Classifications

• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
  • E04F19/00—Other details of constructional parts for finishing work on buildings
  • E04F19/10—Built-in gratings, e.g. foot-scrapers
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L23/00—Cleaning footwear
  • A47L23/22—Devices or implements resting on the floor for removing mud, dirt, or dust from footwear
  • A47L23/26—Mats or gratings combined with brushes ; Mats
  • A47L23/266—Mats
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
  • E04F15/00—Flooring
  • E04F15/16—Flooring, e.g. parquet on flexible web, laid as flexible webs; Webs specially adapted for use as flooring; Parquet on flexible web
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
  • E04F2201/00—Joining sheets or plates or panels
  • E04F2201/05—Separate connectors or inserts, e.g. pegs, pins, keys or strips
  • E04F2201/0594—Hinge-like connectors

Definitions

• the present invention relates to modular floor units, in particular to modular floor mats, such as for wiping footwear as used at building entrances.
• CH 692 442 and DE 20 2004 009 095 Ul typically comprise an array of elongate wiper strips arranged parallel side-by- side and interconnected by connection members, which engage in T-slots provided in the wiper units.
• the wiper units are spaced apart by the connection members to allow dirt to fall in between.
• the system can present a flexibility allowing the wiper units to be rolled up, such that the dirt collected underneath can be removed at regular intervals and/or to ease transporting and handling. This is obtained by making the connection members flexible, such as by having them made of a rubber or other elastic material.
• connection members are short parts compared to the length of the wiper units, whereas the T-slots form channels all along the length of the wiper units.
• the connection members are inserted in the T-slots at one end and are slid along until they are in place.
• CH 692 442 proposes to slightly oversize the connection member's ends engaging in the T- slots. However, this makes sliding the connection members to their place along the units cumbersome, particularly for long wiper units, which require connection members at regular intervals .
• the present invention aims to provide an alternative modular system of the abovementioned type, which overcomes drawbacks of the prior art systems.
• the invention is thus firstly related to a modular floor unit, comprising a plurality of elongate floor unit members spaced apart and interconnected by connection members, wherein
• the floor unit members are provided with lateral grooves, said grooves being provided with a protrusion on their interior surface
• connection members comprise a central portion for bridging the gap between two adjacent floor unit members pair of laterally placed resilient portions inserted in said grooves, said resilient portions being formed as folded portions of a web material, said folded portions comprising a first leg portion attached to the central portion of the connection member, a bend portion second leg portion, the second leg portion being secured behind the protrusion provided in the grooves.
• the second leg portion is secured behind the protrusion provided in the grooves.
• the end of the second leg portion is prevented by said protrusion from moving out of the groove in a direction perpendicular to the groove.
• the resilient portions and said grooves are configured so that the resilient portions are fitted into the grooves of two adjacent mat units, and wherein said fitting is obtainable by pushing the connection member in a direction perpendicular to the grooves until the folded portions are inserted and secured in said grooves.
• connection members When secured in the grooves, the folded portions of the connection members are in a compressed state: the leg portions are compressed laterally so that they exert an elastic counterforce on the sidewalls of the grooves.
• the central portion and the resilient portions are formed from a single piece of web material.
• the first leg portion is essentially perpendicular to the central portion.
• connection members may further comprise a longitudinal rib placed perpendicularly on the central portion of said connection member.
• a distancing strip may further be placed on said rib, for maintaining a fixed distance between two floor unit members when the floor unit is rolled up.
• connection members may be formed of a polymer material.
• this is a rigid or semi-rigid material such as poly-oxy methylene .
• the folded portions exert an elastic force on the interior of the grooves that is sufficient to obstruct any substantial longitudinal movement of the connection members with respect to the grooves.
• the floor unit is a modular foot wiping mat, the floor unit members comprising a means for receiving and maintaining strips of matting material .
• the invention is secondly related to a method for assembling a floor unit according to the invention, comprising the steps of :
• connection members • attaching the connection members to said floor unit members by inserting the folded portions of said connection members into the grooves of the floor unit members in a direction perpendicular to said grooves, whereby the folded portions are compressed by the insertion process
• connection members • securing the connection members by pushing the folded portions past the protrusion provided in the grooves so that the folded portions snap back against the interior of the grooves, thereby securing the folded portions in said grooves.
• the first leg portion of the folded portions of the connection members is essentially perpendicular to the central portion, and wherein the method comprises the steps of
• Figure 1 represents a 3D view of a modular floor mat according to the invention.
• Figure 2 represents front and top view of the mat of figure 1.
• Figure 3 shows a detailed view of a connection member in a mat according to the invention.
• Figure 4 illustrates the assembly method for assembling a floor mat according to the invention.
• Figure 5 shows a further embodiment related to a specific shape of the connection member.
• Figure 6 shows an alternative embodiment of the connection member.
• Figure 1 represents an example embodiment of a modular floor mat 10 according to the invention.
• the invention is mainly applicable to foot wiping mats but could be applicable also to floor units having other functionalities, e.g. sound damping, floor lighting etc.
• the mat 10 is formed of a number of mat members
• Mat members 11 which are spaced apart and interconnected by connection members 12.
• Mat members 11 are disposed side-by-side and preferably parallel to one another, with the connection members 12 bridging the gaps in between two neighbouring mat members 11.
• Mat members 11 are preferably elongate, in that their length can be substantially larger than the dimensions along the other two directions in space.
• the mat members 11 are advantageously provided in the form of elongate profiles, preferably made of an extruded material, such as aluminium or an aluminium alloy.
• the upper side of the profiles advantageously comprises a central upwardly open channel 13 for receiving a matting strip or other wiping means (not shown) .
• the lateral edges of the profiles 11 comprise a groove 14 that runs along at least a portion of the length of the units, preferably along the entire length. The grooves are shaped so as to cooperate with the connection members 12 in a manner described hereafter.
• the width of the profiles 11 is preferably the same for the majority of the profiles within one assembly, possibly with narrower profiles being placed at the edges of the assembly, such as profile 11' shown in figure 1, which could contain a narrower brush element or a scraper.
• Additional grooves 15 are formed on the underside of the profiles, for receiving rubber strips that may be inserted in said grooves 15 for damping the contact of the mat with the ground.
• connection members 12 are preferably formed of a synthetic composite material of relatively high strength and rigidity such as poly-oxy methylene (POM) . As is best seen in the front and top views of Figure 2, the connection members extend over a given length L along the length of the mat members 11. Preferably more than one connection member 12 is placed between two adjacent mat profiles 11, the number of connection members depending on the size of the mat.
• Each connection member 12 comprises a central horizontal portion 20 that bridges the gap between two adjacent profiles 11, and a pair of resilient portions 21 on each side, the resilient portions 21 being formed of folded web material, i.e. a flat sheet-like material shaped into the form of a fold.
• the central portion 20 and the folded portions 21 are preferably formed from a single piece of web material, as is the case in the embodiment shown in Figure 2.
• the folded portions 21 are fitted into the lateral grooves 14 of the mat units.
• a centrally placed vertical strip 22 is preferably provided, whose function is related to the method of assembling the profiles into a mat, as described in more detail further in this text.
• the folded portions 21 have the following parts, starting from the central horizontal portion 20 : a downwardly oriented first leg portion 23 that is essentially perpendicular to the central portion 20, a bend portion 24 and an upwardly oriented second leg portion 25.
• the upwardly oriented leg 25 is preferably inclined outwardly with respect to the vertical symmetry plane of the connection member 12 over an angle a higher than 0° and lower than 90°.
• the dimensions and the material characteristics of the web material constituting the folded portions 21 are chosen such that the folded portions 21 exhibit a degree of resilience : when pushed together by a lateral compressive force F, the upwardly oriented leg portion 25 exhibits an elastic counter-force.
• the second leg portion 25 is lodged behind a protrusion 35 provided in the grooves 14.
• the resilience of the folded portions 21, along with the protrusion 35 provided in the grooves 14, permits fast and easy assembly of the mat units, as illustrated with respect to Figure 4.
• the groove 14 has a vertically oriented rim portion 33 so as to form a receptacle 36 for receiving the connection member's folded portion 21, said receptacle 36 being formed between the rim portion 33 and the side wall 34 of the groove 14.
• the mat unit's side wall 34 is provided with a protrusion 35, i.e. a portion that projects away from the side wall 34 over a given distance, preferably oriented essentially perpendicularly to said side wall 34.
• the protrusion extends along at least a portion of the longitudinal direction of the groove 14.
• the assembly of the mat is done by placing the mat profiles 11 face down on a flat surface 100 as shown in figure 4a, at a predefined distance from each other corresponding to the size of the connection members 12.
• the connection members 12, preferably gripped by the central strip 22 are moved downward so that the folded portions 21 are inserted into the receptacles 36 formed by the rim portion 33 and the side wall 34 of the grooves 14.
• the shape and size of the grooves 14 causes the legs 23/25 of the folded portions 21 to be compressed by the insertion process, until the legs 25 are pushed past the protrusions 35, to thereby snap back and become secured behind said protrusions.
• This assembly of the mats can either be done manually or in an automated process.
• connection members 12 secures the connection members 12 in such a way that the mat profiles 11 are maintained at a fixed distance from each other.
• the elastic force exhibited by the leg portions 23/25 of the compressed folded portions 21 on the side walls of the grooves 14 is such that the connection members 12, once secured in the grooves, prevent longitudinal displacement of the profiles 11 with respect to the connection members 12 or vice versa. No additional manipulation is required for obtaining this longitudinal securing.
• connection members 12 are sufficiently flexible to allow rolling up of the mat assembly. Rolling up with either the upper or lower side of the assembly facing outward in the roll is possible.
• a flat strip 40 is provided at the outer end of the positioning strip 22, preferably perpendicularly oriented with respect to said positioning strip, as illustrated in Figure 5.
• This flat strip is provided to maintain a fixed distance between two mat profiles 11 when the assembly is rolled up with wiper elements (secured in spaces 13) facing outwards.
• connection members 12 are disposable elements which are breakable by manual manipulation of the profiles 11. Disassembling the mat unit then takes place by breaking the connection members.
• connection members 12 may have a central portion formed of another material than the folded portions 21.
• the folded portions may be oriented at another angle to the central portion than the essentially perpendicular orientation of said folded portions illustrated in the drawings.
• the perpendicular orientation is however preferred as it allows easy assembly of the floor unit.
• the shape of the grooves 14 may differ from the example shown in the drawings.
• the grooves may have a U-shape with the ridges 31 and 33 positioned at the same level.
• the protrusion 35 can be located on either of the two side walls of the groove 14. When placed on the opposite side wall compared to the embodiments shown in the drawings, the folded portions 21 must also be reversed : the free-ended leg portion 25 will then be placed closer to the centre line of the connection member than the fixed leg portion 23. This embodiment is illustrated in Figure 6.

Landscapes

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

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=50424234

Family Applications (2)

Family Applications After (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (1)

Citations (5)

• 2014
  • 2014-03-28 WO PCT/EP2014/056310 patent/WO2015144239A1/en active Application Filing
• 2015
  • 2015-03-27 WO PCT/EP2015/056775 patent/WO2015144901A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2015-03-27 BE BE20155192A patent/BE1022748A1/nl not_active IP Right Cessation

Patent Citations (5)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events