US Patent 11608646 Panel

A panel including an upper side, a lower side, a core and complementary locking elements provided in pairs on opposing panel edges. At least one pair of locking elements has complementary hook profiles, namely a receiving hook and an arresting hook. The receiving hook has a hook periphery arranged remote from the main body and a receiving recess arranged in the vicinity of the basic body. The receiving recess is open towards the panel upper side, and the arresting hook has an arresting recess, arranged in the vicinity of the basic body and open towards the panel lower side, and has an arresting shoulder remote from the basic body and which, in the vertical joining direction, fits into the receiving recess of the receiving hook. The arresting hook has a vertically locking arresting contour and the receiving hook has a form-fitting contour, which form fits with the arresting contour of the arresting hook. The arresting hook has, near the basic body, a horizontally locking retaining surface on its arresting shoulder and the receiving hook has a horizontally locking retaining surface arranged remote from the basic body in the receiving recess. The receiving hook is provided with a sealing groove open to the panel upper side, and the arresting hook has a sealing strip projecting towards the panel lower side, which in the joined-together state of the complementary hook profiles fits into the sealing groove. The sealing groove and the sealing strip are arranged in the region of the panel core, and the surface of the sealing groove is formed from the material of the panel core and/or the surface of the sealing strip is formed from the material of the panel core.