges comprise contact a locking surface which is located in said lower lip at a location distally beyond said upper lip; at least at the first pair of side edges, said coupling parts and integrated mechanical locking elements being integrally formed in one piece with the floor panel; coupling parts and locking elements at said first pair of side edges being configured such that said coupling of a pair of panels is achievable 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 other panel with the locking surfaces in contact with each other with the respective upper side edges adjoining each other, and further such that coupling and interlocking by snap action of two such floor panels at said first pair of side edges also is achievable by a translation movement of the panels towards each other in essentially a common plane extending parallel to the undersides of the panels starting from a separated condition of the panels, such that the groove of one panel receives the tongue of the other panel, with a locking element on the tongue contacting a locking element on the lower lip and with displacement of the locking element of the lower lip while the panels are translated parallel to said plane followed by return of the displaced locking element towards its position before coupling with a snap action effecting cooperative engagement between the locking elements preventing drifting apart of the panels along their adjoining side edges in a direction perpendicular to the respective side edges and parallel to the underside of the coupled floor panels.