GB2363401A

GB2363401A - Stackable building component

Info

Publication number: GB2363401A
Application number: GB0014598A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Keith James Hunter Anderson
Original assignee: Instafibre Ltd
Current assignee: Instafibre Ltd
Priority date: 2000-06-14
Filing date: 2000-06-14
Publication date: 2001-12-19
Anticipated expiration: 2020-06-14
Also published as: GB2363401B; GB0014598D0

Abstract

A stackable building component (18) for example for use in the construction of a raised floor comprises a square plan rubber block. Four blind apertures (20) are provided on one side of the block, adjacent to each corner. Blind apertures (14) are also provided on the opposite side of the block at two diametrically opposed corners and at the other two corners of the same side are provided projections (16) adapted to engage with the blind apertures of another block. Several of the building elements can be stacked, and the uppermost element can be stacked with the projections facing down to present a flat planar surface, for example for the attachment of a head-plate assembly (30,40) to support open access flooring panels.

Description

2363401 STACKABLE BUILDING COMPONENT The present invention relates to a

stackable building component, and to a stackable building 5 component in combination with a head-plate, and in particular to such components for use in the formation of raised flooring structures, and to floor structures constructed using such components.

In the construction or refurbishment of buildings 10 it is common practice to construct a floor spaced some distance above an underlying subfloor structure, which may typically be a concrete slab. Walls and ceilings are frequently constructed in the same way, suspended ceilings being a typically common example.

15 A floor may be constructed by first providing a number of pedestals distributed across the subfloor.

Battens are then fitted on top of the pedestals, following which flooring panels are fixed to the battens. Alternatively, flooring panels may be fixed 20 directly to the pedestals.

UK patent appli_ation number 0001155.1 describes a building component, suitable for use as the uppermost unit in a pedestal, that is adapted to accept one or more flooring battens. The building 25 component may be used in combination on top of one or more stacking components to provide a raised floor at the desired height. The upper surface of each stacking component is provided with a number of projections adapted to engage with corresponding 30 apertures provided both in the undersurfaces of the stacking components and in the undersurface of the batten-accepting building component.

To make coarse adjustments in the height of the raised floor above the underlying subfloor, the number 35 of stacking component-s in each pedestal may be varied.

To make fine adjustments to the height an appropriate number of packing elements may be inserted where necessary between flooring battens and the building components.

It would be desirable to use similar stacking components in other flooring systems. In a typical 5 "full-access" flooring system each pedestal is typically surmounted by a head-plate adapted to accept the corners of a number of flooring panels. The headplate may typically be formed from a pressed metal plate or moulded plastic component. If it were desired 10 to use stacking components similar to those described above to make up the pedestal, the projections on the top face of the uppermost stacking component may interfere with the location of the head-plate on the top of the pedestal.

is If the head-plate were to be provided with apertures for accepting the upward facing projections of the underlying stacking component, the projections would typically extend beyond the upper surface of the head-plate, interfering with the location of the 20 flooring panels to be accepted by the head-plate.

It would be Dossible to remove the upward facing projections from a stacking component when required during construction of the floor, for example using a sharp knife. However, this would increase the time 25 taken to install the floor and would also increase the risk of injury to those persons carrying out the installation. Alternatively, stacking elements adapted specifically for use as the top element of each pedestal could be provided. However, this would 30 increase the costs of manufacture, supply and installation of the floor.

The present invention addresses problems and disadvantages of the related prior art.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a 3S stackable building component for use in the construction of a raised flooring surface, the component comprising first and second opposed stacking surfaces, said second stacking surface being adapted to rest on a level surface, said first stacking surface comprising one or more first formations and one or more second 5 formations, and the second stacking surface comprising one or more third formations, said first and second formations being complementary such that, upon appropriate orientation, one of said first and second formations is engageable 10 with the other of said first and second formations of another such building component, said first and third formations also being complementary such that, upon appropriate orientation, one of said first and third formations is engageable 15 with the other of said first and third formations of still another such building component.

A pedestal for use in constructing a raised flooring structure, or other surface such as a wall or ceiling, may be constructed using a number of such 20 stackable building components stacked together, the first stacking surface of each component being brought into confrontation with the second stacking surface of an adjacent component. The invention allows the final component of the stack to be inverted, presenting the 25 second stacking surface to structures to be placed on top of the stack. The second stacking surface may thus be adapted to accept such further structures, allowing the first stacking surface to be adapted to provide appropriate stacking engagement with similar stackable 30 building components.

A variety of forms may be envisaged for providing such a stackable building component, but in a preferred embodiment the one or more first formations are provided by one or more projections, and the one 35 or more second formations and the one or more third formations are each provided by one or more recesses adapted, upon appropriate orientation, to accept the one or more projections of another such component, which may be substantially identical, similar or compatible to the aforesaid building component.

By requiring only a single form of stackable 5 building component to construct a pedestal, component manufacture and pedestal construction are simplified and associated costs are reduced.

Preferably the second stacking surface is free from projections, resulting in a surface that may be 10 used to provide a stable and f irm base to a pedestal constructed from the components. Such a feature is also advantageous in that a head-plate adapted to accept the corners of a number of flooring panels may more easily be fitted to such a stacking surface.

15 In a preferred embodiment, some of the formations, and in particular some or all of the recesses in the first and second stacking surfaces are provided by blind apertures. Such a construction is simple, robust and will generally be cheap to produce.

20 These benefits may also be attained by integrally forming the'projections in the first stacking surface with the rest of the building component. Projections may, alternatively, be provided, for example, by plugs inserted into apertures or other suitable component 25 constructions. Preferably, the entire stackable building component is integrally formed, preferably of a resilient material.

In a preferred embodiment, the stackable building component is formed of a resilient material, which may 30 for example be moulded crumbed rubber, providing a robust, waterproof, resilient and cheap component.

The invention also provides a head-plate in combination with at least two stackable building components as already described, the head-plate having 35 first and second opposing head-plate surfaces, the first head-plate surface being provided with a plurality of upstanding nibs adapted to accept one or more flooring panels. Further stackable building components may of course be used to provide a pedestal of the desired height.

Preferably, the second head-plate surface is 5 provided with one or more projections adapted to engage one or more corresponding recesses provided by said one or more third formations of the second stacking surface of an adjacent stackable building component.

10 One or more spacer elements may be used to separate the head-plate and the uppermost stackable building component of a pedestal by a desired spacing, the spacer elements providing a finer adjustment to pedestal height than may be achieved by varying the is number of stackable building components used.

Preferably, means to attach the head-plate securely to the rest of the pedestal are provided.

This may be achieved by providing an aperture in the head-plate, the aperture being adapted to accept a 20 screw that is driven down, through corresponding apertures in any underlying spacer elements, to engage with the underlying stackable building component.

A number of embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with 25 reference to the accompanying drawings of which:

Figure 1 illustrates components of a pedestal for use in an open-access flooring system, including one or more stackable building components according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 30 Figures 2a and 2b show, respectively, upper and lower perspective views of one of the stackable building components shown in figure 1; and Figures 3a and 3b show, respectively, upper and lower perspective views of a stackable building 35 component according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring now to figure 1, there are shown a number of components for constructing a pedestal suitable for supporting flooring panels in an open access flooring system. The components include a number of similar or identical stackable building 5 components 10 and 22, a head-plate 40 adapted for location on top of the uppermost stackable building component 22 of the pedestal, and optionally, one or more spacer elements 30 adapted to be interposed between the uppermost stackable building component 22 10 and head-plate 40.

Each stackable building component 10,22 comprises a stacking portion having first and second opposing and substantially parallel stacking surfaces. Each stacking surface of each of the stackable building is components illustrated in figure I is approximately square. The first stacking surface 12 of each stackable building component is provided with two blind apertures 14 located towards diagonally opposing corners of the surface, and with two projections 16 20 located towards the remaining two diagonally opposing corners. The projections are configured to be accepted snugly into the blind apertures 14 of the first stacking surface of a like stackabie building component brought suitably into confrontation.

25 The second stacking surface 18 of each stackable building component 10,22 is provided with four blind apertures 20 located towards the four corners of the surface, in positions corresponding to the positions of the projections 16 and blind apertures 14 provided 30 in the first stacking surface 12. The blind apertures in the second stacking surface 18 are configured to accept snugly the projections 16 of the first stacking surface 12 of a similar or identical stackable building component brought into a stacking 35 configuration. The second stacking surface 18 of each stackable building component 10,22 is free from proj ections.

In one currently preferred embodiment, the stackable building components 10,22 are formed of rubber crumbs each having a nominal diameter of between 1 millimetre and 4 millimetres which are bound 5 together by a non-wate-r soluble adhesive to form a matrix. This has the advantage that once the rubber crumb and the adhesive have been mixed together, the stackable building components may be formed in a mould under a nominal closing pressure of, say 40 kilograms.

10 Nevertheless, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that a one piece stackable building component may be formed of a number of different materials in a number of different ways and furthermore that those stackable building components may have a variety of 15 harnesses or strengths depending on the applications in which they are to find use. For example, the stackable building components may equally be formed of cork or polystyrene, a mixture of one or both of these materials and rubber, of wood or plastic.

20 The projections 16 may be formed integrally with the rest of the stackable building component, or could take the form of separate components such as plugs fitting snugly into appropriate apertures.

The one or more optional spacing elements 30 each 25 comprises a plate of the same shape as the stacking surfaces 12,20. Four dimples 32 in the plate are provided, positioned towards each corner of the plate.

These dimples provide a positive location of a spacing element into the blind apertures 20 of the second 30 stacking surface 18 of an underlying stackable building component 22, or into the corresponding dimples of another underlying spacing element. The spacing elements 30 are preferably much thinner than the stackable building components, so as to provide a 35 facility for fine adjustment to the overall height of a pedestal. The spacer elements are preferably formed of a moulded or pressed plastic, but other materials and method of manufacture could obviously be used.

The head-plate 40 is preferably a pressed metal plate having the same peripheral shape and dimensions as the stacking surfaces 12,18 of the stacking S elements 10,22 and as any spacer elements 30.

The head-plate comprises a base portion and four nibs 32 upstanding from the base portion. The nibs are radially aligned with the centre of the base portion. The nibs 42 are adapted, in conjunction with the base 10 portion, to accept the right-angled corners of four flooring panels to be supported by the head-plate.

The nibs 42 may be formed by pressing rectangular sections of the base portion until they are perpendicular to the plane of the base portion.

15 Four pressed dimples 44 are provided in the head- plate 40 to provide a positive location of the head plate into the blind apertures 20 of the second stacking surface 18 of an underlying stackable building component 22, or into the corresponding 20 dimples of an underlying spacing element 30. The pressed dimples 44 are created towards the four corners of the base portion of the head- plate40.

Instead of forming the head-plate from a metal plate by means of pressing, the head-plate could 25 equally be formed of a moulded plastic or any other suitable material.

A pedestal for supporting flooring panels in an open-access flooring system may be constructed in the following manner from the components already 30 described. The second stacking surface 18 of the first stackable building component is placed on the underlying structure, which may be, for example, a concrete subfloor. If necessary, this first stackable building component may be glued or otherwise fastened 35 in place. One or more further stackable building components are optionally stacked on top of the bottom stackable building component, the upwardly facing projections 16 of each stackable building component engaging the downwardly facing blind apertures 20 of each overlying stackable building component.

The uppermost stackable building component 22 is 5 turned upside down so that the projections 16 of the first stacking surface 12 of the uppermost stackable building component 22 engage the blind apertures 14 in the first stacking surface 12 of the underlying stackable building component 10. At the same time, 10 the projections 16 of the first stacking surface 12 of the underlying stackable building component 10 engage the blind apertures 14 of the first stacking surface 12 of the uppermost stackable building component 22.

A number of spacer elements 30 are then 15 optionally located on top of the uppermost stackable building component 32, in order to make fine adjustments to the pedestal height. The dimples 32 in each spacer element 30 assist in location of the spacer element with the underlying spacer element or 20 stackable building component 22.

Finally, the pedestal is surmounted by a headplate 40. The dimples 44 in the base portion of the head-plate assist in the location of the headplate with the underlying spacer element 30 or stackable 25 building component 22. In a preferred embodiment, a screw 50 is directed down through a central hole in the base portion of the head- plate 44, through corresponding holes in each spacer element 30 to engage with the stacking portion of the uppermost 30 stacking element 22 in order to hold the head-plate and spacer elements securely in place.

Having constructed a number of such pedestals and having distributed them appropriately in a grid across the subfloor, flooring panels are fitted. Each head- 35 plate of the type described above may accept a corner of up to four flooring panels.

Figures 2A and 2B further illustrate the shape and configuration of the stackable building components shown in figure 1. Figure 2A is a perspective view of a stackable building component 10,22 showing the first stacking surface 12. Figure 2B is a perspective view 5 of a stacking element 10,22 showing the second stacking surface 18.

It will be appreciated that the precise form of stackable building components according to the invention may vary widely from the forms shown in 10 figures 1,2A and 2B. To illustrate just one of many possible forms, a stackable building component 100 according to a second embodiment of the invention is shown in figures 3A and 3B. Figure 3A is perspective view showing the first stacking surface 104.

15 Projecting portions 102 in the upper stacking surface 104 are provided by elongated rectangular projections aligned with and adjacent to opposing edges of the upper stacking surface 104. Corresponding rectangular recesses 106 are provided in the remaining two 20 opposing edges of the upper stacking surface 104, these recesses being adapted to accept the rectangular projections of a like stackable building component brought into a stacking configuration. Figure 3B is a perspective view of the stackable building component 25 100 showing the second stacking surface 110. The second stacking surface 110 is free from projections, but is provided with elongated rectangular recesses in two opposing edges of the surface, these recesses being adapted to accept the rectangular elongated 30 projections of the first stacking surface 104 of a like stackable building component brought into a suitable stacking configuration.

As with the first stackable building component 10,22 illustrated in figures 1,2A and 2B, stackable 35 building component 100 illustrated in figures 3A and 3B features a second stacking surface which is free from projections and provides both a stable and firm C i base surface for the pedestal when standing on an underlying surface. At the same time, the second stacking surface provides a suitable surface for accepting a superposed spacing element 30 or head s plate 40.

The pedestal components described above are substantially square in plan view. Clearly this need not be the case. Neither need the structures of the first and second stacking surfaces be arranged with a 10 mirror symmetry or a rotational symmetry of 180 degrees. For example, arrangements having three projections and three apertures in the upper stacking surface may be envisaged.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A stackable building component for use in the construction of a raised flooring surface, the 5 component comprising first and second opposed stacking surfaces, said second stacking surface being adapted to rest on a substantially planar surface, said first stacking surface comprising one or more first formations and one or more second 10 formations, and the second stacking surface comprising one or more third formations, said first and second formations being complementary such that, upon appropriate orientation, one of said first and second formations is engageable 15 with the other of said first and second formations of another such building component, said first and third formations also being complementary such that, upon appropriate orientation, one of said first and third formations is engageable 20 with the other of said first and third formations of still another such building component.

2. A stackable building component according to claim 1, wherein the one or more first formations are 25 provided by one or more projections, and the one or more second formations and the one or more third formations are each provided by one or more recesses adapted, upon appropriate orientation, to accept the said one or more projections of another such building component.

3. A stackable building component as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the second stacking surface i. free from projections.

4. A stackable building component according to any preceding claim wherein at least one of said formations is integrally formed with the building component.

5. A stackable building component as claimed in any 5 preceding claim wherein at least one of said formations is provided by a blind aperture.

6. A stackable building component as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein said building component is 10 integrally formed of a resilient material.

7. A stackable building component according to any of claims 1 to 5 wherein at least one of said formations is provided by a plug inserted into an is aperture in said stacking portion.

8. A stackable building component substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A head-plate in combination with at least two stackable building components according to any preceding claim, the head-plate having first and second opposing head-plate surfaces, the first head- 25 plate surface being provided with a plurality of upstanding nibs adapted to accept one or more flooring panels.

10. A combination according to claim 9, wherein the 30 second head-plate surface is provided with one or more projections adapted to engage at least one of said one or more third formations provided in the second stacking surface of one of said stackable building components.

11. A combination according to either of claims 9 or 10, further comprising one or more spacer elements adapted to be interposed between said head-plate and the second stacking surface of one of said stackable building components.

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12. A combination according to any of claims 9 to 11, the components of the combination being adapted to accept a screw threaded through an aperture provided in said head-plate in order to bind the headplate to at least one of said stackable building components.

13. A head-plate in combination with at least two stackable building components substantially as herein described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14. A pedestal for use in the construction of a raised flooring surface, the pedestal comprising the combination of any of claims 9 to 13 brought together in a stacked formation, 20 first and second of said stackable building components being positioned such that the first stacking surfaces of said first and second stackable building components are in confrontation, said head-plate being positioned such that said 25 second head-plate surface is in confrontation with said second stacking surface of said second stackable building component.

15. A pedestal as claimed in claim 14 wherein one or 30 more further stackable building components are interposed between said first and second stackable building components, said one or more further stackable building components being in like orientation to -aid first stackable building 35 component.

16. A raised flooring structure comprising at least two stackable building components according to any of claims 1 to 8.

17. A raised flooring structure comprising a head- 5 plate in combination with at least two stackable building components, the combination according to any of claims 9 to 13.

18. A raised floor structure comprising a pedestal as 10 claimed in either of claims 14 or 15.

19. A method of constructing a raised floor spaced from an underlying substructure using two stackable building components according to any of claims 1 to 8, 15 the method comprising the steps of:

positioning a first of said stackable building components on said underlying substructure, the second stacking surface of said first component being in contact with said underlying substructure, and

20 stacking a second one of said stackable building components on top of said first component, the second component being in inverse orientation to the orientation of the first component.

25 20. A method of constructing a raised floor spaced from an underlying substructure using at least three stackable building components according to any of claims 1 to 8, the method comprising the steps of:

constructing a stack of at least two of said 30 stackable building components on said underlying substructure, each component of said stack being in like orientation, the second stacking surface of one component of said stack being in contact with said underlying substructure, and 35 stacking a further one of said stackable building components on top of said stack, the further one of said stackable building components being in inverse 16 - orientation to the orientation of the components of the stack.

21. A method of constructing a raised floor spaced 5 from an underlying substructure as claimed in either of claims 19 or 20, the method further comprising the step of stacking one or more spacer elements on top of said stackable building components.

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22. A method of constructing a raised floor spaced from an underlying substructure as claimed in any of claims 19 to 21, the method further comprising the step of stacking a head-plate on top of said stackable building components or spacer elements.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the head-plate has first and second opposed head-plate surfaces, the first head-plate surface being provided with a plurality of upstanding nibs adapted to accept one or 20 more flooring panels, said head-plate being positioned such that said second head-plate surface is in confrontation with said stackable building components.