GB2533433A

GB2533433A - UPVAD raised access floor tile

Info

Publication number: GB2533433A
Application number: GB1500550.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Denness Peter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-12-15
Filing date: 2015-01-14
Publication date: 2016-06-22
Also published as: GB201500550D0; GB2534994A; GB201522160D0

Abstract

A raised floor tile system which includes a plurality of composite floor tiles installed on standard pedestals. Each floor tile having a connector means for power 4, voice 5, data cabling 6 and a floor heating system 1, 2. The tiles in use being place in a certain direction and simply connect together with male-to-female connectors, for power cables, data cabling, voice cabling and the underfloor heating system. The raised floor tile may be manufactured using non-combustible materials, static-dissipative materials and be resistant to chemical abrasion. Also the floor system may include several predetermined drilling points located on each raised floor tile, to allow base plates for partition systems to be installed without damaging the services. A floor box may also be provided in an aperture 7 provided in a floor tile.

Description

The UPVAD Raised floor system The UPVAD' raised floor tile incorporates power, voice and data into each, eliminating the need for underfloor baskets of individual structured cables, power cables and the need for expensive specialists to install them. It also provides an economical underfloor heating system that warms the room above, to a comfortable and ambient temperature.

Maximum flexibility has been incorporated in the form of a 'clip-in' floor box to allow the customer or designer to install the floor boxes anywhere in any internal office space, without needing a specialist electrical tradesmen, because virtually every tile can house a floor-box, simply by connecting the cables. This new raised floor system should reduce the need for expensive IT and electrical trades, and wasteful floor voids. This flexible, plug & play system makes office spaces future proof.

The underfloor heating will provide the room with a warm, economic and sustainable system, at a fraction of the cost of installing fossil fuel heating systems and will drastically reduce plant room space. The heating element is incorporated above the core of the tile, possibly within a prefabricated rebate for protection and may incorporate a heat reflecting material or membrane below that encourages the heat to warm the room above, which may be calibrated by a room thermostat or any other similar device. The above heating element could be in the form of a twin cable. Above the heating element there could be a diffuser layer of an appropriate2 material that helps to distribute the heat evenly. For manufacturing purposes the heating elements could form part of the diffuser layer.

The UPVAD Raised floor system is a 'plug & play' raised floor tile is manufactured using a combination of materials, the core of the tile could be made from recycled, dense woodchips (e.g. particle board) or any material or combination of materials that is strong enough to be used as a raised floor. The outer shell of the tile may be a metal or other material to give it additional strength and a better finish.

Underfloor heating, Power, Voice and Data (UPVAD) Such as ceramic, plastic or metal, or combination of materials, etc. The structured data, voice & power cables (and/or fibre optic cables) could be located on the underside of the core, possibly within a prefabricated rebate for protection and possibly within an insulated ribbon.

The UPVAD Raised floor tiles are installed3 in a certain direction and simply connect together male-to-female, alternatively they could be connected with individual cable connectors or as a ribbon connector or any other suitable method. This establishes the connection and continuity for the integral power cables, data & voice structured cabling and the underfloor heating system.

For flexibility there could be several predetermined drilling points located on each UPVAD Raised floor tile, to allow base plates for internal partition systems to be installed without damaging the services within the tile. The UPVAD Raised floor tile system removes many trade interfaces, dramatically shortening the installation programme.

This is a safe, lean-build, recyclable, innovative solution for installing raised floors and many key services, all in one simple, semi-skilled operation.

3 On standard pedestals

Claims

CLAWS1. The UPVAD Raised floor system is a composite raised floor tile that sits on conventional 'standard' pedestals that incorporates power, voice, data and a heated floor system.
2. The panels as claim 1 above, could have a preformed cut out to allow a floor box to be installed, the floor box aperture may differ in size to accommodate the number of compartments within the floorbox the customer requires.
3. The panels as claim 1 above, has differing configurations e.g. for turning corners, or to accommodate the main incoming connections, or to complete the loops or ends of the cabling, or as a cable-less raised floor tile for cuts to odd shaped rooms or columns, etc.
4. The panels as claim 1 above, could be manufactured in differing materials and finishes4 depending upon the customers' needs. It could be made of noncombustible material, static-dissipative and also could be resistant to chemical abrasion.
5. The shape of each tile as claim 1 above, may differ to accommodate the male-tofemale connection points or the customers requirements.
6. The panels as claim 1 above, could be manufactured with a male-to-female connection edges, that simply match male-to-female without any connector blocks.
7. The panels as claim 1 above, could be manufactured with a male-to-female connector blocks, using either individual cable connectors or a ribbon connector, which would connect the tiles in sequence and would also connect the tiles to the floorbox.
8. The starter tile as described in claim 3, could have a 'plug & play' connecting socket for each of the services to link to the main power source and the structured cabling spine of the building.4 The finished layer could he stone, ceramic, wood, metal, other aterial to suit the customer.
9. The panels as claim 3 above, could include a right angled panel to change the direction of the tiles when dealing with a wall or an obstruction such as a column.
10. The floor tiles as claim 1 above, could have a hole, or cut out incorporated within the tile that can either take a flush cover plate or a floor box for connecting into the voice, data and power outlets.
11. The heating element as claim 1 above, could be incorporated in the floor tile, above the cabling over a insulation membrane to direct the heat upwards to warm the top panel of the tiles and the room above and could be manufactured with a diffuser layer of material above the heating element or the heater element could be part of that diffusing layer.
12. For areas that require cut floor tiles as in claim 3 above, a blank tile could be used, that does not have any inbuilt services, but is the same depth and finish as the other tiles.
13. Each tile as claim 1 above, could have several dedicated and identifiable drilling points to provide a zone where office partition base-plates can be mechanically fixed, without damaging the power, voice, data or heating elements.
14. The tile sizes as claim 1 above, could be a standard 60cm X 60cm X 5cm or any dimension that suits the manufacturing process and/or customers requirements.
15. The male-to-female edges or connector blocks as claim 6 above, could be water resistant and could also have a suitable circuit breaker installed in case of water ingress.
16. Alternative to claim 6 above, the connections could be made by connecting each individual cable using male-to-female connectors or by using a ribbon connector.