Abstract:
A cushion block for using in a build-up surface formed by strips is disclosed to have two male coupling devices at one end, two female coupling devices at an opposite end corresponding to the male coupling devices, a retaining device protruded from one side thereof and adapted to secure the strip to the corresponding side of the cushion block, and a deformable body connected between the male coupling devices and the female coupling device. The male and female coupling devices are so made such that multiple cushion blocks are connectable in a line in a linking direction by engaging the male coupling devices of one cushion block into the female coupling devices of another. The deformable body is deformable in the linking direction to compensate expansion of the strips due to absorption of moisture.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates generally to construction materials for upholstery and, more specifically, to a kind of cushion blocks for use in setting a build-up surface, such as wooden flooring, wooden wall or wooden ceiling.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    Build-up wooden flooring is commonly seen in upholstery. When paving a build-up wooden flooring, wooden strips coupled to one another by engaging the coupling flange of one wooden strip into the coupling groove of another wooden strip and then the flooring board thus obtained is fastened to the floor wall or wooden racks at the floor wall by iron nails. This wooden flooring paving procedure is complicated and time-consuming. Further, the nailing work requires a special technique. Only an experienced person can do the job well. Because wooden strips are fixedly fastened to the floor wall or wooden racks by iron nails and abutted against one another, they cannot expand freely. Therefore, the wooden strips tend to curve upwards or to break when absorbed a certain amount of moisture from the air. Recently, bamboo strips are popularly invited for flooring. However, bamboo strips have relatively higher absorptive power than wooden strips. The curving or breaking problem due to absorption of moisture will occur more easily in bamboo strips.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    It is one object of the present invention to provide a cushion block for a build-up flooring, wall, ceiling and the like which is easy to install without special techniques and, saves much flooring cost.  
           [0006]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a cushion block for a build-up flooring, wall, ceiling and the like which compensates the expansion of wooden strips due to absorption of moisture.  
           [0007]    To achieve these objects of the present invention, the cushion block comprises a first coupling device at one end thereof, a second coupling device at an opposite end thereof corresponding to the first coupling device, the first coupling device and the second coupling device being made such that multiple cushion blocks are connectable in a line in a linking direction by engaging the first coupling device of one cushion block into the second coupling device of another cushion block, a retaining device protruded from one side thereof and adapted to secure strips to the corresponding side of the cushion block, and a deformable body connected between the first coupling device and the second coupling device and deformable in the linking direction to compensate expansion of strips due to absorption of moisture. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cushion block according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is a top plain view of the cushion block according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line  3 - 3  of FIG. 2.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 4 illustrates the connection of multiple cushion blocks according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is an applied view of the present invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 6 is side view in section in an enlarged scale of FIG. 5.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]    Referring to FIG. 1, a cushion block  10  is a flat rectangular block molded from synthetic resin (for example, polyacrylic resin or polyethylene resin) in integrity, having a base  20  disposed at one end, two male coupling devices  40  arranged in parallel at the other end, a deformable body  30  connected between the base  20  and the male coupling devices  40 , two female coupling devices  50  arranged in parallel in an outer side of the base  20  remote from the deformable body  30 , a retaining device  60  located on the top side of the base  20  and spaced between the deformable body  30  and the female coupling devices  50 , and two pairs of springy supporting devices  70  located on the top side of the base  20  and symmetrically disposed at two sides of the retaining device  60 .  
         [0015]    The retaining device  60  projects upwards from the top side of the base  20 . Except the retaining device  60 , the top sides of the other parts of the cushion block  10  are maintained in flush (the springy supporting devices  70  are normally disposed in a sloping position partially protruding over the top side of the base  20 , however they become in flush with the top side of the base  20  when forced downwards).  
         [0016]    According to the present preferred embodiment, the thickness of the cushion block  10  is about 1 cm (the height of the protruding retaining device  60  excluded). The length of the cushion block  10  (i.e., the length front the outer end of the male coupling device  40  to the outer end of the female coupling devices  50 ) is about 10 cm. The width of the cushion block  10  is about 7 cm. For easy understanding of the present invention, the direction passing through the male coupling devices  40  and the female coupling devices  50  is defined as “linking direction”.  
         [0017]    The base  20  is shaped like a flat rectangular block. The deformable body  30  extends outwards from one vertical peripheral side of the base  20  to the male coupling devices  40  opposite to the female coupling devices  50 , and is formed of a latticed grid having rhombic meshes  31  in it. Each rhombic mesh  31  has two opposite acute angles aligned in the linking direction, and two opposite obtuse angles aligned in direction across the linking direction. Further, Each acute angle of each rhombic mesh  31  forms a substantially C-shaped arched portion  32  having the open side facing the inside of the respective rhombic mesh  31 . Because of the latticed grid structural design, the deformable body  30  can be compressed and stretched in the linking direction. Further, the deformable body  30  does not wear easily with use because it is molded from synthetic resin.  
         [0018]    The male coupling devices  40  are respectively outwardly extended from one side of the deformable body  30  remote from the base  20 , each having three vertical positioning ribs  41  symmetrically disposed at two sides, a vertical through hole  42 , and a retaining notch  43  disposed at an outer side at a lower elevation than the top side of the cushion block  10 .  
         [0019]    The female coupling devices  50  are recessed coupling devices formed in the side of the base  20  and extended to one vertical peripheral side of the base  20  opposite to the deformable body  30  and adapted to accommodate the male coupling devices  40  respectively, each having four vertical positioning grooves  51  symmetrically disposed at two sides, and an upright springy hook  52  adapted to engage the retaining notches  43  of the male coupling devices  40 .  
         [0020]    The retaining device  60  is an elongated retaining bar raised from the top side of the base  20  and extending across the linking direction between two opposite vertical peripheral sides of the base  20 . The cross section of the retaining device  60  is a T-shaped cross section, i.e., the retaining device  60  has an elongated top flange  62 , defining two elongated coupling grooves  61  at two sides below the top flange  62 .  
         [0021]    The bottom side of the base  20  is a hollow structure (see FIG. 3). Two springy tongues  72  are formed of a part of the top wall of the base  20  by making two substantially U-shaped crevices  71  in the top wall of the base  20  at two sides of the retaining device  60 . The top side of each springy tongue  72  obliquely upwardly extends from the fixed end toward the free end (see FIG. 3). The crevices  71  and the springy tongues  72  form the aforesaid springy supporting devices  70 .  
         [0022]    Referring to FIG. 4, by means of fastening the male coupling devices  40  of one cushion block  10  to the female coupling devices  50  of another, a plurality of cushion blocks  10  are connected in a series, forming an elongated rack  80  for supporting wooden strips. When fastening the male coupling devices  40  of one cushion block  10  to the female coupling devices  50  of another, the three vertical positioning ribs  41  at one side of each male coupling device  40  can selectively be forced into engagement with the front three or rear three of the corresponding four vertical positioning grooves  51  of the matching female coupling device  50 . Therefore, each two cushion blocks  10  can be alternatively connected between two sizes. After insertion of the respective male coupling devices  40  into the respective female coupling devices  50 , the upright springy hooks  52  of the respective female coupling devices  50  are respectively hooked in the retaining notches  43  of the respective male coupling devices  40 .  
         [0023]    Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, multiple cushion blocks  10  are used with multiple wooden strips  90  to make a wooden flooring. The wooden trips  90  are rectangular strips, each having a longitudinal coupling tongue  91  and a longitudinal coupling groove  92  respectively extended along the two opposite long sides, two longitudinal. locating grooves  93  respectively extended along the two opposite long sides below the longitudinal coupling tongue  91  and the longitudinal coupling groove  92 , and two longitudinal locating flanges  94  longitudinally disposed in the two opposite long sides below the longitudinal locating grooves  93 . The length of each wooden strip  90  is about 1 meter. The maximum width (including the width of the longitudinal coupling tongue  91 ) of each wooden strip  90  is about 10 cm corresponding to the length of each cushion block  10 . The thickness of each wooden strip  90  is about 1.5 cm.  
         [0024]    When paving the desired down flooring, arrange multiple cushion blocks.  10  into parallel racks  80  at a pitch corresponding to the length of the wooden strips  90 , and then mount the wooden strips  90  on each two adjacent racks  80 , enabling the two ends of the major axis of each wooden strip  90  to be supported on one half of the area of the top side of a respective cushion block  10  between the retaining devices  60  of two symmetrical pairs of cushion blocks  10 . When set into position, the longitudinal coupling tongue  91  of one wooden strip  90  is engaged into the longitudinal coupling groove  92  of another, and the longitudinal locating grooves  93  and longitudinal locating flanges  94  of the wooden strips  90  are respectively forced into engagement with the elongated top flange  62  and elongated coupling grooves  61  of the retaining devices  60  of the cushion blocks  10 . Because the cushion blocks  10  are deformable in the linking direction, inserting one wooden strip  90  in between the retaining devices  60  of two cushion blocks  10  causes the two cushion blocks  10  to be reversely expanded outwards in the linking direction for enabling the respective wooden strip  90  to be set into position. When the respective wooden strip  90  set into position, the respective cushion blocks  10  return to their former shape, thereby causing the retaining devices  60  of the respective two cushion blocks  10  to hold down the respective wooden strip  90 . Normally, the springy supporting devices  70  of each cushion block  10  have the respective top side partially protruding over the top side of the respective cushion block  10 . When the wooden strips  90  pressed on the top side of the cushion blocks  10  are set in position, the springy supporting devices  70  impart an upward pressure to the wooden strips  90 , thereby causing the longitudinal locating flanges  94  to be positively stopped against the elongated top flanges  62  of the retaining devices  60  at the bottom side, preventing vibration of the wooden strips  90 .  
         [0025]    The length and width of the desired wooden flooring may not able be divided by the length and width of the wooden strips  90 . In this case, the wooden strips  90  for the border area may have to be cut to a particular size. During wooden flooring paving work, the two cushion blocks  10  at the ends of each rack  80  may be cut (for example, along the bottom side of the respective retaining device  60 ) subject to the cutting status of the bordering wooden strips  90 . When abutting one short side of each wooden strip  90  against the wall of the room, the corresponding racks  80  are arranged with one corresponding long side abutted against the wall of the room, thus the corresponding wooden strips  90  can wholly be supported on the corresponding racks  80  without cutting.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 5 shows simply one wooden flooring paving example according to the present invention. According to this wooden flooring paving example, the wooden strips  90  are longitudinally and transversely aligned. Alternatively, the wooden strips  90  can so arranged that the respective long sides are aligned, and the respective short sides are staggered. Other paving methods as used in the bonding of bricks may be employed. For example, the pitch between two racks  80  can be one half of the length of the wooden strips  90 , i.e., three racks  80  are arranged in parallel to support the ends and middle part of the respective wooden strips  90 .  
         [0027]    The aforesaid example explains the paving of a wooden flooring. However, the invention can also be used in paving any type of the build-up surface, such as bamboo flooring, wooden ceiling, wooden wall panel, etc. When a wooden flooring or wooden ceiling is constructed according to the present invention, elongated open spaces are left in the wooden flooring or wooden ceiling between the wooden strips and the floor or wall surface and between each two adjacent racks for electric wiring.