US 2,004,211,143 · Filed 2002-07-04
The Click-Lock Floor Panel System That Revolutionized DIY Installation
Imagine floor panels that snap together like puzzle pieces without tools or adhesive. This patent describes a clever system where panels have hooks and locks on their edges so you can angle one panel into place, swing it flat, and it locks tight—letting DIYers install beautiful floors in hours instead of days.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a fastening system for rectangular floor panels that use angled interlocking profiles on their edges. What's protected here is the specific mechanism: panels can be attached at a temporary angle to an already-installed panel, then rotated downward into the same plane, where hook elements engage and locking mechanisms prevent the connection from separating upward. The locking elements are the key innovation—they hold the hooks in place once the panel is swung down flat.
Why it matters
This patent matters because it solves a real installation problem: getting large, heavy panels aligned and secured without nails, screws, or adhesives. The angle-and-swing method lets one person install panels that might otherwise require two people or professional tools. By combining interlocking geometry with mechanical locks, the design creates a rigid, durable floor bond while keeping installation accessible to homeowners. This type of innovation is core to the modern floating floor and laminate industry.
Real-world use
You've probably walked across a click-lock laminate or vinyl floor in a store or home—when each plank snaps into its neighbor at an angle and locks tight, that's this system at work.
Original USPTO abstract
The invention relates to a fastening system ( 1 ) for rectangular, tabular panels ( 2, 3, 10 ), especially floor panels. Comprising retaining profiles disposed on the small faces of said panels ( 2, 3, 10 ). Opposite retaining profiles match said retaining profiles in such a manner that similar panels ( 2, 3, 10 ) can be interlinked. The panels are provided with opposite first retaining profiles that are configured in such a manner that on a panel ( 2, 3, 10 ) being in first line a new panel ( 2 ) can be locked in second line by attaching the new panel ( 2 ) to the installed panel ( 3 ) at a temporary angle relative to the installed panel ( 3 ) and then swiveling it down into the plane of the installed panel ( 3 ). The panel further comprises opposite second retaining elements that comprise corresponding hook elements ( 6, 7 ). A hook connection ( 8 ) can be established by means of one of the hook elements ( 6, 7 ) of the new panel ( 2 ) and a hook element ( 6, 7 ) of a panel ( 3 ) that is already installed in second line by swiveling down the new panel ( 2 ). Every hook connection ( 8 ) is associated with an additional locking element ( 13, 22, 26, 27, 34, 35, 36, 40, 46 ) that prevents, in the hooked state of two panels ( 2, 3, 10 ), the hook connection ( 8 ) from being released in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the installed panels ( 2, 3 10 ).
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 2,004,211,143
- Filing date
- 2002-07-04
- Grant date
- Application — not yet granted
- Assignee
- Hans-Jurgen Hanning
- Inventor(s)
- HANNING HANS-JURGEN
- CPC class
- E04F15/02038
Want to file your own patent?
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