ES2323674T3 - SOIL COATING SYSTEM WITH A SOIL STRATEGY AND SUBSUELO PANELS. - Google Patents

Abstract

A floor panel is provided for use in a sub-floor application. The floor pane l has an upper member and a lower member. The upper member is made from a sheet floor material and the lower member is made from a waterproof sheet material. The lower member has a series of projections extending away from the floor panel and located adjacent to an underlying surface when the panel is in use. The projections allow moisture to drain between th e floor panels and the underlying surface and also permit air circulation.

Description

Floor covering system with a soil stratum and subsoil panels.

Field of application of the invention

The present invention relates to panels of subsoil, and more particularly, to floating panels free of subsoil capable of supporting a soil stratum and having a waterproof rigid bottom layer that allows drainage of the humidity and air circulation.

Background of the invention

A finished floor typically consists of a subsoil and a floor covering surface, supported by the subsoil The nature of a subsoil varies depending on the floor covering surface that you need to support and environment in which I must work. For example, for linoleum tile or carpet on a main floor of a house, the subsoil could consist simply of plywood sheets. For a ceramic tile floor typically will also require a cement layer.

Basement floor covering presents additional difficulties; one of which is the possibility of that there is moisture and another is to isolate the soil from what could be a very cold underlying surface of prepared concrete. In basement applications can be used fixed subfloors or "non-floating" subfloors. This type of coating is floor could have an underlying sheet of semi-rigid plastic that has Suspended bumps on which a series of plywood panels (see for example the document WO-A- 8203099). The panels are firmly fixed to the underlying soil using concrete bolts. Fixed subfloors they might need a lot of labor to install, and rely on firm and frequent support to prevent displacement between adjacent sheets of cladding floors.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,697 granted to Ott et al describes a floor tile and a floor for its direct installation on a support such as a floor or a walkway without a subfloor. This patent describes a system of soil that uses floor tiles consisting of two strata, a upper stratum made of ceramic material and a stratum bottom made of elastic material with features non-slip The two strata are fixed together to form a floor tile. The lower stratum includes drainage channels in the lower face, which allow the passage of water below the floor tiles. When used outdoors, the tiles will separate with intermediate spaces between adjacent tiles to allow vertical displacement between tiles. When the floor tiles are used indoors, the intermediate space between adjacent tiles it is filled with a flexible material that allow vertical displacement of tiles. These tiles they do not provide a rigid subsoil layer that is capable of being used in a subsoil application to support a rigid layer additional floor over the top of the tiles, laid than any vertical displacement between adjacent tiles it would cause the additional soil layer to crack.

Another example of application not for subsoil is described in US Pat. No. 5,950,378 granted to Council and collaborators This patent describes a composite modular tile for floors for use on athletic playground surfaces such as Basketball courts and tennis courts. The floor tile has an upper member and a lower member with support knots that extend from the lower limb that provide a air circulation space below the floor tiles. The lower member has been made of an elastic material shock absorber that would not provide a rigid support layer and therefore would not be suitable in an application for subsoil.

An additional example is set out in the document WO-A-82/03099 describing a sheet protective for the foundation of a wall or floor. This foundation wall has a large number of spaced buttons that protrude from a face and an open channel between recesses adjacent, so that there is a corresponding highlight between the buttons. Additionally, there could be a filtration tarp to act together with the channels.

According to the above, an object of present invention is to provide a circulation system with panels subsoil capable of supporting a soil layer that allows moisture drainage and air circulation between the panels and the underlying surface.

Summary of the invention

In accordance with the present invention, a circulation system as defined in claim 1.

The system comprises subsoil panels capable of supporting a soil stratum and providing drainage by under the ground. Each panel has a top member and a member lower fixed to the upper member. The upper limb has made of a sheet material for floor covering, and the lower limb has been manufactured from a sheet material waterproof. The lower member has a plurality of projections that extend away from the panel to support the panel by on top of an underlying surface and to allow it to drain the moisture between the panels and the underlying surface.

Brief description of the drawings

Embodiments are described below. of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in the that:

Figure 1 is a schematic view fragmentary perspective of the system panels of the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view from below. of a subfloor panel according to a preferred embodiment of the invention taken in the direction of arrow 2 of Figure 1, and which shows the lower limb with a series of protrusions and a tongue protruding outward from two of the edges of the panel;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the panel subsoil of Figure 2 taken in the direction of the stations 3-3;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevation to scale enlarged subfloor panel of Figure 3 indicated in the circle 4, but inverted with respect to Figure 3 to show the orientation panel installed with one of the projections shown in a sectional view and adjacent subfloor panels shown in dotted lines in chain;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4, but that shows the area in the direction of the stations 5-5, and an adjacent subfloor panel shown in chain dotted line;

Figure 6 is a perspective view in exploded view in clam shell arrangement of two of the subfloor panels to show the relationship between tongue and groove;

Figure 7 is a side elevation similar to the Figure 3 of an alternative embodiment showing the panels with a cotter and groove arrangement; Y

Figure 8 is a perspective view in Exploded view in two-panel clam shell layout of the embodiment of Figure 7 to show a loose key in Your dependency relationship.

       \ vskip1.000000 \ baselineskip
    

Brief description of preferred embodiments

Reference is made first to the Figures 1 to 3, to describe a preferred embodiment of the panel subsoil, usually designated with the number 10. The panel of subfloor 10 includes an upper member 12 of sheet material for floor covering and a lower member 14. The lower member 14 is fixed to the upper member 12. The lower member 14 is of polyethylene or any other suitable sheet material waterproof and includes a plurality of protrusions 16 resting on an underlying surface 11 to support the panel of subsoil 10 on the underlying surface 11 and allow it to drain moisture between them and also allow air circulation between the subfloor panel 10 and the underlying surface 11 when the subfloor panel 10 is installed. Figure 1 illustrates a series of subfloor panels 10 adjacent and interlocked. In a preferred embodiment, the subfloor panel 10 has been fixed to the adjacent subfloor panel 10 using an arrangement of tongue 18 and groove 20, which is described later. TO The subfloor panel 10 is described in more detail below. As seen in Figure 2, the 120 cm by 120 cm panel. He upper member 12 is fixed to lower member 14 using a adhesive. The adhesive must be compatible with the upper member 12 and the lower member 14. In a preferred embodiment in which the lower member 14 is polyethylene, the adhesive is Fastbond2000-NF manufactured by 3M Canada Company.

In a preferred embodiment, the member Top 12 is manufactured from wood chip board in random arrangement, such as that which is manufactured and sold with the Waferweld name by Longlac Wood Industries Inc., as opposed to the oriented chip board (hereinafter "OSB"). He wood chip board in random arrangement or manufactured from wood chips that have a random orientation, as opposed to the oriented chip board ("OSB") in the that the wooden filaments are oriented to position themselves in a perpendicular mode with most filaments oriented to stand with the longitudinal direction of the board. The orientation Random shavings allow the chip board to wood in random arrangement expands uniformly in all directions, as opposed to the trend characteristics of longitudinal expansion of the OSB that makes the chip board of wood in random arrangement or less prone to buckling in This floor covering application. Lower limb 14 It could be manufactured from System Platon by Armtec Limited.

Returning now to figure 4, the protrusions 16 extend away from the lower member 14 in the direction contrary to the upper member 12. The protrusions 16 are shaped conical trunk with a bottom surface 24 and a cavity 26 that is extends from the lower surface 24 towards the upper member 12. Preferably, the projections 16 are aligned in rows and columns, to allow panels 10 to be cut between projections 16 without leaving any projection 16 half cut. When panel 10 is installed, the bottom surface 24 of the projections 16, is located next to the underlying surface 11. In some applications may require additional leveling of the panels 10 if the underlying surface 11 was not uniform. This can be achieved by stacking additional strata. of the lower member 14 below the lower member 14 on the panel 10 in areas where elevation is required. The additional strata of the lower member 14 can be sized to fit the area that requires additional leveling.

       \ newpage
    

To join adjacent panels, the faces of the panels could be configured in a tongue layout and groove. The upper member 12 of each panel 10 has a tongue 18 protruding from two adjacent faces and a groove 20 that extends into each of the remaining faces. The groove 20 is sized and can work to receive tab 18 to interconnect adjacent panels. The tongue 18 is formed during the manufacture of panel 10 by the conformation of the upper limb 12.

In use, a series of subfloor panels are interspersed and located on an underlying surface 11, shown in Figure 1 and supporting walls 15. In the preferred embodiment, adjacent subfloor panels are interconnected using a tongue and groove arrangement as shown in the Figures 4 to 6. Each panel 10 is placed with the protrusions 16 adjacent to the underlying surface. To join each panel 10 to an adjacent panel 10, the tab 18 of the panel 10 is inserted inside the groove 20 located in adjacent panel 10, as has been indicated by arrow A shown in Figure 6.

Although not illustrated in the figures, there are It should be noted that when panels 10 have been installed on the underlying surface 11 an additional surface can be laid floor covering on top of the panels 10 soil. Excess moisture can circulate between the projections 16 and the air can circulate between the floor panels 10 and the underlying surface 11.

Returning now to figures 7 and 8, it is shown an alternative interlocking arrangement for joining panels adjacent. Each panel 10 has a groove 28 similar to the groove 20 described above, but which runs along of all the edges of panel 10. To lock panels together adjacent, a key 30 is used that has been sized to that fits inside the groove 28. The groove 28 can function to receive approximately half the width of the key 30. When the key 30 has been inserted inside the groove 28 of the panel 10, an adjacent panel 10 can be fixed  at the protruding edge, the remaining half of the key 30.

To install panels 10 that use a cotter and groove arrangement, first of all you must insert the key 30 inside the second groove 28 in the direction shown by arrows B in Figure 8. Once that key 30 has been installed, panel 10 is inserted into the second groove 28 on an adjacent panel 10, in the direction shown by arrow C in Figure 8. Similarly, it interconnect adjacent panels until the subsoil coverage required.

The preferred embodiment can be modified from many ways. For example, the lower limb is made of Any suitable waterproof sheet material. The projections 16 are they can place in a random matrix on the lower limb 14. The interlocking structure of the tongue arrangement and grooving can be any interlocking combination that prevent significant vertical displacement between panels adjacent. Other adhesives that are capable of fixedly link the upper member to the lower member.

       \ vskip1.000000 \ baselineskip
    

Parts List

one

Claims (8)

1. A floor covering system comprising a soil layer and subsoil panels (10), characterized in that each of the panels (10) comprises:

a member top (12) of sheet floor covering material rigid

a member lower (14) substantially rigid attached to the upper member (12), whose lower member consists of a sheet material waterproof that has a plurality of projections (16) that extend away from the upper member (12) to support the panel (10) above an underlying surface (11) and allow that drains moisture between the panel (10) and the underlying surface (eleven); Y

some edges that they extend around said panel, each of whose edges has along it at least a part of a set of connector for joining adjacent edges of said adjacent panels in order to prevent relative vertical displacement between the themselves, in which the subsoil panels are intended for interconnect and support the soil layer.

2. A floor covering system of according to claims 1 or 2 wherein the upper member  12 has been made of wood flakes board in disposition random 3. A floor covering system of according to claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the member Bottom (14) has been made of a plastic material, preferably polyethylene. 4. A floor covering system of according to claims 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the member lower (14) has been fixed with adhesives to the upper member (12). 5. A floor covering system of according to claim 1, wherein the assembly of the connector comprises at least one tongue (18) and at least one grooving (20). 6. A floor covering system of according to claim 1, wherein the assembly of the connector comprises at least one key (30) and at least one grooving (28). 7. A floor covering system of according to any of the preceding claims, in the that the connector assembly comprises a tongue (18) located on two adjacent edges and a groove (20) located on two adjacent edges to join the panel to an adjacent panel (10) with at least one corresponding tab (18) and at least one corresponding groove (20) to prevent displacement relative vertical between them. 8. A floor covering system of according to claim 6 wherein said set of connector comprises:

a tongue (18) located on two adjacent edges and a groove (20) located on two adjacent edges to join the panel to a panel an adjacent panel (10) with two corresponding tabs (18) and two corresponding grooves (20) to prevent relative vertical displacement between them.