Patent Application
20090266010
The subject invention generally relates to pre-fabricated deck, floor, and wall panels. More particularly, the subject invention relates to a modular deck, floor, and wall panel which can be utilized with a sub-structure for the construction of a deck or other flooring applications.
The prevalence of exterior decks or other similar outdoor platform structures has been on the increase for a number of years. These types of structures are often utilized to provide increased usable outdoor living space for both entertainment and relaxation purposes. The complexity of exterior decks or similar structures has also increased and with that increased complexity, the cost to construct the structures has also increased.
For years, deck structures have been constructed of standard dimensional wood products such as those derived from cedar or pine. The construction of a typical deck structure includes the placement of vertical columns or posts into the ground, typically supported or anchored on a concrete pier and having a portion of the column or post extending vertically above the ground. The sub-structure also includes horizontally disposed beams which are connected to the columns or posts to support the horizontal beams above the ground, in addition, it is also common to provide a number of horizontal joists which are parallel to and uniformly spaced apart from one another and anchored to the beams. Lastly, a deck or floor surface is typically disposed perpendicularly to the joists to create a useable horizontal surface. Historically, the decking material has been common dimensional lumber such as pine. This type of decking material typically requires periodic maintenance to maintain the color and integrity of the material. For example, the periodic high pressure cleaning, bleaching, and/or application of a water resistant stain or sealant may need to be applied in order to prevent the deck from discoloring and/or degrading as a consequence of being exposed to rain, snow, sun, insects, and micro-organisms, such as fungus, mildew, and/or mold.
Alternatively, decks or similar platforms can be constructed utilizing a chemically treated wood product which inhibit the effects of water and micro-organism activity within the decking. The most common chemically treated wood product is chromated copper arsenic (CCA) or “pressure-treated” lumber in which the CCA is incorporated under pressure into the wood product by the manufacturer of the wood product prior to sale to a consumer. Use of CCA is not without issue. When CCA treated wood is cut, CCA treated particles, such as in sawdust, are released and become a health hazard working in the immediate area. Typically, those working with CCA treated lumber are advised to wear some form of respirator or mask in order to prevent the inhalation of CCA. Additionally, the chemicals used to treat these types of wood products can be absorbed through the skin, can come into contact with food products, and can leach out of the treated wood product and into the surrounding environment, such as soil, where it can present both an environmental and health hazard.
In order to overcome many of the limitations associated with wood deck materials and also to construct decks or similar wood platforms which require less maintenance or upkeep, synthetic or hybrid deck products have been developed. The most well known product of this type is sold under the trademark TREX®. This product is made from a combination of reclaimed wood and plastic that is manufactured to give the appearance of traditional wood decking. However, in addition to being expensive, it is thought by many to have an unnatural appearance. Also, because of the properties of the product itself, i.e., its high density, this type of product is heavy which makes it both difficult to handle and also expensive to transport adding to the high price of the product.
Another disadvantage associated with traditional deck and platform structures results from the labor associated with applying narrow strips of deck material to cover large areas of the sub-structure supporting the deck or platform. Modular deck systems are well-known in the art. These systems are typically prefabricated wood panels which are affixed to a sub-structure to create a deck. Often, these prefabricated panels are constructed having individual boards secured together to form a single panel. These larger prefabricated panels can be affixed to a substructure much more quickly and with less labor requirements than is required for constructing a similarly sized traditional deck. U.S. Pat. No. 6,804,923 discloses a prefabricated modular deck system which is representative of the state of the prior art. These types of prefabricated panels are, in and of themselves, labor intensive and costly to construct as the individual decking boards must still be attached to form the modular member often requiring the use of fasteners, clips, or other elaborate methods of fixation. Additionally, prefabricated panels constructed in this manner are often heavy, making them difficult to handle and expensive to transport. Accordingly, it would be desirable and advantageous to have a prefabricated decking panel which is resistant to the elements, is a low cost alternative for traditional or synthetic decking materials, is easily attached to support structures, is low maintenance, easy to install, and is lightweight making it both easy to handle and to transport.
A modular panel is disclosed. The panel comprises a first member including a top surface and a bottom surface; an optional second member joined to the bottom surface of the first member; at least two reinforcing elements integrally disposed on the bottom surface of the first member or on the second member; at least two elements integrally disposed on the second member for affixing and/or aligning the modular panel to at least two support members, each support member including a top surface; and a support flange integrally disposed about the periphery of the first member for engaging the top surface of the support member.
Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
Referring to
Referring now to
The element or lug 32 can include at least two and preferably four discrete fixation elements 32 disposed at desired portions on the second panel 26 member such as at its corners (as shown in
Alternatively, other type of fasteners can be utilized such as a clip 50 as shown in
The side member 52 also includes a plurality of resilient retention fingers 58 which, upon contact with a panel assembly 10 during installation thereof, are resiliency deflected away from the element or lug 32 when engaged by the fixation element 32 and the retention fingers 58 move back toward their original position to resiliently engage and retain the panel assembly 10 to the substructure 12 or joist 14. The clips 50 retain the panels 10 by physically engaging the panels 10 and retaining the panels 10 in between adjacent joists 14 as shown in
The retention fingers 58 are disposed in such a manner that upon engagement with the panel assembly 10, each finger 58 can be biased away from the element or lug 32 to allow for the panel assembly 10 to be inserted between adjacent joists 14 and, at the same time, remain in contact with the element or lug 32 to secure the panel assembly 10 to the substructure 12 or joist 14.
Further, the retention fingers 58 are disposed in an orientation which allows the panel assembly 10 to be easily inserted in between two adjacent joists 14, this orientation also prevents the panel assembly 10 from being removed upon the application of a force in the direction opposite to the direction of insertion.
The clips 50 can be made of any material suitable for providing the resilient properties described above. Preferably, the clip 50 can be constructed from a non-corrosive metal such as stainless steel or other corrosion resistant materials such as zinc-treated steel. Also, the clip 50 can be made of plastic materials including polypropylene.
Each fixation element or lug 13 is preferably disposed so that it contacts adjacent support members hoists) 16 of the sub-structure 12 to allow for both fixation of the modular panel 10, to align the modular panel 10 between adjacent joists 14 of the sub-structure 12, and to provide uniform spacing between adjacent panels 10 further facilitating the rapid installation of the modular panels 10 and enhancing the strength and integrity of the entire deck assembly.
Referring to
Referring to
The additional layer 42 can be a separate layer or sheet applied to the top panel member or can be applied by spraying, lamination, or by other known means for applying a layer having the desired properties to the top surface 22 of the first panel member 20.
The modular panel assembly 10 can further include a heating element 43 disposed between either the first panel member 20 and the second panel member 26, as shown in
Referring to
As described above, each modular panel 10 can be formed of a first or top panel member 20 and a second bottom panel member 26. The top panel member 20 and the bottom panel member 26 can be constructed of thermoplastic material suitable for thermoforming or a metal material suitable for stamping and welding. The material can include thermoplastic olefin, polyethylene, polypropylene, combinations thereof, aluminum steel, galvanized steel, or other suitable alloys. The material can also include additional components such as a reinforcing material, anti-static material, anti-slip material, etc. The reinforcing material can include reinforcing fibers such as fiberglass which is mixed into the material prior to the thermoforming process. The anti-static material can include carbon black or other static dissipating material.
For making thermoformed panel 10, virgin material can be utilized to construct either the top panel member 20 or the bottom panel member 26. Recycled material can also be used to make either the top panel member 20 or the bottom panel member 26. Each panel 10 is preferably formed using well known thermoforming technology the form and combine the top 20 and bottom 26 panel members As stated above, the panels 10 can also be made by conventional metal stamping/forming techniques. The top 20 and bottom 26 panel members can be formed and then welded to combine them together using well known methods.
Referring to
Alternatively, the panel assembly 10 having similar element to that described above for the thermoformed embodiment, can be constructed by injection molding using techniques well known to those in the art. Identical reference numerals are used for elements which are equivalent between the thermoformed embodiment and the injection molded embodiment. Referring to FIGS. 10,11, 12, and 13, the panel assembly 10 made by injection molding is shown. The panel assembly 10 includes a top surface 22, and a bottom surface 24, reinforcing beams 28, a element or lug 32, and a support flange 34. The panel assembly 10 can be utilized and affixed to the sub-structure 12 in the same manner as for the thermoformed embodiment described above. Further, the injection molded panel can also include all suitable additional features disclosed herein including the additional layer 42 as described above.
The modular panels 10 of the present invention can be utilized as a decking material in applications including, but not limited to, walkways, decks, boardwalks, docks, industrial/agricultural floors, and the like. That is, the modular panels 10 of the present invention can be utilized as a decking material in any application where a suitable sub-structure 12 or support (joist) 14 is provided or can be applied over wood or metal furring strips supported on a suitably compacted soil, sand, or slag base, or a concrete base as shown in
Additionally, as shown in
The thermoformed modular panels 10 according to the present invention are lightweight and can be stacked or nested for storage and/or transportation. Since the modular panels 10 are lightweight, they are easy to handle and economical to transport.
The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.
Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
