EP0063795B1 - Paving element, paving unit of diverse paving elements and group of paving elements - Google Patents

Abstract

Modular interlocking paving elements of uniform configuration are provided each in the form of a substantially right angular body bounded peripherally by two outer sides meeting at an outer angle apex, two inner sides meeting at an inner angle apex and two front sides each extending between respective ends of an inner side and an outer side, with dummy joint gaps formed in and extending across the top side of the body each from the inner angle apex to a midpoint of one of the outer sides. The inner sides, front sides, half sections of outer sides and dummy gaps are of substantially the same length, and each has longitudinal portions thereof projecting outside and/or recessed inside a straight base line between the ends thereof, so that the top side of each element appears to be composed of three four-sided elemental units disposed side by side and two or more of the elements will interlock laterally yet present the same surface appearance in any of a variety of side-by-side orientations. The projection/recess configuration preferably is constituted by oblique surface portions alternating in direction. The dummy gaps form predetermined breaking regions along which an element upon being overloaded will break preferentially, thus preserving both its top side appearance and an interlocking relationship. The elements are particularly suitable for being arranged in groups that can be lifted, transported and laid as units by mechanical laying apparatus.

Description

The invention relates to a floor covering element which has projections and recesses all around on the circumferential surfaces for interlocking with adjacent floor covering elements.

Floor covering elements of this type are known in manifold designs of the projections and recesses. They usually have an elongated shape when viewed from above, and the basic shape that appears when the projections and recesses are left out is rectangular. The composite effect of such floor covering elements with adjoining floor covering elements results from the mutual interlocking by means of the projections and recesses as well as from the respective laying pattern and can only be influenced by changes to these two parameters.

A floor covering element of this type is known from FR-A-2 398142, in particular Fig. 1.

The invention has for its object to provide a floor covering element with an improved composite effect and a favorable reaction to overstressing, in addition to which several relative positions of adjacent floor covering elements are possible.

To achieve this object, it is provided according to the invention that the top view of the floor covering element has an L-shaped shape with two legs of equal length, and that, starting from the inner corner of the corner of the circumference of the floor covering element, two dummy joints are provided on the upper side thereof, which run the course of the two continue the circumferential sections adjoining the inner corner (28) exactly or essentially and are formed by the three basic elements adjoining one another at an exact or substantially the same shape.

Flooring elements of an L-shaped shape with two legs of equal length and mutually perpendicular are known per se, for example from FR-A-2398142, in particular FIGS. 2 and 3, but not with projections and recesses all around on the peripheral surfaces and not with two each dummy joints starting from the inner corner.

It is also known per se (DE-A-2608871) to provide dummy joints on the top of a floor covering element. However, these do not start in pairs from the inner corner of an L-shaped floor covering element and do not continue the course of subsequent peripheral sections.

From DE-A-1 878044 (utility model) a T-shaped floor covering element with projections and recesses on the circumference is known, but which has no false joints.

From DE-A-7 921 936 (utility model) an essentially x-shaped floor covering element is known which does not have all-round projections and recesses for interlocking with adjacent floor covering elements. The existing dummy joints continue the course of a subsequent circumferential section, but there is no continuation of the projection / recess course of the circumference and no division into three basic elements of the same shape.

The described known flooring elements, with the exception of the flooring element with a rectangular basic shape and projections and recesses all around, are very limited in terms of the laying options relative to one another, wherein, moreover, a varying orientation of the individual flooring elements in the finished covering would be optically recognizable.

The angular shape of the flooring element according to the invention, in combination with the projections and recesses, leads to an improved composite effect with adjacent flooring elements, since the shape itself contributes to the composite effect and an increased toothing length is created compared to the conventional flooring element designs, the flooring elements also being optionally available in several relative positions can be laid to each other. The improved composite effect not only comes into play when installed, but also, for example, when mechanically, simultaneously gripping and laying a large number or a group of floor covering elements arranged next to one another. Flooring elements with an angled shape are more susceptible to cracks emanating from the interior corner corners when a certain load is exceeded than flooring elements of a conventional shape. The dummy joints provided according to the invention provide specific courses for possible breaks, so that the floor covering element does not break indiscriminately into parts which are unfavorable or small or visually unattractive or irregularly limited for subsequent loads.

In addition, the false joints divide the floor covering element in a visually appealing manner, so that the angular shape in the installed surface, which is often not perceived as beautiful, is no longer noticeable or is practically no longer recognizable. Finally, the flooring elements according to the invention with an angled shape in the installed state tilt much more heavily than elongated flooring elements loaded at their longitudinal edge regions when loads are applied to the edge regions, for example wheel loads from vehicles traveling over them.

The projections and recesses, i.e. the deviations from imaginary, straight-line flooring element sides, can be formed by curved surfaces, surfaces running obliquely to the imaginary, straight-line flooring element sides or by combinations of curved or such obliquely running surfaces with surfaces running parallel to the imaginary, straight-line flooring element sides be. Specific exemplary embodiments for this are described below.

Starting from the inner corner, the dummy joints run through until they touch one where they meet the circumference of the flooring element. The dummy joints are normally formed in that, starting from the top of the floor covering element, a joint extends down to a certain depth into the floor covering element; in regions, however, the dummy joints can extend continuously from the top to the underside of the floor covering element, so that the two floor covering element regions are connected on the two sides of the respective dummy joint by one or more insulated material bridges. Due to the chosen depth of the dummy joints and / or the thickness of the material bridges, it is up to you how far you want to drive the cross-sectional weakening of the flooring element at these points. In addition to the two dummy joints extending from the inner corner, there can also be further dummy joints on the top of the floor covering element.

The expression "dummy joints that continue the course of the two adjoining circumferential sections" means that the general direction of extension of the adjoining stone side sections, i.e. without taking the projections and recesses into account, is continued exactly and / or that the projection / recess course the subsequent circumferential sections in the dummy joints is continued exactly. The expression "dummy joints that essentially continue the course of the two adjoining circumferential sections" means that the general direction of extension of the adjoining stone side sections is only essentially continued and / or that the protrusion / recess course of the adjoining circumferential sections is only essentially continued becomes.

The shape of the floor covering element according to the invention can be thought to have arisen from a base line, as will be explained in more detail below, which connects the corners of the floor covering element, the peripheral surface oscillating, so to speak, to create the projections and recesses around the base line.

It is an extremely important characteristic of the floor covering elements according to the invention in practice that they can be designed and installed in such a way that the (space) joints between adjacent floor covering elements are everywhere only twice as long as one side of a basic element square explained in more detail below or only so long as a leg of the outer side of the angle. The herringbone bandage of floor covering elements, which are twice as long as they are wide, has had the optimum bond effect of floor covering elements laid side by side. there the joints between adjacent flooring elements are everywhere one and a half times as long as a flooring element. In contrast, with the floor covering elements according to the invention, an increased bond effect in the installed bond due to the shorter joint length or the averaged shorter joint length between adjacent floor covering elements can be achieved, as will be additionally explained below in the description of exemplary embodiments.

A further embodiment of the floor covering element according to the invention is characterized in claim 2. This configuration leads to floor covering elements with a very regular projection / recess course over the entire circumference, as a result of which simple and diverse application possibilities are provided for adjacent floor covering elements.

The baseline can be thought of as being composed of three squares juxtaposed with a right-angled change in the general direction of extension, with dummy joints being provided in the area where the squares line up and the circumference with the projections and recesses in the area of the remaining free square sides. Preferably, the basic elements resulting from the squares are centrally symmetrical with regard to their center, if one considers the projections and recesses on the outer circumference and the course of the dummy joints together.

A further embodiment of the invention is characterized in claim 3. An increase is preferably provided for each basic element described in the preceding paragraph. The elevations preferably extend up to or approximately up to the respective inner extreme points of the recesses or the dummy joints. If the floor covering element has elevations, the otherwise generally existing chamfer at the transition from the top into the peripheral surface of the floor covering element can be dispensed with, since flaking in this area is no longer visually disturbing because of the elevations.

The floor covering elements according to the invention are usually of such a size and thickness that they can be called stone or slab. Because of the projections and recesses on the circumference, one could also speak of composite stones or composite panels. They are preferably made of concrete. Squares, courtyards, driveways, streets, paths, bank embankments and the like are preferably occupied with the floor covering elements according to the invention.

The floor covering elements described above can be combined by predetermined breaking zones into so-called laying units, which are particularly suitable for the mechanical covering of large areas with large-sized laying units. The predetermined breaking zones can be formed by dummy joints of sufficient depth or by more punctual material bridges. They are dimensioned so that the breakage in the individual floor covering elements can be initiated by vibrators, by the traffic load, by driving with heavy rollers, by temperature stress or the like.

The invention also relates to groups of the floor covering elements described. A first preferred group with a particularly good composite effect is characterized in claim 5. A second preferred group arises from the fact that a further floor covering element rotated through 180 ° in the plane of the floor covering element is added to a floor covering element in such a way that the two elements complement each other to form a rectangle with projections and recesses on the circumference and that additional rectangles of this type are optionally added .

Floor covering elements according to the invention with the most numerous possibilities of the dressing arrangement are obtained if the projection / recess course on the outer circumference of the basic elements described, together with the dummy joints, is centrally symmetrical per basic element and moreover parallel on opposite sides. Floor covering elements created in this way are particularly preferred, and all the following exemplary embodiments fulfill this principle.

The invention and further developments of the invention are explained in more detail below on the basis of preferred, illustrated exemplary embodiments.

• Fig. 1 eine Draufsicht auf ein Bodenbelagelement mit gerundeten Vor- und Rücksprüngen, wobei eine Abwandlung mit ebenflächig begrenzten Vor- und Rücksprüngen rechts unten in unterbrochenen Linien angedeutet ist;
• Fig. 2 eine Draufsicht auf ein Bodenbelagelement mit durch Schrägflächen gebildeten Vor-und Rücksprüngen, wobei die Möglichkeit von Erhöhungen auf der Oberseite des Bodenbelagelements rechts unten in unterbrochenen Linien angedeutet ist;
• Fig. 3 einen Vertikalschnitt durch das Bodenbelagelement gemäss Fig. 2 längs 111-111 in Fig. 2;
• Fig. 4 eine Draufsicht auf eine Gruppe von Bodenbelagelementen, wobei rechts unten angedeutet ist, wie die Gruppe von Bodenbelagelementen zu einer integralen Verlegeeinheit zusammengefasstsein kann.

Show it:

• Figure 1 is a plan view of a flooring element with rounded projections and recesses, a modification with flat area projections and recesses is indicated in broken lines at the bottom right;
• 2 shows a plan view of a floor covering element with projections and recesses formed by inclined surfaces, the possibility of elevations on the top of the floor covering element being indicated in broken lines at the bottom right;
• 3 shows a vertical section through the floor covering element according to FIG. 2 along 111-111 in FIG. 2;
• 4 shows a plan view of a group of floor covering elements, it being indicated at the bottom right how the group of floor covering elements can be combined to form an integral laying unit.

The floor covering element 2 shown in FIG. 1 can be described most clearly starting from the baseline. The baseline consists of a straight, first section 4 with the length 2a. At one end of the first section 4 there is a right-angled, second section 6 with the length a. At the free end of the second section 6, a rectilinear, third section 8 with the length a is connected at right angles parallel to the first section 4. At the free end of the third section 8 there is a right-angled fourth section 10 with the length a and pointing away from the first section 4. At the free end of the fourth section 10, a straight, fifth section 12 with the length a adjoins the first section 4 at right angles. From the free end of the fifth section 12, parallel to the second section 6 and the fourth section 10, a straight, sixth section 14 with the length 2a leads back to the starting point. The closed baseline 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 is therefore right-angled at all corners, there are only two baseline section directions, and there is axis symmetry to a straight line through the intersection between sections 4 and 14 on the one hand and sections 8 and 10 on the other hand. The baseline can also be conceived from an angular juxtaposition of three squares. The base line defines an angled, V-shaped basic shape of the flooring element 2, the general directions of extension of the two legs of the basic shape given by the sections 4, 8 for one leg and through the sections 10, 14 for the other leg, a right one Form an angle with each other.

All around the circumference or on all sides of the floor covering element 2 there are projections 16 and recesses 18 with respect to the base line 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, which are delimited sinusoidally in plan view. Specifically, starting from the exit end of the first section 4 on the side of the floor covering element there follow a projection, a recess, a projection and a recess, the second half representing an identical repetition of the first half. The same applies to the covering element side at the sixth section 14, starting from the connection to the fifth section 12. On the sides of the remaining sections 6, 8, 10, 12 only one projection 16 with a subsequent recess 18 is provided, progressively in the In the direction of the above description of sections 6, 8, 10, 12, the projection 16 comes first. The projection / recess course on the first section 4 thus represents a return of the projection / recess section on the sixth section 14 rotated by 90 °. The projection / recess section on the sections 6 and 10 represents a parallel displacement in the direction of the first section 4 of the opposite half of the sixth section 14. The projection / recess course at sections 8 and 12 represents a parallel displacement in the direction of the sixth section 14 of the opposite half of the first section 4. The circumference of the flooring element 2 can also be imagined from eight identical circumferential sections 19, with sections 4 and 14 each having two circumferential sections 19 strung together and the sections 6, 8, 10, 12 the circumferential sections 19 each being arranged at right angles to the course of the base line .

The floor covering element 2 thus has an outer angle side 20, given by the sections 4, 14 or the projection / recess course there, an inner angle side 22, given by the sections 8, 10 or the projection / recess course there, and two end faces 24, each given by section 6 or section 12 or the projection / recess course there. The outer angle side 20 has an angle apex 26 at the intersection of the sections 4, 14, which represents the tip of the flooring element 2, so to speak, and the inner angle side 22 has an angle apex 28 at the intersection of the sections 8, 10.

From the inner apex 28, two dummy joints 30 each lead to the center of the opposite flooring element side. The dummy joints 30 each continue exactly the direction and the projection / recess course of one half of the inner angular side 22 and are each exactly parallel to the projection / recess profile on the end faces 24. If you look at the projection / recess profile on Scope and the dummy joints 30 together, the flooring element 2 has the appearance of three angularly placed basic elements 31, in each of which the projection / recess course or the dummy joint course on the four sides is centrally symmetrical to each other.

The depth of the dummy joints 30 is 10 to 30% of the thickness of the flooring element 2.

On the lower right end face 24 in FIG. 1, a projection 16 'and a recess 18' are indicated in broken lines, which are formed by inclined surfaces which extend obliquely to the second section 6, the tips of the projection 16 'and the recess 18' on Maximum or minimum of the previous sinusoidal curve. The adjacent inclined surfaces of projection 16 _' and recess 18' merge. A modification of the floor covering element 2 drawn with solid lines in FIG. 1 with sinusoidal projections and recesses 16, 18 may consist in replacing the sinusoidal roundings on the entire circumference and on the dummy joints 30 by such a zigzag course. The remaining characteristics of the flooring element described remain unaffected.

A further modification, not shown in the drawing, of the floor covering element from FIG. 1 can consist in attaching a further basic element 31 to a half of a leg of the outer angle side 20 that is more distant from the outer angle apex 26 either at section 4 or at section 14 with the interposition of a dummy joint 30. Then you have an angled flooring element shape with two right-angled changes in the general direction of extension in front of you.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the base line is identical to the base line described with reference to FIG. 1 and is not shown again. Instead of the sinusoidal projections and recesses 16, 18, there are provided zigzag-shaped projections and recesses 16, 18, which, however, have a somewhat different course than the projections and recesses 16 ', 18' in FIG. 1. In fact, starting from the outer angle apex 26, a flat inclined surface leads outwards for a sixth of the length of the first section 4. This is followed by, for a further sixth of the length of the first section, a flat inclined surface leading inwards and crossing section 4 at half its length. Then, for a sixth of the length of the first section 4, there is a flat inclined surface leading outward to the first section. The same course is repeated a second time on the remaining three sixths of the first section 4. From this projection / recess course, analogously as described in connection with the sinusoidal curve in FIG. 1, the projection / recess course results on the remaining sides of the flooring element 2 and the course of the dummy joints 30.

This course of the projections and recesses 16, 18 and the dummy joints 30 can be replaced by a rounded course adapted to it, whereby there would be no exact sinusoidal course, but an obliquely suppressed sinus course, so to speak. Both for the embodiment according to FIG. 1 and for the embodiment according to FIG. 2, it applies that a rounded projection / recess course can be achieved, for example also by circular arc pieces placed against one another, and that combinations of rounded sections with flat surface sections that can run obliquely to the baseline and / or piecewise parallel to the baseline, or combinations of sections that run obliquely to the baseline with sections that are piecewise parallel to the baseline are possible.

In the exemplary embodiments described so far, the side surfaces of the floor covering element 2 run perpendicular to the upper side thereof. It is possible to deviate from this vertical course, for example in order to create flooring elements with vertical teeth on the circumference.

In the lower right basic element 31 in FIG. 2, a square elevation 33 is indicated in broken lines, which rises a few millimeters above the previous upper side of the floor covering element 2. The elevation 32 extends to close or completely to the corners of the recesses 18. From FIG. 3 it can be seen that at the transition between the top 34 considered without the elevation 32 and the peripheral surfaces 36 of the floor covering element 2, the chamfer which is otherwise often provided there is omitted Has. The sides of the elevation square run parallel to corresponding baseline sections. Instead of a single elevation 32, there can also be several elevations per basic element 31. The shape of the elevation 32 can deviate from the square shape, a circular shape being particularly suitable in the embodiment according to FIG. 1 and polygonal shapes, in particular as irregular polygons, being possible in the plan view. It goes without saying that if one chooses an embodiment with elevations 32, normally all basic elements 31 of the floor covering element 2 are provided with one or more elevations 32.

FIG. 4 shows a group 38 of six floor covering elements 2 of the type described with reference to FIG. 2, part of the floor covering elements 2 being roughly hatched to increase clarity, which means no cut. Three floor covering elements 2 form a row 40 in that the lower floor covering element 2 in FIG. 4, with its outer angle apex 26, is adjacent to the inner angle apex 28 of the floor covering element 2 arranged above it. In addition to the left-hand row 40 in FIG. In both rows 40, for all floor covering elements 2, the outer angle sides 20 and the inner angle sides 22 converge upwards in the middle, so that the floor covering elements 2 are oriented identically in both rows 40. It can be seen that in the interior of group 38 the (spatial) joints between adjacent flooring elements 2 each extend over the length 2a. On the other hand, if you turn the right row in Fig. 4 in the plane of the drawing by 180 ° and then fit it again to the left row 40, you get a configuration in which the joints between the adjacent flooring elements 2 partially over the length a and extend in part over the length 3a.

The described relationships with regard to the joint length are retained in the case of larger groups of more than six floor covering elements 2.

At the bottom right in FIG. 4 it is indicated between two floor covering elements 2 that the individual floor covering elements 2 can be connected to one another, for example by predetermined breaking webs 42, with two predetermined breaking webs 42 per leg of an outer angular side 20, namely at a quarter and at three quarters of their length, can be provided inside the laying unit. In this way, a large-format laying unit is created, which is made up of six parts which are connected to one another via predetermined breaking webs 42 and each have the shape of a floor covering element 2 according to FIG. 2. Such a large-format laying unit can be installed mechanically, the predetermined breaking points 42 being able to break when a certain limit load is exceeded. Instead of the predetermined breaking webs 42, it is also possible to provide material connections which extend over the entire adjoining line of adjacent flooring elements 2, with a dummy joint remaining above the dummy joint 30, but with a greater depth. The statements made in the preceding description regarding the course of the projections and recesses 16, 18 and the course of the false joints 30 and the elevations 32 also apply to laying units constructed from the floor covering elements 2.

Claims (5)

1. A ground covering element (2) having all around its peripheral surfaces (19) projections and recesses (16, 18) for interlocking engagement with ground covering elements (2) placed adjacent said first ground covering element, characterized in that, in top view, the ground covering element (2) is of L-shaped configuration with two legs of equal length which extend at right angles to each other, and that two dummy gaps (30) are provided in the top side of the ground covering element (2), starting from the inner angle corner (28) at the periphery of the ground covering element (2) and exactly or substantially continuing the course of the two peripheral sections which adjoint the inner angle corner (28) and defining three angularly adjacent basic elements of exactly or substantially equal configuration.

2. A ground covering element according to claim 1, characterized in that the periphery (36) of the ground covering element (2) is composed of a plurality of peripheral sections lined up partly at right angles and partly in longitudinal continuation in the same direction, each such section having the same projection/recess trace (16,18).

3. A ground covering element according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the top side of the ground covering element (2) is provided with a plurality of elevations (32), preferably of square or round configuration, which protrude above the level determined by the upper ends of the projections and recesses (16,18).

4. A laying unit, characterized in that it consists of a plurality of ground covering elements (2) as claimed in any of the claims 1 to 3 and held together by facultative breaking zones (42).

5. A group of ground covering elements according to any of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it consists of a plurality of side-by-side rows (40) of ground covering elements (2), the angle apices (26) of the outer angle sides (20) each lying at the angle apices (28) of the inner angle sides (22) of the adjacent ground covering element (2) in each row (40), and the angle sides (20, 22) of the ground covering elements (2) in all rows (40) being oriented in the same direction.

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