Locking mechanism for flooring boards

Abstract

A locking system for floor boards comprises a plurality of floor boards and a plurality of locking devices. Each floor board has two tongues on one lateral side and another tongue and a locking groove on the opposite lateral side. The floor board also has two grooves on its bottom side. The locking device has three protruding gripping extensions. Few locking devices are placed on each floor board before the floor boards are sent to a job site. At the job site, two adjacent floor boards are assembled together by inserting the tongue of one board into a space defined by the locking device and the tongues of the adjacent board. The tongues are further secured in place by compression of flexible buffers located at each protruding gripping extension.

1 . A floor board comprising:
 a top side;   a bottom side;   a first short side;   a second short side opposite of the first short side;   a first long side; and   a second long side opposite of the first long side, each long side having a length,   wherein the first long side having a first tongue and a second tongue along the length of the first long side, the first tongue being defined by a first upper abutment surface substantially parallel to the top side and a first lower abutment surface substantially parallel to the first upper abutment surface, the second tongue being defined by a second upper abutment surface substantially parallel to the top side and a second lower abutment surface substantially parallel to the second upper abutment surface, and   the second long side having a third tongue and a first locking groove along the length of the second long side, the third tongue being defined by a third upper abutment surface substantially parallel to the top side and a third lower abutment surface substantially parallel to the third upper abutment surface, the first locking groove being defined by a first upper groove surface substantially parallel to the top side and the third upper abutment surface.   
     
     
         2 . The floor board of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom side further comprises a second locking groove along the length of the first long side and a third locking groove along the length of the second long side. 
     
     
         3 . The floor board of  claim 1 , wherein the first tongue being covered by a coating. 
     
     
         4 . The floor board of  claim 3 , wherein the coating being made from rubber. 
     
     
         5 . The floor board of  claim 1 , wherein the first upper abutment surface being lower than the top side. 
     
     
         6 . The floor board of  claim 1 , wherein the third tongue having rounded corners. 
     
     
         7 . The floor board of  claim 1 , wherein the second tongue having rounded corners. 
     
     
         8 . A floor board comprising:
 a profile having a top side, a bottom side, a first long side, and a second long side opposite of the first long side, each long side having a length,   wherein the first long side having a first tongue and a second tongue along the length of the first long side and the second long side having a third tongue and a first locking groove along the length of the second long side.   
     
     
         9 . The floor board of  claim 8 , wherein the first tongue being defined by a first upper abutment surface substantially parallel to the top side and a first lower abutment surface substantially parallel to the first upper abutment surface. 
     
     
         10 . The floor board of  claim 9 , wherein the second tongue being defined by a second upper abutment surface substantially parallel to the top side and a second lower abutment surface substantially parallel to the second upper abutment surface. 
     
     
         11 . The floor board of  claim 10 , wherein the third tongue being defined by a third upper abutment surface substantially parallel to the top side and a third lower abutment surface substantially parallel to the third upper abutment surface, the first locking groove being defined by a first upper groove surface substantially parallel to the top side and the third upper abutment surface. 
     
     
         12 . The floor board of  claim 8 , wherein the distance between the top side and the bottom side defines a first thickness and the distance between the top side and the bottom of the third tongue defines a second thickness, the first thickness being larger than the second thickness. 
     
     
         13 . The floor board of  claim 8 , wherein the second tongue and the third tongue having rounded corners. 
     
     
         14 . A floor board comprising:
 a profile having a top side, a bottom side, a first long side, and a second long side opposite of the first long side, each long side having a length,   wherein the first long side having a first tongue and a second tongue along the length of the first long side and the second long side having a third tongue along the length of the second long side.   
     
     
         15 . The floor board of  claim 14 , wherein the first tongue being defined by a first upper abutment surface substantially parallel to the top side and a first lower abutment surface substantially parallel to the first upper abutment surface. 
     
     
         16 . The floor board of  claim 15 , wherein the second tongue being defined by a second upper abutment surface substantially parallel to the top side and a second lower abutment surface substantially parallel to the second upper abutment surface. 
     
     
         17 . The floor board of  claim 16 , wherein the third tongue being defined by a third upper abutment surface substantially parallel to the top side and a third lower abutment surface substantially parallel to the third upper abutment surface. 
     
     
         18 . The floor board of  claim 17 , further comprising a locking groove defined by a first upper groove surface substantially parallel to the top side and the third upper abutment surface. 
     
     
         19 . The floor board of  claim 14 , wherein the distance between the top side and the bottom side defines a first thickness and the distance between the top side and the bottom of the third tongue defines a second thickness, the first thickness being larger than the second thickness. 
     
     
         20 . The floor board of  claim 14 , wherein the second tongue and the third tongue having rounded corners.