Structural panels and method of connecting same

A process for connecting and locking floor panels, the floor panels including a groove forming an upper lip and a lower lip over an entire length of at least one lateral border and a tongue formed on an opposite lateral border and which corresponds to the groove, the tongue being provided with at least one projection and the groove being provided with at least one recess, a stop and at least one indentation on one of the upper lip and the lower lip, the at least one indentation corresponds to the at least one projection, wherein the connecting steps comprise:

• the tongue of a first panel and the groove of a second panel are positioned in such a way that the at least on projection lies opposite the at least one recess;
• one of the first panel and the second panel are moved relative to each other in a longitudinal direction such that the tongue enters the groove until the at least one projection is covered by the indentation in one of the upper lip and the lower lip;
• and
• the one of the first panel and the second panel are moved relative to each other in a transverse direction such that the at least one projection leaves the area of the recess and is positioned behind the stop thus producing a lock.

A process for laying and mechanically connecting floor panels, wherein transverse sides of the floor panels have a lateral border including:

• a groove forming an upper lip and a lower lip over an entire length of at least one lateral border, the one of the upper lip and the lower lip provided with at least one indentation, at least one recess and an adjacent stop, a length of the at least one recess is at least as great as a length of the at least one projection, and the at least one recess and the projection occupy positions that are staggered, one relative to the other, and a tongue formed on an opposite lateral border which corresponds to the groove, the tongue being provided with at least one projection that corresponds to the at least one projection, the indentation being longer than the projection and the at least one recess reaching back to the indentation, and
• wherein longitudinal sides of the floor panels have a lateral border including:
• a second tongue provided on one longitudinal side and a second groove corresponding to the second tongue is provided on an opposite longitudinal side, wherein the second groove forms an upper lip and a lower lip and the second tongue clicks into the second groove in a transverse direction and rests against the lower lip of the second groove, wherein a lower side of the second tongue and an upper side of the lower lip of the second groove are arc-shaped, and a third groove extends over a length of the longitudinal side provided between an underside of the panel and the second tongue, the third groove forms a lower lip,
• the connecting steps including:
• connecting and interlocking a plurality of panels on the transverse sides to lay an initial row on a floor;
• connecting and interlocking another panel on its longitudinal side with at least one of the previously laid and interlocked panels laid down in the first row, as a beginning of a second row;
• positioning a new panel with its transverse side facing the transverse side of the another panel in the second row, where the projection of the tongue faces the recess of the one of the upper lip and lower lip;
• sliding the new panel horizontally in the longitudinal direction until the tongue enters the groove and the projection is covered by the indentation in the one of the upper lip and lower lip of the another panel;
• sliding the new panel in the transverse direction while the projection leaves the area of the recess and the interlocking process begins;
• angular lifting of the two partially interlocked another panel and new panel that are connected on their transverse sides;
• sliding the new panel in the transverse direction until the interlocking process is completed on the transverse side and the second groove and second tongue of the new panel are connected with the longitudinal side of at least one panel in the first row;
• and
• angling the laid panel and the new panel in the second row onto the floor, with interlocking on the longitudinal side.