Panels comprising a mechanical locking device and an assembled product comprising the panels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10548397-B2
Application number	US-201715415356-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2017
Priority date	Jan 26, 2016
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

A set of panels including a first panel with a first main plane and a second panel with a second main plane. The first and the second panel are provided with a mechanical locking device for locking a first edge of the first panel to a second edge of the second panel at a junction plane, wherein the first main plane is essentially perpendicular to the second main plane and the junction plane is extending between the first main plane and the second main plane. The first edge includes an edge tongue that extends from the junction plane. The second edge includes an edge groove at the junction plane. The edge tongue is configured to cooperate with the edge groove for locking together the first and the second edges in a first direction which is perpendicular to the first main plane. The edge tongue includes a tongue groove.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A set of panels forming a corner joint having an inner corner joint portion and an outer corner joint portion, comprising a first panel with an outer surface defining a first main plane and a second panel with an outer surface defining a second main plane, wherein the first panel and the second panel are provided with a mechanical locking device for locking a first edge of the first panel to a second edge of the second panel at a junction plane, and wherein the first main plane is essentially perpendicular to the second main plane and the junction plane is extending between the first main plane and the second main plane,
wherein the first edge comprises an edge tongue that extends beyond the junction plane,
wherein the second edge comprises an edge groove at the junction plane, wherein the edge tongue is configured to slidably engage with the edge groove for locking together the first and the second edges in a first direction which is perpendicular to the first main plane,
wherein the edge tongue has an inner corner portion facing the inner corner joint portion and an outer corner portion facing the outer corner joint portion, and the edge tongue comprises a tongue groove on the inner corner portion of the edge tongue,
wherein the edge groove has an inner corner portion facing the inner corner joint portion and an outer corner portion facing the outer corner joint portion, and the edge groove comprises a flexible tongue arranged in an insertion groove on the inner corner portion of the edge groove, and said flexible tongue is configured to engage with the tongue groove for locking together the first and the second edges in a second direction which is perpendicular to the second main plane when the first and second edges are locked together,
wherein the mechanical locking device comprises a first space between the edge tongue and the edge groove at an opening of the edge groove and at the junction plane on the outer corner portion of the edge tongue in a locked position of the first and the second edge,
wherein a first side of the edge tongue adjacent the tongue groove comprises, at or near the junction plane, a first locking surface, and a first side of the edge groove adjacent the insertion groove comprises, at or near the junction plane, a second locking surface, wherein the first locking surface and the second locking surface are essentially parallel and are configured to slidably engage for locking in the first direction when the first and second edges are locked together,
wherein the edge tongue at a second side adjacent the first space, which is opposite the first side, comprises a third locking surface and the edge groove at a second side adjacent the first space comprises a fourth locking surface, wherein the third locking surface and the fourth locking surface are essentially parallel and are configured to slidably engage at a distance from the junction plane for locking in the first direction when the first and second edges are locked together, and
wherein the first locking surface and the third locking surface are essentially parallel.

2. The set of panels as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the angle between the junction plane and the first main plane is about 45°.

3. The set of panels as claimed in claim 1 , wherein edge tongue extends, from the junction plane, essentially in the second direction.

4. The set of panels as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the third locking surface and the fourth locking surface engage at an area extending over a first distance in the second direction, wherein the third locking surface and the fourth locking surface are displaced from the junction plane by a second distance, wherein the first distance is within the range of about 20% to about 200% of the second distance.

5. The set of panels as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first side of the edge tongue, at a distance from the junction plane, comprises a fifth locking surface and the first side of the edge groove comprises a sixth locking surface at a distance from the junction plane, wherein the fifth locking surface and the sixth locking surface are essentially parallel and are configured to engage for locking in the first direction.

6. The set of panels as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mechanical locking device comprises a first contact surface at the first edge and a second contact surface at the second edge, the first contact surface and the second contact surface are at an outer corner, in a locked position of the first and the second panel, and in the junction plane and are configured to engage.

7. The set of panels as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the mechanical locking device comprises a second space extending in the junction plane from the first and the second contact surfaces and to an opening of the edge groove.

8. The set of panels as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the first and the second contact surfaces are engaged over a first width, in a direction from an inner corner to the outer corner of the first and the second panel, wherein said first width is in the range of about 5% to about 40% of an edge width of the first and/or second edge surface.

9. The set of panels as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the first edge surface and/or the second edge surface comprises a recess extending from the first contact surface and the second contact surface, respectively, to the edge tongue and the edge groove, respectively.

10. The set of panels as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the mechanical locking device comprises a third contact surface at the first edge and a fourth contact surface at the second edge, the third and the fourth contact surface are at an inner corner, in a locked position of the first and the second panel, and in the junction plane, and are configured to engage.

11. The set of panels as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the third and the fourth contact surfaces are engaged over a second width, in a direction from an inner corner to the outer corner of the first and the second panel, wherein said second width is in the range of about 2% to about 20% of an edge width of the first and/or second edge surface.

12. The set of panels as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first panel comprises an inner half and an outer half in a direction of a thickness of the first panel, wherein the entire edge tongue is at the inner half of the first panel.

13. The set of panels as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the edge tongue includes an outermost surface which is closest to, and spaced from, an innermost surface of the edge groove when the first and second edges are locked together.

Assignees

• Vaelinge Innovation Ab
• Valinge Innovation Ab

Inventors

• Derelöv Peter
• Boo Christian

Classifications

• F16B12/125

  using mortise and tenon joints · CPC title

• F16B12/46

  Non-metal corner connections · CPC title

• F16B12/26

  using snap-action elements · CPC title

• A47B88/941

  Drawers being constructed from two or more parts · CPC title

• A47B2088/902

  Corner connectors for drawers · CPC title