BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
One embodiment of the invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates two sheet metal tiles 44″×44″ each with the opposing serrated edge.
FIG. 2 illustrates 4 tile locked together.
FIG. 3 illustrates a close up of the 4 tile locked together at the junction point.
FIG. 4 illustrates two separate large tile with smaller tile applied to the surface.
FIG. 5 illustrates the profile of the tile with the joint grouted on the interior of the larger tile.
FIG. 6 illustrates the profile of the tile with the joint between two joined tiles grouted.
FIG. 7 is a plan view of a foam panel for use under the panels of FIGS. 1 through 6 as a base on a sub-floor.
FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the panel of FIG. 7.
FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view through the panel with the flooring applied thereon.
FIG. 10 is a top plan view of a number of the panels of FIG. 7.
FIG. 11 is a top plan view of a number of the panels including a flooring panel.
FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view through a stair showing a series of threads on which is applied the flooring system of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is an exploded view of the flooring system only of FIG. 12.
In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown a series of the panels of the present invention each of which is rectangular, preferably square, in plan to form four side edges. Thus the panel is indicated at 10 and includes side edges 11, 12, 13 and 14. In FIG. 1 the panels are arranged side by side ready to be connected edge to edge. In FIG. 2 the panels are shown in plan view with four of the panels connected edge to edge to form an array of the panels which defines a part of a floor covering to cover an existing substrate.
FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of the edges of the panels at a junction between four of the panels so that the projections and recesses can be seen in more detail. Thus at the side edges of the panels there are provided recesses 15 and projections 16 arranged side by side in a castellated manner along the side edge. The projections are relatively small having a distance from the side edge only of the order of ⅛ to ¼ inch. The tiles are symmetrical at the corners which allows any given tile to be laid in any of 4 directions increase in width in a direction away from the side edge whereas the recesses are opposed to this so as to form an interlocking structure which requires to be locked by vertical movement of one sheet onto the next sheet in a mortis-type shape.
In FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are shown two of the panels. In each panel there is an underlying sheet 20 formed from a sheet metal on top of which is applied a layer 21 formed from the polymer concrete containing an aggregate in the form of crushed and powered stone.
The thickness of the sheet metal lies in the range 14 to 16 gauge. The thickness of the polymer concrete lies in the range 0.050 to 0.075 inch.
Polymer concrete of a suitable type is available from Perma-Crete and arrangements of this type are well known. In the thickness defined above, the metal sheet covered by the polymer concrete layer is sufficient flexible to accommodate slight movements in the sub-floor and slight inaccuracies in the sub-floor.
The coating layer is applied containing the aggregate and is allowed to set. When set grout lines 22 are formed in the layer in the form of machined grooves which reduce the thickness of the layer and may reach to the underlying sheet material thus removing the layer in the groove concerned.
Preferably after colouring of the layer with a suitable colouring agent and coating of the layer by a clear coat, the grout lines 22 are filled with a conventional latex grout so as to simulate the appearance of tile.
Suitable colouring agents are well known allowing many different colours to be provided.
A clear coat is preferably of the type manufactured by Perma-Crete.
The layer is formed so that it does not extend into the projections on the side edges leaving these projections bare or free from the layer. When the panels are therefore laid edge to edge and interconnected by the intermeshing projections and recesses, this leaves a strip along the side edges which is arranged to match the width of the grout grooves 22. Thus the projections are relatively small and will have a width of the order of ⅛ to ¼ inch which matches the conventional width of a grout line.
Thus when the panels are laid edge to edge and connected, the panels provide the appearance simulating tile. The panels are laid on a series of beads or strips 24 of a foamed adhesive material such as a polyurethane foam which is dispensed from a gun or similar device which provides the bead 24. The beads are spaced sufficiently to allow the panel to be slightly spaced from the sub-floor 25 giving some flexibility. The beads will of course be compressed when pressure is applied onto the panel pressing it against the sub-floor but there will remain some spaces between the beads or strips of the foam material.
After connection of the panels and the laying of the panels on the sub-floor, the panels are connected edge to edge by a liquid glue primarily for sealing from water which attaches the projections and recesses together in a fixed meshing arrangement without the possibility of these elements separating and a panel loosing contact with the sub-floor. The locked joints can then be sealed with a liquid sealer.
Turning now to FIGS. 7 and 8 there is shown an arrangement for an in-floor heating system in which panels previously described are laid onto a panel or sheet 30 of a substantially rigid foam material such as high density EPS foam. The foam is formed with a series of recesses 31 in its upper surface. The foam may be cut into shape or may be moulded in shape as required. The recesses or voids 31 are arranged in an array of channels at right angles on the surface of the panel with the channels being separated by raised protuberances 32.
As shown in the cross section of FIG. 9, the base of each channel 31 has a layer 33 of a reflective tape which radiates heat from a heat source 34 inserted in the recess 31. The heat source 34 may be an electric source or may be a hot water source as is well known. Preferably the heat source 34 is a radiant heat pipe which sits within the channel. The floor panels previously described as indicated at 36 are applied on top of the raised projecting portions 32 using a adhesive in the form of the polyurethane foam previously described. Again therefore the panels are arranged edge to edge an interconnected by the projecting portions along the side edges in the manner described above. The use of the steel sheet as the substrate for the panel ensures an effective communication or transfer of heat from the heat source 34 across the entire surface of the panel.
In FIG. 10 is shown a series of such panels on which the heat source 34 is applied in a convoluted path in conventional manner.
In FIG. 11 a single one of the panels 36 is applied over the foam substrate panels 30.
Thus the flooring system including the foamed panels 30 and the flooring panels 36 provides a simple effective system simulating the appearance of tile and yet cheaply and efficiently forming a hard wearing surface covering the heat source. The system can be applied quickly and efficiently over an existing sub-floor while accommodating some flexing of that sub-floor and some inaccuracies in the surface structure. Presently, in existing buildings, the structure would not have been engineered to accept the additional weight that 1½″ of gyp-crete or 2″ of fibermesh concrete would add to a structure and therefore retrofitting existing buildings for radiant heat is generally not feasible. Conversely, this invention provides a solution for a radiant heat retrofit that add no more weight than most traditional floor coverings. (I am not sure if this fits here of better, earlier in the descriptions?)
Turning now to FIGS. 12 and 13, there is shown a further embodiment for use with a stair generally indicated at 40 including a series of treads 41 and a series of kick-plates 42. In this embodiment the flooring structure described above is formed into a kick-plate 45 and a tread-plate 46 which are shaped and arranged to match the width of the stair and the depth of the tread and the kick-plate. Thus the kick-plate 45 is applied by adhesive over the kick-plate 42 of the stair. Thus the tread-plate 46 includes a flat panel portion overlying the upper surface of the tread together with a nose portion 47 which includes a down-turned element 48 and an underside return portion 49. Thus these portions are arranged so that the portion 48 is at right angles to the flat portion 46 to extend downwardly over the nose of the tread and the portion 49 is again turned backwardly or rearwardly to lie underneath the tread. The panels are of course formed in the manner previously described to include the substrate sheet of metal together with the overlying layer of the polymer concrete which is machined to form the grout lines indicated at 50. In this case there is no interconnection between one panel and the next since the panels are cut and formed to shape and size to match the size of the treads of the stair. The system can provide panels which match the shape of an existing stair with the slip over cover stair kick and tread and or end caps.
Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without department from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.
Patent Application
20080005988
