GB2226060A - Support foot for raised floors - Google Patents

Description

1 SUPPORT FOOT FOR RAISED FLOORS The present invention relates to a

support foot for raised floors.

Generally, raised floors are substantially composed of a grid of cross bars layed in square frames; the grid is supported by a plurality of support feet at its junctions, and modular panels are arranged on the grid with their corners located at the junctions.

The cross bars are not necessary for floors subjected to small loads, which can be made exclusively of panels lo lying on support feet at their corners.

A known support foot generally comprises a tubular element, above which a tab is inserted and protrudes orthogonally from a support plate.

The tubular element is downwardly associated with a base lying on the ground floor and sometimes being adjustable in height.

Though their use is currently widespread, the above described raised floors are not free from disadvantages due in particular to their squareframe grid configuration.

Practical use, in fact, sometimes requires the reinforcement of the structure in certain parts which are subjected to heavier loads or in parts where some of the cross bars of the grid must be eliminated.

Such requirements are satisfied only in part by the known raised floors, which, as mentioned, are made with a square-frame supporting grid.

The ain of the present invention is to eliminate the disadvantages described above in the known art by providing a support foot for making raised floors having a more 2 versatile supporting structure from the point of view of the construction and of the lavout.

A consequent primary object is to provide a support foot adapted to reinforce the supporting structure in 5 selected parts by adding or replacing cross bars.

A further important object is to provide a support foot such as to satisfy all use requirements with a single unit.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an easy and rapid assemblying of the supporting structure of the raised f loor.

Not least object of the invention is to manufacture the support foot with low costs and conventional production systems.

This aim, these objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by a support foot for raised floors, comprising a support tube lying on a ground floor, a stud associated with a plate, said stud being inserted in an upper end of said support tube, said stud axially protruding from said plate, said plate being adapted to support the ends of cross bars, characterized in that said plate has at least eight radial tabs for corresponding ends of said cross bars, each axis of each of said tabs being at a 45 degree angle relatively to the axes of the adjacent tabs. Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, illustratd only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: 30 figure 1 is

1 a partially sectioned side view of the i k 3 upper portion of a support foot for raised floors to which two cross bars are coupled; figure 2 is a top view of the support foot and cross bars shown in figure 1; figure 3 is a sectional view, taken along a vertical plane, of the region of coupling between the cross bar and the support foot; figure 4 is a sectioned top view of a cover element for the support foot; figure 5 is a partial side view of an example of a structure provided with support feet according to the invention, the support feet being shown connected to two different types of cross bars; figures 6 to 10 are top views of several examples of layouts of the raised floor supporting structure, according to the invention.

With reference to the figures, the support foot for raised floors, according to the invention, comprises a portion of preferably metallic support tube 1 which is downwardly associated with a base lying on the ground floor (the base is not illustrated in the figures since it is per se known); a tubular stud 2 is inserted in the upper portion of the support tube 1. The stud 2 axially protrudes from a preferably metallic plate 3 which can be obtained for example by sheared sheet metal forming.

According to the invention, the plate 3 has eight radial tabs 4; each of the tabs has parallel sides 5 and a longitudinal stiffening ridge 6.

An important feature is that the longitudinal axis of each tab 4 is at a 45 degree angle relatively to the axes of f k.

4 the adjacent tabs.

The plate 3 constitutes, by means of its radial tabs 4, the support and coupling base for the ends 7 of reinforcement cross bars 8 which are constituted, in the illustrated example, by sheet metal formed substantially in the shape of an inverted U. Each cross bar has a first longitudinal reinforcement ridge 10 on the upper base 9 and a second longitudinal reinforcement ridge 12 on the lower part of each of the sides 11.

The edge 13 of said sides 11 is conveniently inwardly folded at right angles.

The cross bars 8 may have any kind of cross section, either open or closed, depending on the kind of use for which they are intended and on the mechanical strength required.

According to the invention, each tab 4 can be inserted between the sides 11 of each cross bar 8; the stiffening ridge 6 is shaped complementarily to the first stiffening ridge 10 of the cross bar, and corresponding holes 14 are provided therebetween for a coupling screw 15.

On each side 11 of the cross bar 8, a resilient tang 16 is formed by folding inwardly the sheared sheet metal and, when the cross bar is coupled to the tab 4, the tang 16 fits into a seat 17, provided on each side 5 of the tab 4, in a snap together manner.

A cover gasket member 18, preferably made of injection -molded plastics, can be placed on the metallic plate 3 and is upwardly provided with four flush tabs 19 arranged in the shape of a cross; the flush tabs are adapted to constitute abutment elements for the arrangement of the panels of the raised floor.

The material which constitutes said cover member 18 is conveniently antistatic and, in order to ensure a safe electrical continuing contact with the panels of the floor, the cover member 18 is also provided with small conical raised portions 20, on its upper side.

Cover gasket members are naturally also provided on the upper sides of the cross bars 8, which thus ensure a safe support for the entire structure of the raised floor.

As illustrated in figure 5, each plate 3 may also be used as lower support element for cross bars having a greater mechanical strength, if placed at an height from the ground floor.

appropriate Said cross bars 21 have an adapted transverse cross 15 section to increase the structure's strength, the cross section being also suitable for a precise fit of the ends of the tabs 4 of the plate 3 and for a lower support on said plate 3.

As illustrated in figures 6 to 10, the use of support feet according to the invention allows an ample range of layouts for the supporting structures of raised floors, so as to optimally comply with any use requirements.

In particular, figure 6 illustrates a conventional layout of a floor adapted for small loads which is therefore simply constituted by support feet, generally indicated by numeral 22, and by cover panels 23 which lie thereon at the -corners.

Figure 7 shows instead a conventional square-frame grid constituted by support feet 22, cross bars 8 and cover panels 23.

k 6 Figure 8 further illustrates a raised floor having, besides the support feet 22 and the cover panels 23, longer cross bars 24 arranged along one of the diagonals of each square of the grid.

Such a layout is adapted, for example, for raised floors bearing loads which are intermediate between those for which the layouts of figures 6 and 7 are, suitable, and when the load is particularly concentrated at the center of the panels.

The raised floors of figures 9 and 10 are adapted for greater loads; in practice, the first one is the combination of the floors illustrated in figures 7 and 8, whereas the second furthermore comprises a central support foot 22 which is arranged at the centre of the frame squares of the grid and is connected along the diagonals thereof by shortened cross bars 25.

Other not illustrated layouts may naturally be devised by using the support feet according to the invention in order to reinforce the structure of the raised floor only where it is necessary and required.

From what has been described above it will be apparent that the invention provides structures which are highly versatile in execution and are adapted to satisfy all requirements.

The particular kind of coupling provided between each end of the cross bars and each tab of the plate furthermore -makes the structure particularly stable elven without using bolts, the screws 15 being provided just to ensure electrical continuity as well as a safety element of a safer connection.

It 7 The invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept.

All the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the' materials employed, so long as compatible with the contingent use, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to the requirements.

r L 8

Claims (1)

1 1. Support foot for raised floors, comprising a support 2 tube lying on a ground floor, a stud associated with a 3 plate, said stud being inserted in an upper end of said 4 support tube, said stud axially protruding from said plate, said plate being adapted to support the ends of cross bars, 6 characterized in that said plate has at least eight radial 7 tabs for corresponding ends of said cross bars, each axis of 8 each of said tabs being at a 45 degree angle relatively to 9 the axes of the adjacent tabs.

1 2 3 can 4 axes axes.

1 3. Support foot according to claim 1, characterized in 2 that said plate is made by forming sheared sheet metal.

1 4. Support foot according to claim 1, characterized in that each of said radial tabs has parallel sides. and a 3 longitudinal stiffening ridge.

1 5. Support foot according to claim 1, characterized in 2 that each of said cross bars has a transverse cross section 3 substantially having the shape of an inverted U with 4 longitudinal stiffening ridges on the base and on the sides.

1 6. Support foot according to claim 5, characterized in 2- that each of said cross bars has an open' transverse cross 3 section.

7. Support foot according to claim 5, characterized in each of said cross bars has a closed transverse cross 2. Support foot according to claim 1, characterized in that the arrangement of the axes of symmetry of said tabs provide four axes arranged orthogonally, each of said coinciding with the bisector of pairs of other four -1 2 that 1 1 J( k 9 section.

8. Support foot according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of said tabs is coupled to each of said cross bar ends by inserting said tab between the sides of said cross bar end, said sides of the cross bar end having inwardly folded resilient tangs 6 adapted to fit, in a snap together manner, into 7 corresponding seats provided on each side of the tab.

1 9. Support foot according to one or more of the _2 preceding claims, characterized in that between said cross 3 bar ends and said tabs corresponding holes for mutual 4 coupling screws are provided.

1 10. Support foot according to one or more of the 2 preceding claims, characterized in that a plastics cover 3 element is arranged above said plate, said cover element 4 being upwardly provided with raised abutment portions for the positioning of the panels of the floor.

1 10. A support foot for raised floors substantially as 2 herein described with reference to the accompanying 3 drawings.

Pubhshedl.990atThe Patent Office,Sta--House.66 71 High Holborn. London WC1R4TP Further copies maybe obtained from The Patent Office Sales Branch, St Mary Cray. Orpington. Kent BR5 3RD- Printed by Millt:p1ex techniques Itd, St Mary Cray. Kent- Con 1 8-