WO2021069988A1 - Dilating slab and system of assembly for modular floor - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dilating slab for use in a modular floor, that is adjustable or movable and can be assembled together with the modular floor in order to absorb the expansion of the slabs or floor modules under atmospheric conditions that cause the expansion or contraction of the same, where said dilating slab comprises a first fixed upper section and a second lower section, where the second lower section is slidable with regard to the first fixed upper section. Thus, the join between the dilating slab and the modular floor, for the purpose of maintaining the correct alignment and location of the modular floor sections, is achieved by means of matching coupling mechanisms, such as a male-female coupling or pin-slot system.

Description

EXPANSION SLAB AND ASSEMBLY SYSTEM FOR MODULAR FLOOR

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention is framed in the field of slabs for expansion and contraction or expansion joint, which can be assembled to modular slabs or tablets. This assembly system is useful in the covering of grasses or surfaces that require a temporary floor where an element can expand or contract according to the movement of the modular floor sections. Thus, the present invention relates to a dilator slab to be used in a modular floor, which is adjustable or movable and can be assembled together with the modular floor to absorb the expansion of the floor slabs or modules in atmospheric conditions that cause the expansion or contraction of the same, where the union between the dilator slab and the modular floor to maintain the alignment and the proper location of the sections of the modular floor is made by means of coupling mechanisms that coincide with each other, such as a male type system -female or pins-slot.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Modular floors are commonly used to provide rigid surfaces that allow various activities to be carried out, so that the lower surface does not interfere, either because it is uneven or because it must be preserved. This type of flooring is used in recreational, commercial or industrial environments. where a temporary surface is required and the mounting performed is determined by the weight or compression that the tablets or modules must support.

The modular nature of such a floor is used to tailor the surface to the particular geographic or topographic needs of the site and also to allow efficient storage and transportation of the modular floor. Additionally, the use of relatively small modular tiles allows broken floor sections to be repaired and removed with ease. In the state of the art, several types of modular slabs or tablets are known that allow the assembly of a temporary floor, among which are the following, which are included in the present disclosure by way of reference only: A floor or puzzle-style tile from US3657852, which is made up of any of a range of different materials or multiple overlapping laminate sections. It has laterally projecting tongues and, in its lower part, with an equal number of identical pockets that open to the periphery of the tile and alternate, around the periphery, with the tongues, the tongues and the pockets with a shape such that any tab on any of the tiles is adapted to engage and fit within any pocket of any other of the tiles and, when engaged, movement between tiles in the plane of the surface is prevented. US5509244 discloses a floor covering system comprising plastic tiles provided with mating parts made of lower receiving openings for separate connector members by which the tiles are easily attachable and detachable and are resistant to high separation forces. The system can include smaller modular tiles so that a floor can be designed with built-in markings of lines, letters, figures or symbols.

Patent BR202012010326 shows a modular plastic floor articulated on the inside, so that water can circulate. Its adjustment between modules is carried out by the male-female system, and its articulation allows an easy adjustment and movement of the water that falls on the floor surface.

Patent C016024130 discloses a covering of grains and surfaces, made of plastic resin, with special additives, formed by square slabs that are assembled by means of pins. The slab is made up of a system of cells that make up evaporation and condensation chambers, which use a minimum support surface with the surface, thereby protecting the grasses, concrete, stone, sand and / or any other surface. of the affectation by the traffic. In the upper part it is composed of small protrusions to achieve a non-slip surface, in its lateral faces it is composed of an interconnection system with male and female type pins. Finally, in the state of the art is the document US 8141314, which discloses an expansion joint for a modular floor system that includes the sliding coupling of two subsections of the expansion joint. Thus, the expansion joint is sized so that it is equivalent in overall dimension to the intended adjacent floor modules of which it will form part within a matrix of said interlocking floor modules. The expansion joint has at least one slot in one module, which corresponds to at least one locking pin in the other module. Thus, the slot receives and locks the locking pin and allows sliding engagement along its longitudinal axes.

However, as evidenced from the aforementioned, a common problem that occurs in modular flooring is that, as it is made of plastic material, its coefficient of thermal expansion is high, so when exposed to High temperatures can cause tile buckling, overlapping, shifting and / or cracking, as well as providing a tripping hazard for people, objects or vehicles moving on the surface.

In addition, it is important to take into account that the possible expansion joints existing in the art do not have an adequate expansion or expansion system, which does not allow for an appropriate expansion when the joint is used in a modular floor in a location that has high temperatures, such as cities in hot climates or in summer time, a fact that would lead to the modular floor not being kept in place at all times and presenting lifting it, which is inappropriate and could even pose a serious safety risk for the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention poses a solution to the problem described above by supplying a dilator slab to be used in a modular floor, which is adjustable or movable and can be assembled together with the modular floor to absorb the expansion of the floor slabs or modules under conditions. atmospheric conditions that cause its expansion or contraction. In addition, the expander slab disclosed herein can be interconnected to the modular floor to maintain proper alignment and placement of the sections of the modular floor through the use of matching engagement mechanisms.

Thus, the expansion slab of the present invention is made up of a fixed upper section and a lower section that can be slidable in relation to the upper section, which allows it to increase or decrease its covering surface according to the expansion or contraction that it must absorb. These upper and lower sections can be interconnected to other slabs or joints by means of a male and female connection system, also referred to herein as a pin and slot system, to allow efficient load dissipation.

The expansion slab of the invention is composed in its lower part by a system of cells that make up evaporation and condensation chambers, which use minimal support on the surface, thereby protecting the grasses, concrete, stone, sand and / or any other surface on which the expansion slab and modular floor are located, from the effects caused by traffic on which the dilator slab and said modular floor are being assembled.

In the upper part, the dilator slab is composed of a series of protrusions or textures to achieve a non-slip surface, it also contains holes for drainage, ventilation and evaporation. On its lateral faces it is composed of an interconnection system with male type pins and female type grooves that form a monolithic structure with a large load section.

Expanding slabs and modular floor slabs are interlocked with each other through the system of pins and grooves (male-female type coupling) located in their side profiles to form a system of interconnected slabs with a homogeneous surface, which can be expanded or contract (expand) according to atmospheric conditions and as necessary or desirable.

More particularly, the present invention refers to a slab for expansion and contraction that is part of a temporary surface located in open spaces, exposed to the sun and / or temperature changes, which is used to make the joint between slabs of a floor modular, in order to allow the floor to maintain its position at all times and not lift or dismantle due to climatic changes. The present invention is also directed to a system of interconnected slabs or also known as a modular system for protection of soils, such as grass, floors, etc., where said system is composed of a plurality of modular floor slabs, where said slabs Modular flooring can be directly assembled together, or more preferably connected by bonding with at least one expander slab, as defined above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The present invention is understood more clearly from the following figures where the components associated with the present system or apparatus are shown, as well as the novel elements with respect to the state of the art, where the figures are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is solely defined by the appended claims, wherein:

Figure 1 corresponds to a top perspective view of the dilator slab of the present invention.

Figure 2 corresponds to a bottom perspective view of the dilator slab of Figure 1.

Figure 3a corresponds to a flat top view of the dilator slab of Figure 1 in its closed configuration. Figure 3b corresponds to a flat top view of the dilator slab of Figure 1 in its open configuration.

Figure 4a corresponds to a flat bottom view of the dilator slab of Figure 1 in its closed configuration.

Figure 4b corresponds to a flat bottom view of the dilator slab of Figure 1 in its open configuration.

Figure 5a corresponds to a flat side view of the dilator slab of Figure 1 in its closed configuration.

Figure 5b corresponds to a flat side view of the dilator slab of Figure 1 in its open configuration.

Figure 6a corresponds to a top perspective view of the dilator slab of Figure 1 in its closed configuration, where the dilator slab is coupled between two floor modules.

Figure 6b corresponds to a top perspective view of the dilator slab of Figure 1 in its open configuration, where the dilator slab is coupled between two floor modules.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a spreading slab to allow the assembly of two or more slabs or modules of a modular floor, where the spreading slab is adjustable or movable and is highly useful, without limitation, for covering grains or surfaces that require a temporary floor where an element can expand or contract according to the movement of the modular floor sections.

In this way, Figures 1 to 5 present a dilator or expansion and / or contraction slab for the coupling of, preferably, but not in a limiting manner, temporary floor modules, wherein said dilator slab is generally composed of the following parts or components:

• A fixed upper section (1) that corresponds in general terms to a kind of fixed box, which has a finish on its upper surface which is highly resistant, since it is the one that will come into direct contact with the users. , either as a floor for people or as a surface for vehicles or any other element that passes overhead;

• A lower section (2), where said lower section (2) is slidable with respect to the fixed upper section (1), where the sliding movement of the lower section (2) is carried out when inserting the lower section ( 2) in the upper section (1), as illustrated in Figures 3a and 3b; Y

• A male-female type interconnection mechanism, which is composed of slots (3) and pins (4), where said mechanism of interconnection is arranged on one of the surfaces or side faces of the fixed upper section (1) or the sliding lower section (2), and where said interconnection mechanism allows the connection of several dilator slabs or a dilator slab with one or more floor modules (5), as clearly illustrated in Figures 6a and 6b.

Thus, the expansion slab of the present invention has the characteristic that it can expand or contract, as illustrated in Figures 2 to 6, where said expansion or contraction is achieved thanks to the sliding movement of the lower section (2 ) in relation to the fixed upper section (1).

This sliding between the lower (2) and upper (1) sections is achieved thanks to a series of channels (11) that are arranged on the lower surface of the upper section (1), where the arrangement of the channels (11) is in the sliding direction of the two sections (1, 2). Likewise, the lower sliding section (2) has on its upper surface a series of rails (21), which coincide in number and location with the channels (11) of the upper section (1), where said rails (21 ) are inserted between the channels (11) so as to allow movement in two directions of the lower section (2) relative to the upper section (1).

Likewise, this system of channels (11) and rails (21) facilitate the opening or closing of the dilator slab, and prevent liquid from entering between the sections. hinder displacement, as occurs in commonly known and existing expansion joints in the state of the art.

On the other hand, in a preferred embodiment, the sliding lower section (2) has a series of chambers (22) with dividing ribs (23) on the lower surface thereof, where said chambers (22) define a plurality of compartments that They are divided by the ribs (23), whose function is to provide improved resistance and support to the entire dilator slab. Thus, the ribs (23) work similar to how a wall system with columns works in a building, thus increasing the resistance of the dilator slab, but reducing the contact area required on the surface it protects.

Now, the interconnection mechanism of the dilator slab of the present invention is composed of grooves (3) and pins (4), which coincide in a complementary way, that is, the pins (4) are inserted in the grooves (3) by any mechanical means, such as by pressure, sliding, etc., without limitation, where these grooves (3) and the pins (4) are arranged on one of the faces or lateral surfaces of the section upper (1) and lower section (2).

In a preferred but non-limiting embodiment, the grooves (3) are arranged on a face or lateral surface of the fixed upper section (1), while the pins (4) are arranged on a face or lateral surface of the lower section. slidable (2) opposite the face or surface of the fixed upper section (1) where the grooves (3) are arranged.

Likewise, it is also contemplated within the present disclosure that the grooves (3) are arranged on a face or lateral surface of the lower section (2), while the pins (4) are arranged on a face or lateral surface of the upper section (1).

Regardless of the location or arrangement of the slots (3) and the pins (4) in the upper section (1) or the lower section (2), it must be observed that the face on which the slots (3) are arranged is opposite to the face where the pins (4) are arranged, which allows the coupling with the floor modules (5) and the expansion slab to form a complete protective floor of a defined surface.

In general terms and for ease of understanding, it can be indicated that a profile or lateral surface has pins (4) and the opposite profile has grooves (3), where said profiles are located in different sections from each other, either in the upper section (1) or in the lower section (2).

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the upper surface of the fixed upper section (1) is textured, in order to present some type of element that creates friction between a user who is located on top of it and said surface, and thus avoid falls or unwanted slides that put the safety of said user at risk. Likewise, it may be desirable that the upper surface of the fixed upper section (1) has a series of through holes (12), where said holes (12) can be used as a drainage system so that liquids can pass through of them and do not accumulate on the surface. The same is true of the lower surface of the lower section (2) which can also include a series of through holes (not shown) that can serve the same function as the through holes (12) of the upper section (1).

In another embodiment of the present invention, the dilator or expansion slab defined herein may further comprise a series of additional holes (not shown) for cables or connections, where said additional holes can be arranged in any of the surfaces, profiles or faces of the dilator slab, according to the needs of the user, either in the fixed upper section (1) or in the sliding lower section (2).

Preferably, the expansion slab of the present invention can be manufactured in any material that has sufficient strength according to the application thereof, such as plastic resin, with special additives, as long as it meets the strength requirements. . Additionally, the expansion slab of the present invention can have a rectangular or square shape, or any other that allows a suitable assembly to the modular floor (5) with which it is to be interconnected.

The present invention is also directed to a system of interconnected floor tiles, wherein said system has a plurality of tiles of Modular floors, joined to a series of expansive joints or expansion slabs, as defined above, where said modular floor slabs (5) interlock with each other and with the expansive joints or expansion slabs by means of a series of pins ( 4) and grooves (3) located in the side profiles of each of these components that are part of the system, as illustrated in Figures 6a and 6b.

This system of interconnected slabs is characterized in that it comprises at least one expansive joint or expansion slab in the assembly of modular slabs, which allows to obtain a floor with greater flexibility and that can be used on any type of terrain and under any type of conditions. climatic conditions, since the dilator slab allows the floor to expand and allow the modular floor slabs (5) to move and settle, as indicated throughout this document.

Preferably, the modular floor slabs (5) have a square or rectangular shape, where one of their lateral profiles coincides in size with the lateral profile of the dilator slab, this profile preferably being the largest, this in order to allow the union between the modular floor slabs (5) through the expansion slabs, as illustrated in Figures 6a and 6b.

In a preferred embodiment, both the modular floor slab (5) and the dilator slab, as defined above, are manufactured in a highly resistant material that in turn is translucent, which allows it to be seen through it, thus when the system composed of modular slabs of Floor (5) and expansion slabs is installed on a grass or any other floor, the user has the perspective that there is no protection floor, that is, the lower floor that is being protected is seen. Likewise, the translucent material of the modular floor slabs (5) and the expansion slabs, also allows to create a greenhouse effect that stimulates their growth and / or maintenance when installed on an organic floor (such as grass, grass, or the like. ), which in addition to protecting said organic soil, creates a beneficial effect for it, a fact that is totally desirable and that had not been achieved by any document in the prior art.

Although the foregoing description defines the preferred embodiments of the present invention, the various modifications that may be apparent to a person skilled in the art are also contemplated within the scope of the present document, wherein said scope is in no way limited to the embodiments preferred, but is defined solely by the appended claims and subject matter therein.

Claims

1. Expansion slab characterized in that it comprises a fixed upper section (1) and a sliding lower section (2), where said upper and lower sections are interconnected to other expansion slabs or to floor modules by means of a compound joining mechanism by slots (3) and pins (4). Expansion slab according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower surface of the upper section (1) has channels (11) and the upper surface of the lower section has rails (21), assembled in a sliding relationship for displacement. 3. Expansion slab according to claim 2, characterized in that a lateral profile of one of the upper (1) or lower (2) sections comprises the pins (4) and the opposite lateral profile of one of the upper or lower sections comprises the grooves (3), where said lateral profiles are located in sections different from each other. 4. Expansion slab according to claim 3, characterized in that the upper surface is textured. 5. Expansion slab according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper surface also has through holes (12). Expansion slab according to claim 5, characterized in that the lower section also has through holes (12). Expansion slab according to claim 5, characterized in that the lower section also has chambers (22) with dividing ribs (23) on the lower surface (2). 8. Expansion slab according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises additional holes for cables or connections. 9. System of interconnected slabs characterized in that it comprises modular floor slabs (5) and expansion slabs or expansive joints that are interconnected with each other by means of pins (4) and grooves (3) located in their side profiles, where each slab Modular floor (5) corresponds to a square or rectangular element whose lateral profile coincides with a lateral profile of the expansion slab or expansive joint. 10. System of interconnected slabs according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises at least one expansion slab or expansion joint in the assembly of modular floor slabs (5). 11. System of interconnected slabs according to any of claims 9 to 10, characterized in that the modular floor slabs (5) and the expansion slabs or expansive joints are translucent. 12. Use of expansion joints or expansion slabs for spacing interconnected modular floor slabs.