Floor panels with edge connectors
AssigneeUnilin Beheer B.V., besloten vennootschap
InventorsStefan Simon Gustaaf Moriau, Mark Gaston Maurits Cappelle, Bernard Paul Joseph Thiers
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Abstract
Floor covering, including hard floor panels which, at least at the edges of two opposite sides, are provided with coupling parts, cooperating which each other, substantially in the form of a tongue and a groove, wherein the coupling parts are provided with integrated mechanical locking elements which prevent the drifting apart of two coupled floor panels in a direction (R) perpendicular to the related edges and parallel to the underside of the coupled floor panels, and provide a snap-action coupling.
Claims6
A floor covering panel comprising a substantially planar under side and at least two opposed side edges;
- said side edges including cooperative coupling parts configured to cooperate with identical cooperative complementary coupling parts of another one of said panel;
- said coupling parts comprising substantially a tongue and a groove extending distally transversely along panel side edges including mechanical locking elements;
- said tongue, groove and locking elements formed in one piece with the panel;
- said tongue groove and locking elements cooperating to prevent drifting apart of the floor panel when coupled by said coupling parts to another one of said floor panel in directions perpendicular to the adjacent side edges of the coupled panels, and parallel to the undersides of the coupled panels;
- a coupling part of said panel, when engaged with a cooperating coupling part of another one of said panel, urging the coupled panels towards each other;
- at least one of said coupling parts including an elastically bendable portion having a relaxed unbent position, and which, when in a coupled condition, is at least slightly bent out of its normal relaxed unbent position to effect said urging of the coupled panels together.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.