Panel

A panel, having:

• an upper surface, a lower surface and at least one pair of opposite edges;
• wherein said at least one pair of opposite edges comprises a first edge having a first joint profile and a second edge having a second joint profile;
• wherein said first and second joint profiles define coupling parts allowing that two of such panels forming a first panel and a second panel are joinable by a downward movement of the first edge of the first panel in respect to the second edge of the second panel, wherein said coupling parts in a coupled condition provide a locking in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the first panel and second panel in a coupled condition, as well as in a direction parallel to the plane of the coupled panels and perpendicular to said first and second edges;
• wherein the first joint profile comprises a first laterally projecting lip with a downward projecting locking part, said downward projecting locking part defining a male part;
• wherein the second joint profile comprises a second laterally projecting lip with an upward projecting locking part, said upward projecting locking part defining proximally thereof a recess acting as a female part;
• wherein the first laterally projecting lip with the downward projecting locking part defines a downward directed hook, whereas the second laterally projecting lip with the upward projecting locking part defines an upward directed hook;
• wherein, in the coupled condition of the first and second panels, the downward directed hook and upward directed hook engage behind each other so as to prevent drifting apart of the first and second panels;
• wherein said coupling parts further comprise vertically active locking portions which at least define a first point of contact and a second point of contact, said first and second points of contact being located at opposite sides of said male and female parts;
• wherein said vertically active locking portions comprise a first locking portion and a second locking portion at respective opposite sides of said male part and a third locking portion and a fourth locking portion at respective opposite sides of the female part, said first and third locking portions and said second and fourth locking portions counteracting vertical separation of said first and second panels in coupled condition;
• wherein said first and third locking portions in the first and second panels in coupled condition define said first point of contact and have a contact surface of the first locking portion and a contact surface of the third locking portion that in the coupled condition of the first and second panels define an inclined tangent line, the contact surface of the first locking portion facing upward in an inclined manner and the contact surface of the third locking portion facing downward in an inclined manner,
• wherein said second and fourth locking portions in the first and second panels in coupled condition define said second point of contact and have a contact surface of the second locking portion and a contact surface of the fourth locking portion that in the coupled condition of two of such panels define an inclined tangent line, the contact surface of the second locking portion facing upward in an inclined manner and the contact of the fourth locking portion facing downward in an inclined manner;
• wherein said male part has a distal side and a proximal side, said second locking portion being located at the distal side;
• wherein said first and second joint profiles are in one piece from a panel material;
• wherein measured according to a direction perpendicular to the plane defined by said first and said second panels, the second point of contact is closer to the plane defined by the upper surface of the panels than the first point of contact;
• wherein the contact surfaces of said second point of contact are located completely above a level defined by the upper edge of said upward projecting locking part;
• and
• wherein the first joint profile and the second joint profile are configured such that when two panels are joined together the two panels fit together with a pretension wherein the coupled panels are urged towards each other.