Mechanical locking of floor panels with a flexible bristle tongue
AssigneeVälinge Innovation AB
InventorsDarko Pervan, Agne Pålsson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Floor panels which are provided with a mechanical locking system including a displaceable tongue in a displacement groove. The tongue is molded and provided with bendable protrusions.
Claims19
A set of essentially identical floor panels, each of the floor panels comprising a first and a second connector, which are integrated with the floor panels and configured to connect a first floor panel to a second floor panel at adjacent edges,
- the first connector comprising an upwardly directed locking element at a first edge of one of the floor panels configured to cooperate with a locking groove in a corresponding second edge of the other of said floor panels for connecting said first floor panel with said second floor panel in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the adjacent edges,
- the second connector comprising a flexible tongue, of molded plastic, in a displacement groove in one of the first or second edges of one of the floor panels, the flexible tongue is configured to cooperate with a tongue groove in the other of the first or second edges of said floor panels for locking the floor panels together in a vertical direction,
- the flexible tongue being displaceable in the horizontal direction in the displacement groove and extending substantially the length of the panel,
- the flexible tongue comprising at least two protrusions at a first long edge of the tongue, bendable in a horizontal plane, and extending essentially in the horizontal plane, the at least two protrusions being spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction of the tongue, the longitudinal direction being parallel to the adjacent edges of the floor panels and perpendicular to the vertical direction,
- wherein the flexible tongue has a second long edge, which is configured to extend outside the displacement groove in a connected state of the floor panels, and the outer edge of the second long edge is essentially straight over substantially the entire length of the flexible tongue.
A set of essentially identical floor panels, each of the floor panels comprising a first and a second connector, which are integrated with the floor panels and configured to connect a first floor panel to a second floor panel at adjacent edges,
- the first connector comprising an upwardly directed locking element at a first of the floor panels configured to cooperate with a downwardly opening locking groove in a second of said floor panels for connecting said first floor panel with said second floor panel in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the adjacent edges,
- the second connector comprising a flexible tongue in a displacement groove in an edge of one of the floor panels, the flexible tongue is configured to cooperate with a tongue groove in the other of said first or second floor panels for locking the floor panels together in a vertical direction,
- the flexible tongue comprising at least two protrusions bendable in a horizontal plane, and extending essentially in the horizontal plane, the at least two protrusions being spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction on a first longitudinal edge of the tongue, the longitudinal direction being parallel to the adjacent edges of the floor panels and perpendicular to the vertical direction, the flexible tongue having a second longitudinal edge being either essentially straight or being concave shaped over substantially the entire length of the flexible tongue, and
- wherein a part of the protrusions are configured, in a connected state of the floor panels, to extend outside the displacement groove and into the tongue groove.
A floor panel having an edge portion presenting a sidewardly open groove, in which a tongue formed as a separate part is received, the tongue configured to lock the floor panel with another floor panel in a vertical direction, the tongue comprising at least two concave shaped protrusions at a first long edge of the tongue, the at least two concave shaped protrusions being spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction of the tongue, the longitudinal direction being parallel to the edge portion of the floor panel and perpendicular to the vertical direction,
- wherein the protrusions are arranged bendable in the sidewardly open groove in a plane parallel to the front face of the panel and extending essentially in the plane,
- wherein the tongue has a second long edge, which extends outside the sidewardly open groove, and
- wherein the second long edge is essentially straight over substantially the whole length of the tongue.
A floor panel having an edge portion presenting a sidewardly open groove, in which a tongue formed as a separate part is received, the tongue configured to lock the floor panel with another floor panel in a vertical direction, the tongue comprising at least two concave shaped protrusions at a first long edge of the tongue, the at least two concave shaped protrusions being spaced from each other in a longitudinal direction of the tongue, the longitudinal direction being parallel to the edge portion of the floor panel and perpendicular to the vertical direction, and a second long edge being either essentially straight or being concave shaped over substantially the entire length of the flexible tongue,
- wherein the protrusions are arranged bendable in a plane parallel to the front face of the panel and extending essentially in the plane,
- wherein a part of the protrusions extends outside the sidewardly open groove.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.