GB2234991A - Demountable flooring, platforms and staging - Google Patents

Abstract

A floor unit for a demountable flooring system comprises a floor panel [30, 130] provided at or near to at least one of its peripheral edges [35, 135] with a flange [25, 125] arranged along or at least substantially parallel to said edge and having a portion which extends downwardly or generally downwardly relative to said edge, whereby when two such floor units are positioned with their respective such edges [35, 135] adjacent or substantially adjacent to each other, a connecting member [200] may be applied externally over both of the respective said flange portions, so as to connect the floor units together. Side channels 40, 140 of the units are exposed at the edge of the stage and may be used in connecting accessories, e.g. balustrades, backdrops, curtains. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Demountable flooring, platforms and staging Description of Invention This invention relates to demountable flooring and is concerned primarily, although not exclusively, with demountable elevated flooring, for example platforms, staging or the like, such as may be provided on a temporary basis for events such as exhibitions, stage shows or the like.

Typically, demountable flooring is afforded by connecting together, usually in edge-to-edge manner, a plurality of like or closely-related floor units, and it is an object of the invention to enable such connection to be achieved in a new and improved manner.

According to the invention, there is provided a floor unit for a demountable flooring system, the floor unit comprising a floor panel provided at or near to at least one of its peripheral edges with a flange arranged along or at least substantially parallel to said edge and having a portion which extends downwardly or generally downwardly relative to said edge, whereby when two such floor units are positioned with their respective such edges adjacent or substantially adjacent to each other, a connecting member may be applied externally over both of the respective said flange portions, so as to connect the floor units together.

In this manner, such connection may be made in such a way as not to be visible when the resultant floor surface is viewed from above, and yet the connecting member, and its position, may readily be seen and identified when the flooring is viewed from below.

Preferably the floor unit is of a kind comprising a peripheral frame (for example of extruded or pressed metal members) on which the floor panel is supported, in which case such flange or flanges may advantageously be formed on a member or members of such frame.

In relation to any floor unit in accordance with the invention, preferably such flange extends both downwardly or generally downwardly from said edge, and laterally in a direction inwardly of the floor unit.

In relation to any floor unit in accordance with the invention, preferably such flange comprises a first portion which extends downwardly or generally downwardly from said edge, and a second portion which extends laterally in a direction inwardly of the floor unit.

The invention also provides a connecting member for connecting together floor units in accordance with the invention.

One embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIGURE I is a partial cross-sectional view, of edge portions of two floor units in accordance with the invention, when connected together by a connecting member in accordance with the invention; and FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a connecting member in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawings, there are shown in Figure 1 respective edge portions 10, 110 of two floor units which are each in accordance with the invention. The floor units concerned are designed for a demountable flooring system in which demountable flooring is afforded by connecting together, in edge-to-edge manner, a plurality of like or closety-related such floor units, so as to afford a floor surface of desired shape and size, the floor units comprising respective floor panels which afford respective portions of said floor surface.In this particular example, the floor units concerned are for a demountable elevated flooring system, such as to provide elevated platforms, staging or the like for temporary events such as exhibitions, stage shows or the like, and accordingly each floor unit comprises support members (not shown) such as fixed, removable, interchangeable or height-adjustable legs, in order that each respective floor panel may be supported at a desired height.

The floor units partly illustrated in Figure I each comprise a respective peripheral frame, in this example formed from extruded aluminium members 20, 120, on which their respective floor panels 30, 130, are supported, and to which said support members are directly or indirectly connected. The floor panels 30, 130 are of generally rectangular form (typical dimensions being approximately 2 metres X I metre), and the frame members are arranged to lie along the peripheral edges of the panels, so as to be substantially parallel to said edges. The frame members 20, 120 are of essentially box-section to afford the necessary strength and are each formed with a respective lower flange 25, 125 which extends downwardly or generally downwardly relative to the respective panel edge 35, 135.More specifically, each said flange extends both downwardly or generally downwardly, and laterally in a direction inwardly of the floor unit concerned, in this example by virtue of comprising a first, neck portion 27, 127 which extends downwardly or generally downwardly from a root portion 26, 126, and a second portion 28, 128 which extends laterally in a direction inwardly of the respective floor unit.

When assembling a temporary floor, platform or stage using such floor units, two such floor units are positioned with their respective peripheral edge portions adjacent or substantially adjacent to each other, as shown in Figure 1, with the upper surfaces of their respective floor panels 30, 130 at the same height, and a connecting member 200 in accordance with the invention is then applied externally over both of said flanges, accommodating both the first and second portions 27, 28, 127, 128 of both flanges, so as to connect the floor units together.

It will be appreciated that the connecting member 200, when so applied is not visible from above the floor surface, and yet the member 200, and its position, may readily be seen and identified when the flooring is viewed from below orsfrom the side.

The connecting member 200, which is shown in more detail in Figure 2, is a rigid member of extruded aluminium, and is applied to said flanges 25, 125 by being slid onto and along the flanges in a direction extending longitudinally of the flanges, such access to the flanges being possible by virtue of machining away, during manufacture, at leost one of the second portions of the flanges over a length slightly greater than that of the connecting member. It will be observed that the lower inward extremity of each of the flanges 25, 125 is spaced below the main body of the frame member concerned, so as to define a recess, between said extremity and said main body, for accommodating a respective portion 201, 202 of the generally "C"-cross-section connecting member.

The portions 201, 202 are chamfered in the vicinity of their ends (Fig.

2) for ease of application of the member 200 to the flanges 25, 125.

An important benefit of applying the member 200 externally over said flanges is that the member 200 may be so applied and, notably, removed, without requiring use of tools. After application of the member 200 to said flanges, the member 200 is easily accessible wherever it is located along the flanges, and can be removed by hand simply by reaching underneath the panels and/or frame members concerned.

Surfaces 21, 22 and/or 121, 122 of the respective frame members may act as seatings for mounting assemblies (not shown) which may be bolted to the frame members and through which the upper extremities of legs of the floor unit may be connected securely to the frame members. Such assemblies may be corner assemblies, such as at a corner of the floor unit where two such frame members meet at an angle, or may be intermediate units, to be bolted to a frame member intermediate the ends of the frame member (e.g.

half-way along a 2 metre-length frame member) to allow mounting of an additional leg to provide additional support.

In this example, it will be appreciated that said first portions of the respective flanges abut each other when the floor units are in edge-to-edge relationship, but such abutment of the flanges is not an obligatory feature of the invention.

Similarly, the detailed shape of the flanges could be different to that illustrated, while remaining within the scope of the invention.

It will be appreciated that use of the connecting member in accordance with the invention not only serves to connect together the floor units, but also serves to maintain the floor panels at the same height.

Although the panels 30, 130 hereinbefore described are of generally rectangular shape, they could alternatively be provided in alternative shapes, for example in the form (in plan view) of equilateral triangles, right-angled triangles, squares (e.g. I metre squares) or trapezia. Furthermore the peripheral edges of the panels and any associated peripheral frame members need not necessarily be straight, but could alternatively be of curved form, in which case the cross-section of the channel of the member 200 may be modified if necessary to accommodate the curvature.

Side channels 40, 140 of the frame members, in other configurations of the floor units, may lie on exposed side edges of the units, and may then be utilised in connecting accessories (such as poles, balustrade, scenic backdrops, fascia panels or curtains) to the units.

In more detail, a fascia panel for example may be connected to such a frame member by inserting along the then-exposed channel 40 or 140 a steel plate having a threaded generally central tapped hole, the steel plate being held captive by upper and lower lips of the channel, and a complementarily threaded bolt or like fastening is then inserted through the fascia panel and into threaded engagement with the said hole, thereby mounting the panel. If desired, a plurality of such plates and related bolts or like fastenings may be used on each fascia panel. For heavier-duty accessories such as balustrades, the corresponding steel plate, rather than being tapped, has a protruding externally threaded member welded to it, over which threaded member the balustrade or a portion thereof, and subsequently a complementarily threaded nut, are applied, in order to mount the balustrade.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, or a class or group of substances or compositions, as appropriate, may, separately or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (10)

CLAIMS:

1. A floor unit for a demountable flooring system, the floor unit comprising a floor panel provided at or near to at least one of its peripheral edges with a flange arranged along or at least substantially parallel to said edge and having a portion which extends downwardly or generally downwardly relative to said edge, whereby when two such floor units are positioned with their respective such edges adjacent or substantially adjacent to each other, a connecting member may be applied externally over both of the respective said flange portions, so as to connect the floor units together.

2. A floor unit according to Claim 1 wherein the floor unit is of a kind comprising a peripheral frame on which the floor panel is supported.

3. A floor unit according to Claim 2 wherein such flange or flanges is or are formed on a member or members of such frame.

4. A floor unit according to any one of the preceding claims wherein such flange extends both downwardly or generally downwardly from said edge, and laterally in a direction inwardly of the floor unit.

5. A floor unit according to any one of the preceding claims wherein such flange comprises a first portion which extends downwardly or generally downwardly from said edge, and a second portion which extends laterally in a direction inwardly of the floor unit.

6. A floor unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

7. A connecting member for connecting together floor units according to any one of Claims 1 to 6.

8. A connecting member according to Claim 7, to be applied externally to said flanges by being slid onto and along the flanges in a direction extending longitudinally of the flanges.

9. A connecting member substantially as hereinbefore described wth reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

10. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described hercin and/or illustrated in the accompanying drawings.