EP2650455A2

EP2650455A2 - Flooring substrate particularly applicable to sports grounds

Info

Publication number: EP2650455A2
Application number: EP13380013.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Javier José Sanchez Vicario
Original assignee: Greenset Worldwide SL
Current assignee: Greenset Worldwide SL
Priority date: 2012-04-11
Filing date: 2013-04-08
Publication date: 2013-10-16
Also published as: ES2425116B1; ES2425116A1; EP2650455A3

Abstract

FLOORING SUBSTRATE PARTICULARLY APPLICABLE TO SPORTS GROUNDS, composed of a single base layer (2) of plates (3), with waterproofing treatment, joined coplanarly together by means of dovetailing and having a width of between 20 and 40 mm. The plates (3) are fixed: either by means of interlaced transverse and longitudinal strips (7), nailed to the edges of the plates disposed along the edges of the base layer (2), directly to the floor (S) by means of pass-through anchorings (9) on the edges of the base layer (2), fitted between partition walls, perimeter fences or walls (10), covering completely and in a tight-fitting manner the floor enclosed therewithin or with the stands installed on the edges of said base layer (2). It also incorporates an upper layer (6) that covers said plates in their entirety, which is composed of paint, resin, PVC, linoleum rubber or other material applied onsite or prefabricated.

Description

Object of the invention

The invention, as indicated in the title of the present specification, relates to a flooring substrate particularly applicable to sports grounds, adding a series of advantages and innovative characteristics to the function for which it is destined, which will be described in detail below and represent a significant improvement within its field of application.
More specifically, the object of the invention focuses on a substrate destined for use as flooring especially intended for sports grounds or recreational areas and which, being of the type made up of a plurality of wood plates or other materials, optionally coated with an upper finish layer in their entirety, which can be of different materials and applied onsite or prefabricated, but which in any case covers the plates in their entirety, forming a continuous surface, and having the innovative peculiarity that said substrate is formed by a single layer of plates that do not need to be installed on pads, as in the case of other conventional systems which are also fixed by means of fixation systems that keep them joined therebetween and in their entirety, minimising the width of the joints therebetween as much as possible and allowing fast and simple installation and, eventually, removal thereof.

Field of application of the invention

The field of application of the present invention falls within the technical sector of the industry dedicated to the manufacture and installation of floorings, focusing particularly on those destined for facilities, sports grounds or recreational areas, particularly, but not limited to, indoor facilities.

Background of the invention

In reference to the state of the art, mention must be made of the different types of floorings for facilities and applications of the type discussed herein, which are normally formed by a plurality of plates joined together.
The applicant itself is the patent holder of invention application number 009900130 , which discloses a "flooring substrate especially intended for recreational areas" which, while satisfactorily fulfilling the objectives pursued of providing an improved substrate with respect to the prior art, in order to be able to add an upper finish layer or coat of paint or grouting resin in which, on applying it onsite, cracks do not appear in the joint area of said plates, has aspects susceptible of being improved.
Specifically, said patent discloses s substrate formed by pads whereon two layers, one lower and one upper, of compressed wood plates rest, each of the plates of the lower layer being joined by means of screws envisaged in all of the corners to the plates of the upper layer, thereby avoiding the aforementioned cracks in the upper finish layer of paint or grouting.
However, this configuration, while being effective, as mentioned earlier, is susceptible of being improved, particularly with regard to simplifying the amount of plates and the manner in which to join them together so that the joints are as close together as possible, which is the objective of the present invention. Further, it must be noted that the applicant states that it is not aware of the existence of any other having technical, structural and constituent characteristics which, specifically, are similar to those of the flooring substrate being advocated and claimed herein.

Explanation of the invention

Therefore, the invention proposes a flooring substrate designed to contribute an improved solution to the problem of providing an adequate substrate for coating the floors of areas destined for playing or practicing sports and being able to apply an upper finish layer of paint or grouting resin, preventing the appearance of cracks due to the existence of joints between the plates, achieving said objective in a very simple manner, with a smaller number of plates and by means of faster installation thereof, and with the added advantages, as explained below.
To such end and specifically, the substrate being advocated is formed by a single layer of plates joined together, which can be made of any appropriate material that is not affected by damp and are preferably made of wood or compressed wood, having been subjected to a waterproofing treatment to avoid moisture and filtrations.
Additionally, said plates that form the basis of the substrate that is installed on the floor or surface to be covered have a thickness of between 20 and 40 mm and are configured so that their edges have dovetail coupling means to ensure the closest possible joint therebetween.
In addition to the foregoing and according to an embodiment of the invention, the set of plates that make up the aforementioned base layer is joined at its ends by interlaced strips made of any flexible material or fabric having high traction resistance.
Specifically, the inclusion of a plurality of transverse strips is envisaged, the respective ends of which are fixed, for example, by means of screws onto the edge of the plates remaining in two of the opposite ends of the floor of the ground to be coated, and a plurality of longitudinal strips the respective ends of which are also fixed by means of screws onto the edge of the plates of the other two opposite ends of the ground, thereby forming a kind of web that holds together the plates that make up the substrate layer on its four said web remaining thereunder and ensuring that the plates cannot become separated.
In another embodiment, the set of plates that form the aforementioned base substrate layer is not fixed using the aforementioned interlaced strips, but rather are fixed, provided that the floor structure allows it, by nailing or screwing directly to said floor, being only the plates of the ends of the layer which are nailed using pass-through nails or screws or other anchoring element.
Alternatively, according to another embodiment, suitable for being carried out preferably in the case that the floor to be coated forms part of a ground or facility enclosed almost entirely along its perimeter by walls, fences or vertical partition walls, the base layer of plates are only disposed coupled together by the aforementioned dovetailing thereof, but disposed in such a manner as to cover said floor completely and in a tight-fitting manner between said walls, fences or vertical partition walls of the ground or facility, which can optionally be installed around the ground expressly for such purpose.
Another alternative embodiment of the substrate is obtained by installing the stands on top of the surface of the plates that form the substrate, so that the weight thereof holds the plates by the edges, preventing them from moving as a whole.
Lastly, it should be noted that the previously described layer of plates, preferably, incorporates an upper finish layer that covers said plates entirely, preferably forming a continuous surface.
This upper finish layer can be made of different materials, such as paint or synthetic resin and can be applied onsite or be prefabricated, such as PVC, rubber o linoleum or other sufficiently resistant material, preferring the use of acrylic resin due to its high resistance.
In light of the foregoing, it can be observed that the proposed substrate provides significant advantages compared to other known substrates, in terms of easier and faster installation, and also allows all or at least most of the plates that form the substrate to be reused, as the different fixation options only affect those disposed on the edges, not affecting those fitted between partition walls.
Therefore, the described flooring substrate applicable to sports grounds represents an innovative structure, with structural and constituent characteristics not known in the state of the art for the purpose for which it is intended. These reasons, added to its practical utility, give it sufficient grounds for obtaining the privilege of exclusiveness being applied for.

Description of the drawings

For the purpose of complementing this description and helping to better understand the characteristics of the substrate of the invention, a set of drawings is attached to this specification as an integral part thereof, wherein the following has been represented in an illustrative and non-limiting manner:

Fig. 1: shows a vertical cross-sectional view of a portion of the flooring substrate particularly applicable to sports grounds object of the invention, where its constituent parts and elements can be observed;
Fig. 2: shows a partial cross-sectional top plan view of an embodiment of the flooring substrate, according to the invention, in an embodiment thereof wherein the plates are joined together by means of interlaced strips;
Fig. 3: shows an expanded, vertical cross-sectional view of the substrate example shown in figure 2;
Fig. 4: shows a partial cross-sectional top plan view of an embodiment of the flooring substrate, according to the invention, in another embodiment thereof wherein the end plates are fixed directly to the ground by means of pass-through nails or screws;
Fig. 5: shows an expanded, vertical cross-sectional view of the substrate example shown in figure 4;
Fig. 6: shows a partial cross-sectional top plan view of an embodiment of the flooring substrate, according to the invention, in another embodiment thereof with the plates fitted between perimeter walls, fences or partition walls;
Fig. 7: shows an expanded, vertical cross-sectional view of the substrate example shown in figure 6, and
Fig. 8: shows, once again, an expanded, vertical cross-sectional view of the substrate example, according to the invention, shown in the preceding figures, in this case showing the plate fixation option of installing the stands on the edges of the plates disposed along the base layer.

Preferred embodiment of the invention

In light of the aforementioned figures and in accordance with the numbering adopted, an embodiment of the flooring substrate object of the invention can be observed therein, which comprises the parts and elements indicated and described in detail below.
Therefore, as observed in said figures, the flooring (S) substrate (1) in question is formed by a single base layer (2) made up of a plurality of wood or compressed wood plates (3) with waterproofing treatment, or other material that is not affected by damp, having a width of between 20 and 40 mm and joined coplanarly together by means of a dovetailing system, to which end two sides thereof have slots (4) and the other two sides have complementary projections (5), fitting into each other as observed in figure 1.
Said base layer (2) of plates (3), preferably, includes an upper finish layer (6) that covers said plates in their entirety, preferably forming a continuous surface, which can be paint, PVC resin, linoleum rubber or other materials, applied onsite or prefabricated, being preferably acrylic resin.
In light of figures 2 and 3, an embodiment of the substrate (1) can be observed wherein the plates (3) of the base layer (2) are fixed by means of interlaced transverse and longitudinal strips (7) which, made of a flexible material or fabric having high traction resistance, pass underneath the plates and are fixed to the plates at the ends of the layer.
As can be observed in figure 3, said strips (7) are fixed on their respective ends (7a), fastened by means of screws (8) to the edges of the plates (3) at the opposite ends of the base layer (2), forming, among the multiple strips (7) disposed transversely and those disposed longitudinally, a web that is fastened to the plates and, at the same time, providing a shock absorbent base for said layer of plates.
Figures 4 and 5 show another embodiment of the substrate (1) wherein, instead of strips, the plates (3) at the ends of the base layer (2), i.e. that form the edge of said base layer, are fixed directly to the floor (S), fastened by means of nails, screws or other pass-though anchoring elements (9). Logically, depending on the type of floor (S), one type of fastenings or another will be used, as well as, optionally, anchor bolts or other additional elements.
Figures 6 and 7 show en embodiment of the substrate whereon the plates (3) that form the base layer (2) thereof are disposed fitted between partition walls, perimeter fences or walls (10) which can form part of the facility or be incorporated for such purpose, covering the floor enclosed by said partition walls, fences or walls (10) in its entirety and in a tight-fitting manner.
Lastly, figure 8 shows an embodiment of the substrate of the invention wherein the plates (3) that form the base layer (2) thereof are secured on installing the sports ground stands (11), disposing them on the edges of the substrate, as the weight of said stands on the plates (3) disposed along the edges prevents them from moving. In this case, the upper finish layer (6) can be applied before or after installing the stands (11) on the plates disposed along the edges of the substrate, as appropriate in each case.
Having sufficiently described the nature of the present invention and the manner in which to put it into practice, it is not deemed necessary to expound further on the explanation thereof in order for any person skilled in the art to understand its scope and the advantages arising therefrom, and hereby state that, within its essentiality, it can be put into practice in other forms of embodiment that differ in detail from that indicated by way of example and which will also obtain the protection requested provided that the basic principle thereof is not altered, changed or modified.

Claims

Flooring substrate particularly applicable to sports grounds, being of the type comprising plates joined together, characterised in that it comprises a single base layer (2) formed of a plurality of plates (3) of a material that is not affected by damp and which are joined coplanarly together by means of a dovetailing system.
Flooring substrate particularly applicable to sports grounds, according to the preceding claim, characterised in that the plates (3) are made of wood or compressed wood with waterproofing treatment.
Flooring substrate particularly applicable to sports grounds, according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the plates (3) have a width of between 20 and 40 mm.
Flooring substrate particularly applicable to sports grounds, according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the plates (3) of the base layer (2) incorporate interlaced transverse and longitudinal strips (7), made of a flexible material or fabric, that pass underneath said plates (3) and are fixed by means of screws (8) to the edges of the plates disposed along the edges of the base layer.
Flooring substrate particularly applicable to sports grounds, according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the plates (3) disposed along the edges of the base layer (2), i.e. the plates that form the edge of said base layer, incorporate pass-through anchoring elements (9) that fix them directly to the floor (S).
Flooring substrate particularly applicable to sports grounds, according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the plates (3) that form the base layer (2) are disposed fitted between partition walls, perimeter fences or walls (10), covering the floor enclosed by said partition walls, fences or walls (10) entirely and in a tight-fitting manner.
Flooring substrate particularly applicable to sports grounds, according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the plates (3) disposed along the edges of the base layer (2), i.e. the plates that form the edge of said base layer, are disposed underneath the sports ground stands (11).
Flooring substrate particularly applicable to sports grounds, according to any of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the base layer (2) of plates (3) incorporates an upper layer (6) that covers said plates in their entirety, which is composed of paint, resin, PVC, linoleum rubber or other material applied onsite or prefabricated.