US 6,862,857 · Granted 2005-03-08
The Locking Floor Panel Patent That Changed How Homes Are Built
Imagine floor panels that snap together like a puzzle and lock permanently so they can't shift or separate over time. This patent describes a clever tongue-and-groove system with tiny projections and recesses that interlock, creating a rock-solid connection that carpenters use every day.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a structural panel connection system where one edge has a groove with lips, and the opposite edge has a matching tongue. What's protected is the specific design where the tongue has projections that fit into indentations on the groove's lip, with recesses that are staggered along the length. This staggered, interlocking geometry prevents panels from separating or warping once they're connected.
Why it matters
This patent represents a major advance in prefabricated flooring and panel assembly. By creating a locking mechanism that works across the entire length of the panel edge, the design allows floors to be installed faster and more reliably without nails or adhesives. The staggered recess-and-projection pattern distributes pressure evenly, reducing the risk of gaps opening up over time due to temperature changes or wood movement.
Real-world use
When a flooring installer snaps together laminate or engineered wood planks, they're using this locking mechanism to create a seamless, tight floor that stays flat for decades.
Original USPTO abstract
A device for connecting and locking structural panels, particularly floor panels, having a groove forming an upper lip and a lower lip over the entire length of at least one lateral border and with a tongue formed on the opposite lateral border corresponding to the groove. To lock panels that have been connected, the tongue is provided with at least one projection and the groove exhibits at least one indentation on the lip that faces the projection, which device is characterized by the indentation being longer than the projection, and on its lateral border (I 3 , I 4 ) the lip provided with at least one indentation exhibits at least one recess reaching back to the indentation. The length of the recess is at least as great as the length of the projection, and seen in the longitudinal direction, the recess and the projection occupy positions that are staggered, one relative to the other.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 6,862,857
- Filing date
- 2002-09-30
- Grant date
- 2005-03-08
- Assignee
- Kronotec Ag
- Inventor(s)
- TYCHSEN DETLEF
- CPC class
- E04F15/02
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