Patent ID: 8375674

Claim:
A panel, comprising two opposite side edges, which have profiles that correspond to each other such that two identically configured panels can be connected and locked to one another in horizontal and vertical directions by an essentially vertical joining movement, wherein; locking in the horizontal direction is provided by a hook connection with an upper locking section having a hook element and a lower locking section having a hook element, locking in the vertical direction is provided by at least one spring element that is formed from a core in one piece and which can be moved in the horizontal direction; the at least one spring element being provided on the lower locking section of a first side edge with an essentially vertical slot and a locking edge provided on a second side edge of the panel, opposing the first side edge, which extends essentially in the horizontal direction, and which is embodied on a locking projection, the at least one spring element, during the joining movement, snaps in behind the locking edge of an adjacent panel; the at least one spring element being connected to the core on at least one of its two ends in the direction of its side edge, and a width of the locking edge is different in size over a length of the second side edge.