EP2085535A1

EP2085535A1 - A covering panel with magnetic means for reversible coupling to a metallic supporting surface, in particular a raised floor

Info

Publication number: EP2085535A1
Application number: EP09150787A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Gian Pietro Marchetti; Stefano Stocco; Renzo Zanardo
Original assignee: Pm Contract Srl
Current assignee: Pm Contract Srl
Priority date: 2008-01-29
Filing date: 2009-01-16
Publication date: 2009-08-05
Also published as: ITPD20080032A1

Abstract

A loose-lay covering panel (10), particularly for raised floors comprising a plate-like element (11) that has, on the side intended to face a metallic supporting surface (12), magnetic means for reversible coupling of the plate-like element (11) to the metallic supporting surface (12).

Description

The present invention relates to a loose-lay covering panel particularly for raised floors.
Raised floors currently are an optimum solution for improving the design flexibility of space and for simplifying the integratability of systems and their modifiability over time.
A raised floor is constituted generally by a supporting structure, which generally comprises supporting posts for metallic supporting panels onto which walkable covering panels, known as "loose-lay panels", are laid, i.e., panels that indeed only need to be laid over the underlying supporting panels.
In general, loose-lay coverings can be provided by laying panels of fitted carpet or thicknesses of PVC or other similar continuous or modular coverings.
Modular loose-lay coverings, i.e., panels that are simply laid mutually adjacent on the underlying supporting panels of the supporting structure, are also greatly widespread.
The removability of the panels, differently from what is allowed by continuous coverings such as for example a rubber mat, in fact allows rapid inspection of the interspace that lies below the raised floor in any point and at any time, ensuring the possibility of prompt maintenance and of quick modification in case of need to adapt to new intended uses or assignments of the enclosed spaces.
Among the most widespread and appreciated of these loose-lay covering panels there are those made of fitted carpet, and, less widespread, those made of ceramic material such as porcelain stoneware.
Loose-lay wood panels are currently not produced due to the typical drawbacks of wooden materials: wood in fact can swell in case of excessive humidity in the laying environment or conversely can become cupped in the case of an excessively dry environment and can bulge in case of extreme levels of humidity.
These defects of flatness might be solved with the use of adhesives, but this would deprive loose-lay covering panels of the fundamental particularity of being easily removable to access the underlying regions, between the ground and the supporting panels.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a loose-lay covering panel, particularly for raised floors, that can also be made of wooden material.
Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a covering panel that can be fixed stably but reversibly to the corresponding supporting panels.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a loose-lay covering panel that is easy to lay even for a user who does not have particular prior experience.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a covering panel that can be laid even directly on a floor slab or on other free surfaces.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a covering panel particularly for raised floors that can be manufactured with known systems and technologies.
This aim and these and other objects, which will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a loose-lay covering panel, particularly for raised floors, characterized in that it comprises a plate-like element that has, on the side intended to face a metallic supporting surface, magnetic means for reversible coupling of the plate-like element to said metallic supporting surface.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment thereof, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional side view of a panel according to the invention in the installed condition;
Figure 2 is a bottom view of a panel according to the invention;
Figure 3 is a sectional view of a detail of the device according to the invention.

With reference to the figures, a loose-lay covering panel, particularly for raised floors, according to the invention, is generally designated by the reference numeral 10.
The panel 10 comprises a plate-like element 11, which has, on the part that is intended to face a metallic or metallized supporting surface 12, magnetic means for reversible coupling of the plate-like element 11 to the metallic supporting surface 12.
The plate-like element 11 is made of wooden material.
In particular, in the preferred embodiment of the invention described here by way of non-limiting example of the invention, the plate-like element 11 is made of MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard, a panel made of medium-density wood fiber), and preferably made of water-repellent MDF.
It must be understood that the plate-like element 11 can also be made of another material.
In particular, it must be understood that the plate-like element 11 can also be made of another wooden or at least partly wooden material.
The magnetic means are constituted by a plurality of magnets 13, 13a and so forth, inserted in corresponding seats 14, 14a and so forth formed on the plate-like element 11 on the side of the plate-like element 11 designed to face the supporting surface 12.
The supporting surface 12 is formed by a series of metallic supporting panels 15 of a per se known type, which in turn are supported by a series of columns 16, also of a per se known type.
As an alternative, according to an embodiment that is not shown for the sake of simplicity, the metallic supporting surface 12 can be provided by a simple sheet which is metallic or metallized on one side and is laid directly on the floor slab.
As a further alternative, also not shown, such supporting surface can be formed by a series of metallic or metallized plates that are laid on the ground where the magnets 13 are arranged.
In the embodiment described here by way of non-limiting example of the invention, the plate-like element 11 is quadrangular and has a series of magnets 13 that are distributed along a perimetric band.
The magnets 13 are eight and are arranged symmetrically.
Each magnet 13 is glued in its corresponding seat 14 by means of adhesives of a per se known type.
The seat 14 has such dimensions that the corresponding magnet 13 is arranged with its outer face 17 substantially on the same plane of arrangement as the lower face 18 of the plate-like element 11, as shown in Figure 3.
Conveniently, the loose- lay panels 10, 10a and the like, according to the invention, can be laid offset with respect to the metallic supporting panels 15, as shown schematically in Figure 1; this arrangement in fact allows to obtain important benefits, such as greater noise reduction, greater flatness and greater dimensional stability.
All the more, the panel 10 according to the invention, by way of its characteristic magnetic connecting means, can be removed conveniently from its position that straddles the juxtaposed edges of two laterally adjacent supporting panels 15, for the subsequent removal of such panels and access to the interspace between the ground and the supporting panels 15.
In practice it has been found that the invention thus described achieves the proposed aim and objects.
In particular, by means of the present invention a loose-lay covering panel particularly for raised floors has been provided which can also be made of wooden material by way of the presence of the magnetic connecting means that allow the reversible fixing of the panel, thus preventing the plate-like element, even if it becomes deformed, from detaching from the supporting surface made of metallic or metallized material.
Moreover, the present invention provides a covering panel that can be fixed stably but reversibly to the corresponding supporting panels; in order to remove the panel according to the invention it is in fact sufficient to use a handle with suckers of the known type which is already commonly used to lift loose-lay covering panels of the known type.
Moreover, the present invention provides a loose-lay covering panel that is easy to lay even for a user who does not have particular prior experience.
Moreover, the invention provides a covering panel that can be laid even directly on a floor slab or on other free surfaces.
Not least, the present invention provides a covering panel particularly for raised floors that can be manufactured with known systems and technologies.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims; all the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
In practice, the materials used, so long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.
The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. PD2008A000032 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

A loose-lay covering panel (10), particularly for raised floors, characterized in that it comprises a plate-like element (11) that has, on the side intended to face a metallic supporting surface (12), magnetic means for reversible coupling of the plate-like element (11) to said metallic supporting surface (12).
The panel according to claim 1, characterized in that said plate-like element (11) is made of wooden material.
The panel according to claim 1, characterized in that said plate-like element (11) is made of MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard, a panel made of medium-density wood fiber) and preferably of water-repellent MDF.
The panel according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plate-like element (11) is made of at least partly wooden material.
The panel according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said magnetic means are constituted by a plurality of magnets (13, 13a and so forth), which are inserted in corresponding seats (14, 14a and so forth) formed on the plate-like element (11) on the side of said plate-like element (11) that is designed to face the supporting surface (12).
The panel according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said supporting surface (12) is formed by a series of metallic supporting panels (15), which in turn are supported by a series of columns (16).
The panel according to one or more of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the metallic or metallized supporting surface (12) is provided by a simple metallic sheet, or a sheet that is metallized on one side, which is laid directly on the floor slab.
The panel according to one or more of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said supporting surface (12) is determined by a series of metallic or metallized plates laid on the ground where the magnets (13) are located.
The panel according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plate-like element (11) is quadrangular and has a series of magnets (13) that are distributed on a perimetric band thereof.
The panel according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said magnets (13) are eight and are arranged symmetrically.
The panel according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that each magnet (13) is glued in its corresponding seat (14).
The panel according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said seat (14) has such dimensions that the corresponding magnet (13) is arranged so that its outer face (17) lies substantially on the same plane of arrangement as the lower face (18) of the plate-like element (11).