DEVICE AND METHOD FOR LOCKING TWO BUILDING BOARDS

Abstract

A device for locking two building boards comprises a tongue element inserted into a groove a first building board. The tongue element comprises a spring having a plurality of wave arches. A groove is provided in a core of a second building board and corresponds to the groove of the first building board, such that when the groove of the first and second building boards overlap during a connection of the first and second building boards, by a vertical lowering movement, the first and second building boards are locked in a direction parallel to the visible side by the tongue element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is further described in the detailed description which follows, in reference to the noted plurality of drawings by way of nonlimiting examples of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, in which like reference numerals represent similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings, and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a partial side view of two building boards to be connected in a first position, in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a partial side view of two building boards to be connected in a second position, in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a partial side view of two building boards to be connected in a third position, in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 4 shows a partial side view of two building boards connected to one another and locked in two directions, in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 5 a shows a plan view of a building board in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 5 b shows a plan view of a building board in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a partially laid board, in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment in accordance with the invention.

Claims

1. A device for locking two building boards connected to one another in a direction perpendicular to a visible side, comprising: a tongue element inserted into a groove provided in a core of a first building board, the tongue element running parallel to the visible side and comprising a spring having a plurality of wave arches;a groove provided in a core of a second building board and running parallel to the visible side, wherein the groove of the first and second building boards are configured such that when the groove of the first and second building boards overlap during a connection of the first and second building boards, by a vertical lowering movement, the first and second building boards are locked in a direction parallel to the visible side;a lower lip having an outer projection projects upwards on a lateral edge of the first building board and projects laterally over the lateral edge; anda recess on an opposite lateral edge facing towards an underside of the second building board, the recess being embodied to correspond to the outer projection.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the tongue element has essentially a same length as the groove of the first building board.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the spring is blocked in the groove of the first building board on one end.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the spring is blocked by gluing.

5. The device according to claim 3, wherein the spring is blocked by angling an end of the spring into a base of the groove of the first building board.

6. The device according to claim 3, wherein the spring is blocked by inserting it into a bore provided in a base of the groove of the first building board.

7. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a wall sloping inwards under the groove of the second building board.

8. The device according to claim 7, further comprising a transition wall in a first area under the groove of the second building board, the transition wall in the first area being configured to spring back parallel to a wall above the groove of the second building board.

9. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a lower wall of the groove of the second building board which runs tilted at an angle α towards a visible side.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the angle α lies in a range of about 2° to 5°.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein the angle α is about 3°.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the spring is steel.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second building boards are floor panels with the core comprising wood material or wood material/plastic mixture.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the spring is bent in a sinusoidal manner.

15. The device according to claim 1, wherein the tongue element is configured to automatically snap into the groove provided in the core of the second building board by the vertical lowering movement.

16. A device for locking two building boards, comprising: a tongue element inserted into a groove a first building board, the tongue element comprising a spring having a plurality of wave arches; anda groove provided in a core of a second building board and corresponding to the groove of the first building board, such that when the groove of the first and second building boards overlap during a connection of the first and second building boards, by a vertical lowering movement of the second building board, the first and second building boards are locked in a direction parallel to the visible side by the tongue element.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the spring is bent in a sinusoidal manner.

18. The device according to claim 16, wherein the groove of the first building board has a depth greater than the groove of the second building board.

19. The device according to claim 16, wherein the wave arches are configured to become flatter in shape causing an increase in length of each arch when the first and second building boards are locked together.

20. The device according to claim 16, wherein the tongue element is blocked at one end of the groove of the first building board.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein the tongue element is blocked by one of gluing, angling of an end and driving into a base of the groove of the first building board and inserting in a bore provided in the base.

22. The device according to claim 16, wherein the tongue element lies alternately with a wave trough against a base of the groove of the first building board and snaps into the groove of the second building board with a wave peak.

23. The device according to claim 16, wherein a lower wall of the groove of the second building board slopes at an angle α of about 3° towards a visible side.

24. A method of connecting panels at least at a transverse side thereof, comprising: connecting a first panel in a subsequent row to two panels already laid and lowered in a previous row, on its longitudinal side, by inserting a tongue or groove profile with a groove or tongue profile, respectively, of the two panels already laid and lowered, the first panel of the subsequent row has a bent tongue element in its groove;connecting a second panel in the subsequent row on its longitudinal side by inserting its tongue or groove profile into the groove or tongue profile, respectively, of a second of the two panels in the previous row, while the second panel in the subsequent row remains at an angle with respect to the two panels;pushing the second panel of the subsequent row in a longitudinal direction of the first panel until its transverse side is into contact with a lateral edge of the first panel of the subsequent row, which is already laid;angling the second panel in the subsequent row vertically downward whereby an underside of the second panel in the subsequent row comes into contact with the tongue element and, upon further lowering of the second panel in the subsequent row, the tongue element is pushed into a groove of the panel in the subsequent row; andfurther lowering the second panel in the subsequent row such that tongue element strikes against an area running vertically in the second panel of the subsequent row such that a wave arch of the tongue element is completely inserted into the groove of the second panel which extends the tongue element in the longitudinal direction.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the tongue element is attached with its end in the groove of the first panel in the subsequent row and the tongue element extends only in one direction.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the tongue element extends in a direction in which the first and second panels of the subsequent row are not yet fully connected to one another.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein the further lowering of the second panel of the subsequent row causes an underside or walls to come into contact with a next arch of the tongue element, whereby a first arch at first remains flattened, since a springing out is prevented due to a tilted position of the second panel of the subsequent row.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein next arches are pushed into the groove of the first panel of the subsequent row when the second panel of the subsequent row is moved downwards.

29. The method according to claim 24, wherein, upon completion of the angling, the groove of the second panel in the subsequent row pivots into a plane of the tongue element or completely overlaps the groove of the first panel of the subsequent row such that arches of the tongue element are no longer blocked by a wall and springs out into the groove of the second panel of the subsequent row.

30. The method according to claim 29, wherein the spring out results in a shortening of the tongue element, which then adopts its original shape.

31. The method according to claim 24, wherein a top side of the second panel of the subsequent row has an angle of approximately 20° with respect to top sides of the two panels in the previous row, prior to the angling.

32. The method according to claim 24, wherein a projection of the first panel in the subsequent row is inserted into a recess on an underside of the second panel in the subsequent row.