IE902937A1 - Raised flooring system - Google Patents

Abstract

A raised flooring system comprises a jack (10) of variable height support for floor panels (12) on a flange (36) around the top of the jack. The corner of the panel has a set screw (22) extending from hole (20) in its underside, which bears on the flange of the jack. The set screw can be vertically adjusted from the upper side of the panel, to vary the height of the corner of the panel and so level the floor.

Description

RAISED FLOORING SYSTEM This invention relates to a raised flooring system. Mast modem buildings include an access floor which is composed of jacks which are adjustable for height and panels which are laid on them adjacent to each other to cover the whole surface of the floor. Ihe void between this false floor in the building and the building slab is used for the transport of cables for telecommunications, power and light and for the installation of conduit or tubing for airconditioning systems and for control mechanisms to control the air conditioning, lighting or power systems which are located above the floor.

Platform floors of this type suffer from a number of problems. The design of virtually all buildings assumes the differential loading of floors. This loading factor frequently deflects the level of floors existing at the time of the installation of the platform or access floors. In addition floor levels may be affected by general building settlement. Floor levels may also be damaged subsequent to installation by services such as electricity supply, air conditioning, furniture and telecommunications. These services are taken under the floor and may damage the location and direction of the jack systems which are fixed to the floor with a sealing compound and a simple mechanical fixing.

A further problem with existing floor systems is that panels may be distorted by any significant change of moisture content and deflect out of true plane. Panel cores which are currently composed of chipboard, plywood, gypsum, anhydrites, and other materials, suffer, in use, from this distortion.

Where adjacent floor panels themselves are of different thickness, a level, smooth floor surface is difficult to achieve. - 2 Conventional pedestal jacks support simultaneously on the same head the comers of four adjacent panels and can be adjusted for height. The height may have two adjustments, a rough adjustment and a fine, micro, adjustment.

Normally four panels have to be removed from a jack in order to make levelling adjustments. This is a slow and cumbersome process. The jack adjusts equally the vertical position of a comer of all four panels resting on it. This means that it is impossible to make satisfactory adjustment by means of the jack for panels of unequal thickness. In consequence, there remains no practical method for carrying out such an adjustment other than by the insertion of shims between the jack and a panel or between the pedestal base and the sub-floor or building slab.

It is important that adjustments are quick and easy to execute as access to the floor board is required frequent intervals by operatives who may have no special skills in removing and relocating the floor and re-levelling it back to an acceptable standard.

The present invention provides, in a first aspect, a raised flooring system comprising: a floor panel; a vertical adjustment member extending from the lower face of the panel; and a pedestal for supporting a floor panel, the adjustment member being adjustable from the upper face of the panel and, in use, bearing on the pedestal.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided an adjustable support for a raised flooring system comprising an adjustment member which, in use, extends from the lower face of a floor panel of the raised flooring system and a pedestal for supporting a floor panel, the adjustment member, in use, bearing on the pedestal and adapted to be vertically adjustable from the upper face of a panel.

Preferably, the pedestal is a vertically adjustable jack. However, it is envisaged that the facility to adjust the vertical position of - 3 the panel from above will remove the need for an adjustable jack in some cases. In this case, a fixed height panel pedestal such as a pillar or plinth may be used, and the height of the void reduced to the minimum necessary for the under floor services to be accomodated.

Also preferably, the adjustment member of the panel is a set screw extending at least partially through the panel, which in use bears on a panel supporting flange of the jack or other pedestal. Preferably, the engaging surfaces of the set screw and the flange are of cooperating configurations.

In a preferred embodiment a fixing screw is provided which, in use, extends through the panel and the adjustment member and into the jack, to fix the panel rigidly to the jack.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a panel for a flooring system as described above, having a socket, preferably threaded, for reception of an adjustment member.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of providing a level raised floor comprising: providing on a floor base a plurality of pedestals, each adapted to support a comer of four floor panels; disposing floor panels atop the pedestals, such that each pedestal, other than those at edges of the floor base, supports four panels, each panel comer being supported on the pedestal by an adjustment member; adjusting at least some of the adjustment members to alter the vertical position of at least some of the panel comers to render level the raised floor formed by the panels.

The invention allows the required adjustments to be made, allowing the levelling of the original floor installation to be executed very sinply, economically and efficiently from the top using either a standard screw driver, a specialised tool, or other adjustment tools. - 4 A further advantage of the invention is that a lower void can be used, since the fine adjustment is made from above, with consequent economic advantages in new buildings especially multi-storey and in old buildings into which an access floor is needed to be fitted within limited floor to ceiling heights.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows an exploded section through a portion of a raised floor employing a jack according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a section through a panel according to a second embodiment of the invention; and Figure 3 shows section through a portion of the raised floor of Figure 1 with the components in place.

The raised floor shown in the drawings comprises a generally cylindrical jack 10 and a floor panel 12. The jack may be made in part or in whole of materials such as steel, aluminium, mineral compounds or plastics. It can be moulded, cast, drawn, extruded stamped or shaped by any similar process.

In the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3, the jack 10 comprises a lower portion 14 and an upper portion 16, which screw together by means of having a threaded outer surface on the lower portion 14 cooperating with the threaded inner surface of the upper portion 16. The height of jack 10 is varied by screwing the upper jack portion 16 onto or off the lower jack portion 14. The jack is anchored to the building slab 18 (Fig. 3) by a mechanical or adhesive fix. Relative movement of the upper 16 and lower 14 portions of the jack is prevented by a locking ring 14a around the lower half 14, onto which the upper half bears. Alternatively, an adhesive may be used to lock the two halves together. - 5 The floor panel 12 has a threaded hole 20 extending through it at each comer. The threads may be formed in the panel material, or may be on the inner surface of a cylindrical sleeve having a hole through the panel (Fig. 2). The panel will normally be of a moisture and heat resistant material, such as a resin composite or the cement/wood fibre board sold under the trademark PYROK. Alternatively, the board may comprise upper and lower walls of steel, with a core of, for example, chipboard or gypsum. In the case of a core material which can be affected by moisture, the walls of the hole 20 can be sealed. The threaded hole 20 receives a set screw 22 the head of which is formed to receive a screw driver, for example by provision of a shaped hole or a slot 24. Unauthorized access to the floor void can be restricted by forming the head of the set screw so that it will accept only an adjustment tool of a specific design.

The set screw 22 has a channel 26 extending longitudinally through it to receive a self-tapping or self drilling screw 28. A resilient washer 30 is provided between the self tapping screw 28 and the set screw 22. A circular rebate 32 is formed in the upper surface of the panel 12 and the hole 20 to receive the washer 30. The lower end 34 of the set screw 22 is convexly curved and is of resilient material, which may be provided by a cap (not shown) to the screw. Alternatively, the set screw may be made of a resilient material such as nylon.

A panel supporting flange 36 extends generally perpendicularly outwards from the upper end of the upper jack portion 16. The flange has concave depressions 38, normally four in number, to receive the convexly curved end 34 of the set screw 22.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the hole 20 through the floor panel 12 is not itself threaded. A threaded sleeve 40, the inner surface of which is threaded, is inserted into the hole 20, and the set screw 22 (not shown in Fig. 2) is received in the sleeve. The sleeve 40 has a generally perpendicular flange 44 around its lower - 6 end, which bears on the lower surface of the panel 12, around the hole 20 in the panel. A rebate may be provided in the underside of the panel 12 to accept the flange 44.

In this embodiment, the sleeve, when in the hole 20, does not extend right through to the upper surface of the panel 12. A relatively small access hole 42 connects the hole 20 with the upper surface of the panel, through which the self tapping screw 28 passes. Access to the set screw 22 for adjustment is by the access hole 42. The rebate 32 around the hole 20 in the panel is shown in this embodiment as being smaller than in the embodiments of Figs. 1 and 3. Its size will, of course, depend upon the size of the washer 30 which is to be used.

In use, several jacks 10 are set out on the building slab 18 to receive panels 12. Normally each jack supports a comer of each of four panels. The general level of the raised floor is set in the usual way, by screw adjustment of the upper jack portions 16 on the lower jack portions 14.

Each set screw 22 extending through a hole 20 in the comer of a panel 12 sits in a depression 36 in the supporting flange 38 of a jack 10. The configuration of the depression 36 and the end 34 of the set screw 22, and the resilience of the end of the set screw, make aligning the set screw with the flange simple.

When the panels are in place on the jacks, and the general level of the floor has been set, the level and attitude of each panel 12 can be set by adjustment of the set screws 22 at each comer of the panel.

It is desirable that the panels be affixed to the jacks, to prevent unwanted adjustment of the set screws and to render the raised floor rigid. This is achieved by the introduction of the self tapping or self drilling screw 28 through the washer 30 located in the rebate 32, into the channel 26 in the set screw 22 and into the supporting flange 38 on the jack 10 (Fig. 3). Alternatively, if it is not - 7 necessary to fix the panels to the jacks, the self tapping screws 28 are not used, and the rebates 32 around the holes 20 in the floor panels 12 are occupied by caps rather than by the washers 30.

If it is desired to adjust a panel after installation, the self tapping screw 28 and washer 30 are removed from the set screw 22, or the cap removed from the rebate 32, at the comer to be adjusted, and the set screw adjusted by means of a screw driver inserted into the slot 24 in its head. The self tapping screw and the washer, or the cap, are then replaced.

In another embodiment of the invention, one or more further set screws 22 are provided in one or more further holes 20 in the panel 12, to cooperate with one or more further jacks 10 under the panel. If only one further set screw is provided, it will normally be at the centre of the panel. Such a central jack greatly enhances the overall strength of the panel for a given thickness and allows the use of panels of greater area and/or thinner panels to be used. The ability of this raised floor to be adjusted from above allows support jacks to be placed under the centre of a panel and still be adjustable from above, so as to maintain an even plane and be locked to the panel so that any deflection of the panel under load does not lead to any boom or noise.

It will be appreciated that Figs. 1 and 3 show only a single panel 12 whereas, in practise, each jack 10 will normally support four panels.

Claims (20)

1. A raised flooring system comprising: a floor panel (12); a vertical adjustment member (22) extending from the lower face of the panel; and a pedestal (10) for supporting a floor panel, the adjustment member being adjustable from the upper face of the panel and, in use, bearing on the pedestal.

2. An adjustable support for a raised flooring system according to claim 1 comprising an adjustment member (22) which, in use, extends from the lower face of a floor panel of the raised flooring system and a pedestal (10) for supporting a floor panel, the adjustment member (22), in use, bearing on the pedestal (10) and adapted to be vertically adjustable from the upper face of a panel.

3. A flooring system or a support according to claim 1 or 2 in which the pedestal (10) comprises a base portion (14) and a top portion (16), the top portion being vertically movable relative to the base portion to alter the height of the pedestal.

4. A flooring system or a support according to claim 3 in which the base portion (14) and the top portion (16) are threaded to allow their vertical relative movement.

5. A flooring system or a support according to any preceding claim in which the pedestal (10) has a generally horizontal flange (36) around its upper end, on which, in use, at least one adjustment member (22) bears.

6. A flooring system or a support according to claim 5 in which the flange (36) is adapted (38) to receive four adjustment members (22).

7. A flooring system or a support according to any preceding claim in which the adjustment member (22), in use, is located in a socket (20) in the lower face of a floor panel (12). - 9

8. A flooring system according to claim 7 in which the adjustment member (22) is a screw and the socket (20) in the panel (12) is threaded.

9. A flooring system according to claim 8 in which the socket (20) is lined with a threaded sleeve (40).

10. A flooring system according to claim 7, 8 or 9 in which the socket extends partially through the panel from the lower face thereof, and communicates with a hole (42) opening on the upper face of the panel of smaller bore than the socket, whereby an adjustment tool can be brought to bear on an adjustment member in the socket.

11. A flooring system or a support according to any preceding claim further comprising a locking screw (28) extending, in use, through the adjustment member (22) and into the pedestal.

12. A panel (12) for a flooring system according to claim 1 or to any of claims 3 to 11 having a socket (20) for reception of an adjustment member.

13. A panel (12) according to claim 12 in which the socket (20) is threaded.

14. A panel (12) according to claim 13 in which the socket (20) is lined with a threaded sleeve (40).

15. A panel (12) according to any of claims 11 to 14 in which the socket (20) extends partially through the panel from the lower face thereof, and communicates with a hole (42) opening on the upper face of the panel of smaller bore than the socket, whereby an adjustment tool can be brought to bear on an adjustment member in the socket.

16. A moisture resistant panel (12) according to any of claims 12 to 15 - 10

17. A method of providing a level raised floor comprising: providing on a floor base a plurality of pedestals, each adapted to support a corner of four floor panels; disposing floor panels atop the pedestals, such that each pedestal, other than those at edges of the floor base, supports four panels, each panel comer being supported on the pedestal by an adjustment member; adjusting at least some of the adjustment members to alter the vertical position of at least some of the panel comers to render level the raised floor formed by the panels.

18. A method according to claim 17 in which the height of the pedestals is adjustable and further comprising the step, prior to and during disposition of the panels in the pedestals, of adjusting the height of at least some pedestals to provide a coarse levelling of the floor.

19. A flooring system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any of Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

20. A panel for a flooring system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any of Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawi ngs.