Locking system and flooring board
DCFirst Claim
1. A locking system for mechanical joining of floorboards, said locking system comprising a tongue-and-groove joint, the groove and tongue of which have cooperating upper abutment surfaces and cooperating lower abutment surfaces for vertical locking of two joint edges of two adjacent floorboards, said upper abutment surfaces extending in a first plane essentially parallel to a principal plane of the floorboards and said lower abutment surfaces extending in a second plane essentially parallel to the principal plane of the floorboards, and said locking system comprising, for horizontal mechanical joining of the joint edges in a direction perpendicular to the joint edges, a locking groove formed in an underside of a first one of the floorboards and extended in parallel therewith and spaced from the joint edge, and a portion projecting from a second one of the floorboards, said portion supporting, at a distance from the joint edge, a locking element cooperating with the locking groove, wherein said tongue is anglable into the groove, and wherein the locking element is insertable into the locking groove by mutual angular motion of the floorboards about upper portions of the joint edges,wherein in a joined state, the cooperating upper abutment surfaces are in contact with each other and are limited horizontally inwards from the joint edge and horizontally outwards to the joint edge by an inner vertical plane and an outer vertical plane, respectively, the tongue-and-groove joint is so designed that there is in the groove between the inner vertical plane and the outer vertical plane and below the tongue, a space which extends horizontally from the inner vertical plane and at least halfway to the outer vertical plane, an uppermost surface of the locking element is below the first plane, and at least a portion of the lower abutment surfaces are positioned outside the outer vertical plane,wherein in an angling state, the tongue-and-groove joint is further so designed that the floorboards, during a final phase of an inwards angling when the locking element is inserted into the locking groove, can take a position where there is space in the groove between the inner and the outer vertical plane and below the tongue, andwherein the projecting portion is at least partially made in one piece with a body of the floorboard.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A locking system to mechanically joins floorboards together. For horizontal mechanical joining, there is a projecting portion with a locking element which cooperates with a locking groove in an adjacent board. A tongue and groove joint for vertical mechanical joining, has coopering upper abutment surfaces and cooperating lower abutment surfaces which are essentially parallel with the principal plane of the floorboards and of which the lower abutment surfaces are positioned essentially outside the outer vertical plane, i.e. displaced relative to the upper abutment surfaces. The tongue is movable at an angle into the groove and the locking element is insertable into the locking groove by mutual angular movement of the boards about the joint edges.
263 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A locking system for mechanical joining of floorboards, said locking system comprising a tongue-and-groove joint, the groove and tongue of which have cooperating upper abutment surfaces and cooperating lower abutment surfaces for vertical locking of two joint edges of two adjacent floorboards, said upper abutment surfaces extending in a first plane essentially parallel to a principal plane of the floorboards and said lower abutment surfaces extending in a second plane essentially parallel to the principal plane of the floorboards, and said locking system comprising, for horizontal mechanical joining of the joint edges in a direction perpendicular to the joint edges, a locking groove formed in an underside of a first one of the floorboards and extended in parallel therewith and spaced from the joint edge, and a portion projecting from a second one of the floorboards, said portion supporting, at a distance from the joint edge, a locking element cooperating with the locking groove, wherein said tongue is anglable into the groove, and wherein the locking element is insertable into the locking groove by mutual angular motion of the floorboards about upper portions of the joint edges,
wherein in a joined state, the cooperating upper abutment surfaces are in contact with each other and are limited horizontally inwards from the joint edge and horizontally outwards to the joint edge by an inner vertical plane and an outer vertical plane, respectively, the tongue-and-groove joint is so designed that there is in the groove between the inner vertical plane and the outer vertical plane and below the tongue, a space which extends horizontally from the inner vertical plane and at least halfway to the outer vertical plane, an uppermost surface of the locking element is below the first plane, and at least a portion of the lower abutment surfaces are positioned outside the outer vertical plane, wherein in an angling state, the tongue-and-groove joint is further so designed that the floorboards, during a final phase of an inwards angling when the locking element is inserted into the locking groove, can take a position where there is space in the groove between the inner and the outer vertical plane and below the tongue, and wherein the projecting portion is at least partially made in one piece with a body of the floorboard.
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27. A locking system for mechanical joining of floorboards, the locking system comprising:
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a tongue-and-groove joint, the groove and tongue of which have cooperating upper abutment surfaces and cooperating lower abutment surfaces for vertical locking of two joint edges of two adjacent floorboards, wherein the upper abutment surfaces extend in a first plane essentially parallel to a principal plane of the floorboards and the lower abutment surfaces extend in a second plane essentially parallel to the principal plane of the floorboards; a locking groove formed in an underside of a first one of the floorboards and extended in parallel therewith and spaced from the joint edge; and a portion projecting from a second one of the floorboards, the portion supporting, at a distance from the joint edge, a locking element cooperating with the locking groove, wherein the locking groove and the locking element are for horizontal mechanical joining of the joint edges in a direction perpendicular to the joint edges, wherein both the tongue is anglable into the groove and the locking element is insertable into the locking groove by mutual angular motion of the floorboards about upper portions of the joint edges, wherein in a joined state the cooperating upper abutment surfaces are in contact with each other and the cooperating upper abutment surfaces extend in a contacting state beginning at a first position in the groove at an inner vertical plane and ending at a second position in the groove at an outer vertical plane, wherein the outer vertical plane is closer to the joint edge than the inner vertical plane, and the tongue-and-groove joint includes a space in the groove between the inner vertical plane and the outer vertical plane and below the tongue, the space extending from the inner vertical plane to at least halfway to the outer vertical plane, an uppermost surface of the locking element is below the first plane, and at least a portion of the lower abutment surfaces are positioned between the outer vertical plane and the joint edge, and wherein the projecting portion is at least partially made in one piece with a body of the floorboard. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 32, 33)
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Specification