Traction Synthetic Flooring Apparatus

FIELD OF THE TECHNOLOGY

The present technology relates to synthetic flooring and more particularly to devices and methods for improving traction characteristics of modular synthetic floor tiles.

BACKGROUND OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND RELATED ART

Suspended flooring and modular floor tiles have been used for numerous years in connection with improved safety, appearance, and function. In recent years, synthetic modular flooring products have been used for these purposes and more frequently used in connection with sporting events. Many of these flooring products, however, offer little to no traction characteristics when wet, resulting in increased fatigue or injury from walking, running, jumping, or other activities on the flooring. Namely, while synthetic flooring has improved traction characteristics when dry, when any liquid forms on the surface of the synthetic flooring, the liquid acts as a lubricant between the plastic surface and the sole of the shoe, resulting in a loss of traction.

Attempts have been made to improve the traction characteristics of synthetic flooring products. However, these devices contain deficiencies. It is therefore desirable to have a synthetic flooring product with improved traction characteristics.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present technology will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings merely depict exemplary aspects of the present technology, they are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. It will be readily appreciated that the components of the present technology, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Nonetheless, the technology will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a portion of a synthetic modular floor tile in accordance with one aspect of the technology;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a floor tile in accordance with one aspect of the technology;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a portion of the floor tile of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of a portion of the floor tile of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of a portion of the floor tile of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of the floor tile of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of a portion of a floor tile in accordance with one aspect of the technology;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the floor tile of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a side view of a floor tile similar to that of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of a portion of a floor tile in accordance with one aspect of the technology;

FIG. 11 is a top perspective view of a portion of a floor tile in accordance with one aspect of the technology;

FIG. 12 is a side view of the floor tile of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of a portion of a floor tile in accordance with one aspect of the technology; and

FIG. 14 is a top perspective view of a portion of a floor tile in accordance with one aspect of the technology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description of exemplary aspects of the technology makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof and in which are shown, by way of illustration, exemplary aspects in which the technology may be practiced. While these exemplary aspects are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the technology, it should be understood that other aspects may be realized and that various changes to the technology may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present technology. Thus, the following more detailed description of the aspects of the present technology is not intended to limit the scope of the technology, as claimed, but is presented for purposes of illustration only and not limitation to describe the features and characteristics of the present technology and to sufficiently enable one skilled in the art to practice the technology. Accordingly, the scope of the present technology is to be defined solely by the appended claims.

The following detailed description and exemplary aspects of the technology will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the elements and features of the technology are designated by numerals throughout.

The present technology describes an improved modular floor tile having a top surface comprising a plurality of rib or structural members defining apertures or openings between the rib members. “Openings” refers to holes, gaps, or spaces through which a fluid or other object may pass. A support system is integrally formed from and disposed at least partially beneath the top surface. In one aspect of the technology, a rib protrusion extends upward from a lower rib or structural member within the aperture. The rib protrusion extends through the aperture or opening toward the top surface, and may terminate slightly below, at, or above the top surface to provide improved traction and abrasion characteristics, as described herein.

With specific reference now to FIG. 1, a portion of a modular floor tile 100 is shown. The tile 100 comprises a top surface 101 with a plurality of intersecting rib members 103 defining apertures 104. The top surface 101 is supported above the ground surface by a support system comprising support posts, as described with reference to FIGS. 2-6. Rib members 103 are interconnected by additional rib members 109 disposed beneath the upper rib members 103. The upper rib members 103 form the contact surface on which a user treads. The lower rib members 109 are disposed beneath the upper rib members 103 and traverse the aperture 104 defined by the upper rib members 103. The lower rib members 109 form a downward trending curvilinear or saddle shape within the aperture 104. In an instance where a lower rib member 109 has an upper surface that is flat and coplanar with a bottom surface of upper rib members 103, water has a tendency to become entrained within the aperture 104. The curvilinear or saddle shape of the lower rib 109 advantageously improves liquid drainage, including water, rain, dew, sweat and spilled beverages, through the apertures 104. It also facilitates a decrease in occlusion of the aperture 104 by other matter (i.e., dirt, leaves, etc.) that may otherwise become entrained in the aperture 104. In one aspect, the lower rib member 109 has a top surface that is rounded or triangular to facilitate passage of water or other materials over the lower rib 109.

In other aspects, the lower rib member 109 need not form a downward trending shape, but may be planar and form any shape consistent with the technology described herein. The lower rib member is attached only to the upper rib members 103 and not configured to contact a flooring surface below the modular floor tile. For example, the lower rib member 109 is independent of the support surface below the upper rib members 103, and is not attached to any support structure that contacts a flooring surface below the modular floor tile, nor does it include any structure itself which contacts a flooring surface below the modular floor tile. In one aspect of the technology, a single lower rib member 109 extends through each aperture, and is connected at each end of the lower rib member 109 to the upper rib members 103 or to the support system. In other words, no portion other than the extremities of the lower rib member 109, or no portion of the lower rib member 109 within the cavity 104, extends to the floor or is supported by another structure that extends to the floor.

Tile 100 also comprises a rib protrusion 110 extending upward from the lower rib 109 through the aperture 104 toward the top surface 101. Lower rib member 109 may be any shape that may support rib protrusion 110. Rib protrusion 110 may extend past or above top surface 101 to engage with the shoe sole of a user and improve traction. For example, rib protrusion 110 may extend 0.02 inches above top surface 101. In other examples, the height of the rib protrusion 110 may be adjusted to optimize the level of traction and the level of abrasion desired in a tile. For example, a user may find that a taller rib protrusion 110 provides greater traction while slightly increasing the amount of abrasion experiences by a user. Similarly, a lower rib protrusion 110 may provide slightly less traction, but provide less abrasive characteristics. The optimum height of the rib protrusion 110 may be chosen for each desired application, and may be between 0.005 and 0.25 inches above top surface 101. In other embodiments, rib protrusion 110 may be between 0.01 and 0.1 inches above top surface 101. However, placement of rib protrusion 110 on lower rib member 109 allows flexing of the rib protrusion 110 upon contact with the shoe sole or the body of a user, and is therefore less abrasive than a protrusion fixedly attached to the top surface 101 of the tile 100.

Rib protrusion 110 may also terminate level with top surface 101 or below top surface 101 of tile 100. In this manner, the engagement with the sole or shoe of a user occurs when the shoe or sole passes through aperture 104 a pre-determined distance. For example, in one aspect, it may be determined that additional traction is needed only when sufficient force is asserted by a user that the sole of a shoe of the user extends into the aperture at least 0.1 inches below the top surface 101. Rib protrusion 110 may terminate 0.1 inches below the top surface 101 of the tile 100 to provide additional traction under such pre-determined load conditions.

In other aspects of the technology, the rigidity of the rib protrusion 110, or the degree to which it flexes in multiple directions based on its material composition and geometry, may be adjusted to achieve the desired level of traction. For example, a rectangular blade may have a thickness of between 0.01 and 0.1 inches, and a length of between 0.2 and 0.6 inches, depending on the desired rigidity and corresponding traction. In one example, the rectangular blade is 0.06 inches thick and 0.335 inches long. It will be understood that other shapes or changes to the geometry of the blade or to other example rib protrusions as explained herein will be possible to provide the desired rigidity of the rib protrusion 110.

In one aspect of the technology, rib protrusion 110 may be rectangular blade following the direction of, or collinear with, the lower rib or saddle 109 across aperture 104. A gap 111 may be formed between rib protrusion 110 and upper rib members 103 to continue to allow the advantageous liquid drainage through the apertures, as discussed above, as well as the multi-directional flexing of the rib protrusion 110. In other words, a gap 111 may be formed between each end of the blade or rib protrusion 110 and the upper rib members 103. The size of the gap 111, and subsequently the size of the blade or rib protrusion 110, may be adjusted to provide an optimum balance between traction properties and liquid drainage properties of tile 100. For example, in one embodiment, the gap 111 may be between 0.005 and 0.1 inches.

With reference generally to FIGS. 2-5, in one aspect of the technology, a flooring component or modular flooring tile 200 is shown. The tile 200 comprises a top surface 201 and a plurality of side edge surfaces 202 defining a perimeter about the top surface 201. The top surface 201 has a plurality of intersecting rib members 203 defining apertures 204. However, it is understood that in certain aspects of the technology, the top surface 201 may comprise a continuous surface with no apertures as suits a particular application. A support system, including a plurality of post structures 205 is disposed at least partially beneath the top surface 201. In one aspect of the technology, male and female coupling members 240 and 210 are disposed about the tile 200 and provide a locking system to couple adjacent tiles together. In accordance with one aspect of the technology, the female coupling member 210 comprises a protrusion 211 extending outward from a side edge 202 of the tile 200. The protrusion 211 comprises a pass through opening 212 and outer semi-rigid side walls 213 that couple to the side edge 202 of the tile 200. In one aspect of the technology, the outer semi-rigid side walls 213 of the protrusion 111 are joined together at a distal end 214 of the protrusion 211 to form a loop. It is understood, however, that any number of shapes (e.g., rectangle, triangle, etc.) may be used as suits a particular purpose. The protrusion 211 further comprises a flexible inner side wall 215 separated from the semi-rigid outer side wall 213 by apertures 216 to permit lateral flexing of the inner side wall 215. The term semi-rigid as used herein refers to a construction that is not intended to flex as part of its normal operation. The outer sidewalls 213 of this aspect may be constructed of a synthetic polymer and hence may yield to an applied pressure, but they will typically not yield to pressure without suffering some plastic deformation. The term flexible as used herein refers to a construction that permits the referenced component to flex or move in one or more directions without suffering from plastic deformation. In one aspect of the technology, the protrusion 211 has a cut-way 217 disposed about the distal end 214. This cut-away 217 portion facilitates drainage of fluid that may otherwise accumulate within the pass through opening 212 of the protrusion 211.

In one aspect of the technology, the inner side wall 215 is coupled to the tile 200 at side walls 202 and is coupled to the outer side wall 213 near a distal end 214 of the protrusion 211, though the inner side wall 215 may couple to the outer side wall 213 at any number of locations as suits a particular design. A second protrusion 220 extends downward from the top surface 201 of the tile 200 and is configured to be disposed through the pass through opening 212 of the protrusion 211 within the inner flexible sidewalls 215. The downward protrusion 220 comprises a plurality of walls 221 that form a U-shape, though other shapes (e.g., rectangular, triangular, curvilinear, etc.) may be used. An outwardly extending side tab 222 is disposed on the ends of each of the opposing walls 221 of the second protrusion 220, said side tabs 222 have a bottom lip 223 configured to fit over a bottom edge of the flexible inner sidewalls 215 of the first protrusion 211 of an adjacent modular floor tile 100. The side tabs 222 extend in a direction parallel to the flexing direction 217 of the flexible sidewalls 215 of the first protrusion 211. In one aspect of the technology, the walls 221 of the second protrusion 220 are semi-rigid walls. An outer perimeter of the walls 221 of the second protrusion 220 are shaped to approximate an inner perimeter of the flexible sidewalls 215 of the first protrusion 211 (e.g., U-shaped, rectangular, triangular, or otherwise). The flexible inner sidewalls 215 together with the downward protrusion 220 improve the user's capacity to more easily lock adjoining tiles 200 together.

In another aspect of the technology, the tile 200 further comprises an edge tab 230 that extends downward from and laterally outward from at least one of the plurality of edge surfaces 202 of the tile 200. The edge tab 230 flexes in a direction that is normal to the flexing direction of the pair of flexible sidewalls 215 of the first protrusion 211. The edge tab 230 has first and second side surfaces 231, 232. A first one 221a of the pair of opposing walls 221 of the second protrusion 220 has an outside surface that is coplanar with the first side surface 231 of the edge tab 230 and a second one 221b of the pair of opposing walls 221 of the second protrusion 220 has an outside surface that is coplanar with a second side surface 232 of the edge tab 230. The second protrusion 220 is sized such that distance from the back side 226 of the protrusion 220 to the front side 234 of the edge tab 230 is longer than the longitudinal distance of the pass through opening 212 within the inner flexible side walls 215. Likewise, the second protrusion 220 is sized such that the distance from the outside edges of opposing side tabs 222 is greater than the width of the pass through opening 212 within the inner flexible side walls 215. A top surface of the edge tab 230 and the side tabs 222 have a tapered surface. In this manner, as the second or downward facing protrusion 220 is placed within the opening 212 of the first protrusion 211, the edge tab 230 flexes inward and the flexible inner side walls 215 flex outward until the inner dimensions of the flexible inner side walls 215 and the outer dimension of the second or downward facing protrusion 220 are modified (i.e., placed in a biased state) to permit passage of the second protrusion 220 through the pass through opening 212 of the protrusion 211. After passing through the pass through opening 212, the edge tab 230 and the inner side walls 215 return to their original or unbiased condition. In that state, the lips 235 of the edge tab 230 fit beneath a bottom side edge 208 of the tile 200 and lips 227 of side tabs 222 fit beneath a bottom of the inner side walls 215.

In accordance with one aspect of the technology, the semi-rigid outer walls 213 have a width varying from 2 to 4 mm and the width of the flexible inner walls 215 vary from 0.5 to 2 mm. The space or aperture 216 between the outer wall 213 and flexible inner wall 215 varies from 0.5 to 4 mm. As with other dimensions provided herein, these dimensions are non-limiting examples and may be varied as suits a particular design application. For example, the width of the flexible inner walls 215 may be varied to control the relative resistance to movement. In a scenario where the male coupling member 240 has a rigid, semi-rigid or flexible construction (see, e.g., the flexible plate arrangement of coupling member 140), the flexibility of the inner wall 215 may be increased to emphasize flexing of the female coupling member 210 (i.e., less flexing from the male member 240) or may be decreased to emphasize flexing of the male coupling member 240.

With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, in accordance with one aspect of the technology, the top surface 201 of the tile 200 comprises a plurality of interconnected rib members 203 defining plurality of apertures 204 in the top surface 201. The top surface 201 is supported above the ground surface by a support system comprising support posts 205 that, in one aspect, are interconnected by additional rib members 209 disposed beneath the upper rib members 203. The upper rib members 203 form the contact surface on which a user treads. The lower rib members 209 are disposed beneath the upper rib members 203 and traverse the aperture 204 defined by the upper rib members 203. The lower rib members 209 form a downward trending curvilinear or saddle shape within the aperture 204. In an instance where a lower rib member 209 has an upper surface that is flat and coplanar with a bottom surface of upper rib members 203, water has a tendency to become entrained within the aperture 204. The curvilinear or saddle shape of the lower rib 209 advantageously improves water drainage through the apertures 204. It also facilitates a decrease in occlusion of the aperture 204 by other matter (i.e., dirt, leaves, etc.) that may otherwise become entrained in the aperture 204. In one aspect, the lower rib member 209 has a top surface that is rounded or triangular to facilitate passage of water or other materials over the lower rib 209.

With reference now to FIGS. 7-9, a portion of a modular floor tile 300 is shown. The tile 300 comprises a top surface 301 with a plurality of intersecting rib members 303 defining apertures 304. The top surface 301 is supported above the ground surface by a support system comprising support posts, as described with reference to FIGS. 2-6. Rib members 303 are interconnected by additional rib members 309 disposed beneath the upper rib members 303. The upper rib members 303 form the contact surface on which a user treads. The lower rib members 309 are disposed beneath the upper rib members 303 and traverse the aperture 304 defined by the upper rib members 303. The lower rib members 309 form a downward trending curvilinear or saddle shape within the aperture 304. In an instance where a lower rib member 309 has an upper surface that is flat and coplanar with a bottom surface of upper rib members 303, water has a tendency to become entrained within the aperture 304. The curvilinear or saddle shape of the lower rib 309 advantageously improves liquid drainage, including water, rain, dew, sweat and spilled beverages, through the apertures 304. It also facilitates a decrease in occlusion of the aperture 304 by other matter (i.e., dirt, leaves, etc.) that may otherwise become entrained in the aperture 304. In one aspect, the lower rib member 309 has a top surface that is rounded or triangular to facilitate passage of water or other materials over the lower rib 309. In other aspects, the lower rib member 309 need not form a downward trending shape, but may be planar and form any shape consistent with the technology described herein. As described herein with reference to FIG. 1, the lower rib member 309 connects at each end of the lower rib member 109 to the upper rib members 103 or to the support system. In an aspect of the technology, no portion other than the extremities of the lower rib member 109, or no portion of the lower rib member 109 within the cavity 104, extends to the floor or is supported by another structure that extends to the floor.

Tile 300 also comprises rib protrusions 310 extending from the lower rib 309 through the aperture 304 toward the top surface 301. Rib protrusions 310 may extend past or above top surface 301 to engage with the shoe sole of a user and improve traction. For example, rib protrusions 310 may extend 0.02 inches above top surface 101. In other examples, the height of the rib protrusions 310 may be adjusted to optimize the level of traction and the level of abrasion desired in a tile. For example, a user may find that taller rib protrusions 310 provide greater traction while slightly increasing the amount of abrasion experiences by a user. Similarly, lower rib protrusions 310 may provide slightly less traction, but provide less abrasive characteristics. The optimum height of the rib protrusions 310 may be chosen for each desired application, and may be between 0.005 and 0.25 inches above top surface 301. In other embodiments, rib protrusion 110 may be between 0.01 and 0.1 inches above top surface 301. However, placement of rib protrusions 310 on lower rib member 309 allows flexing of the rib protrusion 310 upon contact with the shoe sole or the body of a user, and is therefore less abrasive than a protrusion fixedly attached to the top surface 301 of the tile 300.

In one aspect of the technology, rib protrusions 310 comprise outer posts 310a and an inner post 110b, comprising three posts. Outer posts 310a and inner post 310b align with lower rib or saddle 109 across aperture 104. A gap 311 may be formed between outer and inner posts 310a, 310b, and between outer posts 310a and upper rib members 303 to continue to allow the advantageous liquid drainage through the apertures, as discussed above, as well as the multi-directional flexing of the posts 310a, 310b. The size of the gap 311, and subsequently the size of the outer and inner posts 310a, 310b, may be adjusted to provide an optimum balance between traction properties, liquid drainage properties, and flexing properties of the posts 310a, 310b of tile 100.

Rib protrusion 310 may also terminate level with top surface 301 or below top surface 301 of tile 300. In this manner, the engagement with the sole or shoe of a user occurs when the shoe or sole passes through aperture 304 a pre-determined distance. For example, in one aspect, it may be determined that additional traction is needed only when sufficient force is asserted by a user that the sole of a shoe of the user extends into the aperture at least 0.1 inches below the top surface 301. Rib protrusion 310 may terminate 0.1 inches below the top surface 101 of the tile 300 to provide additional traction under such pre-determined load conditions.

In other aspects of the technology, the rigidity of the rib protrusion 310, or the degree to which the plurality of rib protrusions 310 flex based on their material composition and geometry, may be adjusted to achieve the desired level of traction. For example, the outer and inner posts 310a, 310b may have a diameter of between 0.01 and 0.1 inches, depending on the desired rigidity and corresponding traction. In one example, each post is 0.06 inches in diameter. It will be understood that other shapes or changes to the geometry of the posts or to other example rib protrusions as explained herein will be possible to provide the desired rigidity of the rib protrusion 310.

As shown in FIG. 8, outer posts 310a and inner post 310b may extend to the same height above top surface 301. In other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 9, outer posts 310a may extend a greater height above top surface 301 than inner posts 310b. In some embodiments, the different heights of outer and inner posts 310a, 310b account for the different pressure forces each may receive during use. For example, in some applications, if inner post 310b protrudes the same height above top surface 301 as outer posts 310a, inner post 310b may absorb the great majority of the pressure forces during use. By decreasing the height of inner post 310b, rib protrusions 310 may equally share applied loads. As discussed above, posts 310a, 310b of rib protrusions 310 may also terminate at or below the top surface 301.

With reference to FIG. 10, a portion of a modular floor tile 400 is shown. The tile 400 comprises a top surface 401 with a plurality of intersecting rib members 403 defining apertures 404. The top surface 401 is supported above the ground surface by a support system comprising support posts, as described with reference to FIGS. 2-6. Rib members 403 are interconnected by additional rib members 409 disposed beneath the upper rib members 403. The upper rib members 403 form the contact surface on which a user treads. The lower rib members 409 are disposed beneath the upper rib members 403 and traverse the aperture 404 defined by the upper rib members 403. The lower rib members 409 form a downward trending curvilinear or saddle shape within the aperture 404. In an instance where a lower rib member 409 has an upper surface that is flat and coplanar with a bottom surface of upper rib members 403, water has a tendency to become entrained within the aperture 404. The curvilinear or saddle shape of the lower rib 409 advantageously improves liquid drainage, including water, rain, dew, sweat and spilled beverages, through the apertures 404. It also facilitates a decrease in occlusion of the aperture 404 by other matter (i.e., dirt, leaves, etc.) that may otherwise become entrained in the aperture 404. In one aspect, the lower rib member 409 has a top surface that is rounded or triangular to facilitate passage of water or other materials over the lower rib 409. In other aspects, the lower rib member 409 need not form a downward trending shape, but may be planar and form any shape consistent with the technology described herein.

Tile 400 also comprises a rib protrusion 410 extending from the lower rib 409 through the aperture 404 toward the top surface 401. Rib protrusion 410 may extend past or above top surface 401 to engage with the shoe sole of a user and improve traction. For example, rib protrusion 410 may extend 0.02 inches above top surface 401. In other examples, the height of the rib protrusion 410 may be adjusted to optimize the level of traction and the level of abrasion desired in a tile. Rib protrusion 410 may be single post disposed in the middle of the lower rib or saddle 409 across aperture 404. Rib protrusion or post 410 may be tapered, such that the diameter is greater at the base of the post, or nearest the lower rib member 409, than at the top of the post 410, or nearest the top surface 401.

Rib protrusion 410 may also terminate level with top surface 401 or below top surface 401 of tile 400. In this manner, the engagement with the sole or shoe of a user occurs when the shoe or sole passes through aperture 404 a pre-determined distance. For example, in one aspect, it may be determined that additional traction is needed only when sufficient force is asserted by a user that the sole of a shoe of the user extends into the aperture at least 0.1 inches below the top surface 301. Rib protrusion 410 may terminate 0.1 inches below the top surface 401 of the tile 400 to provide additional traction under such pre-determined load conditions.

In other aspects of the technology, the rigidity of the rib protrusion 310, or the degree to which the plurality of rib protrusions 410 flex based on their material composition and geometry, may be adjusted to achieve the desired level of traction. For example, the outer and inner posts 410a, 410b may have a diameter of between 0.01 and 0.1 inches, depending on the desired rigidity and corresponding traction. In one example, each post is 0.06 inches in diameter. It will be understood that other shapes or changes to the geometry of the posts or to other example rib protrusions as explained herein will be possible to provide the desired rigidity of the rib protrusion 310.

With reference to FIGS. 11-12, a portion of a modular floor tile 500 is shown. The tile 500 comprises a top surface 501 with a plurality of intersecting rib members 503 defining apertures 504. The top surface 501 is supported above the ground surface by a support system comprising support posts, as described with reference to FIGS. 2-6. Rib members 503 are interconnected by additional rib members 509 disposed beneath the upper rib members 503. The upper rib members 503 form the contact surface on which a user treads. The lower rib members 509 are disposed beneath the upper rib members 503 and traverse the aperture 504 defined by the upper rib members 503. The lower rib members 509 form a downward trending curvilinear or saddle shape within the aperture 504. In an instance where a lower rib member 509 has an upper surface that is flat and coplanar with a bottom surface of upper rib members 503, water has a tendency to become entrained within the aperture 504. The curvilinear or saddle shape of the lower rib 509 advantageously improves liquid drainage, including water, rain, dew, sweat and spilled beverages, through the apertures 504. It also facilitates a decrease in occlusion of the aperture 504 by other matter (i.e., dirt, leaves, etc.) that may otherwise become entrained in the aperture 504. In one aspect, the lower rib member 509 has a top surface that is rounded or triangular to facilitate passage of water or other materials over the lower rib 509. In other aspects, the lower rib member 509 need not form a downward trending shape, but may be planar and form any shape consistent with the technology described herein.

Tile 500 also comprises a rib protrusion 510 extending from the lower rib 509 through the aperture 504 toward the top surface 501. Rib protrusion 510 may extend past or above top surface 501 to engage with the shoe sole of a user and improve traction. For example, rib protrusion 510 may extend 0.02 inches above top surface 501. In other examples, the height of the rib protrusion 510 may be adjusted to optimize the level of traction and the level of abrasion desired in a tile. Rib protrusion 510 may be single post without a taper, disposed in the middle of the lower rib or saddle 509 across aperture 504. Post 510 may include a radius top, or may include any other top surface geometry meant to optimize the traction and abrasion characteristics of tile 500.

Rib protrusion 510 may also terminate level with top surface 501 or below top surface 501 of tile 500. In this manner, the engagement with the sole or shoe of a user occurs when the shoe or sole passes through aperture 504 a pre-determined distance. For example, in one aspect, it may be determined that additional traction is needed only when sufficient force is asserted by a user that the sole of a shoe of the user extends into the aperture at least 0.1 inches below the top surface 501. Rib protrusion 310 may terminate 0.1 inches below the top surface 501 of the tile 500 to provide additional traction under such pre-determined load conditions.

In other aspects of the technology, the rigidity of the rib protrusion 510, or the degree to which the plurality of rib protrusions 510 flex based on their material composition and geometry, may be adjusted to achieve the desired level of traction. For example, the post 510 may have a diameter of between 0.01 and 0.1 inches, depending on the desired rigidity and corresponding traction. In one example, each post is 0.06 inches in diameter. It will be understood that other shapes or changes to the geometry of the posts or to other example rib protrusions as explained herein will be possible to provide the desired rigidity of the rib protrusion 310.

With reference to FIG. 13, a portion of a modular floor tile 600 is shown. The tile 600 comprises a top surface 601 with a plurality of intersecting rib members 603 defining apertures 604. The top surface 601 is supported above the ground surface by a support system comprising support posts, as described with reference to FIGS. 2-6. Rib members 603 are interconnected by additional rib members 610 disposed above the rib members 603. The rib members 603 form the contact surface on which a user treads. The additional rib members 610, or traction rib members, traverse the aperture 504 defined by the upper rib members 603. The additional rib members 610 form an upward trending curvilinear shape above the aperture 604. The additional rib member 610 extends past or above top surface 601 to engage with the shoe sole of a user and improve traction. For example, rib member 610 may extend 0.02 inches above top surface 601, or between 0.005 and 0.25 inches above top surface 601. In other examples, the height of the rib protrusion 610 may be adjusted to optimize the level of traction and the level of abrasion desired in a tile.

With reference to FIG. 14, a portion of a modular floor tile 700 according to aspects of the technology is shown. The tile 700 comprises a top surface 701 with a plurality of intersecting rib members 703 defining apertures 704. The top surface 701 is supported above the ground surface by a support system comprising support posts, as described with reference to FIGS. 2-6. Rib members 703 are interconnected by additional rib members 409 disposed beneath the upper rib members 703. The upper rib members 503 form the contact surface on which a user treads. The lower rib members 709 are disposed beneath the upper rib members 703 and traverse the aperture 704 defined by the upper rib members 703. The lower rib members 709 form a downward trending curvilinear or saddle shape within the aperture 704. In an instance where a lower rib member 709 has an upper surface that is flat and coplanar with a bottom surface of upper rib members 703, water has a tendency to become entrained within the aperture 704. The curvilinear or saddle shape of the lower rib 709 advantageously improves liquid drainage, including water, rain, dew, sweat and spilled beverages, through the apertures 704. It also facilitates a decrease in occlusion of the aperture 704 by other matter (i.e., dirt, leaves, etc.) that may otherwise become entrained in the aperture 704. In one aspect, the lower rib member 709 has a top surface that is rounded or triangular to facilitate passage of water or other materials over the lower rib 709.

Tile 700 also comprises a cavities 720 extending into upper rib members 703 of the top surface 701. Cavities 720 may engage with the shoe sole of a user and improve traction, and may also provide additional area for liquid to drain from top surface 701. In one aspect of the technology, cavities 720 are hemispherical, closed holes. For example, cavities 720 can be between 0.5 and 2 mm in diameter. In this aspect, cavities 720 form an air-tight seal when completely covered by the sole of a shoe of a user, the air-tight seal creating a suction force that aids traction. Cavities 720 may fill with liquid from top surface 701, and may still provide the air-tight seal and suction force. In other aspects of the technology, the cavities 720 may include at least partial through holes, allowing liquid to drain from top surface 701 to below tile 700.

In accordance with one aspect of the technology, a method of improving the traction of a synthetic floor tile is disclosed. The method includes providing a tile having a top surface formed from upper rib members that intersect to form an aperture. The method further includes providing a traction member to protrude through the aperture above the top surface to provide traction, with the structure and corresponding advantages discussed herein.

The foregoing detailed description describes the technology with reference to specific exemplary aspects. However, it will be appreciated that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present technology as set forth in the appended claims. The detailed description and accompanying drawings are to be regarded as merely illustrative, rather than as restrictive, and all such modifications, combination of features, or changes, if any, are intended to fall within the scope of the present technology as described and set forth herein. In addition, while specific features are shown or described as used in connection with particular aspects of the technology, it is understood that different features may be combined and used with different aspects. By way of example only, the flexible plates 141 of one aspect may be used in connection with the flexible side walls 215 of another aspect of the technology. Likewise, numerous features from various aspects of the technology described herein may be combined in any number of variations as suits a particular purpose.

More specifically, while illustrative exemplary aspects of the technology have been described herein, the present technology is not limited to these aspects, but includes any and all aspects having modifications, omissions, combinations (e.g., of aspects across various embodiments), adaptations and/or alterations as would be appreciated by those 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, in the present disclosure, the term “preferably” is non-exclusive where it is intended to mean “preferably, but not limited to.” Any steps recited in any method or process claims may be executed in any order and are not limited to the order presented in the claims. Means-plus-function or step-plus-function limitations will only be employed where for a specific claim limitation all of the following conditions are present in that limitation: a) “means for” or “step for” is expressly recited; and b) a corresponding function is expressly recited. The structure, material or acts that support the means-plus-function are expressly recited in the description herein. Accordingly, the scope of the technology should be determined solely by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the descriptions and examples given above.

Traction Synthetic Flooring Apparatus

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