US 3,694,983 · Granted 1972-10-03
The Interlocking Tile Patent That Revolutionized Modular Flooring
Imagine floor tiles that snap together like puzzle pieces without leaving bumpy seams or thick edges where they meet. This 1972 patent describes a clever backing system where fasteners hide underneath the tile edges, so when you connect one tile to the next, everything stays flat and flush. No tripping hazards, no visible hardware.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a modular tile design where each tile sits on a backing material that projects slightly beyond the tile's edges on two adjacent sides. Hidden under those projecting edges are fastening mechanisms (like hooks or clips) that interlock with fasteners on neighboring tiles. Critically, these fasteners are thinner than the backing itself, so the assembled floor maintains uniform thickness—no bumps or steps between tiles. What's protected is this specific geometry: the hidden interlocking system that keeps adjacent tiles locked together while keeping the surface flat.
Why it matters
Before this patent, modular flooring and wall coverings often had visible seams, thick transition edges, or fasteners that protruded and created tripping hazards. This design solved a real problem in the emerging market for prefabricated, snap-together floor and wall tiles. The patent's innovation—burying the fastening system and maintaining a uniform surface plane—made modular tiles practical for homes and commercial spaces. It's a foundational concept in modern interlocking flooring systems, from laminate to luxury vinyl to modular carpet tiles.
Real-world use
Every time you walk across modern interlocking vinyl plank flooring or click-together laminate in a home, you're benefiting from the flat, seamless surface this patent describes. The hidden locking tabs underneath are the direct descendants of Couquet's fastening innovation.
Original USPTO abstract
Tiles adapted to constitute by juxtaposition a continuous, plain or diversified carpet or revetment of textile, plastic or other material, characterized in that each tile is secured to a backing of same dimensions but projecting along two adjacent edges of the tile to form an embedded strip provided with means permitting the mutual engagement of fastening means provided in embedded condition under the edges of two sides of the adjacent tile, said fastening means having a thickness inferior to that of said backing so that in the assembled condition no extra thickness is produced in relation to the normal backing thickness.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 3,694,983
- Filing date
- 1970-05-19
- Grant date
- 1972-10-03
- Assignee
- Pierre Jean Couquet
- Inventor(s)
- PIERRE JEAN COUQUET
- CPC class
- B29C70/78
Want to file your own patent?
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