EP0115475B1

EP0115475B1 - Tile for lining or flooring consisting of internally filled shell and respective method of flooring

Info

Publication number: EP0115475B1
Application number: EP84830014A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Giocondo De Riz
Original assignee: OSSIDAZIONE AVIANESE Srl
Current assignee: OSSIDAZIONE AVIANESE Srl
Priority date: 1983-01-28
Filing date: 1984-01-18
Publication date: 1987-04-29
Also published as: EP0115475A1; IT1218728B; DE3463403D1; IT8383314A0; ATE26865T1

Abstract

Lining method and lining tile provided with ducts, particularly suitable for lining or flooring, comprising a containing shell (1) internally filled with insulating material (i), and provided at the base with a crossed duct (c), wherein the lateral openings of said shell (1 min ) corresponding to the openings of said ducts (c), are smaller than the section of said ducts in order to allow the use of a connecting sheath of two adjacent sides (G) or the closing of the duct by means of a cap (T). This type of lining or flooring tile is very useful for obtaining floor ducts for electric, telephonic conductors and the like. The floor thus obtained is easily removable. The method can also be used for lining walls or ceilings.

Description

The present invention relates to a tile for lining or flooring consisting of a containing shell internally filled with insulating filling material and a method of forming a lining or a flooring with such tiles.
The invention is particuarly suitable for lining floors or walls, as well as ceilings.
In the present state of the art a wide variety of tiles are known, for example:

- FR-A-2 501 758 (PLAQUETTES INDUSTRIELLES), discloses a tile comprising a metal shell which is internally filled with foamed plastic;
- DE-A-3 041 624 (HUSS) teaches the realization of ducts through the core of the tile to obtain tiles with internal ducts.

The drawbacks of the currently used solutions and of the abovementioned prior art are mainly that these conventional tiles have only a lining function (FR-A-2 501 758) or enable to form ducts (DE-A-3 041 624) without continuity between them.
The invention as claimed is intended to provide an improved lining tile of the type disclosed in FR-A-2 501 758 with high degree of insulation, but having also a function of carrying out a duct network which enables the laying in any direction of conduction lines, e.g. electric, telephonic, televisual, and the like, as well as stiff type lines more or less flexible and for different conductions, e.g. of fluids (water, air, etc.).
A further object of the invention is to allow the assembling of said tiles by simple grooved connecting means instead of the conventional glueing system, anyway not incompatible.
A further object of the invention is to allow the utilization of a metallic lining.
A further object of the invention is to ground electrically the whole floor and/or lining.
The invention as claimed solves the problem of how to carry out an insulated tile with conduction ducts obtained therein in a very simple system, by a tile comprising, under the shell upper surface, ducts having a groove shape opened at the bottom of the tile, coming laterally out through the edges of the shell, wherein the section of each lateral opening is smaller than the sections of said ducts, so that, when the tiles are mounted in place to form the lining or the flooring and the opening of one of said ducts coincides with the respective opening of another said ducts of an adjacent tile, a grooved connecting clip is arranged in position at the lateral openings of two adjacent tiles in order to form continuous conduit duct, or, at the end of a duct, a grooved cap is mounted at the lateral opening in order to seal the end of said duct.
In a preferred embodiment the tile is shaped like a parallelepipedal half box provided at the bottom with two conveniently deep grooves intersected in the median position.
The advantages offered by this invention are mainly that it is possible to carry out a desired lining, conveniently insulated, always removable if not glued and capable of allowing the laying of a duct network within this lining in the most various desired way allowing also grounding in case of metallic flooring.
One way of carrying out the invention according to claims 1 to 8 is described in detail below with reference to drawings which illustrate only one preferred embodiment, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the overturned empty containing shell meant to constitute the tile; Figure 2 is a view of the overturned finished tile using the shell of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a plan view of the laying system of some tiles and of the duct network thus obtained (short dashes lines); Figures 4 and 5 are respectively a front partial sectional view and a side transversal sectional view A-A of the final sealing or covering cap of a duct with visualization in the latter of the inserting system: Figures 6 and 7 show in similar view the junction element (grooved connecting means) of two adjacent tiles, using the fre, edge of the lateral opening 1' carried out in the shell 1 at the end of the respective ducts c.

According to the above figures the invention relates to a new type of tile comprising a shell 1 in the shape of a parallelepipedal box with a square plane open at one base side, preferably made of externally anodized aluminium plate 1, in whose four lower edge lateral sides, corresponding rectangular openings 1' are provided in the median position, having such a size as to constitute the section of a duct c at the bottom of the finished tile P.
The ducts c have a parallelepipedal groove shape and are carried out at the bottom of the tile when filling the inner portion of the shell 1 with the insulating material such as foamed polyurethan i, thus obtaining the two intersected ducts c which are completed with the floor surface on which the tiles P are to be laid.
With respect to the ducts c section, the lateral openings 1' of the shell 1 are narrower so as to permit the connection of the adjacent tiles P together, as shown in Figure 7, by the externally grooved connecting clips G of Figure 6, having a U-shape, fitting jointly said two lateral openings 1' of the shells 1 of two adjacent tiles P, and the ends of the ducts c sealed at the lateral openings 1' of the shell 1 by means of caps T with the same grooved shape as the clips G, therefore without requiring glueing to the floor and allowing its removal. When the shell is metallic, said grooved clip G connects the adjacent said tiles P, through their shells 1, in an electrically conductable way for grounding the whole floor or lining formed by said tiles P. Should the lining begin on site, as for example in stands for exhibitions, the leading end of the ducts c can be closed or sealed with the grooved caps T of Figure 4, as shown in Figure 5.
It will thus be appreciated that such a type of floor enables to have a duct network capable of serving any requirements and is easy to remove in order to get therein.
Furthermore, it will be possible to carry out similar special tiles, provided with connecting accesses for connection to the underlying duct c network according to well known art (e.g. floor taps).
The shell 1 shown in the figures is made of anodized aluminium, but it is obvious that it can be made also of plastic material or other suitable material.

Claims

1. A tile for lining or flooring consisting of a containing shell (1) internally filled with insulating filling material (i) characterized in that the tile (P) comprises, under the shell upper surface, ducts (c), having a groove shape opened at the bottom of the tile (P), coming laterally out through the edges of the shell (1), wherein the section of each lateral opening (1') is smaller than the sections of said ducts (c), so that, when the tiles (P) are mounted in place to form the lining or the flooring and the opening (1') of one of said ducts (c) coincides with the respective opening (1') of another said ducts (c) of an adjacent tile (P), a grooved connecting clip (G) is arranged in position at the lateral openings (1') of two adjacent tiles (P) in order to form continuous conduit duct (c), or, at the end of a duct (c), a grooved cap (T) is mounted at the lateral opening (1') in order to seal the end of said duct (c).

2. A tile as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it is provided with two underlying ducts (c) which intersect and end normally to the lateral edge surface of the shell (1) in a median position.

3. A tile as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the groove shape of the ducts (c) is parallelepipedal.

4. A tile as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has a square plane shape.

5. A tile as claimed in any of the preceding the preceding claims, characterized in that said shell (1) is made of aluminium.

6. A tile as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that said insulating filling material (i) is a foamed plastic material.

7. A method of forming a lining or a flooring with tiles as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that:

- said tiles (P) are connected together by means of externally grooved connecting clips (G), having a U-shape, fitting jointly said two lateral openings (1') of the shells (1) of two adjacent tiles (P); and,

- the ends of the ducts (c) are sealed at the lateral openings (1') of the shell (1) by means of caps (T) with the same grooved shape as the clips (G).

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that, when the shell (1) is metallic, said grooved clip (G) connects the adjacent said tiles (P), through their shells (1), in an electrically conductable way for grounding the whole floor or lining formed by said tiles (P).