Patent ID: 7984600

Claim:
A groutless tile comprising: a substrate; a durable surface disposed within a groove defined by the substrate, the durable surface having a bottom surface and comprising a material different than the substrate; a first coupling member disposed on an edge of the substrate, wherein the first coupling member comprises a first bendable portion and a groove, the groove of the first coupling member having an upper surface and a lower surface; and a second coupling member disposed on another edge of the substrate, wherein the second coupling member comprises a tongue and body portion, wherein the bottom surface of the durable surface is substantially coplanar with a mid-point between the upper and lower surfaces of the groove of the first coupling member; wherein the first coupling member and the second coupling member of the substrate extend beyond the durable surface, wherein the tongue is located at a distal end of the second coupling member and extends outwardly and substantially horizontally from the other edge of the substrate, wherein the first coupling member or the second coupling member of the groutless tile are operable for coupling the groutless tile to an adjacent groutless tile, wherein the groove of the first coupling member of the groutless tile is configured to receive a body portion and a tongue of a second coupling member of the adjacent groutless tile, wherein, upon coupling the groutless tile with the adjacent groutless tile, the groove of the first coupling member of the groutless tile and the tongue of the second coupling member of the adjacent groutless tile engage under a portion of the substrate of the groutless tile where the first coupling member extends beyond the durable surface of the groutless tile, wherein, upon coupling the groutless tile with the adjacent groutless tile, a gap remains between a distal end of the tongue of the second coupling member of the adjacent groutless tile and a proximal end of the groove of the first coupling member of the groutless tile, and wherein, upon coupling the groutless tile with the adjacent groutless tile, a contact surface between the groove of the first coupling member of the groutless tile and the tongue of the second coupling member of the adjacent groutless tile is formed at a top side of the tongue, such that the contact surface limits vertical motion of the coupled groutless tiles.