System for installation of decking tiles

Materials for use in installing a deck include a plurality of decking tiles, each of the tiles having an outside corner angle with a hole at a predetermined location with respect to the corner and a plurality of decking tile connectors. Each of the connectors includes a plate, spacer flanges upstanding from the plate arranged to divide the plate into quadrants defined by angles that are the same as the corner angles of the tiles, and Christmas tree fasteners upstanding in the quadrants at locations to align with the holes in the tiles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a system for installation of decking tiles for a deck or walkway including a plurality of decking tiles and a plurality of decking tile connectors having fasteners to affix to the decking tiles. Wooden decking tiles have been installed with the use of adjustable height plastic support pieces. The pedestals are adjustable for height to make the decking tile level, and four pedestals are generally required to install one wooden decking tile. These pedestals come in a variety of sizes and shapes. There are some pedestals that are not height adjustable. Examples of both are Bison screwjacks available from Bison Screwjack Company, Shoshone Drive, Denver, Colo. 80204. Bison screwjacks merely hold corners of tiles by gravity, without any positive engagement of the tile and connector.

Decking tiles may also be installed on joists, which are appropriately spaced in order to receive the decking tiles. In the joist type installation, the joists need to be spaced apart to receive the edges of two decking tiles. The use of joists requires that the tiles be affixed by driving nails or screws through the tiles into the joist. There is an aesthetic problem with the utilization of screws or nails, because the heads of the screws or nails show on the decking tile after installation. Nails can work up, so that the nail head becomes raised above the deck surface. The exposed nail head can permit water in the nail hole and cause rotting of the wooden tile material. The exposed nail head could be a hazard, causing an individual to trip.

When using screws to attach the tiles, one method to improve the aesthetic problem is to countersink the screws into the decking tile and plug the hole with a material that provides an aesthetic appearance. But this process is expensive and time consuming.

Furthermore, the prior art approach that uses screws or nails to affix decking tiles to joists generally only work well with softwood and not hardwood tiles. Hardwood tiles are difficult to drive screws into, to be held in place on the decking structure. There is a need therefore to provide a system of deck tile installation that permits hardwood decking material to be easily and quickly secured on a base, without the need of nails or screws.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention fulfills one or more of these needs in the art by providing a system for installing decking tiles including a plurality of decking tiles and a plurality of tile connectors, having fasteners to affix the decking tiles in place. A preferred decking tile material is IPE wood made up of fluted wood slats. The decking material may also be a bankirai (yellow balau) a far eastern hard wood, as well as softwood or composites of plastic, wood, cellulose, and paper fiber.

The decking tile may be constructed of fluted wood slats fastened to support slats with screws. The decking tiles may be square or rectangular, and they are typically fastened in a manner to provide equal spacing between each slat which forms the decking tile. The decking tile has right-angled corners that include a drilled hole at a predetermined distance from the apex of the corner. The decking tile may also include a diagonal support slat. The use of the diagonal support slat provides greater strength to the decking tile.

The decking tile connector is typically made of a molded plastic and includes a flat plate. The decking tile may be circular, rectangular, or square. The decking tile typically includes spacer flanges arranged at 90° to each other. These spacer flanges provide predetermined spacing between the decking tiles after the tiles have been installed on the decking tile connector. The decking tile connector includes Christmas tree fasteners which are upstanding in the corners of the quadrants formed by the spacer flanges. The Christmas tree fasteners are preferably made of molded plastic.

Before installing the decking tiles on the decking tile connector, the specific area where the deck installation is designated needs to be prepared. The surface of the area is preferably flat and level. Once the area is leveled, the decking tile connectors may be placed on the surface and decking tiles may be installed. If some irregularities in the surface levelness remain, height adjustable connectors may be used and adjusted to create a plane for the tiles. The decking tiles are installed by placing the corners with the holes over the Christmas tree fasteners which are in each of the quadrants formed by the spacer flanges in the decking tile connector. In this manner, one decking tile connector retains a corner of up to four decking tiles. Additional decking tile connectors may be placed on the surface of the area and connected to already-laid tiles and additional decking tiles may be put in place. This process is repeated until the installed decking tiles cover the desired area for the deck installation.

The decking tile connectors may have weakened slotted lines in the quadrants. These lines permit the decking tile connector to be broken easily so as not to protrude from the underside of the edges of the deck.

Once installed in this manner, the decking tiles are solidly supported by the surface below the decking tile connector. The weight of the decking tiles and the engagement of the Christmas tree fasteners in the tiles keep the decking tiles in place.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the following description of the preferred embodiments when considered with the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES OF THE INVENTION

In the following description like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several figures. It should be understood that the illustrations are for the purpose of describing preferred embodiments of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention thereto.

FIG. 1shows a decking tile10embodiment of the invention. The decking tile10is constructed of fluted wooden slats12. Each slat12may be made of IPE wood and is approximately 15 mm thick×65 mm wide, and of variable length. As shown inFIG. 1, the slats12are mounted at a diagonal and secured to support slats at the deck tile edges9,11with screws or other fasteners (not shown). The decking tile10is typically square or rectangular. Other materials besides IPE may be used, but the invention is particularly advantageous for hard, difficult to penetrate materials, like hardwoods.

FIG. 2depicts the bottom of an alternate decking tile10. The decking tile10comprises a plurality of fluted IPE slats12. In this embodiment, fluted slats12are fastened to perpendicular support slats14. The slats12are equally spaced apart as they are placed on and secured to the parallel support slats14. The slats12are affixed to the support slats14with fasteners16. The fasteners16are generally stainless steel screws, but other fasteners or fastening means may be used.

In another embodiment, the decking tile10may include a diagonal support slat (not shown) adjoining the parallel support slats14. The addition of the diagonal support slat gives the decking tile10additional strength.

The fluted wooden slats12and the parallel support slats14may be made of hardwood, softwood, composites of plastic, wood, cellulose and paper fiber. In the preferred embodiment, the decking tile10is constructed of IPE or bankirai (yellow balau) a far eastern hardwood. The decking tiles10include four right-angled corners. A hole20is drilled at a predetermined distance from the apex of each of the corners of the decking tiles10, as seen inFIG. 2. Similar holes are provided in the tile ofFIG. 1. All of the foregoing assembly and machining can take place in a factory, where power equipment is readily available to work on the hardwoods.

A top view of an embodiment of the decking tile connector22is depicted inFIG. 3. The decking tile connector22is made of molded plastic and includes a flat plate21. The plate21may be circular, rectangular, square, or other shape. The decking tile connector has spacer flanges24arranged at 90° to each other. The spacer flanges24provide spacing between the decking tiles after the decking tiles10have been installed on the decking tile connector22. The spacing is defined by the thickness of the flanges. The decking tile connector22further includes “Christmas tree” fasteners26which are located in holes in each of the 90° sectors or quadrants formed by the spacer flanges24. These Christmas tree fasteners26are made of molded plastic and include a rigid stem with a plurality of ribs of some rigidity but able to flex when stressed. Such “Christmas tree” fasteners are known in automobile construction, but to Applicant's knowledge, have not been used in working with deck tiles. The preferred fastener26has an outside diameter of 0.375 inch and an “inside” diameter of 0.3438 inch and height of 0.75 inch. The hole20in the tile is preferably of a diameter between the inside and outside diameters of the Christmas tree fastener. The locations of the fasteners in the quadrants match the locations of the holes20in the tiles. That is, their location in the quadrant of the connectors with respect to the 90° angle formed by the flanges matches the hole location with respect to the tile edges.

Preferably the hole20and fastener26are positioned to be aligned when the edges of the tile abut the flanges24at both edges of the tile. The hole20and fastener26are typically on a diagonal line that bisects the angle between the flanges26. However, other placements may be used. The distance from the apex of the corner is preferably such as to avoid being so close to the edge as to risk splintering or a break-out of the wood, and to be within the plate21, so as to be securely mounted.

Referring toFIG. 4, a bottom view of the decking tile connector22is depicted.FIG. 4shows the heads of Christmas tree fasteners26located within the four quadrants of the decking tile connector22.

FIG. 5shows a partial decking tile installation. The decking tile10is placed upon the decking tile connector22. The hole20(not shown inFIG. 5) which has been drilled in the corner of the decking tile10receives one of the Christmas tree fasteners26on the decking tile connector22. The decking tile connector22can accommodate four decking tiles10in the installation process. Additional connectors are placed at the corners of the installed tiles, in like fashion, and additional tiles are installed, in repetitive fashion to complete the deck. The decking tile connector22may further include weakened slotted lines (shown inFIG. 5a) adjacent the flanges in each of the 90° quadrants. The weakened slotted lines permit the decking tile connector22to be evenly broken off to avoid the connectors extending past the edge of the deck.

FIGS. 6 and 7depict alternate embodiments of decking tile connectors which may be used. Height adjustable pedestals30and joist-mounting pedestals32are indicated in the figures. As seen inFIG. 6, the joist-mounting pedestal32has a channel on its underside to permit placement on a joist or the like. Holes34in the pedestal32allow the pedestal to be screwed or nailed to the joist. The top of the pedestal32has flanges and Christmas tree fasteners26, like those described previously.

The adjustable pedestals30are shown inFIG. 7, one assembled and one disassembled. The pedestal30has a base36with a male threaded post38onto which a female threaded cap40is fitted. The rotation of the male cap on the female determines the height. As seen inFIG. 3the top of the female cap has a plate42with flanges44and Christmas tree fasteners46like those discussed above. These pedestals30,32can be used to support the decking tiles10and represent alternate embodiments for the installation of the decking tiles10. These alternate embodiment pedestals can be modifications or products made by Bison Screwjack, which come in a variety of heights in both the fixed and adjustable models and are constructed of polypropylene, with the added Christmas tree fasteners.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that a wide variety of embodiments for the decking tile connector22can be envisioned: only a few of which are disclosed here and for the sake of simplicity.

During installation of a deck utilizing decking tiles10, the area where the installation will take place is preferably level. Where minor discrepancies occur, the adjustable pedestals30can be used. Decking tile connectors22may then be placed on the ground of the designated deck area for installation of the decking tiles10. Decking tiles10may then be attached to the decking tile connectors22using the Christmas tree fastener26to hold the decking tile10in place. The Christmas tree fasteners26are inserted into the predrilled holes20of the decking tile10. Additional decking tile connectors22may be placed on the ground and receive additional decking tiles10. This process continues until the desired dimensions of the deck have been completed. When a joist-supported deck is contemplated, connectors32may be used.

While the most prevalent usage of the invention is likely to involve four square or rectangular tiles per interior connector, other configurations may also be used within the scope of the invention. For example, hexagonal tiles can be used with connectors having 120° pie shaped sectors to receive the tile corners, as seen inFIG. 8.