WO2019239223A1

WO2019239223A1 - A support for raised floors

Info

Publication number: WO2019239223A1
Application number: PCT/IB2019/052267
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andrea BASSETTO; Roderick EGLI
Original assignee: Profilitec S.P.A. Socio Unico
Priority date: 2018-06-15
Filing date: 2019-03-20
Publication date: 2019-12-19
Also published as: EP3807477B1; EP3807477A1

Abstract

A support for raised floors comprising a base (2) which can be positioned on a support surface and a head (3) operatively coupled to the base (2). The support (1) also comprises a shock-absorber levelling accessory (4) arranged above the head (3) to be interposed between the head and a building element, the shock- absorber levelling accessory (4) in turn comprising: a plate-like support body (5) with an upper surface (6) and a lower surface (7); a layer of soft material (9) co-moulded on a portion of the upper surface (6) of the support body (5); coupling and releasing means (10) of the support body (5) with respect to the head (3).

Description

A SUPPORT FOR RAISED FLOORS

D E S C R I P T I O N

Definitions

In the present patent, the term "building elements" means floor covering materials such as, by way of example, tiles and planks.

Field of application

The present invention is generally applicable to the building sector and refers to the construction of raised floors.

More in detail, the present invention relates to supports and supporting feet for raised floors.

Background Art

As is known, special ceilings and floors are used in many environments, especially in work environments such as offices, warehouses or other. This allows to arrange with ease the sub-services and to manage uneven floors or ceilings that would require particularly expensive interventions.

Another situation in which special floors, often of the raised type, are used is the case of temporary structures such as prefabricated sheds, tensile structures and, in general, structures that must be assembled and disassembled on generally uneven surfaces such as a field or similar.

Typically, raised floors have a load-bearing structure laid on the ground and above which the flooring is arranged. The latter is typically, but not necessarily, made up of building elements, such as, for example, tiles laid on the load-bearing structure.

The load-bearing structure comprises a plurality of supports on whose head there is a plate that supports the edges of adjacent tiles.

The supports are typically adjustable in height and with tilting head in order to allow, with ease, the support and installation of flat raised floors even in the presence of surfaces with steep slopes and/or strong discontinuities. Some supports also have intermediate extension elements to allow a wider adjustment in height. However, the adjustments are not always accurate and often this does not allow the building elements realizing the floor surface to rest correctly on the head of the supports. This imperfect support not only risks creating small steps between a building element and the adjacent ones, but also to give rise to noise due to the possible movement of the building elements above the heads of the supports.

Therefore, shock-absorbing levelling disks generally made of soft material and arranged above the heads of the supports are known. However, this arrangement is not stable since they are produced separately and laid on the head.

As a result, this not only makes the production more expensive, but also the execution of the floor is more expensive and more complex. Furthermore, these disks can move both during installation and during the use of floors.

Known supports on whose head there is a levelling disk integral with the head are therefore known. The coupling between the two takes place through glues or by co-moulding of the soft material on the head itself.

Although this allows to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks, this solution presents further problems.

As known, in fact, the materials for making the building elements can be of various types and this implies that even the soft material which constitutes the shock-absorber can be different. This forces a plurality of different heads to be provided with a considerable increase in costs of production and warehouse management of the supports.

Even the thicknesses of the levelling disk can be variable according to the installation context, increasing the number of different heads to be produced and kept in stock.

Furthermore, the head is typically a complex body and provided with various shaped portions. In this sense the co-moulding of the levelling shock absorbing disk on the head is complex and also such as to subject the quality of the finished product to risk.

Moreover, since the shock-absorbing material can be subject to wear over time, its replacement requires the replacement of the whole head.

Presentation of the invention

The object of the present invention is to overcome at least partially the drawbacks mentioned above by providing a support for raised floors whose head comprises a shock-absorber levelling element which is integral with the head itself.

Another object is that this shock-absorber element is in any case removable from the head to be replaced with one made with a more suitable material or with one which is thicker.

Another object is that this replacement can be easily carried out in order to be able to intervene easily and at low cost even in the case of wear of the shock-absorber element.

Said objects, as well as others which will become clearer below, are achieved by a support for raised floors according to the following claims, which are to be considered as an integral part of the present patent.

In particular, the support comprises a base which can be positioned on a support surface and a head operatively coupled to the base.

According to an aspect of the invention, the support also comprises a shock-absorber levelling accessory arranged above the head to be interposed between the head and a building element.

According to another aspect of the invention, the shock-absorber levelling accessory comprises a plate-like support body with at least one upper surface and at least one lower surface. Then there is a layer of soft material co-moulded at least on one portion of the upper surface of the support body.

Advantageously, therefore, the soft material that performs the levelling and shock absorbing is not free, but is bound to a support body.

Still advantageously, the latter is not an integral part of the head. In other words, the levelling and damping function is realized by an accessory separated from the head. This allows, still advantageously, to be able to vary the accessory, choosing the most suitable one, without modifying the head. Even the replacement of the accessory in case of damage or wear can occur without changing the head.

According to another aspect of the invention, the support also comprises means for coupling and releasing the support body of the accessory with respect to the head. Advantageously, therefore, the accessory can be coupled stably to the head, but this coupling is reversible.

Consequently, again advantageously, the levelling and damping part is stable both in the assembly phase of the raised floor and during use. However, as stated above, decoupling allows easy replacement or, in any case, removal of the accessory without any consequence for other parts of the support.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Further features and advantages of the invention will become more evident in light of the detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of a support for raised floors according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example with the aid of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 represents a support for raised floors according to the invention in axonometric view;

FIG. 2 represents the support of FIG. 1 in sectioned view;

FIGS. 3 and 4 show details of a support according to the invention.

Detailed description of some preferred exemplary embodiments

With reference to the mentioned figures, and in particular to figures 1 and 2, it is disclosed a support 1 for raised floors.

Like the known supports, it is modular being made by assembling multiple components. In this sense, the support 1 of the invention comprises a base 2, which can be positioned on a support surface, and a head 3 operatively coupled to the base 2.

Typically, the coupling between head 3 and base 2 is such as to allow the adjustment of the height of the support 1. Obviously, this feature should not be considered as a limiting feature for the invention.

According to one aspect of the latter, the support 1 also comprises a shock-absorber levelling accessory 4. This is arranged above the head 3 to interpose itself between the head and a building element. As previously stated, the building element is that element which typically but not necessarily constitutes the walkable surface of the raised floor and, for the present invention, can be of any type. In this sense, it is important that the shock-absorber levelling accessory 4 is suitable for the type of building element chosen for the floor being laid.

For this reason, the shock-absorber levelling accessory 4 comprises, first of all, as can also be seen in figures 3 and 4, a substantially plate-like support body 5 and on which an upper surface 6 and a lower surface 7 are identified.

In the particular embodiment being described which is represented in the figures, the support body 5 is constituted by a plate shaped substantially as a circular crown. However, even that aspect of the invention should not be considered as limiting for different embodiments.

According to a further aspect of the invention, moreover, the accessory 4 comprises a layer of soft material 9 co-moulded on the upper surface 6 of the support body 5.

Advantageously, therefore, the shock-absorber levelling accessory 4 is separated from the head 3 and therefore the latter can remain unchanged whatever the accessory 4 used. Consequently, advantageously, it is possible to freely choose the type and dimensions of the soft material simply by modifying the accessory 4 without any consequence for the head 3.

Still advantageously, maintenance operations can be easily implemented on the support 1 as regards the replacement of the accessory 4 in case of damage or wear.

Still advantageously, the fact that the layer of soft material 9 is co-moulded on the support body 5 allows the latter to be stable both during mounting phase of the floor and during use.

However, in order to improve such a characteristic, according to another aspect of the invention the support 1 comprises means 10 for coupling and releasing the support body 5 of the accessory 4 with respect to the head 3.

Advantageously, therefore, the accessory 4 is stably fixed to the head 3 by means of the coupling and releasing means 10, thereby ensuring that this accessory does not move, neither during the laying of the floor nor during use.

However, still advantageously, the configuration of the coupling and releasing means 10 also allows the accessory 4 to be removed at any time to replace it with a new or more suitable one. According to the embodiment described that is represented in the figures, the coupling and releasing means 10 comprise protrusions 11 emerging from the lower surface 7 of the support body 5 and corresponding holes 12 made on the head 3 to receive the aforementioned protrusions 5.

More in detail, it can be seen from the figures that the coupling and releasing means 10 are of the snap type, however this should not be considered limiting for the invention. According to different embodiments, in fact, the coupling and releasing means are of the screw type or of the bayonet type.

Likewise, the position of the protrusions 11 on the support body 5 and of the holes 12 on the head 3 must not be considered limiting for different executive variants where, for example, the opposite occurs.

In light of the foregoing, it is understood that the support for raised floors of the invention achieves all the prefixed purposes.

In particular, the support of the invention comprises an accessory which allows to level and damper the support of the building elements and which is integral with the head of the support.

However, this accessory can be removed at any time to be replaced in case of breakage or wear, or in case a more suitable material or different thickness is needed.

The invention might be subject to many changes and variants, which are all included in the appended claims. Moreover, all the details may furthermore be replaced by other technically equivalent elements, and the materials may be different depending on the needs, without departing from the protection scope of the invention defined by the appended claims.

Claims

C L A I M S

1. A support for raised floors comprising a base (2) which can be positioned on a support surface and a head (3) operatively coupled to said base (2), characterized in comprising a shock-absorber levelling accessory (4) arranged above said head (3) to be interposed between it and a building element, said shock-absorber levelling accessory (4) in turn comprising:

a plate-like support body (5) with at least one upper surface (6) and at least one lower surface (7);

- a layer of soft material (9) co-moulded at least on one portion of said upper surface (6) of said support body (5);

coupling and releasing means (10) of said support body (5) with respect to said head (3).

2. Support according to claim 1 , characterized in that said support body (5) comprises a plate shaped substantially as a circular crown.

3. Support according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said coupling and releasing means (10) comprise protrusions (11) emerging from said lower surface (7) of said support body (5) and corresponding holes (12) made on said head (3) to at least partially receive said protrusions (11).

4. Support according to any of the preceding claims characterized in that said coupling and releasing means (10) are of the snap type.

5. Support according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said coupling and releasing means are of the bayonet type.