Patent ID: 8407963
Filing Date: 2013-04-02
Classification: E04F,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A floor covering having a plurality of interconnected panel elements, a panel element comprising: a head side and a longitudinal side, a locking rail arranged on the head side and on the longitudinal side and constructed to engage in an installation position with a corresponding locking rail of an adjacent panel element in the floor covering, a groove arranged in the head side and having ends facing the longitudinal side of the panel element, with the grooves in the head sides of two abutting panel elements of the floor covering being aligned and forming a locking channel, a head spring preinstalled in one of the grooves of the two abutting head sides and having ends and at least one undulated region facing a decorated side and a bottom side of the panel elements, said at least one undulated region forming wave troughs and wave crests sequentially arranged in a longitudinal direction of the head spring, the head spring integrally formed with two cams in engagement with the groove, wherein the groove in which the head spring is installed has at least one recess with a first run-up face formed in the at least one recess for a first of the two cams and a second run-up face disposed at a front side of the groove, wherein the head spring has an end protruding from the end of the groove and is movable in the locking channel from the groove in one panel element into the groove of the abutting panel element by moving the protruding end of the head spring into the groove, whereby applying a force to the protruding end of the head spring in a longitudinal direction of the groove forces the first and second cams to ride up on the respective first and second run-up faces, thereby moving the entire head spring in a direction diagonal to the head side of the panel element out of the groove and into a corresponding groove of the adjacent panel element, resulting in interlocked panels, wherein the head spring has at least one non-undulated region.