Patent Application
20250084648
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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM.
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The disclosure relates to modular flooring assemblies and more particularly pertains to a new modular flooring assembly for creating a stable floor outdoors.
The prior art relates to modular flooring assemblies. Some prior art disclosures teach interlocking mats that can be used to cover portions of the ground. Some of these mats are used to create soft or padded areas that are more comfortable for sitting or standing than the ground itself. Other mats are used to increase friction and traction across the ground surface, for example when deployed at construction or other work sites where people may be walking often or carrying heavy objects. Other such mats are used to direct fluid flowing across the ground, to improve drainage across a particular area. The prior art also discloses modular flooring assemblies that are designed for permanent installation on a patio or in a basement. These modular flooring assemblies are generally designed for permanent or near-permanent installation. For example, such assemblies may be designed to emulate a basketball court or provide decorative cover over a concrete slab in a basement or on a patio. The prior art also discloses outdoor tile assemblies which may be installed over a flat surface, for example under tents to create an outdoor dance floor. However, such tile assemblies generally need to be installed over a very flat ground surface that has sufficient drainage, or that is covered with another material such as plywood to protect the tiles from being damaged by water or dirt.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a flooring section having a first panel and a second panel. A hinge couples together the first panel and the second panel. Each of the first and second panels comprise a top side, a bottom side, and a peripheral wall. The peripheral wall is attached to and extends between the top and bottom sides. The top side of the first panel is coplanar with the top side of the second panel when the first and second panels are in a deployed condition. Each of the first and second panels also comprise an interior edge and three exterior edges. The interior edge of the first panel is adjacent to the interior edge of the second panel. The first panel and the second panel are hingedly coupled together such that the first panel and the second panel can pivot around the interior edges until the bottom sides are abutting one another. A connecting system removably couples the flooring section with a second flooring section when the first panel and the second panel are in the deployed condition.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter, and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
Each of the first 22 and second 24 panels may generally comprise a top side 28, a bottom side 30, and a peripheral wall 32. The peripheral wall 32 is attached to and extends between the top 28 and bottom 30 sides. The top side 28 of the first panel 22 is coplanar with the top side 28 of the second panel 24 when the first 22 and second 24 panels are in a deployed condition 34, for example as shown in
Each of the first 22 and second 24 panels may further comprise an interior edge 36 and three exterior edges 38. The interior edge 36 of the first panel 22 is adjacent to the interior edge 36 of the second panel 24. In some embodiments, the interior edges 36 may each have a rod passage 40 extending therethrough. For example, the rod passages 40 may be continuous with a length of the interior edges 36, as shown in
The first panel 22 and the second panel 24 are hingedly coupled together such that the first panel 22 and the second panel 24 can pivot around the interior edges 36 until the bottom sides 30 are abutting one another. An example of this stored condition 42 is depicted in
The hinge 26 may also be continuous with the length of the interior edges 36 of the first 22 and second 24 panels. The hinge 26 permits the first panel 22 and the second panel 24 to pivot together in a first direction such that the bottom sides 30 are abutting one another to define the stored condition 42. The hinge 26 prevents the first panel 22 and the second panel 24 from pivoting together in a second direction beyond the deployed condition 34 to inhibit an angle 44 between the top sides 28 from being smaller than 180°, as shown in
In some embodiments, the hinge 26 comprises a hinge plate 46 that is T-shaped with a planar top surface 48. The planar top surface 48 is aligned with the top side 28 of each of the first 22 and second 24 panels. The planar top surface 48 restricts the first panel 22 and the second panel 24 from pivoting in the second direction beyond the deployed condition 34.
A pivot plate 50 may be attached to the hinge plate 46 beneath the planar top surface 48. The first panel 22 and the second panel 24 may pivot around the pivot plate 50 in the first direction to form the stored condition 42, and the first 22 and second 24 panels may pivot around the pivot plate 50 in the second direction to form the deployed condition 34. The pivot plate 50 may have a pair of rod apertures 52 extending therethrough. The pair of rod apertures 52 align with the rod passages 40 of the first 22 and second 24 panels when the hinge plate 46 is coupled to the first 22 and second 24 panels. In some embodiments, the hinge 26 may include a plurality of pivot plates 50 attached to the hinge plate 46 beneath the planar top surface 48. In such embodiments, each of the plurality of pivot plates 50 may have a pair of rod apertures 52 extending therethrough that align with the rod passages 40 of the first 22 and second 24 panels.
A rod 54 may be inserted into each of the rod passages 40 and a corresponding one of the pair of rod apertures 52. A sleeve 56 may be inserted into the each of the rod passages 40, covering a portion of the rod 54 within the respective rod passage 40. The sleeve 56 can secure the rod 54 within the rod passage 40. A rod fastener 58 may be used to affix the sleeve 56 to the rod 54 and to the pivot plate 50. For example, the rod fastener 58 may comprise a fastening screw extending through the sleeve 56 and the rod 54, as shown in
A connecting system 60 removably couples the flooring section 20 with a second flooring section 62 when the first panel 22 and the second panel 24 are in the deployed condition 34, as shown in
A connection bar 68 may be inserted into the slot 66 and the socket 64. For example, the connection bar 68 may have a first pillar 70, a midsection 72, and a second pillar 74. The first 70 and second 74 pillars extend upwardly from the midsection 72. The first pillar 70 is spaced from the second pillar 74. The first pillar 70 may be inserted into the socket 64 through the bottom side 30. The midsection 72 may extend outwardly from the peripheral wall 32 through the slot 66. The second pillar 74 may be inserted into a corresponding socket 64 of the second flooring section 62. A bar fastener 76 may secure the connection bar 68 within the socket 64. For example, the bar fastener 76 may comprise a nut that can be tightened around each of the first 70 and the second 74 pillars within the respective sockets 64. In one embodiment, the nut may be inserted into the socket 64 through the top side 28 and positioned on the first 70 or the second 74 pillar. The nut may then be tightened around the first 70 or the second 74 pillar using a socket wrench 78, as shown in
Each flooring section may be formed of a durable material such as plastic. In some embodiments, recycled plastics or other materials may be used to form the flooring sections. Because the modular flooring apparatus will be used as a floor, for example supporting people, furniture, tents, or other objects, the materials forming each flooring section should be strong and able to support a significant amount of weight without breaking or deforming. For example, each panel should be able to support a weight of at least 200 pounds to ensure that the modular flooring apparatus will not break under the weight of a person standing or walking on the flooring sections. The bottom side may therefore be reinforced to ensure that each panel can support the required amount of weight. Because the modular flooring apparatus is designed for outdoor use, the materials should be weather-resistant and easy to clean. In other words, the materials forming each flooring section should be resistant to damage from water or dirt. Because the modular flooring apparatus is designed to be reusable, the materials forming each flooring section should also be able to be cleaned repeatedly.
In use, the flooring section 20 can be unfolded into the deployed condition 34 and removably coupled with the second flooring section 62 using the connecting system 60. The portable outdoor flooring apparatus 10 can be used to form a temporary floor for tents or events such as weddings or parties. The portable outdoor flooring apparatus 10 can also be used to form a strong and stable floor for activities such as working, camping, recreation, or simply relaxing outside. Because each flooring section 20, 64 can be manufactured in different base sizes, a user can create any desired size of outdoor flooring by coupling enough of the flooring sections 20, 62 together. When finished with the portable outdoor flooring apparatus 10, the user simply needs to disconnect the connecting system 60 and fold each of the flooring sections 20, 64 into the stored condition 42 to facilitate transportation and storage of the apparatus 10.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the elements is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
