US 2,008,104,921 · Filed 2007-07-11
The Bristle-Tongue Patent That Made Click-Lock Flooring Click
Imagine flooring planks that snap together like puzzle pieces, but instead of a hard plastic clip, they use a flexible rubber tongue with tiny bristles. When you press two planks together, those bristles bend and grip, then spring back to lock everything in place—no nails, no glue, just physics.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a mechanical locking system for floor panels that uses a movable tongue sitting inside a groove on the edge of a plank. What's protected here is the specific design of that tongue combined with bendable protrusions—essentially the geometry and material behavior that allows the tongue to flex when panels are pressed together and then lock them securely once seated. Any manufacturer copying this bristle-tongue locking mechanism without permission would be infringing.
Why it matters
This patent is foundational to modern floating floor technology. By replacing traditional nails and adhesives with a mechanical click-lock system, it made flooring installation faster, easier, and more forgiving for DIY homeowners while also reducing waste. The flexible bristle design improves panel retention and reduces stress on the locking points, making floors more durable and quieter than earlier clip systems. Valinge Innovation has built its business around variations of this core innovation.
Real-world use
Every time you install luxury vinyl plank or laminate flooring that snaps together without glue, you're using a descendant of this bristle-locking technology—the satisfying click you hear is those flexible protrusions doing exactly what this patent describes.
Original USPTO abstract
Floor panels ( 1, 1 ′) are provided with a mechanical locking system including a displaceable tongue ( 15 ) in a displacement groove ( 40 ). The tongue is moulded and provided with bendable protrusions ( 61 ).
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 2,008,104,921
- Filing date
- 2007-07-11
- Grant date
- Application — not yet granted
- Assignee
- Valinge Innovation Ab
- Inventor(s)
- PERVAN DARKO, PAISSON AGNE
- CPC class
- E04F15/02038
Want to file your own patent?
Designing a new flooring system or home-improvement product with mechanical joints? Search the IsItPatented database to see what's already locked down in the space before you invest in tooling.
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