Panels comprising an interlocking snap-in profile

Abstract

The invention relates to panels (1,2) comprising laterally mounted locking elements, by means of which two of the panels (1, 2) can be inter-connected laterally in a positive fit, without the use of adhesive. The locking elements (5, 6, 7, 9) are designed in such a way that they can adopt an initial position, in which the panels are interlocked at least in one direction in a positive fit and a certain amount of play occurs in the common joint (4) of the two panels (1,2) and a final position, in which there is no play in the common joint (4) and the panels are interconnected without the use of adhesive. In order to interlock two boards (1,2), two boards are brought into an initial position in which the boards are interlocked by positive fit in at least one direction vertical relative to the connecting joint, where, at the connecting joint, play is present in a vertical direction relative to the connecting joint. The boards are then shifted in a parallel direction relative to the connecting joint (4) until a final position is reached in which there is no more play in a vertical direction relative to the connecting joint. The connection without the use of adhesives works reliably even when there are relatively large inaccuracies in production or when in case of warping.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.