US 2016/0356048 A1Published application

Flooring system having assembly clip and related method

OwnerEvan J. Stover, Lee R. Stoverinventors

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Abstract

A flooring system includes a plurality of individual flooring pieces, such as floor panels, each having a wear surface, an opposing mounting surface and a retention groove disposed within the mounting surface. A floor panel connector used to interconnect at least two of the floor panels has a base, at least one mast extending from an upper surface of the base and a pair of flexible arms. Each flexible arm extends transversely from opposing sides of the at least one mast and has an extending end. Contacting portions extending from a lower surface of the base are configured to engage the support surface and create a spacing between each flexible arm and the support surface to permit each flexible arm to elastically deflect toward the support surface when pressure is exerted on a floor panel. This deflection enables the extending end of each flexible arm to engage the retention groove of a corresponding floor panel.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A flooring system comprising:

a pair of flooring pieces disposed above a support surface, each of the flooring pieces comprising:
an upper wear surface;
an opposing lower mounting surface;
an inner edge;
and
an outer edge, in which at least one of the flooring pieces further includes an acutely angled retention groove disposed within the mounting surface, the retention groove formed between the inner and outer edges and extending upwardly toward the inner edge;
and
a floor panel connector that secures the pair of flooring pieces to one another, the floor panel connector comprising:
a base having a lower surface and at least one contacting portion projecting from the lower surface, said at least one contacting portion configured for engaging a support surface;
and
at least one flexible cantilevered arm having an inwardly curved engagement end wherein the at least one contacting portion creates a spacing between the at least one flexible cantilevered arm and the support surface to enable the arm to be elastically deflected toward the support surface when pressure is exerted on a flooring piece and to further enable the inwardly curved engagement end of the at least one flexible arm to engage the acutely angled retention groove of the flooring piece.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/237,843Filed 16 Aug 2016
Priority: 27 Aug 2014
Published: 8 Dec 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

E04F 15/02044
Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements: separate elements for fastening to an underlayer
E04F 15/02016
Construction of joints, e.g. dividing strips: with sealing elements between flooring elements
E04F 15/02022
Construction of joints, e.g. dividing strips: with means for aligning the outer surfaces of the flooring elements
E04F 15/04
Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements: only of wood or with a top layer of wood, e.g. with wooden or metal connecting…

Family

Application62/042,466Us provisional application · filed 27 Aug 2014
Application14/691,012Continuation · filed 20 Apr 2015
Application15/237,843Continuation
US 10,006,211 B2Related patent
US 2016/0060880 A1Published application
US 9,441,379 B2Related patent
US 2016/0356048 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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