Patent Grant
8881482
The present invention relates generally to synthetic sports flooring configurations assembled from a plurality of interlocking modular floor tiles, and more specifically to a modular flooring system configured to replace traditional concrete or asphalt slabs.
In recent years, the use of flooring configurations made of synthetic or artificial materials to form a flooring surface intended for sports play and other activities has grown in popularity. These synthetic flooring configurations are advantageous for several reasons. For instance, they are easily manufactured and typically formed of materials which are generally inexpensive and lightweight. Thus, if a portion of the flooring configuration becomes damaged, it may easily be removed and replaced at a cost significantly lower than more permanent sports play surfaces. Moreover, these synthetic flooring configurations are modular in nature and are easily removable as they are temporarily placed over a support base. If the entire flooring configuration needs to be relocated, for example, the individual floor tiles making up the flooring configuration can easily be detached from one another, relocated, and then re-assembled to form the flooring configuration in a new location.
The durable plastics from which these flooring configurations or overlayments are formed are long lasting, more so than the alternative traditional floors of asphalt and concrete that are made from primarily natural materials. Additionally, the synthetic material can provide for better performance characteristics, such as improved shock or impact absorption which reduces the likelihood of injury in the event of a fall. For example, the connections for each modular floor tile can even be specially engineered to absorb lateral forces to further reduce the chance of injury. Synthetic flooring configurations are further advantageous in that they generally require little maintenance as compared to non-synthetic flooring materials, such as hardwood boards, etc.
To construct a usable synthetic flooring configuration, a suitable support base is required. The support base provides many functions, namely to provide and maintain a level surface on which the flooring configuration may rest, and to provide a suitable support that resists buckling of the flooring configuration overlaid thereon. Support bases are typically constructed of concrete or asphalt, particularly if the synthetic flooring configuration to be overlaid on the support base is intended for use outdoors or in large indoor areas, such as recreational centers, gymnasiums, etc.
Although traditional support bases of concrete and asphalt are commonly used, there are several inherent difficulties associated with these. First, and foremost, these are permanent structures that require significant effort and expense to install. In addition, once installed, it is highly impractical from a cost and labor standpoint to remove and relocated these support bases in the event one desires to transport the overriding synthetic flooring configuration to a new location. Rather, upon removing and relocating the synthetic flooring configuration to a different site, the old support base is demolished and a new support base is typically constructed at the new location.
Moreover, it is not uncommon for the support base to comprise up to one half or more of the total cost of installing a synthetic flooring configuration, particularly if the support base requires retaining or reinforcement of any kind. This is one reason the cost for installations of synthetic flooring configurations can be high. Contributing to this are various fluctuations in material availability. In the aftermath of natural disasters or other unforeseeable events, for instance, common construction materials can be in short supply, thus driving costs even higher.
Considering international aspects, there are many countries in which concrete or asphalt is unavailable altogether. In these locations, concrete must be imported, which is much too cost prohibitive and impractical in most instances for a game court. In other countries, the technology needed to construct large slabs of concrete or asphalt is practiced or known by only a few, and equipment needed is either scarce or nonexistent.
Another significant problem centers around water drainage. In most instances, current support bases are impervious to water drainage, and therefore must comprise some degree of slope or grade to allow water to flow from its surface. Recently, the number of government covenants and/or regulations placing restrictions on the use of concrete and asphalt in urban areas has been on the rise, as the impervious slabs cause rain water to run off and feed into a storm water drainage system instead of being captured and absorbed locally into the surrounding ground surface.
In addition to the water drainage problems, many cities and counties have limited the construction of additional concrete or asphalt slabs for various other reasons, including maintenance and liability costs. This has significantly limited the number of play areas within certain locations, particularly in large cities where much of the landscape already comprises concrete or asphalt. Because of these restrictions, there are often people in these areas that do not have access to a play area or sports facility.
Traditional concrete and asphalt support bases are also very rigid and hard. They do not provide any degree of inherent flexibility or give, nor do they exhibit any impact absorption characteristics. Thus, any impact or other forces are required to be borne or absorbed solely by the overlying flooring configuration. As such, this has been a critical factor in the design of many synthetic flooring configurations.
Furthermore, concrete and asphalt are also very susceptible to cracking. As these slabs can often experience extreme weather conditions ranging from summer heat to winter snow, such conditions can have a detrimental effect on the concrete or asphalt surface, which can become irregular, inconsistent, and unusable over time.
Based on the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide a support base for a synthetic flooring configuration or overlayment that is less permanent and which can be easily relocated and installed at another location, that is relatively easy and inexpensive to install, that is able to better facilitate water drainage from the overriding overlayment, and which can include characteristics or properties that contribute to overall performance of the sports play surface, such as helping to reduce the likelihood of injury, etc.
In light of the problems and deficiencies inherent in the prior art, a modular sub-flooring system is provided for supporting an overlayment above a ground surface that includes a first sub-floor tile having a first substantially-flat top surface, and a second sub-floor tile adjacent the first sub-floor tile and having a second substantially-flat top surface. The sub-flooring system also includes at least one bridge connector coupled between the first and second sub-floor tiles to facilitate controlled relative lateral movement and to restrain relative vertical movement between the sub-floor tiles, while maintaining a substantially smooth top surface alignment across adjacent edges of the first and second top surfaces. While a sub-flooring assembly is specifically mentioned herein, it is important to note that any of the sub-floor tiles and related connecting members described in this application may be used as a primary flooring surface.
In accordance with another embodiment described herein, a modular sub-flooring system is provided for supporting an overlayment above a ground surface that includes a plurality of sub-floor tiles situated about a ground surface, with each sub-floor tile having a substantially-flat top surface that is adapted to receive and support an overlayment, and at least one connection interface with opposing engagement surfaces. The sub-flooring system further includes a plurality of removable bridge connectors, each tile connector having a plurality of tile interfaces having complimentary engagement surfaces that engage the opposing engagement surfaces of a connection interface. The sub-floor tiles and bridge connectors are configured so that the tile interfaces of the bridge connectors couple to the respective connection interfaces of the adjacent sub-floor tiles to restrain relative vertical movement in both directions and without anchoring to ground, and facilitate controlled relative lateral movement between the adjacent sub-floor tiles.
In accordance with yet another embodiment described herein, a synthetic sub-flooring system is provided for supporting an overlayment above a ground surface that includes a plurality of synthetic sub-floor tiles situated about a ground surface, with each sub-floor tile having a substantially-flat top surface adapted to receive and support an overlayment, and at least one connection interface. The sub-flooring system also includes a plurality of synthetic bridge connectors, with each bridge connector having a plurality of tile interfaces that are complimentary with the connection interfaces on the sub-floor tiles. Moreover, the tile interfaces of any bridge connector couple to the respective connection interfaces of any adjacent sub-floor tile and form a synthetic sub-flooring system having ball bounce characteristics that are substantially similar to concrete or asphalt.
In accordance with another embodiment described herein, a method is provided for installing an overlayment above a ground surface, which method includes installing a first sub-floor tile having a first substantially-flat top surface on a ground surface, and installing a second sub-floor tile having a second substantially-flat top surface on the ground surface adjacent the first sub-floor tile. The method also includes installing at least one bridge connector between the first and second sub-floor tiles which is adapted to facilitate controlled relative lateral movement while restraining relative vertical movement between the sub-floor tiles, and maintaining a substantially smooth top surface alignment between adjacent edges of the first and second top surfaces while allowing each sub-floor tile to individually tilt and conform to the ground surface. The method further includes installing the overlayment over the adjacent first and second top surfaces.
In accordance with yet another embodiment described herein, a method is provided for preparing a modular sub-flooring system for supporting an overlayment above an earthen ground surface. The method includes the steps of preparing an earthen ground surface to a substantially planar elevation, obtaining a plurality of sub-floor tiles, with each sub-floor tile having a substantially-flat top surface adapted to receive and support an overlayment and at least one connection interface with opposing engagement surfaces, and installing the plurality of sub-floor tiles adjacent to each other over the prepared earthen ground surface. The method also includes the steps of obtaining at least one removable bridge connector having a plurality of tile interfaces, with each tile interface having complimentary engagement surfaces that are connectable with the opposing engagement surfaces, and installing the at least one bridge connector between adjacent sub-floor tiles so that the opposing engagement surfaces interconnect with the complimentary engagement surfaces. The method further includes restraining relative vertical movement between the sub-floor tiles and allowing controlled relative lateral movement between the sub-floor tiles, while maintaining a substantially smooth top surface alignment across the plurality of sub-floor tiles despite a variation in angular orientation of any individual sub-floor tile.
In accordance with yet another embodiment described herein, a modular sub-flooring system is provided supporting an overlayment above a ground surface, which sub-flooring system includes a first sub-floor tile having a first substantially-flat top surface, a second sub-floor tile adjacent the first sub-floor tile having a second substantially-flat top surface, and a bridging means separate from the first and second sub-floor tiles and for connecting the first and second sub-floor tiles, wherein the bridging means is adapted to restrain relative vertical movement while facilitating controlled relative lateral movement between the adjacent sub-floor tiles.
In accordance with another embodiment described herein, a synthetic sports flooring system is provided for receiving and absorbing an impact force acting thereon. The sports flooring system includes an overlayment disposed about a sub-flooring system. The overlayment comprises a contact surface for receiving an impact force, and a force transfer element having a first impact absorbing characteristic, with the force transfer element absorbing at least a portion of the impact force and transferring a remainder of the impact force to the sub-flooring system. The sports flooring system further includes the sub-flooring system, which comprises a plurality of sub-floor tiles situated about a ground surface and a plurality of bridge connectors coupled between adjacent sub-floor tiles. Each sub-floor tile further comprises a generally-planar top surface supporting the overlayment thereon, and a plurality of brace members being a primary load bearing component and having a second impact absorbing characteristic. The bridge connectors are adapted to allow controlled relative lateral movement while restraining relative vertical movement between the adjacent sub-floor tiles. Additionally, the remainder of the impact force transferred from the overlayment is distributed primarily to the plurality of brace members of any sub-floor tile and not to an adjacent sub-floor tile.
Features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description that follows, and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings together illustrate, by way of example, features of the present invention. It will be readily appreciated that these drawings and their attendant descriptions merely depict representative embodiments of the invention and are not to be considered limiting of its scope, and that the components of the invention, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, could be arranged and designed in a variety of different configurations. Nonetheless, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:
The following detailed description makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof and in which are shown, by way of illustration, various representative embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. While these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, it should be understood that other embodiments can be realized and that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. As such, the following detailed description is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as it is claimed, but rather is presented for purposes of illustration, to describe the features and characteristics of the representative embodiments, and to sufficiently enable one skilled in the art to practice the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be defined solely by the appended claims.
Furthermore, the following detailed description and representative embodiments of the present invention will best understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the elements and features of the embodiments are designated by numerals throughout.
Illustrated in
During assembly of the sub-flooring system 10, complimentary connection interfaces on the bridge connectors and the sub-floor tiles engage with each other to form a non-rigid bridging interconnection 14 that restricts relative vertical movement between adjacent sub-floor tiles, and thereby maintains a substantially smooth top surface alignment across the adjacent edges 28 of the adjacent tiles. Thus, the modular sub-flooring system 10 provides a removable and replaceable base support structure with a substantially smooth top surface 12 that is suitable for supporting an overlayment 6, such as a synthetic sports flooring configuration assembled from a plurality of interlocking modular floor tiles 8. Both the bridge connectors 80 and the sub-floor tiles 20 can be made from a durable plastic or similar synthetic material, including but not limited to any plastic, rubber, foam, concrete, epoxy, fiberglass, or other synthetic or composite material. Furthermore, both the bridge connectors 80 and the sub-floor tiles 20 can be formed using any manufacturing process familiar to one of skill in the art for forming plastic, synthetic and/or composite parts, including but not limited to injection-molding, compression-molding, thermoforming, extrusion, casting, resin impregnation or transfer-molding processes, etc. The plastic or synthetic material can be configured with a pre-determined modulus of elasticity and coefficient of thermal expansion to control the impact absorption and thermal expansion characteristics of each individual sub-floor tile and for the overall sub-flooring system 10. In one aspect, moreover, the synthetic material can include one or more recycled components which can reduce costs and result in a more environmentally-benign sub-flooring system.
In addition to restricting relative vertical movement, the non-rigid bridging interconnection 14 facilitates controlled relative lateral movement between the sub-floor tiles. This capacity for controlled lateral movement can be provided by a plurality of first clearance gaps 18 between the vertical surfaces of the bridging interconnection that are sufficiently large to accommodate small lateral movements between adjacent sub-floor tiles, such as those movements caused by thermal expansion and contraction, shifts in the underlying ground surface 2, and from impacts or steady-state forces transferred from the overlayment above.
For example, the first clearance gaps 18 in the bridging interconnection 14 can allow each sub-floor tile to expand or contract within its own footprint without becoming bound within the coupling interface. This can be advantageous, as the capacity to accommodate the thermal expansion of the sub-floor tiles on hot summer days serves to eliminate or substantially reduce any heat-induced buckling of the sub-flooring system that can mar or disrupt the smooth playing surface of the overlayment 6. Likewise, the capacity to accommodate the thermal contraction during cold winter nights can eliminate or substantially reduce any tensile loading placed on the various connection interfaces when the sub-floor tiles pull away from each other, and which could otherwise result in cracking and/or breakage of the stressed parts.
The non-rigid bridging interconnection 14 between the sub-floor tiles and the bridge connectors can be configured to maintain the top surface alignment despite variations in the underlying ground surface 2, while still allowing impact forces received by any individual sub-floor tile 20 to be primarily absorbed and distributed to ground by the same sub-floor tile. Thus, the modular sub-flooring system 10 can provide a performance similar to that of concrete or asphalt by absorbing and distributing impact forces received from the overlayment 6 substantially directly to ground 2 and not to an adjacent sub-floor tile.
The bridging interconnections 14 can be configured to restrict the relative vertical movement between adjacent sub-floor tiles without additional anchoring to ground, so that the entire sub-flooring system 10 can “float” laterally over the ground surface 2. As used therein, the term float signifies that the sub-flooring system does not use or require an anchoring device (such as a stake, etc.) to secure the sub-flooring system to the ground surface. Instead, the friction forces and/or the physical engagement between the bottom of the sub-floor tiles and the ground surface can be sufficient to hold the sub-flooring system 10 in place during use, but which can still allow the sub-flooring system to expand, contract or shift as a body over the ground surface 2 if necessary.
In turn, the overlayment may or may not be anchored to the sub-flooring system 10 which supports the overlayment 6 from below. In the situations where it is not anchored, the overlayment can also “float” laterally over the sub-flooring system's top surface 12, in which case friction forces between the sub-flooring system and the overlayment can secure the overlayment in place, while still allowing for relative lateral movement between the sub-flooring system 10 and overlayment 6 during thermal cycling caused by different structural designs and/or different coefficients of thermal expansion.
As also shown in
Illustrated in
The sub-floor tile 20 may also include one or more second connection interfaces 50 that engage with mirroring second connection interfaces on adjacent sub-floor tiles to form the non-rigid alignment interconnection. The interface can also be configured so that an upper edge portion of any sub-floor tile does not extend over a lower edge portion of an adjacent sub-floor tile. Stated differently, a lower edge portion of any sub-floor tile may not overlaid by a center or upper edge portion of an adjacent sub-floor tile, such as would be the arrangement with in a tongue-and-groove or similar overlapping-type interconnection. This aspect can allow each sub-floor tile to be individually removable along a vertical axis and without removing or disturbing an adjacent sub-floor tile.
In the representative sub-floor tile of
As illustrated in
In contrast to the prepared ground surfaces, an unprepared ground surface can comprise an un-modified layer of dirt, grass, clay, sand or aggregate, etc., that includes minor contours or natural undulations in the surface which can be accommodated by the non-rigid and somewhat flexible interconnections between the sub-floor tiles that allow each tile to tilt relative to an adjacent tile. However, it may be appreciated that the minor contours and undulations can be smoothed and leveled over time by the combined weight of the sub-floor tiles, the overlayment, and the applied forces and impacts that are distributed to the ground surface by the sub-floor tiles.
In one aspect of the modular sub-flooring system, both the sidewalls 26 and the perimeter-defining support ribs 78 running underneath and parallel to the outer edges or sidewalls of the sub-floor tile 20 can extend all the way to the ground surface, so as to provide maximum support along the outer perimeter edges of each sub-floor tile 20. In another aspect of the modular sub-flooring system, however, the perimeter-defining support ribs 78 can be set-back a distance “D1” from the sidewalls 26. This set-back can provide more space directly underneath the outer edges and second connection interface for shifting or displacement of the ground surface, as well as lift the bottom edge of the sidewalls a distance D2 above the ground surface. This additional space can reduce the likelihood that any material or particulate matter will be caught up or captured in the second clearance gap 68 between adjacent sub-floor tiles, and which could restrict the intended range of movement of the sub-floor tile and/or the flexibility of the modular sub-flooring system. Nevertheless, the underlying support ribs 72 running laterally outward and perpendicular to any outer edge can also extend all the way to each sidewall, so as to provide the top surface 22 with complete support from edge-to-edge.
A distinct advantage of the modular sub-flooring system described herein is the capability to provide a support base for an overlayment or synthetic sports flooring configuration that performs substantially similar to the more-traditional concrete or asphalt slabs in many respects, but which is also easily removable and replaceable while providing a higher margin of safety against falls and impacts. For example, one performance parameter which factors into the selection of any particular support base is “ball bounce”. For the purposes of this application, ball bounce can be defined as the ability of a bouncing ball released from a height above the flooring to bounce and return to a level that is below but substantially close to the release height, taking into consideration the effects of friction and energy lost during the elastic deformation of the ball as it contacts the flooring. Although both the deformable ball and a layer of synthetic or hardwood flooring can provide a certain level of elastic response, structural factors contributing to ball bounce can include the stiffness and/or elastic response provided by the sub-flooring system which supports the overlying flooring configuration, and whether the entire flooring system (both the sub-flooring and the sports play overlayment) is sufficiently stiff to allow the ball to spring back upwards with a minimal amount of damping and energy absorption.
The ball-bounce parameter can be high with the traditional outdoor sports play surfaces made entirely of concrete or asphalt, but with the obvious detriment of a hard, unyielding top surface which raises the risk of an injury. A suspended indoor sports flooring system having a surface made of hardwood or similar material can provide a cushioning effect that also reduces the chance of injury, but can only be used indoors. A synthetic sports flooring designed for indoor/outdoor use over concrete or asphalt can also provide some the injury-saving cushioning along with an underlying stiffness that supports a high ball bounce. However, as stated above, pouring a permanent concrete or asphalt base as a sub-flooring layer for the synthetic sports flooring surface can be prohibitively expensive.
It has been discovered by the inventors that the modular sub-flooring system described herein can provide a synthetic flooring system with a ball bounce parameter that is substantially similar to that provided by concrete alone, while simultaneously offering significant improvement in impact absorption over a bare concrete surface and sports play surfaced comprised of a synthetic tile on concrete. As shown in Table 1 below, a percentage ball bounce measurement for the modular sub-flooring system in comparison to concrete can be obtained using a modified ASTM F2772-09 test, entitled the “Standard Specification for Athletic Performance Properties of Indoor Sports Floor Systems”, while a critical fall height measurement can be obtain using a modified ASTM F1292-09 test, entitled the “Standard Specification for Impact Attenuation of Surfacing Materials within the Use Zone of Playground Equipment”.
Referring now to the first data column in Table 1, the percentage ball bounce of a simple concrete pad is 100%, while the ball bounce of a representative synthetic tile “A” on concrete is 100.1%. Depending on the thickness and type of sub-surface material used to support the sub-floor, the ball bounce measurement for the same synthetic floor tile “A” on the Modular Sub-Flooring System (“MSF System”) can provide a ball bounce that is between 99% and 101.5% that of concrete alone, illustrating that a synthetic flooring system comprised of any overlayment installed over the modular sub-flooring system can provide a ball bounce performance that is substantially similar to the representative synthetic tile “A” on concrete. As can also be seen, the modular sub-flooring system described herein can also provide the synthetic flooring system with an impact absorption performance that ranges from a 79% to a 102% improvement over the same representative synthetic tile “A” on concrete.
It is thought that the reasons for the enhanced performance of the modular sub-flooring system include, at least in part, the overall height of the individual modular sub-floor tiles, the thickness and uniform spacing of the underlying support ribs, and the thickness of the top panel of the sub-floor tile, as well as the improved connection between the ground surface and the individual sub-floor tile that allows an impact force imparted to the top of any sub-floor tile to be transferred directly to ground by that tile, and not to an adjacent sub-floor tile through an interlocking interface.
With regards to the sub-floor tile 20 illustrated in
The non-rigid bridging interconnection 14 between the first connection interface 30 (formed into the sub-floor tile 20) and the tile connection interface 90 (formed into the bridge connector 80) is shown in more detail in
As shown in
In a cross-sectional view taken along Section Line C-C and depicted in
Both engagement interfaces of the bridging interconnection 14 can be seen in the cross-sectional view taken along Section Line D-D and depicted in
Referring back to
In one aspect the bridge connector 80 can be made from a moderately bendable or flexible synthetic material that permits each arm 84 of the bridge connector to flex slightly. This flexibility can allow the bridging interconnection 14 to restrain the relative vertical movement between the sub-floor tiles in a non-rigid manner while continuing to maintain a substantially smooth top surface alignment across adjacent edges and despite any variations in the angular orientation or tilt of the individual sub-floor tiles.
Also illustrated in
Again referring back to
Illustrated with more detail in
The interconnecting puzzle pieces 52 can be sized so that the tabs 54 fits loosely within the cut-outs 60 to maintain the second clearance gap 68 between the sidewalls 26 and second connection interfaces 50 of the sub-floor tiles 20a, 20b. The second clearance gap can be complimentary with the plurality of first clearance gaps found in the bridging interconnection, and can also provide for the thermal expansion and contraction of the individual sub-floor tiles with their own footprints and without binding against the sidewalls of an adjacent tile. In a representative embodiment, the second clearance gap can range from 1/16 inch up to and including 5/16 inch, and may vary along the sides of the sub-floor tile. For instance, the clearance gap between outer walls of the tabs 54 and the inner walls of the cut-outs 60 may be greater or less than the clearance gap between adjacent sidewalls 26, it so desired.
As an additional benefit, the clearance gap 68 separating the sub-floor tiles 20a. 20b can also provide a drainage path to ground for rainwater and other liquids which may flow downwards from a permeable overlayment, such as a synthetic sports flooring configuration with a porous upper surface. The clearance gap can also provide a limited volume for the temporary storage of the rainwater until it can evaporate or be absorbed by the ground surface. Drain holes 48 formed through the top surfaces 22 of the sub-floor tiles 20a, 22b can also provide drainage paths to the underlying ground surface.
Also illustrated in
Likewise, the bridge connectors 80 can also assemble to the sub-floor tiles 20 along a vertical axis (see
It is to be appreciated, however, that in some embodiments the bridge connector may be substantially non-removable from the sub-floor tiles after installation, and can be locked into position using a variety of self-locking structures or auto-locking devices, etc. The may be desirable so as to preclude the unauthorized disassembly of the sub-flooring system or to build a lower-cost sub-flooring system that is substantially disposable, etc.
Also shown in
In accordance with the representative embodiment of the modular sub-flooring system shown in
In accordance with another representative embodiment,
Each sub-floor tile 120 has a top surface 122 that supports the overlying sports flooring configuration, a bottom plane 124 that interfaces with the ground surface 102, and a plurality of brace members 126 that form the primary load bearing structure between the top surface of the sub-floor tile and the ground surface. The plurality of brace members is configured with a sub-flooring impact-absorbing characteristic which can absorb impact forces transferred from the overlying sports flooring configuration. In the representative sub-flooring system 110 described above, the plurality of brace members 126 can be a grid of intersecting support ribs coupled to or integrally-formed with the underside surface of the flat panel that provides the top surface 122 of the sub-floor tile 120, and with the bottom edges of the support ribs defining the bottom plane 124 of the sub-floor tile.
During assembly the sub-floor tiles 120 can be loosely aligned together using an alignment interface, such as the pair of complimentary puzzle pieces described in previous embodiments, or may simply be placed next to each other over the ground surface 102. The plurality of modular sub-floor tiles are then coupled together with a plurality of bridge connectors 180 to create the non-rigid bridging interconnections 114 between adjacent sub-floor tiles that facilitate controlled relative lateral movement while restraining relative vertical movement between adjacent sub-floor tiles. Thus, the bridge connectors 180 can operate to maintain a substantially smooth top surface 122 alignment across adjacent sub-floor tile edges 128 even when, for example, the sub-floor tile is located over a supporting ground surface 102 having surface variations or undulations, or where portions of the ground surface have been removed in a wash-out 104, etc.
A variety of overlayments can be installed over the modular sub-flooring system 110 to form various embodiments of the completed flooring system 100 described herein, including one or more layers of segmented or rollable padding, indoor/outdoor carpet, artificial grass, AstroTurf™, padded athletic mats (e.g. such as those as used for gymnastics), artificial track surfaces, etc., as well as a variety of natural and artificial flooring configurations. Although the modular sub-flooring system 110 may be particularly suitable for supporting sports flooring configurations, nothing should be construed from the detailed description and accompanying drawings as limiting the use and application of modular sub-flooring system to the specific flooring configurations described herein. Indeed, it is to be appreciated that the modular sub-flooring system 110 can serve as a replacement for any flooring configuration support system, including concrete, asphalt, brick, ceramics, plastics, wood, metal, and/or prepared ground surfaces, etc., and which provide a smooth and uniform support surface for a wide variety of flooring overlayments.
Nonetheless, as illustrated in
Similar in some respects to the modular sub-flooring system below, the modular sports flooring tiles 140 have a top or contact surface 142 configured to interact with the players and/or bouncing balls and receive impacts thereon, a base plane 144 for contacting and being supported by the sub-flooring system 110, and an intermediate structure or force transfer element 146 having its own flooring impact-absorbing characteristic. Thus, the force transfer element absorbs at least a portion 162 of an impact force 160 imparted to the contact surface and transfers the remainder 164 to the sub-flooring system below. In the representative sports flooring configuration described above, for instance, the force transfer element 146 can comprise an array of supporting ribs and posts that flex to absorb the first portion of an impact face while transferring the remainder of the impact force to the top surface 122 of the sub-floor tile 120 below. In turn, after being received by the underlying sub-floor tile 120 the remainder of the impact force 164 is absorbed by the impact-absorbing characteristic of the plurality of brace members 126 and/or transferred to ground.
In one aspect illustrated in
The non-rigid bridging interconnection 114 created between the sub-floor tiles 120 and the bridge connectors 180 can include a clearance gap 128a separating adjacent sub-floor tiles that facilitates the controlled relative lateral movement between the sub-floor tiles. Although the bridging interconnection operates to maintain the top surface 122 alignment across adjacent edges 128 despite variations in the underlying ground surface 104, the internal lateral play in the interconnection and the flexibility of the bridge connector 180 itself may combine to limit the transfer of impact forces across tile boundaries to an adjacent sub-floor tile, further defining each sub-floor tile as an impact isolation panel. As shown with impact force 160 in
The representative synthetic sports flooring configuration 132 made from a plurality of interlocking modular floor tiles 140 can also have joints 148a, 148b which open and close slightly in response to minor changes in the surrounding environment. In one aspect the overlayment 130 may not be anchored to the sub-flooring system 110 and instead may be free to “float” laterally over the sub-flooring system's top surface. Thus, differences in the coefficients of thermal expansion between the sub-flooring system and overlayment can also be accommodated by allowing the entire overlayment 130 to shift back and forth over the sub-flooring system 110 as it responds to larger swings in the surrounding ambient temperature.
Referring now to
The method also includes the step of installing 206 one or more bridge connectors between the sub-floor tiles to form a non-rigid bridging interconnection that facilitates controlled relative lateral movement while restraining relative vertical movement between the sub-floor tiles. The bridge connector can also assemble to the sub-floor tiles along a vertical axis, and without a horizontal motion component, so that any individual bridge connector can be attached to or removed without the lateral displacement of the sub-floor tiles to which it interconnects.
The method also includes the step of maintaining 208 a substantially smooth top surface alignment between the adjacent edges of the first and second top surfaces while allowing each sub-floor tile to individually tilt and conform to undulations in the ground surface. In one aspect the capability for the individual sub-floor tiles to tilt with respect to each other is provided by a plurality of first clearance gaps between the vertical surfaces of the bridging interconnection that are sufficiently large to accommodate small lateral movements between the adjacent sub-floor tiles, such as those caused by thermal expansion and contraction, shifts in the underlying ground surface, and from impacts or steady-state forces transferred from the overlayment above.
The method further includes the step of installing 210 installing an overlayment over the adjacent first and second top surfaces. Many types of overlayments can be used with the first and second sub-floor tiles pre-assembled together with one or more bridge connectors, as described above, to form a modular sub-flooring system. However, the sub-flooring system may be particularly suitable for supporting a sports flooring configuration assembled from a plurality of interlocking synthetic modular floor tiles. Thus, the modular sub-flooring system and the sports flooring overlayment can together form a flooring system that is suitable particularly for sports play involving bouncing balls and/or the player-related impacts and forces that result from running, sliding, falling, jumping, landing and braking, etc.
Illustrated in
The method 250 also includes obtaining 258 one or more removable bridge connectors having a plurality of tile interfaces, and with each tile interface having complimentary engagement surfaces connectable with the opposing engagement surfaces, and installing 260 the bridge connector(s) between adjacent sub-floor tiles so that the opposing engagement surfaces of the tiles interconnect with the complimentary engagement surfaces of the connectors. In one aspect the bridge connector(s) can assemble to the sub-floor tiles along a vertical axis, and without a horizontal motion component, so that any individual bridge connector can be attached to or removed without the lateral displacement of the sub-floor tiles. Moreover, the plurality of sub-floor tiles can also be assembled together along the vertical axis to facilitate the individual removal and replacement of any sub-floor tile without displacement of the adjacent sub-floor tile.
The method 250 further includes restraining 262 the relative vertical movement while allowing for the controlled relative lateral movement between the sub-floor tiles, and maintaining a substantially smooth top surface alignment across the plurality of sub-floor tiles despite a variation in the angular orientation of any individual sub-floor tile.
Referring back to
The modular sub-floor tiles 310 of the sub-flooring system 300 can also include a second connection interface 316, such as a pair of puzzle pieces, that forms a non-rigid alignment interconnection 308 between adjacent sub-floor tiles, and which facilitates the alignment and placement of the sub-floor tiles 310 adjacent to each other on the ground surface and prior to the attachment of the bridge connectors 320. Also similar to the previous embodiment described above, the alignment interconnection 308 of the modular sub-flooring system 300 can be configured with a second clearance gap 328 between the sidewalls and puzzle pieces of the sub-floor tiles that maintains the controlled relative lateral movement provided by the bridging interconnection 304. Moreover, the clearance gap 328 separating the sides of the sub-floor tiles can also provide a drainage path to ground, as well as a limited volume for the temporary storage of liquids before they can be absorbed by the ground surface.
Shown in
Like the modular-sub flooring systems described above, the non-rigid bridging interconnection 346 can include enough internal lateral clearance within the engagement slots and between the quarter-circle recesses and the round body 342 of the bridge connector to allow controlled relative lateral movement while still restraining relative vertical movement between the sub-floor tiles 332. Unlike the previous sub-flooring systems, however, the sub-floor tiles shown in
Shown in
Upon assembly the upper cam 366 and lower cam 376 can engage with each other to restrict relative vertical movement between adjacent sub-floor tiles 352 while at the same time allowing for the controlled relative lateral movement and pivoting movement between the tiles. Thus, the non-rigid bridging interconnection 378 operates to maintain a substantially smooth top surface alignment between adjacent edges or corners of the top surfaces while still allowing each sub-floor tile to individually tilt and conform to the ground surface and/or expand or contract in place in response to variations in the ambient temperature. Even though the tile connector 360 is assembled in part from below, it still may be considered a bridge-style connector that bridges the gap between adjacent sub-floor tiles as it operates without an anchor or connection to ground to restrict relative vertical movement between the tiles in both directions.
During assembly of the sub-flooring system 380 (see
As can be seen in the several embodiments described and illustrated above, a variety of first connection interfaces can be formed into the corners of the sub-floor tiles and coupled with various types of corner bridge connectors to form an assembled sub-flooring system. However, it is to be appreciated that the first connection interface is not restricted to the corner location, but may also be formed into the sidewalls or at any location around the periphery of the individual sub-floor tiles.
Shown in the embodiment 400 of the modular sub-flooring system illustrated in
Like the modular-sub flooring systems with corner tile connectors described above, the non-rigid bridging interconnection 416 of the modular sub-flooring system 400 shown in
A bridging interconnection 436 having a different structure yet providing a similar performance can be seen in the modular sub-flooring system 420 of
After insertion into the connection interface 424 the bridge connector 430 can be rotated (see
Illustrated in
Using a pair of thru-holes 452 formed into the tile connector that align with one pair of attachment holes 448 below, one side of the tile connector can be secured with fasteners (not shown) into the rectangular recess (e.g. the first connection interface) of one sub-floor tile while the other side loosely projects into the rectangular recess of the adjacent sub-floor tile. This can creates a tile interconnection 456 that, unlike the bridging interconnections described above, restrains the relative vertical movement between the sub-floor tiles 442 in one direction only. However, with tile connectors 452 alternately secured to any sub-floor tile and its adjacent sub-floor tiles and across all four sidewalls, the plurality of tile interconnections 456 can tend to restrict relative vertical motion in both directions. Moreover, if two first connection interfaces 444 are formed into the same edge, and with two tile connectors 450 spanning the same edge being alternately secured to either sub-floor tile and projecting into the rectangular recesses of the other (not shown), the two tile interconnections 456 will operate together to restrain relative vertical motion between the sub-floor tiles in both directions.
The size of the tile connectors 450 relative to the size of the rectangular recesses 446 forming the first connection interface 444 can also be configured to establish a first clearance gap 458 between the outer edges of the bridge connector and the interior edges of the recess, thereby facilitating controlled lateral movement between the sub-floor tiles.
Shown in
During assembly, the transverse bars 478 can align with the transverse slots 468 to laterally locate the sub-floors tiles 462 relative to each other, and allow the edge skirts 476 of one sub-floor 462 tile to be inserted into the edge pockets 466 of one or more adjacent sub-floor tiles positioned over the ground surface. Furthermore, the size of the skirts 476 relative to the size of the pockets 466 can be configured to establish a lateral clearance gap between the outer surfaces of the skirts and the interior edges of the pockets, thereby facilitating controlled lateral movement between the sub-floor tiles.
A bridging interconnection 494 having a yet different structure than those described and illustrated above, but which still provides a similar performance for restraining relative vertical movement while facilitating controlled lateral movement between adjacent sub-floor tiles, can be seen in the modular sub-flooring system 480 of
Illustrated in
The interconnecting puzzle pieces 552 can be sized so that the tabs 554 fits loosely within the cut-outs 560 to maintain the side clearance gap 568 between the sidewalls 526 and side connection interfaces 550 of the sub-floor tiles 520 (see
As an additional benefit, the clearance gap 568 separating the sub-floor tiles 520 can also provide a drainage path to ground for rainwater and other liquids which may flow downwards from a permeable overlayment, such as a synthetic sports flooring configuration with a porous upper surface. The clearance gap can also provide a limited volume for the temporary storage of the rainwater until it can evaporate or be absorbed by the ground surface. Drain holes 548 formed through the top surfaces 522 of the sub-floor tiles 520 can also provide drainage paths to the underlying ground surface.
Illustrated in
With reference now to
Methods of surface modification include after-mold coating, mechanical abrasion, or molded texturing. In one aspect of the invention, shown on
A top surface 522 of the tile may be subjected to mechanical abrasion creating grooves 550 and/or protrusions 551 raised off of the surface 522 of the tile. The grooves 550 and protrusions 551 may be variable across the surface of the tile or may be disposed in a repeating pattern. Advantageously, the top surface 522 of the tile provides for enhanced traction which may be useful if the tile is used as a primary flooring surface. Alternatively, if the tile is used as a sub-floor, the enhanced traction assists in limiting movement of a primary floor overlaid the sub-floor without securing the primary floor to the sub-floor. In this manner, where the primary floor comprises a plurality of interconnected tiles, sudden movements on the surface of the primary floor will not disconnect interconnected tiles as there is some give between the primary floor and the sub-floor. However, there is sufficient friction to minimize substantial lateral movement of the primary floor atop the surface of the sub-floor.
In yet another aspect of the invention, molds for the tiles themselves may be configured such that grooves and/or protrusions 555 are created on the surface of the tile to enhance traction. The protrusions 555 may be oriented in a randomized manner or may be disposed in a specific pattern as shown on
Referring now to
Referring now to
As noted in preceding sections of this application, any of the tile configurations disclosed herein may be used as a primary flooring component as well as a sub-floor as suits a particular application. For example, in some situations, it may be desirable to have a rigid, durable, primary modular flooring system with the benefits and advantages associated with the sub-floor described herein. For example, it may be desirable to have a rigid modular flooring system for use as a temporary parking strip for heavy machinery. It may not be desirable to install a more permanent surface (such as a concrete surface) that would otherwise be necessary to properly store and maneuver such objects and smaller, less rigid primary flooring configurations would not function as desired. The rigid flooring system described herein (see e.g.,
Advantageously, the rigid, relatively thick construction of the tile configurations disclosed herein are useful for the outdoor storage of items with a high payload. It is believed that the tiles described herein are capable of withstanding loads as high as 80,000 pounds per square foot without plastic deformation of the tiles. Additionally, as described above and shown in the attendant figures, the understructure of the tiles comprises a plurality of cavities ranging in width from 1 to 4 inches in width. The cavities provide an “auto-leveling” function in that minor irregularities in the surface over which tiles are placed can be contained within the cavities. In this manner, the top surface of the tiles remains planar even in areas where the sub-base is not.
While various representative embodiments of a modular flooring and sub-flooring system have been described herein, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, but includes any and all embodiments having modifications, omissions, combinations (e.g., of aspects across various embodiments), adaptations and/or alterations as would be appreciated by those skilled in the art based on the foregoing detailed description. The limitations in the claims are to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims and not limited to examples described in the foregoing detailed description or during the prosecution of the application, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive. For example, steps recited in the method or process claims may be executed in any order and are not limited to the order presented in the claims. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined solely by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the descriptions and examples given above.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/774,487 filed on May 5, 2010 now U.S. Pat. No. 8,683,769, and entitled “Modular Sub-Flooring System” which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/297,510, filed Jan. 22, 2010, and entitled “Modular Sub-Flooring System”, which applications are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 20130167458 A1 | Jul 2013 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61297510 | Jan 2010 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 12774487 | May 2010 | US |
| Child | 13544241 | US |
