US 2,011,167,744 · Filed 2011-01-10
The Interlocking Floor Patent That Changed How Rooms Click Together
Imagine floor tiles or planks that snap together like puzzle pieces without nails or glue. This patent covers the special grooves and edges that let flooring click into place and stay locked, making installation faster and letting homeowners swap out damaged sections without ripping up the whole floor.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a floor covering (like laminate, vinyl, or wood-look tiles) with a specific interlocking edge design that allows adjacent pieces to mechanically lock together. What's protected here is the geometry of the grooves, lips, and catch mechanisms that hold two pieces snugly in place without adhesive, and the method of manufacturing floor coverings with these interlocking features.
Why it matters
Interlocking flooring transformed the DIY home improvement market by making installation accessible to non-professionals. Rather than requiring expert installation, adhesive, and complex tools, homeowners could now lay floors themselves in a weekend. This patent protection gave Mannington Mills a competitive edge in a category that grew explosively as vinyl and laminate became affordable alternatives to hardwood.
Real-world use
Every time you see a luxury vinyl plank or laminate floor that clicks together smoothly without visible seams or fasteners, you're benefiting from the kind of interlocking mechanism this patent describes.
Original USPTO abstract
Surface coverings, such as floor coverings, with an interlocking design are described. Methods of making the surface coverings are further described.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 2,011,167,744
- Filing date
- 2011-01-10
- Grant date
- Application — not yet granted
- Assignee
- Mannington Mills, Inc.
- Inventor(s)
- WHISPELL JOHN M., CHEN HAO A.
- CPC class
- E04F15/107
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