EP4035573B1 - Modulares bodenbelagssystem - Google Patents

Modulares bodenbelagssystem Download PDF

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Publication number
EP4035573B1
EP4035573B1 EP22152394.7A EP22152394A EP4035573B1 EP 4035573 B1 EP4035573 B1 EP 4035573B1 EP 22152394 A EP22152394 A EP 22152394A EP 4035573 B1 EP4035573 B1 EP 4035573B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
floor cover
floor
opening
cover
fastener
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Active
Application number
EP22152394.7A
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP4035573A1 (de
Inventor
Gabriel Hendifar
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Apparatus LLC
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Apparatus LLC
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Publication date
Priority claimed from US17/241,180 external-priority patent/US11131102B1/en
Application filed by Apparatus LLC filed Critical Apparatus LLC
Publication of EP4035573A1 publication Critical patent/EP4035573A1/de
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Publication of EP4035573B1 publication Critical patent/EP4035573B1/de
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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47G—HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT
    • A47G27/00—Floor fabrics; Fastenings therefor
    • A47G27/02—Carpets; Stair runners; Bedside rugs; Foot mats
    • A47G27/0243—Features of decorative rugs or carpets
    • A47G27/025—Modular rugs
    • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
    • E04—BUILDING
    • E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
    • E04F21/00—Implements for finishing work on buildings
    • E04F21/0092—Separate provisional spacers used between adjacent floor or wall tiles
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
    • A47G—HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT
    • A47G27/00—Floor fabrics; Fastenings therefor
    • A47G27/02—Carpets; Stair runners; Bedside rugs; Foot mats
    • A47G27/0293—Mat modules for interlocking engagement

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a floor covering system, and more particularly, to a modular floor covering system that utilizes a plurality of fasteners for connecting a plurality of floor covering components to one another.
  • a modular rug system includes a pair of individual rugs connected to one another by fasteners.
  • the rugs are configured to cover a floor surface area.
  • Fasteners that create a secure connection between the rugs may have a first component extending on the underside of the rugs and a second component disposed over the top surface of each of the rugs.
  • the first and second components of each fastener would extend through the thickness of the rugs and would connect to one another for creating a secure connection between the rugs and the fasteners.
  • the second component of each fastener typically protrudes above the top surface of a rug, creating a visual bump on top of each rug and an uneven surface to step on.
  • FR 2 182 378 A5 discloses a known modular floor covering system.
  • rugs spaced rug and/or carpet components
  • Each rug in the modular rug system of the present invention includes a plurality of through openings.
  • Each fastener includes an elongated link extending between a through opening of a first rug and a through opening of a second rug (adjoining the first rug) on an underside of the two rugs, and a pair of nuts, bolts or screws (collectively “screws") disposed over the adjoining rugs and selectively connected to opposite ends of the link - via a through opening in each of the first and second rugs - in order to securely connect the first and second rugs to one another.
  • each rug in the modular rug system present invention has a plurality of recesses at its top surface.
  • Each recess is configured to house one of the screws therein in order to prevent the screw from protruding upwardly over the top surface of each rug.
  • This configuration provides an even walkable surface over the rugs and reduces the likelihood of a user tripping over the modular rug system of the present invention since the screw heads do not protrude upwardly over the rugs.
  • the recesses and the through holes in the rugs may be formed during the manufacturing process at predetermined locations along one or more edges of each rug.
  • This configuration is advantageous for several reasons.
  • the recesses serve as visual guides, indicating to a technician the location of each link under each rug such that the technician can quickly and efficiently connect a screw to each end of each link during the installation process. This can reduce installation time and labor costs associated therewith.
  • the configuration is advantageous as there is no technical need to drill/punch the through holes in the field during the installation process, thereby further reducing installation time and labor costs.
  • the recesses can be manufactured by using a different yarn and/or a different knitting or weaving pattern than that utilized in the remainder of the rug in order to further assist a technician in visually distinguishing the depressions during installation of the modular rug system of the present invention.
  • FIGS. 1-15 illustrate a modular floor covering system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
  • the modular floor covering system of FIGS. 1-15 includes a first floor covering component 102, a second floor covering component 104, and a plurality of connecting members 106 selectively connecting the first and second floor covering components 102 and 104 to one another along a length of neighboring sides of the first and second floor covering components 102 and 104.
  • the first and second floor covering components 102 and 104 may be referred to as floor covers for brevity purposes.
  • Each one of the first and second floor covers 102 and 104 may be a rug, a carpet, or more broadly, a flexible sheet of fabric material that is suitable for covering and/or protecting a floor area.
  • the first and second floor covers 102 and 104 may be configured to cover a floor surface that receives foot traffic, a floor surface that is not subject to foot traffic, and/or a floor surface that supports furniture in order to protect the underlying floor surface from wear and tear and/or damage that could occur through repeated use.
  • the first and second floor covers 102 and 104 may be made of the same material and/or construction as one another, or of different materials and/or construction.
  • each one of the first and second floor covers 102 and 104 can be a piece of carpet or a rug that is formed by weaving or knitting flexible fiber material, a sheet of non-woven material such as felt or the like, or a combination thereof.
  • the fiber that is woven or knit to form the carpet/rug floors covers 102 and 104 may be a natural or a synthetic material, for example, wool, silk, linen, cotton, polyester, nylon, rayon, polyamide, etc., or a blend thereof.
  • the nonwoven sheet material may include natural fibers, for example, wool, fur (e.g., hair fibers from animals other than sheep and goat), or a blend thereof, synthetic fibers, for example, acrylic fibers, nylon fibers, polyester fibers, etc., or a blend thereof, or a blend of natural and synthetic fibers.
  • the first and second floor covers 102 and 104 have the same shape and size as one another.
  • a modular floor covering system according to the present invention can be formed of two or more floor covers that are connected to one another, and the shape and size of each floor cover can be the same as or different from the shape and size of the other floor cover(s) of the modular floor covering system.
  • the first floor cover 102 has a width W and a length L of predetermined dimensions, and a side 110 (or edge 110) facing (or neighboring) the second floor cover 104. As illustrated, the length L is greater than the width W.
  • the second floor cover 104 has a side 112 (or edge 112) facing the side 110 of the first floor cover 102. In other words, the sides 110 and 112 face one another.
  • first and second floor covers 102 and 104 are illustrated as being rectangular, but the present invention is not limited to this shape.
  • Each one of the first and second floor covers 102 and 104 may have, for example, a polygonal shape, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, an oval shape, or an irregular shape.
  • FIGS. 5-10 illustrate one of the connecting members 106 that is used to selectively connect the first and second floor covers 102 and 104 to one another.
  • all of the connecting members 106 are the same as one another.
  • this configuration is nonlimiting, and a modular floor covering system of the present invention may also employ different kinds of connecting members for connecting the two or more pieces of floor covers to one another.
  • Each connecting member 106 can be made of a metal, a polymeric material, leather (which would include suede), different kinds of woven fabrics, leather-wrapped or fabric-wrapped substrates (e.g., substrates like "TEXON", offered for sale by Texon Materials, Inc.), wood, materials like sisal and jute, or a combination thereof.
  • the metal may be, for example, brass, aluminum, steel, copper, etc., or of an alloy of metals.
  • the polymeric material may be, for example, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polycarbonate, or other material exhibiting sufficient structural toughness under load.
  • each connecting member 106 is preferably made of a metal, elastomeric material, wood, or combination thereof, while each connecting element 114 (described below) can be made of any one of the materials described above or of a combination thereof.
  • the first floor cover 102 includes a plurality of through openings 122 (see FIGS. 14 and 15 ) spaced apart from one another and disposed substantially adjacent to the side 110 (along the length of side 110). Each opening 122 extends through the entire thickness of the first floor cover 102 and is configured to receive a portion of a respective connecting member 106 therethrough in order to selectively connect the first floor cover 102 with each connecting member 106.
  • the second floor cover 104 also includes a plurality of through openings 122 (see FIGS. 12 and 15 ) spaced apart from one another and disposed substantially adjacent to the side 112 (along the length of side 112).
  • Each opening 122 in the second floor cover 104 extends through the entire thickness of the second floor cover 104, and is configured to receive a portion of a respective connecting member 106 therethrough in order to selectively connect the second floor cover 104 with each connecting member 106.
  • each opening 122 may extend from a center of its respective recess 128 in both the first and second floor covers 102 and 104.
  • matching pairs of the openings 122 (and recesses 128) in the first and second floor coverings 102 and 104 are arranged at equal intervals from one another along the length of the sides 110 and 112 such that the intervals between the connecting members 106 may be substantially equal with one another.
  • the present invention is not limited thereto, and the intervals between the connecting members 106 may be varied in dimension as desired by varying the locations of the openings 122 and recesses 128.
  • each connecting member 106 includes a connecting element 114 (see FIGS. 5 and 6 ) and a pair of fasteners 116 (see FIGS. 7-10 illustrating one of the fasteners 116) that are configured to be selectively attached to the connecting element 114.
  • each connecting element 114 of each connecting member 106 includes a centrally located body 120, a pair of arms 115 and 117 extending from the body 120 at opposite directions, a first coupling component 118 protruding upwardly from arm 115 (see FIG. 6 ), and a second coupling component 118 protruding upwardly from arm 117 (see FIG. 6 ).
  • the two coupling component 118 are spaced apart from one another along a length of the connecting element 114, and are located near opposite ends of the connecting element 114.
  • one of the coupling components 118 is configured to be inserted upwardly from a bottom surface (or rear face) of the first floor cover 102 into one of the openings 122 of the first floor cover 102, and the other coupling component 118 is configured to be inserted upwardly from a bottom surface (or rear face) of the second floor cover 104 into a matching opening 122 of the second floor cover 104.
  • a first fastener 116 is selectively connected to one of the coupling components 118 - from a top surface (or front face) of the first floor cover 102 - via the opening 122 in the first floor cover 102
  • a second fastener 116 is selectively connected to the other coupling component 118 - from a top surface (or front face) of the second floor cover 104 - via the opening 122 in the second floor cover 104. See FIG. 15 illustrating a pair of fasteners 116 being selectively connected to the coupling components 118 of a connecting member 106 from a top surface of the modular floor covering system.
  • the first and second fasteners 116 may be made of a metal, a polymeric material, and/or wood, as described elsewhere in this specification.
  • each coupling component 118 may include internal threads 124.
  • each fastener 116 may include a protrusion with external threads 126.
  • the fastener 116 of FIGS. 7-10 and 12 is a male fastener.
  • the threads 124 and 126 match one another such that two fasteners 116 can be selectively coupled to a connecting element 114 by screwing each fastener 116 into a corresponding coupling component 118 of each connecting element 114.
  • FIGS. 16 and 17-20 illustrate a connecting member 206 featuring threads 224 on the outside of a coupling component 218 (see FIG. 16 ) of a connecting element 214, and a fastener 216 having internal threads 226 formed inside of a cavity 230 of the fastener 216 (see FIG. 20 ).
  • the fastener 216 is a female fastener.
  • a coupling component and a respective fastener can be configured to snap onto one another in order to be selectively coupled to one another, or could have an interference fit/force fit configuration.
  • the coupling component and the respective fastener can be similar to their respective counterparts shown in FIGS. 16 and 17-20 , except that, the coupling component and the respective fastener would not have threads and would therefore selectively mate via an interference fit.
  • each connecting element 114 extends in the gap 108 between the first and second floor covers 102 and 104.
  • the first and second floor covers 102 and 104 are spaced apart from one another by a gap 108, as more clearly illustrated in FIGS. 1 , 2 , 13 and 15 .
  • the gap 108 is predetermined by the structural configuration of the connecting members 106 and the location of through openings 122 in the first and second floor covers 102 and 104 (see FIG. 15 ).
  • the gap 108 is preferably constant throughout the length of facing sides 110 and 112 of the first and second floor covers 102 and 104.
  • the protruding body 120 of each connecting element 114 preferably extends the entire width of the gap 108.
  • the protruding body 120 of each connecting element 114 extends less than the entire width of the gap 108.
  • themodular floor covering system of the invention can include a mixture of connecting elements having different protruding bodies, some that extend the entire width of the gap and others that extend less than the entire width of the gap between two pieces of rug or carpet elements.
  • the top of the protruding body 120 of at least one connecting member 106 can be configured to match the top surface of the first and second floor covers 102 and 104 in order to act as a bridge between the first and second floor covers 102 and 104.
  • the vertical height of the protruding body 120 of at least one of the connecting members 106 may be set to be below the top elevation of the first and second floor covers 102 and 104.
  • each one of the first and second floor covers 102 and 104 includes an annular recess or depression 128 disposed around each opening 122.
  • Each recess 128 is formed, for example, by weaving or knitting the first and second floor covers 102 and 104 with a shorter pile the remainder of the first and second floor covers 102 and 104.
  • a pile may be the raised surface or nap of a fabric, which consists of upright loops or strands of yarn.
  • each of the first and second floor covers 102 and 104 is made of a fabric material having a shorter pile construction at the recesses 128 than at other portions (or remainder) of the first and second floor covers 102 and 104.
  • Each recess 128 in the first floor cover 102 is an integral part (or continuous part) of the first floor cover 102
  • each recess 128 in the second floor cover 104 is an integral part of the second floor cover 104.
  • each recess 128 may be pre-formed during the weaving and/or knitting process that is used to create the first and second floor covers 102 and 104.
  • the opening 122 in each recess 128 in the first and second floor covers 102 and 104 may be formed by a punching and/or drilling process as known to those skilled in the art after the first and second floor covers 102 and 104 are manufactured.
  • the recesses 128 in the first floor cover 102 are arranged adjacent to the side 110 of the first floor cover 102, and the recesses 128 in the second floor cover 104 are arranged adjacent to the side 112 of the second floor cover 104.
  • each recess 128 houses at least a portion of a respective fastener 116, 216, etc., therein (or preferably the entire fastener 116, 216, etc., therein).
  • this configuration provides an even surface to walk on over the modular rug system.
  • each connecting member 106 extends along the bottom surfaces of (or underneath) the first and second floor covers 102 and 104, and since the fasteners 116 are fastened to each connecting element 114 from the recesses 128 at the top sides of the first and second floor covers 102 and 104, the fasteners 116 engage with the recesses 128 (or grab the recesses 128) in order to selectively connect the first and second floor covers 102 and 104 to each connecting member 106.
  • the recesses 128 in the first and second floor covers 102 and 104 can also aid in the installation of the modular floor covering system, serving as a visual guide by indicating to an installing technician where the openings 122 are located such that the technician can quickly and easily connect the fasteners 116 to the coupling portions 118 in the openings 122.
  • FIGS. 21-24 illustrate examples of floor covers having various shapes.
  • FIG. 21 illustrates a half disk-shaped rug 102A.
  • FIGS. 22, 23 and 24 respectively illustrate rectangular-shaped rugs 120B, 102C and 102D, each having different sizes and/or proportions from one another.
  • the floor covers 102A-102D illustrated in FIGS. 21-24 can be used in combination with one another or with floor covers described elsewhere in this specification in order to form a modular floor covering system that has a desired shape and/or size.
  • the recesses 128 are illustrated as being round in the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration.
  • the recesses 128 can also have other shapes, for example, an oval shape, an elliptical shape, a polygonal shape, or an irregular shape including flat and/or curved sides.
  • the present invention is directed to a modular floor covering system that includes a plurality of floor covers selectively connected to one another to form a composite floor-covering configuration.
  • two or more floor covers can be selectively connected to one another to form a modular floor covering system. While the embodiments described above illustrate a modular floor covering systems with two floor covers, it is important to convey that there is no limit on the number of floor covers that can be connected to one another in order to form a modular floor covering system of the present invention.
  • the number of floor covers that are connected to one another depends on the shape and size of the floor area that needs to be covered, among many other considerations described below, such as spacing concerns (e.g., whether the individual pieces of carpet/rug material fit into a transporting vehicle, narrow hallways, small elevators, etc.).
  • FIG. 25 illustrates a modular floor covering system that includes six floor covers.
  • a modular floor covering system includes a plurality of floor covers 302, 304, 306, 308, 310 and 312, and a plurality of connecting members 314, a plurality of connecting members 316, a plurality of connecting members 318, a plurality of connecting members 320, and a plurality of connecting members 322 selectively connecting the floor covers 302-312 to one another.
  • Each of the connecting members 314, 316, 318, 320 and 322 may be the same as or similar to a connecting member 106, or the same as other connecting members described above.
  • the floor cover 304 may include a plurality of depressions 330 arranged along an edge adjoining the floor cover 302.
  • the floor cover 302 may include a plurality of depressions 332 along an edge adjoining the floor cover 304.
  • the depressions 330 and 332 may be the same as or similar to the depressions 128 described above.
  • the floor cover 306 may include a plurality of depressions 334 arranged along an edge adjoining the floor cover 302.
  • the floor cover 302 may include a plurality of depressions 336 along an edge adjoining the floor cover 306.
  • the depressions 334 and 336 may be the same as or similar to the depressions 128 described above.
  • the floor cover 308 may include a plurality of depressions 348 arranged along an edge adjoining the floor cover 306.
  • the floor cover 306 may include a plurality of depressions 346 along an edge adjoining the floor cover 308.
  • the depressions 346 and 348 may be the same as or similar to the depressions 128 described above.
  • the floor cover 310 may include a plurality of depressions 342 arranged along an edge adjoining the floor cover 302.
  • the floor cover 302 may include a plurality of depressions 344 along an edge adjoining the floor cover 310.
  • the depressions 342 and 344 may be the same as or similar to the depressions 128 described above.
  • the floor cover 312 may include a plurality of depressions 338 arranged along an edge adjoining the floor cover 302.
  • the floor cover 302 may include a plurality of depressions 340 along an edge adjoining the floor cover 312.
  • the depressions 338 and 340 may be the same as or similar to the depressions 128 described above.
  • all the sides of the floor cover 302 include connecting members 314-320 in order to selectively connect the floor covers 304, 306 310 and 312 all around the floor cover 302.
  • connecting members 314-320 in order to selectively connect the floor covers 304, 306 310 and 312 all around the floor cover 302.
  • one side, more than one side, or all of the sides of a floor cover can be selectively connected to neighboring floor cover(s) in order to form the modular floor covering system of the present invention.
  • a plurality of gaps 324-332 are formed between the floor covers 302-312.
  • Each one of the gaps 324-332 is preferably constant in width throughout a length of the edges of its respective floor covers.
  • the gaps 324-332 may be the same size as one another, or may be of different sizes.
  • a modular floor covering system can also have a combination of gaps that are equal to one another (e.g., equal widths) and gaps that are different from one another (e.g., different widths).
  • the modular floor covering system according to the present invention can be advantageously configured to cover a variety of surface areas having different shapes and/or sizes, for example, compound shapes composed of two or more elemental (or geometric) shapes, and/or irregular shapes.
  • the individual pieces of carpet, rug and/or non-woven flexible material sheets that form a particular overall shape or configuration may have, for example, a polygonal, circular, elliptical, oval, or irregular shape.
  • each rug of a modular floor covering system of the present invention can be depressed (or recessed) at specific locations in order to fit the fasteners therein (e.g., fasteners 116, 216, etc.,) the fasteners can be prevented from protruding upwardly over the top surface of each rug. This configuration can reduce the likelihood of causing a user to trip the since the fasteners do not protrude upwardly over the upper surface of the rugs.
  • the depressions can also visually aid a technician in locating the through openings in the rugs of the modular rug system of the present invention such that the technician can quickly and efficiently install the connecting members 106, 206, or the like to the rugs.
  • the recesses/depressions on the rugs can be manufactured by using a different yarn, a different knitting or weaving pattern, or a combination thereof, than the rest of the rug in order to further assist a technician in visually distinguishing the depressions during installation of the modular rug system.
  • the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the recesses/depressions can also manufactured by using the same yarn and/or the same knitting or weaving pattern as the rest of the rug.
  • the configuration of a modular floor covering system of the present invention is advantageous not only for enabling protective floor coverage of various shapes, but also for enabling a piece-wise installation of the covering system where the transportation and installation of a large one-piece floor covering system would be impractical or cost prohibitive.
  • the process of manufacturing one large piece of carpet and then cutting that piece into a compound or irregular shape for covering only a desired floor area may be impractical and/or cost prohibitive.
  • the present invention solves such issues by modularizing a floor covering system into individual components that are easy to manufacture, transport, and install on a piece-by-piece basis.
  • the use of the connecting members of the present invention not only ensures that the individual floor covering components remain attached to one another after installation, such use also creates a visual gap between the individual floor covering components that improves the aesthetics of the finished product.

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Claims (15)

  1. Modulares Bodenbelagsystem, das Folgendes umfasst:
    einen ersten Bodenbelag (102), der eine obere Fläche und eine untere Fläche aufweist, wobei die Flächen eine erste Kante des ersten Bodenbelags definieren, wobei der erste Bodenbelag ferner eine erste Durchgangsöffnung (122), die in dem ersten Bodenbelag (102) geformt ist, und eine Aussparung (128), die mindestens einen Abschnitt der ersten Durchgangsöffnung (122) entlang der oberen Fläche des ersten Bodenbelags (102) umgibt, einschließt, wobei die umgebende Aussparung (128) und mindestens ein Abschnitt der ersten Durchgangsöffnung (122) zusammen einen Raum in dem ersten Bodenbelag (102) definieren,
    einen zweiten Bodenbelag (104), der von dem ersten Bodenbelag (102) beabstandet ist, wobei der zweite Bodenbelag (104) eine obere Fläche und eine untere Fläche aufweist, wobei die Flächen eine erste Kante des zweiten Bodenbelags (104) definieren, wobei der zweite Bodenbelag (104) ferner eine erste Durchgangsöffnung (122), die in dem zweiten Bodenbelag (104) geformt ist, und eine Aussparung (128), die mindestens einen Abschnitt der ersten Durchgangsöffnung (122) des zweiten Bodenbelags (104) entlang der oberen Fläche desselben umgibt, einschließt, wobei die umgebende Aussparung (128) des zweiten Bodenbelags (104) und mindestens ein Abschnitt der ersten Durchgangsöffnung (122) des zweiten Bodenbelags (104) zusammen einen Raum in dem zweiten Bodenbelag (104) definieren, und
    ein erstes Verbindungsglied (106), das den ersten und den zweiten Bodenbelag selektiv miteinander verbindet, wobei das erste Verbindungsglied (106) Folgendes einschließt:
    ein Verbindungselement (114), das sich zwischen dem ersten und dem zweiten Bodenbelag und entlang der unteren Flächen derselben erstreckt, wobei das Verbindungselement (114) ein erstes Ende, das innerhalb der ersten Durchgangsöffnung (122) des ersten Bodenbelags (102) angeordnet ist, und ein zweites Ende, das innerhalb der ersten Durchgangsöffnung (122) des zweiten Bodenbelags (104) angeordnet ist, aufweist,
    ein erstes Befestigungselement (116), das innerhalb des Raums des ersten Bodenbelags (102) angeordnet ist, wobei das erste Befestigungselement (116) derart selektiv an dem ersten Ende des Verbindungselements (114) befestigt ist, dass das erste Befestigungselement (116) selektiv mindestens einen Teil der Aussparung in Eingriff nimmt, welche die erste Durchgangsöffnung (122) des ersten Bodenbelags (102) umgibt, wobei das erste Befestigungselement (116) derart vollständig innerhalb des Raums des ersten Bodenbelags (102) angeordnet ist, dass es nicht nach oben über die obere Fläche des ersten Bodenbelags (102) vorspringt, und
    ein zweites Befestigungselement (116), das innerhalb des Raums des zweiten Bodenbelags (104) angeordnet und derart selektiv an dem zweiten Ende des Verbindungselements (114) befestigt ist, dass das zweite Befestigungselement (116) selektiv mindestens einen Teil der Aussparung (128) in Eingriff nimmt, welche die erste Durchgangsöffnung (122) des zweiten Bodenbelags (104) umgibt,
    wobei das zweite Befestigungselement (116) derart vollständig innerhalb des Raums des zweiten Bodenbelags (104) angeordnet ist, dass es nicht nach oben über die obere Fläche des zweiten Bodenbelags (104) vorspringt,
    wobei die Aussparung (128) des ersten Bodenbelags (102) einen ersten Textilflor aufweist und der Rest des ersten Bodenbelags einen zweiten Textilflor aufweist, wobei der erste Textilflor in der Höhe kürzer ist als der zweite Textilflor, und
    wobei die Aussparung (128) des zweiten Bodenbelags (104) einen dritten Textilflor aufweist und der Rest des zweiten Bodenbelags (104) einen vierten Textilflor aufweist, wobei der dritte Textilflor in der Höhe kürzer ist als der vierte Textilflor.
  2. Modulares Bodenbelagsystem nach Anspruch 1, wobei jeder des ersten Bodenbelags und des zweiten Bodenbelags aus einem Textilmaterial geformt ist, das einen Floraufbau entlang der Aussparung desselben aufweist, der anders ist als entlang des Rests desselben.
  3. Modulares Bodenbelagsystem nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, wobei jeder des ersten Bodenbelags und des zweiten Bodenbelags aus einem Textilmaterial geformt ist, das eine Textur entlang der Aussparung desselben aufweist, die anders ist als entlang des Rests desselben.
  4. Modulares Bodenbelagsystem nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 3, das ferner ein zweites Verbindungsglied umfasst, das den ersten und den zweiten Bodenbelag selektiv miteinander verbindet,
    wobei der erste Bodenbelag ferner eine zweite Durchgangsöffnung, die in dem ersten Bodenbelag geformt ist, und eine zweite Aussparung, die mindestens einen Abschnitt der zweiten Durchgangsöffnung entlang der oberen Fläche des ersten Bodenbelags umgibt, einschließt, wobei die umgebende zweite Aussparung und mindestens ein Abschnitt der zweiten Durchgangsöffnung zusammen einen zweiten Raum in dem ersten Bodenbelag definieren, wobei die zweite Durchgangsöffnung des ersten Bodenbelags von der ersten Durchgangsöffnung des ersten Bodenbelags beabstandet ist, und
    wobei der zweite Bodenbelag ferner eine zweite Durchgangsöffnung, die in dem zweiten Bodenbelag geformt ist, und eine zweite Aussparung, die mindestens einen Abschnitt der zweiten Durchgangsöffnung des zweiten Bodenbelags entlang der oberen Fläche desselben umgibt, einschließt, wobei die umgebende zweite Aussparung des zweiten Bodenbelags und mindestens ein Abschnitt der zweiten Durchgangsöffnung des zweiten Bodenbelags zusammen einen zweiten Raum in dem zweiten Bodenbelag definieren, wobei die zweite Durchgangsöffnung des zweiten Bodenbelags von der ersten Durchgangsöffnung des zweiten Bodenbelags beabstandet ist.
  5. Modulares Bodenbelagsystem nach Anspruch 4, wobei das zweite Verbindungsglied Folgendes einschließt:
    ein Verbindungselement, das sich zwischen dem ersten und dem zweiten Bodenbelag und entlang der unteren Flächen derselben erstreckt, wobei das Verbindungselement ein erstes Ende, das innerhalb der zweiten Durchgangsöffnung des ersten Bodenbelags angeordnet ist, und ein zweites Ende, das innerhalb der zweiten Durchgangsöffnung des zweiten Bodenbelags angeordnet ist, aufweist,
    ein erstes Befestigungselement, das innerhalb des zweiten Raums des ersten Bodenbelags angeordnet ist, wobei das erste Befestigungselement des zweiten Verbindungsglieds derart selektiv an dem ersten Ende des Verbindungselements des zweiten Verbindungsglieds befestigt ist, dass das erste Befestigungselement des zweiten Verbindungsglieds selektiv mindestens einen Teil der zweiten Aussparung in Eingriff nimmt, welche die zweite Durchgangsöffnung des ersten Bodenbelags umgibt, wobei das erste Befestigungselement des zweiten Verbindungsglieds derart vollständig innerhalb des zweiten Raums des ersten Bodenbelags angeordnet ist, dass das erste Befestigungselement des zweiten Verbindungsglieds nicht nach oben über die obere Fläche des ersten Bodenbelags vorspringt, und,
    ein zweites Befestigungselement, das innerhalb des zweiten Raums des zweiten Bodenbelags angeordnet und derart selektiv an dem zweiten Ende des Verbindungselements des zweiten Verbindungsglieds befestigt ist, dass das zweite Befestigungselement des zweiten Verbindungsglieds selektiv mindestens einen Teil der zweiten Aussparung in Eingriff nimmt, welche die zweite Durchgangsöffnung des zweiten Bodenbelags umgibt, wobei das zweite Befestigungselement des zweiten Verbindungsglieds derart vollständig innerhalb des zweiten Raums des zweiten Bodenbelags angeordnet ist, dass das zweite Befestigungselement des zweiten Verbindungsglieds nicht nach oben über die obere Fläche des zweiten Bodenbelags vorspringt.
  6. Modulares Bodenbelagsystem nach einem vorhergehenden Anspruch, wobei die erste Kante des ersten Bodenbelags und die erste Kante des zweiten Bodenbelags zusammen einen Spalt definieren, der die erste Kante des ersten Bodenbelags und die erste Kante des zweiten Bodenbelags trennt.
  7. Modulares Bodenbelagsystem nach Anspruch 6, wobei der Spalt eine Breite aufweist, die in der Abmessung im Wesentlichen konstant ist.
  8. Modulares Bodenbelagsystem nach Anspruch 7, wobei das Verbindungselement des ersten Verbindungsglieds Folgendes einschließt:
    einen mittig angeordneten Körper, der entlang des Spalts verläuft, der die erste Kante des ersten Bodenbelags von der ersten Kante des zweiten Bodenbelags trennt,
    einen ersten Arm, der sich in einer ersten Richtung von dem Körper aus erstreckt, und
    einen zweiten Arm, der sich in einer zweiten Richtung von dem Körper aus erstreckt, wobei die erste und die zweite Richtung im Wesentlichen zueinander entgegengesetzt sind.
  9. Modulares Bodenbelagsystem nach einem vorhergehenden Anspruch, wobei das Verbindungselement des ersten Verbindungsglieds Folgendes einschließt:
    eine erste Kopplungskomponente, die an dem ersten Ende des Verbindungselements angeordnet ist und nach oben in die erste Durchgangsöffnung des ersten Bodenbelags vorspringt, und
    eine zweite Kopplungskomponente, die an dem zweiten Ende des Verbindungselements angeordnet ist und nach oben in die erste Durchgangsöffnung des zweiten Bodenbelags vorspringt.
  10. Modulares Bodenbelagsystem nach Anspruch 9, wobei die erste Kopplungskomponente ein mit Innengewinde versehenes Element ist und das erste Befestigungselement ein mit Außengewinde versehenes Element ist, das selektiv mit dem mit Innengewinde versehenen Element in Eingriff gebracht werden kann.
  11. Modulares Bodenbelagsystem nach Anspruch 9, wobei die erste Kopplungskomponente ein mit Außengewinde versehenes Element ist und das erste Befestigungselement ein mit Innengewinde versehenes Element ist, das selektiv mit dem mit Außengewinde versehenen Element in Eingriff gebracht werden kann.
  12. Modulares Bodenbelagsystem nach einem vorhergehenden Anspruch, das ferner einen dritten Bodenbelag und ein zweites Verbindungsglied, das den ersten und den dritten Bodenbelag selektiv miteinander verbindet, umfasst,
    wobei der dritte Bodenbelag eine obere Fläche und eine untere Fläche aufweist, wobei die Flächen eine erste Kante des dritten Bodenbelags definieren, wobei der dritte Bodenbelag ferner eine erste Durchgangsöffnung, die in dem dritten Bodenbelag geformt ist, und eine Aussparung, die mindestens einen Abschnitt der ersten Durchgangsöffnung entlang der oberen Fläche des dritten Bodenbelags umgibt, einschließt, wobei die umgebende Aussparung und mindestens ein Abschnitt der ersten Durchgangsöffnung zusammen einen Raum in dem dritten Bodenbelag definieren,
    wobei die obere und die untere Fläche des ersten Bodenbelags ferner eine zweite Kante des ersten Bodenbelags definieren, wobei der erste Bodenbelag ferner eine zweite Durchgangsöffnung, die in dem ersten Bodenbelag geformt ist, und eine zweite Aussparung, die mindestens einen Abschnitt der zweiten Durchgangsöffnung entlang der oberen Fläche des ersten Bodenbelags umgibt, einschließt, wobei die umgebende zweite Aussparung und mindestens ein Abschnitt der zweiten Durchgangsöffnung zusammen einen zweiten Raum in dem ersten Bodenbelag definieren.
  13. Modulares Bodenbelagsystem nach Anspruch 12, wobei das zweite Verbindungsglied Folgendes einschließt:
    ein Verbindungselement, das sich zwischen dem ersten und dem dritten Bodenbelag und entlang der unteren Flächen derselben erstreckt, wobei das Verbindungsglied ein erstes Ende, das innerhalb der zweiten Durchgangsöffnung des ersten Bodenbelags angeordnet ist, und ein zweites Ende, das innerhalb der ersten Durchgangsöffnung des dritten Bodenbelags angeordnet ist, aufweist,
    ein erstes Befestigungselement, das innerhalb des zweiten Raums des ersten Bodenbelags angeordnet ist, wobei das erste Befestigungselement des zweiten Verbindungsglieds derart selektiv an dem ersten Ende des Verbindungselements des zweiten Verbindungsglieds befestigt ist, dass das erste Befestigungselement des zweiten Verbindungsglieds selektiv mindestens einen Teil der zweiten Aussparung in Eingriff nimmt, welche die zweite Durchgangsöffnung des ersten Bodenbelags umgibt, wobei das erste Befestigungselement des zweiten Verbindungsglieds derart vollständig innerhalb des zweiten Raums des ersten Bodenbelags angeordnet ist, dass das erste Befestigungselement das zweiten Verbindungsglieds nicht nach oben über die obere Fläche des ersten Bodenbelags vorspringt, und,
    ein zweites Befestigungselement, das innerhalb des Raums des dritten Bodenbelags angeordnet und derart selektiv an dem zweiten Ende des Verbindungselements des zweiten Verbindungsglieds befestigt ist, dass das zweite Befestigungselement des zweiten Verbindungsglieds selektiv mindestens einen Teil der Aussparung in Eingriff nimmt, welche die erste Durchgangsöffnung des dritten Bodenbelags umgibt, wobei das zweite Befestigungselement des zweiten Verbindungsglieds derart vollständig innerhalb des zweiten Raums des dritten Bodenbelags angeordnet ist, dass das zweite Befestigungselement des zweiten Verbindungsglieds nicht nach oben über die obere Fläche des dritten Bodenbelags vorspringt.
  14. Modulares Bodenbelagsystem nach Anspruch 12 oder 13, wobei die Aussparung des dritten Bodenbelags einen ersten Textilflor aufweist und der Rest des dritten Bodenbelags einen zweiten Textilflor aufweist, wobei der erste Textilflor des dritten Bodenbelags in der Höhe kürzer ist als der zweite Textilflor des dritten Bodenbelags.
  15. Modulares Bodenbelagsystem nach einem der Ansprüche 12 bis 14, wobei die Aussparung des dritten Bodenbelags aus Textilmaterial geformt ist, das eine Textur aufweist, die anders ist als entlang des Rests des dritten Bodenbelags.
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