Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
  • E04F15/00—Flooring
  • E04F15/02—Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements
  • E04F15/024—Sectional false floors, e.g. computer floors
  • E04F15/02405—Floor panels
  • E04F15/02417—Floor panels made of box-like elements
  • E04F15/02423—Floor panels made of box-like elements filled with core material
  • E04F15/02429—Floor panels made of box-like elements filled with core material the core material hardening after application
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04C—STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS; BUILDING MATERIALS
  • E04C2/00—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels
  • E04C2/30—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels characterised by the shape or structure
  • E04C2/34—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels characterised by the shape or structure composed of two or more spaced sheet-like parts
  • E04C2/36—Building elements of relatively thin form for the construction of parts of buildings, e.g. sheet materials, slabs, or panels characterised by the shape or structure composed of two or more spaced sheet-like parts spaced apart by transversely-placed strip material, e.g. honeycomb panels
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
  • E04F15/00—Flooring
  • E04F15/02—Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements
  • E04F15/024—Sectional false floors, e.g. computer floors
  • E04F15/02405—Floor panels
  • E04F15/02417—Floor panels made of box-like elements

Definitions

• the present invention concerns the field of so-called access floors, as widely used at present, for example, in offices and public buildings.
• These floors comprise a system of vertical uprights set at a certain distance from one another and resting on a bed, and a 5.
• horizontal floor surface consisting of panels supported by said uprights. Pipes and cables can be installed in the space between the bed and the floor surface, thus remaining easily accessible for servicing.
• a first type consists of flat chipboard panels.
• a drawback of panels of this type is that they have little fire-resistance even if they are impregnated with fire-proofing material; they do not flare up, but they burn to ashes in a relatively short time. They do not withstand damp.
• Another type of panel used for access floors consists of metal-plated chipboard panels. These present greater manufacturing
• U.S. patents Nos. 4.203.268 and 4.411.121 describe access 5.
• floor panels consisting of a tray-shaped bottom part and a lid-shaped top part, both of sheet metal, in which the tray-shaped part is formed with dome shapes ending in truncated cone shapes substantially extending up to and contacting tne cover.
• these panels present some advantages, their acoustic properties are 10. not satisfactory and they do no afford good thermal insulation or fire-resistance since there are some points at which the tray is welded directly to the cover. They also have to be welded during assembly, thus giving rise to high costs and making it necessary to pain, the outer surface to prevent rust.
• the aim of this application is to produce an access floor panel that overcomes the drawbacks of previous panels, i.e. that is fire-resistant, thermally insulating, has good acoustic qualities, is sturdy and have an upper surface that can be finished in any way one likes, that represents an innovation in products with simple
• This aim has been achieved with the panels described in claim 1.
• This panel is strong, hard-wearing, could beof reduced thickness, has good acoustic and thermal properties, is fire-resistant, has space 25. for cables and pipes to pass inside it and can be finished in any way one wishes on its upper surface. It can also be manufactured at a low cost compared to the previous panels made from metal and composite materials.
• Figure 1 is a plan view of a first type of panel; the cover or upper element is illustrated only in part, the rest having been cut away to show the inside of the panel; the core element has also been partially removed to show the base;
• Figure 2 is a section along 2-2 in figure 1 of the assembled panel; 10.
• Figure 3 is a similar section of the panel to that shown in figure 2, but in an exploded view;
• Figure 4 is an illustration of a length of the metal band making up the coiled core, laid flat and broken off;
• Figure 5 is a view of a second type of panel according to this 15. invention, along 5-5 in Figure 6;
• Figure 6 is a section along 6-6 of figure 5, illustrating the three elements that make up the second type of panel, in an exploded view;
• Figure 7 is a view of a third type of panel according to the 20. present invention along 7-7 in figure 8;
• Figure 8 is a section along 8-8 in figure 7 which illustrates the parts making up the third type of panel, in an exploded view;
• Figure 9 is a cross section of the different types of metal sheets 25. used to form the core of the panel;
• Figure 10 is a plan view of a fourth type of panel; part of the cover has been cut away to show the parts beneath;
• Figure 11 is a view of the panel in the preceding figure, part of which is an elevational view and part a section along 11-11 in figure 10;
• Figure 12 is a front view of a tab; 5.
• Figure 13 is a vertical section through the fourth type of panel, on a different scale from figures 10 and 11;
• Figure 14 is a perspective view of a further type of panel which, without the cover, can be filled with various materials thus providing a ready-made floor surface.
• an access floor panel is designated as a whole by number 10 and comprises a bottom element or base 12, a top element or cover 14 and an intermediate core element 16.
• the bottom element or base is hollow and tray-shaped, having a flat 15. bottom surface with grooves or channels 18, the arrangement of which, when seen in a plan view, corresponds at least in part to the shape of the core part 16 seen in a plan view; said channels serve to accomodate parts of the core and stiffen the base.
• a peripheral edge 15 of the base extends outwards, forming a flange to join with 20. the cover element and engage with the uprights (not illustrated) to form the floor.
• the top element 14 or cover is generally a flat sheet of metal.
• the intermediate core element comprises a metal band wound into a coil starting from the centre of the panel.
• coiled metal band is set substantially at right angles to the base and the cover.
• the metal band 16 making up the coil (figure 4) is cut so that it has projections 16' set at intervals along the .longitudinal edges,- these projections serve to weld the spiral to the cover and to the grooves in the tray.
• the preferred 5. arrangement at present is for these parts to be welded in place, the two parts could also be fitted together through a fixed joint, by suitably shaping the channel 18' and the core parts 16 or they could be fastened together or joined by seaming or by any other method known in the field.
• the 10. base 12 preferably has a peripheral channel 19.
• the base and cover are joined by any known method, for example by seaming.
• the panel 20 in figures 5 and 6 comprises a tray 22 with straight channels 28, a flat cover 24 and an intermediate spacer element 26 consisting of a flat metal sheet 23 in which flaps or tabs 25 have
• FIG. 20 will preferably have channels 28, shaped and arranged to correspond to the tabs.
• Figure 5 shows a particular arrangement of the folded tabs in the core element; this arrangement, seen in a plan view, comprises slots 27a, 27b (and relative tabs) set at right angles to each other and parallel to the diagonals of a square, slots 27c
• Panel 30 of figures 7 and 8 differs from the preceding panel only in the arrangement of the slots and relative tabs.
• Said panel 30, like the preceding one, comprises a base element 32, an upper cover part 34 and an intermediate core element 36.
• the tabs 35 formed by cutting along three sides and folding along 5.
• the fourth side leave slots 37 which in this case are arranged in pairs, each pair being set at right angles to the pair next to it.
• the channels 38 in the base have an identical arrangement to that of the tabs.
• a core element comprising metal sections or channels of various shapes, for examples C-, Z- or I-shaped, disposed between the base and the 15. cover, by welding for example.
• Each panel according to the invention also includes a filling of a per se known material with thermo-acustic properties, such as cellular concrete or expanded material.
• the panels are used by assembling them on uprights of a conventional type, which are 20. therefore not described herein.
• a further type of panel indicated as a whole by number 40 in figures 10, 11 and 12 comprises a tray-shaped element 42, a cover element 44, and a core element or spacer 46.
• the latter has an arrangement of slots 47 and flaps 45 (obtained from the slots) similar to the arrangement in figure 7, except that the slots and tabs are arranged singly at right angles and not in pairs.
• Each tab is cut with one or more seaming tongues 45' which protude from the opposite edge to the fold line.
• the bottom of the tray 42 has channels 48 with slots 48' into which the tongues 45' are fitted and then folded, in a per se known manner, over the metal sheet of the channels 48.
• the tray has a peripheral stiffening channel 51.
• the core tray and the cover are preferably seam joined together by a fold along the edge of the 10. cover that fits into a special fold along the edge of the tray.
• the panel 40 like the panels described above may be filled with material having thermal and acoustic properties, such as cellular concrete for example, or left empty.
• panels so far described have a cover, panels comprising 15. only a tray element and a core element also come within the scope of the" invention.
• a panel is illustrated in fig. 14, reference number 60.
• the tray is designated by 62 and the core by 66.
• the core is of the cut and folded metal type, similar to cores 36 and 46 in the preceding examples.
• the empty space within the tray can be filled with concrete or expanded material so that it already forms a floor surface, or it can be left empty.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Floor Finish (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=11160929

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (7)

Cited By (2)

Citations (9)

• 1989
  • 1989-03-13 IT IT8919751A patent/IT1228368B/it active
• 1990
  • 1990-03-12 WO PCT/IT1990/000026 patent/WO1990010769A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1990-03-12 ES ES90904650T patent/ES2051012T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1990-03-12 EP EP90904650A patent/EP0463034B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1990-03-12 JP JP2504681A patent/JPH04503838A/ja active Pending
  • 1990-03-12 DE DE69006494T patent/DE69006494T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1990-03-12 AU AU52705/90A patent/AU5270590A/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (9)

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