EP0922148B1

EP0922148B1 - Covering from flexible and elastic shaped belts

Info

Publication number: EP0922148B1
Application number: EP97935418A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Pavel Suchanek; Ivo Ulrych
Original assignee: Mais AS
Current assignee: Mais AS
Priority date: 1996-08-30
Filing date: 1997-08-27
Publication date: 2002-07-17
Anticipated expiration: 2017-08-27
Also published as: DE69714053T2; ATE220751T1; DE69714053D1; CA2265050A1; WO1998009038A1; PL331829A1; HU1837U; EP0922148A1

Abstract

A covering from flexible and elastic shaped belts, especially for surface layers in interiors and exteriors. The shaped belts (1, 1a, 1b) form two systems crossing one another and each of the belts consists of at least two face parts (2, 2a, 2b) and connecting pieces (3, 3a, 3b) between them and at the ends of the shaped belt (1, 1a, 1b). The face parts (2, 2a, 2b) are provided at their areas being at the same plane as the areas of the connecting pieces (3, 3a, 3b) with a through-recess (4, 4a, 4b), the dimensions of which through-recess (4, 4a, 4b) correspond to the connecting pieces (3, 3a, 3b). The shapes of the face parts (2, 2a, 2b) of the intersecting systems of the shaped belts (1, 1a, 1b) complement one another forming a continuous area and the height of the connecting pieces (3, 3a, 3b) equals the depth of the through-recesses (4, 4a, 4b).

Description

The present invention relates to a covering made from flexible and elastic shaped belts, especially for surface layers in interiors and exteriors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The preparation of integral covering in interiors and exteriors and of surfaces of playgrounds and public spaces is performed e.g. by finishering or by laying prefabricated parts.

When finishering, the material forming the continuous covering layer is manually or by means of road machinery continuously laid out creating an integral layer at the required place. Following the leveling of the area, possibly following its compacting the curing starts. After the curing the covering may be further finished, e.g. by grinding, painting and likewise. The result is a continuous homogeneous surface. The disadvantage of said solution is, that it is not possible to produce a covering having precisely defined characteristics in a sufficiently narrow tolerance, because it is not possible to adjust the level of the material compression and the temperature during the curing. A high binder to filler ratio is necessary, which brings about higher costs and thereby a higher price of the covering as well. When doing possible repairs the repaired place has always lower adhesion ability to the original material.

It is also known to prepare a continuous covering by laying prefabricated parts. The prefabricated parts having various shapes and prepared beforehand are fixed to a leveled base by various processes, e.g. by laying into sand, mortar, possibly by sticking. The result is a mosaic of more or less mutually bound individual segments. The disadvantage of that solution is that a costly base, e.g. a concrete or an asphalt surface, is necessary in case of bonding of the parts. If one of the bonded parts is mechanically damaged a flaking occurs due to the mechanical stress, which flaking often goes over also to the adjoining parts. The repairs are technologically and financially demanding. Laying the parts into sand requires individual parts having a relatively high thickness to area ratio. EP-A-0 329 467 discloses a system of interlocking tiles made of rubber composition having at adjacent edges interlocking protrusions and recesses with re-entrant shape.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Said drawbacks are eliminated to a great extent by the covering according to the invention the substance of which is that the shaped belts form two systems crossing one another and each of them consists of at least two face parts and connecting pieces between them and at the ends of the shaped belt, wherein the face parts are provided at their areas which are at the same plane as the areas of the connecting pieces with a through-recess the dimensions of which correspond to the connecting pieces, the shapes of the face parts of the intersecting systems of the shaped belts complement one another forming a continuous area, and the height of the connecting pieces equals the depth of the through-recess.

It is a contribution making it possible to obtain a high quality surface of the covering that the lower parts of the connecting pieces and the face parts of the intersecting systems of the shaped belts complement each other to form a continuous area.

Preferably, the shaped parts and the connecting pieces have square or curved shape.

The advantage of the invention is based especially on the fact, that it is possible to make the covering from materials having precisely defined characteristics, with narrow tolerances of dimensions and composition. The special shaping of the belts in the longitudinal as well as the transversal direction makes possible their intertwining so, that none of the shaped belts may be taken away in any direction loosely from the right or reverse side of the covering. The formed surface may be laid in plane formations as well as in required curvatures.

Another advantage is that the covering may be laid without bonding directly onto the surface, which does not need to be of such quality as it had to be according to prior art. The intertwining of the shaped belts is easy and does not require any qualified work or mechanization. In case of repair of a damaged part of the covering it is possible to exchange the shaped belts by means of a simple jig.

The shaped belts may be of any length. It is possible to produce the same by technological processes usual for shaping and machining of elastomers and plastic material - by moulding, extruding, injection, transfer moulding, chip working and likewise. The shaped belts may be of homogeneous or heterogeneous material, e.g. of laminated material.

The face of the belts is arranged so that figures having straight sides or having the shape of various curves arise at the face after putting the belts together forming a flat product.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be further described with reference to the drawings, wherein Fig. 1 shows front view of the basic embodiment of the shaped belt having two face parts, Fig. 2 the ground view of the basic embodiment of the shaped belt, Fig. 3 example of intertwining of four shaped belts, each of them having two face parts, Fig. 4 an alternative embodiment of the shaped belt, and Fig. 5 another alternative embodiment of the shaped belt.

EXEMPLIFYING EMBODIMENTS

According to the exemplifying embodiment, the covering consists of intersecting shaped belts 1. Each shaped belt comprises two

face parts

2, 2a, 2b and connecting

pieces

3, 3a, 3b between them and at the ends of the

shaped belt

1, 1a, 1b (Figs. 1 and 2). The face parts 2 and the connecting pieces 3 alternate in the longitudinal direction in the shaped belt. The face parts 2 have a square form, wherein the connecting pieces have a rectangular form. According to the exemplifying embodiment, the face parts 2 at the lower sides of the shaped belt 1 are provided at their surface areas, which are at the same plane as the surface area of the connecting pieces 3, with a through-recess 4 having a rectangular form (Fig. 1), -the dimensions of said through-recess 4 corresponding to the dimensions of the connecting piece 3. Preferably, a shaped belt comprises two through five face parts 2 and a corresponding number of connecting pieces 3.

Each connecting piece 3 connects always two adjoining face parts 2 and has a rectangular shape, wherein the longer side of that rectangle equals the side of the square shape of the face part 2 and the transverse side equals its half. The shaped belts 1 are terminated with connecting pieces 3 having a half length in comparison with the connecting pieces 3 between two face parts 2. The height of the connecting pieces 3 equals the depth of the through-recess 4 in the face parts 2 and preferably equals the half of the height of the face part 2.

The shaped belts 1 are intertwined mutually in a similar way like a warp and a weft. The face part 2 is always on the top when crossing a connecting piece 3, i.e. above the connecting piece 3, and the connecting piece 3 is always underneath, i.e. below the face part 2. The shape of the side walls 5 of the through-recess 4 is perpendicular, as a rule, and the side walls 6 of the face parts 2 are perpendicular, too.

The shaped belts 1 are made e.g. of a material, the basis of which is a granulation product of rubber bonded by polyurethane rubber. The rubber granulation product consists of pellets having various sizes and it is produced e.g. of worn-down tyres or of waste mechanical rubber. The binder for the rubber granulation product is e.g. a liquid polyurethane rubber produced on a basis of butadiene terminated by hydroxyl. It is also possible to choose a different elastic and long-lasting material.

Another embodiment of the covering according to the invention comprises shaped belts 1a (Fig. 4) having curved face parts 2a and curved connecting pieces 3a. The face parts 2a have two opposite sides concave, and two other sides convex, wherein the lines connecting the corners form a square. The connecting pieces 3a are concave. The shape of the through-recess 4a in the face parts 2a corresponds to the shape of the connecting pieces 3a.

Further embodiment (Fig. 5) comprises shaped belts 1b provided with face parts 2b, connecting pieces 3b and through-recess 4b the shapes of which are similar to the basic embodiment (Figs. 1 through 3). The difference is based on the fact, that the connecting pieces 3b are widened at their middle parts and the terminal connecting pieces 3b are widened at their ends to ensure a better cohesiveness of the individual shaped belts 1b. The widened shape of the through-recess 4b in the face parts 2b corresponds to that arrangment.

It is common and essential for all mentioned embodiments, that the shape of the through-recess in the face part negatively corresponds to the shape of the connecting piece. It is also necessary that the shapes of the

face parts

2, 2a, 2b of the mutually intersecting

shaped belts

1, 1a, 1b complement each other to form an integral area. As a rule, it is achieved so that the lines connecting the corners of a face part form a square and the adjoining sides of the face parts correspond to each other in mirror arrangement. It is also advantageous that also the lower parts of the connecting

pieces

3, 3a, 3b and of the

face parts

2, 2a, 2b of the intersecting systems of the

shaped belts

1, 1a, 1b, complement each other forming an integral area.

The basic embodiment (Figs. 1 through 3) may also have a different ratio of thickness of the connecting piece 3 to a side of the face part 2. It is essential that the thickness of the connecting piece 3 equals the thickness of the through-recess 4 in the face part.

The edges of the covering may be realized e.g. by bonding to the kerbs or other area margins. Another example represents the usage of a special not shown ending element.

The covering according to the invention is assembled by gradual intertwining of the shaped

belts

1, 1a, 1b, wherein the connecting

pieces

3, 3a, 3b get into the through-

recesses

4, 4a, 4b by pressing from above. It is possible to assemble blocks in advance which blocks are later connected at the place of laying by means of the shaped

belts

1, 1a, 1b, each of them comprising at least two

face parts

2, 2a, 2b. When assembling the covering, it is expedient to use shaped

belts

1, 1a, 1b having various numbers of

face parts

2, 2a, 2b.

The coherence of both systems of shaped

belts

1, 1a, 1b is warranted by the system of locks, which is formed by the connecting

pieces

3, 3a, 3b and through-

recesses

4, 4a, 4b.

It is obvious that the embodiments of the covering may differ from the described examples without leaving the scope of the the invention. E.g., the shape of the side walls 5 need not be perpendicular, but it may be also gently inclined. Also the side walls 6 of the

face parts

2, 2a, 2b, or of other contact areas may be gently inclined. Another known finish of the contact areas, e.g. roughening or knurling is also possible. It is expedient if both systems of the shaped

belts

1, 1a, 1b are mutually perpendicular, but it is also possible to assemble them under a different angle if the shapes of the connecting pieces, of the face parts and of the through-recesses are adapted accordingly.

It is possible to create a mosaic effect in the covering by using face parts having various colors, the covering when finished may be provided with a coat of paint or with lines for sporting games.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

A continuous covering from flexible and elastic shaped

belts

1, 1a, 1b may be used as a floor covering in interiors as well as for adaptation of surfaces of playgrounds and public spaces, e.g. for platforms and traffic islands for public transport and for roads for pedestrians, cyclists and light-weight means of transport.

Claims

Covering from flexible and elastic elements especially for interior and exterior surface layers characterized in that the elements comprise shaped belts (1, 1a, 1b) arranged in two sets of parallel belts crossing one another each belt consisting of at least two face parts (2, 2a, 2b) and connecting pieces (3, 3a, 3b) between them and at the ends of the shaped belt (1, 1a, 1b) wherein the face parts (2, 2a, 2b) of each set are provided on their undersides with through recesses (4, 4a, 4b) for receiving the connecting pieces of the other set, the dimensions of through recesses (4, 4a, 4b) corresponding to those of the connecting pieces (3, 3a, 3b) the shapes of the face parts (2, 2a, 2b) of the crossing sets of the shaped belts (1, 1a, 1b) complementing one another to form a continuous area, and the height of the connecting pieces (3, 3a, 3b) equalling the depth of the through recesses (4, 4a, 4b).
Covering according to the claim 1 characterized in that the lower parts of the connecting pieces (3, 3a, 3b) and of the face parts (2, 2a, 2b) of the intersecting systems of shaped belts (1, 1a, 1b) complement each other to form a continuous area.
Covering according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the face parts (2) have the shape of a square.
Covering according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the connecting pieces (3) have the shape of an oblong.
Covering according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the face parts (2a) have their sides curved.
Covering according to claim 1 or 2 characterized in that the connecting pieces (3a) have their sides curved.