Mechanical locking system for building panels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10876562-B2
Application number	US-201515308872-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2015
Priority date	May 9, 2014
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

Panels are shown, which are provided with a mechanical locking system comprising a separate and flexible tongue allowing connection with a snap action. An outer edge part of the separate flexible tongue comprises a guiding protrusion that facilitates easy disassembly of the panels and that is deformed during locking and/or unlocking.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A set of panels comprising a first and a second panel, a panel edge of the second panel being insertable into a core groove of the first panel to obtain a mechanical connection between the first and the second panel, the panel edge being insertable into the core groove by an linear relative displacement of the first and second panel when the first and second panel are arranged perpendicularly to each other,
said panel edge comprising a separate and flexible tongue and said core groove comprising a tongue groove,
wherein the separate and flexible tongue is insertable into the tongue groove for connecting said panels to each other in a first direction, which is perpendicular to a main plane of the first panel,
wherein the panel edge of the second panel is configured to cooperate with the core groove of the first panel for connecting said panels to each other in a second direction, which is perpendicular to a main plane of the second panel,
wherein a longitudinal direction of the separate and flexible tongue extends parallel with said panel edge and/or core groove, and
wherein the separate and flexible tongue is arranged in an insertion groove, said separate and flexible tongue being displaceable inwardly towards a bottom of the insertion groove and outwardly into the tongue groove during a locking of the first and second panel,
wherein a corner of the core groove, where the core groove meets a surface of the first panel, is beveled and is configured to form an engagement portion of the core groove that engages with said separate and flexible tongue during locking of the first and second panel for displacing the separate and flexible tongue inwardly towards the bottom of the insertion groove,
wherein the second panel comprises an overlapping portion, wherein at least a portion of the beveled corner and at least a portion of the overlapping portion of the second panel are parallel.

2. The set of panels as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the engagement portion is provided in an upper part of the first panel, said upper part having a higher density than a center part of the first panel.

3. The set of panels as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the engagement portion is provided between a side wall of said core groove and a lower or upper side of the first panel.

4. The set of panels as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the second panel is smaller at the panel edge than in a visible part of the second panel which is visible in a locked position of the first and the second panel.

5. The set of panels as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a distance between a first edge side and a parallel second edge side of the panel edge is smaller than a distance between a first side and a parallel second side of the second panel, the first and second edge sides being located closer to a side edge of the second panel than the first and second sides, wherein the first side of the second panel completely covers the engagement portion when the second panel is inserted in the core groove of the first panel.

6. The set of panels as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the insertion groove is provided in said first edge side or in said second edge side of the panel edge.

7. The set of panels as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the tongue groove is provided in a side wall of the core groove.

8. The set of panels as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the tongue groove is provided in a left part of the first panel, which is located to the left of the core groove, the tongue groove comprising two parallel side walls and a bottom wall, and wherein a linear extension of the lower side wall is located at or above a right part of the first panel, which is located to the right of the core groove.

9. The set of panels as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the separate and flexible tongue comprises a chamfered portion which is configured to point downwards when the separate and flexible tongue is inserted into the insertion groove, said separate and flexible tongue being further configured to be partly inserted into the insertion groove and to be displaced into the insertion groove when the chamfered portion engages with the engagement portion during said linear relative displacement.

10. The set of panels as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the core groove comprises an inclined portion between the side wall and the bottom wall and between the side wall and the bottom wall.

11. The set of panels as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the panel edge comprises a bevel between a first edge side and a side edge of the second panel and a bevel between a second edge side and a side edge of the second panel.

12. The set of panels as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the separate and flexible tongue is configured to expand and to be displaced out from the insertion groove and into the tongue groove for obtaining a locking of the first and second panels in a direction which is perpendicular to the main plane of the first panel when side walls of the insertion groove are aligned with side walls of the tongue groove.

13. The set of panels as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the separate and flexible tongue comprises a guiding protrusion at a short edge of the separate and flexible tongue, the guiding protrusion being configured such that its shape changes during the locking and/or unlocking of the first and second panel, and the guiding protrusion being curve shaped and configured to guide a rod shaped tool into the tongue groove when the rod shaped tool is inserted into the insertion groove.

14. A set of panels comprising a first and a second panel, a panel edge of the second panel being insertable into a core groove of the first panel to obtain a mechanical connection between the first and the second panel, the panel edge being insertable into the core groove by an linear relative displacement of the first and second panel when the first and second panel are arranged perpendicularly to each other,
said panel edge comprising a separate and flexible tongue and said core groove comprising a tongue groove,
wherein the separate and flexible tongue is insertable into the tongue groove for connecting said panels to each other in a first direction, which is perpendicular to a main plane of the first panel,
wherein the panel edge of the second panel is configured to cooperate with the core groove of the first panel for connecting said panels to each other in a second direction, which is perpendicular to a main plane of the second panel,
wherein a longitudinal direction of the separate and flexible tongue extends parallel with said panel edge and/or core groove, and
wherein the separate and flexible tongue is arranged in an insertion groove, said separate and flexible tongue being displaceable inwardly towards a bottom of the insertion groove and outwardly into the tongue groove during a locking of the first and second panel,
wherein a corner of the core groove, where the core groove meets a surface of the first panel, is beveled or rounded off and is configured to form an engagement portion of the core groove that engages with said separate and flexible tongue during locking of the first and second panel for displacing the separate and flexible tongue inwardly towards the bottom of the insertion groove,
wherein the second panel comprises an overlapping portion, which is configured to engage with the engagement portion in a locked position of the first and second panel.

15. The set of panels as claimed in claim 14 , wherein said engagement portion is beveled.

16. The set of panels as claimed in claim 14 , wherein said engagement portion is rounded off.

Assignees

• Vaelinge Innovation Ab
• Valinge Innovation Ab

Inventors

• Pervan Darko

Classifications

• F16B2012/466

  using mortise and tenon joints · CPC title

• F16B12/46

  Non-metal corner connections · CPC title

• F16B12/125 Primary

  using mortise and tenon joints · CPC title

• A47B2013/022

  with detachable connection of a tubular leg · CPC title

• A47B47/042

  Panels connected without frames · CPC title