Patent ID: 7913471
Filing Date: 2011-03-29
Classification: E04B,E04F

Abstract:
1. A rectangular floorboard, whose four sides are mechanically joinable with other substantially identical floorboards, and which along its opposite long edges have a locking system comprising a tongue-and-groove joint, the long edge tongue groove and long edge tongue of which have cooperating long edge upper abutment surfaces and cooperating long edge lower abutment surfaces for vertical locking of two long joint edges of two adjacent floorboards, said long edge upper and lower abutment surfaces being essentially parallel with the principal plane of the floorboards, and said long edge locking system further comprising, for horizontal mechanical joining of the long joint edges perpendicular to the same, a long edge locking groove formed in the underside of a first one of the long joint edges and extended in parallel therewith, and a portion projecting from the second long joint edge and integrated with a body of the floorboard, said long edge projecting portion supporting, at a distance from the long joint edge, a long edge locking element cooperating with the long edge locking groove, wherein said long edge tongue is anglable into the long edge tongue groove, and wherein the long edge locking element is insertable into the long edge locking groove by mutual angular motion of the boards about the long joint edges, wherein, in the joined state, the cooperating long edge upper abutment surfaces are limited horizontally inwards from the long joint edge and horizontally outwards to the long joint edge by an inner vertical plane and an outer vertical plane, respectively; wherein the long edge tongue-and-groove joint is so designed that there is in the long edge tongue groove, in the joined state, between the inner vertical plane and the outer vertical plane and below the long edge tongue, a space which extends horizontally from the inner vertical plane and at least halfway to the outer vertical plane; wherein the long edge tongue-and-groove joint is further so designed that the boards, during a final phase of the inwards angling when the long edge locking element is inserted into the long edge locking groove, can take a position where there is a space in the long edge tongue groove between the inner and the outer vertical plane and below the long edge tongue; and wherein the long edge lower abutment surfaces are positioned essentially outside the outer vertical plane, wherein the long edge projecting portion is at least partially made in one piece with the body of the floorboard wherein the floorboard along its opposing short edges comprise a short edge tongue-and-groove joint for joining opposing short joint edges of two adjacent floorboards relative to each other, perpendicular to the principal plane of the floorboard, and which, for mechanical joining of the short joint edges, perpendicular to the short joint edges comprises a short edge locking groove, which is formed in the underside of and extends at a distance from and in parallel with a first of said short joint edges, a portion projecting from the other short joint edge, said short edge projecting portion supporting, at a distance from the short joint edge, a short edge locking element which cooperates with said short edge locking groove, wherein the long edge projecting portion, in the horizontal direction between the long edge lower abutment surfaces of the long edge tongue-and-groove joint on the one hand and the long edge locking element of the projecting portion on the other hand, has a lower portion which is positioned below said long edge lower abutment surfaces, and wherein the long edge locking element is positioned under or on a level with the long edge lower abutment surface of the long edge tongue groove.