Mannington Mills Inc. has announced the issuance, by the US Patent and Trademark Office, of a patent that covers PVC planks including LVT planks having a tongue and groove connection system, which has been gaining in popularity for floating flooring systems.

The patent for Mannington is US Patent No. 8,021,741 B2, issued September 20, 2011. This patent relies on a “parent” patent with a filing date that goes back to 1999, according to the company.

“This latest patent makes claims in connection with our innovative and now very popular LVT technology that allows flexible PVC planks to be connected together through a tongue/groove connection. The LockSolid LVT product introduced by Mannington is covered by this patent. We expect other flooring companies who are currently offering a similar LVT product or are planning to do so to take appropriate patent licenses with Mannington in view of the importance of this patent to this very popular LVT technology,” Tom Davis, ceo, stated.