Flooring system with interlocking panel assemblies

Abstract

A flooring system with interlocking panels includes at least one panel assembly. The panel assembly includes a panel and at least one foot. A bottom side of the panel includes ribs forming cavities. Each cavity includes a rib with an opening. The foot is configured to couple to the bottom side of the panel. The foot includes clip assembles coupled to the top side of the foot. Each clip assembly includes a flexible plate and a hook. The first end of the flexible plate is coupled to the top side of the foot. The second end of the flexible plate is decoupled from top side of the foot. The hook resides at the second end of the flexible plate and is configured to reside within the opening in the rib of a corresponding cavity. The foot includes openings that allow moisture and air to traverse.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A flooring system, comprising:
 at least one panel assembly, the at least one panel assembly comprising:
 a panel comprising:
 a right side of the panel; 
 a left side of the panel opposite the right side of the panel; 
 a front side of the panel; 
 a back side of the panel opposite the front side of the panel; 
 a top side of the panel; and 
 a bottom side of the panel opposite the top side of the panel, the bottom side of the panel comprising a plurality of ribs forming a plurality of cavities, each cavity comprising a rib with an opening; and 
 
 at least one foot configured to couple to the bottom side of the panel, the foot comprising:
 a top side of the foot; 
 a bottom side of the foot opposite the top side of the foot; and 
 a plurality of clip assembles coupled to the top side of the foot, each clip assembly comprising:
 a flexible plate with a first end proximate to the top side of the foot and a second end distal from the top side of the foot, the first end of the flexible plate being coupled to the top side of the foot, the second end of the flexible plate being decoupled from top side of the foot; and 
 a hook residing at the second end of the flexible plate, wherein the hook is configured to reside within the opening in the rib of a corresponding cavity of the plurality of cavities. 
 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the clip assembly further comprises one or more walls, wherein the one or more walls reside within the corresponding cavity when the clip assembly is in a locked position. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the second end of the flexible plate is decoupled from the one or more walls. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the clip assembly further comprises a second opening proximate to the first end of the flexible plate and configured for a tool to be inserted into the opening of the clip assembly to flex the flexible plate, such that the hook is removed from the opening in the rib of the corresponding cavity. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the foot further comprises:
 one or more first openings traversing through the top side of the foot and the bottom side of the foot; and   one or more second openings traversing through the top side of the foot and the bottom side of the foot, wherein the one or more second openings are smaller than the one or more first openings.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more first openings and the one or more second openings are configured to allow moisture and air to traverse. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of clip assemblies comprises one or more first clip assemblies and one or more second clip assemblies, wherein one or more hooks of the one or more first clip assemblies are configured in a first orientation, and one or more hooks of the one or more second clip assemblies are configured in a second orientation, wherein the first orientation is a mirror of the second orientation. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein lengths of the right side, the left side, the front side, and the back side of the panel are same. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the lengths of the right side and the left side of the panel are shorter than the lengths of the front side and the back side. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the panel further comprises:
 a receptacle portion of a cam lock residing in the front side of the panel and a latch portion of the cam lock residing in the back side of the panel;   a male portion of at least one tongue and groove locking mechanism residing in the back side of the panel and a female portion of the at least one tongue and groove locking mechanism residing in the front side of the panel;   a male portion of at least one slide lock residing in the right side of the panel and a female portion of the at least one slide lock residing in the left side of the panel, wherein the male portion of the least one slide lock comprises a plate and a neck coupling the plate to the right side of the panel, wherein the female portion of the least one slide lock comprises an opening and a pocket.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of ribs in the panel comprise recessed portions and non-recessed portions, wherein the top side of the foot is configured to reside within the recessed portions, wherein the bottom side of the foot is flush with the non-recessed portions of the plurality of ribs. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one panel assembly comprises:
 a first panel of a first panel assembly, a second panel of a second panel assembly, and a third panel of a third panel assembly,   wherein a latch portion of a first cam lock residing in a front side of the first panel is configured to engage a receptacle portion of a second cam lock residing in a back side of the second panel engages,   wherein a female portion of a first tongue and groove locking mechanism residing in the front side of the first panel is configured to engage a male portion of a second tongue and groove locking mechanism residing in the back side of the second panel,   wherein a plate of a male portion of a first slide lock residing in a right side of the first panel is configured to reside within a pocket of a female portion of a second slide lock residing in a left side of the third panel.   
     
     
         13 . A foot for a panel assembly, comprising:
 a top side;   a bottom side opposite the top side;   a plurality of clip assembles coupled to the top side, each clip assembly comprising:
 a flexible plate with a first end proximate to the top side and a second end distal from the top side, the first end of the flexible plate being coupled to the top side, the second end of the flexible plate being decoupled from top side; and 
 a hook residing at the second end of the flexible plate, wherein the hook is configured to couple to a panel of the panel assembly when the clip assembly is in a locked position. 
   
     
     
         14 . The foot of  claim 13 , wherein the clip assembly further comprises one or more walls, wherein the one or more walls couple to a panel of the panel assembly when the clip assembly is in a locked position, wherein the second end of the flexible plate is decoupled from the one or more walls. 
     
     
         15 . The foot of  claim 13 , wherein the clip assembly further comprises a second opening proximate to the first end of the flexible plate, wherein the opening is configured for a tool to be inserted into the opening to flex the flexible plate and the hook to place the clip assembly in an unlocked position. 
     
     
         16 . The foot of  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of clip assemblies comprises one or more first clip assemblies and one or more second clip assemblies, wherein one or more hooks of the one or more first clip assemblies are configured in a first orientation, and one or more hooks of the one or more second clip assemblies are configured in a second orientation, wherein the first orientation is a mirror of the second orientation.