US 2,003,101,681 · Filed 2002-09-30
The Interlocking Floor Panel Patent That Revolutionized DIY Installation
Imagine floor panels that snap together like puzzle pieces instead of requiring nails or glue. This patent describes a clever groove-and-tongue locking system where projections on one panel fit into specially shaped slots on the next, holding everything tight and in place without extra hardware.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a structural panel connection system where one panel edge features a groove with upper and lower lips, while the opposite edge has a matching tongue. What's specifically protected is the arrangement of projections on the tongue and corresponding indentations on the groove's lip, along with recessed areas that allow the panels to lock together when pressed. The offset positioning of these recesses and projections—staggered lengthwise relative to each other—is the key geometric feature being defended.
Why it matters
This patent protects a mechanical innovation that makes assembly faster and more accessible to non-professionals. By eliminating the need for nails, screws, or adhesives, it simplifies installation labor and reduces waste. The interlocking system also creates a tighter, more uniform fit between panels, which improves appearance and durability. This kind of connection method has become foundational in the laminate and engineered flooring industries.
Real-world use
When you install a laminate floor or luxury vinyl plank floor in your home, you're using this interlocking groove-and-tongue technology to snap each plank into the last without fasteners.
Original USPTO abstract
A device for connecting and locking structural panels, particularly floor panels, having a groove forming an upper lip and a lower lip over the entire length of at least one lateral border and with a tongue formed on the opposite lateral border corresponding to the groove. To lock panels that have been connected, the tongue is provided with at least one projection and the groove exhibits at least one indentation on the lip that faces the projection, which device is characterized by the indentation being longer than the projection, and on its lateral border (I 3 , I 4 ) the lip provided with at least one indentation exhibits at least one recess reaching back to the indentation. The length of the recess is at least as great as the length of the projection, and seen in the longitudinal direction, the recess and the projection occupy positions that are staggered, one relative to the other.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 2,003,101,681
- Filing date
- 2002-09-30
- Grant date
- Application — not yet granted
- Assignee
- Detlef Tychsen
- Inventor(s)
- TYCHSEN DETLEF
- CPC class
- E04F15/02
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