US 2,003,037,504 · Filed 2002-07-10

The Interlocking Floor Panel That Revolutionized Click-Together Flooring

Imagine floor planks that snap together like puzzle pieces from all four sides, creating an incredibly strong, unified surface that won't separate or lift. This patent covers a clever groove-and-tongue design that lets you install flooring by simply dropping panels down and sliding them into place—no nails or adhesive needed.

Curated and verified by the IsItPatented Editorial team

The plain-English version

What it protects

The claim covers a panel element system where two long sides feature interlocking grooves and tongues that resist side-to-side separation, while the two short ends have similar grooves and tongues that lock panels together when the new piece is lowered down onto the one below. What's protected is the specific geometry and interaction method that allows a single panel design to create four-directional mechanical strength without fasteners or glue.

Why it matters

This patent represents a foundational innovation in engineered flooring—specifically laminate and click-together hardwood systems that became mass-market products starting in the 1990s and 2000s. By eliminating the need for adhesives or nails, manufacturers could produce faster, cheaper flooring that consumers could install themselves. The interlocking mechanism became an industry standard that countless competitors have had to design around or license.

Real-world use

Every click-together laminate or hardwood floor you've seen in a home improvement store works on this principle—you drop the plank at an angle, slide it in, and press down to lock it with its neighbors, creating a unified floating floor.

Original USPTO abstract

The invention relates to a panel element for forming a floor covering, consisting of several identical interconnectable panel elements and having the following features: two first sides of each panel element, called the “longitudinal sides”, these sides having a groove and a tongue; the tongue of a panel element which is positioned at an angle with an installation level of a first, identical panel element can be introduced into the groove of the first panel element; the tongue interacts with the groove of the adjacent, identical panel element in such a way that two interconnected panel elements are protected against separating forces which are exerted along both of the axes extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal side of the panel elements; two second sides of the panel element, called the end sides, are provided with fixing means and a groove and tongue, these forming an end-side connection between two adjacent panel elements; the end-side grooves and tongue can be interconnected by means of the panel element being lowered onto an identical panel element that has already been installed, essentially crosswise to the installation level, so that the panel element is protected from lifting forces, i.e. forces which are exerted considerably perpendicularly to the installation level.

Patent details

Publication number: US 2,003,037,504
Filing date: 2002-07-10
Grant date: Application — not yet granted
Assignee: Hulsta-Werke Huls Gmbh & Co. Kg
Inventor(s): SCHWITTE RICHARD, MENSING ANSGAR
CPC class: E04F15/02

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