US 2,004,016,196 · Filed 2003-04-15
The Snap-Together Floorboard That Changed DIY Installation
Imagine floorboards that lock together like puzzle pieces without nails or glue. This patent covers a clever mechanical system where a separate strip is attached to the board's edge, creating grooves and bumps that let boards snap and stay put when you push them together.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a floorboard design where a separately machined strip—a distinct piece—is mechanically joined to the board itself to create a locking mechanism. What's protected here is the specific way this strip interlocks with adjacent boards, allowing them to lock together without additional fasteners. The patent guards against others making floorboards with this exact same mechanical joining method.
Why it matters
This type of mechanical locking system has become standard in floating floor installation, making DIY flooring projects accessible to homeowners and reducing installation time and labor costs for professionals. By eliminating the need for nails, adhesives, or complex fastening, the design simplifies manufacturing and makes floorboards easier to install, replace, or reconfigure—all qualities that drove adoption across the laminate and engineered hardwood industries.
Real-world use
When you click floorboards together during a home renovation or install new laminate in your bedroom, you're likely using boards built on the mechanical locking principle this patent protects.
Original USPTO abstract
Floorboards with a mechanical locking system having a separately machined strip which is mechanically joined with the floorboard.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 2,004,016,196
- Filing date
- 2003-04-15
- Grant date
- Application — not yet granted
- Assignee
- Darko Pervan
- Inventor(s)
- PERVAN DARKO
- CPC class
- E04F15/04
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