Patent ID: 7188456

Claim:
A cladding panel for coupling with an adjacent complementary panel, the cladding panel comprising: a tongue portion extending from a first edge of the cladding panel for receipt in a groove in a complementary cladding panel; a groove portion having walls extending in a second edge of the cladding panel for receiving a tongue portion of a complementary cladding panel; at least one linear deposit of applied material deposited on one of the portions to fix the linear deposit on said one portion as a solid prior to coupling that portion to a complementary portion on a complementary panel, the applied material having to a hardness and a viscosity sufficient to withstand insertion of the tongue portion into the grove portion in a direction transverse thereto without loosing an ability to seat in a recess and without being displaced with respect to said one portion, and at least one recess on the other portion for receiving the linear deposit of applied material on said one portion of a complementary panel therein after deflection of at least one wall of the groove portion to initially positively latch the tongue and groove portions together when the cladding panel is coupled with a complementary cladding panel.