US 12,129,660 B2
Panel comprising coupling parts
Jan De Rick, Geraardsbergen (BE)
Assigned to UNILIN BV, Wielsbeke (BE)
Appl. No. 17/778,960
Filed by FLOORING INDUSTRIES LIMITED, SARL, Bertrange (LU)
PCT Filed Nov. 4, 2020, PCT No. PCT/IB2020/060338
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 23, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/105798, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 3, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2019/5834 (BE), filed on Nov. 25, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0412101 A1, Dec. 29, 2022
Int. Cl. E04F 15/02 (2006.01); E04F 15/10 (2006.01)
CPC E04F 15/02038 (2013.01) [E04F 15/105 (2013.01); E04F 2201/0161 (2013.01); E04F 2201/025 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A panel which is rectangular and has a first pair of opposite edges and a second pair of opposite edges,
wherein the panel has a top surface,
wherein, on first and second edges of the first pair of opposite edges and first and second edges of the second pair of opposite edges, the panel comprises a coupling part which allows coupling of the panel to another such panel;
the coupling part on the first edge of the first pair of opposite edges has a tongue and a downwardly directed locking groove;
the coupling part on the second edge of the first pair of opposite edges comprises a groove and a locking lip;
wherein the locking lip delimits the groove along a bottom and wherein the locking lip comprises an upwardly directed locking element;
wherein the tongue is configured to cooperate with the groove on the second edge of the first pair of opposite edges of another such panel in order to achieve a vertical interlocking between the respective edges; and
wherein the downwardly directed locking groove is configured to cooperate with the upwardly directed locking element on the second edge of the first pair of opposite edges of another such panel in order to achieve a horizontal interlocking between the respective edges;
wherein the upwardly directed locking element of the locking lip has two oblique locking surfaces separated by a face which makes a smaller angle with the top surface of the panel than the two oblique locking surfaces;
in that the downwardly directed locking groove has two oblique locking surfaces separated by a face which makes a smaller angle with the top surface of the panel than the two oblique locking surfaces; and
in that the oblique locking surfaces of the downwardly directed locking groove are configured to form an interlocking in a horizontal direction together with the oblique locking surfaces of the upwardly directed locking element of the locking lip of another such panel;
wherein, in a coupled position of two such panels, the oblique locking surfaces of the locking lip press against the oblique locking surfaces of the downwardly directed locking groove as a result of a bending stress in the locking lip.