# US 10,246,883 B2 · Building panel with a mechanical locking system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,246,883 B2 - Document ID: US10246883B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/229,575 - Filed: 2016-08-05 - Published: 2016-11-24 - Granted: 2019-04-02 - Earliest claimed: 2014-05-14 - Assignees: Välinge Innovation AB - Applicants: Valinge Innovation AB - Inventors: Peter Derelov - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10246883B2 ## CPC - E04F 15/02038: {characterised by tongue and groove connections between neighbouring flooring elements} - A47B 47/00: Cabinets, racks or shelf units, characterised by features related to dismountability or building-up from elements (A47B43/00, A47B45/00 take precedence; features for adjusting shelves or partitions A47B57/00) - E04B 1/38: Connections for building structures in general - E04F 13/0894: {with tongue and groove connections} - E04F 2201/0146: with snap action of the edge connectors - E04F 2201/023: with a continuous tongue or groove - E04F 2201/0535: adapted for snap locking - E04F 2201/0547: adapted to be moved perpendicular to the joint edge - E04F 2201/0552: adapted to be rotated around an axis parallel to the joint edge - E04F 2201/0588: of organic plastics with or without reinforcements or filling materials - E04F: FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS (windows, doors E06B) - A47B: TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE (furniture jointing F16B) - E04B: GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS (border constructions of opening in walls, floors or ceilings E06B1/00; {electromagnetic shielding H05K9/0001}) ## Abstract A set of essentially identical panels, such as building panels, provided with a mechanical locking system including a displaceable tongue, which is arranged in a displacement groove at a first edge of a first panel. A second panel is provided with a tongue groove at a second edge. The displaceable tongue is configured to cooperate with the tongue groove for locking together the first and the second edge. The displaceable tongue has a spring constant that varies along the length of the tongue. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A set of panels is provided with a mechanical locking system comprising a displaceable tongue, which displaceable tongue is arranged in a displacement groove at a first edge of a first of the panels, the displaceable tongue is configured to cooperate with a first tongue groove at a second edge of an adjacent second of the panels, for locking of the first edge and the second edge in a vertical direction, wherein the displaceable tongue is of a longitudinal shape and resilient, a spring constant of the displaceable tongue varies in the longitudinal direction of the displaceable tongue, and a middle section in the longitudinal direction of the displaceable tongue has a higher spring constant than a first edge section of the displaceable tongue, and wherein the mechanical locking system is configured such that, during assembly of the first of the panels and the adjacent second of the panels, the first edge section of the displaceable tongue cooperates with a guiding surface of the second edge of the adjacent second of the panels before other sections of the displaceable tongue cooperate with the guiding surface, wherein an inner long edge of the displaceable tongue comprises protrusions arranged in the displacement groove, wherein the protrusions are adjacent to one another along the longitudinal direction of the displaceable tongue having the longitudinal shape, the protrusions are spaced along the longitudinal direction of the tongue, and the protrusions are bendable. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The set of panels as claimed in claim 1, wherein the displacement groove is horizontally open. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The set of panels as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spring constant of the middle section is higher than a spring constant of a second edge section of the displaceable tongue. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The set of panels as claimed in claim 1, wherein a first of the protrusions is arranged at the middle section and a second of the protrusions is arranged at the first edge section, wherein bending resistance of the first of the protrusions is greater than bending resistance of the second of the protrusions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The set of panels as claimed in claim 4, wherein a third of the protrusions is arranged at a second edge section of the displaceable tongue, wherein bending resistance of the first of the protrusions is greater than bending resistance of the third of the protrusions. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The set of panels as claimed in claim 4, wherein a thickness of the first of the protrusions is greater than a thickness of the second of the protrusions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The set of panels as claimed in claim 5, wherein a thickness of the first of the protrusions is greater than a thickness of the third of the protrusions. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The set of panels as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mechanical locking system comprises a first locking strip, at the first edge of the first of the panels or the second edge of the adjacent second of the panels, provided with a first locking element configured to cooperate for horizontal locking with a first locking groove at the other of the first edge of the first of the panels or the second edge of the adjacent second of the panels. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The set of panels as claimed in claim 8, wherein the panels are rectangular and the mechanical locking system comprises a second locking strip, at a third edge of a third of the panels or a fourth edge of a fourth of the panels, provided with a second locking element configured to cooperate for horizontal locking with a second locking groove at the other of the third edge of the third of the panels or the fourth edge of the fourth of the panels. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The set of panels as claimed in claim 9, wherein the mechanical locking system at the third edge of the third of the panels and the fourth edge of the fourth of the panels is configured to be assembled by an angling motion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The set of panels as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mechanical locking system at the first edge of the first of the panels and the second edge of the adjacent second of the panels is configured to be assembled by a vertical motion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The set of panels as claimed in claim 1, wherein the panels are building panels. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The set of panels as claimed in claim 1, wherein the spring constant at the middle section is 1.5 to 3 times higher than a spring constant at the first edge section. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The set of panels as claimed in claim 1, wherein a spring constant at the first edge section is in the range of about 0.1 to about 10 N/mm. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The set of panels as claimed in claim 1, wherein a spring constant at the first edge section is in the range of about 1 to about 4 N/mm. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The set of panels as claimed in claim 1, wherein the displaceable tongue comprises a plurality of protrusions arranged in the displacement groove, each protrusion in the displacement groove protruding from a main body of the displaceable tongue in a substantially horizontal direction, the horizontal direction being perpendicular to the vertical direction. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The set of panels as claimed in claim 16, wherein the protrusions are spaced from each other in a direction along the longitudinal direction of the displaceable tongue.