GB2529745A

GB2529745A - Floor structure

Info

Publication number: GB2529745A
Application number: GB1509937.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Butcher
Original assignee: UNWIN C N Ltd; CN Unwin Ltd
Current assignee: UNWIN C N Ltd; Braunability UK Ltd
Priority date: 2014-06-09
Filing date: 2015-06-08
Publication date: 2016-03-02
Also published as: GB201509937D0; GB201410160D0

Abstract

A floor structure for use in a vehicle, preferably a wheelhouse of a work boat, comprising a panel having side walls 13, 15, and upper and lower surfaces 9,11 defining an interior, preferable divided into hollow compartments 21, 23, 25 by reinforcing members 17, 19, the panel having a first insulting material in the interior, preferably providing sound insulation. There may be a second thermally insulating material 27 in the form of a layer on the upper and/or lower surface. Both insulting materials may be an expanding foam, such as polyurethane, the first injected into the interior and the second sprayed onto the structure after assembly, the structure comprising a plurality of interconnected panels. The panels may be extruded aluminium and may be connected via interlocking edges (5, 7, Fig. 2) which may have a snap-fit. There may be integral anchorage rails 29 for attaching furniture to the floor. Also claimed is a single floor panel and a method of installing the floor structure. The structure may be preassembled, adhered and bolted to the I-beams of a vessel.

Description

FLOOR STRUCTURE

The present invention relates to floor struotures suitable for use in vehicles, in particular floor structures suitable for use in marine vehicles. It also relates to floor panels ilsed in such floor structures, and methods for assembling such floor structures.

BACKGROUND

The comfort of crews aboard marine vehicles has a signifioant effeot on their health, wellbeing, and ability to work effectively. This is particularly true for crew transport marine vehicles, such as wind farm maintenance vehicles or other workboats, which are intended to deliver crew to an off-shore work site. Such vehicles are often relatively small, for reasons of cost and convenience, but must travel reasonable distances to reach work sites (e.g. wind farm sites), often in poor conditions. The small size of such boats means that the crew are relatively close to sources of noise, such as the sound of wind and waves and mechanical noise from the boat (in particular, the engine) . The size of such boats can also mean that they are affected by the elements, such as the weather and sea spray, to a greater extent than larger vehicles. Therefore, it is important to minimise the effect that a noisy and cold environment could have on workers, in order to ensure the wellbeing and efficiency of workers using these vessels.

It is well-known for marine vehicles, such as marine transport vehicles, to house The vehicles' crew in pre-fabricated cabins, such as wheelhouses. These cabins are typically attached to a vehicle's existing structure, and may incorporate their own flooring. For example, wind farm maintenance vehicles and other workboats may have a separate wheelhouse cabin fixed to the main body of the boat so that the cabin floor (deck) is spaced slightly above the boat's main upper deck. This arrangement leaves the underside of the floor exposed to the elements, allowing noises such as the sounds of wind and waves to travel under and easily penetrate the floor. It also allows heat to escape, which can lead to further discomfort for the crew. This latter aspect is important because such vehicles need to be able to operate effectively at temperatures as low as -20°C.

Typically, the floors of such pre-fabricated cabins are made from plate steel sheet of 3 mm or more, fixed on top of the I-beams of the vehicle, over which are attached alternating layers of plywood, insulator and cork, finished with a top layer of rubber. Typically, steel sections are attached to the steel sheet which penetrate upwards through the plywood, cork and rubber layers, to act as attachment points for securing rails. These securing rails are used to secure cabin furniture using standard attachment mechanisms.

However, the use of steel and the multiple layers mean that the structure is relatively heavy. This can result in a high centre of gravity, which can make the boat more unstable ("tender", i.e. more susceptible to high amplitude rolling), increasing the discomfort of The boat's crew. Furthermore, the floor structure can be very time consuming to install in a vehicle. For example, the flooring of a typical cabin H30 m2) for a workboat can take from 1 to 1.5 weeks to fit.

It would be desirable to develop improved vehicle flooring structures which are relatively quick and easy to fit, and which thermally and/or acoustically insulate users of the vehicle from their surroundings. Given the particular requirements of marine applications, such flooring structures should also be sufficiently srrong and adaptable to allow furniture to be secured in different configurations within a cabin.

SUI'Th4ARY CF THE INVFMTTCM To address the above problems, a first aspect of the present invention provides a floor structure, suitable for use in a vehicle, comprising an insulated floor panel, said insulated floor panel having: a body, comprising upper and lower surfaces connected by first and second side walls, defining an interior (i.e. an internal cavity) a first insulating material in the interior; and a second insulating material on the upper and/or lower surface.

In other words, the floor structure includes a floor panel comprising a body taking the form of a "shell" which surrounds a core of a first insulating material, with a second insulating material on top of/on the bottom of said body.

The term "insulating material" is intended to refer to a material capable of reducing The rate of heat transfer (i.e. a thermally insulating material) or the amount of sound transfer (i.e. an acoustically/sound insulating material) through the insulated floor panel compared to an equivalent panel lacking such material.

Advantageously, such a srructure is a compact means of providing a floor structure which is thermally and/or acoustically insulating. In particular, incorporation of the first insulating material within the interior of the floor panel (instead of as a separare external layer) and the second insulating material on the upper and/or lower surfaces, significantly improves the insulating properties of the panel without significantly increasing the thickness of the floor structure. Furthermore, the structure does not rely on multiple layers to be built up over time, allowing guick construction.

Suitably, the floor structure includes a plurality of floor panels. The floor structure may incorporate non-insulated floor panels in addition to insulated floor panel (s) -These may be interspersed with insulated floor panels, or may be present in discrete sections or regions.

For example, the floor structure may have a section of insulated floor panels which overlie a noisy piece of equipment in a vehicle (such as a motor) and a section of non-insulated floor panels which overlie less noise-sensitive parts of a vehicle. However, to maximise the insulating effect of the floor structure, it is preferred that the majority of the floor structure is formed from insulated panels. For example, at leasr 60%, at least 70%, at least 80% or at least 90% of the surface area of the floor structure may be formed from insulated floor panels. Preferably, all of the floor panels are insulated floor panels.

Preferably, adjacent floor panels are connected to one another (i.e. the floor panels are interconnected) . Adjacent panels may be connected by, for example, gluing, welding, or bolting. However, it is preferred that the panels are connected together through a mechanical locking mechanism, especially by interfitting or interlocking of fixed edge formations such as tongue and groove or tongue in groove mechanisms. Preferably, the mechanical locking mechanism is a snap fit mechanism. Advantageously, such a floor can be constructed rapidly by clipping" or "clicking" panels together, and hence can be installed much faster than conventional floor structures used for the floors of wind farm maintenance vehicles. For example, a typical 30 m2 cabin floor structure, can be installed in a cabin in around two days, in contrast to the -l-1.5 week(s required for conventional flooring.

To achieve such a snap or click fit mechanism, the floor panels may include one or more projections or teeth running along an edge which snap fit into one or more grooves running along the edge of an adjacent panel. These are known per Se, such as in our "Innotrax" floor panel product. Such projections may be integral to the first or second side wall, or may be formed by a section of the upper or lower surface extending beyond a side wall. Similarly, the grooves may be formed in the first or second side wall, or may be formed by a section of the upper or lower surface projecting beyond a side wall (e.g. to form a lip) . By having these at both faces of the meeting edges, with resilient deformability (for snap fit) at at least one face, the planks or panels can be snapped together edge-to-edge without the need for longitudinal sliding.

Preferably, the insulated floor panel(s) includes an internal reinforcing member. This reinforcing member may be separate from the body of the floor panel or, more preferably, integral with the body of the floor panel (i.e. connect the upper and lower surfaces) . Together with the first and/or second side walls, this reinforcing member splits the interior of the insulated floor panel into multiple compartments/cells filled with the first insulating material. Advantageously, including one or more reinforcing members improves the strength of the insulated floor panel, allowing the panel to be made larger without increasing the thickness of the upper and lower surfaces or side walls.

A preferred type of insulated floor panel is a plank (i.e. has a plank profile, such as with opposed flat main faces and straight parallel side edges) . The panel may be an elongate extruded plank. A plank-shaped panel is simple to handle and cut, making it relatively easy to build up a floor structure in a desired shape.

Preferably, the body of The insulated floor panel(s) is made from metal, since this results in a strong and robust floor structure. In particular, metal is a good material for attaching furniture and other additional components in the cabin to, due to its strength and ability to be worked (e.g. drilled) . A particularly preferred metal is aluminium, since it is strong and lightweight -much lighter than the conventional steel-based flooring currently in use for flooring of wheelhouse cabins of wind farm maintenance vehicles. This means that marine vehicles having a floor structure according to the present invention, incorporating aluminium-bodied floor panels, can have a lower centre of gravity than those fitted with a conventional floor structure, resulting in better handling and increased comfort for the vehicle's crew.

As noted above, the floor structure of the present invention can provide a relatively compact load-bearing insulated floor structure. In particular, the floor structure can be made relatively thin, because the load-bearing of the floor can be borne substantiaily or wholly by the body of the floor panel, without the need for the first insulating material and second insulating material to be load-bearing.

Thus, the overall average thickness (mean thickness) of the floor structure may be, for example, less than or equal to 100 mm, less than or equal to 75 mm, preferably less than or equal to 50 mm, more preferably less than or equal to 40 mm. The average distance between the upper surface and lower surface of the body of the floor panei may be, for example, less than or equal to 75 mm, less than or equal to 50 mm, less than or equal to 40 mm or less than or equal to 35 mm.

Suitably, the second insulating material is attached to the upper and/or lower surface of the body of the insulated floor panel. The second insulating material may be attached by an adhesive or, alternatively, may attach or be attached to the upper and/or lower surfaces of the body of the insulated floor panel without an adhesive.

Preferably, the second insulating material is provided on the lower surface of the floor panel(s), for example, in the form of a layer. Advantageously, such an arrangement protects the second insulating material from damage, in particular damage which may occur through human footfall or furniture on the upper surface of the floor panel. In addition, such an arrangement allows the second insulating material to protect the underside of the insulated floor panels from the elements, which is especially important for marine vehicles due to the potential for marine corrosion. The layer of second insulating material may have an average thickness (mean thickness) of, for example, ar least 1 mm, at least 2 mm, at least 3 mm, at least 4 mm, at least 5 mm, at least 8 mm, at least 10 mm or at least 15 mm. The upper limit for the average thickness of this layer may be, for example, 50 mm, 25 mm, 20 mm, 15 mm, 10 mm, 8 mm, 6 mm or 5 mm. Preferably, the layer of second insulating marerial has an average thickness of between 3 and 8 mm, more preferably 5 to 6 mm, since this provides good insulation without considerably increasing the thickness or weight of the floor structure. By "thickness" we mean the depth of second insulating material above/below the upper/lower surface of an insulated floor panel.

The second insulating marerial may cover, for example, 50% or more, 60% or more, 70% or more, 80% or more, or 90% or more of the surface area of the upper and/or lower surface.

Preferably, the second insularing material covers all (or at least substantially all) of the upper and/or lower surface of the body of the floor panel(s).

The first and second insulating materials may have different insulating properties. For example, the first insulating material may be a Thermally-insulating material and the second insulating material may be a sound-insulating material. Preferably, the first insulating material is a sound-insulating material and the second insulating material is a thermally-insulating material. Advantageously, this arrangement of layers results in excellent thermoacoustic insulation properties without considerably increasing the thickness of the floor structure. In particular, the thermally-insulating material can be formed across the whole of the upper and/or lower surfaces of the insulated floor panels, resulting in good thermal insulation.

The sound-insulating material is preferably foam, since foams are lightweight and parricularly effective at soundproofing the floor panel(s). Preferably, the sound-insulating foam is injected into the floor panel because this allows all, or substantially all, of the interior of the floor panel to be filled, to achieve efficient soundproofing. To produce such floor panels, a foam-precursor liquid may be injected into the interior of the body of the floor panel (suitably with the ends of the panel capped), and subsequently allowed to expand to fill the interior of the panel. Examples of suitable sound-insulating foam include, for example, polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam, polyether foam, polyester foam or melamine foam. Preferably, the sound-insulating foam is polyurethane foam.

The thermally-insulating material is preferably foam, since such foams are lightweight and provide particularly effective thermal insulation. The foam may be, for example, polyurethane foam. Preferably, the thermally-insulating foam is also fireproof.

The thermally-insulating material may have a thermal oonductivity of 0.075 W m-1 K or less, 0.05 W m-1 K-' or less, 0.045 W m K-' or less, 0.04 W mU K-' or less, 0.035 W m-K-: or less, 0.03 W m K or less, or 0.025 W m K or less.

The overall R-value (a measure of thermal resistance) of the floor structure may be, for example, 0.4 m2 K WU or greater, 0.5 m2 K KU or greater, 0.75 m2 K K-' or greater, 1.0 m2 K K or greater, 1.25 m2 K W or greater, or 1.5 m2 K K or greater.

Preferably, the floor structure incorporates one or more anchorage points for securing furniture to the floor structure. The anchorage point(s) may be integral with the insulated floor panel, or may be a separate component. When the anchorage point(s) is/are a separate component, they may be attached to the insulated floor panel (for example, the upper surface of the insulated floor panel) or may be part of a panel other than said insulated panel(s), or other structure making up the floor structure.

Preferably, the anchorage points are provided on an elongate securing rail or track on the upper surface of a panel (optionally, on all panels) . See for example our EP-A-709247 and GB2321626, in which securing rails have a central groove with opposed overhanging edge flanges and a series of scalloped recesses in the flanges, enabling the insertion and locking of fittings having corresponding projections which can be dropped through the recesses, shifted out of alignment with the recesses and locked there so that they cannot be pulled out. One option, seen in GB2321626 Figs. 1 and 2 is to form the rail as a separate part which attaches to the floor panels, for example by means of a rib on one part which engages with a slot in the other part. Another, preferred option, seen in GB2321626 Figs. 3 and 4 and our "Tnnotrax" product, is to form the rails as an integral part of a floor panel.

The floor structure may be secured to a base structure (such as support structure on a marine vehicle) by gluing, welding, bolting, and other means known in the art. The floor structure may be assembled on the base structure, and attached to the base structure as it is assembled. However, it is preferred that the floor structure is attached to the base structure as a pre-assembled or partially-assembled unit.

Advantageously, this decreases the amount of time required to install the floor structure on a vehicle or other base structure, since the floor structure can be assembled "off-site". Usually the specified floor structure is mounted on an array of spaced support beams, e.g. I-beams, usually extending parallel. A floor or deck including the support beams is an aspect of our proposals.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides an insulated floor panel, suitable for use in a floor structure of the first aspect, comprising: an upper and lower surface connected by first and second side walls, defining an interior; a first insulating material in the interior; and a second insulating material on the upper and/or lower surface.

In a third aspect, the present invention provides a vehicle (preferably a marine vehicle such as a workboat) having a floor structure according to the first aspect, the floor structure being secured to a structure of the vehicle.

The floor structure may be the deck of a cabin. The cabin may be mounted above a main deck of a boat with a space beneath the floor structure. The cabin may be mounted via a resilient suspension.

The second insulating mareriai may be present on the insulated floor panel(s) before it is formed into a floor structure. However, in such instances it may be difficult to eliminate gaps occurring in the insulating material between adjacent floor panels. Therefore, it is preferred that the second insulating material be added after the floor structure has been formed, because this allows the material to evenly cover the surfaces of the floor panels without any gaps. Most preferably, the layer is added after the floor structure has been installed on a base structure (i.e. with the floor in situ) , since this limits or prevents gaps in the second insulating material between panels, and also avoids the possibility of damage to the material occurring during installation of the floor panels. For example, the second insulating material may be spray-coated onto the floor panels after they have been installed on a base structure.

In a fourth aspect, the present invention provides a method comprising the installation of a floor structure according to the first aspect.

Such a method may involve the steps of: -assembling a floor structure from a plurality of insulated floor panels, the floor panels having: a body, comprising an upper and lower surface connected by first and second side walls, defining an interior; and a first insulating material in the interior; and a second insulating material in the interior.

A preferred alternative method involves the steps of: (i) assembling a floor structure from a plurality of insulated floor panels, the floor panels having: :ii a body, comprising an upper and lower snrface connected by first and second side walls, defining an interior; and a first insularing material in the interior; and (ii) adding a second insulating material on the upper and/or lower surface of the insulated floor panels.

Preferably the floor structure is secured to a base structure (such as a vehicle) after it is assembled, instead of being assembled and secured in-situ on the base structure.

Advantageously, this decreases the amount of time required to install the floor structure on a vehicle or other base structure, since the floor structure can be assembled "off-site". In the case of the preferred alternative method above, the floor structure can be secured to the base structure after the second insulating material is added. However, it is preferred that the floor structure is secured to the base structure before the second insulating material is added, since this allows the second insulating material to evenly cover the surfaces of the floor panels without any gaps, as discussed above with reference to the third aspect.

Thus, preferably, the merhod is a method of installing a floor structure on a base structure (in particular a vehicle) comprising the steps of: (i) assembling a floor structure from a plurality of insulated floor panels, the floor panels having: a body, comprising an upper and lower surface connected by first and second side walls, defining an interior; and a first insularing material in the interior; (ii) securing the floor structure to the base structure; and (iii) adding a second insulating material on the upper and/or lower surface of the insulated floor panels.

It is also possible to assemble a floor structure by: (i) assembling a floor structure from a plurality of insulated floor panels, the floor panels having: a body, comprising an upper and lower surface connected by first and second side walls, defining an interior; and a second insulating material on the upper and/or lower surface; and (ii) filling the body of the insulated floor panels with a first insulating material.

From the above, it is clear that floor structures and floor panels which lack one of the insulating materials are useful precursors for floor scructures of the first aspect of the present invention. Furthermore, flooring structures including just one of the above materials are also useful for addressing the problems identified above. Accordingly, further aspects of the invention provide floor structures and floor panels requiring only one insulating layer: In a fifth aspect, the present invention provides a floor structure, suitable for use in a vehicle, comprising an insulated floor panel, said insulated floor panel having: a body, comprising an upper and lower surface connected by first and second side walls, defining an interior; and an insulating material in the interior.

In a sixth aspect, the present invention provides an insulated floor panel, suitable for use in a floor structure according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, having: a body, comprising an upper and lower surface connected by first and second side walls, defining an interior; and an insulating material in the interior.

In a seventh aspect, the present invention provides a floor structure, suitable for use in a vehicle, comprising an insulated floor panel, said insulated floor panel having: a body, comprising an upper and lower surface connected by first and second side walls, defining an interior; and an insulating material on the upper and/or lower surface.

In an eighth aspect, the present invention provides an insulated floor panel, suitable for use in a floor structure according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, having: a body, comprising an upper and lower surface connected by first and second side walls, defining an interior; and an insulating material on the upper and/or lower surface.

As noted above, the structures and panels of the fifth to eighth aspects are useful precursors for the structures and panels of the first and second aspects of the present invention, as well as being useful items in their own right.

In a ninth aspect, the present invention provides a method comprising the installation of a floor structure according to the fifth aspect. Such a method may involve assembling a floor structure from a plurality of insulated floor panels according to the sixth aspect, and securing the floor structure to a base structure.

In a tenth aspect, the present invention provides & method comprising the installation of a floor structure according to the seventh aspect. Such a method may involve assembling a floor structure from a plurality of insulated floor panels according to the eighth aspect, and securing the floor structure to a base structure.

The second to tenth aspects of the present invention may have any of the optional and preferred features of the first aspect discussed above. In particular, the insulating material may be any of the marerials described above for the first and second insulating materials of the first aspect.

Unless the context requires otherwise, it will be understood that these proposals may extend to wall-mounted structures. For convenience of description we use the term "floor", but this should interpreted to include (separately) use in non-horizontal contexts.

Although the present invention has been discussed mainly with reference to marine vehicles such as workboats, it will be appreciated that the floor structure may find uses in other applications. For example, the floor structure may find use in other types of vehicles, such as vans and lorries, and in building applications, such as house building and cabin building. Therefore, the floor panels and structures may be useful in contexts other than vehicles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Examples of our proposals are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure íA is a sectional view of part of a floor structure conventionally used for marine vehicles; Figure 18 is a perspective view of the floor structure of Figure 1A; Figure 2 is a sectional view of part of a floor structure according to the first aspect of the present invention, formed from multiple insulated floor planks; Figure 3 is a sectional view of one of the insulated floor planks of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a close-up view of region A of Figure 2, showing the connection between adjacent planks; Figure 5 is a close-up view of an alternative arrangement for connecting adjacent planks; Figure 6 is a sectional view of part of a floor structure according to the first aspect of the present invention installed on a base structure; Figure 7 is a perspective view of the top side of a floor structure of the first aspect installed on a base structure; Figure 8 is a perspective view of the underside of the floor structure in Figure 7 before application of a second insulating material; and Figure 9 is a perspective view of the underside of the floor structure in Figure 7 after application of a second insulating material; Figure 10 is a schematic plan view of a workboat showing a wheelhouse, and Figure 11 is a median vertical section of the workboat.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figures 1A and lb show a known floor structure 1001 which is conventionally used in the wheelhouses of marine vehicles such as workboats. The strucrure consists of a stainless steel base plate 1003, which is attached to I-beams of the marine vehicle, overlaid with multi-layer panels 1005 and topped with a layer of rubber 1007. Each multi-layer panel 1005 consists of a central foam layer 1009 sandwiched by layers of cork 1011 and 1011' and plywood 1013 and 1013' . The multi-layer panels 1005 are provided pre-assexhbled, and are cut to size and installed on site. To allow the attachment of furniture to the floor structure 1001, a securing rail 1015 is attached to the base plate 1003 via a top-hat steel section 1017.

Referring to Figure 2, a floor structure 1 embodying to the present invention includes a plurality of extruded aluminium planks 3 connected ro one another through interlocking edges 5 and 7. Figure 3 shows a closer view of one of the planks in Figure 2. The plank has an upper surface 9, a lower surface 11, two side walls 13 and 15, and two reinforcing members 17 and 19, which define three interior compartments 21, 23 and 25 filled with sound-insulating polyurethane foam. The compartments are filled with foam by sealing the ends of the plank, injecting a foam-precursor liquid into each compartment Through a hole, and allowing the liquid to expand. The floor structure includes a 5 mm thick layer of thermally-insulating polyurethane foam 27 on the lower surfaces 11 of the planks, which has been spray-coated onto the pre-assembled floor structllre of Figure 2. The plank includes an integral securing rail 29 for securing furniture to the floor structure, having a central groove with opposed overhanging edge flanges and a series of scalloped recesses in the flanges.

The side edges of the planks 3 are specially adapted for joining to corresponding side edges of adjacent planks so that they interlock mechanically to form a self-supporting structure. Figure 4 shows a close-up image of the interlocking mechanism of claim 1. The planks are clipped together edge-to-edge by firsc interlock formations 31 which mate with second interlock formations 33, forming a locked unit which can take its own weight and remain stiff and flat during installation of the floor module into a vehicle.

Briefly, the first edge formarion 31 includes a curved pivot hook 35, and a sprung hook 37 on a cantilever spring element.

The second edge formations 33 have a curved pivot groove 39 to receive the pivot hook 35 of The adjacent edge and an outwardly-directed groove 41 co receive the sprung hook 37 on the adjacent edge. To join planks, the pivot hock 35 is detained in the pivot groove 39 of the adjacent plank, with the tops of the planks inclined towards one another, and the planks then pushed down in-plane whereupon the sprung hook 37 catches intc place and locks. This is just one convenient example; profiles can be joined together in a variety of ways.

For example, an alternative embodiment shown in Figure 5 is analogous to the mechanism shown in Figure 4, but includes an internal edge abutment surface 43 which lies against an abutment surface 45 on the adjacent element so that Inadvertent in-plane forces during assembly do not damage the hooks.

The lower surface 11 of The insulated planks can be glued down onto a base or support scructure, preferably before the second insulating material is added. For example, in Figure 6 a floor structure analogous to that in Figure 2 has been glued to a steel I-beam 105 of a wind farm maintenance vehicle, and a thermally insulating material 103 has been subsequently applied. Although in this case glue alone is sufficient to secure the floor structure to the I-beam, other or supplementary methods of fixing may be used (not shown) Figures 7 to 9 demonstrate a method of installing a floor structure according to The present invention on a vehicle, in this case a wind farm maintenance vehicle. In a first step, planks are filled with a sound-insulating foam by sealing their ends, injecting a foam-precursor liguid into their hollow interior compartments, and allowing the foam to expand. The planks are subsequently cut to size, and clipped together off-site so as to form a floor structure 101 which conforms to the general outline shape of the cabin of the wind farm maintenance vehicle. In this case, the planks of the floor structure have the same dimensions, but it is also possible to make floor structures incorporating planks of different sizes (e.g. different lengths and/or widths) and other types of panels, such as hatches. The assembled floor is then partially deconstructed, and transported to the windfarm maintenance vehicle for installation. On site, the underside of the floor structnre 101 and I-beams 105 of the windfarm maintenance vehicle are cleaned and primed, adhesive is applied to the underside of the floor structure and top-side of the I-beams, and the floor structure is glued in place. After the adhesive has cured H 24 hours), the floor structure is drilled at the front and rear through the securing rails 29, and mechanical fasteners (in this case, bolts) are used to further secure the floor structure to the I-beams 105. Next, a thermally-insulating polyurethane spray foam is applied to the underside of the floor structure, so as to coat the underside of the floor structure and I-beams with a thermally-insulating foam layer 103 of around 5-6 mm average thickness, as shown in Figure 9. By applying the polyurethane spray foam after the floor is in position, any gaps in the floor structure are filled wiTh foam, leading to a well-insulated floor structure. The spray foam is then allowed to cure, at which point cabin furniture, such as chairs, can be fixed to the floor structure using the securing rails 29.

Figs. 9 and 10 show schematically a workboat having a hull 200 and a wheelhouse 210. The wheelhouse stands on am upper deck 205 of the boat; a hatch 230 gives access to a lower deck region below.

The wheelhouse has a wheelhouse floor 201 fitted on, above or as part of the upper deck 205 at least at the region of the wheelhouse 210. The wheelhouse floor 201 is a floor panel or floor structure assembled from a plurality of hollow aluminium planks snapped togeTher edge-to-edge as described above, and with their cavities injected with sound-insulating foam as described above. The top surface of the floor 201 has a set of retaining tracks 29 (of the integrally-extruded kind described above) on which movable furniture such as seats 220 is arranged, so that the posirions of the furniture can easily be changed.

The drawings show a flat deck plate 205 such as a steel plate deck which continues under the wheelhouse 210, and the insulated wheelhouse floor 201 is mounted on top of the steel deck 205 to keep sound out and heat in. A thermally-insulating layer such as described above may be included between the aluminium plank floor and the steel deck 205 beneath. In an alternative scructure the deck 205 where it underlies the wheelhouse may be an open structure of support beams, such as indicated in Figs. 6 to 9, and the thermal insulation layer 103 may be added e.g. as shown in Fig. 6.

In other embodiments of the workboat the wheelhouse 210 may have its own floor (deck) spaced above the main upper deck of the boat, e.g. via a resilient suspension arrangement for reducing shock to the occupans. The wheelhouse floor 201 may then be built up e.g. from a supporting frame such as I-beams as discussed, with the plank panel floor above and the thermal insulation layer applied beneath, e.g. as in Fig. 6.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A floor structure, suitable for use in a vehicle, comprising an insulated floor panel, said insulated floor panel having: a body, comprising upper and lower surfaces connected by first and second side walls, defining an interior; a first insulating material in the interior; and a second insulating material on the upper and/or lower surface.
2. A floor structure according to claim 1, comprising one or more anchorage points for securing furniture to the floor structure.
3. A floor structure according to claim 2, wherein the one or more anchorage points are integral with the insulated floor panel.
4. A floor structure according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the one or more anchorage points are provided on an elongate securing rail or track on the upper surface of the insulated floor panel.
5. A floor structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the insulated floor panel comprises an internal reinforcing member.
6. A floor structure according any one of the preceding claims, comprising a plurality of interconnected insulated floor panels.
7. A floor structure according to claim 6, wherein the insulated floor panels are incerconnected by a mechanical locking mechanism.
8. A floor structure according to claim 7, wherein the insulated floor panels are inerconnected by a snap fit mechani Sm.
9. A floor structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first insulating material is a sound-insulating material.
10. A floor structure according to claim 9, wherein the sound-insulating material is sound-insulating foam.
11. A floor structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second insulating material is on the lower surface of the floor panel.
12. A floor structure according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second insulating material is a thermally-insulating material.
13. A floor structure according to claim 12, wherein the thermally-insulating material is present as a layer.
14. A floor structure according to claim 13, wherein the average thickness of the layer of thermally-insulating material is at least 1 mm.
15. A floor structure according to claim 13, wherein the average thickness of the layer of thermally-insulating material is between 3 and 8 mm.
16. A floor structure according to any one claims 12 to 15, wherein the thermally-insulating material is thermally-insulating foam.
17. An insulated floor panel comprising: a body, having an upper and lower surface connected by first and second side walls, defining an interior; a first insulating material in the interior of the body; and a second insulating material on the upper and/or lower surface.
18. A marine vehicle having a floor structure according to any one of claims 1 to 16, the floor structure being secured to an underfloor structure of the vehicle.
19. A method comprising the installation of a floor structure according to any one of claims 1 to 16.
20. A method according to claim 19, comprising the steps of: (i) assembling a floor structure from a plurality of insulated floor panels, the floor panels having: a body, ccmprising an upper and lower surface connected by first and second side walls, defining an interior; and a first insulaing material in the interior; (ii) securing the flocr structure to the base structure; and (iii) adding a second insulating material on the upper and/or lower surface of the insulated floor panels.
21. A floor structure, suitable for use iu a vehicle, comprising an insulated floor panel, said insulated floor panel having: a body, comprising an upper and lower surface connected by first and second side walls, defining an interior; and an insulating material in the interior.
22. Mi insulated floor panel as defined in claim 21.
23. A floor structure, suitable for use in a vehicle, comprising an insulated floor panel, said insulated floor panel having: a body, comprising an upper and lower surface connected by first and second side walls, defining an interior; and an insulating material on the upper and/or lower surface.
24. Mi insulated floor panel as defined in claim 23.
25. A floor structure substantially as described herein, with reference to Figures 2 to 9.
26. A floor panel substantially as described herein, with reference to Figures 2 to 9.
27. A method of installing a floor panel substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 2 to 9.