Patent ID: 9181697
Filing Date: 2015-11-10
Classification: B32B,E01C,E04B,E04C,E04F

Abstract:
1. A system of modular floor tiles for use in creating a flooring surface, the floor tile system comprising: a first modular floor tile and a second modular floor tile, each of the first and second floor tiles having a body molded from a polymer and having a substantially planar, horizontal web, the web having an upper surface and a lower surface including a general lower surface, a plurality of edge surfaces of the web extending from the upper surface of the web to the general lower surface thereof, the edge surfaces including a first edge surface on the first tile and a second edge surface on the second tile such that when the first modular floor tile is joined to the second modular floor tile, a first edge surface of the first tile will mate with a second edge surface of the second tile; at least one latch disposed adjacent to the first edge surface and to downwardly depend from the general lower surface of the web, the latch including a laterally inward facing surface that is laterally inwardly displaced from the first edge surface, a point on the inward facing surface being disposed at an innermost limit; at least one loop disposed adjacent to the second edge surface, the loop extending laterally outwardly beyond the second edge surface and joined to the second edge surface at first and second connection points spaced from each other in a direction parallel to the second edge surface, an inner loop surface of the loop including a point disposed at an outermost limit of the inner loop surface; and the latch of the first tile adapted to be received into a loop of the second tile so as to be joined to the first tile, an interference region defined by the superimposition of the inner loop surface and the inward facing surface of the latch when the latch and loop are in an unstretched and unflexed condition, a thickness of the interference region in a direction orthogonal to the second edge surface varying as a function of the distance from a nearer one of the first and second connection points, an interference between the innermost limit of the inward facing surface of the latch and outermost limit of the inner loop surface causing the loop to elastically flex, thereby biasing together the first edge surface of the first tile and the second edge surface of the second tile, wherein the loop is more elastically flexible than the latch.