AU2017208306A1 - Flooring system - Google Patents

Abstract

There is described a panel (41, 42) for a flooring system (40) of a building construction comprising: a sheathing (20) for forming a substantially planar flooring surface; and a plurality of support members (43) attached to an underside of the sheathing (20) at spaced intervals, each of the support members (43) comprising a substantially vertical web member (44) attached to the underside of the sheathing (20) at one end and terminating at a chord member(46); wherein the support members (43) and the sheathing (20) function to form a plurality of integrated I-beams attached to an underside thereof for supporting the planar flooring surface as part of the flooring system (40). (JA

Description

FLOORING SYSTEM RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority from Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2016902949 filed 27 July 2016, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a flooring system for a building construction and in particular, to a flooring system comprising flooring panels that interact to provide a flooring system with increased span and strength whilst maintaining minimal weight.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the construction of wood floors for buildings, there exist a variety of different types of flooring systems available. In construction, the first or ground floor is supported by the building foundation with the second (and subsequent) floors being supported on the walls and other supporting structures of the first or ground floor of the building, typically the headers and beams of the first or ground floor.

Woodframe floors typically consist of repetitive joists or trusses that extend at predetermined spacing and which are sheathed with either boards or wood structured panels attached to the top surface of the joists. The joists can be made from sawn lumber, or a variety of prefabricated members that include wooden joists, trusses, and various other arrangements. The joists are typically supported at their ends by beams, girders or headers.

In order to assemble a conventional woodframe floor, the joists are typically installed between the beams or girders, with the spacing and span of the joists being determined such that it is adequate to support dead or live vertical loads depending upon the requirements of the floor. The maximum span of the floor is also determined by the consideration of the potential vertical deflection of the floor, which can limit the maximum span of the floor members to ensure that the vertical deflection of the floor is maintained between acceptable limits.

Thus it is common in woodframe flooring that the structure is over-engineered to accommodate a wide variety of loads and the like. This results in shorter spans and reduced spacing between joists or trusses which can significantly increase the cost of construction as material usage is higher.

Thus, there is a need to provide a flooring system for buildings which can be simply installed in a panel format to reduce the construction and assembly times whilst ensuring increased span and strength of the flooring and minimising weight.

The above references to and descriptions of prior proposals or products are not intended to be, and are not to be construed as, statements or admissions of common general knowledge in the art. In particular, the above prior art discussion does not relate to what is commonly or well known by the person skilled in the art, but assists in the understanding of the inventive step of the present invention of which the identification of pertinent prior art proposals is but one part.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

The invention according to one or more aspects is as defined in the independent claims. Some optional and/or preferred features of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

Accordingly, in one aspect of the invention there is provided a panel for a flooring system of a building construction comprising: a sheathing for forming a substantially planar flooring surface; and a plurality of support members attached to an underside of the sheathing at spaced intervals, each of the support members comprising a substantially vertical web member attached to the underside of the sheathing at one end and terminating at a chord member; wherein the support members and the sheathing function to form a plurality of integrated I-beams attached to an underside thereof for supporting the sheathing as part of the flooring system.

Accordingly, in another aspect of the invention there is provided a flooring system for a building construction comprising: a plurality of pre-formed panels, each panel comprising a sheathing having a plurality of T-bearer supports mounted to an underside thereof, each T-bearer extending substantially parallel in a longitudinal direction; wherein, each panel is configured to be arranged in an abutting manner such that at abutting edges of adjacent panels, a T-bearer support of one of the panels comprises a ledge member for supporting the sheathing of the other panel.

In one embodiment the ledge member comprises an elongate length of wood mounted to an upper end of the T-bearer support. The ledge member may extend substantially the length of the T-bearer support.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may be better understood from the following non-limiting description of preferred embodiments, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a flooring system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2A is an end view of panel A of the flooring system of Fig. 1;

Fig. 2B is a perspective end view of Panel A and Panel B of the flooring system of Fig. 1 in abutment;

Fig. 3A is a perspective end view of Panel B of the flooring system of Fig. i;

Fig. 3B is an end view of Panel B and Panel C of the flooring system of Fig. 1 in abutment;

Fig. 4A is an end view of Panel C of the flooring system of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4B is a perspective end view of Panel B and Panel C of the flooring system of Fig. 1 in abutment;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a conventional flooring system in accordance with the prior art;

Fig. 6 is an end view of a conventional flooring system such as that depicted in Fig. 5 showing the manner upon which the I-beams support the structure;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a flooring system in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of the flooring system of Fig. 7 showing the manner in which the panels abut; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the flooring system of Fig. 7 in partial assembly form.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred features of the present invention will now be described with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it is to be understood that the features illustrated in and described with reference to the drawings are not to be construed as limiting on the scope of the invention.

The present invention will be described below in relation to its use in an upper level flooring system for a building construction. However, it will be appreciated that the flooring system of the present invention could be equally employed in a ground level structure where desired.

Referring to Fig. 5, there is depicted a conventional flooring system 30. The conventional flooring system 30 is typical of a flooring system that may be used in a second storey or ground level application. The flooring system comprises a plurality of joists 32 that extend in a substantially parallel and spaced manner to define the flooring. Each of the joists 32 are attached at their respective ends to a top plate or stem wall 31 either by being positioned on and fixed to the top plate or by the use of joist hangers 33. The joist hangers 33 support the joists 32 in position and provide adequate support of the joists on the top plate or stem wall 31. A sheathing 35 is attached to the upper chord 32c of the joists 32. This is typically achieved by way of a single bead of construction adhesive being applied to the upper surface of the upper chord 32c as shown in Fig. 5, which may be further secured in place by way of nails or similar mechanical fastening means. The sheathing 35 is typically in the form of a plywood particleboard or similar board.

Referring to Fig. 6, the manner in which the joist 32 supports the sheathing 35 in a conventional flooring system is shown. The joist 32 is in the form of an I-beam structure having an upper chord 32c and a lower chord 32a of substantially the same dimensions. In one embodiment the dimensions of the upper chord 32c and lower chord 32a may be approximately 45mm x 35 mm. The joist 32 has a web 32b that extends vertically between the chords 32a, 32c and may be made from a variety of different material including plywood, Orientated Strand Board (OSB), Masonite and the like. Thus, in such a conventional flooring system, the sheathing 35 is attached to the upper chord 32c of the joist 32 and the inherent strength properties of the sheathing is ignored in the overall design of the conventional flooring system 30.

Fig. 1 represents a flooring system 10 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The flooring system 10 generally comprises three preformed panels A, B and C that collectively assemble together to form the flooring system 10. Each of the panels A, B and C differ from conventional flooring systems as the sheathing or floor panel 20 forms the upper chord of the floor support system such that the inherent strength properties of the sheathing 20 is combined into the floor system to provide a flooring system 10 having a shared structural area and increased strength, as will be discussed in more detail below. Panel A and Panel C are configured to be end panels in the flooring system and Panel B is configured to be a central panel which is supported by each of the end panels A and C. Panel B can also be used with one or more other Panels B should the width of the flooring system 10 require it.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flooring system 10 has a span ‘X’ and a width Ύ’ to define an overall flooring surface area X*Y. In an embodiment of the present invention, the span ‘X’ may be 3600 mm and the width Ύ’ may be 3660 mm. Other span lengths and width are also envisaged. Each of the panels A, B and C interact together to form an integral flooring system 10 as will be described in more detail below.

Referring to Figs. 2A and 2B, panel A of the flooring system 10 is shown in more detail. Panel A generally comprises a sheathing 20 in the form of a plywood board or panel. Three T-bearers 12 extend along an underside of the sheathing 20. The first T-bearer 12 is located adjacent an edge of the sheathing 20 and is spaced a distance ‘d’ therefrom. The second T-bearer 12 is spaced a distance ‘e’ from the first T-bearer 12 and the third T-bearer 12 is spaced a further distance ‘f from the second T-bearer 12 as shown. In a preferred embodiment, the first T-bearer 12 is spaced a distance 45 mm from the edge of the sheathing 20, with the spacing ‘e’ between the first and second T-bearers 12 being 365 mm and the spacing ‘f between the second and third T-bearers 12 being 400 mm.

Each T-bearer 12 comprises a vertical web member 14 and a chord member 16 that extends orthogonally therefrom. Each of the web member 14 and chord member 16 may be secured to the sheathing 20 by way of a commercial adhesive or other mechanical fixing means such as screws, as would be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The web member 14 has a width substantially equivalent to the width of the sheathing 20. In an embodiment of the invention the width of the web member 14 and sheathing 20 may be around 21 mm. Each of the web member 14 and sheathing 20 may be formed from a plywood material of radiata pine, or similar material. The chord member 16 may have a width of 90 mm and a thickness of 39 mm and may be formed from a Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) and are configured to be supported at the ends thereof on the beams or girders. It will be appreciated that the dimensions provided are merely examples and other dimensions may be employed to provide variations in strengths and to achieve different spans, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

At the edge of the panel A, a blocking member 18 is fitted between the web member 14 of the first T-bearer 12 and the edge of the sheathing 20, as shown. The blocking member extends along the free edge of the panel A and functions to assist in preventing the T-bearer 12 from rotating or displacing laterally from the vertical position. The blocking member 18 also acts as a solid member to assist in transference of upper wall loads that may be present along the free edge of the sheathing 20.

At the opposing edge, a web member 14 is located to extend along the edge of the sheathing 20 as shown. This web member 14 is substantially the same in configuration as the web members 14 of the T-bearers 12 such that when panel B is positioned in an abutting manner to panel A, the underside of the web member 14 is supported by chord member 16' located along the corresponding edge of the panel B, as is shown in Fig. 2B.

Referring to Fig. 3A, the panel B is shown in isolation. Panel B is configured substantially the same as panel A, with the exception that the first T-bearer 12' is located such that its web member 14' is located flush with the edge of sheathing 20'. This then ensures that the chord member 16'of the first T-bearer 12'is able to support the web member 14 of Panel A in the manner as shown in Fig. 2B.

The opposing edge of the panel B also has a web member 14'located therealong which is positioned so as to be supported by the chord member 16" of panel C when panel C is brought into an abutting position as shown in Fig. 3B. In this regard, each of the T-bearers 12' of panel B are separated an equidistant amount, in one embodiment, this T-bearers 12' are separated by 400mm.

Referring to Fig. 4A, the panel C is shown in isolation. Panel C is configured substantially the same as panel B, with the exception that the free end has a fourth T-bearer 12" located therealong. As such, panel C comprises 4 substantially equispaced T-bearers 12" extending from the underside of the sheathing 20". The T-bearer 12" located along the free edge of the panel C is positioned such that its web member 14" extends inwardly from the edge of the sheathing 20, as shown. This provides a spaces along the free edge of panel C for receiving a blocking member 18" as shown.

It will be appreciated that the panels A, B and C are each separately formed by when assembled into abutting relationship as shown in Fig. 1, the resulting flooring 10 becomes an integrated structure with each panel supporting the adjacent end of the preceding panel. Panel B is designed to be the central panel which can be supported by itself in a side-by-side manner so that multiple numbers of Panel B can be inserted between the end panels, Panel A and Panel C, to provide for a flooring 10 with a variable width “Y”.

Due to the T-shaped nature of the bearers of the flooring 10, the sheathing 20 of the flooring system 10 becomes the upper chord of an I-beam, thus providing high strength and increased span, as well as dimensional stability. As the chord members 16, 16' and 16" are formed from a high tension strength material, such as LVL, this results in a plurality of integral lightweight beams with the web members 14, 14'and 14" functioning to transmit the shear stresses to the chord members. The panels of the present invention actually utilise the inherent strength capabilities of the sheathing 20 or floor to form a plurality of I-beam structures that share structural area and increase the strength of the overall flooring structure. Thus, rather than the sheathing 20 or floor becoming merely supported on I-beams in a conventional flooring system as shown in Fig. 5, the flooring system of the present invention utilises the structural strength of the sheathing 20 such that the sheathing 20 forms part of the I-beam structural support for the flooring to form a more integrated and shared structural system.

Referring to Figs. 7 - 9, an alternative embodiment of a flooring system 40 is depicted. Flooring system 40 is similar to flooring system 10 but varies in the manner in which neighbouring panels 40 and 41 are joined together. Each of the panels 40, 41 support the sheathing 20 on a plurality of T-bearers 43. As in flooring system 10, the T-bearers 43 generally comprises a vertical web member 44 attached to an underside of the sheathing and a chord member 46 mounted on an end of the web member 44 in an orthogonal manner. Each of the T-bearers are located along an edge of the panels 41, 42 and are spaced apart at intervals therefrom extending across the sheathing.

As is shown, the T-bearer 43 that is located on an edge of the panels 41, 42, has a ledge member 48 attached along the open side of the web member extending the length thereof. The ledge member 48 may be in the form of an elongate piece of wood that is positioned to receive and support the end of the sheathing associated with a neighbouring panel 41, 42, when that panel is brought into an abutting position, as shown. The ledge member 48 may be attached to the web member 44 by way of an adhesive and/or mechanical fastening system, such as a nail or screw.

It will be appreciated that the ledge member 48 provides a simple means for attaching adjacent panels together in a flooring system. Each of the panels may have three or four T-bearers 43 depending upon the span of the sheathing 20 or spacing of the T-bearers 43. In any event, at the join between panels, the combined weight is shared at the T-bearers to maintain a constant support across the entire flooring system. Such a system also enables the panels to be simply dropped into position without the need for considerable construction work to take place on site.

As is shown in Fig. 9, the panels 41, 42 may also be adapted to contain voids 49 in the web members 44 for receiving plumbing, electrical wiring or ducting as appropriate for the flooring. It has been shown that such voids 49 formed in the web members 44 result in minimal reduction in strength of the T-bearers.

It will be appreciated that a flooring system in accordance with the present invention can be easily dropped into position and employed in place to provide a quick, efficient and lightweight flooring solution with reduced material and installation costs.

Throughout the specification and claims the word “comprise” and its derivatives are intended to have an inclusive rather than exclusive meaning unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise. That is, the word “comprise” and its derivatives will be taken to indicate the inclusion of not only the listed components, steps or features that it directly references, but also other components, steps or features not specifically listed, unless the contrary is expressly stated or the context requires otherwise.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications and variations may be made to the methods of the invention described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (7)

1. The claims defining the invention are as follows:

   1. A panel for a flooring system of a building construction comprising: a sheathing for forming a substantially planar flooring surface; and a plurality of support members attached to an underside of the sheathing at spaced intervals, each of the support members comprising a substantially vertical web member attached to the underside of the sheathing at one end and terminating at a chord member; wherein the support members and the sheathing function to form a plurality of integrated I-beams attached to an underside thereof for supporting the planar flooring surface as part of the flooring system.
2. 2. A panel according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of support members are spaced at predetermined intervals across the surface of the underside of the sheathing.
3. 3. A panel according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the substantially vertical web member is fixed to the underside to the underside of the sheathing by way of an adhesive and/or mechanical fasteners.
4. 4. A panel according to claim 3, wherein the chord member is attached to a lowermost end of the vertical web member so as to form a support base for the integrated I-beam.
5. 5. A flooring system for a building construction comprising: a plurality of pre-formed panels, each panel comprising a sheathing having a plurality of T-bearer supports mounted to an underside thereof, each T-bearer extending substantially parallel in a longitudinal direction; wherein, each panel is configured to be arranged in an abutting manner such that at abutting edges of adjacent panels, a T-bearer support of one of the panels comprises a ledge member for supporting the sheathing of the other panel.
6. 6. A flooring system according to claim 5, wherein the ledge member comprises an elongate length of wood mounted to an upper end of the T-bearer support.
7. 7. A flooring system according to claim 6, wherein the ledge member extends substantially the length of the T-bearer support.