Patent Application
20070094980
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, generally to a molded panel and, more specifically, to a molded panel that interlocks together with like panels to form an open grid flooring surface over a support framework for deck areas or walkways.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally speaking, there exists a wide variety of materials that may be employed to create a flooring surface to provide walkways and decks. Traditionally, wood was the material of choice. To ensure against rot and provide longer lasting surfaces, wood having high density and/or higher concentrations of natural oils, such as cedar, cypress, or redwood was chosen. These materials where especially useful for constructing docks and pier surfaces, which are constantly exposed to a harsh, wet environment. As material technologies progressed and the cost of these natural woods increased, other options became available. For example, pressure-treated wood, which uses more common and less expensive wood that is pressure impregnated with water resistant chemicals, was used to replace the natural woods. Most recently, long lasting plasticized and moldable materials have been employed in place of wood based materials for use as deck and dock surfaces. Generally, these materials are molded into deck panels that can be easily secured over a support framework to create the deck or dock surface. In this manner, the deck panels are pre-formed to a particular size and shape, and are also molded to add certain features that were not enjoyed by the natural material predecessors. In particular, pre-formed molded deck panels can be molded into a variety of shapes and colors, and they can be molded to include interlocking features that add strength and stability to the overall deck surface. The surface of the deck panels can also be molded as an open grid to provide drainage and light through the deck surface. Deck panels of these types have been used to cover decks of houses, boat docks, floating docks and other structures having their surface exposed to the environment.
Although the structure of the conventional molded deck panels mentioned above is generally adequate for the intended purpose, there is room for improvement. To provide adequate strength and support, conventional molded deck panels require fairly substantial amounts of moldable material for each panel. Additionally, the conventional deck panels that are molded in an open grid surface pattern require numerous reinforcing ribs underneath the top surface to provide the necessary rigidity and strength. The amount of moldable material required in each deck panel of this type makes them somewhat heavy for their size and limits their cost effectiveness over wood based materials. Furthermore, simply reducing the amount of moldable materials in the conventional deck panels greatly reduces their load carrying capability and their service life and is an undesirable alternative.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the related art for an improved pre-formed molded deck panel that can be molded in a open grid surface pattern and that requires less moldable material, and is lighter but as strong, or stronger than, conventional designs and is therefore more cost effective to produce and use. Furthermore, there remains a need for an improved pre-formed molded deck panel of this type that employs interlocking features to provide a strong, homogenous deck surface when installed.
The disadvantages of the related art are overcome by the molded deck panel of the present invention, which is adapted to be secured on a supporting frame structure to create a deck surface. The deck panel comprises a predetermined moldable thermoplastic material impregnated with a predetermined fibrous stranded material. The moldable thermoplastic material is adapted to be injection molded to form the deck panel and provide a predetermined load carrying capacity. The panel includes a top surface and four lateral sides extending downward from the top surface. The top surface is formed as a grid having a plurality of openings. A plurality of supporting ribs extend parallel to each other from one of the four lateral sides to an opposite one of the four lateral sides. The supporting ribs are adapted to distribute loads placed upon the top surface and transfer the loads to the supporting frame structure. Each of the supporting ribs have a head portion with an upper surface and a lower surface and a leg portion. The upper surface of each head portion is adapted to form longitudinal portions of the grid pattern of the top surface. The leg portion extends downward from the lower surface of the head portion. A plurality of molded webs extend between the head portions of the parallel supporting ribs to join each of the head portions of the supporting ribs in the grid pattern of the top surface. A plurality of tabs extend outward from the lateral sides and are adapted to interlock with a corresponding plurality of tabs extending from a like deck panel so that a plurality of deck panels may be juxtaposed in abutting relationship to form the deck surface.
Thus, the present invention overcomes the limitations of the conventional deck panels by providing a lighter weight and stronger deck panel that is more cost efficient to produce. The panel employs less moldable material which reduces mold cycle time and produces a deck panel that is lighter to ship, transport and install. This provides efficiency and cost savings to the manufacturer while providing the consumer with a stronger deck surface that is easier to install. The interlocking feature of the deck panels of the present invention also provides additional strength by creating an interlocked homogenous deck surface.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood after reading the subsequent description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
A molded deck panel of the present invention is generally indicated at 10 in
The deck panel 10 is adapted to be secured to a supporting frame structure (not shown). The supporting frame structure may consist of a wooden frame mounted to a plurality of posts as is commonly found in decks and dock construction or may be any type of metal framework adapted to provide a walkway when fitted with a plurality of deck panels 10 of the present invention. The deck panel 10 is designed to be placed in its length “L” across the supporting members of the supporting frame structure. To allow the deck panel 10 to be held in place, a plurality of pre-formed openings 18 are formed through the top surface 12 at predetermined intervals along the length “L” to allow fasteners to be inserted in the openings 18 to contact and secure the deck panel 10 to the supporting frame structure. In the preferred embodiment, to prevent a tripping hazard, the plurality of pre-formed openings 18 are recessed from the top surface 12 to allow the fasteners to be counter-sunk below the top surface 12. Further, to conform with generally acknowledged building practices, the deck panel 10 of the present invention is provided in two variants with regard to the placement of the openings 18. In the first variant, the openings 18 are located at every 16 inches along the length “L” of the top surface 12, and in the second variant the openings 18 are located at every 24 inches along the length “L” of the top surface 12.
A plurality of supporting ribs, generally indicted at 20, run parallel to each other from one of the four lateral sides 16 to an opposite one of the four lateral side 16. In the preferred embodiment, the supporting ribs 20 extend in parallel relationship longitudinally along the length “L” of the deck panel 10. The supporting ribs 20 are adapted to distribute the weight of a load placed on the top surface 12 of the deck panel 10 and transfer the weight of the load to the supporting frame structure. As best shown in cross-section in
To complete the grid pattern of the top surface 12, a plurality of molded webs 34 extend perpendicularly between the head portions 22 of the parallel supporting ribs 20 to join each of the head portions 22 of the supporting ribs 20 together in the grid pattern on the top surface 12. The molded webs 34 are formed periodically between the head portions 22 of the supporting ribs 20 along the length “L” of the deck panel 10 in repetitive patterns so as to cause the webs 34 to both align across the width “W” of the top surface 12 at predetermined points along the length “L” of the top surface 12 as shown at 36 in
To create a homogenous deck surface over the supporting frame structure when all the adjustable deck panels 10 are in place, the deck panels 10 further include a plurality of tabs 38 extending outward from the lateral sides 16 of the deck panels 10 along their length “L.” Each tab 38 is adapted to interlock with a corresponding plurality of tabs 38 extending from like deck panels 10. Thus, a plurality of deck panels 10 may be juxtaposed in abutting relationship to form the overall deck surface. In the preferred embodiment, as illustrated in
To provide an improved deck panel 10 that is lighter weight, and that requires less moldable material while maintaining the strength and durability of conventional type deck panels, the deck panel 10 of the present invention is molded from a predetermined moldable thermoplastic material impregnated with a predetermined fibrous stranded material. The impregnated moldable thermoplastic material is adapted to be injection molded to form the deck panel and provide a predetermined load carrying capacity that exceeds conventional deck panels. The best results for producing a lower mass deck panel having conventional or greater strength levels have been yielded by employment of various resin/polymers that have been impregnated with between 15 and 25% glass fibers by volume. More particularly, in the preferred embodiment, polypropylene compounds with approximately 20% impregnation of glass fibers by volume provide the greatest improvement over conventional deck panels.
To provide a greater aesthetic appeal, the predetermined moldable thermoplastic material of the deck panel 10 of the present invention may include any one of a group of predetermined colorants or pigments. The particular predetermined pigments are chosen from the wide variety currently available not only their particular ability to color the deck panel 10 but also for being generally inert to the structural properties of the thermoplastic material. Additionally, to provide a long-lasting deck surface and protect the thermoplastic compound from degradation when the deck panels 10 are exposed to the outside elements, the thermoplastic material of the deck panel 10 of the present invention further includes any one of a group of predetermined ultra-violet (UV) stabilizing compounds. The inclusion of the UV stabilizing compound extends the life of the deck panels by blocking the sun's UV rays, which can cause thermoplastic materials to turn brittle and lose their structural properties. Finally, as a safety measure, the pre-formed molded deck panel 10 of the present invention is molded so that the top surface 12 has an uneven texture to provide a non-slip decking surface.
Thus, the present invention overcomes the limitations of the conventional deck panels by providing a lighter weight and stronger deck panel produced from a thermoplastic material impregnated with glass fibers that is more cost efficient to produce. The panel employs less moldable material which reduces mold cycle time and produces a deck panel that is lighter to ship, transport and install. This provides efficiency and cost savings to the manufacturer while providing the consumer with a stronger deck surface that is easier to install. Additionally, the impregnated thermoplastic material of the present invention is UV protected and produced in a variety of colors for the consumer. The interlocking feature of the deck panels of the present invention also provides additional strength by creating an interlocked homogenous deck surface. Further, the deck panels are produced to comply with standard building practices and include openings in the top surface at either 16 inch or 24-inch intervals for attachment to the supporting frame structure.
The invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology that has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations of the invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, within the scope of the claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described.
