TRAY-FLOORS

Abstract: A system of parquet flooring or flooring or wall covering utilising moulded frames (1) with shaped edges (2, 3, 4) to allow any form of floor or wall covering to be attached to the frames (1) and secured thereto, and with interlocking edges (2, 3, 4) to allow each frame and floor or wall covering to interlock with the surrounding frames and floor or wall covering to produce one complete unit, the base of each frame being covered with adhesive (5) which, when moistened, will secure the frames and floor or wall coverings to a foam underlay.

Description: This invention relates to the preparation and laying of parquet flooring and any other floor surface in tile form. Normal parquet flooring or tile covering has until now had to be stuck down or even nailed to a sub-floor, which can prove both time consuming and messy. It has previously been proposed in EP-A-O 044 371 to provide tiles wherein pieces of floor covering are mounted on interlocking plastic plates supported on a large plurality of arches in order to allow free flow and drainage of moisture between the floor covering and the sub-floor and to prevent water penetrating through the floor covering to the sub-floor, to prevent damage to the sub-floor resulting from damp. With such an arrangement however the floor covering pieces have to be secured to plastic plates which is somewhat difficult and thus results in more complex manufacture and/or installation of the floor covering. Also there remains the problem of noise arising from walking on the floor where a parquet type floor covering is used. It is an object of the present invention to avoid or minimise one or more of the above disadvantages. According to the present invention there is provided a flooring tile comprising a frame having shaped side edges with interlocking elements of opposite gender, said frame having an upper face and a lower face, and holding on said upper face floor covering material, said interlocking elements being formed and arranged for interlocking of adjacent opposite gender side edges of adjacent tiles characterised in that said frame is provided with a plurality of apertures extending between said upper and lower faces, and said floor covering material is adhesively secured to a cushioning foam underlay disposed on said lower face, through said apertures. The flooring tiles of the present invention allow parquet and other floor coverings to be laid more quickly and conveniently then conventional parquet flooring or other floor covering without the need for nails or spreading adhesive over the sub-floor to be covered. Preferably the frame is of plastic and desirably has shaped edges for holding wood, vinyl, cork or any other hard floor covering material. Desirably said floor covering material is a wooden parquet flooring covering. In use each frame interlocks with adjacent frames with their floor covering in close interabutment to form a unitary floor covering. Conveniently the underside of the frame and covering are coated with adhesive and the foam underlay moistened to soften the adhesive. The adhesive acts to stick the underside of the floor covering to the foam layer thereby securing the components of the tile together with the frame held between the floor covering and the foam layer. The frame, preferably of plastic, generally has two male side edges and two female side edges which are diametrically opposed to allow them to interlock with opposite gender side edges of adjacent side edges. One exception to this is when a herring bone pattern is required in which case the elongate frame has different side edges as described below, the longitudinal sides being of opposite gender in the normal way. Further preferred features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description given by way of example of some preferred embodiments illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of the frame of a first tile of the invention; Figs. 2 and 3 are longitudinal and transverse sections of the frame of Fig. 1; Figs 4 to 6 are detail views on an enlarged scale of the side edge portions of Figs 2 and 3; and Fig. 7 is a plan view of the frame of a second embodiment, Fig. 1 shows a rectangular frame 1 of plastic having longer and shorter opposite side edges 2, 3 with interlocking elements 4, 5 of opposite gender. More particularly one longer side 2' has a female element 4 and the other 2" a male element 5 as shown in more detail in Figs 6 and 4 respectively. One of the shorter sides 3' also has a male element 5 but the other 3" has a modified male element 5' with a female groove 5 a as shown in Fig. 5 also interengagable with a normal male element 5. This arrangement allows interlocking of tiles in a herring-bone pattern. The frame 1 has an upper face 6 and a lower face 7 with a plurality of relatively large diameter glue apertures 8 extending between the upper and lower faces 6, 7. Floor covering material 9 (shown schematically in Fig. 2 is disposed on the upper face 6 and is adhesively secured 10 to a cushioning foam underlay 11 (shown schematically in Fig. 2 and 3), through the apertures 8. In use of the tiles the lower portions 5 b of either of the male elements 5,5' may be seen to be engagable with generally 'C'-shaped grooves 4 a in the female elements 4 in snap-fit manner to provide a secure and positive interlocking. Where required by the herring-bone pattern tile arrangement partly female male elements 5' can closely interabut normal male elements 5. In Fig. 7 like parts corresponding to those in Figs 1 to 6 are indicated by like reference numbers. Fig. 7 shows a square frame 1 with pairs of adjoining side edges 2', 3' and 2", 3" having interlocking elements of the same gender 4 and 5, respectively. An array of glue apertures 8 extends across substantially the whole area of the frame 1 between its opposite side edges 2, 3, and the apertures 8 have an area which is a substantial fraction of the area of the frame 1.

Claims: A flooring tile comprising a frame (1) having shaped side edges (2, 3) with interlocking elements (4, 5) of opposite gender, said frame (1) having an upper face (6) and a lower face (7), and holding on said upper face (6), floor covering material (9), said interlocking elements (4, 5) being formed and arranged for interlocking of adjacent opposite gender side edges (2, 3) of adjacent tiles, characterised in that said frame (1) is provided with a plurality of apertures (8) extending between said upper and lower faces (6, 7), and said floor covering material is adhesively secured (10) to a cushioning foam underlay (11) disposed on said lower face, through said apertures. A tile as claimed in claim 1 wherein said frame (1) is of a plastics material. A tile as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said tile is rectangular. A tile as claimed in claim 3 which tile is square. A tile as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4 wherein pairs of adjoining side edges (2, 3) of said frame (1) have interlocking elements of the same gender. A tile as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said frame is provided with an array (9) of spaced apart discrete apertures (8) extending across substantially the whole area of said frame (1) between its opposite side edges (2, 3). A tile as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein said apertures (8) have an area which is a substantial fraction of the area of the frame (1). A tile as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein said floor covering material (9) is of wood, cork or vinyl, and the interlocking elements (4, 5) are formed and arranged for interlocking of adjacent opposite gender side edges (2, 3) of adjacent tiles with their floor covering in close interabutment. A tile as claimed in claim 8 wherein said floor covering material is a wooden parquet flooring covering. A tile as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein are provided shaped edges with elements (12) formed and arranged to allow securing of said floor covering material (9) on the upper face (6) of the frame (1).

Inventors: LONIE, WILLIAM ALAN
Applicants: LONIE, WILLIAM ALAN
Application year: 1986
Main classification: E04F15
IPC codes: E04F21, E04F13, E04F15