Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Module or panel having discrete edgewise or face-to-face... – With joining means of dissimilar material and separate from...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-20
2001-01-16
Stephan, Beth A. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Module or panel having discrete edgewise or face-to-face...
With joining means of dissimilar material and separate from...
C052S592100, C052S480000, C052S403100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173548
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates generally to portable, multi-section activity floors such as those used for basketball and volleyball games, dancing, and other activities compatible with such flooring, and more particularly to the means and methods of interconnecting the individual floor sections along their edge joints to provide a continuous, stable playing surface.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Specially designed wood strip flooring is often permanently installed in some sporting facilities that are dedicated to hosting basketball games, volleyball games, dancing events, and other activities that are compatible with the wood strip playing surface. Wood strip flooring is durable, sound, and inherently resilient. These characteristics enable the floor to absorb some of the shock of a participant's weight and in the case of basketball, the pounding of the ball, giving the floor a natural, lively feel that is unique to wood flooring and preferred by many athletics.
There are, however, a growing number of facilities that are designed to host a multitude of different activities that call for different flooring requirements. Although the above described permanent wood flooring system would be suitable for some events such as basketball games, it would not be suitable for many other events including figure skating, hockey games, concerts, auto shows, etc. Such facilities rely instead on temporary flooring systems that are suited for the particular type of event being hosted and which can be laid down and taken up fairly quickly and easily.
Temporary basketball flooring systems present a particular challenge since not only must they be designed for quick installation and removal, they must still meet the rigorous playability standards of a permanent wood strip flooring. When installed, temporary basketball flooring must exhibit the same soundness, firmness and resilience characteristics favored in permanent wood strip floors.
A typical temporary basketball flooring system is made up of a plurality of individual floor sections that interconnect with one another to provide a continuous playing surface like that of a permanent floor. One such temporary wood strip flooring system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,392, which is commonly assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Its floor sections are installed in staggered rows. Each floor section is constructed from a plurality of sleepers, a subfloor secured to the sleepers, and a wood strip flooring layer secured to the subfloor. The adjoining ends of adjacent sections have extended intermeshing finger portions of the wood strip flooring that laterally restrain the sections in each row. Suitable connecting hardware secures the sections in each row to those in an adjacent row.
It is important also that the floor sections not flex downwardly or upwardly at the joints, as such would detract from presenting a sound, uniform playing surface particularly at the joint regions. The flooring system disclosed in the aforementioned patent uses the traditional tongue-and-groove wood strip flooring material for the top playing surface. The tongue-and-groove formations are exposed along the outer edges of the side-most strips, and as well as along the sides of the fingers. When the sections are brought together, the tongue-and-groove formations interlock and act to support the wood strip flooring layer against such flexing at the joints.
One additional consideration in designing temporary sectionalized wood flooring systems of the above type is to construct them to be rugged so that they can withstand repeated installation and removal without sustaining damage. Should the exposed finger or tongue portions of a section become damaged, it may require repair. Although the flooring system disclosed in the aforementioned patent has shown to be highly durable, the present invention provides further improvements in durability and ease of assembly.
Another known sectionalized flooring system employs the same basic three layer floor section structure, but omits the finger joints at the ends of the sections and the traditional tongue-and-groove formations along the sides. The subfloor layer is extended beyond the marginal edges of the wood strip flooring layer and as well beyond the underlying sleepers along two sides of each section to serve as a tongue. The projecting tongue portion of the subfloor is covered by a metal cap. Along the remaining two sides of the section, the wood strip flooring is extended beyond the subfloor and sleepers to provide an overhang region. A length of metal C-channel is anchored to the underside of the overhung flooring layer and to the subfloor layer to provide an open channel or groove along the remaining two sides. There is nothing below the channel that supports it. The sleepers are set inwardly in line with or inward of the subfloor. When the sections are brought together, the metal-capped tongue of one floor section slides into the metal C-channel of an adjacent floor section to provide support to the sections at the joint. Such metal cap and channel members add to the cost and complexity of manufacturing sectionalized floor systems and introduce an element, namely the metal C-channel, that is susceptible to bending.
A flooring system constructed in accordance with the present invention overcomes or greatly minimizes the foregoing objections to the prior flooring systems discussed above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES
A portable multi-section activity floor constructed in accordance with the invention comprises a plurality of floor sections adapted to be assembled to one another on a generally planar base surface along abutting end and side edges thereof to provide a continuous playing surface. Each floor section has a plurality of spaced apart sleepers engagable with the base surface, a subfloor secured to the sleepers, and a flooring layer secured to the subfloor. A pocket is formed along at least one abutting edge of adjacent floor sections between the flooring layer and the sleepers and is defined by a recessed edge of the subfloor spaced inwardly of an outer edge of the flooring layer and at least one underlying sleeper, exposing an underside surface of the flooring layer and an upper surface portion of the underlying sleeper or sleepers. A tongue member is provided on the adjacent section along its mating edge between the flooring layer and at least one underlying sleeper in position to be received in the pocket of the other section when the floor sections are assembled to support the sections across the edge joint from moving relative to one another out of their common plane.
According to particular preferred features, the tongue is fabricated of a strip of polymeric material, and preferably ultra-high molecular weight plastic (sometimes referred to as UHMW), which is durable, nonmarring, and is able to be nailed through for purposes of securing the tongue to its supporting floor section.
According to a still further feature, such an edge pocket is provided along the mating edges of both of the adjacent panels. The tongue is mounted in the pocket of one of the sections and projects therefrom beyond that floor section and is received and removably supported within the pocket of the adjacent floor section when the panels are assembled.
According to a particular method of the invention, the edge pockets are formed by recessing the subfloor along the mating edge inwardly of the outer edge of the overlying flooring layer and underlying sleeper or sleepers, exposing underside and topside surfaces of each. The tongue member is installed in one of the edge pockets and is secured in place preferably by nails or fasteners.
According to a preferred method of assembly, the sections are brought together along their mating edges causing the projecting portion of the tongue to extend into the opposing edge pocket of the adjacent floor section. The upper surface of the tongue directly contacts and thus supports the flooring layers of the adjacent sections, and the bottom surface of the tongue rests upon and is suppo
Hamar Douglas J.
Young Mark S
Glessner Brian E.
Stephan Beth A.
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