Patent ID: 6928779

Claim:
A floor covering panel comprising laminated hard floor panel having a wood-based core material comprising a ground wood product and a binding agent unified to form a cured composite; said floor panel having a decorative layer above said core material; said floor panel having an upper side, an under side and a perimeter defining first and second pairs of opposed substantially parallel sides; said first and second pairs of sides both being provided with coupling parts substantially in the form of a tongue and a groove the coupling parts further including locking elements; said groove of at least said first pair of sides including an upper lip and a lower lip, said lower lip extending distally beyond the upper lip; said coupling parts cooperating to establish a locking between coupled parts in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the panel as well as in a direction perpendicular to the side edges and parallel to a plane including the panel when the coupling parts of a plurality of ones of said panel are coupled; said tongue, groove and locking elements being monolithically formed in said composite core; said coupling parts and locking elements of at least said first pair of sides enabling coupling of two of such panels so that the panels are coupled without play in the plane of the coupled panels; the coupling parts of said first pair of sides being engageable and coupled by rotational motion relative to each other; said tongue of said first pair of sides including an upper tongue contact surface and a lower tongue contact surface and an outer peripheral portion of the tongue defined along and between said tongue contact surfaces; said groove of said first pair of sides including corresponding upper and lower groove contact surfaces which engage the upper and lower tongue contact surfaces of said tongue upon coupling of said coupling parts; said lower tongue and groove contact surfaces comprising said coupling parts and locking elements enabling coupling of two of such panels so that the panels are coupled without play in a plane including the coupled panels; said coupling parts of said first pair of sides upon coupling defining a plurality of separate clearances adjacent at least a portion of said outer peripheral portion of said tongue between said groove and said tongue; said panel at said first pair of sides comprising at least one intermediate tongue contact surface on said tongue positioned along the outer peripheral portion of said tongue intermediate the upper and lower tongue contact surfaces; said panel at said first pair of sides comprising at least one intermediate groove contact surface intermediate the upper and lower groove contact surfaces; and said intermediate tongue and groove contact surfaces of two of said panels cooperating with each other upon coupling of two of said panels.