US 2,003,009,971 · Filed 2001-10-16
The Click-Lock Floorboard Patent That Made DIY Installation Foolproof
Imagine floorboards that snap together like puzzle pieces instead of needing nails or glue. This patent describes a hook-and-slot joining system where one board's protrusion slides into a groove on the next board, then locks tight with a simple horizontal push—no tools, no mess, just click and you're done.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a floorboard joining system where one board features a protrusion with hooks and intermediate slots, while the mating board has a corresponding groove with a solid top edge and a toothed bottom edge. What's protected here is the specific geometric arrangement that allows vertical insertion followed by horizontal locking, creating a strong interlocking joint without traditional mortise-and-tenon woodworking.
Why it matters
This patent represents a shift away from traditional groove-and-tenon joinery, which required skilled carpentry and time-consuming installation. By enabling boards to lock together through simple vertical-then-horizontal movement, the design makes professional-quality flooring achievable for DIY installers. It reduces labor costs, speeds installation, and opens the parquet and engineered flooring market to homeowners without specialized tools or expertise.
Real-world use
When you install modern click-lock laminate or engineered hardwood flooring in your home, you're using the exact mechanism this patent describes—drop one plank's edge into the previous plank's groove and push it down to lock it in place.
Original USPTO abstract
The invention relates to a joining system and method for floorboards, e.g. for parquetry. The joining system comprises floor boards intended to be joined with each other, wherein a first board (A) has a protrusion fitting into a recess in a second board (B). The protrusion on the first board comprises hooks ( 1 ) with intermediate slots ( 2 ) or chamfers. The recess ( 11 ) in the second board (B) is delimited on the top side by a solid edge ( 3 ), and on the bottom side by an edge having heads ( 4 ) dimensioned to be inserted through the slots ( 2 ) of the first board (A). The invention will replace the traditional groove and tenon technique. By providing slots or chamfers in the protrusion corresponding to the tenon, and corresponding cuts in the lower limiting edge of the groove, the boards can be joined in a substantially vertical or transversal movement and then be locked by a horizontal movement in the longitudinal direction of the boards. At the same time, the protrusion is shaped like hooks engaging the groove. Hereby, the joining will be very simple to perform, whilst at the same time providing a strong joint.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 2,003,009,971
- Filing date
- 2001-10-16
- Grant date
- Application — not yet granted
- Assignee
- Ulf Palmberg
- Inventor(s)
- PALMBERG ULF
- CPC class
- E04F15/02
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