Floor or wall covering panel with increased resistance to disassembly

Abstract

A floor or wall covering panel includes at least a first side with upper coupling means and a second, parallel and opposite side with lower coupling means. The lower tongue has external and internal walls inclined relative to a vertical plane towards the outside of the panel moving away from the lower face of the panel; the upper groove has external and internal walls inclined relative to a vertical plane towards the outside of the panel moving away from the upper face of the panel; the upper tongue has at its free end a lip protruding laterally towards the outside of the panel, defining an external wall including an upper section on the side of the upper face of the panel, vertical or inclined relative to a vertical plane towards the outside of the panel moving away from the upper face of the panel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Floor or wall covering panel ( 1 ) comprising at least one side with upper coupling means ( 2   a ) and an opposite parallel side with lower coupling means ( 2   b );
 the lower coupling means ( 2   b ) comprise at least one lower groove (Ri) made from the upper face of the panel ( 1 ), extending parallel along the side to define a lower tongue (Li) extending at the edge of the panel ( 1 ) towards the upper face of the said panel ( 1 );   the upper coupling means ( 2   a ) comprise at least one upper groove (Rs) made from the lower face of the panel ( 1 ), extending parallel along the side to define an upper tongue (Ls) extending at the edge of the panel ( 1 ) towards the lower face of the said panel ( 1 ),   the upper ( 2   a ) and lower coupling means are complementary so that the upper tongue (Ls) and the upper groove (Rs) of the panel ( 1 ) are intended to engage with the lower groove (Ri) and the lower tongue (Li) of an adjacent panel ( 1 ) according to assembly kinematics by rotation around an axis parallel to the assembled sides; characterized in that:   the lower tongue (Li) has external (F) and internal walls inclined relative to a vertical plane towards the outside of the panel ( 1 ) moving away from the lower face of the panel ( 1 );   the upper groove (Rs) has external (F′) and internal walls inclined relative to a vertical plane towards the outside of the panel ( 1 ) moving away from the upper face of the panel ( 1 );   the upper tongue (Ls) has at its free end a lip ( 5 ) protruding laterally towards the outside of the panel ( 1 ), defining an external wall comprising an upper section (E′) on the side of the upper face of the panel ( 1 ), vertical or inclined relative to a vertical plane towards the outside of the panel ( 1 ) moving away from the upper face of the panel ( 1 ), and a lower section (G′) inclined at a steeper angle than the upper section (E′) relative to a vertical plane and towards the outside of the panel ( 1 ) moving away from the upper face of the panel ( 1 );   the lower groove (Ri) has a lateral recess ( 5   a ) towards the interior of the panel ( 1 ) defining an internal wall comprising an upper section (E) on the side of the upper face of the panel ( 1 ), vertical or inclined relative to a vertical plane towards the outside of the panel ( 1 ) moving away from the lower face of the panel ( 1 ), and a lower section (G) inclined at a steeper angle than the upper section (E) relative to a vertical plane and towards the outside of the panel ( 1 ) moving away from the lower face of the panel ( 1 );   and in that the external wall of the lower tongue (Li) and the internal wall of the upper groove (Rs) have complementary locking means ( 4 ).   
     
     
         2 . Panel ( 1 ) according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the external wall of the lower tongue (Li) and the internal wall of the upper groove (Rs) are stepped, so that the free end of the lower tongue (Li) and the bottom of the upper groove (Rs) are widened to form the locking means ( 4 ). 
     
     
         3 . Panel ( 1 ) according to  claim 2 , characterized in that the stepped external wall of the lower tongue (Li) and the stepped internal wall of the upper groove (Rs) each comprise an upper section (A, A′) on the side of the upper face of the panel ( 1 ), an intermediate section (B, B′), and a lower section (C, C′). 
     
     
         4 . Panel ( 1 ) according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the upper section (A′) of the stepped internal wall of the upper groove (Rs) is inclined at an angle between 5° and 45°, preferably between 20° and 45°, more preferably between 25° and 30°, and is parallel to the upper section (A) of the stepped external wall of the lower tongue (Li). 
     
     
         5 . Panel ( 1 ) according to any of  claims 3 to 4 , characterized in that the intermediate section (B′) of the stepped internal wall of the upper groove (Rs) is more inclined than the upper section (A′) and the lower section (C′), and is inclined at an angle between 45° and 90°, preferably 60°, and is parallel to the intermediate section (B) of the stepped external wall of the lower tongue (Li). 
     
     
         6 . Panel ( 1 ) according to any of  claims 3 to 5 , characterized in that the lower section (C′) of the stepped internal wall of the upper groove (Rs) is parallel or less inclined than the lower section (C) of the stepped external wall of the lower tongue (Li), and is inclined at an angle between 5° and 45°, preferably between 20° and 45°, more preferably between 25° and 30°. 
     
     
         7 . Panel ( 1 ) according to any of  claims 3 to 6 , characterized in that the lower section (C) of the stepped external wall of the lower tongue (Li) is parallel or more inclined than the lower section (C′) of the stepped internal wall of the upper groove (Rs), and is inclined at an angle between 5° and 45°, preferably between 20° and 45°, more preferably between 25° and 30°. 
     
     
         8 . Panel ( 1 ) according to any of  claims 1 to 7 , characterized in that the internal wall (F) of the lower tongue (Li) is inclined at an angle between 5° and 45°, preferably between 20° and 45°, more preferably between 25° and 30°, and is parallel to the external wall (F′) of the upper groove (Rs). 
     
     
         9 . Panel ( 1 ) according to  claim 3 , characterized in that the upper section (A) of the stepped external wall of the lower tongue (Li) is parallel to the internal wall (F) of the lower tongue (Li). 
     
     
         10 . Panel ( 1 ) according to any of  claims 1 to 9 , characterized in that the upper section (E′) of the external wall of the upper tongue (Ls) is vertical or inclined at an angle between 1° and 10°, preferably 5°, and is parallel to the upper section (E) of the internal wall of the lower groove (Ri). 
     
     
         11 . Panel ( 1 ) according to any of  claims 1 to 10 , characterized in that the lower section (G′) of the external wall of the upper tongue (Ls) is inclined at an angle between 45° and 80°, preferably between 55° and 70°, and is parallel to the lower section (G) of the internal wall of the lower groove (Ri).