US 2,011,030,303 · Filed 2009-01-30
The Click-Lock Floor Patent That Made Installing Wood Easier
Imagine floor planks that snap together like puzzle pieces instead of needing nails or glue. This patent covers a clever locking system where tiny tongue-and-groove mechanisms on the edges of floor panels can shift between unlocked (easy to slide in place) and locked (permanently held tight) positions, letting installers drop them in without special tools.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a mechanical locking system for floor panels that uses interlocking protrusions and cavities on the edges of adjacent panels. What's protected here is the ability to shift those protrusions between two positions: a vertical unlocked state where they align with cavities for easy insertion, and a vertical locked state where the protrusions overlap and interlock with each other. The patent also covers the methods for installing and uninstalling panels using this system, the equipment used to manufacture the locking mechanism, and the specific tongue design that makes the displacement possible.
Why it matters
This type of mechanical locking system transformed the flooring industry by eliminating the need for adhesives or fasteners during installation. It made laminate and engineered wood floors accessible to DIY homeowners who couldn't use traditional nailing methods, expanding the market dramatically. The patented displacement mechanism — allowing the same joint to toggle between loose and locked states — was a significant engineering innovation that became standard in click-lock flooring systems used worldwide.
Real-world use
When you install a laminate or click-lock engineered wood floor in your home, the boards lock together using this exact mechanism — you slide one plank into the groove of another and it clicks into place with no tools needed.
Original USPTO abstract
Floor panels are shown, which are provided with a mechanical locking system including tongue and grooves provided with protrusions and cavities which are displaceable in relation to each other and configured such that the protrusions can obtain a vertically unlocked position where they match the cavities and a vertically locked position where the protrusions overlap each other.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 2,011,030,303
- Filing date
- 2009-01-30
- Grant date
- Application — not yet granted
- Assignee
- Valinge Innovation Belguim BVBA
- Inventor(s)
- PERVAN DARKO, HAAKANSSON NICLAS, SJOESTRAND MATTIAS, BOO CHRISTIAN, PAALSSON AGNE
- CPC class
- E04F15/04
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