GB2461531A

GB2461531A - Flooring component and floor structure

Info

Publication number: GB2461531A
Application number: GB0812036A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Fairfax Robson
Original assignee: INSTACOUSTIC Ltd
Current assignee: INSTACOUSTIC Ltd
Priority date: 2008-07-01
Filing date: 2008-07-01
Publication date: 2010-01-06
Also published as: GB0812036D0; DE102009030695A1; FR2933434A1

Abstract

The application discloses a flooring component 1 comprising a panel 2 and resilient strips 3 supporting the panel, and a floor structure (10 figure 3) formed from a plurality of such flooring components laid across a subfloor (20 figure 4). The floor structure is particularly suited for use as a sports floor. The resilient strips may be arranged on the panel so that when a floor structure is formed from a plurality of such flooring components, the resilient strips form continuous lines (13 figure 3) across the floor. Each resilient strip preferably has an undulating lower surface area such that the surface area in contact with the subfloor increases as the load on the flooring component increases. Arrangement of the resilient strips can allow the flooring components to be laid quickly to form a floor structure, whilst providing even support across the whole floor. Later embodiment relates to a method of installing said floor structure.

Description

Floorinq component and floor structure The present invention relates to a flooring component for placement on a subfloor to provide resilient support for an overlying finish layer and to a floor structure comprising a plurality of such components. The present invention also relates to methods of constructing a floor structure using a plurality of such components.

The invention is applicable, for example, to the construction of sports floors and similar where a controlled degree of flexibility and response to impact and loading is required.

There are many factors to consider when designing and laying a floor that is suitable for sports. The floor needs to reduce the risk of injury to players using the floor. A floor needs to meet certain performance criteria in order for it to be suitable for playing a particular sport. Also, the floor may need to be suitable for other activities, for example, dancing, taking examinations, aerobic activities and the like. Many of these factors may be have conflicting requirements, and a compromise is usually needed to ensure that the floor is both safe and suitable for the activities for which it was designed.

It is important that the floor minimises the risk of physical injury, for example by bruising or bone fracture through severe body impact. Several factors need to be optimised in order to reduce this risk.

Frictional characteristics need to be strong enough that a player does not slip, for example when changing direction quickly. However, the frictional characteristics should not be so high that rapid pivoting of a player's foot when turning quickly is hindered, or to cause excessive friction burns if a player falls whilst running.

The floor should also provide a reasonable amount of shock absorption in order that the risk of injury from severe body impact with the floor is reduced. This could occur from a player jumping, for example in aerobic activities, or from falling whilst running at high speed.

The performance of the floor for a particular activity also needs to be taken into account. In general, the floor needs to be even and flat and have a consistent behaviour over the entire floor. The stiffness of the floor needs to be suitable for the particular activities for which it was designed. For example, the floor should provide a reasonable amount of rebound in order that ball sports, for example basketball, indoor football, tennis etc, can be played. The floor may be designed for a single activity, in which case the stiffness can be tailored to that specific activity. More usually, the floor needs to be general purpose and suitable for a variety of activities, in which case a compromise needs to be made when designing the floor.

The stiffness of a floor can be categorised by two parameters. The "area elasticity" is a measure of the resilience of a large area of the floor to a load. The "point elasticity" is a measure of the deformation of the floor at a localised point.

For example, a rigid wooden panel supported on a sprung frame would have a certain amount of give over a reasonably large area, but show no deformation locally. Hence the rigid wooden frame could be described as having a high area elasticity, but a low point elasticity. In contrast, a thin spongy covering over a rigid concrete floor would not give way over a large area, but would deform substantially locally. Hence the spongy covering could be described as having a low area elasticity but a high point elasticity.

A method of installing a sports floor known in the prior art is to lay a framework of wooden battens supported on periodic rubber cradles. The cradles give the framework a resilient property. Consequently, the whole of the framework has a high area elasticity. A mosaic of rectangular timber panels is then laid over the network of battens. In such a floor system the height of the entire floor structure can be quite large, typically in the range 60mm -240mm, which can cause problems when retrofitted into an existing room, for example due to fittings already being attached to the walls at a certain height, for example electrical sockets or sports equipment. Also, in some circumstances, the loss of useable space could be unacceptable. Other disadvantages of this method include the complexity of constructing the floor structure due to the number of parts that need to be assembled and therefore the high cost of installation.

The invention addresses these and other problems of the related prior art.

Summary of the invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a flooring component for placement on a subfloor to provide resilient support to an overlying finish layer, the component comprising a panel and a plurality of resilient strips attached to the underside of the panel for supporting the panel on the subfloor. The panel may be rectangular. Typically, a finish surface such as an elastomeric layer may be applied over the top of a plurality of such panels placed contiguously across a subfloor to form a finished floor structure with suitable resilience.

Each resilient strip is preferably provided with an undulating lower surface such that the surface area of the strip in contact with the subfloor increases as the load on the flooring component increases. The resilient strips may be spaced along a length of the panel, and preferably extend substantially across the full width of each panel.

In particular, the resilient strips may be arranged on the underside of each flooring component such that a plurality of similar or identical flooring components can be contiguously laid on the subfloor in staggered rows such that the resilient strips line up across two or more of the components, and preferably across the entire floor structure.

Preferably, one resilient strip is located substantially at one end of the panel, and another resilient strip is located substantially at the opposite end of the panel, an edge of each strip lying along the edge of the panel. The strips may then be arranged such that, if the elongate panel is of length L and has N resilient strips of width x, the spacing of the central axes of the resilient strips is substantially [LI(N-1)]-[ x /2] between a resilient strip located at one end of the panel and an adjacent resilient strip, and is L/(N-1) between all other strips.

Alternatively, the flooring component may have resilient strips of a first width located at either end of the panel, and resilient strips of a second width, twice that of the first width, spaced equally between the resilient strips located at the ends of the panel.

A variety of materials may be used to form the resilient strips including natural and synthetic rubbers, crumb rubbers, polyurethane materials, elastomers, and foams.

The panel may be made from a variety of materials including plywood, hardwood, chipboard, particle board, and medium density fibreboard. Preferably, the edges of the panel are provided with tongue and groove formations. The panel will typically be rectangular in plan view, and is preferably elongate. The resilient strips preferably extend across the shorter, width dimension. The length is preferably at least twice the width. In exemplary embodiments the elongate panel has dimensions of substantially 2400mm x 600mm.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a floor structure comprising a plurality of flooring components as set out above laid contiguously on a subfloor, such as a screed or concrete structural base, with a floor finish applied across the top of the components. The finish is preferably bonded to the boards, for example as a poured liquid which solidifies, or a preformed sheet fixed by adhesive. The floor finish may comprise a plurality of separate, or pre-bonded layers, such as an underlay and a top surface finish.

Preferably the flooring components are standardised to be all identical or very similar to each other, although some part-panel components, for example formed by cutting the standard components on site, are likely to be needed to form a practical floor of arbitrary size. Such part panels may require further modification for example by adding a resilient strip at a cut edge.

Preferably, the components are set out in rows, with each row being staggered with respect to the adjacent rows so that the joints between components of one row are not aligned with the joints in the adjacent row or rows.

Preferably, the flooring components in the floor structure are arranged so that the resilient strips of each row are aligned with the resilient strips of the adjacent row to align across the floor structure.

The floor finish may comprise one or more of a vinyl, linoleum, a polyurethane, a rubber, a PVC, and various forms of carpet especially needle punched carpets.

In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of installing a floor structure by laying contiguously a plurality of flooring components as described above on a subfloor and applying a finish surface across the top of the components.

The method may further comprise bonding each flooring component to adjacent flooring components befoie applying the finish. The flooring components may be arranged such that joints between components in one row do not align with the joints in adjacent rows. The step of laying the components may comprise doing so such that the resilient strips are aligned between adjacent rows of components, and more preferably are aligned across substantially the entire floor structure.

The method may also include fitting expansion strips around the perimeter of a room, before laying the flooring components within the expansion strips using the method set out above. The flooring components are preferably laid in contact with the strips. The expansion strips may be made of a foam or other compressible materials.

Brief description of the drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1A shows a side view of a flooring component according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 1 B shows an underside view of a flooring component according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 shows a side view of a the join between two flooring component according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 shows a plan view of a plurality of flooring components forming a floor structure with the position of the underlying resilient strips shown, according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of a floor structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Detailed description of embodiments

Figures 1A and lB are side elevation and underside views respectively of a flooring component 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The component I comprises an elongate, rectangular panel 2 and a plurality of resilient strips 3. The resilient strips 3 are formed from an elastic (or springy) material selected such that under typical loads expected in use of the component, the material will deform slightly, in particular to provide suitable absorption of shock. Suitable materials for this resilient strip 3 may include, but are not limited to, crumb rubbers, natural and synthetic rubbers, polyurethane, and other elastomers. The resilient strips 3 are arranged on the panel 2 such that the when many such flooring components are used together in adjacent staggered rows, the resilient strips 3 of adjacent rectangular panels 2 align from row to row to form a continuous line of support across multiple panels.

Suitable materials for the panel 2 include timber based products, in particular plywood, hardwood, and medium density fibreboard. In the United Kingdom building industry, standard panels are available with dimensions 2400mmx600mm with a thickness of 18mm, which would be suitable, although other dimensions would also be suitable, for example 2400mmxI200mm and 600mmx600mm etc. Elongate panels having a length at least twice the width are convenient. It is envisaged that the panels will typically have an area of at least one third of a square metre, and more preferably at least two thirds of a square metre.

Although not illustrated in figure 1A, the perimeter of the panel may be provided with "tongue and groove" jointing formations comprising tongues on two adjacent sides of the rectangular panel 2, and grooves on the other sides.

Alternatively, other jointing formations known in the art may be provided at the perimeter, including reinforced butt joint, splice joint, square edge joint and lap joint.

The flooring components 1 can be contiguously laid, and preferably joined together, in order to make a larger floor structure. Figure 2 schematically shows a joint 12 between two adjacent components. The joint consists of a "tongue and groove" arrangement. A plurality of the flooring components 1 can be arranged and joined in a mosaic of panels to form the floor structure. The flooring components 1 are arranged in rows so that the resilient strips 3 attached to one row of flooring components 1 are aligned with the resilient strips 3 of the adjacent row of flooring components 1.

The length of each resilient strip 3 is equal to the width of the panel 2. In this way, when a resilient strip 3 is attached to the underside of a panel 2, the resilient strip 3 traverses the whole width of the rectangular panel 2. The resilient strip 3 has a depth in the range of 3mm to 20mm and a width in the range 20mm to 220mm. In particular, the depth could be 10mm and the width 43mm. The resUient strip has an upper and an opposing lower surface. The upper surface is for attaching to the rectangular panel 2. This may be achieved by bonding using a suitable adhesive, by stapling or by another means. The upper and lower surfaces may both be flat or one or both of the surfaces might have a textured surface. Preferably, as shown in figure 2, the upper surface that is bonded to the rectangular panel 2 is flat, and the lower surface for contacting a subfloor 20 has an undulating surface. The undulating surface allows the surface area in contact with the base to increase as the load on the floor structure 10 is increased. This causes the area elasticity to change for different loads.

It is preferable that there is a resilient strip 3 attached abutting both the shorter edges of the rectangular panel 2, such that the edges of the resilient strips 3 are substantially aligned with the edges of the rectangular panel 2. This ensures that there is sufficient support to the rectangular panel 2 at the edges, and that when the rectangular panels 2 are joined to adjacent panels the joint 12 is supported by a resilient strip 3 on both sides.

Figure 3 shows a possible arrangement of a plurality of the flooring components ito form a floor structure 10. The components are all similar or identical, except that to form a floor of practical shape some components have been cut down for placement where the floor approaches the edge of a room.

The position of the underlying resilient strips 3 are also shown. The figure shows a preferred embodiment in which the resilient strips 3 are arranged underneath the rectangular panel 2 in such a fashion that when the flooring components 1 are joined together in staggered rows to form a floor structure 10, the resilient strips 3 align between adjacent rows, so as to form a continuous line 13. The strips are also arranged such that there is a resilient strip 3 on both sides of each joint 12.

A positioning of the resilient strips 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention, which permits the above characteristics of the floor structure to be achieved, will now be described. If the panel 2 is rectangular with a length L and there are N resilient strips 3 of width x, then a resilient strip 3 is placed so that its central axis is substantially at each of the positions that are an integer value of the distance L/(N-1) from one of the short ends of the rectangular panel.

However, the resilient strips 3 that would be placed at the ends of the rectangular panel 2 are displaced so that they do not overhang the edge of the rectangular panel, but are aligned so that their outside edge is aligned with the edge of the rectangular panel. The separation of the central axes of the resilient strips 3 at the edges of the rectangular panel 2 and the resilient strips 3 that are immediately adjacent is then [LI(N-1)] -[x/2].

This scheme corresponds to locating all of the strips to be equidistant with the end strips centred on the board ends, and then displacing the two end strips inwards towards the centre of the rectangular panel 2 until they no longer overhang the edges.

In a one embodiment, the length of the rectangular panel 2 is 2400mm and the number of resilient strips 3 is equal to nine, each of width 43mm. A first resilient strip 3 is attached to the rectangular panel 2 so that the edge of the first resilient strip 3 is substantially aligned with a short edge of the rectangular panel.

A second resilient strip 3 is attached so that its centre is substantially 278.5mm from the centre of the first resilient strip. Further resilient strips 3 are attached to the rectangular panel, with adjacent resilient strips 3 having a spacing of substantiaiJy 300mm between their centres. The final resilient strip 3 is attached with its centre substantially 278.5mm from the centre of the adjacent resilient strip, in order that the edge of the final resilient strip 3 is substantially aligned with the opposite edge of the rectangular panel 2 that the first resilient strip 3 was aligned with.

Another arrangement of the resilient strips 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention is to place a resilient strip with half the width of the other resilient strips 3 at both ends of the rectangular panel 2. Full width resilient strips 3 are then placed equally spaced apart between the end strips. In this arrangement, the flooring components 1 can be arranged so that the resilient strips 3 are form a continuous line 13 between adjacent staggered rows of components when they are laid together to form a contiguous floor structure.

A plurality of similar or identical flooring components 1 as described above may be laid together in a mosaic pattern. The joints 12 are facilitated by the tongue and groove joining means at the edge of the rectangular panels. The tongue 4 of one flooring component 1 is inserted into the groove 5 of the adjacent flooring component 1 in order that a continuous platform is created, and the boards may also be bonded together with an adhesive.

A method of installing the floor structure 10 shall now be described. The base 20 of the floor needs to be reasonably flat and level before the installation of the floor structure. For example, the base 20 might be a concrete structural subfloor, a screed, or a previously laid timber floor. In the case of a concrete floor, it might be necessary to lay a water impermeable membrane (not shown) before the floor structure 10 is installed in order that the floor structure 10 is protected from damp. It is convenient to start the installation process at a corner of the room in which the floor structure 10 is to be installed. The first flooring component 1 is placed on the base 20 so that it is close to the corner of the room.

It is preferable to provide a resilient material between the flooring component 1 and the wall of the room, to allow for expansion and contraction of the floor structure. This could be for example a strip of polyethylene, polystyrene, closed cell foam or polyester, and it may be more convenient to fit this before laying the adjacent flooring component. Alternatively, a filling material such as sealant or spray foam may be used after the flooring component has been laid. The next flooring component 1 is placed next to the first and arranged so that the tongue 4 of one off the flooring components 1 is inserted into the groove 5 of the other.

The joint 12 might be strengthened by using an adhesive to bond the joint 12 together. Further flooring components 1 are then placed together and joined in the same manner to form a row of flooring components. It is likely that a whole number of flooring components 1 will not fit in the room, so the final flooring component 1 of the row will need to be cut to size. In order that this cut flooring component 1 has a resilient strip 3 at the end that was cut, a loose or spare resilient strip 3 may be laid next to the wall, and bonded to the cut end of the flooring component. In this manner, every flooring component I is supported at each end by a resilient strip.

The next row of flooring components 1 can then be installed. The flooring component 1 of the next row is installed ensuring that there is also a tongue and groove joint 12 between the previous row. It is beneficial for the joints between flooring component 1 of one row do not align with the joints between flooring components 1 of the next row. That is, the rows of flooring components 1 should be staggered.

Furthermore, the rows of flooring components 1 should also be arranged so that the resilient strips 3 of one row, align with the resilient strips 3 of the next row. In this way, the resilient strips 3 will form a continuous line 13 along the entire width of room. The two resilient strips 3 juxtaposed either side of a joint 12, also form a continuous line 13 with the other resilient strips 3. However, because there are two resilient strips 3, the thickness of the line 13 at this point will be greater, as shown in figure 3.

It is evident from the illustrated arrangement of the flooring components 1 that in order that each flooring component 1 has a resilient strip 3 at each end, and all the resilient strips 3 of the floor structure 10 are aligned, that the resilient strips 3 cannot be simply be arranged on the underside of the rectangular panel 2 so that they are equally spaced. Instead, careful thought must be put into the arrangement of the resilient pads 3, for example, using the arrangement described above.

Figure 4 shows a cross-section through a completed sports floor installed over a base 20. Once the flooring components have all been installed, a covering 22 or floor surface finish can then be laid. Suitable floor finished include sheets or tiles of vinyl, linoleum, polyurethane, rubber, PVC, and needle punched carpet.

These can be placed over or bonded onto the top surfaces of the components.

The finish covering 22 is chosen to tailor the properties of the finished floor to the necessary requirements. These properties may include point and area elasticity and friction as mentioned above.

Although a variety of embodiments have been described, variations and modifications will be apparent to the skilled person without departing from the scope of the claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A flooring component for placement on a subfloor to provide resilient support to an overlying finish layer, the component comprising: a panel; and a plurality of resilient strips attached to the underside of the panel for supporting the panel when placed on the subfloor.
2. The component of claim 1 wherein each resilient strip is provided with an undulating lower surface such that the surface area of the strip in contact with the subfloor increases as the load on the flooring component increases.
3. The component of claim 1 or 2 wherein the resilient strips are spaced along a length of the panel.
4. The component of claim 3 wherein each resilient strip extends substantially across the full width of the panel.
5. The component of claim 4 wherein the resilient strips are arranged such that a plurality of similar or identical such flooring components may be laid contiguously in a staggered manner to form a cOntinuous floor structure in which the resilient strips are aligned between adjacent rows of flooring components, and are more preferably aligned across the entire floor structure.
6. The component of any of claims 3 to 5 wherein one of the resilient strips is located at one end of the panel, and another of the resilient strips is located at the opposite end of the panel.
7. The component of any of claims 3 to 6 wherein for a rectangular panel of length L having N resilient strips of width x, the spacing of the central axes of the resilient strips is substantially [L/(N-1)]-[x /2] between a resilient strip located at one end of the rectangular panel and an adjacent resilient strip, and is substantially L/(N-1) between all other strips.
8. The component of any of claims 3 to 6 wherein resilient strips of a first width are located at either end of the panel, and resilient strips of a second width are spaced equally between the resilient strips located at the ends of the panel, wherein the second width is substantially twice the first width.
9. The component of any of any preceding claim wherein the resilient strips are made from one or more of: natural or synthetic rubber; crumb rubber; polyurethane; an elastomer; and a foam.
10. The component of any preceding claim wherein the panel is made from one of: plywood; hardwood; chipboard; particle board; and medium density fibreboard.
11. The component of any preceding claim, wherein the edges of the panel are provided with tongue and groove formations suitable for interconnection with other similar or identical panels so as to form a continuous floor structure.
12. The component of any preceding claim, wherein the panel is elongate so as to be at least twice as long as it is wide.
13. A floor structure comprising a plurality of flooring components according to any preceding claim laid contiguously across a subfloor.
14. A floor structure according to claim 13 wherein the components are arranged in rows, each row being staggered with respect to the adjacent row or rows such that joints between components forming a first row are not aligned with the joints between the components forming the adjacent row or rows.
15. A floor structure according to claim 14 wherein the resilient strips of each row are aligned with the resilient strips of the adjacent row or rows to thereby align across the floor structure.
16. A floor structure according to any of claims 13 to 15, further comprising a finish surface laid over the top of the plurality of flooring components.
17. A floor structure according to claim 16, wherein the finish surface comprises one or more of: vinyl; linoleum; polyurethane; Rubber; PVC; and needle punched carpet.
18. The floor structure of claim 16 or 17 wherein the finish surface is bonded to the underlying flooring components.
19. A method of installing a floor structure, comprising: laying a plurality of flooring components according to any of claims 1 to 12 on a subfloor; and applying a finish surface across the top of the flooring components.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the flooring components are arranged such that joints between components forming a first row do not align with joints between components forming the adjacent row or rows.
21. The method of claim 19 or 20, wherein the flooring components are arranged such that the resilient strips align between adjacent flooring components.
22. A flooring component substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
23. A floor structure substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.