GB2464304A

GB2464304A - Floor levelling assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2464304A
Application number: GB0818603A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Andrew Darby
Original assignee: REFLEX SPORTS FLOORS Ltd
Current assignee: REFLEX SPORTS FLOORS Ltd
Priority date: 2008-10-10
Filing date: 2008-10-10
Publication date: 2010-04-14
Anticipated expiration: 2028-10-10
Also published as: GB0818603D0; GB2464304B

Abstract

The invention relates to a floor levelling assembly 500 comprising a planar spacer element 400b, and a cradle member (200 figure 5b) having a channel 250 shaped to receive a plurality of said planar spacer elements 400b in a stacked configuration. The planar spacer elements 400b comprise a concave shaped edge (450 figure 4a) configured to align the spacer element in the channel by fitting against a correspondingly shaped side wall of the channel. The spacer elements may comprise tactile marks such as raised dots (430b figure 4b) indicating the thickness of the spacer elements.

Description

FLOOR LEVELLING SYSTEM

The invention relates to a floor levelling system for use in constructing floating floors.

For applications where a floor is required to have a high degree of uniformity, e.g. in terms of flatness, or where a floor is to be isolated mechanically or acoustically from a sub-floor structure, it is known to provide floor levelling devices positioned between a sub-floor and a support structure for a floating floor. Such devices allow for small height adjustments, of the order of a few millimetres, to be made to the support structure to account for variations in the support structure. Typical support structures may be in the form of concrete sub-floors which, although level on a large scale (of the order of metres or tens of metres), may be uneven on a smaller scale. A support structure for the floating floor may be in the form of a series of wooden battens laid across an array of levelling devices.

One application where such devices are often used is in construction of sports floors and the like. Particular requirements for such floors include a high degree of uniformity as well as some resilience and acoustic or mechanical damping to absorb shock loading. Sports floors in particular, which tend to cover large areas, have exacting requirements due to their unusual loadings and requirements for absolute flatness. Such types of floors may also have uses in other applications where a degree of damping and acoustic isolation is required.

An example of an existing type of floor levelling system is disclosed in GB 2348218, in which a saddle member and a plurality of packing pieces is provided, the saddle member including a channel capable of receiving the packing pieces. This arrangement is shown in figure 1. The packing pieces 22 are received in a channel 10 of the saddle member 2.

The saddle member 2 and packing pieces 22 are placed on a sub-floor S. Battens 12 are aligned with an array of such saddle members on top of the packing pieces 22, and the boards 16 making up the floating floor are laid on top. Applying different thicknesses of packing pieces, or varying the numbers of stacked packing pieces, adjusts the height of the battens in localised areas and accounts for any variations in the sub-floor. In the arrangement shown, the packing pieces 22 are provided with interengaging means 7, 15 such as recesses and corresponding protrusions. The packing pieces 22 are thereby aligned with each other and with the underlying channel 10 on the saddle member 2.

Another type of floor levelling system is known from UK design registration 3024406, in which a system similar to that disclosed in GB 2348218 is disclosed, Instead of having

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interengaging means, the packing pieces are provided with protrusions along an edge, the protrusions being shaped to match corresponding recesses in the saddle member so as to prevent lateral movement of the packing pieces when in place.

A problem with existing solutions is that, particularly when laying large areas of flooring, interengaging means or other ways of aligning the packing pieces with the saddle member can be unsatisfactory and in some cases quite fiddly for a worker, who may be wearing gloves, to assemble. This can lead to a reduction in efficiency.

A further problem with existing solutions is that identification of the thickness of each packing piece is not necessarily straightforward. GB 2354536 discloses a solution to this in the form of different colours indicating different thicknesses. However, such a solution inevitably means that a worker will have to remember the particular colour associated with a particular thickness.

The invention provides a floor levelling assembly comprising: a planar spacer element; and a cradle member having a channel shaped to receive a plurality of said planar spacer elements in a stacked configuration, wherein the planar spacer element comprises a concave shaped edge configured to align the spacer element in the channel by fitting against a correspondingly shaped side wall of the channel.

An outline shape of the spacer element may have at least 2-fold rotational symmetry, thereby allowing the spacer element to be inserted into the channel regardless of its orientation.

Each spacer element may comprise one or more tactile marks corresponding to a thickness of the element, to allow a user to readily determine the thickness of the spacer without having to measure it. Such tactile marks may be advantageous in poor lighting conditions, where it may be more difficult to determine any visible markings on the spacer element.

The assembly may comprise a p'urality of spacer elements having a range of different thicknesses, where each element of a given thickness has a tactile mark corresponding to the thickness of the element. This allows a user to easily identify a particular thickness of

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spacer required for the task in hand, and a tactile or visual check can be made on the particular spacer(s) to be used, indicated by the particular tactile mark.

The tactile mark used on each spacer may comprise one or more raised dots on a planar surface of the element. The use of raised dots, instead of (for example) using numerical indications, reduces any ambiguity in identifying a particular thickness of spacer to be used, which may arise if numerals are used (e.g. confusing a 6' with an upside-down 9', or a 1' with a 7'). Preferably, such raised dots indicate the thickness of a spacer element by the number of dots corresponding to the thickness in millimetres.

The channel in the cradle element may be at least partly defined by opposing pairs of circular cylindrical support elements extending from a planar base of the cradle member.

The use of such support elements allows for an easier fit of the spacer elements into the cradle member. The support elements themselves may define the channel itself, i.e. be the elements which prevent lateral movement of a planar spacer element when in place in the cradle.

The spacer element may comprise portions at opposing longitudinal ends having a lateral width greater than a width of the channel defined between the opposing pairs of support elements. Different to prior solutions, the spacer elements are thereby held in place by wider portions at each end of the spacer element, rather than engagement features on the face or a middle edge region. The spacer element of this configuration preferably has a waisted shape, i.e. with a narrowing of width towards a central region. Such a waisted shape allows room for a finger hold on either side of the spacer element, to allow for easier placement and removal.

The invention will now be described by way of example, and with reference to the enclosed drawings in which: figure 1 shows a perspective view of a prior embodiment of a floor levelling system; figure 2 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a cradle member of a floor levelling assembly; figure 3 shows a side view of the cradle member of figure 2; figure 4a shows a perspective view of a planar spacer element having a first thickness; figure 4b shows a perspective view of a planar spacer element having a second thickness; figure 5a shows a perspective view of a floor levelling assembly having a planar spacer element in a first configuration position on a cradle member; and figure 5b shows a perspective view of the floor levelling assembly of figure 5a, with the planar spacer element in a second configuration position on the cradle member.

The prior embodiment of figure 1 has already been described above.

Shown in fiqure 2 is a cradle member 200 according to an embodiment of the invention.

The cradle member 200 has a generally circular shape, defined by a circular outer edge 201, with a typical diameter of around 100 mm. The cradle member 200 comprises two opposing pairs of support elements 210a, 210b, 220a, 220b extending from a planar circular base portion 230 of the cradle member 200. Each support element comprises a circular cylindrical section, and forms part of the side walls defining a channel 250 between the pairs of support elements. A further resilient layer 240 may be provided on the base of the cradle member 200, for example in the form of a foamed polymeric material such as a foamed polyurethane. The resilient layer 240 covers minor unevenness in the underlying sub-floor on which a floating floor is to be laid, as well as providing a degree of acoustic and mechanical isolation.

Planar support regions 270a, 270b are provided either side of a central recessed region within the channel 250 defined between a first pair 210a, 210b and a second pair 220a, 220b of the support elements. Planar support regions 270a, 270b are configured to support a planar spacer element (described below) for adjusting the height of a batten positioned in the channel 250. The support elements 210a, 210b, 220a, 220b thereby serve to define the channel 250 for receiving both the spacer element and the overlying batten.

A second channel 260 is also defined between a different first pair 210a, 220a and second pair 210b, 220b of the support elements, having second planar support regions 280a, 280b also configured to support a planar spacer element and an overlying batten. These second planar support regions 280a, 280b are provided at a level that is offset with respect to first planar support regions 270a, 270b. Having two channels 250, 260 at different offset heights relative to the base 230 allows a batten to be placed at different levels to account for larger differences in height without using extra spacer elements.

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Figure 3 shows a side view of the cradle member 200 of figure 2, illustrating the second channel 260 with an offset height above the level of the first channel 250, provided by the second planar support regions 280a, 280b. A small taper is provided on the support elements 220a, 220b to allow the cradle member to be more amenable for injection moulding, i.e. for mould removal. The taper also allows the spacer elements to be more easily placed into position.

Two examples of planar spacer elements 400a, 400b are illustrated in figures 4a and 4b.

The thickness 420a of a first spacer element, in this case 2 mm, is smaller than the thickness 420b of the second spacer element, which is in this case 6 mm. To indicate the thickness of the element, tactile marks 430a, 430b are provided on a face of the spacer element 400a, for example in the form of raised dots that indicate the thickness of the spacer element in millimetres. Two raised dots 430a, 430b are indicated on the spacer element 400a in figure 4a, and six raised dots are indicated on the spacer element 400b in figure 4b. A user can thereby readily determine the thickness of a given spacer by touch alone.

Each spacer element has a generally concave shaped edge 450, which allows the spacer to fit into the channels 250, 260 defined by the cradle member (figure 2). Wider portions 460a-460'a, 460b-460'b at opposing longitudinal ends have a lateral width greater than a width of the channels 250, 260 defined between the opposing pairs of support elements on the cradle 200 (figure 2). These wider portions hold the spacer element 400a in place laterally when positioned in one of the cradle channels 250, 260. The generally waisted shape of the planar spacer elements 400a, 400b, i.e. with a tapering of the width towards a central region, allows for the spacer element to be more easily positioned and removed from the cradle through gripping the spacer element 400a across the width.

Figures 5a and 5b illustrate the floor levelling assembly 500 comprising a cradle 200 and planar spacer element 400b, showing the two different positions the spacer element 400b can be located, in either the first channel 250 defined between a first pair 210a, 210b and a second pair 220a, 220b of support elements, or in a second channel 260 defined between a different first pair 210a, 220a and second pair 210b, 220b of the support elements. The wider portions 460a-460'a, 460b-460'b (see also figures 4a and 4b) at opposing longitudinal ends of the spacer element 400b locate the spacer element in the channel and prevent lateral movement, i.e. movement along a longitudinal axis of the

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channel, defined in figure 5a by arrow 510a and in figure 5b by arrow 510b. With the spacer element 400b in place in the lower channel 250, the spacer element can easily removed from the cradle member 200 by gripping across the narrower waist region 520 of the spacer element 400b.

Other embodiments are intentionally within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

SCLAIMS1. A floor levelling assembly comprising: a planar spacer element; and a cradle member having a channel shaped to receive a plurality of said planar spacer elements in a stacked configuration, wherein the planar spacer element comprises a concave shaped edge configured to align the spacer element in the channel by fitting against a correspondingly shaped side wall of the channel.
2. The floor levelling assembly of claim 1 wherein an outline shape of the spacer element has at least 2-fold rotational symmetry.
3. The floor levelling assembly of claim I wherein the spacer element comprises a tactile mark corresponding to a thickness of the element.
4. The floor levelling assembly of claim 1 comprising a plurality of said spacer elements having a range of different thickness, each element of a given thickness having a tactile mark corresponding to the given thickness.
5. The floor levelling assembly of claim 4 wherein the tactile mark comprises one or more raised dots on a planar surface of the element.
6. The floor levelling assembly of claim 5 wherein the number of raised dots indicate the thickness of the element in millimetres.
7. The floor levelling assembly of claim 1 wherein the channel is at least partly defined by opposing pairs of circular cylindrical support elements extending from a planar base of the cradle member.
8. The floor levelling assembly of claim 7 wherein the spacer element comprises portions at opposing longitudinal ends having a lateral width greater than a width of the channel defined between the opposing pairs of support elements.
9. The floor levelling assembly of claim 8 wherein the spacer element has a waisted shape.S
10. A floor levelling assembly substantially as described herein, with reference to the accompanying drawings of figures 2 to 5b.