Aluminum locking systemIntegrated locking system

Välinge has been granted more US and EPO patents related to mechanical locking technology than any other company in the flooring industry. Välinge together with its partners invest approximately 10 Million Euro each year in research and development in order to further expand the patent portfolio.

The following list includes the granted patents in US and EPO. Please log in to get detailed patent information

EPO Patent No Status*   Description Priority
EP 0 698 162 BoA   1993
EP 0 855 482 BoA   1993
EP 0 877 130 BoA   1993
EP 0 969 163   1993
EP 0 969 164 OD   1993
EP 1 061 201   1993
EP 1 260 653 OD   1993
EP 1 260 654 OD   1993
EP 1 626 136   1993
EP 0 958 442   1996
EP 0 958 441   1996
EP 1 084 317 OD   1998
EP 1 084 318 OD   1998
EP 1 177 355 OD   1999
EP 1 396 593   1999
EP 1 250 503   2000
EP 1 600 578   2000
EP 1 272 716 OD   2000
EP 1 617 009   2000
EP 1 349 995   2001
EP 1 349 994   2001
EP 1 412 596   2001
EP 1 427 902 OD   2001
EP 1 497 510 OD   2002
EP 1 650 375   2004
EP 1 691 005   2005
     
* OD = Passed Opposition Division, BoA = Passed Board of Appeal

US Patent No   Description Priority
US 5,706,621   1993
US 5,860,267   1993
US 6,182,410   1993
US 6,023,907   1993
US 6,516,579   1993
US 6,324,803   1993
US 7,086,205   1993
US 7,121,059   1993
US 6,094,882   1996
US 6,205,639   1996
US 6,880,305   1996
US 7,444,791   1998
US 6,446,405   1998
US 6,532,709   1998
US 6,922,964   1998
US 7,386,963   1998
US 7,484,338   1999
US 6,510,665   2000
US 6,898,913   2000
US 6,715,253   2000
US 6,918,220   2000
US 7,003,925   2000
US 7,398,625   2000
US 7,398,625   2000
US 6,851,241   2001
US 7,171,791   2001
US 6,769,218   2001
US 7,127,860   2001
US 7,275,350   2001
US 7,137,229   2002
US 7,051,486   2002
US 7,516,588   2004
US 7,568,322   2003
US 7,454,875   2004
US 7,634,884   2004
     

The staff of Välinge Innovation invented the first laminate flooring in the world in March 1977, at that time employed by Perstorp AB. They were also responsible for the further development and market introduction during the period 1977 - 1981.

Välinge invented the first mechanical locking system for thin floating floorings and applied for the first patent in March 1993.

Välinge has since then developed the locking system, the installation methods and the production equipment considerably. Several types of laminate and wood floorings could be produced with mechanical locking systems. The production technologies are very advanced and cost efficient.


Välinge's intellectual property is protected by several different patents, granted in countries all over the world. Additional patents are applied for.

The patents and patent applications consist of different inventions. Similar applications have and will be made in several other countries. The patents and patent applications protects and specifies a variety of mechanical locking systems, several production methods and installation methods.

The technologies disclosed in the granted patents and the published patent applications are now "known technology" and are comprised in the "state of the art", and can therefore not be patented by anyone else.

The first laminate flooring with a mechanical locking system - Alloc® - was introduced in January 1996 by one of our licensees, Alloc AS (at that time Norske Skog Flooring AS) at the Domotex fair in Hannover.

 


Destinations
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Go to US Patent and Trademark Office
Go to Espacenet (worldwide patent search)
Go to FreePatentsOnline (US and European patents)
For more info regarding Välinge's patent portfolio, please contact:

Ola Engstrand
Patent engineer
+46 42 238764
State-of-the-Art Patent Portfolio
Välinge has been granted more US and EPO patents related mechanical locking technology than any other company in the flooring industry. Välinge's current patent portfolio is about 20 patents in United States and over 400 worldwide

Each Välinge patent family generally contains several independent inventions. Based on the present applications pending, we estimate that about 20-30 new US and EPO patents will be granted within 2-3 years.

The aim is to create 3-5 new patent families each year and hopefully even more with our extensive research and development resources.
 
 
 

 

 


 

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