Edge profiles for industrial floor panels

Abstract

A panel having a first longitudinal edge with a groove and a second longitudinal edge with a tongue for interlocking and engaging the complementary edges of an adjacent panel. A shoulder is located at the juncture between one side wall of the tongue and the second longitudinal edge. The upper portion of the second longitudinal edge and an outer surface of the shoulder lie in a second plane that is parallel to a first plane that includes the first longitudinal edge, and the lower portion of the second longitudinal edge lies in a third plane that is parallel to and spaced inwardly of the second plane. A width of the tongue between the upper portion of the second longitudinal edge and the distal end of the tongue is less than a width of the groove as defined between the first plane and the floor of the groove.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A panel having a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge parallel to the first longitudinal edge, the panel comprising:
 a groove formed along said first longitudinal edge, said groove having two sides and a floor transverse thereto;   a tongue formed along said second longitudinal edge, said tongue having an upper side wall and a lower side wall and a head extending outward from said second longitudinal edge to a distal end, thereby forming a juncture between the side walls of the tongue and the second longitudinal edge; and   a shoulder located at the juncture of said lower side wall and the second longitudinal edge,   wherein an upper portion of the second longitudinal edge and an outer surface of the shoulder lie in a second plane that is parallel to a first plane that includes the first longitudinal edge, and a lower portion of the second longitudinal edge lies in a third plane that is parallel to and spaced inwardly of the second plane relative to the distal end of the tongue, and   wherein a width of the tongue between the upper portion of the second longitudinal edge and the distal end of the tongue is less than a width of the groove as defined between the first plane and the floor of the groove.   
     
     
         2 . The panel of  claim 1 , wherein the shoulder is compressible. 
     
     
         3 . The panel of  claim 1 , wherein the tongue continues uninterrupted along an entire length of the second longitudinal edge. 
     
     
         4 . The panel of  claim 1 , wherein the panel is a composite wood panel. 
     
     
         5 . The panel of  claim 1 , wherein the groove is a first groove and the tongue is a first tongue, and the panel comprises a second groove defined along a first lateral edge of the panel and a second tongue extending from and along a second lateral edge of the panel. 
     
     
         6 . The panel of  claim 1 , wherein a first aperture is defined between the distal end of the tongue and the floor of the groove. 
     
     
         7 . The panel of  claim 6 , wherein the first aperture is further defined (i) between the upper side wall of the groove and the upper side wall of the tongue and (ii) between the lower side wall of the groove and the lower side wall of the tongue. 
     
     
         8 . The panel of  claim 1 , wherein a second aperture is defined between the third plane including the lower portion of the second longitudinal edge and the first plane including the lower portion of the first longitudinal edge. 
     
     
         9 . The panel of  claim 8 , wherein the width of the second aperture is between 1/32 and ¼ inches. 
     
     
         10 . The panel of  claim 1 , wherein the tongue is complementary to the groove. 
     
     
         11 . A panel system comprising:
 a first panel having a groove formed along a first longitudinal edge, said groove having two sides and a floor transverse thereto; and   a second panel having (i) a tongue formed along a second longitudinal edge, said tongue having two side walls and a head extending outward from said second longitudinal edge to a distal end, thereby forming a juncture between the side walls of the tongue and the second longitudinal edge, and (ii) a shoulder located at the juncture between a side wall of the tongue and a lower portion of the second longitudinal edge,   wherein upon engaging the first and second panels to form a tongue and groove joint, an upper portion of the second longitudinal edge and an outer surface of the shoulder lie in a second plane that is parallel to a first plane that includes the first longitudinal edge, and the lower portion of the second longitudinal edge lies in a third plane that is parallel to and spaced inwardly of the second plane relative to the distal end of the tongue, and   wherein a width of the tongue between the upper portion of the second longitudinal edge and the distal end of the tongue is less than a width of the groove as defined between the first plane and the floor of the groove.   
     
     
         12 . The panel system of  claim 11 , wherein the shoulder is compressible. 
     
     
         13 . The panel system of  claim 11 , wherein the tongue continues uninterrupted along an entire length of the second longitudinal edge. 
     
     
         14 . The panel system of  claim 11 , wherein the first panel is a composite wood panel. 
     
     
         15 . The panel system of  claim 11 , wherein the groove is a first groove and the tongue is a first tongue, and the first panel comprises a second groove defined along a first lateral edge of the first panel and a second tongue extending from and along a second lateral edge of the first panel. 
     
     
         16 . The panel system of  claim 11 , wherein a first aperture is defined between the distal end of the tongue and the floor of the groove. 
     
     
         17 . The panel system of  claim 16 , wherein the first aperture is further defined (i) between the upper side wall of the groove and the upper side wall of the tongue and (ii) between the lower side wall of the groove and the lower side wall of the tongue. 
     
     
         18 . The panel system of  claim 11 , wherein a second aperture is defined between the third plane including the lower portion of the second longitudinal edge and the first plane including the lower portion of the first longitudinal edge. 
     
     
         19 . The panel system of  claim 18 , wherein the width of the second aperture is between 1/32 and ¼ inches. 
     
     
         20 . The panel system of  claim 11 , wherein the tongue is complementary to the groove.