Building panel with a mechanical locking system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11987992-B2
Application number	US-202217697334-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2022
Priority date	Mar 19, 2021
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

A set of panels each including a main surface, a first edge, an opposite second edge, a third edge which is adjacent to the first edge and a fourth edge which is opposite to the third edge. The set includes a mechanical locking device which is configured to lock the first edge to the second edge. The locking device includes a flexible tongue. The flexible tongue includes a central part configured to cooperate with a tongue groove for locking. A first edge part and the tongue groove are configured such that when in the locked position a force P′ is applied adjacent the first edge and the third edge of the first panel and another force P is applied adjacent the second edge and the third edge of the second panel, the first edge part is pushed towards a bottom surface of an insertion groove which allows a disassembling.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A set of panels, which comprises a first panel and a second panel each comprising a main surface, a first edge, an opposite second edge, a third edge which is adjacent and optionally perpendicular to the first edge, and a fourth edge which is opposite to the third edge, wherein the set comprises a mechanical locking device which is configured to lock the first edge of the first panel to the second edge of the second panel at a joint seam, wherein the locking device comprises a flexible tongue, which is positioned in an insertion groove at the first edge of the first panel and a tongue groove at the second edge of the second panel, wherein the flexible tongue is of an elongated shape and the length direction is parallel to the first edge, wherein the flexible tongue comprises a central part between a first edge part and a second edge part of the flexible tongue, wherein the central part is configured to cooperate with the tongue groove for locking of the first and the second edge in a first direction which is perpendicular to the main surface in a locked position of the first panel and the second panel,
wherein the first edge part and the tongue groove are configured such that when in the locked position a force is applied adjacent the first edge and the third edge of the first panel and another force is applied adjacent the second edge and the third edge of the second panel, the first edge part is pushed towards a bottom surface of the insertion groove which allows a disassembling of the second panel from the first panel by displacing the third edge of the second panel relative the third edge of the first panel.

2. The set as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mechanical locking is configured such that the when the third edge of the second panel is displaced relative the third edge of the first panel the central part is pushed towards the bottom surface of the insertion groove such that the mechanical locking device is unlocked.

3. The set as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first panel and the second panel are essentially identical.

4. The set as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the force and the another force are applied in a direction which is opposite to the first direction.

5. The set as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the force is applied at a distance from the joint seam and at a distance from an upper and outermost part of the third edge of the first panel.

6. The set as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the another force is applied at a distance from the joint seam and at a distance from an upper and outermost part of the third edge of the second panel.

7. The set as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first panel is configured to bend around an axis which is parallel to an outermost part of the first edge of the first panel when the force is applied and/or the second panel is configured to bend around an axis which is parallel to an outermost part of the first edge of the second when the another force is applied.

8. The set as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first edge part comprises at a first tongue edge a flexible part and a recess, wherein the flexible part is configured to be displaced towards a bottom surface of the recess during assembling and disassembling of the first and the second panel to bias the flexible tongue in an insertion direction from the insertion groove toward the tongue groove, wherein the first edge part comprises a curved surface at a second tongue edge, which is opposite to the first tongue edge in the insertion direction, wherein an axis of the curved surface is essentially perpendicular to an upper surface of the first edge part, wherein the curved surface extends at least partly over the recess.

9. The set as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the curved surface has in an unlocked position a first length in a length direction of the flexible tongue and when the force and the another force is applied a second length in a length direction of the flexible tongue, wherein the second length is greater than first length.

10. The set as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the curved surface in the locked position is configured to be pushed by the flexible part towards the tongue groove.

11. The set as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the first edge part comprises a protruding part adjacent the curved surface.

12. The set as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the first edge part comprises, at the first tongue edge, a guiding surface which is configured to cooperate with the tongue groove when the force and the another force are applied such that the second tongue edge is displaced toward the insertion groove.

13. The set as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the flexible tongue is configured to bend in the length direction when the second tongue edge is displaced towards the insertion groove such that a bent tongue part is obtained with a bent outer edge configured as a guiding surface which cooperates with the tongue groove and/or an edge surface of the second panel such that the central part is pushed towards the bottom surface of the insertion groove and the mechanical locking device is unlocked.

14. The set as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the central part comprises at a first tongue edge a flexible part and a recess, wherein the flexible part is configured to be displaced towards a bottom surface of the recess during assembling and disassembling of the first and the second panel, wherein a first central part comprises at a second tongue edge, which is opposite to the first tongue edge, an essentially straight surface, wherein the second tongue edge is configured to cooperate with the tongue groove for the locking of the first and the second edge in the first direction.

15. The set as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the second tongue edge, at the central part, comprises a locking edge which is configured to cooperate with a locking surface of the tongue groove for the locking of the first and the second edge in the first direction.

16. The set as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the second tongue edge at the central part, comprises a locking recess adjacent the locking edge.

17. The set as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the locking recess comprises a first recess surface adjacent the locking edge and a second recess surface, wherein the first recess surface extends at an acute angle to a centreline of the flexible tongue.

18. The set as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first panel is configured to bend around an axis which is parallel to an outermost part of the third edge of the second panel when the third edge of the second panel is displaced relative the third edge of the first panel.

19. A flexible tongue which is configured to lock a first edge of a first panel to a second edge of a second panel wherein the flexible tongue is configured to be positioned in an insertion groove at the first edge of the first panel and to cooperate with a tongue groove at the second edge of the second panel, wherein the flexible tongue is of an elongated shape and the length direction is parallel to the first edge, wherein the flexible tongue comprises a central part between a first edge part and a second edge part of the flexible tongue, wherein the central part is configured to cooperate with the tongue groove for the locking of the first and the second edge, wherein the first edge part comprises at a first tongue edge a flexible part and a recess, wherein the flexible part is configured to be displaced towards a bottom surface of the recess during assembling and disassembling of the first and the second panel to bias the flexible tongue in an insertion directi

Assignees

• Vaelinge Innovation Ab

Inventors

• Boo Fredrik
• Nilsson Anders
• Quist Karl

Classifications

• E04F15/02038 Primary

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

• E04F13/0894 Primary

  with tongue and groove connections · CPC title

• E04F2201/0146

  with snap action of the edge connectors · CPC title

• E04F2201/023

  with a continuous tongue or groove · CPC title

• E04F2201/042

  with grooves positioned on the rear-side of the panel · CPC title