EP3315690B1

EP3315690B1 - A floor support structure

Info

Publication number: EP3315690B1
Application number: EP17198747.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Stig-Åke LJUNGQUIST
Original assignee: Prastangen Sverige AB
Current assignee: Prastangen Sverige AB
Priority date: 2016-10-28
Filing date: 2017-10-27
Publication date: 2020-09-23
Anticipated expiration: 2037-10-27
Also published as: DK3315690T3; SE1651413A1; ES2837439T3; EP3315690A1; SE540180C2

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a floor support structure for supporting a floor joist of an adjustable raised floor construction relative to an underlying support surface, where the floor support structure comprises a level adjustment screw and a foot.

BACKGROUND

When building floors on uneven underlying support surfaces, such as for example a concrete surface, or when there is a need for ventilating a floor, it is often desired to build the floor at a distance above the underlying support surface. Such raised floor constructions could for example involve a system of floor joists on which the floor is built, where the floor joists are spaced apart in relation to the underlying support surface. To create the distance between the raised floor construction and the underlying support surface, level adjustment screws attached to the floor joists may be used. The floor joists may be provided with threaded holes or other means to which the level adjustment screws are attached and the lower part of the level adjustment screws are anchored to the underlying support surface. The height of the floor joist in relation to the underlying support surface can be adjusted by rotating the level adjustment screws.
A floor construction of the above mentioned type is disclosed in WO 2010/140946 A1 , where the joists have vertical drill holes for the screws and where the screws are anchored to an underlying load-bearing support surface with fastening means in the form of nails, screws or plugs. A problem with these floor constructions is that the work with anchoring the level adjustment screws to the underlying load-bearing support surface is very time consuming, since holes need to be drilled in the support surface for anchoring the level adjustment screws with suitable fastening means in order to secure a stable floor joist construction that is anchored to the load-bearing support surface with the fastening means.
Another problem with this type of raised floor constructions is that they do not provide a dampening function, which for example often is desired in office environments, laboratories or public buildings where there is a need for low noise and low vibration floor constructions.
US 8,397,443 B2 discloses a bar system for a floor construction, where the system is provided with a plurality of bars or joists, a level adjustment mechanism and a dampener. The bars are enclosing the level adjustment mechanisms, which level adjustment mechanisms include level adjustable projections adapted to project from the bars against a support structure. The floor construction described in US 8,397,443 B2 is a complex, heavy and expensive construction, which also has the problem that the work with anchoring the level adjustment screws to the underlying support surface is very time consuming.
Other floor constructions are known from WO 2011/089239 A1 , JP 2003328539 A , and JP H09195484 A .
There is thus a need for an improved floor construction with a low-cost floor support structure with a dampening function, which structure is simple and fast to install and further is lightweight in construction.

SUMMARY

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a floor support structure where the previously mentioned problems are avoided. This object is at least partly achieved by the features of the independent claim. The dependent claims contain further developments of the floor support structure.
The disclosure concerns a floor support structure for supporting a floor joist of an adjustable raised floor construction relative to an underlying support surface, where the floor support structure comprises a level adjustment screw extending in a direction along a longitudinal axis and a foot. The foot comprises a lower base part for holding the floor support structure to the underlying support surface and an upper connection part to which a lower end of the level adjustment screw is attachable, wherein the foot has a dampening layer arranged between the lower base part and the upper connection part. The upper connection part has a connection recess for the level adjustment screw. The foot has at least one flexible attachment member arranged to engage at least one connection member on the lower end of the level adjustment screw, so that the flexible attachment member and the connection member are arranged to prevent separation of the level adjustment screw from the foot in a direction along the longitudinal axis. The upper connection part has a tubular side wall and a lower wall forming the connection recess. The at least one flexible attachment member is made from a cut-out portion of the tubular side wall and has a protrusion arranged within the connection recess, where the protrusion is arranged to interact with the at least one connection member of the level adjustment screw, and where the at least one connection member is formed by a groove.
Advantages with these features are that the floor support structure with this construction, involving a level adjustment screw and a foot, is simple and fast to install without the need for complicated and time consuming drilling operations when anchoring the floor support structure to the underlying support surface. The floor support structure provides a lightweight and stable support for the floor joist to the underlying support surface, which floor support structure is simple in construction and possible to produce at a low cost. Further, the floor support structure provides an efficient absorption of vibrations and shocks through the dampening layer, which often is desired in office environments, laboratories or public buildings where there is a need for low noise and low vibration floor constructions. The level adjustment screw is attached to the foot via the connection recess for easy mounting of the floor support structure, and in a way that prevents separation of the foot from the level adjustment screw in a direction along the longitudinal axis. This provides a convenient installation process of the floor support structure, where the foot and the level adjustment screw is attached to each other in a simple and efficient way. The level adjustment screw is attached to the foot via the connection recess for easy mounting of the floor support structure. The interaction between the protrusion and the groove gives a simple and stable connection between the level adjustment screw and the foot and makes the floor support structure easy to mount.
According to a further aspect of the disclosure, the lower wall of the upper connection part is provided with at least one opening through which the dampening layer extends into the connection recess forming at least one dampening layer protrusion, so that a lower surface of the level adjustment screw is in direct contact with the at least one dampening layer protrusion. The direct contact between the lower surface of the level adjustment screw and the at least one dampening layer protrusion provides an efficient dampening of shocks and vibrations. The at least one dampening layer protrusion has the ability to absorb smaller vibrations and also to transfer vibrations into the dampening layer.
According to a further aspect of the disclosure, the least one flexible attachment member and the at least one connection member are connecting the level adjustment screw to the foot so that they can withstand a separation force of at least 0.10 kN in a direction along the longitudinal axis. This secures that the level adjustment screw is firmly connected to the foot and that the floor support structure meets a high construction standard for the raised floor construction.
According to an aspect of the disclosure, the lower end of the level adjustment screw is rotatably attachable to the connection part, so that the level adjustment screw can rotate about the longitudinal axis in relation to the foot. The rotatable attachment provides a simple and efficient installation process of the raised floor structure, where the distance between the floor joist and the support surface easily is adjusted by rotating the level adjustment screw in relation to the foot and the floor joist.
According to a further aspect of the disclosure, the level adjustment screw has an elongated tubular shape extending in the direction along the longitudinal axis, where the level adjustment screw has an outer surface with a non-threaded area at the lower end and a threaded area arranged above the lower end, where the threaded area is adapted to interact with the floor joist. The tubular shape of the level adjustment screw is used to achieve a lightweight and material saving construction. The threaded area is used for efficient engagement of the level adjustment screw with the floor joist and the non-threaded area for a suitable attachment to the foot.
According to an aspect of the disclosure, the lower base part has one or more attachment openings adapted for receiving fastening means anchoring the lower base part to the support surface. The one or more attachment openings are used for conveniently anchoring the foot to the support surface and are adapted for receiving fastening means such as nails or other suitable attachment means.
According to another aspect, the dampening layer of the foot is made of an elastic material, such as for example a rubber material or an injection moulded thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The elastic material gives the foot the ability to absorb shocks and vibrations in an efficient way.
According to another aspect of the disclosure, the lower base part and the upper connection part of the foot is made of a plastic material or a fibre reinforced plastic material, such as for example a polyamide (PA). This selection of materials gives the foot a construction that is easy to manufacture with high strength.
According to another aspect of the disclosure, the level adjustment screw is made of a plastic material or a fibre reinforced plastic material, such as for example glass fibre reinforced polypropylene (PPH) or a glass fibre reinforced polyamide (PA). The function of the level adjustment screw is to carry high loads from the floor construction. The use of a plastic material or a fibre reinforced plastic material, such as glass fibre reinforced polypropylene (PPH) or a glass fibre reinforced polyamide (PA), will give a lightweight and durable construction with high load bearing capability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The disclosure will be described in greater detail in the following, with reference to the attached drawings, in which

Fig. 1a-b: show schematically, in a perspective view, a floor support structure attached to a floor joist according to the disclosure;
Fig. 2a-c: show schematically, side-views of a floor support structure according to the disclosure;
Fig. 3a-b: show schematically, cross-sections of a floor support structure according to the disclosure;
Fig. 4a-b: show schematically, in a view from above, a foot and a level adjustment screw of the floor support structure according to the disclosure; and
Fig. 5: shows schematically, in a perspective view, a foot of the floor support structure according to the disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Various aspects of the disclosure will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings to illustrate and not to limit the disclosure, wherein like designations denote like elements, and variations of the described aspects are not restricted to the specifically shown embodiments, but are applicable on other variations of the disclosure.
Figures 1a and 1b schematically show a floor support structure 1 for supporting a floor joist 21 of an adjustable raised floor construction relative to an underlying load-bearing support surface 22. The floor joist 21 may have an elongated shape and when building a flooring construction, a number of floor joists 21 are in a known way used to arrange a floor joist framework structure that supports floor covering materials, such as for example a subfloor panel structure and floor planks or a floor decking material. Other suitable covering materials may also be used depending on the floor construction.
The support surface 22 could be any type of surface on which the raised floor construction should be built, such as for example a concrete surface, a wooden surface or even an outdoor ground surface.
The floor joist 21 can be made of any suitable material and floor joists made of wood or profiled steel bars are commonly used within the building industry today. Other floor joist materials are also possible to use, as for example composite materials, laminated wood structures and other metals such as aluminium. The floor joist 21 may have a solid configuration, which is common when using floor joists 21 made of wood. The floor joist may also have a hollow or beam-like configuration. For example, a hollow steel construction where the floor joist 21 has a hollow configuration with an upper wall, a lower wall and two side walls arranged between the upper wall and the lower wall may be used.
A raised floor construction is built at a distance above the support surface 22, and this type of floor construction is commonly used when building floor constructions on uneven underlying support surfaces or when there is a need for ventilating a floor structure. Raised floor constructions may involve a system of floor joists 21 on which the floor is built, where the floor joists 21 are spaced apart in relation to the underlying support surface 22. To create the distance between the floor joists 21 and the underlying support surface 22 a number of spaced apart support structures 1 are used, as shown in figure 1a. The floor support structure 1 according to the disclosure comprises a level adjustment screw 2 that extends in a direction along a longitudinal axis X and a foot 3, as shown more in detail in figures 1b and 3b.
The floor joist 21 may be provided with threaded holes 25 or similar means to which the level adjustment screws 2 are engaged. The distances between the threaded holes 25 of the floor joist 21 may be varied depending on the type of floor construction. The heavier load the floor joist 21 should carry, the shorter distances between the threaded holes 25 may be needed in order to secure a stable and safe floor construction. The type of floor joist 21 used could also impact the distance needed between the threaded holes 25. A strong floor joist construction may be designed with longer distances between the threaded holes 25 than a weaker floor joist construction. As a non-limiting example for a floor joist made of wood, the distance between the threaded holes 25 and thus the floor support structures 1 when attached to the floor joist 21 may be about 300-800 mm.
When attached to the floor joist 21, the extension of the level adjustment screw 2 is essentially orthogonal to the elongated extension of the floor joist 21 as schematically shown in figures 1a and 1b. This thus means that the direction of the longitudinal axis X is essentially orthogonal to the extension of the floor joist 21. The level adjustment screw 2 may also be arranged at another angle in relation to the extension of the floor joist 21.
Figures 2a-b and 3a-b, show the floor support structure 1 with the level adjustment screw 2 more in detail. The level adjustment screw 2 has an elongated tubular shape with a length extending in the direction along the longitudinal axis X, with a lower end 6a and an upper end 6b. The level adjustment screw 2 has an outer surface 15, with a non-threaded area 16 at the lower end 6a and a threaded area 17 arranged above the lower end 6a. The non-threaded area 16 at the lower end 6a only extends a small distance along the total length of the level adjustment screw 2 in the direction along the longitudinal axis X, so that the main part of the outer surface 15 along the longitudinal length of the level adjustment screw 2 is threaded.
The threaded area 17 of the level adjustment screw 2 is adapted to interact with the floor joist 21 so that the height of the floor joist 21 in relation to the underlying support surface 22 can be adjusted. The height of the floor joist 21 in relation to the support surface 22 can be adjusted by rotating the level adjustment screws 2 in relation to the floor joist 21. The threaded holes 25 of the floor joist 21 may have threads that are matching the threads of the threaded area 17 of the level adjustment screw 2. The threaded area 17 of the upper end 6b of the level adjustment screw 2 is attachable to the threaded hole 25. The threaded hole 25 in the floor joist 21 can simply be made by first drilling a hole through the floor joist 21 and thereafter thread the hole with a tapping tool. As an alternative, a threaded plug to which the level adjustment screw 2 is attached may be connected to a hole arranged in the floor joist 21.
When attaching the level adjustment screw 2 to the floor joist 21, the upper end 6b is screwed into the threaded hole 25 in the floor joist 21. In this way, depending on how far the level adjustment screw 2 is screwed into the floor joist 21, the length of the level adjustment screw 2 extending out from the floor joist 21 can be varied and adapted to a certain height level for the floor joist 21 in relation to the support surface 22. This means that the length of the level adjustment screw 2, in the direction along the longitudinal axis X, extending out from the floor joist 21 can be adjusted by rotating the level adjustment screw 2 in relation to the floor joist 21. The more the level adjustment screw 2 is screwed into the floor joist 21, the shorter distance between the floor joist 21 and the support surface 22.
The level adjustment screws 2 may be manufactured in an assortment with different lengths in the direction along the axis X, so that shorter level adjustment screws 2 are used when there is a need for short distances between the underlying support surface 22 and the floor joists 21 and longer level adjustment screws 2 for longer distances. If the support surface 22 has a non-planar top surface with large variations, different lengths on the level adjustment screws 2 may be used in order to secure a level top surface of the floor joists 21. As an alternative, if the level adjustment screws 2 are screwed far into the floor joists 21 so that the upper ends 6b extend above the upper surface of the floor joists 21, the part of the level adjustment screws extending above the upper surface of the floor joist 21 may be cut in order to secure an even top surface of the floor joist construction.
Once inserted into the floor joists 21, the level adjustment screws 2 are possible to remove from the floor joists 21 by simply unscrewing them from the threaded holes 25 if needed. After removal, the level adjustment screws 2 may again be screwed into the floor joist 21.
The dimensions of the level adjustment screws 2 may be varied depending on the floor construction. As a non-limiting example, the level adjustment screws 2 may have a diameter of 20-40 mm and the total length may vary between 50-500 mm. The level adjustment screws may have a tubular-like configuration with a hollow interior 27 as shown in figures 1b, 3a, 3b and 4b. The tubular-like configuration of the level adjustment screws is used to achieve a lightweight and material saving construction. The lower end 6a of the level adjustment screw 2 has a lower surface 14, which lower surface 14 may be made planar in order to interact with the foot 3.
In figure 4b the level adjustment screw 2 is shown in a view from above. The level adjustment screw 2 has an essentially circular outer periphery with threads arranged on the threaded area 17 of the outer surface 15. The hollow interior of the tube-like configuration is forming a recess, which in the upper end 6b may accommodate a tool for adjusting the height of the floor support structure 1 in relation to the support surface 22 when the floor support structure 1 is attached to the floor joist 21. As shown in figure 4b, the cross-section of the hollow interior when viewed from above is hexagonal so that a hexagonal socket 28 for an Allen wrench is formed. The level adjustment screw 2 may instead be designed with an upper end 6b of another configuration for other types of tools, for example with other shapes of the socket 28. Further, the level adjustment screw may 2 as an alternative be made with a non-hollow or partly hollow interior.
The level adjustment screw 2 can be made of any suitable material, such as for example plastic materials, metals or composite materials. Also combinations of different materials may be used. Specifically, the level adjustment screw 2 may be made of a plastic material or a fibre reinforced plastic material, such as for example glass fibre reinforced polypropylene (PPH) or a glass fibre reinforced polyamide (PA). To manufacture the level adjustment screw 2 an injection moulding process may be used.
The level adjustment screw 2 is designed to interact with the foot 3 so that the foot 3 together with the level adjustment screw 2 is forming the floor support structure 1.
The foot 3 is shown more in detail in figures 2a, 3a, 4a and 5. The foot 3 comprises a lower base part 4 for holding the floor support structure 1 to the underlying support surface 22 and an upper connection part 5 to which the lower end 6a of the level adjustment screw 2 is attachable. The bottom surface of the lower base part 4 is in direct contact with the support structure 22 when the floor support structure 1 is mounted to the floor joist 21 and when the floor joist 21 together with the support structure 1 is put in its position on the support surface 22. The bottom surface of the lower base part 4 may be anchored to the underlying support surface 22 with a suitable fastening means, such as for example adhesive tape, glue 26, nails 24 or other suitable attachment means. The lower base part 4 is provided with one or more attachment openings 23 adapted for receiving the fastening means such as nails 24 when anchoring the lower base part 4 to the support surface 22. Glue 26, shown in figure 3b, or adhesive tape may be attached to the bottom surface of the lower base part 4 before mounting the floor support structure 1 to the support surface 22. The type of fastening means used should be chosen to match the material of the underlying support surface 22. For a concrete support surface 22, a concrete nail may for example be a suitable fastening means, which concrete nail may be fastened to the support surface 22 with a nail gun. Different types of construction adhesives or adhesive tapes may also be used depending on the type of underlying load-bearing support surface 22. A combination of fastening means may also be used, for example nails 24 in combination with glue 26 or adhesive tape.
The upper connection part 5 of the foot 3 has a tubular side wall 10 and a lower wall 11 forming a connection recess 12 for the level adjustment screw 2, as for example shown in figures 4a and 5. When attaching the level adjustment screw 2 to the foot 3, the lower end 6a of the level adjustment screw 2 is pushed into the connection recess 12 so that the foot 3 together with the level adjustment screw 2 is forming the floor support structure 1, as shown in figures 2b and 3b.
The non-threaded area 16 of the lower end 6a of the level adjustment screw 2 is designed to match the connection recess 12 of the foot 3. When pushing the level adjustment screw 2 in the direction along the longitudinal axis X into the foot 3, only the non-threaded area 16 is interacting with the connection recess 12. Since the inner part of the tubular side wall 10, which is forming the side edge of the connection recess 12, has a circular shape, as can be seen in figures 4a and 5, and also the outer periphery of the lower end 6a of the level adjustment screw 2 has a circular shape, the level adjustment screw 2 may be possible to rotate in relation to the foot 3. Thus, the diameter of the inner part of the tubular side wall 10, which is forming the side edge of the connection recess 12, is larger than the diameter of the periphery of the lower end 6a of the level adjustment screw 2, so that a small gap is formed between the connection recess 12 and the lower end 6a in the radial direction in relation to the longitudinal axis X. The lower end 6a of the level adjustment screw 2 is through this arrangement rotatably attachable to the connection part 5, so that the level adjustment screw 2 can rotate about the longitudinal axis X in relation to the foot 3. The lower surface 14 of the level adjustment screw 2 is in contact with the lower part of the connection recess 12 of the foot 3 when the level adjustment screw 2 is attached to the foot 3 as will be further described below.
To secure that the level adjustment screw 2 and the foot 3 is securely attached to each other and not separated from each other in the direction along the longitudinal axis X, the tubular side wall 10 of the upper connection part 5 has at least one flexible attachment member 7, which is arranged to engage at least one connection member 8 on the lower end 6b of the level adjustment screw 2. In this way, the flexible attachment member 7 and the connection member 8 are arranged to prevent separation of the level adjustment screw 2 from the foot 3 in a direction away from each other along the longitudinal axis X.
In the embodiment shown, the foot 3 is provided with two flexible attachment members 7 that are made from cut-out portions 18 of the tubular side wall 10 and the level adjustment screw 2 is provided with one connection member 8 in the form of a groove 20. The groove 20 is arranged slightly above the lower surface 14 so that the groove 20 has a smaller diameter than the parts of the non-threaded area 16 of the level adjustment screw 2 arranged above and below the groove 20, as shown in figures 2a and 3a. The flexible attachment members 7 are formed so that they can flex outwardly when the lower end 6a of the level adjustment screw 2 is pushed into the connection recess 12 and flex back again to their initial position when the lower end 6a of the level adjustment screw 2 is fully inserted into the foot 3. The flexible attachment members 7 each has a protrusion 19 arranged within the connection recess 12, as shown in figures 3a and 5. The protrusion 19 is arranged to interact with the groove 20 forming the connection member 8 of the level adjustment screw 2.
When the level adjustment screw 2 is pushed into the connection recess 12 of the foot 3, the side edge of the lower surface 14 is pushing the flexible attachment members 7 in a direction radially outwards in relation to the longitudinal axis X through the interaction with the protrusions 19. When the level adjustment screw 2 is pushed further into the connection recess 12 so that the protrusions 19 are aligned with the groove 20, the flexible attachment members 7 are flexing back into their initial position so that the protrusions 19 are in engagement with the groove 20, as shown in figure 2b. When the protrusions 19 and the groove 20 are interacting, the level adjustment screw 2 is prevented from being separated from the foot 3. When the level adjustment screw 2 and the foot 3 are connected to each other, there is a small play between the protrusions 19 and the groove 20 so that the level adjustment screw 2 can rotate about the longitudinal axis X in relation to the foot 3.
If needed, in order to separate the foot 3 from the level adjustment screw 2, tools may for example be used to force the flexible attachment members 7 in a direction away from the groove 20 of the level adjustment screw 2 so that they are no longer engaging the groove 20 and then the level adjustment screw 2 is disengaged from the foot by pulling the level adjustment screw 2 in a direction along the longitudinal axis X away from the foot 3.
As an alternative, the level adjustment screw 2 may instead be provided with two or more grooves 20 arranged above each other and the foot may be provided with a suitable number of flexible attachment members 7. If two or more grooves 20 are used, the protrusions 19 of two or more flexible attachment members 7 may be arranged on different heights above the lower wall 11 for engagement with different grooves 20.
To secure that the level adjustment screw 2 is firmly connected to the foot 3, the floor support structure 1 may be designed so that the flexible attachment members 7 and the connection member 8 are engaging the level adjustment screw 2 and the foot 3 in a way so that they can withstand a specific separation force in a direction along the longitudinal axis X. The size of the flexible attachment members 7 and the design of the protrusions 19 and the groove 20 may be chosen so that this specific level of separation force can be met. In this way, the flexible attachment members 7 and the connection member 8 are connecting the level adjustment screw 2 to the foot 3 so that they can withstand a specific separation force in a direction along the longitudinal axis X. To meet a high construction standard of the floor system, the floor support structure 1 may be designed to withstand a specific separation force in a direction along the longitudinal axis X of at least 0.10 kN. In this way a stable and reliable construction is achieved. Tests have shown that the specific separation force of at least 0.10 kN firmly connects the level adjustment screw 2 to the foot 3, which gives a reliable connection.
The lower base part 4 and the upper connection part 5 of the foot 3 may be made as separate pieces of any suitable material, such as for example plastic materials, metals or composite materials. Also combinations of different materials may be used. Specifically, the lower base part 4 and the upper connection part 5 may be made of a plastic material or a fibre reinforced plastic material, such as for example polyamide (PA).
When building a raised floor construction, a key function of the floor support structure 1 is to provide a dampening function, which is capable of taking up vibrations and shocks in the floor structure. This is for example often desired in office environments, laboratories or public buildings where there is a need for low noise and low vibration floor constructions. To secure an efficient absorption of shocks or vibrations, the foot 3 of the floor support structure 1 has a dampening layer 9 arranged between the lower base part 4 and the upper connection part 5. In this way, according to the embodiment shown, the foot 3 is built up of three different separate components; the lower base part 4, the dampening layer 9 arranged above the lower base part 4 and the upper connection part 5 arranged above the dampening layer, as shown in for example figures 2b, 3b and 5. The lower base part 4, the dampening layer 9 and the upper connection part 5 are together forming the foot 3 as one common unit.
The dampening layer 9 can be made of any suitable material that efficiently absorbs vibrations and shocks such as a suitable elastic material.
Specifically, the dampening layer 9 with the dampening layer protrusions 29 may be made of an elastomer, such as for example a rubber material or an injection moulded thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), with high ability to absorb shocks and vibrations. Also combinations of different suitable materials may be used.
The dampening layer 9 has a lower surface that is in direct contact with the lower base part 4 of the foot 3 and an upper surface in direct contact with the upper connection part 5. With this construction, vibrations and shocks from the floor construction are transferred from the floor construction via the floor joists 21, level adjustment screw 2 and the upper connection part 5 of the foot 3 to the dampening layer 9 where they are absorbed.
To further establish an efficient dampening of shocks and vibrations, the lower wall 11 of the upper connection part 5 may be provided with at least one opening 13 through which the dampening layer 9 extends into the connection recess 12 forming at least one dampening layer protrusion 29 in the lower part of the connection recess 12. As shown in figures 2b and 3b, the lower surface 14 of the level adjustment screw 2 is in direct contact with the dampening layer protrusions 29. In figure 4a, the lower wall 11 viewed from above is provided with six triangular-shaped openings 13 through which the dampening layer protrusions 29 extend into the connection recess 12. The parts of the dampening layer 9 extending through the openings 13 and forming the dampening layer protrusions 29 may have approximately the same triangular-shape as the openings 13 when viewed from above. The number of dampening layer protrusions 29 extending into the connection recess 12 may be varied depending on the floor construction and the design of the floor support structure 1. The openings 13 may have any suitable shape, such as for example circular, rectangular, oval, or a combination of different shapes.
The dampening layer protrusions 29 has a relatively small contact area towards the lower surface 14 of the level adjustment screw so that shocks and vibrations can be absorbed quickly. The dampening layer protrusions 29 has the ability to absorb the energy of small vibrations and for larger vibrations or shocks, the dampening layer protrusions 29 are absorbing a part of the vibration energy and also transferring energy into the dampening layer 9 for efficient vibration or shock energy absorption.
In an alternative embodiment not shown in the figures, the lower base part 4 and the upper connection part 5 may be connected to form one unit with the dampening layer 9 arranged within the unit so that the dampening layer 9 in the direction along the longitudinal axis X is located between lower part of the foot 3, which is in contact with the support surface 22, and the upper part of the foot, which is connecting the foot 3 to the level adjustment screw 2.
The foot 3 may be manufactured through an injection moulding process where the lower base part 4 and the upper connection part 5 first are formed and where the dampening layer 9 with the dampening layer protrusions 29 are formed in a second process step. Through this process, the dampening layer 9 is efficiently adhered to the lower base part 4 and the upper connection part 5. As an alternative, the foot may be manufactured in three discrete parts, the lower base part 4, the dampening layer 9 and the upper connection part 5, which parts are assembled with glue or other suitable fastening means to form the foot 3.
Before using the floor support structure 1, the foot 3 is connected to the level adjustment screw 2 in order to assemble the floor support structure 1. A number of floor support structures 1 are thereafter installed into the floor joist 21 through the threaded engagement between the threaded area 17 of the level adjustment screw 2 and the threaded hole 25 of the floor joist 21. The floor joist 21 with the installed floor support structures 1 are placed in a desired position on the support surface 22 with the foot 3 in contact with the support surface 22 as shown in figures 1a and 1b. The distance between the floor joist 21 and the support surface 22 is adjusted by rotating the level adjustment screws 2 about the longitudinal axis X in relation to the floor joists 21. The foot 3 of each floor support structure may be anchored to the support surface 22 with nails 24, glue 26, adhesive tape, or other suitable fastening means so that the floor joist 21 is firmly connected to the support surface 22. It may not be necessary to anchor all floor support structures 1 to the support surface 22 depending on the type of floor construction. The distance between the floor joist 21 and the support surface 22 may be further adjusted by rotating the level adjustment screws in relation to the floor joist 21 and the foot 3 with for example a suitable tool. Once the distance is set, further floor joists 21 with floor support structures 1 may be arranged on the support surface 22 to establish a framework for the raised floor construction. Fine tuning of the distance between the floor joists 21 and the support surface 22 is easily achieved by rotating the level adjustment screws where needed. The dampening layer 9 and the dampening layer protrusions 29 of the foot 3 provide a floor construction with a good ability to absorb shocks and vibrations.
It will be appreciated that the above description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its application or uses. While specific examples have been described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined in the claims. Furthermore, modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the particular examples illustrated by the drawings and described in the specification as the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the teachings of the present disclosure, but that the scope of the present disclosure will include any embodiments falling within the foregoing description and the appended claims. Reference signs mentioned in the claims should not be seen as limiting the extent of the matter protected by the claims, and their sole function is to make claims easier to understand.

REFERENCE SIGNS

1:: Floor support structure
2:: Level adjustment screw
3:: Foot
4:: Lower base part
5:: Upper connection part
6a:: Lower end
6b:: Upper end
7:: Flexible attachment member
8:: Connection member
9:: Dampening layer
10:: Tubular side wall
11:: Lower wall
12:: Connection recess
13:: Opening
14:: Lower surface
15:: Outer surface
16:: Non-threaded area
17:: Threaded area
18:: Cut-out portion
19:: Protrusion
20:: Groove
21:: Floor joist
22:: Support surface
23:: Attachment opening
24:: Nails
25:: Threaded hole
26:: Glue
27:: Hollow interior
28:: Socket
29:: Dampening layer protrusions

Claims

A floor support structure (1) for supporting a floor joist (21) of an adjustable raised floor construction relative to an underlying support surface (22), the floor support structure (1) comprising a level adjustment screw (2) extending in a direction along a longitudinal axis (X) and a foot (3);
where the foot (3) comprises a lower base part (4) for holding the floor support structure (1) to the underlying support surface (22) and an upper connection part (5) to which a lower end (6b) of the level adjustment screw (2) is attachable;

where the foot (3) has a dampening layer (9) arranged between the lower base part (4) and the upper connection part (5), and wherein the upper connection part (5) has a connection recess (12) for the level adjustment screw (2),

characterized in that the foot (3) has at least one flexible attachment member (7) arranged to engage at least one connection member (8) on the lower end (6b) of the level adjustment screw (2), so that the flexible attachment member (7) and the connection member (8) are arranged to prevent separation of the level adjustment screw (2) from the foot (3) in a direction along the longitudinal axis (X),

where the upper connection part (5) has a tubular side wall (10) and a lower wall (11) forming the connection recess (12), where each of the at least one flexible attachment member (7) is made from a cut-out portion (18) of the tubular side wall (10) and has a protrusion (19) arranged within the connection recess (12), where the protrusion (19) is arranged to interact with the at least one connection member (8) of the level adjustment screw (2), and where the at least one connection member (8) is formed by a groove (20).
A floor support structure (1) according to claim 1,
characterized in that the lower wall (11) of the upper connection part (5) is provided with at least one opening (13) through which the dampening layer (9) extends into the connection recess (12) forming at least one dampening layer protrusion (29), so that a lower surface (14) of the level adjustment screw (2) is in direct contact with the at least one dampening layer protrusion (29).
A floor support structure (1) according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that the least one flexible attachment member (7) and the at least one connection member (8) are connecting the level adjustment screw (2) to the foot (3) so that they can withstand a separation force of at least 0.10 kN in a direction along the longitudinal axis (X).
A floor support structure (1) according to any of claims 1 to 3,
characterized in that the lower end (6b) of the level adjustment screw (2) is rotatably attachable to the connection part (5), so that the level adjustment screw (2) can rotate about the longitudinal axis (X) in relation to the foot (3).
A floor support structure (1) according to any of claims 1 to 4,
characterized in that the level adjustment screw (2) has an elongated tubular shape extending in the direction along the longitudinal axis (X), where the level adjustment screw (2) has an outer surface (15) with a non-threaded area (16) at the lower end (6b) and a threaded area (17) arranged above the lower end (6b), where the threaded area (17) is adapted to interact with the floor joist (21).
A floor support structure (1) according to any claims 1 to 5,
characterized in that the lower base part (4) has one or more attachment openings (23) adapted for receiving fastening means (24) anchoring the lower base part (4) to the support surface (22).
A floor support structure (1) according to any of claims 1 to 6,
characterized in that the dampening layer (9) of the foot (3) is made of an elastic material, such as for example a rubber material or an injection moulded thermoplastic elastomer (TPE).
A floor support structure (1) according to any of claims 1 to 7,
characterized in that the lower base part (4) and the upper connection part (5) of the foot (3) is made of a plastic material or a fibre reinforced plastic material, such as for example a polyamide (PA).
A floor support structure (1) according to any of claims 1 to 8,
characterized in that the level adjustment screw (2) is made of a plastic material or a fibre reinforced plastic material, such as for example glass fibre reinforced polypropylene (PPH) or a glass fibre reinforced polyamide (PA).