Panel with complimentary locking elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10876301-B2
Application number	US-201916249418-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2019
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A panel having at least one pair of complementary locking elements at mutually opposite panel edges, wherein the locking elements are in the form of positively locking holding profiles with a locking groove and with a complementary locking tongue respectively, wherein at least at the edge of one of the holding profiles the panel surface has an edge break portion, with the proviso that that holding profile which is provided with the edge break portion is provided with an upper contact surface beneath the edge break portion and the complementary holding profile is provided with a complementary upper contact surface which is arranged substantially parallel thereto, and wherein a butt joint can be produced by the two contact surfaces in contact with each other, wherein the butt joint is inclined relative to the panel surface and for that purpose one of the contact surfaces is associated with a tongue and is inclined downwardly in the direction of the free end of the tongue in question and the complementary upper contact surface is associated with a groove and is inclined downwardly in the direction of the bottom of the groove in question.

First claim

We claim:

1. A panel comprising at least one pair of complementary locking means at mutually opposite panel edges, wherein the locking means are in the form of positively locking holding profiles with a locking groove and with a complementary locking tongue respectively, wherein at least at the edge of one of the holding profiles a surface of the panel has an edge break portion, with the proviso that that holding profile which is provided with the edge break portion is provided with an upper contact surface beneath the edge break portion and the complementary holding profile is provided with a complementary upper contact surface which is arranged substantially parallel thereto, and wherein a butt joint can be produced by the two contact surfaces in contact with each other, wherein the butt joint is inclined relative to the panel surface and for that purpose one of the contact surfaces is associated with the tongue and is inclined downwardly in a direction of a free end of the tongue in question and the complementary upper contact surface is associated with the groove and is inclined downwardly in a direction of a bottom of the groove in question, wherein the complementary holding profiles are so designed that they can be positively lockingly connected by a pivotal movement, wherein a closed butt joint can be produced at the panel surface of two connected panel edges, with the proviso that a first range end of a scope for movement is defined by the two contact surfaces in contact with each other, and more specifically for a movement of the panel edges relative to each other and in a direction of movement which is both perpendicular to the positively lockingly connected panel edges and also parallel to the plane of the connected panels, wherein each of the holding profiles has a respective lower abutment surface which are then spaced from each other at the maximum when the upper contact surfaces are in contact with each other and the butt joint is closed, wherein the maximum spacing between the lower abutment surfaces measures the size of the scope for movement and wherein the lower abutment surfaces when they are in contact with each other define a second range end of the scope for movement in which second range end the butt joint is open and there is a spacing between the upper contact surfaces so that one of the upper contact surfaces is movable vertically relative to the other upper contact surface, wherein the lower abutment surfaces overlap one another and extend in a vertical direction so that the lower abutment surfaces maintain an overlapping area contact with each other at the second range end over an entire range of vertical movement of the one upper contact surface relative to the other upper contact surface.

2. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the edge break portion is in the form of a chamfer, the chamfer is inclined downwardly towards the free end of the locking tongue and the upper contact surface of said holding profile is also inclined downwardly towards the free end of the locking tongue, wherein an angle of inclination of the upper contact surface is less than or equal to an angle of inclination of the chamfer.

3. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein a tongue top side of the locking tongue is inclined in relation to the panel surface and the tongue top side and the upper contact surface are integrated to constitute a common surface, that the locking groove at the inside of its upper groove wall is also inclined in relation to the panel surface and that the inclination thereof is matched to the inclination of the upper contact surface of the locking tongue.

4. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the locking groove has a lower groove wall with a free end at which there is provided a holding edge directed towards the panel surface, the lower abutment surface of the locking groove is arranged at the holding edge of the lower groove wall and the lower abutment surface faces inwardly towards the bottom of the locking groove.

5. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein of the lower abutment surfaces at least the lower abutment surface of the locking groove is arranged perpendicularly in relation to the panel surface.

6. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein a tongue underside of the locking tongue has a lower contacting surface and a lower groove wall of the locking groove is provided with a support surface for the lower contacting surface of the locking tongue, wherein the lower contacting surface of the locking tongue is arranged parallel to the panel surface and the support surface also extends parallel to the panel surface.

7. The panel according to claim 6 , wherein the tongue underside of the locking tongue has a rising region at least at one end of the lower contacting surface.

8. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the holding profile with the locking tongue has a closure groove above the locking tongue and the complementary holding profile with the locking groove with its free end of the upper groove wall forms a closure tongue which can be Inserted into the closure groove.

9. The panel according to claim 8 , wherein the upper contact surface of that panel edge which is provided with the closure tongue is arranged at the tongue top side of the closure tongue and the upper contact surface of that panel edge which is provided with the closure groove is arranged at the upper groove wall of the closure groove.

10. The panel according to claim 1 , wherein the edge break portion is in the form of a chamfer, the chamfer is inclined downwardly towards the free end of the locking tongue and the upper contact surface of said holding profile is also inclined downwardly towards the free end of the locking tongue, wherein an angle of inclination of the upper contact surface is larger than the an angle of inclination of the chamfer.

Assignees

• Akzenta Paneele Profile Gmbh

Inventors

• Hannig Hans-Jürgen
• Schäfers Erich

Classifications

• F16B5/008

  by a rotating or sliding and rotating movement · CPC title

• E04F15/02038 Primary

  characterised by tongue and groove connections between neighbouring flooring elements · CPC title

• E04F15/102

  of fibrous or chipped materials, e.g. bonded with synthetic resins · CPC title

• E04C2/38

  with attached ribs, flanges, or the like, e.g. framed panels (concerned with attaching to other panels or elements to form a structure, see the places for the relevant structure, e.g. E04B2/00) · CPC title

• E04F13/0894

  with tongue and groove connections · CPC title