US 6,505,452 · Granted 2003-01-14
The Snap-Together Panel Patent That Transformed DIY Wall Installation
Imagine wall panels with specially shaped edges that lock together like puzzle pieces, letting you swivel and adjust them as you build. This patent describes a system where curved bumps on one panel fit into curved dips on another, creating joints that hold tight but also let the panels pivot and flex slightly during installation.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a fastening system where complementary holding profiles run along panel edges—specifically, long edges shaped as positive-fit profiles with a convex (outward-curving) projection on one panel and a concave (inward-curving) recess on the adjacent panel. What's protected here is the geometry of these interlocking profiles and the pivoting motion they enable: two panels can be connected by a swiveling action about an axis parallel to their joined long edges, allowing bidirectional tilt and adjustment before final seating.
Why it matters
This patent matters because it solves a real installation problem: how to make modular wall panels that are easy for workers or DIYers to assemble, adjust, and align without requiring separate fasteners or tools. The curved, complementary profiles create a positive mechanical lock that holds panels in place while allowing the slight flexibility needed during construction. This kind of innovation in panel systems can significantly reduce installation time and labor costs in interior design and building trades, making prefabricated wall solutions more practical and affordable.
Real-world use
When a contractor or homeowner installs a wall of decorative or functional panels, they can slide each new panel's edge into the curved groove of the previous one, pivot it into place, and move on—no screws, no adhesive, no waiting.
Original USPTO abstract
The invention relates to a fastening system for panels whose edges are provided complementary holding profiles which match one another in such a manner that further panels can be fastened to the free edges of a previously placed panel. The holding profiles of at least the long edges are configured as complementary positive-fit profiles, one of the profiles having a projection with a convex bottom edge, and the other profile having a recess with a concave bottom edge, such that the profiles may be interconnected by a pivoting motion. Such complementary design of the profiles enables the positive-fit profiles of the long edges of two panels to form a common joint which, when the panels are laid, enables bidirectional pivoting of the panels with respect to one another about a pivot axis that is parallel to the joined long edges of the panels.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 6,505,452
- Filing date
- 2000-10-09
- Grant date
- 2003-01-14
- Assignee
- Akzenta Paneele + Profile Gmbh
- Inventor(s)
- HANNIG HANS-JURGEN, EISERMANN RALF
- CPC class
- E04F15/02
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