CA1145784A - Surface covering - Google Patents
Surface coveringInfo
- Publication number
- CA1145784A CA1145784A CA000365580A CA365580A CA1145784A CA 1145784 A CA1145784 A CA 1145784A CA 000365580 A CA000365580 A CA 000365580A CA 365580 A CA365580 A CA 365580A CA 1145784 A CA1145784 A CA 1145784A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- slab
- regions
- elements
- edges
- covered
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Landscapes
- Road Paving Structures (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT
A surface covering for games arenas such as tennis courts comprising a slab formed of a plurality of regular polygon shaped regions, e.g. squares. The polygon shaped regions are delimited by ribs which depend from the upper load bearing surface of the slab and which abut the surface to be covered, and are delimited by grooves in the upper surface. Further ribs which depend from the upper surface are arranged to abut the surface to be covered, and radiate from the centre of each region, specifically along at least a part of each diagonal and each perpendicular bisector of each region when the regions are rectangular in shape. The grooves and ribs allow small expansions or contractions of regions due to temperature differentials to be absorbed by the individual regions and allow larger changes to take place substantially in the plane of the covering, thus avoiding ridges and cavities which occur with known coverings.
A surface covering for games arenas such as tennis courts comprising a slab formed of a plurality of regular polygon shaped regions, e.g. squares. The polygon shaped regions are delimited by ribs which depend from the upper load bearing surface of the slab and which abut the surface to be covered, and are delimited by grooves in the upper surface. Further ribs which depend from the upper surface are arranged to abut the surface to be covered, and radiate from the centre of each region, specifically along at least a part of each diagonal and each perpendicular bisector of each region when the regions are rectangular in shape. The grooves and ribs allow small expansions or contractions of regions due to temperature differentials to be absorbed by the individual regions and allow larger changes to take place substantially in the plane of the covering, thus avoiding ridges and cavities which occur with known coverings.
Description
A SURFACE COVERING
.
. The present invention relates to a surface cover-ing. It has particular application in coverings for games arenas such as tennis courts.
A surface covering for ball games, such as tennis, must be resilient, wear-resistant, impermeable to water, homogenous over the whole surface, have a low weight and require a mini.mum of maintenance. There are known cover-ings which satisfy such requirements but they have the disadvantage that their surface tends to become uneven as a result of contraction and/or expansion occurring when the covering is exposed to high or low ambient temperatures.
This is a serious disadvantage particularly in the case of outside tennis cour.ts which are subject to fluctuating temperature conditions. Cavities and ridges tend to be formed in the known coverings when part of the covering is exposed to strong sun light which causes expansion of the part exposed towards those parts which are, for example, located in the shade, and are not there.ore subject to the same degree of expansion as the exposed parts, or which do ,', 11~5784 not expand at all. Thus considerable forces are generated between parts of such coverings and as a result of the high, or relatively high, frictional forces between the covering and the surface being covered, those parts which expand the least will be moved upwardly in the direction of the force, forming cavities and ridges and rendering the covering virtually useless.
It is practically impossible to economically produce a covering which does not exhibit differential expansion and contrac-tion, because all synthetic materials expand or contract to a greater or lesser extent in dependence upon the ambient temperature.
According to the present invention there is provided a surface covering, in particular for tennis courts, comprising a number of mutually detachably joined slabs of a mouldable and resilient plastic, each slab being comprised of a number of equal mutually integral elements having a planar upper surface provided with openings and with depending bearing means arranged to rest upon the surface to be covered, wherein, (a) those edges of the elements which are contiguous to adjacent elements each con~ist of a depending leg of one element connected by a bridge with an opposite leg of another, adjacent element, thereby forming a groove between the edges of the elements;
(b) the underside of the bridges forms an abutment surface for the elements against the surface to be covered;
(c) the bearing means comprises a central rib cross and four diagonal ribs, one diagonal rib being positioned along each bisector of said rib cross;
(d) said bridges~ rib cross, and diagonal ribs have their bottom surface in one and the same plane and have a slightly . .
~ 2-1145~84 rounded profile to facilitate gliding movement upon the surface to be covered; and (e) there i5 an opening in said bridge at adjacent corners of each configuration of four mutually integral elements.
It can be seen that a covering according to the present invention can be constructed so that each region or element is able, within limits, to expand or to contract under the influence of temperature substantially independantly of an adjacent region, and so that unavoidable, large scale expansion or contraction affects an adjacent region in a manner such that the entire covering is caused to move horizontally thereby avoiding the formation of cavities and ridges. Hence a covering can be constructed according to the present invention which can be used in weather conditions which would cause irregularities in the surfaces of previously known coverings, According to a preferred embodiment all the regions are in the form of polygons such as rectangles or squares, all regions are congruent, and the upper load bearing surface has a thickness no less than the depth of the grooves.
For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a side view~of a slab forming a covering according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the covering illustrated in Figure 1, Figure 3 illustrates part of two adjacent assembled slabs;
and ~19LS784 Figure 4 is a cross section taken along line IV in Figure 1.
The slabs shown in Figures 1 and 2 are intended to be joined together as shown in Figure 3 to form a surface covering.
Each slab forming the covering comprises r, -3a-: ' ' , ~ ' ' ~' : .
11~5784 16, identical, square regions 1. Each region 1 has an upper face with a planar surface comprising a lattice netwo~k with latticeopenings 12. The lattice network takes ~ given pattern in which the dimensions of the lattice ribs and of the lattice openings are chosen to give the appropriate resiliency to suit the purpose for which the covering is to be used, e.g. for playing tennis in the case of a tennis court.
The pattern on the upper side of an element may take any form: that illustrated is one example only~ The individual regions need not be square as illustrated, but they may take any shape and may be for example rectangular, pe-,tagonal, or hexagonal.
In Figures 1 and 2 the under-side is shown upwardly turned. The underside comprises downwardly extending edge connecting regions 5 arranged to connect adjacent edges of adjacent regions 1. Those regions which are situated round the outside of a slab have a slightly different eonfiguration to those regions in the central area of the slab. The rcgions 1 in the centre of the slab have rour edge connect-ing regions 5,those along the edges have three, and those atthe corners have only two. The outer periphery of the slab is therefore provided ~Jith su?port pegs 11 and corner pegs 13 of semicircular and quadrant-like cross section respectively.
Those parts of the regions of the slab which are intended to directly abut the ground are shown by heavy black lïnes. These parts include the edge connecting regions 5, the support pegs 11, and corner pegs 13, and also a centrally arranged rib structure in each region.
This rib structure is formed by a central cross rib s ructure 3 and four diagonal ribs 4 lying on the bisectors of the cross angles of the cross rib structure 3.
The rib structure may, for example, take elther of the forms illustrated in Figure 2~ The ribs of the ri~
structure may be joined up at the centre of the region, o-they need not be connected at the centre. Preferably, the edges of the surfaces of the ribs and of the edge connecting regions which abut the floor are chamfered so as to give the ribs a slightly rounded profile, as illustrated in Figure 4.
The arrangement of the rib structures and the edge -onnecting regions 5 facilitates movement of the regions 1 on the surface it is covering in all directions, i.e. they f~cilitate movement of the regions as a ~esult of their fundamental expansion or contraction and enable the whole covering to moved horizontally within the eY~pansion toler-ence.
The rib structures are composed of ribs extending in 8 di-ections each being angul2rly spaced from an adjacent rib by about 4~. This lS found to create the least possible friction bet~een regions for movement of the regions in any direction as a result of tem?erature changes.
The edge connecting regions 5 are generally V or U-shaped in cross section (see ~igures 1 and 4). The legs 14 of the U-shape are comprised by the edges of the respective regi~ns 1. The bridge joining these legs 14 forms the surface which abuts the ground at the edges of the region 1. The groove 2 formed between the legs 14 permits a certain degree of expansion and contraction of each regionlindependently. An opening 7 is provided at selected positions in the slab, in this case at the corners of the regionsl, in order to allow for drainage of the grooves
.
. The present invention relates to a surface cover-ing. It has particular application in coverings for games arenas such as tennis courts.
A surface covering for ball games, such as tennis, must be resilient, wear-resistant, impermeable to water, homogenous over the whole surface, have a low weight and require a mini.mum of maintenance. There are known cover-ings which satisfy such requirements but they have the disadvantage that their surface tends to become uneven as a result of contraction and/or expansion occurring when the covering is exposed to high or low ambient temperatures.
This is a serious disadvantage particularly in the case of outside tennis cour.ts which are subject to fluctuating temperature conditions. Cavities and ridges tend to be formed in the known coverings when part of the covering is exposed to strong sun light which causes expansion of the part exposed towards those parts which are, for example, located in the shade, and are not there.ore subject to the same degree of expansion as the exposed parts, or which do ,', 11~5784 not expand at all. Thus considerable forces are generated between parts of such coverings and as a result of the high, or relatively high, frictional forces between the covering and the surface being covered, those parts which expand the least will be moved upwardly in the direction of the force, forming cavities and ridges and rendering the covering virtually useless.
It is practically impossible to economically produce a covering which does not exhibit differential expansion and contrac-tion, because all synthetic materials expand or contract to a greater or lesser extent in dependence upon the ambient temperature.
According to the present invention there is provided a surface covering, in particular for tennis courts, comprising a number of mutually detachably joined slabs of a mouldable and resilient plastic, each slab being comprised of a number of equal mutually integral elements having a planar upper surface provided with openings and with depending bearing means arranged to rest upon the surface to be covered, wherein, (a) those edges of the elements which are contiguous to adjacent elements each con~ist of a depending leg of one element connected by a bridge with an opposite leg of another, adjacent element, thereby forming a groove between the edges of the elements;
(b) the underside of the bridges forms an abutment surface for the elements against the surface to be covered;
(c) the bearing means comprises a central rib cross and four diagonal ribs, one diagonal rib being positioned along each bisector of said rib cross;
(d) said bridges~ rib cross, and diagonal ribs have their bottom surface in one and the same plane and have a slightly . .
~ 2-1145~84 rounded profile to facilitate gliding movement upon the surface to be covered; and (e) there i5 an opening in said bridge at adjacent corners of each configuration of four mutually integral elements.
It can be seen that a covering according to the present invention can be constructed so that each region or element is able, within limits, to expand or to contract under the influence of temperature substantially independantly of an adjacent region, and so that unavoidable, large scale expansion or contraction affects an adjacent region in a manner such that the entire covering is caused to move horizontally thereby avoiding the formation of cavities and ridges. Hence a covering can be constructed according to the present invention which can be used in weather conditions which would cause irregularities in the surfaces of previously known coverings, According to a preferred embodiment all the regions are in the form of polygons such as rectangles or squares, all regions are congruent, and the upper load bearing surface has a thickness no less than the depth of the grooves.
For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a side view~of a slab forming a covering according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the covering illustrated in Figure 1, Figure 3 illustrates part of two adjacent assembled slabs;
and ~19LS784 Figure 4 is a cross section taken along line IV in Figure 1.
The slabs shown in Figures 1 and 2 are intended to be joined together as shown in Figure 3 to form a surface covering.
Each slab forming the covering comprises r, -3a-: ' ' , ~ ' ' ~' : .
11~5784 16, identical, square regions 1. Each region 1 has an upper face with a planar surface comprising a lattice netwo~k with latticeopenings 12. The lattice network takes ~ given pattern in which the dimensions of the lattice ribs and of the lattice openings are chosen to give the appropriate resiliency to suit the purpose for which the covering is to be used, e.g. for playing tennis in the case of a tennis court.
The pattern on the upper side of an element may take any form: that illustrated is one example only~ The individual regions need not be square as illustrated, but they may take any shape and may be for example rectangular, pe-,tagonal, or hexagonal.
In Figures 1 and 2 the under-side is shown upwardly turned. The underside comprises downwardly extending edge connecting regions 5 arranged to connect adjacent edges of adjacent regions 1. Those regions which are situated round the outside of a slab have a slightly different eonfiguration to those regions in the central area of the slab. The rcgions 1 in the centre of the slab have rour edge connect-ing regions 5,those along the edges have three, and those atthe corners have only two. The outer periphery of the slab is therefore provided ~Jith su?port pegs 11 and corner pegs 13 of semicircular and quadrant-like cross section respectively.
Those parts of the regions of the slab which are intended to directly abut the ground are shown by heavy black lïnes. These parts include the edge connecting regions 5, the support pegs 11, and corner pegs 13, and also a centrally arranged rib structure in each region.
This rib structure is formed by a central cross rib s ructure 3 and four diagonal ribs 4 lying on the bisectors of the cross angles of the cross rib structure 3.
The rib structure may, for example, take elther of the forms illustrated in Figure 2~ The ribs of the ri~
structure may be joined up at the centre of the region, o-they need not be connected at the centre. Preferably, the edges of the surfaces of the ribs and of the edge connecting regions which abut the floor are chamfered so as to give the ribs a slightly rounded profile, as illustrated in Figure 4.
The arrangement of the rib structures and the edge -onnecting regions 5 facilitates movement of the regions 1 on the surface it is covering in all directions, i.e. they f~cilitate movement of the regions as a ~esult of their fundamental expansion or contraction and enable the whole covering to moved horizontally within the eY~pansion toler-ence.
The rib structures are composed of ribs extending in 8 di-ections each being angul2rly spaced from an adjacent rib by about 4~. This lS found to create the least possible friction bet~een regions for movement of the regions in any direction as a result of tem?erature changes.
The edge connecting regions 5 are generally V or U-shaped in cross section (see ~igures 1 and 4). The legs 14 of the U-shape are comprised by the edges of the respective regi~ns 1. The bridge joining these legs 14 forms the surface which abuts the ground at the edges of the region 1. The groove 2 formed between the legs 14 permits a certain degree of expansion and contraction of each regionlindependently. An opening 7 is provided at selected positions in the slab, in this case at the corners of the regionsl, in order to allow for drainage of the grooves
2. This opening 7 also allows for expansion and contraction of the bridge of the connecting reglons 5. From Figure 4, which illustrates the groove between two regions, it will be seen that the depth of the groove does not exceed the thickness of the upper portion of the covering.
Figure 3 shows parts of two adjacent slabs which have been coupled together. The slabs have been coupled together with the aid of coupling members comprising pegs 9 which fit into sleeve-like members 8. From Figure 2 it will be seen that the peg-like members 9 are arranged at the centre of the outside edges of the regions l which are disposed around two outside adjacent edges of the slab.
The sleeve-like members 8 are similarly arranged around the other two adjacent edges of the slab. The external diameter of each of the pegs 9 is smaller than the internal diameter of the sleeves 8 so that when the pegs and their associated sleeves are fitted together a clearance space exists in order to permit relative movement between the pegs and the sleeves in consequence of changing temperature conditions.
The slabs can be moulded from resilient synthetic material.
Figure 3 shows parts of two adjacent slabs which have been coupled together. The slabs have been coupled together with the aid of coupling members comprising pegs 9 which fit into sleeve-like members 8. From Figure 2 it will be seen that the peg-like members 9 are arranged at the centre of the outside edges of the regions l which are disposed around two outside adjacent edges of the slab.
The sleeve-like members 8 are similarly arranged around the other two adjacent edges of the slab. The external diameter of each of the pegs 9 is smaller than the internal diameter of the sleeves 8 so that when the pegs and their associated sleeves are fitted together a clearance space exists in order to permit relative movement between the pegs and the sleeves in consequence of changing temperature conditions.
The slabs can be moulded from resilient synthetic material.
Claims (3)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. A surface covering, in particular for tennis courts, comprising a number of mutually detachably joined slabs of a mouldable and resilient plastic, each slab being comprised of a number of equal mutually integral elements having a planar upper surface provided with openings and with depending bearing means arranged to rest upon the surface to be covered, wherein, (a) those edges of the elements which are contiguous to adjacent elements each consist of a depending leg of one element connected by a bridge with an opposite leg of another, adjacent element, thereby forming a groove between the edges of the elements;
(b) the underside of the bridges forms an abutment surface for the elements against the surface to be covered;
(c) the bearing means comprises a central rib cross and four diagonal ribs, one diagonal rib being positioned along each bisector of said rib cross;
(d) said bridges, rib cross, and diagonal ribs have their bottom surface in one and the same plane and have a slightly rounded profile to facilitate gliding movement upon the surface to be covered; and (e) there is an opening in said bridge at adjacent corners of each configuration of four mutually integral elements.
(b) the underside of the bridges forms an abutment surface for the elements against the surface to be covered;
(c) the bearing means comprises a central rib cross and four diagonal ribs, one diagonal rib being positioned along each bisector of said rib cross;
(d) said bridges, rib cross, and diagonal ribs have their bottom surface in one and the same plane and have a slightly rounded profile to facilitate gliding movement upon the surface to be covered; and (e) there is an opening in said bridge at adjacent corners of each configuration of four mutually integral elements.
2. A surface covering according to claim 1, wherein support pegs are provided around the periphery of said slab, some of said support pegs being positioned at the corners of said slab and being of quadrant cross section and the others of said support pegs being positioned along the edges of said slab and being of simi-circular cross section.
3. A surface covering according to claim 1, wherein coupling means are arranged along the edges of each slab for coupling said slab to another slab, the coupling means comprising a peg-like member and a sleeve-like member, respectively, adapted for being received and for receiving sleeve-like-members and peg-like members, respectively, of one or more other slabs, the external diameter of each peg-like member being smaller than the internal diameter of its corresponding sleeve-like member.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000365580A CA1145784A (en) | 1980-11-26 | 1980-11-26 | Surface covering |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000365580A CA1145784A (en) | 1980-11-26 | 1980-11-26 | Surface covering |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1145784A true CA1145784A (en) | 1983-05-03 |
Family
ID=4118562
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000365580A Expired CA1145784A (en) | 1980-11-26 | 1980-11-26 | Surface covering |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1145784A (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5616389A (en) * | 1995-10-30 | 1997-04-01 | Blatz; Warren J. | Surface covering tile |
-
1980
- 1980-11-26 CA CA000365580A patent/CA1145784A/en not_active Expired
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5616389A (en) * | 1995-10-30 | 1997-04-01 | Blatz; Warren J. | Surface covering tile |
Similar Documents
| Publication | Publication Date | Title |
|---|---|---|
| US20040258869A1 (en) | Modular plastic flooring | |
| US3438312A (en) | Ground covering capable for use in playing tennis in the open air or under cover | |
| US5787654A (en) | Isogrid tile | |
| US4538392A (en) | Portable sectional flooring system | |
| CA1265304A (en) | Non-slip floor mat assembly | |
| US5950378A (en) | Composite modular floor tile | |
| US5251997A (en) | Embeddable paving block intended for the surfacing of roadways and other areas of ground and the roadways or other areas of ground which are surfaced with such paving blocks | |
| US10968573B2 (en) | Fall protecting flooring element primarily for covering playgrounds and flooring composed therefrom | |
| US11753830B2 (en) | Paver supporting apparatus | |
| US11926975B2 (en) | Paver supporting apparatus | |
| EP3318696B1 (en) | Hockey flooring tile | |
| KR200467911Y1 (en) | Assembly type mat | |
| US4052131A (en) | Paving stone | |
| US2360933A (en) | Floor structure | |
| GB2267924A (en) | Paving block with improved water run-through | |
| US4650180A (en) | Sports ground, in particular tennis court or mini court formed by using removable panels | |
| GB2063328A (en) | Floor covering slabs | |
| CA1145784A (en) | Surface covering | |
| US3858887A (en) | Miniature golf course | |
| US3340781A (en) | Chain grids for runways and mutual locking elements for forming the same | |
| US5170601A (en) | Thin slab of plastic material adapted to cover the terraces of buildings | |
| GB2292396A (en) | Decking system | |
| EP0102214B1 (en) | Construction block | |
| EP4077834A1 (en) | Paver supporting apparatus | |
| US6269605B1 (en) | Stone structure assembly |
Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |