EP0969163A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
An edge lock for use in a flooring system
Assignee: Valinge Innovation AB
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Filing: 1994-04-29
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2014-04-29
Abstract
Abstract The invention relates to a system for laying and mechanically joining building panels, especially thin, hard, floating floors. Adjacent joint edges (3, 4) of two panels (1, 2) engage each other to provide a first mechanical connection locking the joint edges (3, 4) in a first direction (D1) perpendicular to the principal plane of the panels. In each joint, there is further provided a strip (6) which is integrated with one joint edge (3) and which projects behind the other joint edge (4). The strip (6) has an upwardly protruding locking element (8) engaging in a locking groove (14) in the rear side (16) of the other joint edge (4) to form a second mechanical connection locking the panels (1, 2) in a second direction (D2) parallel to the principal plane of the panels and at right angles to the joint. Both the first and the second mechanical connection allow mutual displacement of joined panels (1, 2) in the direction of the joint.
Inventors
- 👤 Tony Pervan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 13:05
CPC Classifications
E; E04; E04F; E04F15/00; E04F15/12; E04F15/14; E04F15/02; E04F13/00; E04F13/07; E04F13/08; E04F13/0801; E04F15/04; E04F2201/00; E04F2201/01; E04F2201/0107; E04F2201/0115; E04F2201/0153; E04F2201/04; E04F2201/042; E04F2201/05; E04F2201/0517; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/16; Y10T428/163; Y10T428/164; Y10T428/167
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
326 words
An edge lock for use in in a flooring system
presenting a plurality of floor panels, for mechanically
and realisably locking together adjacent edges of pairs
of adjacent panels when said adjacent panels are in a
state of assembly where they are laying flat on a
subfloor with upper corner portions of said adjacent
edges being mutually spaced apart, said edge lock
comprising: means forming a first mechanical connection for
locking said adjacent edges to each other in a vertical
direction, and means forming a second mechanical connection for
locking said adjacent edges to each other in a horizontal
direction at right angles to said edges, including: (i) a locking groove extending parallel to and spaced
from an edge of one panel of said adjacent panels
and being open at the rear side of said one panel,
and (ii) a flexible and resilient locking strip integrated
with the other panel of said adjacent panels, said
strip extending throughout substantially the entire
length of the corresponding edge and being provided
with a locking element projecting from the locking
strip, wherein said second mechanical connection is so
conceived as to operate as an one-way snap lock in said
horizontal direction during the assembly of said flooring
system by displacing said adjacent edges towards each
other, while resiliently urging the flexible locking
strip downwards, until upper corner portions of said
adjacent edges have been brought into complete engagement
with each other and the locking element thereby snaps
into the locking groove for preventing drifting apart of
said edges, and wherein said first and second mechanical connections
are so conceived as to allow said adjacent panels, being
mechanically connected to each other by said first and
second mechanical connections, to be turned in relation
to each other about said upper corner portions of their
locked-together edges in an angular direction so as to
move the locking element out of the locking groove in
order to unlock said one-way snap lock.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
28 words
An edge lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
first mechanical connection is a tongue-and-groove
connection, including a tongue and a tongue groove for
receiving said tongue.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
An edge lock as claimed in claim 2, wherein said
tongue groove is limited upwardly by an upper lip which
is formed in one piece with its corresponding panel and
wherein said tongue is made in one piece with its
corresponding panel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
An edge lock as claimed in claim 2, wherein said
tongue groove is limited downwardly by a lower lip which
is formed in one piece with its corresponding panel and
which defines said locking strip.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
An edge lock as claimed in claim 4, wherein said
locking strip presents a thickness variation in its width
direction.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
49 words
An edge lock as claimed claim 2, wherein said
adjacent edges being provided with co-operating lower and
upper bevels, said lower bevel being formed at a tip of
an upper lip which limits said tongue groove upwardly,
and said upper bevel being formed in a tip of said
tongue.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
An edge lock as claimed in claim 2, wherein a tip
of said tongue presents a lower surface portion which is
non-parallel to an adjacent surface portion of the tongue
groove located underneath said lower surface portion.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
An edge lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
locking strip is integrally formed with said other panel,
i.e. made in one piece therewith.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
An edge lock as claimed in claim 8, wherein said
locking strip presents a thickness variation in its width
direction.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
An edge lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
flexible and resilient locking strip integrated with said
other panel is made of a material different from that of
said other panel and fixedly mounted on said other panel
at the factory.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
An edge lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
adjacent edges being provided with co-operating lower and
upper bevels.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
23 words
A flooring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein
the locking element consists of a locking edge extended
continuously along the locking strip.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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