Patent ID: 7543418

Claim:
A panel element comprising: a utilization side, a counter draw opposite the utilization side, a first side having a tongue, a second side which is located opposite the first side and has a groove with a contour opposite to that of the tongue, the tongue having a connecting element which extends substantially normal to the utilization side and whose cross-section has a first flank and a second flank opposite the first flank, the cross-section of the connecting element having a first section and a second section essentially parallel to the plane of the utilization side, wherein the first section comprising a root region of the connecting element positioned near the utilization side and the second section positioned adjacent and outermost to the first section and the cross-section of the connecting element having a center line normal to the utilization side and—viewed in the direction from the utilization side to the counter draw—the inclination of the first flank and the second flank each points from the center line outwards in the first section of the connecting element, the cross-section of the connecting element is widened from the root region of the connecting element throughout the first section, and in the second section the inclination of the first flank points from the center line outwards and the inclination of the second flank points to the center line, the distance normal to the center line being reduced between the first flank and second flank, wherein the first flank is arranged on the side of the connecting element proximal to the first side of the panel element and the second flank is arranged on the side of the connecting element distal to the first side of the panel element.