Device for connecting and locking two building boards, in particular flooring panels
View Patent ↗The invention relates to a device for connecting and locking two building boards, in particular floor panels, on their longitudinal sides and/or transverse sides in the horizontal and vertical direction through an essentially vertical joining movement. The building boards have a top side and an underside. On their lateral edges (I, II) to be connected to one another are provided with profiles corresponding to one another, and a locking element is provided in the profile of the first building board, which locking element has an inner end and an outer end and is inserted with the inner end in a groove of the first building board, and which interacts with a locking depression provided in the profile of the second building board such that the two building boards are automatically locked in the vertical direction with the joining movement. The locking element is embodied in a foldable manner at a point distant from its outer end to form a locking finger, and is embodied in a foldable manner at a point distant from its inner end to form a closure. On the lateral edge (I) of the first building board between the top side and the groove a projection springing out outwards is provided. At the end of the joining movement the locking element is folded at both points and the locking finger with the outer end engages on the underside of the projection on the first building board and with its other end engages in the locking depression of the second building board. The closure thereby bears against the locking surface of the locking depression, whereby both building boards are locked in the vertical direction.
1. Building boards with a locking element, wherein the locking element comprises: an essentially L-shaped element having a short leg and a long leg, a first foldover point is provided between the short leg and the long leg such that the short leg and the long leg are foldable towards each other, a second foldover point is provided along the long leg such that an upper portion of the long leg and a lower portion of the long leg is foldable with respect to one another and the upper portion is foldable towards the short leg.
2. The building boards with the locking element according to claim 1 , wherein the essentially L-shaped element is metal.
3. The building boards with the locking element according to claim 1 , wherein the essentially L-shaped element is plastic.
4. The building boards with the locking element according to claim 1 , wherein the lower portion of the long leg is positioned between the upper portion of the long leg and the short leg.
5. The building boards with the locking element according to claim 1 , wherein the upper portion of the long leg is a locking finger.
6. The building boards with the locking element according to claim 1 , wherein the locking element is foldable at the first foldover and the second foldover to form a locking finger starting from an outer end of the long leg to the first foldover and a closure is formed from the first foldover up to the second foldover.
7. The building boards with the locking element according to claim 6 , wherein a first of the building boards comprises a horizontal groove extending in a core and a projection embodied in a lateral edge such that the short end engages in the horizontal groove and the long end bears with its outer end against the projection springing outwards from the lateral edge.
8. The building boards with the locking element according to claim 7 , wherein a second of the building boards comprises a groove extending in a core in a lateral edge of the second building board such that a foldover point of the second foldover engages in the groove of the second building board.
9. A device for connecting and locking two building boards on their longitudinal sides and/or transverse sides in a horizontal and vertical direction through an essentially vertical joining movement, the building boards comprise a top side and an underside, on their lateral edges (I, II) to be connected to one another are provided with profiles corresponding to one another, and wherein the device comprises: a locking element provided in the profile of the lateral edge (I) of the first building board, the locking element has an inner end and an outer end and is inserted with the inner end in a groove of the first building board, and interacts with a locking depression provided in the profile of the lateral edge (II) of the second building board such that the building boards are automatically locked in the vertical direction with the joining movement, wherein the locking element is embodied in a foldable manner at a point distant from the outer end to form a locking finger, and in a foldable manner at a point distant from the inner end to form a closure, a projection springing out outwards is provided on the lateral edge (I) of the first building board between the top side and the groove, at an end of the joining movement the locking element is folded at both points and the locking finger with the outer end engages on an underside of the projection on the first building board and with an other end engages in the locking depression of the second building board and the closure thereby bears against the locking surface of the locking depression, whereby both of the building boards are locked in the vertical direction.
10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the locking element is embodied in cross section in an essentially L-shaped manner.
11. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the outer end is prestressed with respect to the inner end and the locking finger bears against the projection of the first building board before the joining movement.
12. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the locking element comprises plastic.
13. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the locking element comprises metal.
14. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the inner end is clamped in the groove.
15. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the inner end is adhered in the groove.
16. The building boards with the locking element according to claim 9 , wherein the other end is at the point that is distant from the inner end.