US 6,804,926 · Granted 2004-10-19
The Puzzle-Lock Floor Panel Patent That Changed DIY Installation
Imagine floor tiles that snap together like puzzle pieces instead of needing glue or nails. This patent describes rectangular panels with special grooves on their edges that let you lock them together tightly, then slide them into place using a clever tilting-and-sliding motion. Once installed, the panels can't shift or separate, but they can still flex slightly at the joints.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers rectangular floor panels with complementary form-fitting retaining profiles (grooves and ridges) along their sides, plus the specific method for installing them: joining a new panel to an existing one at the short edge, then pivoting both upward as a unit, sliding the new panel into the groove of the row above, and pivoting back down. What's protected is this entire system—the interlocking edge geometry, the positive joint that prevents displacement, and the installation sequence itself.
Why it matters
This patent represents a shift in flooring installation from permanent glue-and-nail methods to a dry-lay, mechanically interlocked system. It made DIY flooring installation faster, more forgiving, and reversible—homeowners could install or replace panels without professional tools or permanent adhesives. The engineering allows tight joints while maintaining slight panel articulation, reducing stress on the floor structure. For manufacturers, this created a defensible product category and licensing opportunity.
Real-world use
Anyone installing laminate or engineered wood flooring in their home has encountered this locking-panel system; the tilting, sliding motion and click-snap joints that hold the floor together under foot come directly from patents like this one.
Original USPTO abstract
Rectangular floor panels, a fastening system for joining the panels, and a method for laying and interlocking the panels are disclosed. The panels are provided complementary, form-fitting retaining profiles extending over the length of the sides. The complementary edges of the panels allow two adjacent panels to be positively joined such that displacement of the panels away from one another is prevented, while enabling articulation of the panels with respect to one another at the joint location. The method of installation provides for installing a new panel to a first row and a panel in a second row by first joining the new panel to the panel of the second row at its short side, followed by pivoting the new panel upwards out of the plane of the laid panels along its long side, along with at least the adjacent end of the first panel in the second row, into an inclined position, and sliding the new panel into the retaining profile of the panels in the first row. The new panel and the raised end of the panel in the second row are then pivoted down into the plane of the laid panels. Laying of panels continues according to this process until the complete floor assembly has been laid.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 6,804,926
- Filing date
- 2000-06-30
- Grant date
- 2004-10-19
- Assignee
- Akzenta Paneele + Profile Gmbh
- Inventor(s)
- EISERMANN RALF
- CPC class
- E04F15/02
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