Patent ID: 8261507

Claim:
A flooring panel, comprising: opposed pairs of substantially parallel side edges; a tongue connector member extending along one side edge of at least one of the opposed pairs of side edges, the tongue connector member comprising: a top tongue contact surface; an upper shoulder and a lower shoulder; means for preventing blemishing of a top surface of the flooring panel comprising a displacement cavity defined at least partially by the top tongue contact surface and having a displacement axis; means for guiding a fastener comprising an elongate recess defined and extending inwardly therein a portion of the top tongue contact surface and underlying the displacement cavity, wherein, in cross-section of the tongue connector member, the elongate recess has an elongate length dimension that has a centerline recess axis positioned at an acute angle relative to the displacement axis, wherein a portion of the top tongue contact surface defining the displacement cavity defines a displaceable surface; and a groove connector member defined in one side edge of at least one of the opposed pairs of side edges, the groove connector member comprising an upper lip and a lower lip, wherein the tongue connector member and the groove connector member are configured to cooperatively couple with each other such that a distal end of the upper shoulder of a first flooring panel contacts a distal end of the upper lip of a second flooring panel upon coupling of the respective tongue and groove connector members of the respective first and second flooring panels to each other along adjacent side edges.