CA2585909A1

CA2585909A1 - Road mat bladder interlock

Info

Publication number: CA2585909A1
Application number: CA 2585909
Authority: CA
Inventors: Shawn Beamish; Kelly Sparrow
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-04-11
Filing date: 2007-04-11
Publication date: 2008-10-11

Abstract

A road mat interlocking system for coupling of adjacent road mats. The interlocking system comprises a road mat end elongate member formed with a U shaped groove to mate with a corresponding road mat end member formed with a inflatable bladder adapted to be received, when deflated, and securely retained, when inflated, by the corresponding elongate U shaped road mat member. The U shaped groove dimensioned to permit easy ingress and exit of the inflatable member from the U shaped groove. The inflatable bladder is attached to the road mat end and is adapted to be inflated into a locked position to fix the U shaped road mat end securely to the corresponding road mat bladder end. This interlocking arrangement allows for easy and efficient installation and removal of the road mat assemblies from each other when the bladder is deflated while providing reliable interlocking when the bladder is inflated.

Description

M w BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[002] Current road mat designs are limited to large square or rectangular mats, which are designed to be laid directly onto a ground surface prior to being driven over by vehicles and equipment. These mats see such service in areas where it is prohibitively expensive to develop a full-scale roadway and where access is required and time sensitive, as well as in environmentally sensitive areas where development of a fuli-scale roadway is simply not feasible due to regulations and/or environmental concerns. The current designs are limited by their ability to provide some form of highly secure mechanical interlocking mechanism to prevent the shifting of the mats while being traversed by heavy equipment. If the mats shift for any reason and become unhinged, substantial damage may occur to the traversing equipment, as well such shifting rei1uires maintenance of the mats, substantially increasing costs.
Though some designs exist that provide for a limited interlocking capability they are restricted in their ability to quickly interlock to allow for ease of installation and to unlock for easy of removal.

[003] Corrimon road mat designs are mainly heavy, large steel and wooden mats that are designed to be laid over the surface to be traversed. Such mats, as noted in prior art contained in Canadian patent # 2348328, generally use a rudimentary L or J shaped reversing or reciprocating style end joint or coupling end, that is easily joined upon placement but provides for very limited and inherently insecure interlocking capability. Such wood and steel mat designs afford numerous difficulties respecting transport, placement, removal and storage.

[004] Canadian Patent application 2,414,518 describes a road mat with a C
style mat end coupling interlock that provides for dynamic coupling of two or more successive mat ends.

[005] The proposed invention provides for a mat end or side member inflatable bladder coupling mechanisni. This type of coupling mechanism providing for ease of installation and removal simply by inflation or deflation of the bladders.

DESCRIP'TION OF PRIOR ART

[006] Review of the Prior Art [007] The rudimentary L or J style coupling design has been in use for many years and has been described in numerous patents.

[008] For example, Webster US Patent #3859000 depicts a panel interlocking end with a simple hook or L style end or side feature whereby the re taining lip of one panel interlock, interlocks with the su ccessive, identical panel interlock of panel two. Webster also depicts in Fig. I and Fig. 5 how numerous such mats or panels can be assembled collectively as a ground cover.

[009] Stasiewich Canadian patent # 2348328 depicts a joint element for interlocking two successive panel ends with a hook or L style end or side feature whereby the retaining lip of panel one interlocks with the successive retaining lip of panel two.

[010] Stasiewich Canadian patent # 2348968 depicts a joint element for interlocking two successive mat ends and the respective mat sides with a hook or L style end and side feature whereby the retaining lips of mat end one simply interlock with the reciprocal retaining lip of mat end two.

[011] Huerta US Patent 3564801 depicts a joint element for interlocking two successive panel ends with a hook or L style end or side feature whereby the retaining lip of panel one interlocks with the successive retaining lip of panel two_ [012] Sohns US Patent 3397496 depicts an interlocking panel end with a hook or L style hook whereby the retaining lip of panel one interlocks with the successive retaining lip of panel two.

[013] Clayton et. al. US Patent 3301147 depicts an interlocking panel end with a hook or L style feature forming a retaining lip whereby the retaining lip of panel one interlocks with the successive retaining lip of panel two.

[014] Rowley US Patent 2740167 depicts a hook or L style feature used for interlocking two successive panels. However, none of these end or side coupling designs has the benefit of the inflatable interlock of the proposed invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[015] What is required is a ground cover mat that allows for ease of mat end or side coupling while providing a secure interlock.

[016] According to the present invention there is provided a ground cover mat that includes a rectangular body having a first end, a second end, a first side and a second side. A first inflatable male interlock is provided at a first end of the body which is adapted to interlock with a second female end interlock at a second end of a like body. A first side male inflatable interlock is provided a1: a first side of the body which is adapted to interlock with a second side female interlock at a second side of an adjacent like body. A second side inflatable male interlock is provided a1: the second side of the body which is adapted to interlock with the first side female interlock at a second end of an adjacent like body. The interlocks as described above prevent the displacement of adjacent mats when inflated.

[017] Each successive mat end or side is being reciprocally placed so that the female engagement means of one mat end or side is always coupling with the male engagement means of a second mat end or- side.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[018] These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the following descriptiori in which reference is made to the appended drawings, the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended to in any way limit the scope of the invention to the particular embodiment or embodiments shown, wherein:

[019] FIG. 1 Shows the road mat with inflatable end locking mechanism, the male component, and the receiving end female component.

[020] FIG. 2 Shows the road mats prior to interlocking with the first end inflatable interlock positioned to be inserted in the second end non-inflatable female component.

[021] FIG. 3 Shows the road mat with the inflatable male connector on the road mat end with mechanical attachment means.

[022] FIG. 4 Shows the road mat inflatable interlock male connector with air inlet/exhaust port for inflation and deflation and the reciprocal female receiving component.

[023] FIG. 5 Shows the road mat inflatable interlock male connector with air inlet/exhaust port for inflation and deflation located while deflated in the reciprocal female receiving component.

[024] FIG. 6 Shows the road mat inflatable interlock male connector with air inlet/exhaust port for inflation and deflation located while inflated in the reciprocal female receiving component.

i I õ,,, [025] FIG. 7 Shows the road mat with the air inlet/exhaust port located on the top surface of the road mat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[026] The preferred embodiment, a road mat generally identified by reference numeral 10, will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.

[027] Structure and Relationship of Parts [028] Referring to FIG. 1, there is provided a road mat 10 that includes a mat body top 11 with a core 12 first end 13. The inflatable end locking mechanism 30 is provided at the first end 13.
First end inflatable component 30 has an inflatable male coupling portion 32 with a solid locating portion 34. Female receiving component 40 extends on second mat end 14.

[029] The second end 14 is provided as a reciprocal end to first end 13 of road mat 10. The second coupling end 14 is produced o as to be a reciprocal of the first coupling end 13 allowing for interlocking of male ends 13 to female ends 14.

[030] Referring to FIG. 2 showing first mat 13 and second mat end 14 are to form a temporary interlock with inflatable male end locking mechanism 30 to be received with second end female receiving component 40 on second mat end 14 to allow coupling of the two components.

[031 ] Referring to FIG. 3 the road mat 10 is shown with mat top and bottom 1 I and core 12 with inflatable rnale component 30 and mechanical attachment means 15.

[032] Refeirring to FIG. 4 the road mat 10 is shown with first mat end top 11 mat core 12 with male interlock component 30, inflatable male component part 32, solid male component part 34 air port 36 second mat end 14 with female receiving component 40.

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ti ,, [033] Referring to FIG. 5 the road mat 10 is shown with first mat end top 11, mat core 12, mat end 13, male interlock component 30, inflatable male component 32, solid male component 34, air port 36, engaged while deflated with second mat end 14 and female receiving component 40.
[034] Referring to FIG. 6 the road mat 10 is shown with first mat end top 11, mat core 12, mat end 13, male interlock component 30, inflatable male component 32, solid male component 34, air port 36, engaged while inflated with second mat end 14 and female receiving component 40 preventing separation of the ends.

[035] Referring to FIG. 7 there is provided a mat body 10 with a first top side 11 and air port 36.
[036] Operation [037] The use and operation of inflatable interlock 30 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 7. Referring to FIG. 1, road mats 10 are designed to be laid on ground surface in end to end relation. Referring to FIG. 2 mats 10 are coupled in end to end relation resulting in FIG. 5 and fully secured together as in FIG. 6 by coupling of male component 30 and female componeryt 40 and subsequent interlocking of the two by inflation of male inflatable component 32 in female component 40 via air port 36.

[038] In this patent document, the word "comprising" is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article "a" does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only o;ne of the elements.

[039] It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the illustrated embodimeint without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined in the clainis.

Claims

1. A pneumatic road mat interlock system for securely interlocking two successive, reciprocal, road mats comprising;

a first road mat elongate base end or side member formed with a groove or receptacle extending in a first plane;

a second road mat elongate base end or side member formed with an inflatable bladder attached to the road mat end or side member adapted to be received in the first plane by the first road mat elongate base end or side member groove receptacle, the end or side groove receptacle being dimensioned to permit easy insertion and removal of the deflated bladder; and an inflatable bladder attached to the second road mat end or side member adapted to be inserted into the first road mat end or side member groove receptacle and inflated in the groove to provide a pneumatic interlock between the first mat end or side member and the second mat end or side member.

2. An interlocking system as claimed in claim 1 in which the bladder comprises of two ends;

A first solid bladder end being a tongue end in a tongue and groove interlock shaped for insertion into the corresponding retaining groove in the road mat end or side, said bladder solid end designed to reside in the road mat end or side groove in such a manner as to prevent removal or displacement of the solid bladder end from the road mat end or side groove;

A second inflatable bladder end that when inflated, acting as the tongue, in a tongue and groove interlock, said bladder being shaped so that when deflated the deflated end is easily inserted into the corresponding retaining groove receptacle in the receiving road mat end or side member and when inflated shaped as to fill the groove receptacle and prevent displacement of one road mat end or side member from the corresponding road mat end or side member.

3. A road mat interlock as claimed in claim 1 in which the bladder base member is mechanically mountable to the road mat end or side member.

4. A reciprocal end and side interlocking system as claimed in claim 1where the female groove receptacle is dimensioned to accept the male bladder when deflated and to provide for a secure coupling of the groove member and the bladder member when the bladder is inflated.

5. A pneumatic interlock system as claimed in claim 1 in which the inflatable bladder is generally shaped in cross-section to be easily inserted and/or removed when deflated from the road mat end or side-receiving member.

6. An interlocking system as claimed in claim 1 in which the inflatable bladder extends substantially the length of the road mat base member end or side.

7. An interlocking system as claimed in claim 1 in which the female bladder receiving groove receptacle extends substantially the length of the road mat base member end or side member.

8. An interlocking system as claimed in claim 1 in which the male bladder member is shaped to be positioned within the female receiving member in such a manner as to prevent removal once the bladder is inflated.

9. An inflatable bladder as claimed in claim 8 that is to be inserted into the female receiving groove between two successive, reciprocal, road mat end or side members and adapted so that when inflated it creates a locking association between the two road mat members.

10. An inflatable bladder as claimed in claim 8 that engages the locating road mat end or side member by being slidably received in a groove provided for in the road mat end or side member.

11. A bladder as claimed in claim 10 that consists of two male ends for engaging the road mat end or side members.

12. A bladder as claimed in claim 10 that provides for one male end that is inflatable or expandable with the opposing or reciprocal bladder end being solid or unexpandable for secure location in the road mat end or side member.

13. An expandable road mat interlock system that provides for both a female and male coupling component where the male component is expandable and the female component is solid.

14. An expandable road mat interlock system that provides for both a female and male coupling component where the female component is expandable and the male component is solid.

15. An expandable road mat interlock system that provides for a road mat end or side bladder support for ease of locating the male coupling component within the female coupling component.

16. A road mat with an expandable interlock system and reciprocally shaped stepped end and side members for dispersion of the road mat load when two or more road mats are successively interlocked.

17. A road mat as claimed in claim 16 that has reciprocally shaped ends and sides, with one end and one side oriented in the opposite configuration to the other end and side for reciprocally locating one road mat with another road mat.