CAP FOR DILUTION BOARD
FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to an insert member, and more particularly to a cap insert member for expansion joint to seal a space in a concrete expansion joint.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION When a concrete floor surface is installed, a space is normally left between the adjacent concrete slabs. These spaces allow the concrete slabs to move, due to the settlement of a structure, and they expand and contract due to changes in the ambient temperature. A concrete floor surface consists of large-sized concrete slabs, for example 30 x 30 square feet. Each slab is separated from the adjacent slabs by a space of approximately 1/2 inch. To provide a finished floor surface, a finishing material is applied to the surface of the concrete slabs such as rubber or vinyl tiles, leaving the edges of the tiles level with the edges of the concrete slabs in each of them. the
87/32 edges of the expansion joint. When the adjacent concrete slabs are contracted, they separate from each other, taking with them the tiles adhered to them. If the tile is placed over the slit, for example where it is filled with caulking material, the tile will crack (it should not crack if it is placed up to the edge of the slit on the surface of the finish). Consequently, the space between the concrete slabs will also increase, thus causing a space to appear between adjacent tiles applied to the respective adjacent concrete slabs. In the enlarged space left between the concrete slabs the earth may appear. In some cases, enlarged spaces and exposed land may violate health regulations. When the adjacent concrete slabs expand and come closer to each other, the tiles adhered to them could be damaged. In this respect, the tiles adhered to the adjacent concrete slabs can chip, crack, crack or detach from the concrete slab, as the tiles of the adjacent slabs are pushed together. In view of the above problems, there is a need for a device that can fill the space left between the adjacent concrete slabs, and prevent that space and the earth from being exposed when the adjacent concrete slabs contract and separate, and to maintain a generally continuous finishing surface, when the adjacent concrete slabs expand and move closer together.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a resilient and elongate insertion member of essentially constant cross-section is provided for filling an expansion joint space formed between adjacent concrete slabs. The insert member is comprised of a cap portion having a curved top surface and a curved bottom surface, and a projection member extending downwardly from the bottom surface of the cap portion. The cap portion preferably has a mushroom shape. The projection member is comprised of a pair of generally flat parallel walls, these walls being generally perpendicular to the lower surface of the cap. The projection member preferably terminates in a portion having a triangular cross section with a downwardly directed cross section similar to an arrowhead. Therefore, the walls and the lower portion are preferably formed in the shape of an arrow. The arrow portion is compressed as the adjacent slabs dilate reducing the space between them. The compression decreases when the slabs contract. Tiles and other floor covering surfaces move under the mushroom cap as the slabs expand and contract. It is an object of the present invention to provide an expansion joint cap for use in bonding between adjacent concrete slabs with finish, to allow the movement of the slabs under the upper part of the cap. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a cap insert for expansion joint that provides a continuous surface of the finish between adjacent concrete slabs. It is another object of the present invention to provide a cap insert member for expansion joint, which is easily installed in the space between adjacent concrete slabs. It is another object of the present invention to provide a cap insert member for expansion joint that provides a seal between the finishing materials applied to the adjacent concrete slabs. It is another object of the present invention to provide a cap insert member for expansion joint that prevents chipping and cracking of the finish material applied to the surface of adjacent concrete slabs. It is still another object of the present invention to provide an expansion joint cap insert that covers the finishing materials applied to the concrete slabs, when the adjacent concrete slabs move apart from one another, during settlement or thermal contraction, which could cause deformation or buckling of the finishing materials. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a cap insert member for expansion joint, which covers the finishing material applied to the adjacent concrete slabs, which has been damaged, for example by deformation or buckling due to the narrowing of the space between adjacent concrete slabs, during thermal expansion. It is still another object of the present invention to provide a cap insert member for expansion joint that sufficiently covers the space between two adjacent concrete slabs, so that the space is concealed when the space is expanded due to settlement or thermal expansion . A further object of the invention is to provide a joining cap which can be modified to form a joining line in concrete finishing slabs having tiles thereon, to hide the damage done to the slab and the tiles and to allow the additional movement of one slab with respect to another slab, or part of the slab with respect to another part of the slab, on opposite sides of the joining line. These and other objects will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and from the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention can be incorporated in certain parts and arrangement of the parts, a preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail in the specification and will be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof, and in where: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an expansion joint insert member illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the insertion member shown in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the insertion member when placed within a space between two adjacent concrete slabs having finishing materials applied thereto.
87/32 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in which what is shown is for the sole purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiment, and not the purpose of limiting the same, Figure 1 shows an insertion member 10 of expansion joint according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment shown, the insert member 10 is a resilient, elongated strip made of an extruded rubber or vinyl material. Preferably, the insert member 10 is made of an extruded thermoplastic material, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The insert member 10 is generally comprised of a cap portion 20 and a projection member 30. The cap portion 20 is generally comprised of an upper surface 22 and a lower surface 24. The upper surface 22 is a curved surface convex, while the lower surface 24 is a concave curved surface, prior to the placement of the insertion member 10 in the space between the adjacent concrete slabs. It can be called cap 20 portion: mushroom cap. The projection member 30 is generally comprised of side walls 32 and a tooth portion or arrow head 40. The side walls 32 have a generally flat surface and extended downwardly from the lower surface 24 of the portion of cap 20. An anchor, tooth or arrow head portion 40 is formed at the lower end of the side walls 32. The tooth portion 40 is comprised of a pair of horizontal sections 42, which extend outwards, and by a pair of angle sections 44. The horizontal sections 42 are generally perpendicular to the side walls 32. The angle sections 44 have a generally flat surface. Each of the angle sections 44 extends from the outermost edge of the horizontal section 42 towards a tip 46. Joint member 30 can be jointly referred to and the tooth portion 40 as the member's arrow part. 10. Referring now to Figure 3, the concrete slabs 50 are formed adjacent to each other, with a space 52 provided therebetween. The space 52 normally has a width of about 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch. The finishing materials (for example, vinyl or rubber tiles) are adhered to the upper surface of the slabs 50 that provide an extension of the space 52. The space 52 is provided to allow the expansion and thermal contraction of the slabs of concrete 50, as well as the movement of concrete slabs 50 due to settlement. The insertion member 10 is engaged between the slabs 50 and the finishing material 60 by inserting the insertion member 10 into the space 52 with a blow. The arrow part of the insert member 10 is completely engaged between the slabs 50 and the finish 60. , and the slabs 50 expand. This dilation compresses the arrow, including the projecting member 30 and the tooth portion 40, and helps the lower surface 24 of the cap portion 20 to be leveled against the upper surface of the finish 60. The resilience of the insert member and, in particular, the resilience of the cap portion 20, allows the cap portion 20 to expand outwardly and the lower surface 24 to meet the top surface of the finish 60. When the insert member 10 is fully engaged , the lower surface 24 will flex to form a generally flat surface, substantially parallel to the upper surface of the finish 60. The resilience of the cap portion 20 provides a slight upward force on the projecting member 30 to exert a coupling force. positive that tends to lock the projection member 30 in the space 52. Mainly, the cap portion 20 extends outwardly from the space 52 to cover the finishing portions 60 that join the edge of the space 52. In most In cases where new construction is involved, finish 60 extends upwards but not through the space between slabs 50. When the slabs 50 contract, the slabs move away from the projection member 30, although they normally remain coupled with the anchor portion 40. There may be an air gap between the projection member 30 and the vertical edges of the projection member 30. the slabs 50. The finishing surface slides under the fungi or caps 20 as the slabs expand and contract. The horizontal portions 42 of the tooth portion 40 extend outwardly, from the sidewall surfaces 32, a distance sufficient to engage the sidewalls of the concrete slabs 50. The angle sections 44 allow easy installation of the member. of insertion 10 within space 52. While the conformation and size of the angle sections 44 allow for easy installation, the size and shape of the horizontal portion 42 provides a tight and secure fit within the space 52 and avoids the easy withdrawal of the insertion member 10 thereof.
The length of the insertion member 10 may vary. In this aspect, the insertion member 10 can be provided in units of varied length and cut to a required size in a particular situation. However, it will be appreciated that a length of 5, 10, 12, 15 or 30 feet may be preferred, since concrete slabs are typically formed in dimensions of 30 feet x 30 feet, although the length of 12 feet is the usual dimension for extruded finishing materials. Next, the preferred dimensions of the insertion member 10 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Referring to the tooth portion 40 shown in Figure 2, the width dimension A is approximately 0.375 inches, while the width dimension B between the distal ends of the horizontal sections 42 is approximately 0.75 inches. The height dimension C from the center of the upper surface 22 of the cap portion 20 to the tip 46 is approximately 1.69 inches. The side walls 32 have a preferred height dimension D of approximately 1,125 inches. Referring now to Figure 3, the height dimension E, from the bottom surface 24 to the tip 46, is approximately 1.5 inches. The width dimension F of the cap portion 20 is approximately
87/32 of 1.5 inches. It should be noted that the dimensions shown with reference to Figure 3 are determined with the insert member 10 fully engaged between the slabs 50 and the finishing materials 60. Consequently, due to the resilient nature of the insert member 10, the cap portion 20 extends so that the bottom surface 24 is flush against the finishing materials 60. Therefore, the dimensions E and F will be different when the cap portion 20 is not engaged. In particular, the dimensions E and F will be reduced when the cap portion 20 is decoupled from the space 52. It should be appreciated that the above dimensions are only for a preferred embodiment, and that any of the dimensions can be varied to adapt to the insertion member 10. to a particular situation. As noted above, the present invention provides a cap insert member for expansion joint to fill the spaces or lines between concrete slabs and thus make the displacement of concrete slabs or finishes unnoticed. Concrete slabs can be separated due to the settlement of a construction or due to thermal contraction. Consequently, the insertion member of the present invention is placed in the space between the slabs for
87/32 cover the finishing materials after they have been separated. In contrast, if the concrete slabs move in close proximity to each other due to settling or thermal expansion, the insert member of the present invention will be compressed and will prevent chipping, cracking or any other form of damage to the finishing material. , and will also prevent any change in the condition of the finishing material. In some cases spaces can be formed on the slabs when they have moved, which could damage the tiles placed on the slab. Also, when the slab has tiles placed on it, spaces could be formed if the slab has cracked. Similarly, slabs that dilate against each other, or parts of a slab on opposite sides of a joint line, could dilate or bump against each other. The slabs or parts of slabs that initially lie down against each other could contract and form a space. The above spaces can be cleaned on the inside and, in accordance with the invention, within the spaces the expansion joint caps could be adapted in order to hide the damage and still allow additional movement between slabs or adjacent slab parts. It should be appreciated that the insertion member of the present invention can be made of various colors of
87/32 that combines or harmonizes with the colors of existing finishing materials. The foregoing description is a specific embodiment of the present invention. It should be appreciated that this embodiment is described for purposes of illustration only and that numerous alterations and modifications may be practiced by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is intended that all such modifications and alterations be included as long as they fall within the scope of the invention in the form in which it is claimed or in the equivalents thereof.
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