Panel elements
Assigneehulsta-Werke Huls GmbH & Co. KG
InventorsRichard Schwitte, Ansgar Mensing
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Panel elements are provided comprising several interconnecting panel elements of the same type. The panel elements comprise a groove formed by an upper groove cheek and a lower groove cheek and a tongue. The tongue comprises a rib oriented in a longitudinal direction of the tongue, and the groove comprises a retaining channel for receiving the rib of an adjoining panel element. The tongue cooperates with the groove of an adjoining same-type panel element such that the two panel elements, when married, are safeguarded against parting forces acting in both axis oriented perpendicular to the side of the two panel elements.
Claims29
Panel elements for configuring a floor covering comprising several interconnectable panel elements of the same type, the panel elements comprising:
- a groove formed by an upper groove cheek and a lower groove cheek;
- a tongue;
- wherein the tongue cooperates with the groove of an adjoining panel element such that two panel elements, when married, are safeguarded against parting forces acting in both axes oriented perpendicular to a side of the two panel elements;
- the tongue comprising, at an underside, a rib oriented in a longitudinal direction of the tongue;
- the groove comprising, at an underside, a retaining channel for receiving the rib of the adjoining panel element;
- wherein the upper groove cheek of the groove is ramped upwards to a mouth of the groove so as to create an insertion channel for the tongue of a second panel element located at an angle to a laying plane;
- the groove and tongue of the two panel elements, when married, comprise four defined contact locations;
- a first contact location is configured at an upper side of the tongue and at the upper groove cheek of the groove;
- a second contact location is configured at the underside of the tongue and at the lower groove cheek of the groove;
- a third contact location is configured at an outer sidewall of the retaining channel;
- and
- a fourth contact location is configured at a rounded transition between the retaining channel and the side edge of the panel element at an angle to the third contact location.
A panel element comprising:
- a tongue extending from a side of a panel element, the tongue having an upper side and an underside, and wherein the tongue comprises a rib on the underside of the tongue oriented transverse to a direction of the tongue.
A panel element comprising:
- a groove formed in a side of the panel element, the groove having an upper side and an underside, and wherein the groove comprises a receiving channel formed in the underside is of the groove oriented transversely to a direction of the groove.
A panel element comprising:
- a tongue formed in a side of the panel element, the tongue having an upper side and an underside, and wherein the tongue comprises a receiving channel formed in the upper side of the tongue oriented transversely to a direction of the tongue.
A method for marrying panel elements, comprising:
- inserting a tongue of a first panel element into a groove of a second panel element;
- and
- swiveling the first panel element such that a rib of a first panel element engages a receiving channel of a second panel element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.