WO2021116659A1

WO2021116659A1 - Template and method of installing a flooring panel

Info

Publication number: WO2021116659A1
Application number: PCT/GB2020/053083
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dax OSBORNE
Original assignee: Osborne Dax
Priority date: 2019-12-12
Filing date: 2020-12-02
Publication date: 2021-06-17
Also published as: GB201918283D0; GB2605059B; GB2605059A; GB202207499D0

Abstract

A method of installing a flooring panel onto a subfloor, the method comprising: placing a template on the flooring panel when the flooring panel is in place on the subfloor, the template having at least one array of regularly spaced holes extending through the template; driving fixings through the holes in the template and into the flooring panel underneath the template to fix the flooring panel to the support subfloor such that the outer ends of the fixings do not protrude from the upper surface of the flooring panel, and the inner ends of the fixings pass through the flooring panel and are driven into the subfloor, the template comprising a non-rigid mat formed from an inherently flexible material; and moving the mat to an adjacent section of flooring panel to repeat the method on the adjacent section of flooring panel.

Description

TEMPLATE AND METHOD OF INSTALLING A FLOORING PANEL

When constructing timber floors, typically suspended timber floors, for example when building or renovating houses or similar buildings, the floor often comprises either traditional floor boards, or sheets of chipboard or the like. Flooring panels often comprising sheets of plywood are then often laid on the floor boards or chipboard before a decorative floorcovering is laid on the plywood. The plywood sheets are laid contiguously with each other across the floor, and then must be fixed, typically with screws or similar fixings, to the underlying floor.

In order to ensure that the fixings used to fix the plywood to the underlying floor are correctly and consistently spaced, installers generally pencil out guidelines on the surface of the plywood flooring panels, e.g. a grid pattern formed from two sets of parallel lines at, for example, 4 inch or 100 mm spacing, and then fix screws into the plywood e.g. at the intersections of the guidelines. However, this is relatively laborious and time-consuming. Some flooring panels come already marked up with suitable markings such as is described in US7150128.

EP3043007 describes a building panel template that is useful for understanding the invention.

According to the present invention there is provided a template for indicating locations for fixings on a flooring panel to be attached to a subfloor; the template having at least one array of regularly spaced holes extending through the template from a first surface to an opposing second surface, the holes being adapted to permit driving of fixings through the holes in the template and through the flooring panel underneath the template at regular intervals, to fix the flooring panel to the subfloor such that outer ends of the fixings do not protrude from an upper surface of the flooring panel, and inner ends of the fixings pass through the flooring panel and are driven into the subfloor; wherein the template comprises a non-rigid mat formed from an inherently flexible material which is adapted to conform to the shape of the upper surface of the flooring panel. Not all of the holes in the mat need to be regularly spaced, and in some examples, the mat can incorporate holes that are not in the array of regularly spaced holes.

The array of regularly spaced holes may cover the whole of the mat in the same pattern in some examples, but in other examples, one array of regularly spaced holes could be provided in one region of the mat but not in others, and other regions of the mat could have no holes, or could have holes with a different pattern. Thus, the mat could have two arrays, with holes of different spacing in each array, and with the two or more arrays in different regions of the mat. For example, the centre of the mat could have a lower density of holes per square meter than the peripheral regions of the mat, which could have a higher density of holes per square meter. Corner regions of the mat could have a different (optionally higher) density than the central or peripheral regions. Optionally the two or more arrays of regularly spaced holes may at least partially overlap with each other. For example, a first array of holes at 50 mm spacing may extend across substantially the entire surface of the mat, and a second array of holes at 25 mm spacing (which may optionally include holes belonging to the first array) may only extend around the periphery regions e.g. edges of the mat. Optionally different arrays of holes spaced at different intervals may share one or more holes, or optionally the holes belonging to different arrays of holes spaced at different intervals may be distinct from each other.

Optionally the mat is symmetrical along an axis coincident with at least one edge. Optionally the mat is rectangular, optionally with a pair of symmetrical long edges and a pair of symmetrical short edges. Optionally the first and second surfaces are connected by the symmetrical long and short edges.

Optionally the mat has a plane parallel to the first and second surfaces. The yield point of the mat in a direction parallel to the plane is optionally higher than the yield point of the mat in a direction crossing the plane. In other words, the mat is optionally relatively susceptible to deformation in a direction crossing the plane of the mat (for example the mat will readily conform to the shape of the upper surface of a substrate on which it is laid, e.g. the flooring panel, and will readily deform around deviations from the plane of the upper surface of the flooring panel), but the mat is optionally relatively resistant to deformation in a direction parallel to the plane, for example, in comparison to the low resistance to deformation across the plane, it is more resistant to forces tending to stretch the mat within the plane to be wider or longer etc. Thus, the mat can optionally conform readily to any contours of the upper (usually generally flat) surface of the flooring panel on which it is laid, perhaps deforming at its edges around local obstacles such as walls, pipes, columns, scaffolding etc. extending out of the plane of the upper surface of the flooring panel, but optionally is more resistant to stretching or deformation parallel to the plane of the mat to extend the edges of the mat, e.g. beyond an original generally symmetrical arrangement. Thus the distance along the surface of the mat between opposite edges optionally remains relatively constant even as the mat deforms around irregularities in the upper surface of the flooring panel. Thus, optionally even as the mat deforms around any irregularities in the plane of the upper surface of the flooring panel, the distance between the holes remains relatively consistent, which allows the placement of the fixings at functionally suitable distances to secure the flooring panel to the subfloor.

Optionally the mat has a consistent thickness. Optionally the thickness of the mat is from 2-10mm, e.g. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9mm although thicker mats are contemplated, e.g. 10-20mm. However, the mat typically has a minimum thickness of e.g. 2mm, and a maximum thickness of e.g. 30mm. Optionally the thickness of the mat is between 4mm and 6mm. A suitable thickness is 5-7mm. Optionally the holes extending through the mat between the first and second surfaces of the mat are of sufficient axial length to guide fixings such as screws that are driven through the holes in the mat. Optionally the holes are perpendicular to the first and second surfaces, which can optionally be parallel.

Optionally the axes of the holes are mutually parallel.

The holes optionally have a diameter sufficient to allow passage of the fixings through first and second surfaces of the mat when driving the fixings into the flooring panel. Optionally, the holes permit drilling of pilot holes through the flooring panel but optionally this is not essential, and the fixings can optionally be driven through the flooring panel and subfloor without holes first being drilled into the flooring panel or subfloor material. Optionally the diameter of the holes can be at least 5mm, optionally at least 10mm, optionally 10-20mm. This can optionally be varied to suit the head of the fixing being used. In most cases, an M6 fixing could have a head diameter of 10-14mm, and a suitable (non-limiting) size of hole would optionally leave a slight clearance between the head and the hole, for example, 12-16mm, permitting the screw to be driven into the flooring panel underneath the mat, without the screw or driver engaging the walls of the hole. Similar non-limiting dimensions for a smaller M5 screw and suitable hole might be 9-10mm for the screw diameter and 11-14mm for the hole. Optionally the holes can be significantly larger than the diameter of the head so that the sides of the hole are spaced from the fixing head, and do not need to support the shaft of the fixing within the hole. A 16-20mm hole diameter is suitable for many examples.

Optionally holes at different spacing intervals can be provided with distinguishing features such as markings, e.g. colour-codes with different colours indicating different spacings on the mat. Other features for distinguishing holes at different spacing intervals may comprise other visual features such as different marks or shapes on the surface of the mat to indicate different hole spacings, e.g. squares to indicate holes at a first spacing interval, and triangles to indicate holes at a second spacing interval. Alternatively, holes at different spacing intervals can be indicated by use of distinguishing 3D features e.g. features having height or depth relative to the surface of the mat, for example indentations, raised dots or patterns, or other surface textures.

Optionally the edges of the mat have indentations or partial holes having an arcuate edge, but having an open side (e.g. an incomplete circumference) optionally at the same spacing as at least some of the holes across the mat, to allow driving of fixings through the flooring panel adjacent to the edges of the mat by moving the mat or turning the mat over after fixing the positions of the screws at the indentations or partial holes along the edge of the mat.

Optionally the edges and/or corners of the mat can have a higher density of holes than the areas of the mat spaced away from the periphery, to allow fixings to be driven through the mat adjacent to the edges or corners of a surface in a higher density, for example, with closer spacing than the non-peripheral areas of the mat, while maintaining the overall spacing interval of the screwing or drilling across the mat. Optionally the higher density of holes can be focused at one corner or edge, and it is not necessary for each corner or edge to be provided with a higher density of holes.

The fixings used with the mat are able to pass through the holes entirely, having heads smaller than the holes in the mat.

Optionally the mat is formed from a resilient material such as rubber. Optionally the mat is formed from a flexible material. Optionally the material is transparent or translucent.

The invention also provides a method of installing a flooring panel onto a subfloor, the method comprising:

1) placing a template on an upper surface of the flooring panel when a lower surface of the flooring panel is in place on the subfloor, wherein the template has at least one array of regularly spaced holes extending through the template from a first surface to an opposing second surface;

2) driving fixings through the holes in the template and into the flooring panel underneath the template, to fix the flooring panel to the subfloor such that the outer ends of the fixings do not protrude from the upper surface of the flooring panel, and the inner ends of the fixings pass through the flooring panel and are driven into the subfloor; wherein the template comprises a non-rigid mat formed from an inherently flexible material;

3) moving the mat to an adjacent section of flooring panel and performing steps 1 and 2 again on the adjacent section of flooring panel.

Optionally steps 1, 2 and 3 are repeated until the desired amount of subfloor is covered with flooring panels.

Optionally the inherently flexible material of the mat permits deformation of the mat against walls and other fixtures extending out of the plane of the flooring panel without lifting the second surface of the mat from the flooring panel.

The mat can optionally be rolled up for easy transportation. The mat can be laid (e.g. unrolled) on top of plywood (or any other material) that is to be screwed or fixed at regular intervals, and the screws or other fixings applied through the holes in the mat, into the material underneath the mat.

Optionally the mat is smaller than the flooring panel. Optionally the flooring panel is an integral number (N) of times larger than the mat 10, optionally an even number of times larger. Optionally the mat can be placed in a corner of the flooring panel and flipped on edge an integral number (N-1) of times to cover substantially the whole of the surface area of the flooring panel. For example, optionally the mat is a fraction 1/N of the size of the flooring panel, where N = 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, such that the flooring panel can be covered by moving or flipping the mat once, or twice, or three times, or five times before the flooring panel is covered. Other values for N can be used. Optionally the mat is ¼ the size of the flooring panel. Optionally when using a mat that is smaller than a flooring panel and moving the mat over the flooring panel each corner of the flooring panel is closest to the corner of the mat with a higher density of holes. Optionally the higher density of holes in the corners or edges includes at least one line of holes which lines up with a line of holes on the other regions of the mat.

The holes in one of the arrays are optionally spaced at, for example, 50 mm intervals, optionally in both lengthwise and breadthwise directions. This allows screws or other fixings to be placed at 50 mm intervals, or at more widely spaced intervals if not every hole is used. For example, by only using every 2nd hole in one direction, and every 3rd hole in the other perpendicular direction, it would be possible to create a 100 mm x 150 mm spacing for the screws. The holes in a peripheral array could optionally be spaced at 25mm intervals, with double the density of the central array.

The surface of the mat around holes could optionally be colour-coded to indicate sets of holes to use for a particular spacing, e.g. holes 100 mm apart in one direction could be indicated by one colour, and holes 150 mm apart in the other direction could be indicated by a second colour. Where specific holes belong to more than one spacing interval, they may optionally be indicated by more than one colour.

The holes permit the passage of the screws through the holes, and the driving of the screws from the upper side of the mat. Thus, the whole screw can pass through the hole in the mat. This allows the mat to be in place while the hole is optionally drilled initially, after which the drill bit can be removed and the screw offered to the drilled hole, and then driven through the hole into the plywood by a driver bit, which can also pass through the hole in the mat. After the screw has been fixed in the hole, the driver bit can be removed from the hole in the mat, and used to drive the next screw along. Thus the hole permits a work-aperture for driving the screw into the plywood in addition to providing a template indicating the desired position of the screw. Note that the drilling of the hole in the flooring panel for the screw is an optional step, and in many cases, no hole is needed, and the screw or other fixing can be driven through the flooring panel without first drilling a hole.

Since it is possible that the area of the surface to be fixed may be much larger than the dimensions of the mat, a useful optional feature of the mat is that the edges of the mat have partially-circular indentations, or ‘half-holes’, which are typically spaced at the same intervals as the rest of the holes in the mat. The partially circular indentations need not be semi-circular, and for example some regions of the mat, such as the corners, can incorporate smaller divisions, e.g. quarter-circle indentations. These allow screws or fixings to be fitted at the correct spacing down an edge of the mat, and then the entire mat can optionally be turned over or flipped or otherwise moved onto an adjacent section of flooring, which has not yet been sheaved, such that the lower side of the mat becomes the upper side, with the semi circular holes in the same edge of the mat still aligned with the screws fitted along the edge of the mat before it was flipped. This allows the next section of flooring to be fixed, whilst maintaining exact alignment and spacing with the screws already fitted in the first section of flooring. This process can then be repeated, by turning the mat over on any edge of the mat onto new sections of flooring, until the entire flooring area is fixed. Optionally the mat can be flipped, i.e. pivoted around an axis that is coincident with an edge of the mat, so that the mat turns over between one part of the flooring and the next.

A further optional feature of the mat is that there may be extra holes adjacent to the edges and corners of the mat that are spaced at smaller intervals. For example, if the holes in the mat are spaced at 50 mm intervals, there may be extra holes at the corners and edges at 25 mm spacing. Since it is generally not possible to fit screws right against a wall or corner of a room, this allows the mat to be laid against a wall or corner of a room and the first row of screws to be fitted at e g. 25 mm spacing from the wall or corner, while all other screws are fitted at 50 mm spacing. Optionally not all edges and corners have a higher density of holes, e.g. in some examples only one corner and/or only one edge have a higher density of holes. Optionally the mat is flipped or pivoted about edges that do not intersect with the corner having the higher density of holes, i.e. edges of the mat that are spaced away from the periphery of the flooring panel. In this way, the corner with higher density of holes can be positioned at the corners of the flooring panel.

Optionally at least one of the edges of the mat (optionally all edges of the mat) may be marked at regular intervals to provide a means of measuring distances e.g. a ruler. Optionally such markings may be aligned with the at least one of the arrays of holes through the mat, and optionally markings may be provided at smaller intervals than the spacing of the holes through the mat. For example, if holes are spaced at 50 mm intervals, and extra holes at the edges of the mat are spaced at 25 mm intervals, markings along the edge of the mat may be provided at 5 mm intervals, and / or 10 mm intervals.

The invention also provides a flooring assembly comprising: a plurality of fixings and a flooring panel fixing template for indicating locations for the fixings on a flooring panel to be attached to a subfloor, the template having at least one array of regularly spaced holes extending through the template from a first surface to an opposing second surface, the holes being adapted to permit driving of the fixings through the holes in the template and into the flooring panel underneath the template at regular intervals to fix the flooring panel to the subfloor such that the outer ends of the fixings do not protrude from an upper surface of the flooring panel, and the inner ends of the fixings pass through the flooring panel and are driven into the subfloor; wherein the template comprises a non-rigid mat formed from an inherently flexible material which is adapted to conform to the shape of the upper surface of the flooring panel; the fixings having a length sufficient to extend through the flooring panel and into at least a portion of the subfloor, and having a head with a diameter sufficient to pass through the holes in the template without engaging the template. The various aspects of the present invention can be practiced alone or in combination with one or more of the other aspects, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the relevant arts. The various aspects of the invention can optionally be provided in combination with one or more of the optional features of the other aspects of the invention. Also, optional features described in relation to one aspect can typically be combined alone or together with other features in different aspects of the invention. Any subject matter described in this specification can be combined with any other subject matter in the specification to form a novel combination.

Various aspects of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying figures. Still other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the entire description thereof, including the figures, which illustrates a number of exemplary aspects and implementations. The invention is also capable of other and different examples and aspects, and its several details can be modified in various respects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, each example herein should be understood to have broad application, and is meant to illustrate one possible way of carrying out the invention, without intending to suggest that the scope of this disclosure, including the claims, is limited to that example. Furthermore, the terminology and phraseology used herein is solely used for descriptive purposes and should not be construed as limiting in scope. In particular, unless otherwise stated, dimensions and numerical values included herein are presented as examples illustrating one possible aspect of the claimed subject matter, without limiting the disclosure to the particular dimensions or values recited. All numerical values in this disclosure are understood as being modified by "about". All singular forms of elements, or any other components described herein are understood to include plural forms thereof and vice versa.

Language such as "including", "comprising", "having", "containing", or "involving" and variations thereof, is intended to be broad and encompass the subject matter listed thereafter, equivalents, and additional subject matter not recited, and is not intended to exclude other additives, components, integers or steps. Likewise, the term "comprising" is considered synonymous with the terms "including" or "containing" for applicable legal purposes. Thus, throughout the specification and claims unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise’’ or variations thereof such as “comprises” or “comprising” will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles and the like is included in the specification solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present invention. It is not suggested or represented that any or all of these matters formed part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present invention.

In this disclosure, whenever a composition, an element or a group of elements is preceded with the transitional phrase "comprising", it is understood that we also contemplate the same composition, element or group of elements with transitional phrases "consisting essentially of’, "consisting", "selected from the group of consisting of”, “including”, or "is" preceding the recitation of the composition, element or group of elements and vice versa. In this disclosure, the words “typically” or “optionally” are to be understood as being intended to indicate optional or non- essential features of the invention which are present in certain examples but which can be omitted in others without departing from the scope of the invention.

References to directional and positional descriptions such as upper and lower and directions e.g. “up”, “down” etc. are to be interpreted by a skilled reader in the context of the examples described to refer to the orientation of features shown in the drawings, and are not to be interpreted as limiting the invention to the literal interpretation of the term, but instead should be as understood by the skilled addressee.

Brief description of the drawings

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of a mat comprising a template;

Figure 2 shows a sectional view through a part of the mat in Fig 1 along the line 2’-2’ in Fig 1 , in which the mat is laid on top of a section of flooring panel to be fixed to a subfloor; and

Figures 3a-3f show plan views of the mat shown in Fig 1 in a sequence of positions on top of flooring panels laid on a subfloor. Referring now to the drawings, figure 1 shows a plan view of a mat 10 embodying a template according to the invention. The mat 10 has an upper surface 11a, and a lower surface 11b which are mutually parallel. The mat 10 in this example is symmetrical and is optionally generally rectangular, having a pair of mutually parallel long edges 12, and a pair of mutually parallel short edges 13; providing the mat 10 with two axes of symmetry coincident with the edges 12, 13. Figure 2 shows a sectional view through a part of the mat (the pattern repeats along the mat 10, so only part of the mat 10 is shown in figure 2). The figure 2 sectional view is of a section through the line 2’-2’ in figure 1. The mat 10 is used to position fixings 25 in a suitable location to fix a section of flooring panel 30 to a subfloor 40, as shown in Fig 2.

The upper and lower surfaces 11a, 11b of the mat 10 are interconnected by holes extending through the mat 10 from the upper surface 11a to the lower surface 11b. In this example, the holes have parallel sides, which are perpendicular to the upper and lower surfaces 11a,b, and optionally all holes through the mat 10 are mutually parallel. All holes in this example (not necessarily the same for all examples) are optionally arranged in rows that are parallel to each side, so each channel in the mat lies on a line that is parallel to one of the edges 12, 13.

The mat 10 optionally has a central region 20 spaced away from the edges 12, 13 by a consistent amount (in this example, by 50mm) and four border regions 21a, 21b, comprising peripheral rectangular strips of consistent width extending (in this example for 50mm) between the edges 12, 13 and the central region 20. Border regions 21a are parallel to long edge 12, and border regions 21b are parallel to short edge 13. The border regions 21 form individual strips of the mat 10 which do not intersect, and which are abutted by corner regions 22 disposed at the corners of the rectangular mat 10 as shown in Fig 1.

The mat 10 optionally has arrays of holes in each of the regions 20, 21, 22. In this example, the separate arrays in the central, border and corner regions 20, 21, 22 optionally have different patterns of holes, typically with increasing density of holes. The spacing between the holes optionally defines the differences between the three regions in this example. At least some of the holes 15c through the mat 10 in the central region 20 form a central array, and are spaced apart from at least some of the adjacent holes 15c in the central array at regular intervals which in this case is 50 mm. In the central array, all of the holes 15c are spaced from their nearest neighbours along lines parallel to the long edges 12 by 50mm. These holes 15c are typically spaced by the same amount from at least some of their nearest neighbours along lines parallel to the short edges 13. In this example, all of the holes in the central region 20 are in the central array of regularly spaced holes, so the spacing between all of the holes 15c in the central region is regular and, in this example, equal. It should be noted, however, that in some cases, the central region could optionally incorporate additional holes that are not regularly or equally spaced, and are not in the array of regularly spaced holes.

At least some of the holes 15b in the rectangular border regions 21 a, b form peripheral arrays of regularly spaced holes, in which the holes 15b optionally have a different spacing from at least some of the holes 15c forming the central array. In the border regions, the spacing in the peripheral arrays is regular, but is not necessarily equal, optionally having additional holes as compared with the central array, but optionally having some holes in the border regions that are positioned at the same spacing as in the central array. While the central array of holes 15 is spaced at 50 mm intervals in both directions in the plane of the mat 10, the holes 15b in the peripheral arrays are spaced at 50 mm intervals in one direction, but at 25mm intervals in another direction, and this can optionally be different in different peripheral arrays. For example, in the border regions 21a parallel to the long edges 12, the holes are spaced at 50mm intervals in a direction parallel to the long edges 12, but at 25mm intervals in a direction parallel to the short edges 13. The opposite applies in border regions 21b parallel to the short edges 13, in which the holes are spaced at 50mm intervals in a direction parallel to the short edges 13, but at 25mm intervals in a direction parallel to the long edges 12. The net effect of this difference in spacing is that the central array of holes 15c has a regular spacing of a first density and the border of the mat 10 has peripheral arrays of holes 15b spaced at a second density which is higher than the first density in the central array. In this example, the holes in the peripheral array include a repetition of the same pattern as the central array, but also include additional holes. As in the central region, the holes 15b in the peripheral array are regularly spaced, if not equally spaced, from their immediately adjacent neighbours. As explained in relation to the central region, the border regions 21 could optionally incorporate additional holes that are not regularly or equally spaced from their immediate neighbours, and are not in the array of regularly spaced holes.

The corner regions 22 in this example typically have at least one corner array of holes with a higher density of holes than the central or border regions 20, 21. Optionally each of the corners 22 have the same corner array, although it is also possible for only one of the corners to have the corner array with the higher density. In the corner arrays of the corner regions 22, the spacing between at least some (and typically all) of the holes and their nearest neighbours is optionally equal and at 25mm in each direction. As explained above, the corner regions could optionally incorporate additional holes that are not regularly or equally spaced, and are not in the array of regularly spaced holes in the corner regions.

The four outer edges 12, 13 of the mat 10 optionally have partial holes 15p bisected by the edges 12, 13 and comprising semi-circular arcuate sections with open sides, which are typically spaced at the same spacing as the holes 15b in the peripheral array in the border regions 21. Optionally the holes 15 are formed by drilling or coring the mat 10. Optionally the partial holes can be formed after drilling or coring the holes 15 in the mat 10 by cutting the mat 10 along a line passing through the centres of a row of holes to form the partial holes 15p.

The mat 10 is formed from a polymeric compound such as a rubber compound, for example nitrile rubber. The yield point of the mat 10 in a direction parallel to the plane P is optionally higher than the yield point of the mat in a direction crossing the plane P. In other words, the mat 10 is relatively susceptible to deformation in a direction crossing the plane of the mat. For example the mat 10 will readily conform to the shape of the upper surface of a substrate on which it is laid, e.g. a flooring panel laid flat on a subfloor, and will readily deform around deviations extending above the plane of the upper surface of the substrate on which the mat 10 is laid. However, the mat 10 is relatively resistant to deformation in a direction parallel to the plane P, for example, in comparison to the low resistance to deformation across the plane P, the mat 10 is more resistant to forces tending to stretch the mat 10 in a direction parallel to the plane P to be wider or longer etc. Thus, the mat 10 can optionally conform readily to any contours of the upper (usually generally flat) surface of a substrate such as a flooring panel on which it is laid, perhaps deforming at its edges around local obstacles such as walls, pipes, columns, scaffolding etc. extending out of the plane of the upper surface of the flooring panel, but optionally is more resistant to stretching or deformation parallel to the plane of the mat to extend the edges of the mat, e.g. beyond an original generally symmetrical arrangement. Thus the distance along the surface of the mat 10 between opposite edges 12 and 13 optionally remains relatively constant even as the mat 10 deforms around irregularities in the upper surface of the substrate. Thus, optionally even as the mat 10 deforms around any irregularities in the plane of the upper surface of the flooring panel or other substrate, the distance between the holes 15 remains relatively consistent.

As seen in Fig 2, the mat 10 optionally has a consistent thickness, which in this example is 5mm. The thickness of the mat helps to resist deformation of the mat 10 in a direction parallel to the plane P, and so maintains consistency of the hole spacing in the mat 10 during deformation of the mat around irregularities, and also ensures that the holes 15 extending through the mat 10 are of sufficient axial length to guide fixings such as screws that are driven through the holes in the mat 10.

The holes 15 have a diameter sufficient to allow passage of the fixings 25 through first and second surfaces 11a, 11b of the mat 10 when driving the fixings into the flooring panel 30 during use. Optionally, the fixings can optionally be driven through the flooring panel 30 and into the subfloor 40 without holes first being drilled into the flooring panel 30 or subfloor material, passing through the mat 10 entirely. The diameter of the holes 15 can be varied for the desired size of fixing to be used, but in this case, in a template used for an M5 fixing with a head diameter of 9-12mm, a suitable size of hole leaves a clearance between the head of the fixing 25 and the hole 15 of at least a few cm, to permit the fixing 25 to be driven into the flooring panel 30 and subfloor 40 underneath the mat 10, without the fixing 25 or driver damaging the walls of the hole 15. Thus in this example, the diameter of the holes is chosen in conjunction with the fixings 25 to be used with the mat 10 so that the fixings 25 are able to pass through the holes 15 entirely, having heads smaller than the holes 15 in the mat 10. In this case, a suitable diameter is 16mm. Optionally the diameter of the holes can be significantly larger than the diameter of the heads, and the sides of the holes are not required to support the fixings 25 before they are driven into the flooring panel 30.

In use, as shown in Fig 2, the mat 10 is laid on a flooring panel 30 to be fixed to a subfloor 40. In most examples, the flooring panel 30 comprises a plywood sheet, having various dimensions, but in this example, the dimensions of flooring panel 30 are e.g. 1200mm x 2400mm or 1220mm x 2440mm. In this case, the flooring panel 30 is optionally an integral number (n) of times larger than the mat 10, optionally an even number of times larger, so that the mat 10 can be placed in a corner of the flooring panel 30 and flipped on edge an integral number (n-1) of times to cover substantially the whole of the surface area of the flooring panel 30. In the present case, the flooring panel is 4x larger than the mat 10, so the mat 10 can be flipped three times after the initial array of fixings is applied to the flooring panel to cover the whole of the surface area of the flooring panel 30 with fixings. The mat 10 is placed on the upper surface of the flooring panel 30 when a lower surface of the flooring panel 30 is in place on the subfloor 40 and is ready to be fixed in place onto the subfloor 40. The position of the mat 10 in relation to the flooring panel 30 is optionally adjusted so that at least one edge 12, 13 of the mat 10 lines up with at least one edge of the flooring panel 30, and optionally at least one corner of the mat 10 (optionally a corner with a higher density of hole) is located in or with a few cm of a corner of the flooring panel 30. When the flooring panel 30 and the mat 10 are each in the correct position fixings 25 such as screws are driven through the holes 15 in the mat 10 and through the flooring panel 30 underneath the mat 10, to fix the flooring panel 30 to the subfloor 40 underneath the mat 10 such that the outer ends of the fixings 25 do not protrude from the upper surface of the flooring panel 30, and inner ends of the fixings 25 pass through the flooring panel 30 and are driven into the subfloor 40. Typically the heads of the fixings 25 are smaller than the diameter of the holes 15, and so pass through both surfaces of the mat 10.

Since the mat 10 is a non-rigid structure formed from an inherently flexible material such as nitrile rubber, it can deform around local obstacles such as pipes, walls, scaffolding etc., which extends out of the plane of the flooring panel 30, thereby allowing the correct placement of the fixings 25 across a substantial portion of the panel 30. Optionally the mat 10 is half the length and half the width of the flooring panel 30, e.g. 600 x 1200mm. Optionally the inherently flexible material of the mat 10 permits deformation of the mat against walls and other fixtures extending out of the plane of the flooring panel 30 without lifting the second surface 11b of the mat 10 from the flooring panel 30.

Once all of the fixings have been driven through the flooring panel 30 to fix that part of the flooring panel to the subfloor 40 in the above manner, the mat 10 is moved, e.g. by flipping the mat over so that the upper surface 11a is face down against an adjacent section of the flooring panel 30 to be fixed to the subfloor 40 next to the existing array of fixings 25. The steps of driving the fixings 25 through the holes 15 is then performed again on the adjacent section of flooring panel 30. The corners of the mat 10 and flooring panel 30 are again brought into alignment or proximity so that the higher density of fixings is applied through the higher density of holes in at least one of the corner regions of the mat 10. In total the mat 10 is optionally flipped three times (about an internal short edge for the first time, about an internal long edge for the second time, and about an short edge for the third time) before fixings 25 have been driven through the flooring panel over substantially the whole of the surface area of the flooring panel 30. This process is repeated until the desired amount of subfloor 40 is covered with fixed flooring panels 30.

A useful optional feature of the mat 10 is that the partial holes 15p along the edges 12, 13 of the mat 10 are useful in cases where the mat 10 is smaller than the flooring panel 30 being fixed in place. After fixings 25 have been driven through all of the holes 15 in the mat 10, and more surface area of the flooring panel 30 is to be fixed, the partial holes 15p permit the user to align the mat 10 with the driven fixings 25 in the existing panel 30 to continue the process with the same spacing. Alternatively, according to one option, the partial holes 15p at the edges could be useful to line up the mat 10 on the next panel 30 after the first panel 30 is fixed in place in order to maintain the same spacing of fixings between the two panels 30. In one example, the partial holes 15p allow fixings 25 to be fitted at the correct spacing down an edge of the mat 10, and then the entire mat can optionally be moved or flipped onto an adjacent section of floor panel 30, which has not yet been fixed to the subfloor 40, with the semi-circular holes 15p in the same edge of the mat 10 still aligned with the fixings 25 fitted along the edge of the mat 10 before it was flipped. This allows the next section of flooring to be fixed to the subfloor 40, whilst maintaining exact alignment and spacing with the fixings already fitted in the first section of flooring. This process can then be repeated, by turning the mat over on any edge of the mat on to new sections of flooring, until all of the desired panels have been fixed to the subfloor 40.

A further useful optional feature is that the holes 15b in the border regions are spaced at smaller intervals. Since it is generally difficult to drive fixings flush against a wall or corner of a room, this allows the mat 10 to be laid against a wall or corner of a room and the first row of fixings 25 to be fitted at e.g. 25 mm spacing from the wall or corner, while all other fixings 25 are fitted at 50 mm spacing. This permits more dense packing of fixings 25 at the periphery of a room than at its centre. This feature also permits a higher density of fixings to be driven through the flooring panel 30 at the corners of the flooring panel 30. Advantageously, only one corner of the mat 10 could be provided with the higher density of holes, and the mat 10 could be flipped or otherwise moved to align the same corner of the mat 10 with the high density holes with different corners of the flooring panel 30.

The mat 10 can optionally be rolled up for easy transportation, and can be laid (e.g. unrolled) on top of the flooring panel that is to be fixed to the subfloor.

The surface 11a and/or 11b of the mat 10 around the holes 15 could optionally be colour-coded or otherwise marked to indicate sets of holes 15 to use for a particular spacing, e.g. holes that are 100 mm apart in one direction could be indicated by one colour or marking e.g. squares, and holes 150 mm apart in the other direction could be indicated by a second colour or other marking, e.g. triangles. Where specific holes belong to more than one spacing interval, they may optionally be indicated by more than one colour or other marking.

The holes 15 permit the passage of the fixings through the holes 15, and the driving of the fixings from the upper side of the mat 10. Thus, the whole fixing 25 can pass through the hole 15 in the mat 10 as shown in Fig 2. The hole provides a work- aperture for driving the fixing 25 into the flooring panel 30 in addition to providing a template indicating the desired position of the fixing 25. Figures 3a-3f illustrate a method of moving the mat 10 across an area of subfloor (not visible in Figure 3) covered by one or more flooring panels 30 that are larger than the area of the mat. The one or more flooring panels 30 are positioned relative to the subfloor before the mat 10 is used to drive fixings e.g. screws 25 through each flooring panel and into the subfloor underneath. The area of subfloor shown in Figures 3a-3f is approximately six times larger than the mat 10, but the sequence of steps illustrated in Figures 3a-3f may of course be carried out on any area that is smaller or larger than this. The area of subfloor shown in Figures 3a-3f may, for example, be covered by three flooring panels 30, each twice as large as the mat 10, or by two flooring panels, each four times as large as the mat, or by a single flooring panel six times as large as the mat. In the case that the flooring panels 30 are four times as large in the mat 10, in the example shown in Figures 3a-3f, the area of the fixed-size flooring panels will exceed the area of the subfloor (as may often occur when laying flooring panels), and so it will be necessary to adjust e.g. cut to size one of the flooring panels. In this case, the cut flooring panel will only be twice as large as the mat 10, but this does not require any alteration of the general sequence of steps shown in Figures 3a-3f for moving the mat 10 across the subfloor area.

As shown in Figure 3a, the mat 10 is first typically positioned in a corner of the subfloor area, and fixings 25 e.g. screws are driven through all required holes 15, through a first section of a first flooring panel 30 and into the subfloor. The mat 10 is then moved, typically by flipping the mat along one of its edges e.g. a long edge, onto an adjacent section of the first flooring panel 30, as shown in Figure 3b. After the mat 10 is moved or flipped onto an adjacent section of the same flooring panel 30, the mat 10 may be correctly positioned by aligning the partial holes 15p along an edge of the mat with the fixings 25 which were previously inserted through the same partial holes (if the mat was flipped along the edge onto the adjacent section of flooring panel), or through the partial holes on the opposite edge of the mat (if the mat was moved e.g. pushed or pulled, without turning the mat over, onto the adjacent section of flooring panel). Further fixings 25 e.g. screws are then driven through all required holes 15 and through the adjacent section of the first flooring panel.

In Figure 3c, the mat 10 is shown moved or flipped along another edge e g. a short edge, onto another area of subfloor, which may be covered by a further section of the first flooring panel 30, or by a section of a second flooring panel. When the mat 10 is moved or flipped onto a different flooring panel 30, the mat is typically positioned by aligning the corners and / or edges of the mat with the flooring panel. Fixings 25 e.g. screws are again driven through all required holes 15 and through the flooring panel into the subfloor underneath.

The same steps are then repeated for all remaining areas of the subfloor, until all flooring panels 30 are fixed to the subfloor, as shown in Figures 3d-3f. Typically the mat 10 is flipped in an alternating manner along a long edge, then a short edge, onto the next area of flooring. Once all of the flooring panels 30 have been fixed to the subfloor, the mat 10 is removed, leaving the flooring area ready for fitting of any final floor coverings.

Claims

1 A method of installing a flooring panel onto a subfloor, the method comprising:

2) driving fixings through the holes in the template and into the flooring panel underneath the template, to fix the flooring panel to the subfloor such that the outer ends of the fixings do not protrude from the upper surface of the flooring panel, and the inner ends of the fixings pass through the flooring panel and are driven into the subfloor, wherein the template comprises a non-rigid mat formed from an inherently flexible material;

2 A method according to claim 1, wherein the mat is unrolled over the flooring panel.

3 A method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein one of the first and second surfaces is in contact with the flooring panel, and wherein step 3 includes pivoting the mat around an axis coincident with one edge of the mat to bring the other of the first and second surfaces into contact with an adjacent section of flooring panel.

4 A method according to claim 3, wherein the said one edge of the mat incorporates a row of partial holes and wherein the method includes lining up the row of partial holes with at least one row of fixings driven into the flooring panel.

5 A method according to any one of claims 1-4, including driving the heads of the fixings through first and second surfaces of the mat without engaging the mat with the fixings.

6 A method according to any one of claims 1-5, including driving fixings through only some of the holes in the array. 7 A method according to claim 6, including spacing the driven fixings at regular intervals across the flooring panel.

8 A method as claimed in any one of claims 1-7, including driving fixings through the mat in at least two arrays, with different spacing between adjacent driven fixings in at least two arrays, and with the two or more arrays in different regions of the mat.

9 A method as claimed in any one of claims 1-8, including deforming the mat around protrusions extending out of the plane of the flooring panel.

10 A method as claimed in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the flooring panel is larger than the mat, and wherein the method includes flipping the mat at least once around an axis of the mat that is coincident with an edge of the mat that is spaced from an edge of the flooring panel from a first position to a second position on the flooring panel.

11 A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the flooring panel is an integral number N times larger than the mat, and wherein the mat is flipped N-1 times to cover substantially the whole of the surface area of the flooring panel.

12 A flooring assembly comprising: a plurality of fixings and a flooring panel fixing template for indicating locations for the fixings on a flooring panel to be attached to a subfloor, the template having at least one array of regularly spaced holes extending through the template from a first surface to an opposing second surface, the holes being adapted to permit driving of the fixings through the holes in the template and into the flooring panel underneath the template at regular intervals to fix the flooring panel to the subfloor such that the outer ends of the fixings do not protrude from an upper surface of the flooring panel, and the inner ends of the fixings pass through the flooring panel and are driven into the subfloor; wherein the template comprises a non-rigid mat formed from an inherently flexible material which is adapted to conform to the shape of the upper surface of the flooring panel; the fixings having a length sufficient to extend through the flooring panel and into at least a portion of the subfloor, and having a head with a diameter sufficient to pass through the holes in the template without engaging the template.

13 A template for indicating locations for fixings on a flooring panel to be attached to a subfloor; the template having at least one array of regularly spaced holes extending through the template from a first surface to an opposing second surface, the holes being adapted to permit driving of fixings through the holes in the template and into the flooring panel underneath the template at regular intervals, to fix the flooring panel to the subfloor such that the outer ends of the fixings do not protrude from an upper surface of the flooring panel, and the inner ends of the fixings pass through the flooring panel and are driven into the subfloor; wherein the template comprises a non-rigid mat formed from an inherently flexible material which is adapted to conform to the shape of the upper surface of the flooring panel.

14 A template as claimed in claim 13, wherein the mat comprises at least two arrays, with holes of different spacing in at least two of said arrays.

15 A template as claimed in claim 13 or claim 14, wherein a central region of the mat has a lower density of holes per square meter than a peripheral region of the mat.

16 A template as claimed in any one of claims 13-15, wherein the mat is symmetrical along an axis coincident with at least one edge.

17 A template as claimed in any one of claims 13-16, wherein the mat is rectangular with a pair of symmetrical long edges and a pair of symmetrical short edges.

18 A template as claimed in any one of claims 13-17, wherein the mat has a plane parallel to at least one of the first and second surfaces, and wherein the yield point of the mat in a direction parallel to a plane is higher than the yield point of the mat in a direction crossing the plane. 19 A template as claimed in any one of claims 13-18, wherein the mat has a plane parallel to at least one of the first and second surfaces, wherein the mat is more susceptible to deformation in a direction crossing the plane than to deformation in a direction parallel to the plane.

20 A template as claimed in any one of claims 13-19, wherein the mat is resistant to deformation in a direction parallel to a plane of the mat.

21 A template as claimed in any one of claims 13-20, wherein the mat has a consistent thickness from 4mm to 6mm.

22 A template as claimed in any one of claims 13-21, wherein at least one corner of the mat has a higher density of holes per square meter than a central region of the mat.

23 A template as claimed in any one of claims 13-22, wherein holes at different spacing intervals have distinctive markings indicating different spacings on the mat.

24 A template as claimed in any one of claims 13-23, wherein holes at the edges and/or corners of the mat comprise partial holes having an arcuate edge and having an open side, and where the partial holes have the same spacing along the edge of the mat as at least some of the holes across the mat.

25 A template as claimed in any one of claims 13-24, wherein the mat is formed from a resilient material.

26 A template as claimed in any one of claims 13-25, wherein the mat is flexible in plane parallel to the first and second surfaces but is inextensible in a direction parallel to the plane.