US 6,769,219 · Granted 2004-08-03
The Interlocking Panel Design That Changed Furniture Assembly
Imagine puzzle pieces that snap together without nails or screws — that's what this patent does. It describes panels with grooves and ribs that lock into each other so firmly they won't pull apart, even if you tug hard on them sideways.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a panel system where identical panel pieces connect via an interlocking groove-and-tongue mechanism. Specifically, each panel has a groove formed by two cheeks and a tongue with a lengthwise rib, and that rib slots into a retaining channel in an adjoining panel's groove. What's protected is this mechanical design that resists separation forces acting perpendicular to the panel faces — meaning the panels stay bonded even under stress from multiple directions.
Why it matters
This patent matters because it solves a real assembly problem: how to make modular furniture or building panels that hold together reliably without fasteners like screws or adhesives. For manufacturers like the assignee, Hulsta-Werke (a German furniture company), this kind of proprietary interlocking system lets them offer quick assembly, clean aesthetics, and structural integrity — key selling points in the flat-pack and modular furniture market.
Real-world use
When you assemble modular shelving, kitchen cabinetry, or wall panels where pieces slide together smoothly and lock in place without visible hardware, you're likely using a groove-and-tongue design descended from this patent concept.
Original USPTO abstract
Panel elements are provided comprising several interconnecting panel elements of the same type. The panel elements comprise a groove formed by an upper groove cheek and a lower groove cheek and a tongue. The tongue comprises a rib oriented in a longitudinal direction of the tongue, and the groove comprises a retaining channel for receiving the rib of an adjoining panel element. The tongue cooperates with the groove of an adjoining same-type panel element such that the two panel elements, when married, are safeguarded against parting forces acting in both axis oriented perpendicular to the side of the two panel elements.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 6,769,219
- Filing date
- 2002-07-15
- Grant date
- 2004-08-03
- Assignee
- Hulsta-Werke Huls Gmbh & Co.
- Inventor(s)
- SCHWITTE RICHARD, MENSING ANSGAR
- CPC class
- E04F15/02
Want to file your own patent?
If you're designing a modular furniture or paneling system, check our patentability scanner to see if your interlocking mechanism might already be claimed in the home-improvement space.
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