EP1811102A1

EP1811102A1 - Composite floor

Info

Publication number: EP1811102A1
Application number: EP06077141A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Johannes Albertus Luttikhuis
Original assignee: Luttikhuis Markgraven Holding BV
Current assignee: Luttikhuis Markgraven Holding BV
Priority date: 2005-12-02
Filing date: 2006-11-30
Publication date: 2007-07-25
Anticipated expiration: 2026-11-30
Also published as: NL1030576C2; ATE473333T1; EP1811102B1; DE602006015279D1

Abstract

Floor assembly for placing a floor built up from floorboards on an existing surface, comprising supports for supporting the floorboards, wherein the supports have been built up from several support members that can be placed onto each other, wherein the support members comprise an insertion part and an accommodating counterpart that are adjusted to one another for partially inserting the support members into each other, preferably clampingly.

Because the supports have been built up from several support members, they can be placed into each other or be stacked in order to bring the floor at height. It may then suffice that one of these support members that have been placed onto each other is sawn to size. As a result the quantity of waste can remain limited.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a floor assembly for placing a floor on an existing surface, comprising floorboards and supports for supporting the floorboards.
Such floors are for instance placed on an existing gallery floor in order to reduce the differences in height between the existing gallery floor and the thresholds of doors at the gallery. In addition the gallery is given a fine finish. The floor is built up by sawing off the supports at the desired height, after which the floorboards are placed on the supports. The downward oriented edges of the floorboards then end up in the recesses of the supports.
The height of the floor and thus the length of the supports that have been sawn off varies per gallery, for instance between 5 and 20 cm. The supports have a standard length that just suffices to be sawn off at 17 cm. In case of larger floor heights much longer supports are used, for instance 35 cm long. In case of a floor height of for instance 18 cm relatively much waste is created, because nearly half of the longer support is sawn off.
When the floorboards are walked over, the walking sounds produced therewith are largely transferred via the supports to the gallery floor, as a result of which noise pollution may arise for the gallery therebelow.
It is an object of the invention to provide a floor assembly for placing a floor on an existing surface, wherein less waste is created under the given circumstances when sawing the supports to size.
It is an object of the invention to provide a floor assembly for placing a floor on an existing surface, wherein the height with respect to the existing surface can be varied over a large range.
It is an object of the invention to provide a floor assembly for placing a floor on an existing surface, wherein the transfer of sound to the existing surface is reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention, from one aspect, provides a floor assembly for placing a floor built up from floorboards on an existing surface, comprising supports for supporting the floorboards, wherein the supports have been built up from several support members that can be placed onto each other, wherein the support members comprise an insertion part and an accommodating counterpart that are adjusted to one another for partially inserting the support members into each other, preferably clampingly.
Because the supports have been built up from several support members, they can be placed onto each other or be stacked in order to bring the floor at height. It may suffice that one of these support members that have been placed onto each other is sawn to size. As a result the quantity of waste can remain limited.
The support members are easy to handle and place into each other if the support members are similar.
Preferably the supports have been built up using similar, preferably identical support members, that have been manufactured from a material that can be shortened, preferably be shortened using a saw. Similar or identical support members can then be delivered as one stock of the same type to the floor supplier or to the location where the floor will be installed, after which per support only one support member has to be sawn to size if necessary. Said support member can be shortened, for instance by sawing it off prior to delivery of the floor or at the location of installation.
In a first development the support members comprise a cylindrical, preferably circle-cylindrical circumferential wall having a wall thickness that remains substantially the same in circumferential direction, wherein the circumferential wall bounds an accommodation space of the accommodating part. Such a support member can simply be shortened by sawing the cylindrical circumferential wall to size. The pre-shaped assembly of insertion part and accommodation part can then remain intact for inserting the support members into each other.
In one embodiment thereof the circumferential wall comprises a free, circular first circumferential edge spaced apart from the insertion part, wherein the first circumferential edge defines a first support surface for the support member, which support surface extends transverse to the insertion direction. In that way the support member can be placed on the existing surface with the insertion part upward.
The insertion part can be kept as high as possible above the floor when the first circumferential edge defines a first support surface for the support member, which support surface extends transverse to the insertion direction, wherein the first support surface defines a head or end face of the insertion part.
In one embodiment the support member comprises a second support surface for the floorboards, preferably for a downward projecting edge of the floorboards, wherein the circumferential wall and the second support surface preferably form one unity. The second support surface can be placed simultaneously with the circumferential wall, ready to support the floorboards.
Passing on walking sounds from the floorboards to the existing surface can be counteracted if on the second support surface a supporting layer of sound insulating material has been provided.
Pressure forces on the floor can be passed on to the existing surface in a stable manner via the cylindrical circumferential edges if the cylindrical circumferential wall comprises a preferably circular second circumferential edge that is counter the circular first circumferential edge, which circular second circumferential edge defines a third support surface of the support member, which support surface extends transverse to the insertion direction.
The support members that have been inserted onto and partially into each other can remain positioned straight onto each other if the third support surface is bounded by a first positioning surface extending in the insertion direction and in radial direction inwardly offset with respect to the circumferential wall for abutment against a second positioning surface on the circumferential wall of a next support member.
The support members that have been inserted into each other can be prevented from inadvertently pushing further into each other due to use of the floor, if the first and second support surface in the situation in which they have been placed onto one another abut fittingly on each other.
The supports may stably rest sidewards onto each other if the second and/or third support surface is situated along an outside of a support member, preferably circular.
Pressure forces may in particular be stably passed on to the existing surface if the circumferential walls of the support members that have been inserted onto and partially into each other are contiguous and substantially in line with each other, wherein in the insertion direction the cylinder wall preferably extends continuously straight between the first and second circumferential edge.
In one embodiment the insertion part and the accommodating part comprise a first and second clamping surface, respectively, preferably extending in the insertion direction, wherein the first and second clamping surface of support members that are inserted into each other clampingly abut each other under slight deformation of the insertion part and/or the accommodating part. Due to the clamping the correct mutual positioning of the support members that have been placed onto each other can be permanently maintained. Clamping can in that case remain substantially concentrated around the clamping surfaces, as a result of which the insertion part and accommodating part can be taken out of each other for installing the floor.
When the first and/or second clamping surface preferably project transverse to the insertion direction with respect to the first and/or second positioning surface, the clamping can take place substantially around the first and/or second clamping surface, wherein in response to the deformation occurring therewith the first and second positioning surface may fittingly abut each other. A clamping fit is therefore effected between the insertion part and the accommodating part.
In a simple embodiment the first and/or second clamping surface is situated on a raised clamping edge extending in insertion direction.
Positioning and/or clamping can take place in several directions transverse to the insertion direction when the support members comprise several first and/or second positioning surfaces and/or first and/or second clamping surfaces that are positioned circular in circumferential direction, and preferably are interrupted. In this way a proper fit can be achieved, preferably clamping. The interruption can also be used for positioning the floorboards with respect to the support members by accommodating a part of a downward projecting edge of the floorboard therein.
The support members can be self-loosening from an injection mould if the support members are tapered, conical or cone-shaped in support or insertion direction.
Preferably the support members have been manufactured from synthetic material, preferably an injection mouldable synthetic material, preferably polypropene or PVC.
In a lightweight yet strong embodiment the support members comprise an almost circle-cylindrical part that preferably is at least partially hollow at the inside.
The invention furthermore, according to a further aspect, provides a method for placing a floor assembly on an existing surface, wherein the floor assembly comprises floorboards and supports for supporting the floorboards, wherein the supports are built up using several support members that are placed onto each other and partially into each other, wherein at least some of the supports are brought at the desired height by shortening one support member per support, preferably the bottom support member.
The invention furthermore, according to a further aspect, provides a support member intended and suitable for the floor assembly described above according to the invention.
The aspects and measures described in this description and claims of the application and/or shown in the drawings of this application may where possible also be used individually. Said individual aspects, such as the layer of sound insulating material in a support member, and other aspects may be the subject of divisional patent applications relating thereto. This applies in particular to the measures and aspects that have been described per se in the sub claims.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be elucidated on the basis of a number of exemplary embodiments shown in the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view, partially in cross-section, of a raised floor with supports according to the invention;
Figure 2 shows an isometric bottom view of a floorboard of the floor as shown in figure 1;
Figure 3 shows an isometric view of two support members that have been taken apart from each other, which together form one of the composite supports as shown in figure 1, prior to sawing the bottom support member to size;
Figure 4A shows a side view of the top support member as shown in figure 3, wherein for clarity's sake a side section has been cut away;
Figure 4B shows a top view of the top support member as shown in figures 3 and 4A;
Figure 4C shows a side view of the support according to figure 3, in composite situation, after sawing the bottom support member to size; and
Figure 5 shows an isometric view of a foot for the supports according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows a part of a raised floor 1 according to the invention. The raised floor 1 has been placed on a recessed gallery floor 2. The floor 1 has been built up from floorboards or flooring tiles 4 that are borne by composite supports 5. The floorboards 4 are covered by a carpeting 6 which by means of fastening means that are not further shown is attached along the circumference of the floor 1. Both the floorboards 4 and the composite supports 5 may have been manufactured from thermosetting or thermoplastic synthetic materials, such as PVC.
The floorboards 4, as shown in figures 1 and 2, comprise a substantially level top surface 8 and a circumferential edge or side edge 9, which with a certain length projects in a direction facing away from the top surface 8. In the built-up condition of the floor 1 said side edges 9 face downward. The floorboards 4 have been provided with openings 10 that run through the top surface 8. Due to said openings 10 water in the carpeting can be discharged. Moreover the openings 10 can be used for by means of a hook lifting the floorboard 4 after it has been placed, after which the space underneath the floor 1 may for instance be hosed clean.
As shown in figure 2 the bottom sides of the floorboards 4 have been provided with webs or ribs 11 that are transverse to each other and parallel to the side edges 9. The distance between two adjacently placed webs 11 is always the same. The webs 11 and the side edges 9 therefore subdivide the bottom side of the floorboard 4 in equal-sized square boxes or spaces 12. The wall thickness of 9 is substantially equal to the wall thickness of the webs 11.
One of the composite supports or carriers 5 is shown in figure 3 prior to the installation thereof. In this example the support 5 has been built up from two support members 7A, 7B which in support direction A are partially inserted into each other. In figures 4A and 4B one of the support members, the upper support member 7A is shown in top view and side view. The support members 7A, 7B have been built up from hollow cylinders 23 which at the upper side have been closed off with a supporting wall 24, and which at the bottom side leave an accommodation opening 28 open. The cylinder wall 23 around the accommodation opening 28 at the bottom side forms a circular support edge 21. The hollow cylinder wall 23 and the accommodation opening 28 define an accommodating part 33 of the support members 7A, 7B. At the inside the support members 7A, 7B are provided with two transverse partitions 16 that are at right angles to each other and which together form a cross bond for reinforcement of the support members 7A, 7B. At the upper side the transverse partitions are connected to the supporting wall 24, and with the bottom side are spaced apart from the support edge 21.
The upper side of the support members 7A, 7B have been provided with four substantially equally high merlons 15 having an inwardly offset position with respect to the outer wall of the hollow cylinder 23, as a result of which a circular support edge 20 has been formed, which counter to the insertion direction A is offset with respect to the circular upper edge members 31. The merlons 15 and the support edge 20 define an insertion part 30 of the support members 7A, 7B. Between the merlons 15 four recesses 13 have been formed. As shown in figures 4A and 4B in the space between the merlons a layer of sound insulating material 26 can be arranged on the supporting wall 24. Between the circular support edge 20 and the circular support edge 21 the cylinder wall 23 extends continuously straight in the insertion direction, which means that there are no step-wise diameter changes at the outside of the cylinder wall 23 between the support edges 20, 21.
At the outside the merlons 15 have been provided with a partially cylindrical raised clamping edge 14 extending in insertion direction A. The raised clamping edges 14 in top view are situated in the extension of the transverse partitions 16. The dimensional relation of the support members 7A, 7B is such that the outer diameter D3 of the raised clamping edges 14 is larger than the inner diameter D2 of the accommodation opening, and the outer diameter D4 of the merlons 15 as measured adjacent to the raised clamping edges 15 is smaller than the inner diameter D2 of the accommodation opening 28.
The dimensional relation between the support members 7A, 7B and spaces 12 is such that the largest diameter D5 of a support member 7A, 7B is slightly smaller than the sum of the width of two spaces 12 and the width of a rib 11. As a result of this dimensional relation any merlon 15 can be placed with a little play in one of the spaces 12 at the bottom side of a floorboard 4. The depth of the recesses 13 is smaller than the length of the side edges 9 of the floorboards 4, so that the ends of the side edges 9 rest on supporting wall 24 or, if present, on the layer of sound insulating material 26. The width of the recesses 13 is such that two side edges 9 of two floorboards 4 to be placed adjacent to each other, can be placed adjacently in a recess 13. The insertion parts 30 of the upper support members 7A of the supports 5 thus not only serve as carrier but also as coupling element for coupling two, three or four floorboards 4.
Figure 5 shows a synthetic foot 40 to be placed underneath the supports 5. The foot 40 comprises a circular bottom plate 41 having raised, circular outer edge sections 42 that mutually leave recesses 43 open, and raised inner edge sections 44 opposite the recesses 43 that follow the curvature of the outer edge sections 42. The cylinder wall 23 of the bottom support member 7B can be placed between the inner edge sections 44 and the outer edge sections 42 in order to protect the bottom edge 21.
The support members 7A, 7B are identical prior to being installed, and together with the floorboards 4 are delivered in bulk to the location of installation of the raised floor 1. When installing the bottom support member 7B is sawn to size at the bottom side along saw line 25 in order to bring the composite support 5 at the correct height. The saw cut 25 can be arranged up to the bottom edge of the transverse partitions in order to retain the shape stability and shape rigidity of the upper support member 7A. The pre-shaped insertion part 30 of the bottom support member 7B, and the support edge of the upper support member 7A remain untouched, as a result of which a proper and durable mutual placement of the support members 7A, 7B is guaranteed. The as a result of the saw cut 25 newly formed support edge 21 around the accommodation opening 28, remains sufficiently strong for supporting the floor 1 on the gallery floor 2. If due to the desired support height a saw cut is desired that in principle has to be made through the transverse partitions 16, both support members 7A, 7B can be shortened according to a saw cut 25, 32. The accommodation shape of the accommodation part 33 of the upper support member 7A is not affected by it.
By inserting the merlons 15 in the accommodation space 28 a transverse clamping is realised at the location of the raised clamping edges 15. The resulting slight outward deformation of the cylinder wall 23 at the location of the raised clamping edges 1 5 ensures an opposite, inward movement of the cylinder wall 23 between the merlons 15. The transverse partitions 16 prevent a deformation of the insertion part 30. Due to the deformation the cylinder wall 23 at the location of the recesses 13 will fittingly abut the merlons 15. This ensures a play-free and squeak-noise proof fit between the support members 7A, 7B that can still be lifted manually. The bottom edge 21 rests fittingly all round on the circular support edge 20, and the cylinder walls 23 of the support members 7A and 7B are in line with each other.
If necessary the transverse partitions 16 of the upper support member 7A can be accommodated in the recesses 13 of the bottom support member 7B. If the saw cut 32 is arranged in the upper support member 7A, the fit around the merlons 15 will advantageously be tighter due to the conicity of the cylinder wall 23 in the direction of the insertion part 30.

Claims

Floor assembly for placing a floor built up from floorboards on an existing surface, comprising supports for supporting the floorboards, wherein the supports have been built up from several support members that can be placed onto each other, wherein the support members comprise an insertion part and an accommodating counterpart that are adjusted to one another for partially inserting the support members into each other, preferably clampingly.
Floor assembly according to claim 1, wherein the support members are similar, and/or wherein the supports have been built up using similar, preferably identical support members, that have been manufactured from a material that can be shortened, preferably be shortened using a saw.
Floor assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the support members comprise a cylindrical circumferential wall having a wall thickness that remains substantially the same in circumferential direction, wherein the circumferential wall bounds an accommodation space of the accommodating part, wherein the circumferential wall near the accommodation space preferably comprises a free, preferably circular first circumferential edge spaced apart from the insertion part, wherein the first circumferential edge defines a first support surface for the support member, which support surface extends transverse to the insertion direction, wherein the first support surface defines a head or end face of the insertion part.
Floor assembly according to claim 3, wherein the support member comprises a second support surface for the floorboards, preferably for a downward projecting edge of the floorboards, wherein the circumferential wall and the second support surface preferably form one unity, and wherein on the second support surface preferably a supporting layer of sound insulating material has been provided.
Floor assembly according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the cylindrical circumferential wall comprises a preferably circular second circumferential edge that is counter the circular first circumferential edge, which circular second circumferential edge defines a third support surface of the support member which surface extends transverse to the insertion direction, wherein the third support surface preferably is bounded by a first positioning surface extending in the insertion direction and in radial direction inwardly offset with respect to the circumferential wall for abutment against a second positioning surface on the circumferential wall of a next support member, wherein the first and second support surface in the situation in which they have been placed onto one another preferably abut fittingly on each other, wherein the second and third support surface preferably merge into one another.
Floor assembly according to any one of the claims 3-5, wherein the circumferential walls of the support members that have been inserted onto and partially into each other are contiguous and substantially in line with each other, wherein in the insertion direction the cylinder wall preferably extends continuously straight between the first and second circumferential edge.
Floor assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the insertion part and the accommodating part comprise a first and second clamping surface, respectively, preferably extending in the insertion direction, wherein the first and second clamping surface of support members that are inserted into each other clampingly abut each other under slight deformation of the insertion part and/or the accommodating part, wherein the first and/or second clamping surface preferably project transverse to the insertion direction with respect to the first and/or second positioning surface, wherein the first and/or second clamping surface preferably is situated on a raised clamping edge extending in insertion direction.
Floor assembly according to any one of the claims 5-7, wherein the support members comprise several first and/or second positioning surfaces and/or first and/or second clamping surfaces that are positioned circular in circumferential direction, and preferably are interrupted.
Floor assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support members are tapered, conical or cone-shaped in support or insertion direction.
Floor assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support members have been manufactured from synthetic material, preferably an injection mouldable synthetic material, preferably polypropene or PVC.
Method for placing a floor assembly on an existing surface, wherein the floor assembly comprises floorboards and supports for supporting the floorboards, wherein the supports are built up using several support members that are placed onto each other and partially into each other, wherein at least some of the supports are brought at the desired height by shortening one support member per support, preferably the bottom support member.
Support member intended and suitable for a floor assembly according to any one of the preceding claims.
Building having a gallery comprising a floor assembly according to any one of the claims 1-10.
Package suitable for assembling a floor to be placed on an existing surface, comprising a floorboard and/or a support member according to any one of the claims 1-10.