Patent ID: 7650728
Filing Date: 2010-01-26
Classification: B27F,B27M,E04B,E04F,F16B,Y10T

Abstract:
1. Floor panel for providing a floor covering, said floor panel having a substantially planar underside and a substantially planar upper side and first and second pairs of opposite sides defining side edges at the panels that include upper side edges adjacent the upper side of the panel; wherein the side edges of at least the first pair of opposite sides are provided with coupling parts configured so as to enable two of such panels to be coupled to each other; wherein the coupling parts are substantially in the form of a tongue and a groove, said groove having a proximal deepest point and being delimited by an upper lip having a distal end and a lower lip, said lower lip having an upper side and extending beyond said distal end of the upper lip; wherein the coupling parts are provided with integrated mechanical locking elements which prevent the drifting apart of two coupled flooring panels in a direction perpendicular to the related side edges and parallel to the underside of the coupled floor panels; wherein said locking elements comprise a lower lip locking element at said lower lip bordering a recess in the upper side of said lower lip and a tongue locking element formed by a protrusion at the lower side of said tongue; wherein said lower lip and tongue locking elements define locking surfaces, respectively at said lower lip and said tongue, which, in coupled condition of two of such panels with the tongue of one panel received in the groove of the other panel, and with the upper side edges of the respective panels adjoining each other, prevent said drifting apart of the panels at the side edges, the locking surface provided at the lower lip being located in said lower lip at a location beyond the distal end of said upper lip; wherein said upper side edges, coupling parts and locking elements are configured such that coupling of a pair of panels at their opposite side edges with the upper side edges adjoining 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; wherein said locking elements which prevent the drifting apart of two of such coupled panels are substantially only present between the lower side of said tongue and the upper side of the lower lip; wherein the recess has a bottom and an obliquely inclined proximal side, said proximal side extending upwards from the bottom of the recess towards the inner side of the panel; wherein between the inclined proximal side of the recess and the deepest point of the groove, a distinctly formed bottom portion of the groove is present, said bottom portion being horizontal or having a general inclination which is less pronounced than the inclination of said inclined proximal side of the recess; and wherein said panel at said side edges of said first pair of opposite sides is provided with features facilitating insertion of the protrusion in the recess upon coupling two of such panels, these features including at least one of: wherein said second pair of opposite sides is also provided with coupling parts substantially in the form of a tongue and a groove, said groove having upper and lower lips, wherein these coupling parts are provided with integrated mechanical locking elements including cooperating locking surfaces which prevent the drifting apart of two coupled flooring panels in a direction perpendicular to the related edges and parallel to the underside of the coupled floor panels; and wherein the locking surfaces of the side edges of both pairs of opposite sides contact each other when a pair of the panels are coupled by placement of the tongue part of one panel into the groove part of the other panel with the upper side edges of the panels adjoining each other, to thereby secure the upper side edges of said coupled panels in adjoined relationship while preventing unintentional separation between the upper side edges that would produce undesired gaps between the upper side edges in directions perpendicular to the related side edges and parallel to the underside of the coupled floor panels.