# US 2014/0190112 A1 · Mechanical locking system for panels and method of installing same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0190112 A1 - Document ID: US20140190112A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/206,286 - Filed: 2014-03-12 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2004-10-22 - Assignees: Välinge Innovation AB - Applicants: Välinge Innovation AB - Inventors: Darko PERVAN; Marcus Bergelin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190112A1 ## CPC - E04F 15/02038: {characterised by tongue and groove connections between neighbouring flooring elements} - E04B 5/023: {Separate connecting devices for prefabricated floor-slabs} - E04F 13/0894: {with tongue and groove connections} - E04F 15/02: Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements (of webs E04F15/16) - E04F 15/02005: {Construction of joints, e.g. dividing strips (E04F15/024, E04F15/04, E04F15/06, E04F15/10 and E04F15/14 take precedence; separate provisional spacers E04F21/0092)} - E04F 15/02022: {with means for aligning the outer surfaces of the flooring elements (E04F15/02038 takes precedence)} - E04F 15/105: {of organic plastics with or without reinforcements or filling materials} - E04F 15/18: Separately-laid insulating layers; Other additional insulating measures; Floating floors (insulating of buildings in general E04B1/62) - F16B 5/0016: {with snap action} - E04F 15/04: only of wood {or with a top layer of wood}, e.g. with wooden {or metal} connecting members (rollable parquet E04F15/16) - E04F 2201/0115: with snap action of the edge connectors - E04F 2201/0138: by moving the sheets, plates or panels perpendicular to the main plane - E04F 2201/0146: with snap action of the edge connectors - E04F 2201/0153: by rotating the sheets, plates or panels around an axis which is parallel to the abutting edges, possibly combined with a sliding movement - E04F 2201/02: Non-undercut connections, e.g. tongue and groove connections - E04F 2201/023: with a continuous tongue or groove - E04F 2201/05: Separate connectors or inserts, e.g. pegs, pins, keys or strips - E04F 2201/0523: Separate tongues; Interlocking keys, e.g. joining mouldings of circular, square or rectangular shape - F16B 2200/69: Redundant disconnection blocking means - Y10S 292/38: Plastic latch parts - Y10S 292/53: Mounting and attachment - Y10T 403/54: Flexible member is joint component - Y10T 428/167: Cellulosic sections [e.g., parquet floor, etc.] - E04F: FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS (windows, doors E06B) - 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}) - F16B: DEVICES FOR FASTENING OR SECURING CONSTRUCTIONAL ELEMENTS OR MACHINE PARTS TOGETHER, e.g. NAILS, BOLTS, CIRCLIPS, CLAMPS, CLIPS OR WEDGES; JOINTS OR JOINTING (couplings for transmitting rotation F16D) - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Floor panels are provided with a mechanical locking system including a flexible locking element in a locking groove, which during a horizontal motion is displaced vertically. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-16. (canceled) ### Claim 17 A set of building panels comprising a first panel and a second panel, a first edge of the first panel being mechanically connectable to a second edge of the second panel, said first edge being provided with a first tongue and a first groove, which are formed in one piece with the first panel, and said second edge is provided with a second tongue and a second groove, which are formed in one piece with the second panel, for mechanically locking together said first edge and second edge at right angles to a principal plane of the first and second panels, thereby forming a vertical mechanical connection between the first and second panels, the first edge being provided with a first locking element formed in one piece with the first panel and the second edge is provided with a locking groove, the locking groove being open towards a rear side or a front side of the second panel, wherein the second edge is provided with a second locking element, formed of a separate material and connected to the locking groove, the first and second locking elements form a mechanical connection locking the first panel and the second panel to each other horizontally parallel to the principal plane and at a right angle to the joined first and second edges, and the second locking element is flexible and resilient such that the first and second panels are mechanically joined by displacement of said first and second panels horizontally towards each other, while at least a part of the second locking element at said second edge is resiliently displaced vertically, until said first and second edges are brought into engagement with each other horizontally and the second locking element at said second edge is displaced towards its initial position against the first locking element at the first edge. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The set of building panels as claimed in claim 17, wherein the locking groove is open towards the rear side of the second panel. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The set of building panels as claimed in claim 17, wherein the locking groove is open towards the front side of the second panel. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The set of building panels as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first locking element is on a locking strip which is an extension of a part of the first groove or the second groove. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The set of building panels as claimed in claim 17, wherein the second locking element has a groove portion located in the locking groove and a projecting portion located outside of the locking groove, and the groove portion and the projecting portion are displaced towards each other when the first and second panels are displaced horizontally. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The set of building panels as claimed in claim 17, wherein the resilient displacement of the second locking element is not effected until a part of the second tongue is in the first groove. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The set of building panels as claimed in claim 17, wherein a part of the second locking element is displaced in the locking groove when the first and second panels are displaced horizontally. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) A flooring system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the second locking element along a length of the locking element has at least two sections, and displacement of one of the at least two sections is larger than displacement of the other of the at least two sections. ### Claim 25 (depends on 17) The set of building panels as claimed in claim 17, wherein said second locking element has a projecting portion which in a connected state of the first and second panels is located outside of the locking groove, and has a groove portion in the locking groove such that a size of said projecting portion and/or the groove portion varies along a length of the second locking element. ### Claim 26 (depends on 17) The set of building panels as claimed in claim 17, wherein the second locking element is spaced from a corner portion. ### Claim 27 (depends on 17) The set of building panels as claimed in claim 17, wherein the second locking element is made of polymer material. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The set of building panels as claimed in claim 27, wherein the second locking element is made of a moulded or extruded polymer material reinforced with glass fiber. ### Claim 29 (depends on 17) The set of building panels as claimed in claim 17, wherein the first tongue is provided at an extension of a part of the first groove. ### Claim 30 (depends on 17) The set of building panels as claimed in claim 17, wherein the second tongue is provided at an extension of a part of the second groove. ### Claim 31 (depends on 17) The set of building panels as claimed in claim 17, wherein the second locking element has a length in a longitudinal direction of the second locking element, and the second locking element comprises, along the length, a middle section between two end sections, and the end sections extend farther into the locking groove than the middle section.