ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 12 -- United States Patent no. 12,385,259, issued on Aug. 12, was assigned to UNILIN BV (Wielsbeke, Belgium).
"Floor panel for forming a floor covering" was invented by Laurent Meersseman (Mont de l'Enclus, Belgium), Luc Vanhastel (Tielt, Belgium) and Guy Van Hooydonck (Schoten, Belgium).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A floor panel is of synthetic material and forms a layer-shaped substrate with first and second pairs of opposite edges. The first pair of opposite edges has coupling parts forming a first mechanical locking system, which, in a coupled condition of two of such floor panels, effects a locking in the plane of the floor panels and perpendicular to the respectiv...