Building panel with a mechanical locking system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12312816-B2
Application number	US-202318222449-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2023
Priority date	Jun 27, 2013
Publication date	May 27, 2025
Grant date	May 27, 2025

Abstract

A set of essentially identical panels, such as building panels, provided with a mechanical locking system including a displaceable tongue, which is arranged in a displacement groove with a first opening at a first edge of a first panel. The displaceable tongue is configured to cooperate with a first tongue groove, with a second opening at a second edge of an adjacent second panel, for vertical locking of the first and the second edge. The height of the first opening is greater than a second height of the second opening.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A set of panels, provided with a mechanical locking system comprising:
a displaceable tongue, which is arranged in a displacement groove at a first edge of a first panel,
a first tongue groove at a second edge of an adjacent second panel, the displaceable tongue being configured to cooperate with the first tongue groove for locking of the first and second edges in a vertical direction in a locked position,
wherein the displacement groove comprises a first opening and the first tongue groove comprises a second opening,
wherein at least a part of the displaceable tongue is configured to be pushed into the displacement groove during assembling of the first and second panels and spring back to a position in which an outer part of the displaceable tongue cooperate with the first tongue groove for the locking in the vertical direction in the locked position,
wherein the first opening and the second opening are horizontally open and a vertical height of the first opening is greater than a vertical height of the second opening,
wherein a longitudinal end and an opposite longitudinal end of the displaceable tongue each comprise a bevel, the bevel of the longitudinal end and the bevel of the opposite longitudinal end facing away from one another,
wherein the panels are floorboards, and
wherein an outer part of the displaceable tongue is provided with a recess which extends between the bevel at the longitudinal end of the displaceable tongue and the bevel at the opposite longitudinal end of the displaceable tongue.

2. The set as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an upper surface of the displaceable tongue is configured to be displaced along an upper wall of the displacement groove during assembling of the first and second panels,
wherein a lower surface of the displaceable tongue is configured to be displaced along a lower wall of the displacement groove during assembling of the first and second panels.

3. The set as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the recess comprises a first recess surface and a second recess surface, the first and second recess surfaces being arranged at an obtuse angle to each other.

4. The set as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first recess surface of the recess is configured to cooperate with the first tongue groove for locking in the vertical direction in the locked position.

5. The set as claimed in claim 3 , wherein an angle between an upper surface of the displaceable tongue and the first recess surface is in the range of about 5° to about 15°.

6. The set as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a maximum height of the displacement groove is greater than a maximum height of the first tongue groove.

7. The set as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the panels is in the range of about 3 mm to about 10 mm.

8. The set as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mechanical locking system comprises a first locking strip, at the first edge or the second edge, provided with a first locking element configured to cooperate for horizontal locking with a first locking groove at the other of the first or second edge.

9. The set as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the first locking strip is arranged at the first edge, and an outer and lower part of the displaceable tongue is provided with the recess.

10. The set as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the panels are rectangular and the mechanical locking system comprises a second locking strip, at a third or fourth edge, provided with a second locking element configured to cooperate for horizontal locking with a second locking groove at the other of the third or fourth edge of an adjacent third panel.

11. The set as claimed in claim 10 , wherein a first upper surface of the first locking strip is arranged in a same plane as a second upper surface of the second locking strip.

12. The set as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the mechanical locking system at the third and the fourth edge is configured to be assembled by an angling motion.

13. The set as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mechanical locking system at the first and second edges is configured to be assembled by a vertical motion.

14. The set as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the panels are floorboards comprising a wood fiber based core or a core comprising thermoplastic.

15. The set as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the displaceable tongue is arranged in the displacement groove so that the displaceable tongue slides along a lower surface of the displacement groove in a direction toward and away from the adjacent second panel during locking.

16. The set as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first tongue groove extends vertically higher than does the displacement groove in the locked position.

17. The set as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the displaceable tongue comprises at least two bendable parts.

18. The set as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the displaceable tongue comprises a respective groove at each of the bendable parts.

19. The set as claimed in claim 18 , wherein at least a part of the each of the bendable parts is configured to be pushed into the respective groove during assembling of the first and second panels.

Assignees

• Vaelinge Innovation Ab

Inventors

• Boo Christian

Classifications

• E04F2201/0535

  adapted for snap locking · CPC title

• E04F2201/044

  with tongues or grooves comprising elements which are not manufactured in one piece with the sheets, plates or panels but which are permanently fixedly connected to the sheets, plates or panels, e.g. at the factory · CPC title

• E04F2201/023

  with a continuous tongue or groove · CPC title

• E04F2201/0552

  adapted to be rotated around an axis parallel to the joint edge · CPC title

• E04F2201/0547

  adapted to be moved perpendicular to the joint edge · CPC title