US 6,591,568 · Granted 2003-07-15
The Click-Lock Patent That Made Laminate Flooring Installation DIY-Friendly
Imagine floor planks with specially shaped edges that snap together like puzzle pieces, so you don't need nails or glue. This patent describes exactly how those tongue-and-groove edges interlock in both directions, letting installers lay down whole rooms of flooring by hand in a single smooth motion.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a flooring system where rectangular floor elements have male joining members (tongues with grooves) on one pair of opposite edges and female joining members (grooves with lips) on another pair, allowing adjacent planks to lock together horizontally. Additionally, it protects a vertical assembly mechanism on the third and fourth edges—either with male and female pairs or dual male members that accept a separate locking profile—enabling all four edges of a plank to interlock simultaneously during installation.
Why it matters
This patent was groundbreaking in the laminate and wood-look flooring industry because it made do-it-yourself installation practical for homeowners. By eliminating the need for adhesives or fasteners and allowing bidirectional locking, Pergo and competitors could sell flooring as a consumer product rather than something requiring professional installation. The mechanical simplicity of the click-lock system became the industry standard, lowering barriers to entry and transforming flooring from a contractor service into a retail commodity.
Real-world use
Every time you install a laminate or luxury vinyl plank floor in your home, you're using the interlocking geometry this patent locked down—snapping planks edge-to-edge without nails, screws, or glue.
Original USPTO abstract
Flooring material comprising sheet-shaped floor elements ( 1 ) with a mainly square or rectangular shape. The floor elements ( 1 ) are provided with edges ( 2 ), a lower side ( 5 ) and an upper decorative layer ( 3 ). The floor elements ( 1 ) are intended to be joined by means of joining members ( 10 ). The floor elements ( 1 ) are provided with male joining members ( 10 I ) on a first edge ( 2 I ) while a second edge ( 2 II ) of the floor elements ( 1 ) are provided with a female joining member ( 10 II ). The male joining member ( 10 I ) is provided with a tongue ( 11 ) and a lower side ( 5 ) groove ( 12 ) while the female joining member ( 10 II ) is provided with a groove ( 13 ) and a cheek ( 14 ), the cheek ( 14 ) being provided with a lip ( 15 ). The floor elements ( 1 ) are provided with a male vertical assembly joining member ( 10 III ) on a third edge ( 2 III ) while a fourth, opposite, edge ( 2 IV ) is provided with female vertical assembly joining member ( 2 IV ). The floor elements ( 1 ) are alternatively provided with a male vertical assembly joining member ( 10 III ) on a third edge ( 2 III ) while a fourth, opposite, edge ( 2 IV ) also is provided with male vertical assembly joining member ( 2 III ). Adjacent male vertical assembly joining members ( 2 III ) are hereby joined by means of a separate vertical assembly joining profile ( 30 ). Two adjacent edges ( 2 ) of a floor element ( 1 ) can hereby, at the same time, and in the same turning motion, be joined with a floor element ( 1 ) adjacent to the first edge ( 2 I ) and a floor element adjacent to the third or fourth edge ( 2 III and 2 IV respectively).
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 6,591,568
- Filing date
- 2000-09-29
- Grant date
- 2003-07-15
- Assignee
- Pergo (Europe) Ab
- Inventor(s)
- PAALSSON JOERGEN
- CPC class
- E04F15/02
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