US 2,006,101,769 · Filed 2004-10-22
The Flexible Tongue That Locked Down Laminate Flooring
Imagine floor panels that snap together like puzzle pieces without nails or glue—that's what this patent does. A bendy tongue slides into a groove, and when you fold the panels together vertically, they lock tight and stay put. It's the mechanical trick that made click-together flooring possible.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a mechanical locking system for floor panels that uses a flexible tongue positioned in a sliding groove. What's protected here is the specific design where the tongue gets displaced during vertical folding motion, creating an interlocking joint. The patent also protects the tongue blank itself and the methods for both producing and installing this system.
Why it matters
This patent represents a foundational technology in modern laminate and engineered wood flooring. By enabling panels to lock together mechanically without adhesives or fasteners, it revolutionized DIY flooring installation and reduced manufacturing costs. The vertical-fold locking mechanism became industry standard, allowing consumers to install professional-looking floors without specialized tools or contractors.
Real-world use
Every time someone clicks together laminate or luxury vinyl plank flooring in a home renovation, they're using this mechanical locking principle—the panels slide together and fold down to lock firmly in place.
Original USPTO abstract
Floor panels ( 1, 1 ′) are provided with a mechanical locking system including a flexible tongue ( 30 ) in a sliding groove ( 40 ) which during a vertical folding motion is displaced. Moreover, a tongue blank ( 50 ), a production method and an installation method are shown.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 2,006,101,769
- Filing date
- 2004-10-22
- Grant date
- Application — not yet granted
- Assignee
- Valinge Aluminium Ab
- Inventor(s)
- PERVAN DARKO, HAKANSSON NICLAS, NYGREN PER
- CPC class
- F16B5/0004
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