CA2671446A1 - Floairs - Google Patents

Meanings/Definitions Decorative means a finished floor surface as opposed to a structural or subfloor made from rough or construction like materials including softwood ply wood sheathing, Oriented Strand Board (OSB) or Wafer Board.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to floor panels and more particularly, to free floating finished floor panels having a semi rigid flexible insulating layer that provides insulation and provides channels for the distribution of ventilation air and wiring systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A complete floor structure typically starts with a concrete or other cementaceous base that supports a sub-floor which then supports a flooring surface. The nature of the sub-floor depends on both the supporting structure and on the finished flooring surface that it supports and the environment in which it must function. For example, for vinyl flooring or carpet on the main floor of a house the sub-floor may consist of sheets of plywood. For stone or tile floors a cement layer will also typically be required.
Floors installed on concrete (cement) in basements or on main floor concrete pads present multiple additional challenges including: the containments and the circulation of air for heating and cooling, the presence of moisture in and on the concrete and another is to insulate the finished floor from what could be very cold underlying surface of concrete. Fixed sub floorings or non floating sub floors can be used in basement or main floor applications. Floating or non fixed flooring typically may have an underlying sheet of semi rigid plastic having protrusions over which is placed a series of sheathing materials (Plywood or OSB), then the finished floor layers consisting of sheets of flexible insulating material and the wood tile laminate or other decorative surface. If air channels for the purpose of ventilation are required, or channels for the distribution of wiring systems are required another fixed sub-floor structure is required consisting of independent structural wood and insulation materials which are constructed and fastened to the sub- floor using concrete bolts systems and to the finished decorative floor using adhesives, fasteners. Fixed floor systems are labour intensive and require expert product knowledge, and expert knowledge of building codes and by-laws, and requires good construction technique and relies on secure and frequent fastening to prevent movement between adjacent flooring sheets and to integrate the various systems for the channeling of air wiring and insulation, and be skilled in the application of the decorative flooring surfaces.

U.S Patent No. 4945697 to Otto et al. which teaches that a floor tile and floor for direct installation on a support such as a floor or walkway without a sub-floor. The patent teaches a floor system that uses floor tiles comprised of two layers, an upper layer made of ceramic material and a lower layer made of resilient material with anti-skid characteristics. The two layers are secured together to form a floor tile. The lower layer (allows for) provides water drainage on the underside that allows for the indiscriminate passage of water underneath the floor tiles. When used outside the tiles are placed apart to allow for vertical shifting of the tiles. When the floor tiles are used indoors the gap between the tiles is filled with a flexible material that allows for the shifting between the tiles. These tiles will not provide a rigid sub floor layer that would be capable for use in supporting a further rigid sub floor layer on top of the tiles, since any vertical motion between the tiles would cause the further floor layer to crack.

U.S Patent 6918215 and Canadian patent 2315462 teaches; a flooring panel which provides underfloor drainage, the flooring panel comprising: an upper member of rigid, wood containing sheet flooring material; a substantially rigid lower member, attached to the upper member and of a waterproof sheet material having a plurality of dimpled projections extending away from the upper member to support the flooring panel above an underlying surface and permit moisture to drain between the flooring panel and the underlying surface; and edges extending about said flooring panel each of said edges having at least one part of a connector assembly for connecting adjacent edges of adjacent of said panels to prevent relative vertical movement therebetween.
And that a floating sub-floor for direct installation on a concrete basement floor can support a further rigid sub floor layer and can provide for the possibility of passive underfloor drainage via the plurality of dimpled projections extending away from the upper membrane surface. This basement sub floor system does not provide a decorative surface.
The protrusions (dimpled projections) do not provide adequate space for the efficient flow of air for ventilation. The protrusions do not provide adequate space for the installation of wiring systems. The draining of the water and drying of the concrete sub-floor is dependent on an adequate slope to the concrete base floor and flow of air through the area. The upper member and the substantially rigid lower member do not provide for the passage of ventilation air through the flooring panel as result the moist air is trapped beneath the floor, possibly leading to mould and mildew buildup. The semi rigid protrusions do not provide for the "self leveling" features of a non rigid insulation system.

An example of an on grade application is U.S Patent No. 5,950,378 to Council et al. This patent describes a composite modular floor tile for use in athletic playing surfaces such as basket ball courts and tennis courts, the floor tile has a top and bottom member with support nodes made of resilient impact absorbing material that does not provide a rigid supporting layer and therefore would not be suitable for a sub floor application nor does it provide discrete channels for the circulation of air and electrical wiring.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a finished floor surface for both on grade and below grade that provides channels for the circulation of ventilation air and for the distribution of wiring between the tile and the underlying surface.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Reference is first made to Figure (1) to describe the preferred embodiment of the floor panel, designated by the number (10). The floor panel (10) includes an upper member of an applied finished surface (13), a core of a substantially rigid sheet material (12) and a lower member (11) that may be expanded polystyrene or other suitable waterproof material. The lower member (11) is attached to the core member (12). The core member (12) is attached to the upper member (13). The lower member (13) includes channels and rests on an underlying surface (14) to support the floor panel (10) and allow for the routing of moisture, air and wiring between the floor surface (14) and the floor panel (10). Figure (2A) (2B) illustrates a series of panels (10) adjacent and connected to one another. In a preferred embodiment, the floor panel (10) is attached to the adjacent floor panel (10) using a mechanical device comprising of a key (15) and a groove (16).

The floor panel (10) will now be described in more detail. As seen in figure (1) the floor panel may be square, and is preferably manufactured as a 2' by 2' panel, although other sizes and proportions may be manufactured. The upper member (13) is thermally fused or adhered (23) to the core member (12) in Figures (4) and (5). The lower member (11) is attached to the core member (12) using an adhesive (17) which must be compatible with the lower member (11) and the core member (12). In a preferred embodiment where the lower member (11) is of polystyrene, the adhesive (17) such as manufactured by (Henkel) In a preferred embodiment, the upper member (13) is made of a coating or laminate material comprised of either synthetic materials (usually melamine resin) or of synthetic materials combined with natural and recycled ingredients and covered with an attached decorative applique, or coated with a protective finish including an aluminum oxide wear layer finish, such as manufactured by (Chemcraft) In a preferred embodiment, the core member (12) is a composition material made from MDF or HDF fiberboard (MDF, or HDF), such as manufactured by Clarion Industries.
This sheeting is made from lignocellulosic fibers combined with a synthetic resin or other suitable binder and is manufactured by the application of heat and pressure.
In a preferred embodiment the upper member (13) is melamine which is thermally fused to the core (12) and manufactured by Clarion Industries.

Referring to figure (3) the lower member (11) is adhered to the core member (12) preferably in a grid pattern to create two channels (19) (20) perpendicular to one another.
The channels are positioned to form continuous channels from panel to panel when the panels installed in an offset pattern as is normal in the flooring industry (Figure 7). In a preferred embodiment, the lower member (11) is made from expanded polystyrene foam such as manufactured by Owens Corning or Dow Chemical. When the floor panel is installed the lower member (11) is located adjacent to the underlying surface (14). If further leveling is required it can be achieved by abrading the lower member (11) to achieve the desired height. A bottom membrane (22) may be applied to add additional insulation value and protection.

Referring to figure (3) to connect the adjacent floor panels, the panel sides are to be configured with the key (15) and groove (16) arrangement. The core member (12) contains a key (15) protruding on at least two adjacent sides, and a groove (16) on the remaining two sides. The key (15) and groove (16) are formed on the core member (12) during the manufacturing of the panel.

In use, a series of floor panels (10) are interlocked and are located on the underlying surface (14), shown in Figure (2A) and (2B), adjacent to abutting walls (18).
In the preferred embodiment the floor panels (10) are interconnected using the key (15) and groove (16) as shown in figure (4) to (6). Each panel (10) is placed with the lower member (11) on the underlying surface (14). In order to connect each floor panel (10) to an adjacent floor panel (10), the key (15) may be inserted into a groove (16) of the adjacent floor panel (10), as illustrated in Figure 6 by the arrow A.

The preferred embodiment can be modified in multiple ways. The lower member (11) can be made from any suitable waterproof material. The channels (19) (20) can be located in any pattern on the lower member (11). The interlocking arrangement of the key (15) and groove (16) can be any interlocking combination that will prevent significant vertical movement between adjacent panels. Other adhesives may be used that are capable of securely bonding the lower member (11) to the core member (12). Other fastening methods may be used to adhere the decorative panel (13) to the core member (12).

The floor panel described as exemplary of the invention may be modified as required in such fortification within the scope of the description and invention and claims.

Floor Panel 11 Lower Member 12 ore Member 13 Upper Member 14 Underlying Surface Key 16 Groove 17 Adhesive 18 Adjacent Walls 19 Channel 0 Channel 1 Bottom surface 2 Bottom membrane 3 Thermal Bond

1. A decorative or finished flooring panel which provides a decorative or finished surface, underfloor water drainage channels and underfloor air flow channels and underfloor wiring channels: an upper decorative or finished layer thermally fused or bonded to at least one core member of rigid water resistant composition material and of a substantially rigid thick lower members to support the decorative flooring panel above an underlying surface that provides insulating properties; provides channels for the channeling of moisture between the composition board and between two faces of the substantially rigid thick lower members and the underlying surface and to provide channels for the distribution of household and electronic wiring between the decorative flooring surface and the underlying substrate, and provide channels for the circulation of air between the composition board and the underlying substrate, and edges extending about said flooring panel each of said edges having at least one part of a connector assembly for connecting adjacent edges of adjacent of said panels to prevent relative vertical movement there between. Where the channels between the rigid water resistant composition material allow for connecting adjacent edges of said rigid water resistant composition material to isolate channels and direct the flow of water along a desired path, to isolate channels and direct the flow of air along a desired path or to provide isolation of electrical wiring from the channels selected for the air channels or water channels.

2. A floor panel according to claim 1, wherein the core member is made of composition board.

3. A floor panel according to Claim 1 where the core member has a finished or unfinished surface, wherein the upper surface of the core member has a (finished) decorative surface of an applied coating, thermally fused melamine, or adhered decorative laminates or natural wood or plant materials or carpet or may have no surface treatment applied to the composition board or may receive a transparent coating.

4. A flooring panel according to claim 1, wherein the lower member is made from a substantially thick material that supports the core member off the concrete or other sub-floor a distance which allows for adequate space for the flow of ventilation air and for the distribution of wiring.

5. A flooring panel according to claim 3, wherein the expanded material is made from expanded polystyrene.

6. A decorative flooring panel according to claim 2 wherein the lower member is expanded polystyrene foam.

7 A decorative flooring panel according to claim 2, wherein the upper decorative flooring panel has a finished decorative surface of an applied coating, thermally fused melamine, or the adhesion of decorative laminates and carpet.

8. A decorative flooring panel according to claim 4, wherein the expanded foam material is made from polystyrene or material with similar attributes.

9. A decorative flooring panel according to claim 4, where in the lower member is adhesively attached to the upper member.

10. A decorative flooring member according to claim 6 wherein the lower member is adhesively attached to the upper member.

11. A decorative flooring panel according to claim 1, wherein the connector assembly at least one key and one groove.

12. A decorative flooring panel which provides channels for underfloor water drainage, the underfloor drainage channels comprising: an upper decorative layer fused or bonded to an core member of rigid water resistant composition sheeting material and of a substantially rigid thick lower member to support the decorative flooring panel above an underlying surface, to provide insulating properties, to provide channels for the draining of moisture between the composition board and the underlying surface and to provide channels for the distribution of wiring between the core member and the underlying substrate, and a key located on two adjacent edges and a groove located on two adjacent edges for connecting the panel to an adjacent panel with at least one corresponding tongue and at least one corresponding groove to prevent relative vertical movement there between.

13. A decorative flooring panel which provides channels for underfloor air flow channels comprising: an upper decorative layer fused or bonded to an core member of rigid water resistant composition sheeting material and of a substantially rigid thick lower member to support the decorative flooring panel above an underlying surface, to provide insulating properties, to provide channels for the ventilation and dehydration of the of moisture between the composition board and the underlying surface and to provide channels for the distribution of wiring between the decorative flooring surface and the underlying substrate and between the sides of styrene, and a tongue located on two adjacent edges and a groove located on two adjacent edges for connecting the panel to an adjacent panel with at least one corresponding tongue and at least one corresponding groove to prevent relative vertical movement there between.

14. A decorative flooring panel which provides channels for the distribution of wiring comprising:
an upper decorative layer fused or bonded to a core member of rigid water resistant composition sheeting material and of a substantially rigid thick lower member to support the decorative flooring panel above an underlying surface to provide insulating properties, to provide channels for the location and distribution of electrical and electronic wiring between the composition board and the underlying surface and to provide channels for the distribution of wiring between the decorative flooring surface and the underlying substrate and between the sides of polystyrene, and a key located on two adjacent edges and a groove located on two adjacent edges for connecting the panel to an adjacent panel with at least one corresponding key and at least one corresponding groove to prevent relative vertical movement there between.

15. To provide a decorative flooring panel which provides method to separate and isolate the underfloor channels to allow the channels to function either as ventilating (heating) channels or for channeling of wiring comprising: an upper decorative layer fused or bonded to an core member of rigid water resistant composition sheeting material and of a substantially rigid thick lower member to support the decorative flooring panel above an underlying surface to provide insulating properties, to provide channels for the location and distribution of electrical and electronic wiring between the composition board and the underlying surface and to provide channels for the distribution of wiring between the core member and the underlying substrate and between the sides of polystyrene.

16. A decorative flooring panel according to claim 1, wherein the connector assembly between water resistant composite sheeting material consists of at least one key and one groove.

17. A decorative flooring panel according to claim 10, wherein the connector assembly between water resistant composite sheeting material consists of at least one key and one groove.

18. A decorative flooring panel according to claim 11, wherein the connector assembly between water resistant composite sheeting material consists of at least one key and one groove.

19. A decorative flooring panel according to claim 12, wherein the connector assembly between water resistant composite sheeting material consists of at least one key and one groove.

20. A decorative flooring panel according to claim 13, wherein the connector assembly between water resistant composite sheeting material consists of at least one key and one groove.

21. A decorative flooring panel according to Claim 4 in which the lower member is arranged into compartments to create the channels for air, water and wiring, in a configuration that allows the floor panels to be placed in a recurring offset pattern or side by side in a grid pattern and positions the channels in the lower member to align in a continuous pattern of channels.