WO2019144001A1

WO2019144001A1 - Flooring system having a panel bonded to a metal sheet

Info

Publication number: WO2019144001A1
Application number: PCT/US2019/014289
Authority: WO
Inventors: Scott Keith Stewart MCGILL; Gregory Earl DOPPLER
Original assignee: Cornerstone Speciality Wood Products, Llc
Priority date: 2018-01-19
Filing date: 2019-01-18
Publication date: 2019-07-25

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to an improved flooring system having a plurality of flooring tiles. In one embodiment, a flooring tile includes a rectangular panel and a tray-shaped metal sheet bonded to a top surface of the panel. The panel is made of a substrate. The panel has the top surface, a bottom surface and four side edges. The metal sheet has a base equal in size to the top surface of the panel and four walls folded along the four side edges of the panel to cover no more than 5.5 mm of each side edge of the panel.

Description

FLOORING SYSTEM HAVING A PANEL BONDED TO A METAL SHEET

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial

Number 62/619,344, filed on January 19, 2018 and U.S. Provisional Application Serial Number 62/760,694, also filed on November 13, 2018, which are incorporated by reference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to an improved flooring system capable of withstanding significantly higher loads caused by aggressive rolling and dragging traffic passing thereon.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Specialty flooring panels suitable for the construction of elevated mezzanines used in warehouse distribution centers as well as in multi-level flooring for self-storage facilities are known in the art. Coatings on specialty flooring panels are designed to harden the specialty flooring panels such that they may withstand significant traffic loads and provide a cleanable, durable and skid-resistant surface. However, robotic vehicles (e.g., automated guided vehicles and autonomous mobile robots) used in industrial warehouses and distribution centers can weigh as much as 4000 lbs, and the combination of heavy loads and high traffic volume of the robotic vehicles in such facilities can easily create scratches and wear on the coated surface of the flooring panels. The flooring panels can also get damaged and experience undesirable wear and tear when stray items and/or debris present on the floor are run over by the robotic vehicle, or when the coated surface is exposed to moisture for a prolonged period.

[0004] The robotic vehicles used in industrial warehouses and distribution centers can be configured to autonomously navigate through the floors and aisles of the industrial environment. Cameras and other sensors installed on the robotic vehicles may use reference points on the flooring panels to aid in the continuous determination of position and motion for mapping routes for the robotic vehicles. It may be important for the flooring panels to have a non-glossy surface such that reflection from the surface of the flooring panels does not adversely affect the estimation of the reference points for determination of position and routes. It may also be desirable for the flooring panels to be skid-resistant such that the wheels of the robotic vehicles do not slip easily and cause accidents in the industrial environment.

SUMMARY

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to an improved flooring system having a plurality of flooring tiles. In one embodiment, a flooring tile includes a rectangular panel and a tray-shaped metal sheet bonded to a top surface of the panel. The panel is made of a substrate. The panel has the top surface, a bottom surface and four side edges. The metal sheet has a base equal in size to the top surface of the panel and four walls folded along the four side edges of the panel to cover no more than 5.5 mm of each side edge of the panel.

[0006] In another embodiment, a flooring system is disclosed. The flooring system includes a plurality of flooring tiles, wherein each flooring tile includes a rectangular panel and a tray-shaped metal sheet bonded to a top surface of the panel. The panel is made of a substrate. The panel has the top surface, a bottom surface and four side edges. The metal sheet has a base equal in size to the top surface of the panel and four walls folded along the four side edges of the panel to cover no more than 5.5 mm of each side edge of the panel.

[0007] In yet another embodiment, a flooring tile includes a rectangular panel and a tray-shaped metal sheet bonded to a top surface of the panel. The panel is made of a substrate. The panel has the top surface, a bottom surface and four side edges. The metal sheet has a base equal in size to the top surface of the panel and four walls folded along the four side edges of the panel to cover no more than 5.5 mm of each side edge of the panel. The four walls of the metal sheet form four corners. Each corner has two reliefs providing clearance during assembly of the metal sheet on the panel to prevent each wall from extending beyond the corresponding side edge of the panel. The metal sheet has a thickness between 0.6 mm and 1.4 mm. The metal sheet has a surface gloss no more than 40 gloss units at 85 degrees angle of incidence. The metal sheet is made up of G90 electrogalvanized steel, G60 galvanized steel, oxidized stainless steel, nitronic stainless steel, other stainless steel, or aluminum.

[0008] These and additional features provided by the embodiments described herein will be more fully understood in view of the following detailed description, in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative and exemplary in nature and not intended to limit the subject matter defined by the claims. The following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments can be understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which:

[0010] FIG. 1A depicts a flooring tile comprising an engineered wood panel bonded to a metal sheet, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0011] FIGS. 1B-1D depict three stages of assembly of the flooring tile of FIG. 1A, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0012] FIGS. 2A-2D depict stages of assembly of the flooring tile of FIG. 1A on a metal deck, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0013] FIG. 3A depicts a top view of a tray-shaped metal sheet used in assembling the flooring tile, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0014] FIG. 3B depicts an expanded top view of each comer of the tray-shaped metal sheet of FIG. 3A before assembly of the flooring tile, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0015] FIG. 3C depicts an expanded top view of each comer of the tray-shaped metal sheet of FIG. 3A after assembly of the flooring tile, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein; [0016] FIG. 3D depicts an isometric view of each corner of the tray-shaped metal sheet of FIG. 3A after assembly of the flooring tile, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0017] FIG. 4 depicts a flooring tile having a tongue-and-groove design and a tray shaped metal sheet, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0018] FIG. 5 depicts assembly of adjacent flooring tiles having a tongue-and-groove design and a tray-shaped metal sheet, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0019] FIGS. 6A-6C depict three configurations of assembling adjacent flooring tiles using the tongue-and-groove design, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0020] FIG. 7 depicts a flooring tile having a groove- spline- groove design and a tray shaped metal sheet, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0021] FIG. 8 depicts assembly of adjacent flooring tiles having a groove- spline- groove design and a tray- shaped metal sheet, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

[0022] FIG. 9 depicts assembly of adjacent flooring tiles having a tongue-and-groove design and a flat metal sheet, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein; and

[0023] FIGS. 10A-10B depict a flooring system assembled with a brick-staggered design and an aligned-joint design using a plurality of flooring tiles, according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Embodiments described herein are directed to an improved flooring system capable of withstanding significantly higher loads and minimize wear and tear caused by aggressive rolling and dragging traffic passing thereon. Embodiments of the improved flooring systems are capable of withstanding as many as 2 million passes per year. The improved flooring systems comprise a plurality of flooring tiles, where each flooring tile includes a panel bonded to a metal sheet. The metal sheet of the flooring tiles provides a robust wearing surface that is also skid-resistant, moisture-resistant and has high structural integrity. The metal sheet, particularly one with a tray-shaped design, enhances the capability of the flooring system to withstand extreme rolling shear and flexure due to traffic from robotic vehicles passing thereon, particularly when used as an elevated flooring surface. Further, in some embodiments, the metal sheet has a reduced gloss which prevents any reflection from the surface of the flooring tiles from adversely affecting navigation of the robotic vehicles on the flooring system.

[0025] FIG. 1A depicts a flooring tile 100 comprising a panel 110 of a substrate material bonded to a metal sheet 150, while FIGS. 1B-1D depict three stages of assembly of the flooring tile 100 of FIG. 1A. In some embodiments, the substrate may be an engineered wood product such as, but not limited to Resindek^® sold by Cornerstone Specialty Wood Products, LLC of Cincinnati, OH. As a non-limiting example, the engineered wood product has a density ranging from 40-60 pounds per cubic foot. In some embodiments, the substrate is an engineered wood product comprising a composite material having at least a core layer sandwiched between two surface layers of a different wood than the core layer, where the density of the surface layers of the substrate is higher than the density of the core layer of the substrate. The higher surface density of the panel 110 enables stronger bonding with the metal sheet 150.

[0026] The panel 110 may be rectangular in shape and has a top surface 111, a bottom surface 113 and four side edges H5a, H5b, H5c, and H5d. The top surface 111 may be sanded or otherwise processed to have a surface roughness between 1.25 and 2.0 Ra (micro meters), which enables stronger bonding with the metal sheet 150, as well. In other embodiments, the top surface 111 of the substrate may remain unfinished. The bottom surface 113 of the panel 110 may also be sanded or otherwise processed to have a surface roughness between 1.25 and 2.0 Ra (micro-meters), which may enable stronger bonding with a coating for promoting panel stabilization against moisture intake and warp for example, from liquid spills. The coating maybe an epoxy-based coating, for example. In some embodiments, the bottom surface 113 may also remain unfinished. As a non-limiting example, the panel 110 has a thickness between 12.7 mm and 28.6 mm, a length between 2 m and 3 m and breadth of about 1 m. The panel 110 may have either a tongue-and-groove design (shown in FIG. 4) or a groove-spline-groove design (shown in FIG. 7) for connecting adjacent flooring tiles 100. It should be understood that other interlocking mechanisms and methods may be utilized. In other embodiments, the panel 110 may be configured in other shapes such as a plank, a strip and the like.

[0027] The metal sheet 150 is bonded to the top surface 111 of the panel 110. The material of the metal sheet 150 depends on the end application. Non-limiting embodiments of the metal sheet 150 includes G90 electrogalvanized steel, G60 galvanized steel, oxidized stainless steel (for example, 436 stainless steel), nitronic stainless steel, other stainless steel, aluminum and the like. The metal sheet 150 may have a textured finish or a smooth finish or may be coated with a metal oxide such as, but not limited to, yttrium oxide. In some embodiments, the metal sheet 150 has a thickness of between approximately 0.6 mm and 1.4 mm, though in other embodiments, the metal sheet 150 can be of a different size, thickness and texture, finish and yield stress, as specified for the application. The thickness of the metal sheet 150 impacts the interlocking mechanism (tongue-and-groove design, groove- spline-groove design) used and the gaps therein to allow for thermal expansion.

[0028] The material and thicknesses used for the metal sheet 150 can be adjusted to meet the demands of each application, including the desired surface-wearing resistance, electrostatic dissipative properties, coefficient of friction and gloss. In applications requiring high hardness (greater than or equal to Rockwell B65 hardness) and low gloss (less than or equal to 40 gloss units at 85 degrees angle of incidence), such as robotic pick-and- place/distribution center environments where debris is present, 430 stainless steel and 436 stainless steel coated with oxide may be used for the metal sheet 150 of the flooring tile 100. As a non-limiting example, when 436 stainless steel sheet is used as the metal sheet 150 and the flooring tile 100 is subject to 20,000 cycles of accelerated wear testing on a Taber Abrasion Platform, the flooring tile 100 demonstrates surface wear resistance of about three times more than a concrete flooring surface. Other materials such as, but not limited to, 430 stainless steel, nitronic 30 stainless steel also perform well in comparison to a concrete flooring surface. Moreover, unlike a traditionally used coating or concrete, the metal sheet 150 may provide a way to safely discharge static electricity through grounding screws installed thereon, since the metal sheet 150 is made of an electrically conductive material. As a non-limiting example, the metal sheet 150 may have a dynamic coefficient of friction of at least 0.4 measured using a BOT-3000E tribometer in accordance with ASTM F2508-13 such that it provides a minimum skid resistance recommended under Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines. Additionally, the metal sheet 150 may have a surface gloss no more than 40 gloss units at 85 degrees angle of incidence as measured by the ETB-0833 glossmeter sold by M&A Instruments, Inc. This may prevent reflection off the top surface 154 of the base 152 of the metal sheet 150 from adversely affecting determination of reference points on the flooring tiles 100 during navigation of autonomous or semi- autonomous vehicles thereon. However, in other embodiments, the metal sheet 150 may have a surface gloss of up to 100 gloss units at 85 degrees angle of incidence without significant effect on the navigational performance of the robotic vehicles. Other applications may include using the metal sheet 150 bonded to a panel in a residential environment for aesthetic and decorative purposes, for example to achieve the look of an industrial loft. The metal sheet 150 may comprise galvanized steel when used for such purposes.

[0029] In some embodiments, the metal sheet 150 has a flat shape (shown in FIGS.

1A-1D, 2B-2D and FIG. 9). However, in preferred embodiments as shown in FIGS. 3A-3D, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, the metal sheet 150 is tray-shaped. As used herein, the phrase“flat shape” refers to a metal sheet 150 that does not have turned edges defining walls, and the phrase“tray shape” refers to a metal sheet having edges that are turned to define walls as described herein. Referring to FIG. 1B, the metal sheet 150 has a base 152 having a top surface 154 and a bottom surface 156 and four walls l55a, l55b, l55c, and l55d. Upon assembly, the top surface 154 of the base 152 is congruent with the top surface 111 of the panel 110 such that the four walls l55a, l55b, l55c, and l55d fold along the four side edges H5a, H5b, H5c, and 1 l5d of the panel 110 respectively. The tray-shaped design allows the metal sheet 150 to cover the entire top surface 111 of the panel 110 and cover a portion of the corresponding side edges H5a, H5b, H5c, and H5d of the panel 110. As a non-limiting example, the four walls l55a, l55b, l55c, and l55d cover no more than 5.5 mm of the four side edges H5a, 1 l5b, 1 l5c, and 1 l5d of the panel 110. On the other hand, the flat design does not cover the entire top surface 111 of the panel 110 due to material tolerances. The tray-shaped design may offer increased strength, reduced risk of separation between adjacent flooring tiles 100 when assembled, and visually attractive edges to the flooring tiles 100. A laser may be used to cut the tray-shaped metal sheet 150, which is then folded around the side edges 115a, 115b, 115c and 115d of the panel 110 using an automated sheet metal panel bender such as, but not limited to, a Salvagnini P4 panel bender.

[0030] Referring now to FIGS. 1C-1D, the metal sheet 150 is bonded to the top surface 111 of the panel 110 with an adhesive 180. In some embodiments, the adhesive 180 is a polyurethane reactive resin (PUR). However, it should be understood that alternate or additional adhesives or bonding agents and primers may be used. The adhesive 180 is capable of withstanding large shear and flexural stresses. The adhesive 180 may have a high fiber pull such that a bonding primer is not required on the top surface 154 of the base 152 of the metal sheet 150 prior to assembling the metal sheet 150 on the panel 110.

[0031] FIGS. 2A-2D depict stages of assembly of the flooring tiles 100 of FIG. 1A on a metal deck 220 to form a flooring system 200. The metal deck 220 may be any commercially available metal decking, such as those typically used in warehouses and manufacturing facilities. In the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2D, the metal deck 220 is a corrugated metal deck having ribs 225, a top surface 222 and a bottom surface 224. The bottom surface 224 of the metal deck 220 is fastened to one or more supports 210. Referring to FIG. 2B, a tongue 112 and a groove 118 of adjacent flooring tiles 100 are joined. The adjacent flooring tiles 100 are then secured to the top surface 222 of the ribs 225 using screws 228 through holes 226 on the top surface of the metal sheet 150. A plurality of flooring tiles 100 are secured to the top surface 222 of the metal deck 220 to form the flooring system 200, as shown in FIG. 2C. FIG. 2D depicts a top view of the assembled flooring system 200. It should be understood that in some embodiments, the flooring tiles 100 may be secured directly to the supports 210 such that the metal deck 220 is not required and that other securing techniques may be utilized. [0032] FIG. 3A depicts a top view of an example tray-shaped metal sheet 150 for assembling the flooring tile 100. As shown in FIG. 3A, the metal sheet 150 is in an unfolded state and can be folded along the dotted line to form the walls l55a, l55b, l55c, and l55d of height ‘y’ for covering the side edges H5a, H5b, H5c and H5d of the panel 110 respectively. In a non-limiting example embodiment, the height‘y’ is no more than 5.5 mm such that walls l55a, l55b, l55c, and l55d do not block a tongue, a groove or other interlocking mechanism on the side edges H5a, H5b, H5c and H5d of the panel 110. The base 152 of the metal sheet 150 has a rectangular shape with a length l50a and a width l50w. The length l50a is equal to the length of the panel 110 and may be about 2 m. The width l50w is equal to the width of the panel 110 and may be about 1 m. The walls l55a and l55c have a length l50e slightly greater than the length l50a, while the walls l55b and l55d have a length of l50f slightly greater than the width l50w.

[0033] FIG. 3B depicts an expanded top view of a corner 158 of the example tray shaped metal sheet 150 of FIG. 3A before assembly of the flooring tile 100. The corner 158 has a relief 157 along the wall l55a near the corner 158 and a relief 159 along the wall l55b near the comer 158. FIG. 3C depicts an expanded top view of the corner 158 of the tray shaped metal sheet 150 after assembly of the flooring tile 100. FIG. 3D depicts an isometric view of the corner 158 of the tray-shaped metal sheet 150 after assembly of the flooring tile 100. The comer 158 is tight and fitted over the corresponding comer (not visible) of the panel 110.

[0034] The reliefs 157, 159 provide an advantageous alternate solution to conventional steel folding such that the tray-shaped metal sheet 150 fits over the panel 110. The reliefs 157, 159 are formed by removal of metal pieces of height‘y’ and width‘x’ from the junction of the intersecting walls l55a, l55b. The width‘x‘is sufficient to provide clearance during assembly of the metal sheet 150 on the panel 110 to prevent each of the walls l55a, l55b near the corner 158 from extending beyond the corresponding side edges H5a, H5b of the panel 110. Without the reliefs 157, 159, the walls l55a, l55b of the panel 110 would extend beyond the corresponding side edges 115a, 115b of the panel 110 and create undesirable sharp edges that can damage, by wearing and scraping, an adjacent flooring tile 100 and wheels of vehicles passing over the flooring system 200. The smooth edges of the comer 158 formed by the reliefs 157, 159 prevents the adjacent flooring tile 100 or wheels of vehicles passing thereon from being damaged. The reliefs 157, 159 also limit damage to the comer 158 during handling of the flooring tile 100, before and after assembly as well as when vehicles roll over the corner 158. The design of the corner 158 with the reliefs 157, 159 thus improves the handling, durability, and manufacturing capability of the flooring tile 100. Additionally, the corner 158 has a circular notch 153 between the two reliefs 157, 159. The comer 158 may enable relatively short walls to be bent (e.g., less than 10 mm in length). The diameter of the circular notch 153 may depend on the application and is not limited by this disclosure. It should be understood that embodiments may not include the circular notch 153.

[0035] A plurality of flooring tiles 100 are assembled and connected to form the flooring system 200. The panel 110 can have a variety of interlocking mechanisms that connect adjacent panels 110 to promote continuity of the floor and transfer wheel loads between adjacent flooring tiles 100. In some embodiments, the panel 110 has a tongue-and- groove design, as shown in FIG. 4 which depicts the flooring tile 100 having the panel 110 with the tongue-and-groove design and a tray-shaped metal sheet 150. A tongue 112 and a groove 118 are formed on the opposite side edges 115b and 115d respectively. The tongue 112 projects outwards along the length of the side edge 115d of the panel 110 and may be equidistant from the top surface 111 and the bottom surface 113 of the panel 110, though it is not required to be such. The groove 118 projects inwards along the length of the side edge 115b of the panel 110 and may be equidistant from the top surface 111 and the bottom surface 113 of the panel 110, though it is not required to be such. The tongue 112 and the groove 118 have complementary shapes to form an interlocking mechanism for adjacent flooring tiles 100. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the tongue 112 and the groove 118 are shaped as a rectangular cuboid having lengths equal to the lengths of the side edges H5d and H5b respectively, though in other embodiments the shapes of the tongue 112 and the groove 118 could be different as long as they are congruent and allow the tongue 112 to fit into the groove 118. The walls l55a, l55b, l55c, and l55d of the metal sheet 150 have a height‘y’ that covers a portion of the corresponding side edges H5a, H5b, H5c, and H5d of the panel 110 such that there is at least a distance‘z’ from the bottom of the walls l55a, l55b, l55c, and l55d to the tongue 112 or the groove 118. In some embodiments, the height ‘y’ is no more than 5.5 mm. Thus, adjacent flooring tiles 100 can be connected by fitting the tongue 112 of a first flooring tile 100 into the groove 118 of a second flooring tile 100. FIG. 5 depicts assembly of adjacent flooring tiles 100 having a tray-shaped metal sheet 150 and using the tongue-and-groove design as an interlocking mechanism.

[0036] FIGS. 6A-6C depict three configurations of assembling adjacent flooring tiles

100 using the tongue-and-groove design. In some embodiments, the adjacent flooring tiles 100 may be assembled such that there is a gap‘g’ between the metal sheets 150 of adjacent flooring tiles 100 (see FIGS. 6B-6C), while in other embodiments, there is no such gap‘g’ (see FIG. 6A). The gap‘g’ allows for thermal expansion of the metal sheet 150 between adjacent flooring tiles 100 and may be between 1.5 mm and 3.5 mm, as non-limiting examples. In either case, the tongue 112 is not fully placed within the groove 118 to allow for thermal expansion of the panel 110 of substrate.

[0037] In other embodiments, the panel 110 has a groove-spline-groove design, as shown in FIG. 7 which depicts the flooring tile 100 having the panel 110 with the groove- spline-groove design and a tray-shaped metal sheet 150. Two grooves 118 are formed on the opposite side edges H5b and H5d respectively. The two grooves 118 project inwards along the length of the side edges H5d and H5b respectively of the panel 110 and are equidistant from the top surface 111 and the bottom surface 113 of the panel 110, though they are not required to be such. A spline 140 configured to fit in the two grooves 118 is used. The spline 140 and the two grooves 118 have complementary shapes to form an interlocking mechanism for adjacent flooring tiles 100. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the spline 140 and the two grooves 118 are shaped as a rectangular cuboid having lengths equal to the lengths of the side edges H5d and 115b respectively, though in other embodiments the shapes of the spline 140 and the two grooves 118 could be different as long as they are congruent and allow the spline 140 to fit between the two grooves 118. The walls l55a, l55b, l55c, and l55d of the metal sheet 150 have a height‘y’ that covers no more than 5.5 mm of the corresponding side edges H5a, H5b, H5c, and H5d of the panel 110 such that there is at least a distance‘z’ from the bottom of the walls l55a, l55b, l55c, and l55d to the two grooves 118. Thus, adjacent flooring tiles 100 can be connected by fitting the spline 140 between a groove 118 of a first flooring tile 100 and a groove 118 of a second flooring tile 100. FIG. 8 depicts assembly of adjacent flooring tiles 100 having a tray-shaped metal sheet 150 and using the groove- spline-groove design as an interlocking mechanism.

[0038] As mentioned above, in some embodiments, the flooring system 200 may be formed by assembling a plurality of flooring tiles 100, where the metal sheet 150 is flat and does not have foldable walls to cover any portion of the side edges H5a, H5b, H5c, and H5d of the panel 110. FIG. 9 depicts such an assembly of adjacent flooring tiles 100 having a flat metal sheet 150 with a base 152 equal in size to the top surface 111 of the panel 110. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the flooring tiles 100 are assembled by interlocking a tongue 112 with a groove 118 of adjacent flooring tiles 100, though in other embodiments, a groove- spline-groove mechanism may be used as well.

[0039] FIGS. 10A and 10B depict a flooring system 200 assembled with a brick- staggered design and an aligned-joint design using the plurality of flooring tiles 100. The metal sheet 150 of the flooring tiles 100 may be flat or tray-shaped and the interlocking mechanism between adjacent flooring tiles 100 may have a tongue-and-groove design or a groove- spline-groove design, as described above. Due to the weakness of the flooring tiles 100 near the interlocking mechanism, the brick- staggered design offers a stiffer and more advantageous solution than the aligned-joint design. Regardless of the design, however, the assembled flooring system 200 presents a durable surface capable of withstanding significantly heavy loads.

[0040] Embodiments of the improved flooring system offer significant advantages compared to the current state of the art. The improved flooring system described herein, offers higher structural integrity and skid resistance, cleanability, surface wear resistance and electrostatic dissipative properties. The flooring tiles are moisture-resistant and may have a reduced gloss such that autonomous navigation of the robotic vehicles is not adversely affected by the reflection from the surface of the flooring tiles. The improved flooring system can be particularly applied to withstand millions of passes and high volumes of heavy loads exerted by modem robotic vehicles continuously moving around in warehouse facilities. Applications as specialty flooring in hardware stores, storage facilities, and athletic facilities as well as any facility subject to heavy vehicular traffic are also contemplated.

[0041] It is noted that the terms "substantially" and "about" may be utilized herein to include the inherent degree of uncertainty that may be attributed to any quantitative comparison, value, measurement, or other representation. These terms are also utilized herein to represent the degree by which a quantitative representation may vary from a stated reference without resulting in a change in the basic function and intended scope of the subject matter at issue.

[0042] While particular embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise steps and/or forms disclosed. Many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art of the above teaching. Moreover, although multiple inventive aspects have been presented, such aspects need not be utilized in combination, and various combinations of inventive aspects are possible in light of the various embodiments provided above. Accordingly, the above description is intended to embrace all possible alternatives, modifications, combinations, and variations that have been discussed or suggested herein, as well as all others that fall with the principles, spirit and broad scope as defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A flooring tile comprising:

a rectangular panel comprising a substrate, the panel having a top surface, a bottom surface and four side edges; and

a tray-shaped metal sheet bonded to the top surface of the panel, the metal sheet having a base equal in size to the top surface of the panel and four walls folded along the four side edges of the panel to cover no more than 5.5 mm of each side edge of the panel.

2. The flooring tile of claim 1, wherein the metal sheet comprises a material selected from at least one of the following: G90 electrogalvanized steel, G60 galvanized steel, oxidized stainless steel, nitronic stainless steel, other stainless steel, and aluminum.

3. The flooring tile of claim 1 further comprising:

a tongue projecting outwards and a groove projecting inwards along the length of any two side edges of the panel such that adjacent flooring tiles are connected by fitting the tongue of a first flooring tile into the groove of a second flooring tile, the groove having a complementary shape to the tongue.

4. The flooring tile of claim 1 further comprising:

two grooves projecting inwards along the length of any two side edges of the panel such that adjacent flooring tiles are connected by fitting a spline between a grove of a first flooring tile and a groove of a second flooring tile, the spline having a complementary shape to the two grooves.

5. The flooring tile of claim 1, wherein the metal sheet has a surface gloss of no more than 40 gloss units at 85 degrees angle of incidence.

6. The flooring tile of claim 1, wherein: the substrate has a surface density greater than a core density; the panel has a thickness between 12.7 mm and 28.6 mm; and

the panel has a surface roughness between 1.25 and 2.0 Ra (micro-meters).

7. The flooring tile of claim 1, wherein the metal sheet has a thickness between 0.6 mm and 1.4 mm.

8. The flooring tile of claim 1, wherein the four walls of the metal sheet form four corners, each comer having two reliefs providing clearance during assembly of the metal sheet on the panel to prevent each wall from extending beyond the corresponding side edge of the panel.

9. A flooring system comprising:

a plurality of flooring tiles, each flooring tile comprising:

10. The flooring system of claim 9, wherein the metal sheet comprises a material selected from at least one of the following: G90 electrogalvanized steel, G60 galvanized steel, oxidized stainless steel, nitronic stainless steel, other stainless steel, and aluminum.

11. The flooring system of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of flooring tiles further comprises:

12. The flooring system of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of flooring tiles further comprises:

13. The flooring system of claim 9, wherein the metal sheet has a surface gloss of no more than 40 gloss units at 85 degrees angle of incidence.

14. The flooring system of claim 9, wherein:

the substrate has a surface density greater than a core density;

the panel has a thickness between 12.7 mm and 28.6 mm; and

the panel has a surface roughness between 1.25 and 2.0 Ra (micro-meters).

15. The flooring system of claim 9, wherein the metal sheet has a thickness between 0.6 mm and 1.4 mm.

16. The flooring system of claim 9, wherein the four walls of the metal sheet form four comers, each comer having two reliefs providing clearance during assembly of the metal sheet on the panel to prevent each wall from extending beyond the corresponding side edge of the panel.

17. A flooring tile comprising:

a tray-shaped metal sheet bonded to the top surface of the panel, the metal sheet having a base equal in size to the top surface of the panel and four walls folded along the four side edges of the panel to cover no more than 5.5 mm of each side edge of the panel, wherein: the four walls of the metal sheet form four corners, each comer having two reliefs providing clearance during assembly of the metal sheet on the panel to prevent each wall from extending beyond the corresponding side edge of the panel;

the metal sheet has a thickness between 0.6 mm and 1.4 mm;

the metal sheet has a surface gloss no more than 40 gloss units at 85 degrees angle of incidence; and

the metal sheet comprises a material selected from at least one of the following: G90 electrogalvanized steel, G60 galvanized steel, oxidized stainless steel, nitronic stainless steel, other stainless steel, and aluminum.

18. The flooring tile of claim 17 further comprising:

19. The flooring tile of claim 17 further comprising:

20. The flooring tile of claim 17, wherein:

the substrate has a surface density greater than a core density; the panel has a thickness between 12.7 mm and 28.6 mm; and the panel has a surface roughness between 1.25 and 2.0 Ra (micro-meters).