Patent Application
20160129299
Interlocking flexible tiles assembled into groups comprised of multiple interlocked tile units are used for many purposes including, but not limited to: Floor coverings in industrial facilities; athletic facilities and convention display areas; in homes for children's playrooms, workshops, maintenance areas and garages; and as insulation barriers for sound, heat and other energies on the interior and exterior surfaces of structures including, but not exclusively, buildings and vehicles.
However, whether being installed permanently or temporarily, installation of interlocking tile sets is labor intensive. When installed on surfaces used for multiple activities, one example being exercise mats in a home multi-purpose area, the assemblies often need to be repeatedly assembled and disassembled—a progressively more frustrating activity.
A need exists, therefore, to ease installation, removal and reinstallation of interlocking tile systems.
Additionally, portable pads for athletic use such as Yoga are widely available as thin, rollable mats or as foldable mats, rollable mats being the most common portable type. Consequently, these mats, in order to roll up, are often made of material too thin to provide adequate insulation for its user. Thicker, more insulative rollup mats are also comprised of less stable, but more flexible material which breaks down from use.
In comparison, EVA foam, now used extensively for floor mats, provides excellent durability, support and insulation from cold floors, but is not easily rollable; although EVA foam provides superior cushion, it ‘remembers’ its former shape, keeping its curl when the mat is unrolled. Although the curl releases over time, the scheduling limitation of exercise classes does not allow for the EVA foam to relax quickly enough. Furthermore, the thicker the EVA mat, the more pronounced the problem of ‘memory,’ making mats of sufficient thickness difficult, if not impossible, to roll.
Additionally, rolls and folded exercise mats are also available in limited sizes, without the ability to be lengthened or widened according to the user's body size or available room space. In the prior art, these exist separately, but their benefits have not yet been advantageously combined.
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This teaching of the prior art uses flexible or living hinges. However, its premise is that the mats concerned are always to be separated, which is clear in this quote from the patent's SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:
A limitation of this prior art is, therefore, the anticipation that the tile units be disassembled and not foldable while assembled. Furthermore, the hinge described in this prior art is restricted in its rotation to 90° normal to the plane of the tile. The present art improves on these limitations as described in this application.
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A US20120304566A1: There are many interlocking tile systems in the prior art which do not incorporate hinges, as does the present art.
B US 2013/0017372 A1: Interlocking tile systems in the prior art which incorporate the hinges in more restricted ways.
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From http://www.nwcidisplays.com/trade-show-flooring/rollable-bamboo.htm
There are many examples of folded sheet materials with flexible or living hinge areas in the prior art, but again, none include interlocks which enable expandability and separability.
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Shows an exercise mat that folds, but without interlocks which enable expandability and separability.
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This prior art describes a series of resilient rectangular blocks covered with a fabric attached by hinges to fit a custom floor arrangement and which fold up for storage, the faces of the blocks and their covers being attachable to one another by strings and hook-and-loop connectors.
While this system applies to folding interconnected mats, it does not apply to the more current and now standard interlocking systems now commonly in use and which use more recent tile materials as described in the DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION, nor to the expanded uses of such a system or other improved systems for exterior and interior surfaces of building type structures and vehicles.
The improved materials employed in the present invention make obsolete and unnecessary the exterior protective fabric covering included in this prior art. Furthermore, the present art, by use of these newer materials, improves and simplifies the system for connecting the mat elements to one another; the use in this prior art of hook and loop strips to join groups of the rectangular tiles is fraught with difficulty in laterally aligning each group to the proximate joined group; the use of strings to attach lateral groups of tiles is time consuming and inaccurate. These needs are more fully met in the present art by the use of interlocks formed of the new materials which join and register the tiles of the system both laterally and vertically.
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Continuation of
This illustration shows yet another type of hinge useful in the present art. This prior art does not however, include interlock elements.
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In this patent a flexible interlocking sheet is temporarily deformed, connected to make a pillow, then disconnected for storage—a different concept and structure than the present art. While incorporating hinges with separable interlocks, this invention is non-modular; the purpose of the interlocks in this example is not to connect multiple similar units.
While the hinges, interlocks and tile systems described above exist in the above examples independently of one another, combinations of these mechanisms along with the advantages provided by more modern materials to meet the need for a more efficient method to assemble, fold and optionally disassemble tile sets does not yet exist. The present art supplies this need.
The need for a more efficient method to assemble and disassemble interlocking flexible units for any useful surface of buildings and vehicles and other structures is addresses herein. It is the object of the present invention to combine interlocking mats and tiles with hinges, thereby enabling groups of interlocked units to fold and unfold while assembled in a desired arrangement, while retaining the advantages of being easily disassembled and reassembled into new configurations.
A few examples of the present invention's uses are; athletic mats, factory floor barriers, home playrooms, workrooms, garages, multi-purpose areas and convention display areas.
A new kind of interlocking unit is also presented—the interlocking endless chain. Multiples of the new endless chain units attach to one another by interlocks at their sides and ends. One example of the endless chain's use is to allow workers assembling the units to cover a large floor, such as a gym or factory facility, in a fraction of the time needed for assembling the standard interlocking units now available.
The present art also presents stable but flexible interlocked curved shapes useful among other applications as; protective barriers for children and animals; protective wear; toys; sound barriers on walls, ceilings and other surfaces in industrial, athletic and other spaces; impact cushioning for objects such as ships and construction machinery.
A selection of hinge designs and reinforcements are included to optimize the hinges where necessary.
The invention applies to all materials, processes and tools of which interlocking units are or will be made including but not limited to the statements, drawings and descriptions in this document.
The non-existence of these combinations heretofore confirms the lack of obviousness of this new concept and its embodiments.
1. FIG. PRIOR ART
A basic tile connector system which assumes that all the tiles must be disconnected.
2. FIG. PRIOR ART
Interlocking tile systems in the prior art which do not incorporate hinge, or incorporate the hinges in more restricted ways.
3. FIG. PRIOR ART
An example of a flexible or living hinge system used with flooring, but not incorporating interlocks.
4. FIG. PRIOR ART
Showing Portable, foldable yoga/meditation mat US 20120233772 A1, an exercise mat that folds, but without interlocks.
5. FIG. PRIOR ART
Showing the Gymnastic floor covering U.S. Pat. No. 3,284,819 A, a series of rectangular foam blocks covered with fabric attached by hinges to fit a custom floor arrangement and which fold up for storage.
6. FIG. PRIOR ART
Continuation of Gymnastic floor covering U.S. Pat. No. 3,284,819 A.
7. FIG. PRIOR ART
Prior art: Owens Corning FOAMULAR Fanfold Insulation
8. FIG. PRIOR ART
From: Sleeping pad with pillow formed by bending and temporarily fixing U.S. Pat. No. 8,291,531, showing a flexible interlocking sheet which, when temporarily deformed, is bent over and connected with interlocks to make a pillow.
9. FIG. PRIOR ART
An embodiment comprised of hinged interlocked units in Ethylene Vinyl Acetate.
10. FIG. PRIOR ART
Continuation of
11. FIG. PRIOR ART
Continuation of
12. FIG. PRIOR ART
Indicator s which allow the user to identify and orient the new units.
13. FIG. PRIOR ART
Portable hinged interlocked exercise mat.
14. FIG. PRIOR ART
Portable hinged interlocked exercise mat with carrying straps.
15. FIG.
Portable hinged interlocked exercise mat example of variations in cartable sizes.
16. FIG.
Portability; fasteners for mats.
17. FIG.
Portability; fasteners and handles.
18. FIG.
Endless chain hinged interlocking tile groups.
19. FIG.
Roll-up assembly of hinged interlocking tile groups.
20. FIG.
Interlocked staggered flexible or living hinge unit, hinge-side view.
21. FIG.
Interlocked staggered flexible or living hinge unit, non-hinge-side view.
22. FIG.
Staggered hinges in a partially rolled interlocking unit.
23. FIG.
Staggered hinge comprised of a laminate.
24. FIG.
Hinged interlocking tile group comprised of alternating, staggered hinges.
25. FIG.
Hinged interlocking tile group comprised of diagonal hinges.
26. FIG.
Hinged interlocking tile group comprised of diagonal hinge sets further comprised of hinges at various angles.
27. FIG.
Hinged interlocking tile group comprised of multiple hinge sets further comprised of hinges both at various angles to a unit edge and hinges parallel to a unit edge.
28. FIG.
Folding interlocks with proximate hinge in both attached interlocking units.
29. FIG.
Hinged interlocking tile group comprised of folding interlocks with hinge in body, one side, the hinge comprised of applied flexible material.
30. FIG.
Hinged interlocking tile group comprised of folding interlocking units with hinges within the interlock elements.
31. FIG.
Hinged interlocking tile group comprised of a hinged narrow interlock strip.
32. FIG.
Spine with opposing interlock sets operating as a hinge.
33. FIG.
Foam tile in unfolded position.
34. FIG.
Foam tile in partially folded position.
35. FIG.
Foam tile in folded position.
36. FIG.
Foam tile-hinge face view.
37. FIG.
Narrow interlock strip with a living hinge.
38. FIG.
Interlocking hinge unit comprised of an internally reinforced hinge; partially open.
39. FIG.
Interlocking hinge unit comprised of internally reinforced hinge, view of opposing surface.
40. FIG.
Face view; Criss-cross strap hinge.
41. FIG.
Side view; Criss-cross strap hinge.
42. FIG.
Face view; hinge with single flexible interior lamina.
43. FIG.
Edge view; hinge with single flexible interior lamina.
44. FIG.
Folded view; hinge with flexible interior lamina.
45. FIG.
Hinge composed of at least one flexible lamina; planar state.
46. FIG.
Hinge composed of at least one flexible lamina; partially folded state.
47. FIG.
Hinge composed of at least one flexible lamina; folded state.
48. FIG.
Cross section; Multi-hinged interlocking laminated unit composed of at least two laminae, at least one lamina comprised of multiple, separate elements.
49. FIG.
Cross section; lamina including a seal.
50. FIG.
Hinged interlock sets for the edge strip spine.
51. FIG.
Hinges within the interlock elements-face view; interlocked units unfolded.
52. FIG.
Hinges within the interlock elements; interlocked units folded.
The present invention is comprised of interlocking tile units with hinges, and applies to all materials and processes of which interlocking units are or will be made including but not limited to natural and synthetic polymers such as EVA foam, UPVC and PVC elastomers, polyethylene, polyester, any variety of rubber and recycled rubber, non-woven fiber such as, but not exclusively, fiberglass or polyester, combinations of rigid and flexible tiles, and rigid units such as tiles for hardwood flooring [
All the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by alternative features serving the same equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.
Standard Interlocking unit: A tile unit wherein the interlock shapes are designed into, and an essential part of, the material body of the tile, the tile materials being generally polymers.
Narrow Connector: A general description of a narrow interlocking unit of the present art having a distance between parallel interlock sets at the unit's edges of between 0.001 mm and 50 cm.
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An embodiment utilizing the present invention is comprised of hinged interlocked units in Ethylene Vinyl Acetate foam. Each unit is comprised of sections 4-5-6, the hinges at 1 and 2 allowing sections 4, 5, and 6 to fold. The separate hinged units are joined to one another with their standard interlocks 3. In this manner, any number of interlocking units can be interlocked and folded. In this particular embodiment, sections 5 and 6 are each ¼ the distance in from their respective edges parallel to the hinges, leaving the center section 4 as ½ the total length of the unit. The hinge distances from the unit's edges in this embodiment are only one example of any usable number, angle and configuration of hinges in flexible tiles.
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This illustration shows the results of the folding process; a compact block comprised of any number of interlocked units.
In this illustration the units lay flat against a surface. Such foldable unit groups may operate on any surface, in this case, a floor.
The indicators 7, which can be of any design and number that is clearly identifiable to the user, allow the user to identify and orient the new units during assembly. The indicators 7 also distinguish the new units from units of the prior art so that a person working with a mixed set comprised of units of the prior art and hinged units of the present art, knows to use the unit of the present art to fold the group rather, as done in the prior art, to disassemble the units by separating their interlocked sets.
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This embodiment of the system is a portable exercise mat for Yoga, Pilates, and other exercise regimens. The figure shows such a mat with a section lifted to illustrate the hinges 8. The new exercise mat is easily opened and closed while providing generous cushioning and support for the user. The embodiment may be comprised of material of any convenient thickness and resilience. The mat is non-wrinkling, and does not slip or deform while being used for extreme exercise positions.
The interlocks of the new exercise mats allow mat sizes to be customized by the practitioner for her unique physique, type of exercise, the space available for the mat in her class or home, the type of floor, for instance wood or stone, and other factors.
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The mat's closed rectangular shape fits easily under the user's arm with or without a handle, strap (illustrated in the image) or other carrying aid, and efficiently stacks with other items in a closet or trunk. The mats consume less space than rolled mats of similar thickness, resulting in cost reduction for inventory and shipping.
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This illustration demonstrates the portability of any size set of mats comprising units of the present invention.
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The new mats are enhanced by a variety of portability fasteners including but not limited to; magnets, snaps and/or hook-and-loop systems. This model shows a set of portability handles embedded in the ends of tiles (the interlocks are assumed in this model).
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Fasteners 11 on the faces which touch while the mat is in the portable state hold the faces to one another and are easily separated for use. A fastener system comprising magnets has the advantage, when present at the unit's working surfaces, of being smooth, durable, cleanable and comfortable to the user. Strap handles 9 allow the mat to be easily carried and used without peripheral accoutrements such as a bag or strap set. The hinges 10 in this particular embodiment are optionally comprised of alternating flexible bands 12. Since the purpose of this model was to specifically illustrate the functions of 9, 10,11 and 12, the interlocks are assumed but not shown.
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This illustration is a random configuration of endless chain interlocking units 43 further comprised of other types of interlocked units 42 assembled by their standard interlocks 3 in various combinations to efficiently integrate the units with furniture, other objects, and/or openings and irregularities in any surface of a structure, examples being vents, light fixtures, drains, windows, switching mechanisms, vehicle ports and doors. Such assemblies can include combinations of the present art and non-hinged units of the prior art.
Yet another benefit of the endless chain units is increased cleanliness; the reduced number of total surface penetrations in the endless chain units results in reduced penetration of dirt and cleaning materials through the tiled surface.
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This illustration shows an assembly of interlocked hinged sections wherein 13 is a typical hinge parallel to the tile edge. When unrolled, as on the right in the figure, the unit lays flat and hinged areas disappear both on the face 14 and along the edges 15.
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This shows a hinged interlocked tile with staggered hinges. The slits in the upward face are the staggered hinges 16.
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On this side of the hinged interlocked tile with staggered hinges, the hinges are invisible because they are only partially cut through from the opposing face.
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This view of a staggered hinge pattern shows how, by using many small separations 1 located near one another in a staggered pattern 16, the hingeing action takes place across the staggered sections normal to the tile faces 16 as well as at the inner surface of the roll 14, creating a zig-zag deformation pattern 27. Upon flexing of the tile, each hinge area deforms only slightly, thereby minimizing the stresses on each hinge, further allowing the interlocked unit to roll up and unroll to a flat state.
This embodiment (not illustrated) is a further development of the embodiment of
In this embodiment (not illustrated), the staggered hinges of
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This configuration is comprised of a laminate wherein a lamina 28 is contiguous across the interlocking unit's surface, and a substrate lamina 29 is comprised of the staggered hinge openings 16 which may optionally continue entirely through that same lamina.
The following illustrations show how the hinged interlocking units easily flex and remain in their curved forms, allowing the creation of simple or compound curved surfaces for permanent or temporary designs of, for example, insulation barriers, composite boat hulls, fence type barriers such as playpens and other enclosures, protective clothing, and toys.
Hinges of the curved forms are comprised of penetrations in the tile body. The patterns and shapes of the penetrations may be of any useful dimension and design.
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This illustration shows a tile with alternating, staggered hinges 16 with engaged interlocks 3. The alternating staggered hinges can be at any usable angle to the unit edges and in any functional or decorative arrangement.
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This illustration shows an embodiment of a tile comprised of sets of diagonal hinges 18, on a form optionally closed by engaging the interlocks 3.
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This illustration shows one possible combination of flexible or living hinges 18 at various angles to one another and to the interlocking unit's edges. In this example the unit is connected to itself by its own interlocks 3, creating one possible closed form.
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This illustration shows a helical, open form as only one of many configurations that are feasible with the multiple hinge embodiments. This embodiment comprises hinges parallel to the edge 13 with diagonal hinges 18.
Folding Interlocking Units with Hinges within the Interlock Elements
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This embodiment uses a combination of the rotational capacity of the flexible or living hinge, and the tendency of standard interlocks to rotate in a limited range without becoming disconnected. In the image, two interlocking units 44 with flexible or living hinges 1 close to the interlocks 46 are folded so to be stacked on one another. The flexible or living hinges 1 in the interlocking units 44 permit the interlock sets of the units to rotate into the folded position without the interlocks becoming separated.
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As in
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A: This embodiment is comprised of a unit wherein the interlock elements are themselves hinged 47. In the illustration, the new unit is interlocked with a standard unhinged unit of the prior art, located in the illustration beneath the ew. When the interlocked units are folded as in the illustration, the assembly remains engaged. B: When two units comprised of hinged interlock elements are folded, the hinged interlocks can rotate up to 180°, thereby enabling the respective interlocking units to completely fold onto one another without disengagement of the interlock elements.
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This embodiment permits groups of existing interlocking units of the prior art to fold without disassembling the individual units. The interlock strip can be of any useful width for separating the existing units, and can be used at any interlock boundary. The hinge pictured is only one example of the types of hinges that are usable for this embodiment.
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In this embodiment a narrow section of interlocked unit 48, here called a narrow connector, is, itself, used as the hinge by exploiting the quality of interlock sets to rotate within themselves without disconnecting. The width of the narrow connector between the interlock sets is sufficient for the connected standard interlocked units 42 to rotate and fold against one another. A and B are two examples of widths for the narrow connector. C: the units folded. D: The units opened onto a plane.
The following images are of tiles made of 10 mm thick EVA foam and shows one way of making a hinge by reducing the width of a flexible lamina in a narrow transverse section, that is, to between 1% of the full width of the lamina to the full width of the lamina. This process is usable on a wide range of tile types and materials.
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Where 19 is the hinge area.
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In this view of the tile of
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This illustration shows the state in which the tile section of
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This illustration shows the hinge face while the hinge is completely folded as in
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This image is a detail of an interlocked unit hinge wherein the width of the spacer 24 is as great or greater than twice the thickness of the tile 23. When the unit is folded in the directions of the arrows, the faces of the folded interlocked units 20, acting as hinge leaves, align compactly, generally parallel to one another as in the prior art of
On hinged interlocking units made of relatively inelastic flexible material, lining the joint faces with a film or tape of strong, flexible fabric, polymer or the like, provides hinge strength. Reinforcements can be anywhere in the hinge area, in any combination of reinforcement types, attached by adhesive, welding or other useful means.
This embodiment shows details of the hinge in
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In this embodiment detail, the hinge 26 is reinforced by a band 8 of material such as fabric, plastic or other flexible material adhered to the interlocked tile sections 20 by adhesive, rivets, staples or other means.
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This illustration shows the face opposite the hinge. On this face the hinge 26 is not visible.
Reinforcement Comprised of Hinges Interspersed with Standard Interlocks
This embodiment (not illustrated) is a hybrid of any of the hinges shown elsewhere in this application, with standard interlocks of the prior art interspersed at strategic locations across the hinged areas, resulting in a stronger overall joint.
In this embodiment, the hinges are built of alternate proximate bands of flexible material 49, thereby allowing the hinged interlock units to fold in both directions around the hinge point.
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Hinge with Single Flexible Interior Lamina
In this embodiment, the hinges are built of a single band of flexible material 49, thereby allowing the hinged interlock units to fold in both directions around the hinge point.
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This embodiment is the best mode. It is comprised of a flexible lamina 28 on one of the two faces of a hinged interlocking laminated unit, wherein the exterior lamina at the gap enables the two connected sections to fold over and lay flat against one another.
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A durable flexible lamina for a surface 28 is laminated to individual sectioned laminae 37. The shape of the sectioned laminae can include but are not limited to round, triangular, square and rectangular. 38 is the space between the individual parcels which can be from zero to any convenient size.
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In this embodiment, 30 is a core lamina, and 28 is a flexible exterior lamina which rotates at point 32 in the direction 33, allowing the tile to fold back on itself, thereby creating a stack of tiles. Lamina 34 is comprised of flexible or non-flexible materials selected to endure exterior forces, one example being washing materials such as, but not exclusively, liquids, and a sealer flap with a bead 35 on the flap's interior face which creates pressure when closed onto the core lamina 30 at area 36, thereby preventing cleaning fluids and other liquid or solid detritus from penetrating the crevices of the units. The flap and bead also create resistance between the flap and the core lamina which holds the units in a plane. Area 36 may also be formed by a planar alteration in the surface lamina 34, providing a durable seat for the sealer bead 35.
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These innovations in the shapes of the individual interlocks have many advantages including enhanced hinging action. As shown above, the interlocks are customized for the hingeing operation by configuring the interlock neck length 39 with respect to the unit's material thickness 23, thereby constraining the interlock male from rotating away and thereby disconnecting from the female.
Embodiment Comprising Hinges within the Interlock Elements
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This embodiment integrates the hinges into the interlock elements of the interlocking units. 40 shows typical engaged interlock elements with the hinges at the hinge interface 41.
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This is a view of the embodiment of
