GB2534994A

GB2534994A - Floor tiles

Info

Publication number: GB2534994A
Application number: GB1522160.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Denness Peter
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2014-12-15
Filing date: 2015-12-16
Publication date: 2016-08-10
Also published as: GB201500550D0; GB2533433A; GB201522160D0

Abstract

The tile comprises electrical power cabling 14, at least one of data and telephony cabling provided with connectors 18, 20 for connection to connectors of adjacent tiles, and an electric heater 30 arranged to supply heat to the upper major surface 32 of the tile. The heater may be between the upper surface and an insulator. A floor box 76 connectable to the cabling and comprising a wireless communications module may be received in an aperture 36 in the tile. The connectors may be integral and disposed on two edges. The tile may have a core body 60 with channels, within which are the respective cablings. Also claimed is an installation comprising a plurality of the tiles. Also claimed is a method of manufacturing a floor tile with a core body and a skin. Also claimed is a floor box comprising a wireless communications module.

Description

Floor Tile, Raised Floor Installation And Method For Manufacturing Floor Tiles

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to floor tiles, raised floor installations and methods of manufacturing floor tiles.

Background to the Invention

Reconstruction of rooms in commercial buildings is often very expensive as whenever they have to house more people, or their purpose is changed, technicians have to be paid for reinstallation of electric and data cabling. The to constant pressure on management to save costs increases the demand for more flexible commercial buildings.

WO 2010/049770 discloses floor tiles for raised floor installations for commercial buildings. The floor tiles comprise one or more cables for transmission of electrical power and data signals and each tile has corners that in use are placed on pedestals. Electricity for power and data signals are connected by the assembling of the tiles to make up a floor. Connectors are provided at the corners of the tiles. The pedestals function as a support for the corners of four adjacent tiles and provide connections between the cabling of adjacent tiles.

As regards the manufacture of a floor tile it is known to mould the inner part from woodchips to provide a particle board core that is covered with a galvanised steel skin. The shape is typically rectangular.

There is a demand for more flexible raised floor systems particularly for commercial buildings.

Summary Of The Invention

The invention provides a floor tile to be placed on a plurality of pedestals in a raised floor installation, said floor tile housing electrical power cabling and at least one of data and telephony cabling provided with respective connectors for connection with connectors of at least one adjacent said floor tile and an electric heater arranged to supply heat through a surface of the floor tile that in use is the upper major surface of the floor tile.

When installed the floor tile may remove the need for conventional heating systems, often wet type, which are very costly to install.

When the cabling for power and data/telephony are placed apart the likelihood of electrical interference with the data/telephony signals may be 10 reduced.

Electric heating may be controlled at different constant temperatures during office hours and outside office hours by a thermostat on a wall of the room in which the floor tile is installed.

The floor tile may comprise two layers. The top layer of each floor tile may incorporate a safe and efficient low voltage floor electric heater which could be an underfloor heater mat. The mat mayrapidly warm the floor and the room above to a comfortable ambient temperature. A heating system comprising the electric heaters of a plurality of the floor tiles can be targeted to only heat those areas that actually require it. Areas not requirheating may have flooring comprising floor tiles that do not have a heating. The underfloor electric heater may generate the opposite heat cycle to that of conventional heat, provide more radiant heat and has no moving parts requiring maintenance. Conventional heating radiators are usually placed underneath windows to avoid cold bridges of air from the window in order to avoid an inconvenient indoor climate. However cold bridges of air from a window are of a minor problem with the new triple glazed windows on the market today. The new raised floor tile installation removes the need for expensive wet system boilers and all the expensive ongoing maintenance costs.

The electric heater may be in the form of a twin cable. Above the electric heater there may be a diffuser layer of an appropriate material that helps to distribute the heat evenly. The electric heater may be incorporated in the diffuser layer.

The floor tile may further comprise a core provided with an aperture to receive a floor box and at least one connector in said aperture to connect to said cabling. A floor box may comprise either a plurality of connectors to connect with the cables of the floor tile for external electric devices or a unit for a special electric device suitable to be embedded in a floor e.g. a light source.

The floor tile may further comprise a floor box fitted in said aperture and said floor box further comprising a wireless communications module.

Alternatively, the floor tile may further comprise a wireless communications module.

Said connectors may be push or fit connectors.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the following description some non-limiting examples will be described with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a floor tile; Figure 2 is a schematic side elevation view of two floor tiles assembled in a raised floor installation; Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of an installation comprising a plurality of the floor tiles; Figure 4 is a schematic representation of a ribbon-type connector; Figure 5 is a schematic plan view showing another floor tile; and Figure 6 is a schematic representation of a floor box for a floor tile. 35 Detailed Description Figure 1 is schematic plan view of a floor tile 10 to be placed on a plurality of pedestals in a raised floor installation. The floor tile 10 houses electrical power cabling 14 and at least one of data and telephony cabling 16, 18. The cabling 14-18 is provided with respective connectors 18-28 for connection with the connectors of at least one adjacent floor tile 10. The floor tile 10 also comprises an electric heater 30 arranged to supply heat through a major surface 32 that in use is the upper major surface of the tile.

Although not essential, in the example illustrated by Figure 1, the floor tile 10 houses separate data and telephony (or voice) cabling 16, 18. The cabling 14-18 extends between opposite edges, or sides, 34 of the floor tile 10. The electrical power cabling 14 has opposite ends respectively provided with female and male connectors 18, 20. Similarly, the data and telephony cabling has opposite ends respectively provided with female and male connectors 22-28.

Although not essential, the floor tile 10 shown in Figure 1 is provided with a floor box aperture 36. The floor box aperture 36 may be located generally centrally as shown in Figure 1. Although not essential, in the illustrated example the floor box aperture 36 may be a through-hole extending between the two major surfaces 32, 38 (see Figure 3) of the floor tile 10. The cabling 14-18 is split at the floor box aperture and has respective ends provided with female and male connectors 40-50.

The electric heater 30 has respective power leads 52, 54 extending to the opposite edges 34 of the floor tile and respectively provided with female and male connectors 56, 58.

Referring to Figure 2, the floor tile 10 comprises a core body 60 and a metal skin 62, 64. The core body 60 may be made of particle board and the skin 62, 64 may be made of galvanised steel. The skin may comprise a cap 62 that covers the upper face 66 and sides 68 of the core body 60 so as to define the upper major surface 32 of the floor tile and a plate 64 that closes the open end of the cap and defines the lower major surface 38 of the floor tile. The electric heater 30 is disposed between the upper face 66 of the core body 60 and the upper major surface 32. An insulator 70 may be disposed between the upper face 66 of the core body 60 and the electric heater 30 so that heat is directed through the upper major surface.

The cabling 14-18 and power leads 52, 54 may be housed in suitable channels (not shown) defined in the core body 60 The electric heater 30 may comprise a heating element disposed above the core body 66. The electric heater 30 may be disposed in channelling (not shown) provided in the upper face 66 of the core body 60. The channelling may be fitted with a lining of heat reflecting material to protect the core body and cause the heat output of the electric heater 30 to be focussed on the upper major surface 32 of the floor tile 10. The electric heater 30 may comprise a twin cable. The floor tile 10 may comprise a diffuser layer (not shown) disposed between the electric heater 30 and the cap 62 to distribute the heat output by the electric heater more evenly across the major surface 32. The diffuser layer may, for example, be made of a suitable ceramic, metal or plastics material or a combination thereof. For ease of manufacture the electric heater may be incorporated in the diffuser layer.

When a floor tile 10 is assembled with other floor tiles in a raised floor installation, its corners are supported by respective pedestals, or support columns, 72 that are placed on, for example, the floor 74 of a building. The upper surface of the pedestals, which engages the underside of the floor tiles, may be provided with fins (not shown) arranged in cruciform to locate and space the floor tiles.

When installed, the floor tiles 10 are disposed in edge-to-edge relationship with facing edges 34 of adjacent floor tiles touching, or nearly touching. The female connectors 18, 22, 26, 56 at one edge 34 of one of the floor tiles 10 are connected with the male connectors 20, 24, 28, 58 of the facing edge 34 to form part of a circuit for the electrical power, data, telephone and heater power cabling.

The floor box aperture 36 may house a floor box 76 or a blanking plug, or plate, 78. The floor box aperture 36 and floor box/blanking plug 76, 78 may be provided with respective formations to provide a push-fit or clip-in connection by which the floor box/blanking plug is secured in the floor box aperture. The configuration of the formations may be such that the floor box/blanking plug 76, 78 can be released from the floor box aperture 36 10 without raising the floor tile 10.

When a floor box 76 is fitted in the floor box aperture 36, the connectors 4050 are plugged into the floor box, which has electrical power, data and telephony outlets as described in more detail below with reference to Figure 6. If a blanking plug 78 is used, the female connectors 40, 44, 48 are connected to the respective male connectors 42, 46, 50 to establish continuity between the two sides of the respective cabling 14-18. This is what is shown in Figure 2, where the female connector 40 is shown connected to the male connector 42 to establish continuity between the two sides of the electrical power cabling 14.

Figure 3 is a schematic plan view of a plurality of floor tiles 10 assembled into a raised floor installation in a room 80. The raised floor installation comprises floor tiles 10 as illustrated by Figures 1 and 2, which are labelled as Type 1 tiles. The installation may additionally comprise Type C tiles, which are essentially the same as the floor tiles 10. The difference is that instead of having the cabling 14-16 extending across the floor tile 10 between the edges 34 as shown in Figure 1, one end of the cabling exits the floor tile at one of the opposed edges 82 of the tile that extend between the edges 34 so that in effect, the cabling makes a right angled turn as it passes through the floor tile. It is not essential that all of the Type 1 or Type C floor tiles comprise a floor box aperture. Instead, either form of the tile may have cabling 14-18 that extends between edges 34, 82 of the tile without any break.

The raised floor installation may additionally comprise Type S, Type E and Type B floor tiles. Type S is a starter tile configured for connection to a 5 mains power supply and data/telephony spine of the building and to a thermostat and heater controller. The heater controller may be configured to control the temperature in the room by adjusting the power supplied to the electric heaters 30. Type B is a blank floor tile of odd size with neither integrated cabling nor an electric heater. Type E is an end tile which has connectors for connection to the mains power supply data/telephony spine of the building and to the heater controller.

Figure 4 is a schematic representation of a ribbon-type connector 90 that 15 may be used in place of the connectors 22, 24, 26, 28, 44, 48, 46, 50 for connecting a bundle of data/telephony cabling formed as a ribbon.

Figure 5 shows another floor tile 110. The floor tile 110 has many features that are the same as or similar to the floor tile 10. Those features are 20 indicated by the same reference incremented by 100 and may not be described in detail again.

The floor tile 110 houses electrical power cabling 114 and a data and voice cabling bundle 116 that each extend beyond opposite edges 134 of the floor tile. The floor tile 110 is optionally provided with a floor box 136, here in the middle of the tile. Two channels 192, 194 are defined in the underside core of the floor tile 110 for the electrical power cabling 114 and data and voice cabling bundle 116. The channels 192, 194 are spaced apart so as to reduce the likelihood of electrical interference from the electrical power cabling 114 affecting the signals carried by the data and voice cabling 116. Although not essential, in the illustrated example the channels 192, 194 are extend in parallel spaced apart relation and are disposed adjacent respective edges 182 of the floor tile so that they are disposed one on each side of the floor box aperture 136.

In this example, instead of having breaks in the cabling at the floor box aperture as in the floor tile 10, there is branch cabling 114B, 116B connecting the cabling with the floor box aperture. The branch cabling 114B, 5 116B is housed in respect branch channels 192B, 194B that runs transverse to the channels 192, 194 to locations adjacent the floor box aperture 136.

In this example, instead of having cabling extending from the floor tile, the floor tile 110 is provided with integral female and male connectors 196-199 disposed at the edges 134 of the tile. Similarly, integral male or female connectors 200, 202 may be provided at the end of the branch channels 192B, 194B to connect the branch cabling 114B, 116B with suitable connectors provided on the floor box.

The floor tiles 10, 110 may be formed by moulding a core body to define as a generally rectangular body. The channelling for the cabling may be cut into the moulded body, but is preferably formed as a part of the moulding process. Similarly, where a floor box aperture is provided, it may be cut out of the core body or formed as part of the moulding process. In some examples in which the floor box aperture is moulded into the core body, the aperture is not a through-hole and instead has a bottom surface defined by the core body. The core body may be moulded from any suitable particulate material. Reclaimed woodchips and dust may be used to mould particle board core bodies.

Following moulding, the skin cap may be fitted over the core body and the cabling inserted into the channelling. Finally, the bottom plate of the skin is fitted to the underside of the core body to trap the cabling in the channelling. In floor tiles having cabling extending from the tile, the ends of the cabling protrudes through recesses (not shown) that may be provided at the edges of the bottom plate. Preferably, the male and female connectors are fitted to the cabling prior to its insertion into the channelling. However, this is not essential and in some cases the connectors may be fitted following the fitting of the bottom plate. In examples in which the connectors are integral with the floor tile, the cabling may be fitted to the connectors prior to assembling the core body and skin. The parts of the skin, which are typically made of a metal, may be secured to the core body in any convenient known manner, for example, by way of suitable adhesives.

Figure 6 is a schematic representation of a floor box 76that can be fitted into a floor box aperture 136 of a floor tile 110. The floor box 76 comprises a body or housing 204. The body 204 may be a plasticls moulding. The floor box 76 further comprises female/male connectors 206, 208 to connect with the female/male connectors 200, 202 of the floor tile 110. The connector 206 is electrically connected with at least one power outlet 210. The or each power outlet 210 may be a socket configured to receive plugs attached to the power leads of equipment such as computing equipment and printers and may be configured to comply with the electrical standards of various countries into which the floor box is to be supplied. The connector 208 is suitably connected with at least one data or telephony outlet 212 to which computing equipment, telephones and the like can be connected. The each or each outlet 212 may comprise an R345 socket.

The floor box 76 may also comprise a wireless module 214 suitably connected with the connector 206. The wireless module 214 may comprise a card provided with a suitable antenna to enable devices to wirelessly connect with a data transmission network that includes the cabling 116. The wireless module 214 may provide transmit using protocols such as Bluetooth® or a WiFi® standard. This increases the utility of the floor tile 110 and floor box 76 since the number of devices that can connect to the network is not limited by the number of outlets 210 and such devices do not need to be tethered to the floor box by means of Ethernet cables.

The floor box 76 may be modified for use with the floor tile 10 by omitting the integral female/male connectors 206, 208 and having cabling extending from the housing 204 fitted with suitable female and male connectors to connect with the female male connectors 40-50.

The electrical power cabling may comprise conventional insulated copper wire cabling. The data and telephony (voice) cabling may comprise wire or optical fibre cabling. The data and telephony cabling may comprise separate cables or be integrated in a bundle or ribbon.

The upper major surface of the floor tiles may be provided with markings or pre-drilled holes to allow base plates for internal partition systems to be 10 safely installed without damaging the cabling.

The illustrated floor tiles may incorporate power, data and voice cabling, eliminating the need for underfloor baskets of individual structured power, data and voice cables and the need for expensive specialists to install them.

They also provide an economical underfloor heating system to supply heat to a room above. The underfloor heating system may provide a room with a warm economic heating system at a fraction of the cost of installing fossil fuel heating systems and drastically reduce the requirement for plant room space in a building.

The illustrated floor tiles provide a 'plug and play' raised floor tile system that allows the rapid connection of services within a room. A raised floor installation incorporating the floor tiles may be installed quickly without the need to employ expensive skilled labour and the distribution of services within the room can be readily adjusted to suit the requirments of the occupant(s) by fitting floor boxes into the floor tiles.

If desired zonal heating can be achieved by using floor tiles 10, 110 in certain parts of a large floor space and similar tiles with no electric heater in 30 our parts of the floor space.

Although not limited to these dimensions, the floor tiles 10, 110 may be standard sized tiles that are 60 X 60 X 5 cm.

The connectors may be configured to resist water ingress or provided with suitable water resistant coverings. A suitable circuit breaker may be incorporated in one or more floor tiles to break the electric power circuit in the event of water ingress.

The floor tiles 10, 110 may be supported by conventional standard pedestals.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A floor tile to be placed on a plurality of pedestals in a raised floor installation, said floor tile housing electrical power cabling and at least one of data and telephony cabling provided with respective connectors for connection with connectors of at least one adjacent said floor tile and an electric heater arranged to supply heat through a surface of the floor tile that in use is the upper major surface of the floor tile.
2. A floor tile as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an insulator and wherein said electric heater is disposed between said insulator and said upper major surface so that heat is directed through said upper major surface.
3. A floor tile as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein said floor tile is provided with an aperture to receive a floor box and at least one connector to connect said floor box with said cabling.
4. A floor tile as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a floor box fitted in said floor box aperture, said floor box comprising a wireless communications module.
5. A floor tile according to claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein said floor tile 25 comprises a wireless communications module.
6. A floor tile as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said respective connectors comprise connectors provided at two edges of said floor tile for connection with respective connectors of two said adjacent floor 30 tiles.
7. A floor tile as claimed in 6, wherein a first of said two edges extends transversely of a second of said two edges.
8. A floor tile as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein said respective connectors are integral connectors disposed at said two edges.
9. A floor tile as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a 5 core body that defines channelling and said electrical power cabling and at least one of data and telephony cabling are disposed in said channelling.

A floor tile as claimed in claim 9, wherein said channelling comprises respective channels for said electrical power cabling and at least one of data
10 and telephony cabling, said respective channels being disposed adjacent opposite edges of the floor tile.
11. An installation comprising a plurality of floor tiles as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the said cabling of each said tile is 15 connected with the cabling of at least one adjacent tile by said connectors.
12. A method of manufacturing a floor tile comprising a core body having a first major surface and a second major surface disposed opposite said first major surface and a skin for said core body, said method comprising providing channelling in said first major surface extending between a first edge of said core body and a second edge of said core body, disposing electrical power cabling and at least one of data and telephony cabling in said channelling, enclosing said core body with said skin, providing an electric heater between said second major surface and said skin and providing said cabling with respective connectors for connecting with connectors of at least one adjacent said tile.
13. A method of manufacturing as claimed in claim 12, further comprising providing an insulator between said second major surface and said electric 30 heater so that in use heat is directed away from said second major surface.
14. A method of manufacturing as claimed in claim 12 or 13, further comprising moulding said core body with integral said channelling.
15. A floorbox to be installed in a floor tile and comprising a wireless communications module.
16. A floor box as claimed in claim 15, further comprising at least one electrical power outlet and at least one data signal outlet and respective connectors for connection with respective connectors attached to electrical power cabling by which electrical power is supplied to the floor box and network data cabling by which said at least one data signal outlet is connected with a data network.
17. A floor tile substantially as herein described with reference to the drawings.
18. A raised floor installation substantially as herein described with 15 reference to the drawings.