US 2,002,020,127 · Filed 2001-06-12
The Tongue-and-Groove Patent That Snaps Laminate Floors Together
Imagine floor panels with built-in clips on their edges that lock together without nails or glue. This patent describes hard floor panels with a clever tongue-and-groove system that grips panels both sideways and vertically, making installation faster and the floor more stable once it's down.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a floor panel system where hard panels are connected via interlocking coupling devices molded directly into the panel edges. What's protected here is the specific design of those couplings: a tongue on one edge fits into a groove on an adjacent panel, with an asymmetrical lip design (longer on the bottom) that creates a locking effect. The elastic flexibility of one edge ensures the panels snap together securely in both vertical and horizontal directions without additional fasteners.
Why it matters
This patent protects a mechanical locking system for modular hard flooring—the kind consumers encounter in laminate and engineered wood products. By integrating the coupling mechanism directly into the panels rather than requiring separate clips or adhesive, the design reduces installation labor and cost while improving floor stability and longevity. The asymmetrical lip geometry is the technical key that allows a single interlocking profile to grip in multiple directions simultaneously.
Real-world use
Every time you see a laminate or luxury vinyl floor snap together during installation without glue or screws, you're likely seeing a locking mechanism descended from this patent's core principle.
Original USPTO abstract
The invention concerns a floor covering formed of hard panels ( 2 ) which are provided, at least on two opposite edges ( 3 - 4, 5 - 6 ), with coupling devices ( 7 ) made in one piece with the panels ( 2 ), whereby these coupling devices ( 7 ) provide for an interlocking in a direction (R 1 ) perpendicular to the plane of the floor covering ( 1 ), as well as in a direction (R 2 ) perpendicular to the edges ( 3 - 4, 5 - 6 ) concerned and parallel to the plane of the floor covering ( 1 ). These coupling devices ( 7 ) comprise a tongue ( 8 ) and a groove ( 9 ). The lip ( 11 ) which is situated on the bottom side of the groove ( 9 ) is longer than the lip ( 10 ) on the top side. The edge ( 5 ) which is provided with the tongue ( 8 ) is made elastically flexible.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 2,002,020,127
- Filing date
- 2001-06-12
- Grant date
- Application — not yet granted
- Assignee
- Thiers Bernard Paul Joseph / Cappelle Mark Gaston Maurits
- Inventor(s)
- THIERS BERNARD PAUL JOSEPH, CAPPELLE MARK GASTON MAURITS
- CPC class
- E04F15/02038
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