US 5,630,304 · Granted 1997-05-20
The Interlocking Floor Tile That Snaps Together Like Giant Puzzle Pieces
Imagine floor tiles that lock together automatically without nails, screws, or glue—just like connecting LEGO bricks. Two sides of each tile have bumps (called male connectors), and the other two sides have matching holes, so you can snap them into neighbors and build a seamless floor. When you reach an edge, you can trim off the bumpy part to make a clean border.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The patent covers a quadrilateral floor tile design with angled edges and an interlocking system on two adjacent sides. Specifically, it protects the arrangement of spaced male connecting members (bumps) on two sides and corresponding cavities (holes) on the other two sides that allow tiles to interlock. What's protected is the ability to cut or adjust the length of the interlocking strips to customize how tiles connect—from full interlocking to partial, or to remove them entirely for smooth perimeter edges.
Why it matters
This patent addresses a real problem in modular flooring: how to make tiles that lock together securely without tools or fasteners, while still allowing flexible customization at edges and corners. By integrating the connector system into the tile itself and making it removable, the design simplifies installation for DIY users and reduces waste. It's the kind of mechanical innovation that can lower production complexity and make prefabricated flooring more accessible to consumers.
Real-world use
You'd see this technology in portable garage flooring, basement mats, or workout spaces where interlocking tiles are laid down to form a unified surface that won't shift or separate underfoot.
Original USPTO abstract
A quadrilateral floor tile is provided with a generally flat top surface with each side having a downward sloping edge, inclining toward the floor. Two of the sides, being adjacent, are formed with an integral interlocking strips, each having a plurality of spaced-apart male connecting members. The remaining sides of the tile are formed with a plurality of cavities located to the interior to the sloping edge. Each of the cavities is positioned to mate with a corresponding male connecting member of a neighboring tile. In use, the tiles are interlocked with a number of like tiles to form a basic floor surface. When the outer periphery of the floor surface is encountered, a finished tile edge is formed on perimeter tiles by severing the interlock strip from each tile. The length of each interlock strip may also be adjusted to interlock only at points of intersection with neighboring tiles or may be removed entirely to form a smooth edge.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 5,630,304
- Filing date
- 1996-08-26
- Grant date
- 1997-05-20
- Assignee
- Austin; John
- Inventor(s)
- AUSTIN; JOHN
- CPC class
- E04F15/10
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