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A spline, tongue, connector, or snap connector is described and useful for connecting a variety of surface covering products together. In one embodiment the spline is a polymeric material having an elongated shape and dimensions such that the spline has a sufficient width to fit into and extend outs

A spline, tongue, connector, or snap connector is described and useful for connecting a variety of surface covering products together. In one embodiment the spline is a polymeric material having an elongated shape and dimensions such that the spline has a sufficient width to fit into and extend outside of a groove in a side edge of a first plank and to fit into a respective groove in a side edge of a second plank. The spline may be concealed from view when the first plank and the second plank are connected together by the spline. A surface covering system for connecting two or more planks together is also described as well as methods to connect two or more planks together using the splines of the present invention. The system can include a spline having a length that differs from the length of one or more of the planks.

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1. A spline for connecting two or more surface covering thermoplastic planks together, said spline comprising a polymeric material having an elongated shape and a width and height that are perpendicular to a direction of elongation of the spline, wherein said width is sufficient to fit into and exte

1. A spline for connecting two or more surface covering thermoplastic planks together, said spline comprising a polymeric material having an elongated shape and a width and height that are perpendicular to a direction of elongation of the spline, wherein said width is sufficient to fit into and extend outside of a groove in a side edge of a first plank and fit into a respective groove in a side edge of a second plank, said polymeric material comprising a rigid thermoplastic material in a central portion of the spline and a soft thermoplastic material at the top and bottom surfaces of the spline, wherein each of said top and bottom surfaces has a surface area and about 80% or more of the surface area of at least one of the top and bottom surfaces is covered with said soft thermoplastic material, and wherein at least one surface of said spline includes a bonding agent. 2. The spline of claim 1, wherein at least one of said thermoplastic materials comprises a polyvinyl chloride material. 3. The spline of claim 1, wherein said spline is rectangular-shaped and each side edge that fits into a groove of a plank is beveled. 4. The spline of claim 1, wherein said spline has tooth-shaped notches on both said top and bottom surfaces, wherein said notches fit into grooves of a first plank and an adjacent second plank. 5. The spline of claim 1, wherein said spline has tooth-shaped notches on one of said top and bottom surfaces and the other of said top and bottom surfaces is flat. 6. The spline of claim 1, wherein said spline comprises a co-extruded polymeric material. 7. A surface covering system for connecting two or more thermoplastic planks together, said system comprising two or more thermoplastic planks including a first plank and a second plank, and at least one spline that is elongated in a direction of elongation, wherein each plank has a groove on at least one side thereof having at least one receiving tooth, and said spline comprises a polymeric material having a shape such that said spline has a sufficient width to fit into and extend outside of a groove in the side edge of the first plank and to fit into a respective groove in a side edge of the second plank, wherein said first and second planks each have a length and said spline has a length that differs from the length of at least one of said first and second planks, and wherein said first plank, second plank, spline, groove, or any combination thereof includes a bonding agent. 8. The surface covering system of claim 7, wherein said spline is concealed from view when said first plank and said second plank are connected together by said spline. 9. The surface covering system of claim 7, wherein said surface covering is a floor or floor covering. 10. The surface covering system of claim 7, wherein said surface covering is a laminate floor. 11. The surface covering system of claim 7, wherein said at least one spline has a top surface, a bottom surface, and tooth-shaped notches on both said top and bottom surfaces, wherein said notches fit into the respective grooves of the first plank and the second plank. 12. The surface covering system of claim 7, wherein said at least one spline has a top surface, a bottom surface, and tooth-shaped notches on one of said top and bottom surfaces, wherein the other of said top and bottom surfaces is flat. 13. The surface covering system of claim 7, wherein each said groove in the at least one side of each of the first and second planks has teeth that engage at least one of said top and bottom surfaces of said spline. 14. The surface covering system of claim 7, wherein the length of said spline is longer than the length of at least one of said first and second planks. 15. The surface covering system of claim 7, wherein the length of said spline is longer than the length of each of said first and second planks. 16. A method to connect two or more thermoplastic planks together, each of said two or more thermoplastic planks having a length, said method comprising inserting one edge of an elongated spline having a length into a groove in a side edge of a first plank and inserting an opposite edge of the spline into a groove in a side edge of a second plank, said spline comprising a polymeric material having a shape and dimensions such that said spline has a sufficient width to fit into and extend outside of the groove in the side edge of the first plank and to fit into the groove in the side edge of the second plank, wherein the length of said spline differs from the length of at least one of said planks, wherein the groove of the first plank and the groove of the second plank include at least one receiving tooth, and wherein said first plank, second plank, spline, groove, or any combination thereof includes a bonding agent. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein said spline is concealed from view when said first plank and said second plank are connected together with said spline. 18. The method of claim 16 wherein said spline has a top surface, a bottom surface, and tooth-shaped notches on both said top and bottom surfaces, wherein said notches fit into the grooves of the first plank and the second plank. 19. The method of claim 16, wherein the length of said spline is longer than the length of at least one of said planks. 20. The method of claim 16, wherein the length of said spline is longer than the length of each of said first plank and said second plank. 21. A surface covering system for connecting two or more thermoplastic planks together, said system comprising two or more thermoplastic planks including a first plank and a second plank, and at least one spline that is elongated in a direction of elongation, wherein each plank has a groove on at least one side thereof, wherein said groove includes at least one receiving tooth, and said spline comprises a polymeric material having a shape such that said spline has a sufficient width to fit into and extend outside of a groove in the side edge of the first plank and to fit into a respective groove in a side edge of the second plank, wherein said first plank, second plank, spline, groove, or any combinations thereof includes a bonding agent. 22. The surface covering system of claim 21, wherein said spline is concealed from view when said first plank and said second plank are connected together by said spline. 23. The surface covering system of claim 21, wherein said surface covering is a floor or floor covering. 24. The surface covering system of claim 21, wherein said surface covering is a laminate floor. 25. The surface covering system of claim 21, wherein said at least one spline has a top surface, a bottom surface, and tooth-shaped notches on both said top and bottom surfaces, wherein said notches fit into the respective grooves of the first plank and the second plank. 26. The surface covering system of claim 21, wherein said at least one spline has a top surface, a bottom surface, and tooth-shaped notches on one of said top and bottom surfaces, wherein the other of said top and bottom surfaces is flat. 27. The surface covering system of claim 21, wherein said at least one spline has a top surface, a bottom surface, and tooth-shaped notches on one of said top and bottom surfaces, and wherein the other of said top and bottom surfaces is flat except for the presence of a raised relief element along a midline of the flat surface, wherein the midline extends along the spline in the direction of elongation of the spline. 28. The surface covering system of claim 21, wherein said at least one receiving tooth engages at least one of said top and bottom surfaces of said spline. 29. The surface covering system of claim 28, wherein said spline has at least one flat surface that engages the teeth in each of said grooves. 30. A plurality of thermoplastic planks connected together by one or more splines, wherein each plank has a groove on at least one side thereof, a) wherein said groove includes at least one receiving tooth or b) wherein said spline includes a top surface and a bottom surface, each having a soft thermoplastic material, and edge surfaces having a hard thermoplastic, or both a) and b), wherein each said spline is elongated in a direction of elongation and comprises a polymeric material having a shape such that said spline has a sufficient width to fit into and extend outside of a groove in a side edge of a first plank and to fit into a respective groove in a side edge of a second plank, and wherein said first plank, second plank, splines, grooves, or any combinations thereof includes a bonding agent. 31. The plurality of thermoplastic planks of claim 30, wherein said one or more splines is concealed from view when the plurality of planks are connected together with said one or more splines. 32. The plurality of thermoplastic planks of claim 30, wherein said one or more splines each has a top surface, a bottom surface, and tooth-shaped notches on both said top and bottom surfaces, wherein said notches fit into the grooves of the plurality of planks. 33. The plurality of thermoplastic planks of claim 30, wherein said one or more splines each has a top surface, a bottom surface, and tooth-shaped notches on one of said top and bottom surfaces, wherein the other of said top and bottom surfaces is flat. 34. The plurality of thermoplastic planks of claim 30, wherein said one or more splines each has a top surface, a bottom surface, and tooth-shaped notches on one of said top and bottom surfaces, and wherein the other of said top and bottom surfaces is flat except for the presence of a raised relief element along a midline of the flat surface, said midline elongated in the direction of elongation of said spline. 35. The plurality of thermoplastic planks of claim 30, wherein each said groove in the at least one side edge of each of the first and second planks has teeth that engage at least one of said top and bottom surfaces of said one or more splines. 36. The plurality of thermoplastic planks of claim 35, wherein said one or more splines has at least one flat surface that engages the teeth in each of said grooves. 37. A method to connect two or more thermoplastic planks together comprising inserting one edge of an elongated spline into a groove in a side edge of one plank and inserting the opposite edge of the spline into a groove in a side edge of a second plank, said spline comprising a polymeric material having a shape and dimensions such that said spline has a sufficient width to fit into and extend outside of the groove in the side edge of the first plank and to fit into the groove in the side edge of the second plank, and a) wherein said groove of said first plank and said groove of said second plank include at least one receiving tooth, or b) wherein said spline includes a top surface and a bottom surface having a soft thermoplastic material and edge surfaces having a hard thermoplastic material, or both, a) and b), and wherein said first plank, second plank, groove, spline, or any combinations thereof includes a bonding agent. 38. The method of claim 37, wherein said spline is concealed from view when said first plank and said second plank are connected together with said spline. 39. The method of claim 38, wherein said spline has a top surface, a bottom surface, and tooth-shaped notches on both said top and bottom surfaces, wherein said notches fit into the grooves of the first plank and the second plank. 40. The method of claim 38, wherein said spline has a top surface, a bottom surface, and tooth-shaped notches on one of said top and bottom surfaces, wherein the other of said top and bottom surfaces is flat. 41. The method of claim 38, wherein said spline has a top surface, a bottom surface, and tooth-shaped notches on one of said top and bottom surfaces, and wherein the other of said top and bottom surfaces is flat except for the presence of a raised relief element along a midline of the flat surface, said midline extending along the spline in the direction of elongation of the spline. 42. The method of claim 38, wherein said at least one tooth engages at least one of said top and bottom surfaces of said spline. 43. The method of claim 42, wherein said spline has at least one flat surface that engages the teeth in each of said grooves.