Device for connecting and holding up floorboards

Abstract

A device provides for connecting and holding up two adjacent pieces of floorboard each including on its underside, two longitudinal grooves, two transverse grooves across the longitudinal grooves and two L-shaped longitudinal recesses along both sides. The device comprises two identical sections each including a plurality of longitudinal and transverse troughs at its underside and a plurality of longitudinal and transverse latched elements at its upper side. The latched elements of one section are snapped into the grooves and recesses of both pieces of floorboard and the latched elements of the other section are snapped into the troughs of one section respectively. Thus, the invention can connect a plurality of pieces of floorboard together.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A device for connecting and holding up two adjacent rectangular or square pieces of floorboard each including on its underside, two longitudinal grooves, two transverse grooves across the longitudinal grooves and two L-shaped longitudinal recesses along both sides, the device comprising two identical rectangular or square first and second sections each including at its underside, two first longitudinal troughs adjacent both sides, a second longitudinal trough at the center, and a cross-shaped trough between and in communication with one of the first longitudinal troughs and the second longitudinal trough; and at its upper side, two pairs of first longitudinal latched elements adjacent the sides, two second longitudinal latched elements at the center, and a pair of transverse latched elements interconnected one pair of first longitudinal latched elements and one of the second longitudinal latched elements; wherein one pair of the first longitudinal latched elements of the first section are aligned with one longitudinal groove of one piece of floorboard, the pair of transverse latched elements are aligned with one of the transverse grooves, the second longitudinal latched elements are aligned with the adjacent L-shaped longitudinal recesses of both pieces of floorboard, and the other pair of the first longitudinal latched elements of the first section are aligned with the other longitudinal groove of the other piece of floorboard respectively prior to snapping the same for fastening; and in response, one pair of the first longitudinal latched elements, the pair of transverse latched elements, the second longitudinal latched elements, and the other pair of the first longitudinal latched elements of the second section are aligned with one of the first longitudinal troughs, a transverse trough of the cross-shaped trough, the second longitudinal trough, and the other second longitudinal trough of the first section respectively prior to snapping the same for fastening.  
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the sections further comprises a second cross-shaped trough between and in communication with the other first longitudinal trough and the second longitudinal trough and a second pair of transverse latched elements interconnected the other pair of first longitudinal latched elements and the other second latched element, the second pair of transverse latched elements of the first section being snapped into the transverse groove of the other piece of floorboard, and the second pair of transverse latched elements of the second section being snapped into the a transverse trough of the second cross-shaped trough of the first section.