Floor panels with edge connectors

A floor covering panel comprising:

• a laminated hard floor panel having a wood-based core material including a material selected from the group consisting of High Density Fibreboard (HDF) and Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF), said panel comprising a first pair and a second pair of opposed side edges, and upper and under sides;
• said panel further comprising coupling parts being integrally made in one piece with said core material and located along at least one of said pairs of side edges, said coupling parts comprising a tongue, a groove, and integrated locking elements, said tongue, groove and locking elements when coupled along adjacent side edges of two ones of said panel establishing a mechanical lock between the coupled parts of coupled panels and locking the coupled panels against relative movement in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the panel as well as in a direction perpendicular to the side edges and parallel to a plane including the panels when the coupling parts are coupled;
• wherein said coupling parts of said at least one pair of opposite side edges are formed to enable coupling of two ones of said floor panel by shifting them laterally towards each other to couple the coupling parts of said at least one pair of side edges with the panels located substantially in the same plane;
• wherein the coupling parts of said at least one pair of side edges define a snap-together coupling providing a snap-action during coupling of two panels obtained by shifting them laterally towards each other, said snap-action involving an elastic deformation of the groove.

A floor covering panel comprising:

• a laminated hard floor panel having a wood-based core comprising HDF/MDF material, said panel further comprising a first pair and a second pair of opposed side edges, and upper and under sides;
• said panel further comprising coupling parts integrally made in one piece with said core material and located at both of the pairs of side edges, said coupling parts comprising a tongue, a groove, and integrated locking elements, said tongue, groove and locking elements when coupled along adjacent side edges of two ones of said panel cooperating to establish a mechanical lock preventing relative movement between the coupled parts of coupled panels in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the panel as well as in a direction perpendicular to the side edges and parallel to a plane including the panels;
• said coupling parts of at least one pair of opposite side edges having a form enabling coupling of two ones of said floor panel by shifting them laterally towards each other with the panels located substantially in the same plane;
• and
• wherein the coupling parts of said one pair of side edges define a snap-together coupling providing a snap-action during coupling of two panels obtained by shifting them laterally towards each other, said snap-action involving an elastic deformation of the groove;
• at least one edge of said one pair of edges comprising a lower lip defining at least in part a lower side wall of the groove of said coupling parts and extending distally beyond an upper lip of the groove, said lower lip including a recess in an upper side of the lower lip;
• wherein an opposed edge of said one pair of edges comprises a tongue comprising said coupling parts, said tongue including a protrusion extending from an under side of the tongue;
• said protrusion and recess comprising said snap-together coupling, and snap-fitting together upon laterally shifting and coupling the coupling parts;
• said lower lip having an area of progressively increasing thickness along an area of said lower lip extending proximally relative to said recess.

A floor covering panel comprising:

• a laminated hard floor panel having a wood-based core material including a material selected from the group consisting of High Density Fibreboard (HDF) and Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF), said panel comprising a first pair and a second pair of opposed side edges, and upper and under sides;
• said panel further comprising coupling parts being integrally made in one piece with said core material and located along at least one of said pairs of side edges, said coupling parts comprising a tongue, a groove, and integrated locking elements, said tongue, groove and locking elements when coupled along adjacent side edges of two ones of said panel establishing a mechanical lock between the coupled parts of coupled panels and locking the coupled panels against relative movement in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the panel as well as in a direction perpendicular to the side edges and parallel to a plane including the panels when the coupling parts are coupled;
• wherein said coupling parts of said at least one pair of opposite side edges are formed to enable coupling of two ones of said floor panel by shifting them laterally towards each other to couple the coupling parts of said at least one pair of side edges with the panels located substantially in the same plane;
• wherein the coupling parts of said at least one pair of side edges define a snap-together coupling providing a snap-action during coupling of two panels obtained by shifting them laterally towards each other, said snap-action involving an elastic deformation of the groove;
• wherein said locking elements comprise a recess located on the upper side of a lip defined at least in part by a lower wall of said groove and a protrusion extending downward from the under side of said tongue;
• a planar tongue surface on an upper side of said tongue and a planar upper wall surface on an upper wall of said groove, said planar tongue and groove upper wall surfaces cooperating in contacting relationship upon coupling of said coupled parts to prevent relative motion of coupled floor panels in a direction perpendicular to the plane of each panel;
• wherein said under side of said tongue includes an arcuate portion between said protrusion and a distal end portion of said tongue;
• and
• wherein said protrusion is a local sharp protrusion.

A floor covering panel comprising:

• a laminated hard floor panel having a wood-based core material including a material selected from the group consisting of High Density Fibreboard (HDF) and Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF), said panel comprising a first pair and a second pair of opposed side edges, and upper and under sides;
• said panel further comprising coupling parts being integrally made in one piece with said core material and located along at least one of said pairs of side edges, said coupling parts comprising a tongue, a groove, and integrated locking elements, said tongue, groove and locking elements when coupled along adjacent side edges of two ones of said panel establishing a mechanical lock between the coupled parts of coupled panels and locking the coupled panels against relative movement in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the panel as well as in a direction perpendicular to the side edges and parallel to a plane including the panels when the coupling parts are coupled;
• wherein said coupling parts of said at least one pair of opposite side edges are formed to enable coupling of two ones of said floor panel by shifting them laterally towards each other to couple the coupling parts of said at least one pair of side edges with the panels located substantially in the same plane;
• wherein the coupling parts of said at least one pair of side edges define a snap-together coupling providing a snap-action during coupling of two panels obtained by shifting them laterally towards each other, said snap-action involving an elastic deformation of the groove;
• wherein said locking elements comprise a recess located on the upper side of a lip defined at least in part by a lower wall of said groove and a protrusion extending downward from the under side of said tongue;
• a planar tongue surface on an upper side of said tongue and a planar upper wall surface on an upper wall of said groove, said planar tongue and groove upper wall surfaces cooperating in contacting relationship upon coupling of said coupled parts to prevent relative motion of coupled floor panels in a direction perpendicular to the plane of each panel;
• and
• wherein said under side of said tongue includes an arcuate portion, said arcuate portion defining said protrusion.

A floor covering panel comprising:

• a laminated hard floor panel having a wood-based core material including a material selected from the group consisting of High Density Fibreboard (HDF) and Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF), said panel comprising a first pair and a second pair of opposed side edges, and upper and under sides;
• said panel further comprising coupling parts being integrally made in one piece with said core material and located along at least one of said pairs of side edges, said coupling parts comprising a tongue, a groove, and integrated locking elements, said tongue, groove and locking elements when coupled along adjacent side edges of two ones of said panel establishing a mechanical lock between the coupled parts of coupled panels and locking the coupled panels against relative movement in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the panel as well as in a direction perpendicular to the side edges and parallel to a plane including the panels when the coupling parts are coupled;
• wherein said coupling parts of said at least one pair of opposite side edges are formed to enable coupling of two ones of said floor panel by shifting them laterally towards each other to couple the coupling parts of said at least one pair of side edges with the panels located substantially in the same plane;
• wherein the coupling parts of said at least one pair of side edges define a snap-together coupling providing a snap-action during coupling of two panels obtained by shifting them laterally towards each other, said snap-action involving an elastic deformation of the groove;
• wherein said locking elements comprise a recess located on the upper side of a lip defined at least in part by a lower wall of said groove and a protrusion extending downward from the under side of said tongue;
• a planar tongue surface on an upper side of said tongue and a planar upper wall surface on an upper wall of said groove, said planar tongue and groove upper wall surfaces cooperating in contacting relationship upon coupling of said coupled parts to prevent relative motion of coupled floor panels in a direction perpendicular to the plane of each panel;
• and
• wherein said protrusion is a local sharp protrusion and wherein said lip defines in part a lower wall of said groove, said lip and lower wall progressively increasing in thickness between said recess and an area of said lip located within said groove at proximally inner area of said lip.

A floor covering panel comprising:

• a laminated hard floor panel having a wood-based core comprising HDF/MDF material, said panel further comprising a first pair and a second pair of opposed side edges, and upper and under sides;
• said panel further comprising coupling parts integrally made in one piece with said core material and located at both of the pairs of side edges, said coupling parts comprising a tongue, a groove, and integrated locking elements, said tongue, groove and locking elements when coupled along adjacent side edges of two ones of said panel cooperating to establish a mechanical lock preventing relative movement between the coupled parts of coupled panels in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the panel as well as in a direction perpendicular to the side edges and parallel to a plane including the panels;
• said coupling parts of at least one pair of opposite side edges having a form enabling coupling of two ones of said floor panel by shifting them laterally towards each other with the panels located substantially in the same plane;
• and
• wherein the coupling parts of said one pair of side edges define a snap-together coupling providing a snap-action during coupling of two panels obtained by shifting them laterally towards each other, said snap-action involving an elastic deformation of the groove;
• at least one edge of said one pair of edges comprising a lower lip defining at least in part a lower side wall of the groove of said coupling parts and extending distally beyond an upper lip of the groove, said lower lip including a recess in an upper side of the lower lip;
• wherein an opposed edge of said one pair of edges comprises a tongue comprising said coupling parts, said tongue including a protrusion extending from an under side of the tongue;
• said protrusion and recess comprising said snap-together coupling, and snap-fitting together upon laterally shifting and coupling the coupling parts;
• said lower lip having an area of progressively increasing thickness along an area of said lower lip extending proximally relative to said recess;
• wherein said lower lip area of progressively increasingly thickness extends along at least a portion of said lower lip defining said lower wall of said groove;
• wherein said snap-action involves an elastic deformation of said lower lip;
• and
• wherein upon coupling of said coupling parts said lower lip remains slightly bent relative to a relaxed, non-deformed position of the lower lip.

A floor covering panel formed of HDF/MDF core material:

• said panel having upper and under sides, and comprising at least two opposed side edges monolithically formed of said core material, said at least two side edges having coupling parts monolithically formed in the core material of each of said side edges;
• one of said side edges including a tongue comprising one of said coupling parts and the other of said side edges having a groove with at least one lip comprising another of said coupling parts, said lip being elastically deflectable relative to said panel such that when the coupling parts of adjacent side edges of two of said panels are coupled, the coupled coupling parts define integral snap-fit mechanical locking elements;
• said locking elements preventing drifting apart of coupled floor panels in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the coupled panels and in a direction parallel to a plane including the coupled panels and perpendicular to the coupled edges;
• wherein the snap-fit mechanical locking elements include a locking protrusion defined on the tongue and a cooperating recess defined in the groove;
• and
• wherein the locking protrusion is in the form of a local sharp protrusion on the under side of said tongue.

A floor covering panel formed of HDF/MDF core material:

• said panel having upper and under sides, and comprising at least two opposed side edges monolithically formed of said core material, said at least two side edges having coupling parts monolithically formed in the core material of each of said side edges;
• one of said side edges including a tongue comprising one of said coupling parts and the other of said side edges having a groove with at least one lip comprising another of said coupling parts, said lip being elastically deflectable relative to said panel such that when the coupling parts of adjacent side edges of two of said panels are coupled, the coupled coupling parts define integral snap-fit mechanical locking elements;
• said locking elements preventing drifting apart of coupled floor panels in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the coupled panels and in a direction parallel to a plane including the coupled panels and perpendicular to the coupled edges;
• wherein the snap-fit mechanical locking elements include a locking protrusion defined on the tongue and a cooperating recess defined in the groove;
• and
• wherein the locking protrusion on said tongue has a profile including an apex.

A floor covering panel formed of HDF/MDF core material:

• said panel having upper and under sides, and comprising at least two opposed side edges monolithically formed of said core material, said at least two side edges having coupling parts monolithically formed in the core material of each of said side edges;
• one of said side edges including a tongue comprising one of said coupling parts and the other of said side edges having a groove with at least one lip comprising another of said coupling parts, said lip being elastically deflectable relative to said panel such that when the coupling parts of adjacent side edges of two of said panels are coupled, the coupled coupling parts define integral snap-fit mechanical locking elements;
• said locking elements preventing drifting apart of coupled floor panels in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the coupled panels and in a direction parallel to a plane including the coupled panels and perpendicular to the coupled edges;
• wherein the snap-fit mechanical locking elements include a locking protrusion defined on the tongue and a cooperating recess defined in the groove;
• and
• the locking protrusion is substantially triangular in shape.

A floor covering panel formed of HDF/MDF core material:

• said panel having upper and under sides, and comprising at least two opposed side edges monolithically formed of said core material, said at least two side edges having coupling parts monolithically formed in the core material of each of said side edges;
• one of said side edges including a tongue comprising one of said coupling parts and the other of said side edges having a groove with at least one lip comprising another of said coupling parts, said lip being elastically deflectable relative to said panel such that when the coupling parts of adjacent side edges of two of said panels are coupled, the coupled coupling parts define integral snap-fit mechanical locking elements;
• said locking elements preventing drifting apart of coupled floor panels in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the coupled panels and in a direction parallel to a plane including the coupled panels and perpendicular to the coupled edges;
• wherein at least one lip is a lower lip, and the lower lip has a cross-section configuration uniform along the panel edge and has a non-uniform thickness between upper and under sides thereof;
• and
• wherein the lower lip is thicker at a proximal portion of the groove and becomes non-uniformly thinner in a direction extending distally away from said proximal portion over at least a portion of its length.