Patent Grant
9499992
This invention relates to outdoor flooring, surfaces for decks, rooftop terraces, patios and the like, and more particularly, to a decking system and method for enabling use of surface materials that would ordinarily lack suitable structural features to accommodate deck, rooftop terraces or patio applications.
Stone or stone-like walkways, terraces, patios and steps are frequently used at homes and businesses, as the appearance is attractive and enjoyed by many. Generally, these stones must be laid onto a level, on-grade, firm soil. Walkway and step stones are typically rather thick, to provide sufficient internal structural properties to support weight necessary in walkway and step use. In addition, thin-gauged stones used in this same manner, with no internal structural properties, require a thick concrete pad for support.
Many residential second floor decks are sloped for drainage or are above waterproofed lower decks or living spaces and as such cannot employ mechanical penetrations that would breech the integrity of the decks protective waterproofing. Common commercial roofs or decks have multiple slopes and numerous protrusions such as drains or vents and must have an elevated flooring substrate system above the waterproofing to attach and or support the stones in order to present an aesthetically attractive and structurally stable planar array of stone. For joist framed decks to be finished with the same stone or stone-like material would require a solid, water resistant structural support spanning between multiple joist framing. This is not possible without breaking the rooftop membrane or seal that keeps the water out and allows any drainage to run off.
Henceforth, an outdoor flooring, deck, rooftop terrace and patio surface system would fulfill a long felt need in the construction industry. This new invention utilizes and combines known and new technologies in a unique and novel configuration to overcome the aforementioned problems and accomplish this.
In accordance with the invention, a deck, rooftop terrace and patio surface system comprises a base mounting plate to which may be attached a post for mechanical attachment to a fiber reinforced structural panel employed as a substrate underlayment, may be attached to either of two mounting fasteners for attaching a paver stone or may be attached to a set of framing braces for connecting dimensional lumber to a deck, or to deck framing, or onto a stanchion assembly. Additionally, adjusting the height and tilt of the mounting fasteners can be accomplished by a wedge plate, a stacker plate, a leveler plate assembly, wide base assembly and a wedge plate. Lastly, large height requirements may be accommodated by an array of stanchion assemblies that can be stabilized with support rods connected horizontally or diagonally between stanchion assemblies. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved deck system to enable use of stone or stone-like surfaces, of varying non-uniform shapes and sizes, of varying thicknesses, in above-ground framed deck and rooftop terrace applications.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved system for the use of stone in deck, rooftop or patio applications where the deck, rooftop or patio alone would not allow for the aesthetic use of stones.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved method for providing a truly planar deck surface utilizing connectors that reside below the plane of affixation for the surface adornment stone.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a deck, rooftop terrace or patio system with full drainage on the top surface by allowing water to pass directly past the stones and the panels/mounting fasteners.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a deck or patio system adapted for use over a sloped waterproofed living space without requiring penetration of the waterproof membrane. The deck or patio system shall allow water to pass directly past the stones and the panels.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system of deck or patio panels adapted for easy subdivision into panels sized adapted for use with conventionally sized commercially available stones or to adapt to standard building dimensions.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a system and method for providing a new floating or raised surface over an open framed or waterproofed rooftop terrace and to provide a support system that creates an interlocking flooring system adjoining all flooring panels as one floor.
It is still a further object of the preset invention to create a support system that enables the interlock of traditional rooftop pavers into an interconnected flooring rather than individual floating pavers as in current technology and to provide a support system that creates a mechanically fastened assembly for flooring to stanchion for high wind (HW) stability.
The subject matter of the present invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. However, both the organization and method of operation, together with further advantages and objects thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like elements.
It has many of the advantages mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new outdoor flooring, deck, rooftop terrace and patio surface system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention 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, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The term “deck” as used herein, refers to a decking structure having a planar substrate base like a roof (sloped or otherwise) whether it has a contiguously planar surface or is an open, structure made of framing members such as dimensional lumber.
The term “finished flooring element” as used herein, refers to the top flooring element such a stone, pavers, tile and the like.
Basically, the present invention is a synergistic system of interconnecting, structural panels, height adjustable polymer, generally planar, base plates, spacers, angle adapters, stanchion assemblies and mounting plates that form a support system for the attachment of a top layer of dimensional lumber, paver tile supports or open cell polymer panels onto above-ground framed deck and rooftop terrace applications. On this support system the finish surface of tiles, pavers or decking affixed.
The open structure allows moisture to drain through the system. There is no need for grout to be employed between the pavers or tiles. This system may be installed in an adjustable, raised position above the deck to compensate for any non horizontal or non planar anomalies in the area, such as may be found on the rooftop of a commercial building. Further, the system (raised or not) may be mechanically affixed to the area or may be installed as a floating flooring substrate, wherein the mass and friction of the entire sub floor assembly with the flooring installed maintains its horizontal position. The floating option is used where it is not desirable to have any penetrations into the underlying area, such as is the case when it forms the ceiling of another living space. Generally, in such applications, a waterproof membrane such as a 40 mil bituminous based material, is placed over the deck to protect the framing from water damage over time.
The system allows for at least three types of surface finishes or a structural member framed deck, to be situated above a planar deck, sloped or otherwise. First, it can install finished stone, concrete pavers or tile using a structural panel 30 (affixed to a base mounting plate 4). Second, it can install concrete pavers (directly affixed to a base mounting plate 4 with brick post 33). Third, it can install finished stone, tile, or concrete pavers (affixed to a triangular paver plate 14 affixed to base mounting plate 4). Lastly, the system can allow for the placement of a structural member framed deck, on top of a planar deck (affixed by framing braces 12 inserted into the top face of the mounting base plate 4.)
It can also accommodate the previously discussed three types of surface finishes on top of non planar, decking frames made of wooden structural members such as 2×4's, 2×6's, etc. This is accomplished by positioning the mounting base plate 4 atop of the structural members (affixed by framing braces 12 inserted into the bottom face of the mounting base plate 4).
To accommodate the raised positioning of the system, several combinations of system elements may be utilized as set forth below. These involve an anchor plate 2, base mounting plate 4, stanchion assembly 7, leveler plate assembly 11, wedge plate 18, stacker plate 16, wide base assembly 20, framing braces 12, support guide 26, support rod 28, paver plate 14, brick post 33, panel puck 23, retaining clip 32, post 21, and threaded post 25. The system also has provisions for high wind (HW) applications.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.
The following table will illustrate all the various components of the system, their purpose and what they can connect to below and what can connect to them from above.
Table A indicates the connectivity of the various components. As can be seen a plethora of arrangements is available to suit the various heights, angles and conditions of that specific installation.
Base Mounting Plate
The base mounting plate 4 is the key element or interface between the underlying supporting surface, any intervening combination of leveling or height changing elements and the structural panel, the stone, pavers, tile or wooden structural members. There is only one top member of any stacked array of the precision height adjustable flooring substrate support system. This is the base mounting plate 4. (
For connection of the base mounting plate 4 to the systems leveling and height adjustment components (as seen in
For connection of the base mounting plate 4 to a structural panel 30, the base mounting plate 4 has a first set of orifices 122 for mating engagement and twist locking of post 21 or mating engagement of threaded post 25 (used for high wind situations.)
To allow the securement of bricks to the base mounting plate 4, (as seen in
To allow the base mounting plate 4 to be attached to wooden structural members the base mounting plate 4 (as seen in
To allow the base mounting plate 4 to be mechanically attached to a planar deck below without any leveling or height adjusting components, there is a second set of orifices 128 having tapered screw heads on the top face of the base mounting plate 4 to accommodate screws. These tapered screw heads are also capable of receiving the locating posts 130 on the bottom face of the wedge plate 18. (
The top face of the base mounting plate 4, also has a central depression 56 for the insertion of a bubble level and a series of four card slots 58 spaced 90 degrees apart to hold a transit level readout card.
To allow the base mounting plate 4 to secure a triangular paver plate 14 so pavers may be installed, (as seen in
Base Mounting Plate Leveling and Height Adjustment Configurations
The base mounting plate 4 may also be used atop of the height adjusting stanchion assembly 7, the stacker plates 16, the wedge plate 18 the wide base assembly 20, or any combination thereof.
Base Mounting Plate Used for with Tile
For the installation of tile, (optionally stone, concrete pavers or the like) an open celled structural panel 30 is used. (
The structural panel 30 suitably comprises a fiber reinforced polymer panel having a grid pattern of openings (open cells) 161 in the illustrated embodiment of
The structural panel is mounted either directly atop a level planar deck or atop the base mounting plate 4 (see
The open cells of the structural floor panel taper inward from their top to bottom at approximately 2 degrees, with a minus 1 degree and plus 10 degree tolerance to enable the release of the structural panels from their mold. The array of open cells in the structural panel is spaced and divided into standard 16″ and 24″ O.C. dimensions accommodating the cut down of a 48″×48″ panel to 16″×48″ or 24″×48″ panels with a full perimeter bar structure so as to meet USA dimensional building standards and accommodate commercially available flooring products. Such an open celled structural floor panel 30 has been fully disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/091,085 filed Apr. 20, 2011 and entitled “Flooring, Deck and Patio Surface System and Method of Use.”
In the first method of attaching the structural panel 30 to the base mounting plate 4, a retaining clip connector 32 (
In the second method of attaching the structural panel 30 to the base mounting plate 4, a panel puck 23 and a post 21 (
The structural panel may be bolted through its retaining clip to a threaded post affixed to a base mounting plate. The retaining clip connector with the installed bolt will rest in its final position no higher than flush with the top of the structural panel such that no machining is required to place a finished stone, tile, concrete surface directly over the structural panel. Prior art panels utilize connectors that span more than one of their open cells leaving a protuberance above the plane of the panel proper.
It is to be noted that the structural panel 30 need not be used solely with a base mounting plate 4. When the open celled structural floor panel 30 is to be secured to the underlying surface or to framing members without the use of the base mounting plate 4, a screw is passed through the retaining clip connector 32 that has its edge flanges 140 resides residing in the detents 200 on the structural panel 30 and mechanically engaged into the underlying surface or framing members.
Base Mounting Plate with Pavers and Bricks
The base mounting plate 4 is used to align and support up to four paver plates 14 for the installation of a flooring surface of paver stones over an existing deck or deck framing. There are two ways that concrete pavers and bricks may be directly affixed to the base mounting plate 4.
First, a paver plate 14 is located and mounted on top of the base mounting plate 4 by insertion of the paver plate's hexagon pins 136 into the third set of orifices 134 in the base mounting plate 4. (
In the second way, at least two brick posts 33 are located and mounted on top of the base mounting plate 4 by insertion into slots 124 on the base mounting plate 4. (
Base Mounting Plate Configurations for Connection to Structural Lumber
The base mounting plate 4 is also used to connect to structural lumber joists below (as in a deck framing) to allow the addition of structural lumber (as for deck framing) above without the need for the deck framing to penetrate any roofing/deck waterproofing membrane. (
The Structural Panel
The structural panel is suitably provided in sheets having dimensions of 4 feet by 4 feet, with a 1.5 inch square open cell size, approximately 1 inch thick. The individual grid openings (cell 161) may be uniform or may narrow from the top of the panel to the bottom, such that they are wider at the top face than at the bottom.
A suitable panel that is employed with the system and method may be a fiber reinforced general purpose polyester molded resin panel, although other materials may be used. The panel size is preferably 4 foot by 4 foot in the preferred embodiment, based on construction standards and practices, but may be otherwise re-sized to the desired dimensions, within a 1/16th inch tolerance, so as to provide a system that functions with 16 inch and 24 inch framing dimensions typically used in deck applications. Note, however the 48″×48″ square dimension meets the standard USA building dimension layout. The panel can be provided in other sizes than the illustrated example, chosen to have sufficient support while spanning the supporting elements supporting the panel. Preferably the panel is a pre-configured dimensional size suitable for compliance with customary building practices.
A surfacing material which may comprise a cut stone having an aesthetically pleasing appearance, color and/or pattern, is suitably bonded to the structural panel, using a bonding material such as a mastic/adhesive, for example. The surfacing material may also comprise manufactured stone-like material, tile, dry laid brick, concrete or stone pavers.
The Retaining Clip
The retaining clip 32 in a preferred embodiment is made of a stainless steel material, stamped into the shape shown in
The Wedge Plate
The wedge plate 18 (
The Stanchion Assembly
As can be seen in
The top face of the stanchion top 6 (
The top face of the stanchion bottom (
The bottom face of the stanchion bottom plate (has a groove ring that has a series of IFT 120 and twist lock spaces 64 that allow for the interlocking engagement of matingly conformed EFT 132 on the top faces of other members of the precision height adjustable flooring substrate support system. However, on this component there is no central stabilization groove to accept the central ring flanges on other components.
The bottom face of the stanchion top 6 (
The Wide Base Assembly
FIGS. (35-44) show the two parts of the wide base assembly 20. This assembly 20 is made of a wide base 24 into which is internally screwed a micro adjust plate 22. The wide base 24 is a circular plate with a ribbed external flange 102 extending normally therefrom its bottom edge. This flange has screw orifice posts 104 formed there through. The top face has an internally threaded raised ring 106 extending normally there from and a central raised ring 75 with a central orifice extending there from the wide base 24, that is sized to fit within the central ring 106 formed thereon the bottom face of the micro adjust plate 22. It has the broadest footprint of any of the components.
The Micro Adjust Plate
The micro adjust plate 22 has an externally threaded external raised ring 110 that threadingly engages the internally threaded raised ring 106 of the wide base 24. Screwing together these two components allows for the precise height adjustment of the wide base assembly 20. As they are screwed together the center is stabilized by the frictional engagement between their respective central rings. Inside the externally threaded raised ring 106 is another concentric flange ring 70 that has a series of EFT 132 and twist lock gaps 74 that allow for the interlocking engagement of matingly conformed IFT 120 on the bottom faces of other components of the precision height adjustable flooring substrate support system.
The Support Guides
The pivotable support guides 26 (
The Framing Braces
The Stacker Plate
The stacker plates 16 (
The bottom face of the stacker plate 16 has a lock ring 92 that has a series of IFT 120 and twist lock spaces 64 that allow for the interlocking engagement of matingly conformed EFT 132 on the top faces of other members of the precision height adjustable flooring substrate support system. This component also has a central stabilization groove 65 to accept the central ring flanges on other components.
The Wedge Plate
Looking at
The various components are connected through the interlocking “plunge and twist” style of frictional engagement between the IFT 120 and the EFT 132 as described above with the central regions of the components supported by the various central rings.
There is a plethora of possible combinations used to overcome field situations of height and slope. The complete interconnectivity of the system components can be best seen with reference to TABLE A. The following TABLE B illustrates the structural differences between the various components of the height adjustable flooring substrate support system.
System Advantages
In situations where the underlying surface is sloped, uneven, has protuberances or penetrations it is desirable to cheaply and securely raise the sub flooring system to a height that allows it to be horizontally planar or float just above a waterproofing deck surface. While cutting stanchions to accurately repeatable height dimensions will allow for a truly planar surface on another truly planar surface, such a working environment is rare. The predominant working surfaces are not completely level and micro adjustments in height must be made in the field to attain this. Attempting to adjust the height of the cut stanchions is far too inaccurate. The present system of interlocking members allows for a quick, simple and precise method for adjusting the height of the system at all supported points so as to allow for a truly planar array of structural panels.
The components of the system described herein provide a strong yet light-weight precise height adjustable underlayment assembly for a durable and secure exterior flooring surface for elevated decks and rooftop terraces, supplying strength, durability and creative flexibility.
In a particular embodiment, the outdoor floor system described herein weighs only 8-10 lbs. per square foot combined weight of the outdoor floor system underlayment and an average weight of a ¼″-½″ gauged stone or tile, which falls within the “10-15 lbs./sq′ of dead load” calculations for residential deck construction. Under these conditions the system can be placed over conventionally framed deck structures with joist spacing 16″-24″ O.C. A roof top terrace will also only need to be designed for standard load conditions. Paver deck applications will be 10-20 lbs./sq′ dead load and will require additional structural reinforcement and consultation with a licensed structural engineer.
The system can cover an existing cracked patio if the sub-grade is stable. The finished patio can be installed as a level surface with positive drainage, and no cracks will migrate through the new finished stone surface. It can also be placed over any solid bearing surface.
The high strength panel members have dimensional stability and minimal deflection under load conditions and require no additional surfacing material to achieve strength. This solid underlayment adds reinforcing strength to a stone/tile surface and bearing strength to a dry-laid paver surface.
The system further provides lateral strength or side-to-side stability, achieved in part by using adhesive to bond panel edges edge-to-edge, and by the use of screws or a mastic material applied to the component in contact with the deck/deck framing, and or through the use of the support rod 26 and support rod 28 arranged in a cross or horizontal pattern with adjacent component assemblies.
Accordingly, a system and method are provided whereby a deck surface of quarried stone is feasible. The use of the fiber reinforced polymer structural panels, the connectors and the adhering of the stone tiles results in a lightweight high strength system weighing only 8 to 10 pounds per square foot in the preferred embodiment. The bonding of the surface material to the structural panel provides further strength to the overall system. As noted above, other surface materials may be employed, including but not limited to tile, brick, concrete and stone pavers.
Under an ASTM #E72-98 test, an exemplary system withstood 6282 lbs. of force with no failure, a maximum 1.47″ deflection and a maximum 0.35″ set deflection.
Although the illustrated embodiment details an outdoor flooring system for use over a wood frame deck surface other uses are also possible. For example, the system and method can be employed as ground level patios, either as new construction or to cover a cracked or otherwise undesirable patio, providing positive drainage. Application to steps is also another use.
The above description will enable any person skilled in the art to make and use this invention. It also sets forth the best modes for carrying out this invention. There are numerous variations and modifications thereof that will also remain readily apparent to others skilled in the art, now that the general principles of the present invention have been disclosed. As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. 61/834,989 filed Jun. 14, 2013 and entitled “Precision Height Adjustable Flooring Substrate Support System.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20140366461 A1 | Dec 2014 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61834989 | Jun 2013 | US |
