Mechanical locking system for floor panels

Abstract

Floor panels are shown, which are provided with a vertical locking system on short edges comprising a displaceable tongue that is displaced in one direction into a tongue groove during vertical displacement of two panels. The displaceable tongue may be provided in a sidewardly open displacement groove at an edge of a building panel, the displaceable tongue including a main body extending along the edge of the panel and a tongue locking surface located at an upper and outer part of the tongue.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A displaceable tongue configured to vertically lock a first building panel and a second building panel, said displaceable tongue being configured to be provided in a displacement groove of the second building panel,
 wherein the displaceable tongue has a first portion and a second portion provided along a longitudinal direction of the displaceable tongue, the first portion being transversely wider than the second portion,   wherein the first portion is configured to cooperate with a portion of the first building panel during locking of the building panels for displacing the displaceable tongue into a tongue groove provided in the first building panel, and   wherein the first portion comprises a flexible part.   
     
     
         22 . The displaceable tongue according to  claim 21 , wherein an extension along a tongue direction of a transversely outermost portion of the flexible part is smaller than a maximal extension of the flexible part along said tongue direction. 
     
     
         23 . The displaceable tongue according to  claim 22 , wherein said tongue direction is parallel with the longitudinal direction of the displaceable tongue. 
     
     
         24 . The displaceable tongue according to  claim 21 , wherein a cross-sectional area of a transversely outermost portion of the flexible part is smaller than a maximal cross-sectional area of the flexible part. 
     
     
         25 . The displaceable tongue according to  claim 24 , wherein said cross-sectional area and/or said maximal cross-sectional area each is a cross-sectional area projected in a plane provided in a tongue pressing surface of the displaceable tongue. 
     
     
         26 . The displaceable tongue according to  claim 21 , wherein the flexible part is S-shaped. 
     
     
         27 . The displaceable tongue according to  claim 26 , wherein the flexible part is S-shaped in a plane coinciding with an upper part of the displaceable tongue. 
     
     
         28 . The displaceable tongue according to  claim 21 , wherein the first portion is configured to cooperate with a locking element of the first building panel during locking of the building panels for displacing the displaceable tongue into the tongue groove, said locking element being part of a horizontal locking system of the first building panel and the second building panel. 
     
     
         29 . The displaceable tongue according to  claim 21 , wherein the displaceable tongue comprises:
 a tongue locking surface configured to cooperate with the tongue groove in an installed state of the building panels, and   a tongue pressing surface configured to cooperate with a locking element during locking of the building panels.   
     
     
         30 . The displaceable tongue according to  claim 29 , wherein an uppermost portion of the displaceable tongue pressing surface is located below the tongue locking surface along a height direction of the displaceable tongue. 
     
     
         31 . The displaceable tongue according to  claim 21 , wherein the first portion is a protrusion extending in a transverse direction from a main body of the displaceable tongue. 
     
     
         32 . The displaceable tongue according to  claim 21 , wherein said flexible part is provided on at least two protrusions being provided along the longitudinal direction of the displaceable tongue, each protrusion extending in a transverse direction from a main body of the displaceable tongue. 
     
     
         33 . The displaceable tongue according to  claim 21 , wherein the flexible part is configured to create a pretension against the tongue groove in an installed state of the first building panel and the second building panel. 
     
     
         34 . The displaceable tongue according to  claim 21 , wherein a width of the flexible part in the longitudinal direction of the displaceable tongue varies along a transverse direction of the flexible part and/or wherein a transverse length of the flexible part varies along the longitudinal direction of the displaceable tongue. 
     
     
         35 . The displaceable tongue according to  claim 21 , wherein the flexible part is flexible in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the displaceable tongue. 
     
     
         36 . The displaceable tongue according to  claim 21 , wherein the flexible part extends along a part of the displaceable tongue in the longitudinal direction thereof. 
     
     
         37 . The displaceable tongue according to  claim 21 , wherein a portion of the displaceable tongue is fixable in the displacement groove with a friction connection.