MY144838A - Panel and floor covering - Google Patents

Abstract

THE INVENTION RELATES TO A PANEL (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) WITH A WEARING SURFACE (N) AND WITH FOUR EDGES (2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 4D, 5A, 5C), OF WHICH OPPOSITE EDGE PAIRS DISPLAY CORRESPONDING RETAINING PROFILES, SUCH THAT SIMILAR PANELS (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) CAN BE CONNECTED AT ALL FOUR EDGES (2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 4D, 5A, 5C), WHERE THE RETAINING PROFILES OF A FIRST EDGE PAIR CAN BE CONNECTED BY ANGLING-IN, AND WHERE THE RETAINING PROFILES OF A SECOND EDGE PAIR ARE DESIGNED AS COMPLEMENTARY HOOK ELEMENTS (6A, 7A), SUCH THAT A SIMILAR ADJACENT PANEL (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) CAN BE CONNECTED AT EACH OF THE HOOK ELEMENTS (6A, 7A), ESSENTIALLY BY MEANS OF A JOINING MOVEMENT PERFORMED IN A PLANE OF MOTION PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANE OF THE PANEL (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7), WITH THE PROVISO THAT AT LEAST ONE OF THE HOOK ELEMENTS (6A, 7A) OF THE SECOND EDGE PAIR IS PROVIDED WITH A SEPARATE VERTICAL LOCKING ELEMENT (8) THAT AT LEAST PARTLY PROJECTS INTO THE JOINING PATH (M) OF THE HOOK ELEMENTS (6A, 7A), WHERE THE VERTICAL LOCKING ELEMENT (8) CAN BE AUTOMATICALLY MOVED OUT OF THE JOINING PATH (M) DURING THE JOINING MOVEMENT OF THE HOOK ELEMENTS (6A, 7A) OF TWO PANELS (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) IN ORDER TO CLEAR IT, AND AUTOMATICALLY MOVED BACK INTO THE JOINING PATH (M) BY SPRING ACTION IN HOOKED STATE OF THE HOOK ELEMENTS (6A, 7A), WHERE THE VERTICAL LOCKING ELEMENT (8) CONSISTS OF PLASTIC, WHERE THE COMPLEMENTARY HOOK ELEMENTS (6A, 7A) ARE DESIGNED IN SUCH A WAY THAT, WHEN TWO PANELS (1, 2, 3, 4,5,6, 7) ARE CONNECTED, THE PANELS (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) CAN BE RELEASED FROM THEIR HOOKED AND VERTICALLY LOCKED STATE, WHERE AT LEAST ONE PANEL (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) CAN BE SWUNG, ABOUT AN AXIS LYING IN THE AREA OF THE HOOKED EDGES, IN A DIRECTION IN WHICH AN UNLOCKING POSITION CAN BE REACHED, AND WHERE, IN THE UNLOCKING POSITION, THE WEARING SURFACES (N) OF THE PANELS (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) ASSUME AN ANGLE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER THAT IS LESS THAN 1800.