Patent ID: 7810297
Filing Date: 2010-10-12
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 of the floor panel, said side edges including upper side edges adjacent the panel upper side; wherein the side edges of at least the first pair of opposite sides are provided with coupling parts which are configured to enable two of such panels to be coupled to each other; wherein these coupling parts are substantially in the form of a single tongue and a single groove, said groove being delimited by an upper lip forming an upper wall of the groove and having a distal end, and a lower lip, said lower lip extending beyond said distal end of the upper lip; wherein in coupled condition of two of such panels with the upper side edges of the panels adjoining each other and the tongue of one panel fully received in the groove of the other panel, said upper wall of the groove cooperates with an upper surface at the tongue; wherein the coupling parts are provided with integrated mechanical locking elements which prevent the drifting apart of the upper side edges of two coupled floor panels in a direction perpendicular to the related edges and parallel to the underside of the coupled floor panels; wherein said locking elements define locking surfaces, respectively at said lower lip and said tongue, which in coupled condition of two of such panels contact each other to prevent said drifting apart of the panels, the locking surfaces being located only under the tongue and on an upper side of the lower lip, and said locking surface at the lower lip being located in said lower lip at a location entirely beyond the distal end of said upper lip; wherein said upper side edges, coupling parts and locking elements are 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 downwardly into the side edge of the other panel until a tongue of a coupling part of one panel is fully received in a groove of the coupling part of the other panel with the respective locking surfaces in contact with each other and the respective upper side edges of the panels adjoining each other; wherein said locking elements which prevent the drifting apart of two of such coupled panels are only present between the lower side of said tongue and the upper side of the lower lip; wherein at the entrance of the groove a recessed edge portion is provided at the lower edge of the upper lip, such that in coupled condition of two of such panels the contact between said upper wall of the groove and the respective upper surface of the tongue ends at a location situated at a distance proximally from the distal end of the upper lip; wherein said tongue and groove, seen in cross-section, are intersected by an imaginary central line; and wherein said locking element provided at the lower lip is located completely below said central line; and said locking surfaces contacting each other when a pair of the panels are coupled by placement of the tongue of one panel into the groove 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 a direction perpendicular to the related side edges and parallel to the underside of the coupled floor panels.