WO2019088824A1

WO2019088824A1 - System with interconnected tiles for floors or panels

Info

Publication number: WO2019088824A1
Application number: PCT/NL2018/050683
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hendricus Michaël Thimotheus TRUIJENS
Original assignee: Truijens Beheer B.V.
Priority date: 2017-10-31
Filing date: 2018-10-18
Publication date: 2019-05-09
Also published as: NL2019832B1

Abstract

A description is given of a system with tiles which are to be interconnected for a floor, ceiling, wall or panel, wherein each tile has a base which, at the circumference, is attached to a circumferential edge which extends downward, wherein raised portions which are separated from one another by a framework of open channels extend from the base, the outside of the circumferential edge is provided with at least one pair of coupling members for connection to an adjoining tile whose circumferential edge is provided, on the outside, with at least one other pair of coupling members, in the coupled state of said one and other pairs of coupling members, the circumferential edges of adjoining tiles contact one another, and each pair of said one and other pairs of coupling members has a first coupling member and a second coupling member which are mutually complementary and which are each provided with a supporting surface, which supporting surfaces are designed such that in the above-mentioned coupled state the supporting surface of the first coupling member of said pair transmits pressure exerted on one tile to the other tile and the supporting surface of the second coupling member of said pair transmits pressure exerted on the other tile to the said one tile.

Description

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SYSTEM WITH INTERCONNECTED TILES FOR FLOORS OR PANELS

The present invention relates to a system with tiles which are to be interconnected and to the use of such tiles for covering a floor, wall, ceiling or panel, which may or may not be temporary.

Such a system for laying tiles for, for example, temporary floors, such as used for exhibitions, trade fairs, expositions and the like is generally known. A problem with the known floors is that the subfloor is often uneven, so that walking on individually resilient tiles of the floor is considered uncomfortable and diverts the attention of the public from the objects on display in the exhibition.

In addition, the provision of additional electrical connection points for, for example, lighting or laptop computers, desktop computers or iPhones, after the tiled floor has been laid is often a problem. Frequently, extra long cables are laid such that they are out of sight and outside walking areas as much as possible, for example along the edge of the floor covering or along the back of furniture or counters. The cables often lie loose on the floor or are taped to something.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a system which is mechanically more stable and which makes use of tiles which are to be connected to one another, said system additionally offering greater flexibility and safety in respect of the above-mentioned problems.

To achieve this, the system according to the

invention has the characteristics described in claim 1. An advantage of the system according to the invention resides in that neighbouring tiles which are to be - - interconnected can be readily engaged to one another, wherein the pairs of coupling members easily slide into one another by means their complementary first and second coupling members. Advantageously, the tiles do not have to be lifted or manoeuvred in various different directions different, for example, to be properly coupled to one another in correct positions.

In the coupled state, the collection of tiles

mutually fixed in position are additionally capable of advantageously transmitting pressure forces to one another by means of the supporting surfaces present on the coupled first and second coupling members, thereby evenly

distributing said pressure forces among them. The effect of applying a load to interconnected tiles provided on

somewhat uneven subfloors with respect to individual movement of, in particular, neighbouring interconnected tiles is limited in this way. By virtue thereof, a modular self-supporting system is obtained. It is further advantageous that cables, tubes or pipes can be provided between the raised portions in the channels, so as to be recessed, also after the coupled tiles have been laid. Consequently, a further advantage resides in that the tiles do not have to be detached and interconnected again. In addition, the recessed cables and the like do not cause discomfort to people walking on the floor system according to the invention. In practice, this floor system makes it possible to provide, for example, the top surfaces of the raised portions, or cover plates to be laid thereon, with an imprint, for example, for advertising purposes .

A preferred embodiment of the system according to the invention is characterized in that the first coupling member forms a slot provided in the outside of the

circumferential edge, the upper boundary of said slot being - - the supporting surface of the coupling member, and the second coupling member forms a cam protruding from the outside of the circumferential edge, the upper boundary of said cam being the supporting surface of the coupling member .

An advantage of this embodiment is that these coupling members can be integrated in or provided on the tiles in a simple manner, for example during the manufacture of the tiles .

A further embodiment of the system according to the invention is characterized in that the system comprises clamping pieces which can be provided at locations along the circumference of adjoining tiles so as to firmly connect the tiles to one another in such a manner that, viewed from above the tiles, the framework of open channels and of raised portions separated from one another thereby, advantageously remains intact.

In a further embodiment, the clamping pieces are designed such that, from above, one half of a clamping piece is hooked to one tile and the other half is hooked to the neighbouring other tile, and after a subsequent hinging movement of the respective undivided clamping piece, the clamping piece is secured in the respective position by means of snap fasteners provided thereon.

This has the advantage that, by virtue of the coupling members, adjoining tiles which are to be secured, remain fixed in position, because in said position the clamping pieces can be provided which, as a kind of bridge element, form a mechanically stable clamp connection between

neighbouring tiles.

Further detailed embodiments explained in the other claims are mentioned, together with the associated

advantages, in the following description. - -

The system according to the present invention will now be explained in greater detail with reference to the figures mentioned below, in which corresponding elements are indicated by means of the same reference numerals.

In the figures:

Figure 1 is a detailed view and an associated

sectional view of a tile according to the invention, which is provided with pairs of complementary coupling members;

Figures 2a and 2b are plan views and figure 2c is a bottom view of a clamping piece suitable for securing neighbouring tiles to one another;

Figure 3 shows a part of neighbouring tiles which are fixed in position by means of the coupling members, the tiles being interconnected by means of a clamping piece which is hooked, hinged and secured between them; and

Figures 4a and 4b show, respectively, an exploded view and an assembled view of an embodiment of the tile according to the system of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a detail of a tile 1 which forms part of a system 2 (see figure 3), in which the tiles 1 are interconnected to jointly form a floor, or a covering for, for example, a panel, wall or ceiling. The tile 1 has a base 3 which is secured at its circumference 4 to a downward extending circumferential edge 4-1, wherein raised portions 6 which are separated from one another by a framework of open channels 5 extend from the base 3. The outside of the circumferential edge 4-1 is provided with at least one pair of coupling members 7-1, 7-2 for connection to an adjoining tile 1 whose circumferential edge 4-1 is provided, on the outside, with at least one other pair of coupling members 7-2, 7-1. In the coupled state, where adjoining tiles are in close contact via the respective circumferential edges 4-1 (see figure 3), one of the pairs of coupling members 7-1, 7-2 on one tile is coupled to the - - other, complementary, pair of coupling members 7-2, 7-1 on a neighbouring tile. Each pair of coupling members

comprises a first coupling member 7-1 and a second coupling member 7-2, which are mutually complementary and which are each provided with a supporting surface 8-1, 8-2,

respectively. These supporting surfaces are designed such that in the above-mentioned coupled state the supporting surface 8-1 of the first coupling member 7-1 of said pair transmits pressure exerted on one tile to the other, neighbouring, tile. Likewise, the supporting surface 8-2 of the second coupling member 7-2 of said pair transmits pressure exerted on the other tile to the said one tile.

In an easy-to-produce embodiment as shown in figure 1, the first coupling members 7-1 and the second coupling members 7-2 are elongated and their longitudinal axes extend perpendicularly to the base 3. Other shapes of the coupling members are feasible, while they retain their supporting function.

In particular, the first coupling member 7-1 forms a slot 7-1 provided on the outside of the circumferential edge 4-1, the upper boundary of said slot being the

supporting surface 8-1 of the coupling member. In addition, the second coupling member forms a cam 7-2 protruding from the outside of the circumferential edge 4-1, the upper boundary of said cam being the supporting surface 8-2 of the coupling member. In the coupled state of the tiles, the supporting surfaces 8-1 and 8-2 are in contact with one another and cause the pressure forces to be mutually transmitted to and from neighbouring tiles 1, resulting in a mechanically stable system 2 comprising tiles which exhibit less individual movement under the influence of pressure forces exerted thereon.

In the embodiment of the coupling members shown in figure 1, the first coupling members 7-1 and the second coupling members 7-2 of each pair of coupling members are adjacent to each other on each tile, i.e., next to one - - another. This is advantageous from a production technology viewpoint. If necessary, the coupling members could be placed some distance apart.

As shown in figures 2a, 2b and 2c, the system 2 of tiles 1 which are fixed in abutting position by the coupled coupling members 7-1, 7-2, further comprises clamping pieces 9 which can be provided at locations along the circumference of adjoining tiles so as to firmly connect the tiles to one another . This preferably takes place in such a manner that, viewed from above the tiles 1, the framework of open channels 5 and of raised portions 6 separated from one another thereby, remains intact. This has the advantage that pipes, tubes and or cables, in particular electricity cables, laid therein are recessed in the open channels 5 between top surfaces of the raised portions 6.

The clamping pieces 9 shown in plan views in figures 2a and 2b and in a bottom view in figure 2c are designed such that, from above, one half of a clamping piece is to be hooked to one tile and the other half is to be hooked to the neighbouring tile, as is shown in figure 3. At the location where the clamping piece 9 must be provided between two neighbouring tiles 1, one of the tiles and the neighbouring tile each have a shaft portion 10 (fig. 4a), and when the undivided clamping piece 9 is inserted, the horizontal U-shaped cavities 11 provided at an end of the clamping piece extend over said shaft portions.

Subsequently, when the other end of the clamping piece 9 moves downward, the clamping piece 9 pivots about said shaft portion 10. Next, without the use of tools, the clamping piece is secured in position by means of, in this case, resilient snap fasteners 12 provided on the clamping piece 9. The snap fasteners 12 snap over edges 13 formed, in this case, along the circumferential edge 4-1 of the tiles 1. The mechanical opposite is also possible. In the case of disassembly, the clamping piece 9 is disconnected - - by passing, for example, a screw driver through a through hole 14 and inserting it into the clamping piece 9, said screw driver pushing the resilient snap fasteners 12 away from the edges 13, allowing the clamping piece 9 to be taken out upwards at the said other end.

By virtue of the fact that the top side of each clamping piece 9 comprises two halves of the raised

portions 6, which are separated by a channel 5, and, after the provision of the clamping piece 9, said halves,

together with the channel 5, abut each other and are correctly aligned, the above-mentioned framework remains intact. As a result, also after the tiles 1 have been positioned and secured, pipes, tubes and/or cables, in particular electricity cables, can be recessed in the channels 5 between the raised portions 6. These pipes, tubes and/or cables are concealed in the channels and do not form an obstacle. Said cables and the like can even be laid in the channels in a tractive force reducing loop.

If required, the top surfaces 15 of the raised portions 6 can be provided with any desired imprint, in the form of texts and/or images. If necessary, the

interconnected tiles 1 can be covered with cover plates 16, with or without imprint, on which people can walk. Figure 4 shows a cover plate 16 having an edge 17 which covers the raised portions and rests on the top surface of the base 3. The tiles are shaped such that they are nestable and stackable, which results in a small storage and transport volume .

Figure 4b further shows that the edge 17 and the circumferential edge 4-1 have indentations 18, allowing cables and the like to pass below the tiles. The bottom side of the tiles has a ribbed structure capable of bearing loads up to 900 kg per tile.

Claims

1. A system with tiles which are to be interconnected for a floor, ceiling, covering or panel, wherein:

- each tile has a base which, at its circumference, is attached to a circumferential edge which extends

downward, wherein raised portions which are separated from one another by a framework of open channels extend from the base,

- the circumferential edge has an outside which is provided with at least one pair of coupling members for connection to an adjoining tile whose circumferential edge is provided, on its outside, with at least one other pair of coupling members,

- in the coupled state of said one and other pairs of coupling members, the circumferential edges of adjoining tiles contact one another, and

- each pair of said one and other pairs of coupling members has a first coupling member and a second coupling member which are mutually complementary and which are each provided with a supporting surface, which supporting surfaces are designed such that in the above-mentioned coupled state the supporting surface of the first coupling member of said pair transmits pressure exerted on the one tile to the other tile and the supporting surface of the second coupling member of said pair transmits pressure exerted on the other tile to the said one tile.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the first and second coupling members of each above- mentioned pair of coupling members are adjacent to one another on every tile.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2,

characterized in that the first and second coupling members are elongated and their longitudinal axes extend perpendicularly to the base.

4. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first coupling member forms a slot provided in the outside of the circumferential edge, the upper boundary of said slot being the supporting surface of the coupling member.

5. The system according to any one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the second coupling member forms a cam protruding from the outside of the circumferential edge, the upper boundary of said cam being the supporting surface of the coupling member.

6. The system according to any one of the claims 1 to

5, characterized in that the channels are dimensioned such that pipes, tubes and/or cables, in particular electricity cables, laid therein are recessed between upper surfaces of the raised portions .

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that the frameworks on each tile, respectively, of

adjoining coupled tiles are aligned such that it is at least possible to lay said pipes, tubes and/or cables, in particular electricity cables, in a tractive force reducing loop on the base in the channels.

8. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the system comprises clamping pieces which can be provided at locations along the circumference of adjoining tiles so as to firmly connect the tiles to one another, preferably in such a manner that, viewed from above the tiles, the framework of open channels and of raised portions separated from one another thereby remains intact.

9. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that the clamping pieces are constructed such that, from above, one half of a clamping piece is hooked to the one tile and the other half is hooked to the neighbouring tile, and after a subsequent hinging movement of the respective one-part clamping piece, the clamping piece is secured in the respective position by means of snap fasteners provided thereon .

10. The system according to any one of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the interconnected tiles are covered by cover plates which may or may not be provided with an imprint, which cover plates may be provided on top surfaces of the raised portions, which may or may not be provided with an imprint.

11. A tile which can suitably be used in the system according to any one of the claims 1 to 10, wherein:

- each tile has a base which, at the circumference, is attached to a circumferential edge which extends

- the circumferential edge has an outside which is provided with at least one pair of coupling members, said pair of coupling members having a first coupling member and a second coupling member which are mutually complementary and which are each provided with a supporting surface,

- the first coupling member forms a slot provided in the outside of the circumferential edge, the upper boundary of said slot being the supporting surface of the coupling member, and

- the second coupling member forms a cam protruding from the outside of the circumferential edge, the upper boundary of said cam being the supporting surface of the coupling member.

12. The use of the tile according to claim 11 covering a temporary or not temporary floor, panel covering of a wall, ceiling or the like.