Patent ID: 7484337

Claim:
A floor panel which is bounded in a horizontal plane by a top side and an underside, provided for resting on an underlying surface, and which is provided with structure for releasably connecting at least two panels, a tongue is formed on at least one first side edge of a first panel, the tongue extending in the longitudinal direction of the first side edge, and a recess which corresponds to the tongue is formed on the opposite, second side edge, the recess comprises a top lip and a bottom lip, and the bottom lip forms a shoulder with a top shoulder side and a front shoulder side, said shoulder, with a corresponding undercut of the tongue, blocking connected panels in the transverse direction Q, the undercut is adjoined by a recess, with a bearing region which consists of a planar horizontal surface and which corresponds to the top shoulder side, and a wall that is inclined at an acute angle relative to vertical and at an obtuse angle relative to the bearing region, the wall in the laid state is located opposite the front shoulder side, and corresponding form-fitting elements are formed on the wall and the front shoulder side, said form-fitting elements, in the laid state, engaging one inside the other at respective surfaces that are inclined at acute angles relative to horizontal and bringing about locking of the connected panels in the vertical direction V, wherein the tongue comprises: a flat vertical surface between an upper edge and a lower edge at a distal end of the tongue, a sloped surface extending upward from the upper edge of the flat vertical surface at an obtuse angle relative to the flat vertical surface, a downward facing underside extending from the lower edge of the flat vertical surface, and an inclined wall extending upward from the downward facing underside to the bearing portion at an acute angle relative to the top side and at an obtuse angle relative to the downward facing underside, and wherein the underside of the tongue and a top side of the bottom lip extends parallel to the top side.