NL1011669C2 - Composite resilient floor for e.g. sports or ballet - Google Patents

Abstract

The top layer (10) is glued to slabs (2) on top of a resilient foam base layer (1). The slabs have grooves (4) in their sides (3) and are joined by an I-shaped connector (5) that has an upper section (8) that fits into the groove and a wider lower section (7) that fits under the slab. The upper section has a flange (9) that grips the slab. A polymer is injected into the gaps between the slabs.

Description

Sports floor

The invention relates to a floor which is suitable, for example, as a sports floor or a ballet floor. Requirements are imposed on such floors, such as resilience, durability and skid resistance.

5 Well-known floors consist of a resilient: bottom layer and a number of sheet metal layers, each layer;

from a number of plate parts placed against each other I

and wherein the seams of a layer are covered by sheet parts of at least one adjacent layer. A covering layer is then placed on this number of sheet sublayers. ~

The sheet metal layers are applied as indicated above in order to prevent tearing of a covering layer at the seam between two sheet metal parts.

15 A drawback of such plate systems is that "laying them is very labor-intensive. In addition, § the quality of the floor depends on the way in which i: the different slab layers relative to each other -

are laid. This also affects resilience I.

20 from a floor.

DE-U-86 04 004 discloses a floor, such as a sports floor, comprising: - a resilient underlay; - at least two, placed on the substrate, "

25 adjacent plate parts, which adhere to one another I

Edge zones accustomed to have respective longitudinal grooves, which are arranged at equal distances from the top surfaces of the plate parts; - a covering layer applied to the plate parts, which is common to at least a number of plate parts; and

- at least one connecting plate, appropriate II

into the grooves of both plates; 1011669 2 wherein the connecting plate forms part of a general I-shaped connecting profile, which comprises a second connecting plate arranged at a distance from the first connecting plate and connected via a body, each connecting plate comprising two flanges extending on either side of the body, which flanges cooperate in pairs with a part of said peripheral zones extending therebetween; wherein both flanges on one side of the body have different widths, the narrowest flange being in the groove and the widest flange being between the sheet members and the bottom layer.

The sports floor known from said German publication comprises a generally I-shaped connecting profile, wherein each bottom flange has an upwardly directed end-longitudinal edge. Both the entire bottom flange and the said longitudinal edge are suitably accommodated in correspondingly shaped recesses in each involved plate part. As a result of the undercut structure, the plate parts can only be coupled with a connecting profile by sliding the connecting profile along its entire length in the said recess and longitudinal grooves in the longitudinal direction. This is an extremely impractical way of working and under certain circumstances makes laying a floor in an enclosed sports space without loose seams: in principle impossible.

In connection with the above, the invention provides a floor which has the special feature that the top surface of the bottom flange is flat and the bottom surface of a plate part is flat and said flat top surface of said flange and said flat bottom surface of the said plate part is in contact with each other.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the floor according to the invention has the special feature that the flange protruding into the groove has a bent longitudinal edge 1011669 3 for clamping coupling to the wall of a groove of a plate part.

According to another embodiment, a hardening mass is arranged in the space between the first connecting plate and the walls of the groove. As a result, a stronger connection of two plate parts is obtained and the gaps between two plate parts are filled, so that an even floor surface is obtained.

These and other features are further elucidated with reference to the accompanying drawing. "

Figure 1 shows a perspective view with I.

partially cut-away parts of an embodiment ΐ according to the invention.

Figure 2 shows a cross section of the Ξ embodiment according to figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a floor according to the invention ”in perspective view with partly cut-away parts. = 20 Figure 4 shows a variant.

Figure 1 shows a floor according to the [invention. This floor comprises a resilient "bottom layer 1, which, for example, consists of a foam of polythene. Plate parts 2 "25 are placed on this bottom layer 1, each of which has a groove 4 arranged in the peripheral side 3. Both plate parts 2 are coupled to each other by means of an I-shaped connecting profile 5. -

This connecting profile 5 consists of a body 6 and connecting plates 7 and 8 arranged at right angles to both ends of the body. The second, lower connecting plate 7 is made wider than the first, upper connecting plate 8. As a result,

placing the groove 4 of plate part 2 around the top I.

connecting plate 8 the plate on the bottom I

35 support plate 7. In addition, the top one!

connecting plate provided with a bent edge 9, whereby the connecting plate 8 clamps the plate part 2.

1011669 4

A cover layer 10 is further arranged on the plate parts 2, which is for instance attached to the plate parts 2 with an adhesive. This coating can for instance be sports linoleum.

Figure 2 shows a cross-section of the floor of figure 1. Figure 2 also shows the floor, which consists of a bottom layer 1, plate parts 2, a connecting piece 5 and top layer 10. Preferably, the space 11 which is present between the plate parts 2 and the connecting piece 5 is filled with a cured mass, such as for instance a polyurethane glue. An extra strong coupling of plate parts 2 is hereby obtained.

The plate parts are preferably made of 15 chips which are bound by polyurethane. The plate parts 2 manufactured in this way have desirable mechanical properties, such as strength and damping properties.

The connecting piece 5 is preferably made of aluminum, but can also be made of other materials, for instance a plastic.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of a number of plates coupled together. Figure 3 shows the plate parts 2, which are provided with a groove 4 along the peripheral edge 3. As shown in the previous figures, the plate parts are covered with a covering layer 10.

An opening 12 is further arranged in the floor according to the invention, for example for the passage of a pole, which is necessary in a sport. Furthermore, near the edges adjacent to, for example, a wall, the floor is provided with finishing profiles 13, which are arranged inter alia to absorb length variations of the floor, as a result of expansion or contraction by heat or moisture.

Figure 4 shows a variant in which an I-35 shaped connecting profile 17 comprises a rib 19 arranged in line with the body 18. This rib 19 is designed in such a way that it fills the space at the top of the connecting piece between both plate parts 2, 1011669 5, whereby a flat floor is obtained even without cured mass.

1011669

Claims (7)

Floor, such as a sports floor, comprising: - a resilient underlay; - at least two abutting plate parts placed on the bottom layer, which have respective longitudinal grooves on their edge zones facing each other, which are equidistant from the top surfaces of the plate parts; - a covering layer applied to the plate parts, which is common to at least a number of plate parts; 10 and - at least one connecting plate fittingly into the grooves of both plates; the connecting plate forming part of a general I-shaped connecting profile, comprising a second connecting plate arranged via a body spaced apart from the first connecting plate, each connecting plate comprising two flanges extending on either side of the body, which flanges cooperate in pairs with a part of said edge zones extending therebetween; ;; both flanges on one side of the web having different widths, the narrowest flange being in the groove and the widest flange being between the plate members and the underlayer, the top surface of the bottom flange being flat and the bottom surface of a plate member flat and said flat top surface of said flange and said flat bottom surface of said sheet member are in contact with each other. Floor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the groove protruding flange has a bent longitudinal edge for clamping coupling to the wall of a groove of a plate part. 1011669 Floor according to claim 1, wherein a cured mass is arranged in the space between the first flanges and the walls of the groove. Floor according to claim 3, wherein the cured mass is a polyurethane mass. Floor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plate parts are made of paper money chips which are bound by polyurethane. Floor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the = 10 resilient bottom layer is made of polyethylene: flake foam. : Floor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the I connecting profile consists of aluminum. 1011669