Building panel and locking devices therefore

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12077967-B2
Application number	US-202217709930-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2022
Priority date	Apr 1, 2021
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

A building panel, such as a floor panel or wall panel, has a first mechanical locking device at a respective first edge 11 and an opposite second edge, such as long edges, for horizontal and vertical locking of similar or essentially identical building panels in an assembled position. The building panel further has a second mechanical locking device at a respective third edge and an opposite fourth edge for horizontal and vertical locking of similar building panels or essentially identical building panels in an assembled position. The first mechanical locking device includes, at the first edge, a tongue groove 111 configured to receive a first locking tongue at the second edge.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A building panel or a set of such building panels, comprising:
a front surface and a back surface each extending between a first edge and an opposite second edge, and between a third edge and an opposite fourth edge, wherein the back surface is parallel and spaced apart to the front surface in a direction perpendicular to the front surface;
a first mechanical locking device arranged at the respective first edge and the opposite second edge for locking of similar or essentially identical building panels in directions parallel and perpendicular to the front surface in an assembled position;
a second mechanical locking device arranged at the respective third edge and the opposite fourth edge for locking of similar building panels or essentially identical building panels in directions parallel to the front surface in an assembled position,
wherein the first mechanical locking device comprises, at the second edge, a locking tongue configured to cooperate with a tongue groove of a first mechanical locking device of an adjacent building panel, arranged at the first edge of said adjacent building panel for locking said building panels in at least a direction perpendicular to the front surface in an assembled position,
wherein the second mechanical locking device comprises, at the third edge, a locking strip comprising a locking element configured to cooperate with a locking groove of a second mechanical locking device of an adjacent building panel, arranged at the fourth edge of said adjacent building panel for locking said building panels in at least a direction parallel to the front surface in an assembled position, wherein the locking element of the locking strip of the second mechanical locking device protrudes upward from an upper surface of the locking strip of the second mechanical locking device,
wherein said locking tongue of said first mechanical locking device comprises a lowermost surface configured to cooperate with an upper surface of a locking strip of the first mechanical locking device of the adjacent building panel, arranged at the first edge of said adjacent building panel, in an assembled position,
wherein, directly adjacent to said locking tongue, said second edge comprises a groove extending higher than the lowermost surface of said locking tongue and configured to receive an upwardly projecting locking element of the locking strip of the first mechanical locking device of the adjacent building panel, in the assembled position, and
wherein a plane extending parallel with the front surface and through the lowermost surface of the locking tongue of said first mechanical locking device extends through the locking strip of said second mechanical locking device below a lowermost upper point of the locking strip of the second mechanical locking device, the lowermost upper point being a lowermost point of the upper surface of the locking strip of the second mechanical locking device along an entire surface area of the locking strip of the second mechanical locking device.

2. The building panel according to claim 1 , wherein the plane extends between the upper surface and a lower surface of the locking strip of said second mechanical locking device.

3. The building panel according to claim 1 , wherein a lowermost point of the upper surface of the locking strip of said second mechanical locking device is arranged above the plane in a direction perpendicular to the front surface.

4. The building panel according to claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the locking strip of the second mechanical locking device is configured to cooperate with a lowermost surface of a lower edge portion of a second mechanical locking device of an adjacent building panel, arranged at the fourth edge of said adjacent building panel for locking said building panels in at least a direction parallel to the front surface in an assembled position.

5. The building panel according to claim 1 , wherein the locking tongue of the first mechanical locking device comprises a surface portion at least partly sloping towards the back surface of the building panel, wherein the surface portion extends from an outermost surface of the locking tongue to the lower surface of the locking tongue.

6. The building panel according to claim 5 , wherein the surface portion comprises at least two sloping surface sections sloping towards the back surface of the building panel and in towards the building panel.

7. The building panel according to claim 6 , wherein, the sloping surface section ending at the lower surface of the locking tongue is configured to start above a plane, defined by the uppermost portion of the locking element of the locking strip of the first mechanical locking device.

8. A set of building panels according to claim 1 .

9. The building panel according to claim 1 , wherein the locking tongue of the first mechanical locking device is formed as a single piece with other portions of the second edge.

10. A building panel or a set of such building panels, comprising:
a front surface and a back surface each extending between a first edge and an opposite second edge, and between a third edge and an opposite fourth edge, wherein the back surface is parallel and spaced apart to the front surface in a direction perpendicular to the front surface;
a first mechanical locking device arranged at the respective first edge and the opposite second edge for locking of similar or essentially identical building panels in directions parallel and perpendicular to the front surface in an assembled position;
a second mechanical locking device arranged at the respective third edge and the opposite fourth edge for locking of similar building panels or essentially identical building panels in directions parallel to the front surface in an assembled position,
wherein the first mechanical locking device comprises, at the second edge, a locking tongue configured to cooperate with a tongue groove of a first mechanical locking device of an adjacent building panel, arranged at the first edge of said adjacent building panel for locking said building panels in at least a direction perpendicular to the front surface in an assembled position,
wherein the second mechanical locking device comprises, at the third edge, a locking strip comprising a locking element configured to cooperate with a locking groove of a second mechanical locking device of an adjacent building panel, arranged at the fourth edge of said adjacent building panel for locking said building panels in at least a direction parallel to the front surface in an assembled position,
wherein said locking tongue of said first mechanical locking device comprises a lowermost surface configured to cooperate with an upper surface of a locking strip of the first mechanical locking device of the adjacent building panel, arranged at the first edge of said adjacent building panel, in an assembled position,
wherein a plane extending parallel with the front surface and through the lowermost surface of the locking tongue of said first mechanical locking device extends through the locking strip of the second mechanical locking device, and
wherein the second mechanical locking device further comprises, at the third edge, an insertion groove configured to cooperate with a displaceable locking tongue and a wedge groove of a second mechanical locking device of an adjacent building panel, arranged at the fourth edge of said adjacent building panel for locking said building panels in at least a direction perpendicular to the front surface in an assembled position.

11. The building panel according to claim 10 , wherein the insertion groove is formed to slope towards the back surface of the

Assignees

• Vaelinge Innovation Ab

Inventors

• Boo Christian

Classifications

• E04F2201/0115

  with snap action of the edge connectors · CPC title

• E04F2201/023

  with a continuous tongue or groove · CPC title

• E04F2201/0161

  with snap action of the edge connectors · CPC title

• E04F2201/0146

  with snap action of the edge connectors · CPC title

• E04F2201/026

  with rabbets, e.g. being stepped · CPC title