US20030070372A1

US20030070372A1 - Support for raised floors with adjustable height and a swing system

Info

Publication number: US20030070372A1
Application number: US10/270,978
Authority: US
Inventors: Gabriele Favero
Original assignee: Eterno Ivica SpA
Current assignee: Eterno Ivica SpA
Priority date: 2001-10-17
Filing date: 2002-10-15
Publication date: 2003-04-17
Also published as: EP1304426A3; ITPD20010246A1; EP1304426A2

Abstract

The invention is a new support for raised floors with adjustable height, comprising a cylindrical base element, threaded on the inside, for resting on the laying surface, an intermediate element or extension, threaded at top and bottom, and a top element with a concave top housing a swinging cap with diaphragms, on which the flat elements of the raised floor rest. This new support makes it possible to construct perfectly flat and continuous raised floors even in presence of considerable differences in level or slopes of the laying surface.

Description

RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present patent concerns raised floors and their supports, and in particular it concerns a new support, with adjustable height, for raised floors, equipped with a swing system for the flat flooring elements.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

To make raised floors, supports are currently placed on the laying surface and the flat elements that make up the raised floor are placed on them.

These known supports are composed of at least one base element and a top element on which the panels are laid.

The base elements (pedestal) are generally cylindrical in shape, threaded on the inside. They have a broad base for standing on at the bottom and are placed on the laying surface in positions corresponding to the corners of the flat flooring elements laid next to one another.

The top element on which the panels are laid is composed of a generically cylindrical part, threaded on the outside, with at the top end a flat surface orthogonal to the cylindrical part and suitable for supporting the elements of the raised floor.

To compensate for the difference in slope between the laying surface, which must be tilted to allow the drainage of meteoric water, and the raised floor, which must obviously be horizontal, on the flat surface of the top supporting element of some supports, there are four concave seats housing four caps whose spherical surface faces downwards and whose upper surface is flat. Each corner of the flat elements of the raised floor rests on said horizontal flat surfaces, which are at different heights with respect to one another.

The supports composed as described above make it possible to obtain raised floors that however, if they are placed on an inclined plane, have the elements of the raised floor at different heights, and they do not create a continuous surface, but form steps between each element and the adjacent ones.

Moreover, in the case of large differences in level between the laying surface and the raised floor, ridges or shims must be prepared on which the pedestals of the supports are placed, with considerable expense of labor and time.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks, a new type of support for raised floors has been studied and implemented, with adjustable height and a swing system.

The aim of the new support is to allow the construction of perfectly flat raised floors, without discontinuity, even in conditions where there is a high slope of the laying surface, without having to make use of ridges or additional bases for the supports themselves.

Another aim of the new support is to allow the construction of raised floors without interruption of the surface of the panels of the raised floor.

Another aim of the new support is to provide a suitable laying surface for the panels of the raised floor.

Another aim is to solve all the problems connected to slope and height with a few standard elements (pedestal, extension, top element, cap) which tolerate a considerable difference between the minimum and the maximum laying height.

Support for raised floors, with adjustable height and a swing system, comprising a generically cylindrical base element, one or more threaded cylindrical spacing elements, a threaded cylindrical top element having a spherical concave top end and suited to contain in the top a swinging cap with flat top surface on which the elements of the raised floor are laid.

The characteristics of the support for raised floors with adjustable height and a swing system will be better explained by the following description with reference to the drawings enclosed as an example without limitation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an application of the new supports on a laying surface ([0019] 1) tilted with an inclination of alpha degrees, where the cap (C) is horizontal, that is, rotated at an angle of alpha degrees with respect to the top element (S).
FIG. 2 shows the four components of the new support, while [0020]
FIG. 3 shows the same elements assembled in the case of a laying surface tilted at alpha degrees. [0021]
FIG. 4 shows the top element (S), while [0022]
FIG. 5 shows the swinging element (C).[0023]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The base element (B) comprises a cylindrical portion (Be), having threaded internal surface (Bf), with a bottom plate (Bp) for resting on the laying surface (I). [0024]
The spacing element (D) is cylindrical in shape with threaded top internal surface (Dfs) and variously irregular external surface in order to facilitate grip during the rotation-adjustment phases. [0025]
The bottom end of said spacing element (D) presents a thread (Dfi) on the bottom part of the outer wall, so that it can be screwed into the internal thread (Bf) of the base element (B). [0026]
The top element (S) is cylindrical in shape with a thread (Sf) on the external surface and it has spherical concave top end (Sc). The external threaded surface (Sf) of the top element (S) is such as to allow it to be screwed both into the spacing element (D) and into the cylindrical portion (Bc) of the base element (B). [0027]
In the center of the concave end (Sc) of the top element (S) there is a linear slot (Sci) such as to contain the end of a tool, typically a flat-tip screwdriver, so as to facilitate the rotation and therefore the screwing and unscrewing of said top element (S) into the spacing element (D) or into the base element (B). [0028]
The swinging cap (C) is an element having curved bottom surface (Ci) so as to be housed, rotate and swing exactly in the concave end (Sc) of the top element (S). [0029]
The top surface (Ca) of said cap (C) is flat to allow the flat elements (E) of the raised floor to be laid on it and it presents several vertical diaphragms (Cs) at right angles to one another and arranged preferably in cross formation in such a way as to align and separate said flat elements. [0030]
In a central position on the cap (C) there is a vertical hole (Cf) which allows a suitable tool to be inserted as far as the slot (Sci) in the top element (S) and to be turned with no need to remove the cap (C). [0031]
The support composed as described above offers considerable advantages and solves all the problems described concerning the known supports. [0032]
If a raised floor has to be made with a considerable slope and difference in level with respect to the laying surface, it is possible to use several spacing elements (D). [0033]
The edges of the flat elements (E) of the raised floor do not present steps or difference in level, since they all rest on the same flat surface (Ca) of the cap (C), which, with respect to the bottom part of the support, rotates completely to keep said elements (E) of the raised floor horizontal without discontinuity. [0034]
Each corner of each element (E) of the raised floor rests on a wide surface, equivalent to one fourth of the cap surface (C), thus distributing the load better than in the systems currently used. [0035]
Therefore, with reference to the above description and to the enclosed drawings, the following claims are expressed. [0036]

Claims

I claim:

1. Support for raised floors with adjustable height, comprising a threaded cylindrical base element (B) for laying on the floor bottom and a threaded cylindrical top element (S), characterised in that said top element (S) has concave top end (Sc) housing a cap (C) on which the flat elements (E) of the raised floor are laid, said cap (C) having a corresponding curved bottom surface (CO so as to be housed, rotate and swing exactly on said concave end (Sc) of the top element (S).

2. Support for raised floors with adjustable height according to claim 1, characterised in that the top surface (Ca) of the cap (C) is flat.

3. Support for raised floors with adjustable height according to claims 1, 2, characterised in that the top surface (Ca) of the cap (C) presents several vertical diaphragms (Cs) at right angles to one another.

4. Support for raised floors with adjustable height according to claims 1, 2, 3, characterised in that it comprises a threaded spacing element (S) suitable for being inserted between said base element (B) and said top element (S).

5. Support for raised floors with adjustable height according to claims 1, 2, 3, characterised in that the internal or external surface of the spacing element (S) is threaded at the bottom (Dfi) so that it can be screwed into said base element (B), and wherein the internal or external surface is threaded at the top so that it can be screwed into said top element (S).

6. Support for raised floors with adjustable height according to claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, characterised in that the top element (S) has, in the centre of its concave top end (Sc), a linear slot (Sci) such as to contain the end of a tool and to allow the screwing and unscrewing of said top element (S).

7. Support for raised floors with adjustable height according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4 5, or 6, characterised in that the cap (C) presents in the centre a corresponding vertical hole (Cf) such as to allow a tool to pass through until reaching said slot in the top element.