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
  • E04F15/02447—Supporting structures
  • E04F15/02452—Details of junctions between the supporting structures and the panels or a panel-supporting framework
• • E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
  • E04—BUILDING
  • E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
  • E04B5/00—Floors; Floor construction with regard to insulation; Connections specially adapted therefor
  • E04B5/02—Load-carrying floor structures formed substantially of prefabricated units
  • E04B5/10—Load-carrying floor structures formed substantially of prefabricated units with metal beams or girders, e.g. with steel lattice girders
• • 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
  • E04F15/02177—Floor elements for use at a specific location
  • E04F15/02183—Floor elements for use at a specific location for outdoor use, e.g. in decks, patios, terraces, verandas or the like
• • 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
  • E04F15/02044—Separate elements for fastening to an underlayer
  • E04F2015/0205—Separate elements for fastening to an underlayer with load-supporting elongated furring elements between the flooring elements and the underlayer
  • E04F2015/02066—Separate elements for fastening to an underlayer with load-supporting elongated furring elements between the flooring elements and the underlayer with additional fastening elements between furring elements and flooring elements
  • E04F2015/02077—Separate elements for fastening to an underlayer with load-supporting elongated furring elements between the flooring elements and the underlayer with additional fastening elements between furring elements and flooring elements the additional fastening elements located in-between two adjacent flooring elements
  • E04F2015/02094—Engaging side grooves running along the whole length of the flooring elements
• • 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
  • E04F2201/0523—Separate tongues; Interlocking keys, e.g. joining mouldings of circular, square or rectangular shape

Definitions

• the invention relates to a product for forming a floor or surface covering composed of boards.
• the invention also concerns a floor or surface covering composed of boards.
• the floor composed of floorboards comprises a number of boards, a number of wooden beams and a number of clamps.
• the beams which carry the boards are laid out parallel to each other in their longitudinal direction with regular mutual spacing.
• the boards are arranged on the beams, wherein the longitudinal direction of the boards runs substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the laid out beams.
• the boards have a groove on their narrow long sides.
• Clamps arc applied to the beams between the boards, and with a freestanding end engage in the grooves on the boards.
• the clamps are plate-like with a central screw hole and are provided with laterally positioned spring lips which hold the clamp on the beam.
• the clamps are symmetrical in form, so that a clamp engages in the groove on each of the boards between which the clamp is positioned.
• the clamp is firmly screwed between two boards when the boards and intermediate clamp are correctly positioned. In this way a firm connection is created between each board and the beams, and between the boards.
• US 2004/0045244 describes that the freestanding end on either side of the clamps is wider than the groove in the board, and should be formed relative to the groove in the board such that a minimum spacing is created the boards, in order to ensure that after positioning of the boards and the intermediate clamps, it is possible to place a screw in the screw hole.
• the width between the edges of the freestanding ends of the clamp minus twice the groove depth is thus at least equal to the diameter of the screw head.
• a secondary disadvantage is that repair is only possible by fitting a new screw into the beam if there is sufficient space.
• the invention proposes a product for forming a floor composed of boards from a plurality of boards which are provided with a groove in their side faces running in the longitudinal direction, comprising at least:
• the clamping element is configured to cooperate with one of the beams and one or more of the boards, and comprises a substantially rectangular plate-like part with a plate width and a plate length, and provided with a central opening for receiving a screw which is provided with a screw head, wherein the plate-like part on a surface thereof is provided with a bar-like edge element which is perpendicular to the plate-like element and has a constant width up to an end face thereof which is smaller than the plate width, and extends on the surface over substantially the length of the plate-like part, wherein the central opening extends through the edge element, and the width of the edge element is at least equal to the dimension of the central opening in the width direction, and wherein a connecting structure of the beam comprises a guiding groove which is suitable for receiving a nut connected to the screw of the clamping element and having a greater diagonal dimension than a width of the groove, and wherein a freestanding part in the width direction of the plate-
• edge element By attaching the edge element to the one surface with a width of the edge element at least equal to the dimension of the central opening in the width direction, a stop element is provided against which boards can lie against the clamp element.
• the spacing between boards adjacent to each other in their longitudinal direction is thus determined by the width of the edge element. Because the edge element has at least a width which is equal to the dimension of the central opening, the width of the edge element will be approximately equal to the diameter of the screw which can be inserted through the central opening, wherein the screw head will have a larger diameter than the width of the edge element.
• the beam with this connecting structure has the advantage that the clamping element can be placed on the beam in a position which is fixed by the protrusions which are provided with thickening at their ends, without it being necessary to tighten the screw until a clamping is achieved on the groove edge. Because the screw is not yet tightened, the clamping element can still be moved over the beam in the direction of the groove, so the clamping element is freely moveable against an edge of a board. Also the height of the clamping element may still be adjusted as long as the screw is not tightened.
• the height of the edge element from the plate-like part is less than the height of the groove from an underside of the board, allows boards of different groove height to be clamped with the clamping element, provided that the groove height is at least equal to or greater than the height of the edge element.
• the clamping element is universal, i.e. the clamping element can be used with boards with arbitrary height of the groove from the underside of the board. Because the height of the edge element from the plate-like part is smaller than the height of the groove from the underside of the board, when the screw is tightened the clamping element is pulled in the direction of the beam and the board is clamped onto a top surface of the beam to which the screw is connected via the nut.
• the invention also concerns an assembled floor or wall constructed from a product as described above, wherein in their longitudinal direction, the beams are laid out in a first direction with a mutual space between adjacent beams; the boards are laid out on the plurality of beams with the longitudinal direction of the boards in a second direction which is substantially perpendicular to the first direction, wherein a clamping element is situated on at least one of the beams between every two adjacent boards, with the protrusions of the clamping element clamping against the opposing side faces of the beam; each of the adjacent boards is placed with its side face against the edge element of the clamping element; the clamping element is connected to boards placed on opposite sides of the clamping element in that the freestanding part of the plate-like part facing the board is received in the groove of the respective board, and wherein the depth of the groove or groove part is greater than or at least equal to the free width of the freestanding part of the plate-like part of the clamping element, wherein the head of the screw lies inside the groove, and wherein the clamping element in the groove of the
• the floor or wall thus defined is a surface covering which, without being limited, comprises both a floor, a terrace floor and a wall covering.
• Figure 1 a perspective view of a clamping element according to one embodiment of the invention
• Figure 2 a side view of the clamping element in Figure 1 in a width direction
• Figure 3 a side view of the clamping element in a longitudinal direction
• Figure 4 a view of the underside of the clamping element
• Figure 5 a perspective view of a beam on which a clamping element according to one embodiment of the invention may be attached;
• Figure 6 a cross section of the beam in Figure 5;
• Figure 7 a perspective view of an assembly according to one embodiment of the invention.
• Figure 8 the cross section of the beam provided with a clamping element and a board
• Figure 9 a detailed view of a cross section of the assembly at the site of the clamping element.
• Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a clamping element according to an embodiment of the invention.
• the clamping element 1 according to an embodiment of the invention comprises a rectangular oblong plate 10 with width B and length L.
• the plate 10 On the widths B, the plate 10 is provided with a bar-like or oblong protrusion 12 which extends perpendicularly to one side of the plate 10.
• the protrusion 12 serves as a protrusion for stabilisation on a beam, as will be explained below.
• a central opening 14 is provided for receiving a screw 50.
• the central opening may be provided with a recess such that a head of a screw 50 held in the central opening lies below the top surface 11 of the plate 10.
• the plate consists of a thin metal (for example a thin steel), such a recess is usually unnecessary.
• Figure 2 shows a side view of the clamping element in the longitudinal direction of the plate 10.
• the top surface 11 of the plate is provided with a chamfer 26 along the plate periphery. This chamfer facilitates insertion of the clamping element in a groove of a board (not shown).
• the plate In the width direction B, the plate has freestanding ends 28 which extend outside the width of the protrusions 12 over a free width C.
• Figure 3 shows a side view of the clamping element of Figure 1 in a width direction.
• the clamping element 1 comprises an edge element or ridge 18 which extends between the two protrusions 12.
• the edge element 18 has a height 20 which is less than the length 22 of the protrusions 12, so that the protrusions extend past the free end 24 of the edge element.
• the edge element has the function of a stop when the clamping element is placed between two boards which are provided with a groove in the narrow side face in the longitudinal direction.
• Each freestanding end 28 of the clamping element engages in the groove of the board. When the depth of the groove is at least equal to the free width C of the freestanding end 28, in the correctly inserted position of the clamping element, the side face of the board will lie against the edge element 18. This will be shown more clearly in Figure 4.
• the protrusions 12 may be provided with a thickening 13 at their ends on the mutually facing sides.
• the thickening 13 is such that the space between the thickenings of opposing protrusions on the clamping element is smaller than the space between the thinner parts of the protrusions 12.
• the protrusion serves as a clamping stabiliser on a beam when the clamping element is placed on the beam.
• the clamping element can thus still be moved over the length of the beam so that the clamping element is still freely moveable against an edge of a board.
• the height of the clamping element may still be set by the clamping protrusions as long as the screw is not tightened.
• the protrusions 12 may be omitted so that the plate may be provided with the bar-like edge element 18, which extends over substantially the length of the plate 10, along the long centre line on one surface of the plate.
• Figure 4 shows a side view of the underside of the clamping element.
• the edge element 18 which extends along the plate 10 has a width 30 which is substantially equal to the diameter of the central opening 14. This ensures that the space between two boards is substantially equal to the diameter of the screw. Because the screw head is held in the groove of the board (and optionally in the recess of the centre opening 14 in the plate 10 of the clamping element 1), the space between the boards is thus not determined by the size of the screw head but exclusively by the width of the edge element or part of the screw carrying the thread, when the width of the edge element is virtually equal to the screw diameter.
• the edge element 18 is provided with a thickening 28 at the site of the central opening so that the wall 32 of the edge element is thin relative to the width 30 of the edge element at the site of the central opening 14.
• this thin wall is not essential and may be omitted by choosing the width 30 of the edge element equal to the diameter of the central opening (or its dimension in the width direction of the edge element 18).
• the thickness of the wall of the edge element at the site 28 of the central opening is less than 5% of the width 30 of the edge element.
• the clamping element may be provided with a screw with a thread diameter of 5 mm.
• the thin wall then has a thickness of less than 0.25 mm.
• Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a beam 100 on which a clamping element 1 according to an embodiment may be attached.
• the beam 100 has a box profile 102 with a width E which is selected such that it substantially corresponds to the length of the edge element, or if protrusions are used, to the space between the protrusions 12 or between the inwardly directed thickenings of the protrusions 12 of the clamping element 1 , whichever is the smaller.
• the beam 100 On a side 106 facing the boards, i.e. on the top side in the mounted state, the beam 100 has a connecting structure in the form of a guiding slot 108. This connecting structure serves to connect the beam to at least one clamping element by means of a screw 50 which is held in the central opening 14 of the clamping element, as shown for example in Figure 1, 2 or 3.
• An oblong nut 52 is connected to the screw 50 and may be received in the slot 108.
• the position of the clamping element 1 will be stable when the screw is inserted in the groove, without the need for a connection between the beam 100 and the clamping element 1 by the screw 50.
• the advantage here is that an assembly of two boards with a clamping element 1 in-between may be constructed without the clamping element needing to be connected immediately to the beam. This simplifies the positioning and locating of the boards and clamping elements.
• the width F of the groove is greater than the smallest width of the oblong nut but less than a diagonal of the oblong nut, or a diagonal dimension of the nut is greater than the width F of the groove.
• connection between clamping element 1 and the beam 100 described above, by means of a slot 108 and oblong nut 52, in the use of a clamping element as described above, has the advantage that in contrast to the use of a wooden beam, the clamping element can be placed stably on the beam provided with the groove as described above and in addition can easily be moved without a connection needing to be created between the clamping element and the groove.
• This connection method also has the advantage of bridging the height of the groove in the board relative to the side 106 on which the board rests due to the screw connection, whereby the clamping element 1 is "universal" i.e. can be used for different groove heights.
• Figure 6 shows a cross section of the beam 100 in Figure 5.
• Figures 7 to 9 show details of a floor assembled from boards, which is constructed using the clamping element 1 and the beam 100 as described above. Without being limited to this, such an assembled floor may be used as a floor inside a building but also as a terrace floor or a wall covering.
• the floor composed of boards comprises a plurality of beams 100, a plurality of clamping elements 1 and a plurality of boards 200.
• Embodiments of the beam 100 and clamping element 1 have been described above with reference to Figures 5 and 6 and Figures 1 to 4 respectively.
• the plurality of beams 100 is laid out in the longitudinal direction in a first direction Rl. Adjacent beams are placed with a mutual space. A side 106 of each beam on which the boards are to be placed is directed upwards. The plurality of boards 200 are laid out on the upwardly directed side of the beams 100.
• the longitudinal direction of the boards runs in a second direction R2 which is substantially perpendicular to the first direction in which the beams extend longitudinally.
• FIG. 7 shows a perspective partial view of part of an assembly according to an embodiment of the invention.
• Clamping elements 1 are placed on a beam 100, wherein a screw 50 is received in the recess of the central opening 14 in the clamping element 1.
• the screw 50 is connected by means of an oblong nut 52 to the guiding slot 108 of the beam 100.
• the freestanding end 28 of the clamping element 1 is received in the groove 202 in the board 200.
• the groove 202 is arranged in the narrow long sides of the board 200 in the second direction 2.
• the groove may be continuous over the length of the board but may also be arranged as groove parts at predefined points along the length with groove-free spaces in-between.
• the boards 200 each lie with their long side against the edge element 18 of a clamping element 1. Because the edge element 18 has almost the same width as the diameter of the screw 50, and the groove 202 of the board is deeper than the free width C of the freestanding end 28 of the clamping element, a space D always remains between the boards 200 between which a clamping element 1 is placed, which space is approximately equal to the width of the edge element or the diameter of the screw, while the head of the screw, which has a larger diameter than the width of the edge element, lies partly in the grooves of two adjacent boards.
• the positioning of the boards 200 and clamping element 1 is not hindered in this method.
• the screw head may also be held partly inside the board.
• the boards 200 are provided with a profile 204 on the surface.
• Figure 8 shows a detailed view of a cross section of an assembly at the site of a clamping element according to an embodiment of the invention.
• the clamping element 1 is placed on the beam 100 with the protrusions 12 on either side clamped against the beam.
• the screw 50 is received in the central opening of the clamping element 1, wherein the nut on the screw is in the slot 108 of the beam.
• the freestanding end of the clamping element is held in the groove 202 of the board 20 so that the board is clamped against the top side 106 of the beam.
• Figure 9 shows a detailed view of a cross section of a clamping element between two boards according to one embodiment of the invention.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Architecture (AREA)
• Civil Engineering (AREA)
• Structural Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• Connection Of Plates (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Cited By (6)

Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 2014
  • 2014-05-12 NL NL2012799A patent/NL2012799B1/nl active
• 2015
  • 2015-05-12 EP EP15733933.4A patent/EP3143218B1/de active Active
  • 2015-05-12 WO PCT/NL2015/050334 patent/WO2015174835A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (2)

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