Patent Publication Number: US-2019194950-A1

Title: Surface Covering Element for Integrating an Electrically Powered Electronic Device into a Surface Covering

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention generally relates to surface covering elements to be used more particularly for covering floor surfaces, wall surfaces or ceiling surfaces in buildings. It relates more particularly to a surface covering element suitable for integrating electrically conductive circuits in such surface coverings. A preferred embodiment of the present invention concerns synthetic surface covering elements, more particularly synthetic flooring elements and, in particular, thin synthetic flooring elements. cl BACKGROUND 
     Surface covering elements are well known in the art. They basically comprise tiles (i.e. substantially equilateral rectangular elements), panels (i.e. oblong rectangular elements), bands or rolls (which have a width in the range of 8 cm to 500 cm and a length of several meters or even a few tens of meters). The thickness of these different elements is in the range of 2 mm to 20 mm. If their thickness is in the range of 1 mm to 8 mm, the surface covering elements are called hereinafter “thin” surface covering elements. They are made of synthetic polymer materials (such as PVC, polyolefins, polyesters, polyamides), of natural resins (e.g. linoleum), of rubber, of mineral material, of wood based material or a composite made from these material. They may comprise substantial amounts of different filler materials. It will further be noted that such flooring elements may consist of only one homogeneous layer, which will then have to fulfil different functions (such as a support function, a choc absorbing and/or isolating function, a decorative function, a wear resistant function), or they may be multi-layered elements comprising superposed functional layers, such as a backing layer, a decorative layer, a wear layer. They may be rigid elements, resilient elements or flexible elements. When they are used as a decorative flooring, the flooring elements often include a decorative pattern, for example abstract patterns or patterns imitating the aesthetic appearance of natural floorings such as wood or stone floorings. When they are used as an underlay flooring, a decorative pattern is of course not required. These flooring elements may be adhesively fixed to the floor, for example glued onto the floor surface to be covered or fixed by means adhesive tapes or sheets. However, if their side edges are equipped with conjugate connection profiles, such as a tongue profile (or male profile) and a groove profile (or female profile), for mechanically interlocking the flooring elements, they may also be loosely laid on the floor to be covered. 
     A problem underlying the present invention is to use such flooring elements for integrating into surface coverings electronic devices that are electrically powered by conductive circuits. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to surface covering elements for integrating at least one electronic device electrically powered by conductive circuit in a surface covering. The surface covering element comprises at least one, preferably at least two, electrically conductive strip conductors arranged within the surface covering element between its front and back surfaces and at least one recess opening into the back surface between so as to uncover the at least one electrically conductive strip conductor over a certain length. The at least one recess may comprise one or more device recesses and/or one or more connector recesses. Any device recess is preferably placed within the interior of the back face area, whereas any connector recess is preferably placed at an edge of the back face area. 
     A first aspect of the invention relates to a surface covering element (e.g. a tile, a plank, a sheet, a band, or the like) for integrating at least one electronic device, e.g. a transmitter, a transponder, a positioning system beacon, a charging point (e.g. for mobile devices), a wireless network access point, a lighting device, a sensor, a display device, etc., electrically powered by a conductive circuit in a surface covering. The surface covering element has a back surface and a front surface, a first edge and a second edge and comprises: at least one electrically conductive strip conductor arranged within the surface covering element between the back surface and the front surface; and at least one device recess opening into the back surface between the first edge and the second edge, so as to uncover the at least one electrically conductive strip conductor over a certain length. The device recess is configured and arranged to house the electronic device. 
     The surface covering element preferably further includes an electronic device housed in the device recess, this electronic device including at least one device contact that is in electrical contact with the at least one electrically conductive strip conductor arranged within the surface covering element. 
     The electronic device preferably includes: a device box having a front surface and a back surface; at least one device contact located on the front surface; a recess cover affixed to the back surface of the device box, wherein the recess cover is slightly greater than the back surface and forms an outwardly projecting rim, which is affixed in a sealed manner to a corresponding rim surface surrounding the device recess, so that the recess cover is flush with the back surface of the surface covering element. The seal formed between the device and the surface covering element is preferably liquid-tight in order to protect the electronics from water spilled on the surface covering, other liquids or humidity. 
     Preferably, the electronic device is supplied with electric energy through at least two electrically conductive strip conductors arranged side by side within the surface covering element. 
     According to embodiments, the electronic device could be an active beacon for indoor positioning, or an active sensor, such as a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a capacitive or inductive proximity sensor, or a signal transmitter or receiver. 
     A second aspect of the invention relates to a surface covering element for integrating an electronic device electrically powered by a conductive circuit in a surface covering, the surface covering element having a back surface and a front surface, a first edge and a second edge. The surface covering element comprises: at least one electrically conductive strip conductor arranged within the surface covering element between the back surface and the front surface so as to be substantially parallel to these surfaces and to extend between the first edge and the second edge to have a first end located close to the first edge and a second end located close to the second edge; and a first connector recess opening into the back surface and into the first edge, so as to uncover the first end of the at least one electrically conductive strip conductor. 
     The surface covering element according to the second inventive aspect preferably further comprises a second connector recess opening into the back surface and into the second edge, so as to uncover the second end of the at least one electrically conductive strip conductor. 
     The surface covering element according to the second inventive aspect preferably may further comprise a connector chip having a first end and a second end, wherein its first end is received in the first connector recess and its second end protrudes from the first edge (for engagement with a neighbouring surface covering element). 
     The connector chip preferably includes:
         a flat support piece, having a first end and a second end, a back surface and a front surface;   a first connector chip contact on the first end of the flat support piece, the first connector chip contact being arranged on the front surface so as to be in electrical contact with the first end of the at least one electrically conductive strip conductor arranged within the surface covering element;   a second connector chip contact on the second end of the flat support piece, the second connector chip contact being located on the front surface so as to form an upwardly directed contact surface on the second end of the connector chip near the first edge; and
 
an electrical conductor interconnecting the first connector chip contact and the second connector chip contact.
       

     The connector chip could also include a connector chip contact arranged on the first end of the connector chip so as to be electrically in contact with the first end of the at least one electrically conductive strip conductor arranged within the surface covering element; and a connection cable coming out of the second end of the connector chip, wherein it is electrically connected to the connector chip contact arranged on the first end of the connector chip. 
     According to an embodiment, the connector chip has its first end fixed by means of adhesive material within the first connector recess, so as to seal the first connector recess against penetration of liquids and humidity. 
     The connector chip mounted in the first connector recess preferably has a back surface that is flush with the back surface of the surface covering element. 
     The surface covering element according to the second inventive aspect may further include at least one device recess opening into the back surface between the first edge and the second edge, so as to uncover the at least one electrically conductive strip conductor over a certain length. It follows that the first and second inventive aspects may be cumulated. 
     The surface covering element (according to the first and/or the second inventive aspect), preferably has a thickness of less than 10 mm, more preferably of less than 8 mm, most preferably of less than 6 mm. 
     The connector and device recesses preferably have a depth in the range of 2 mm to 6 mm, more preferably in the range of 2 mm to 5 mm and most preferably in the range of 2 mm to 4 mm. 
     The connector and device recesses could have a depth that is 1 mm to 3 mm smaller than the thickness of the surface covering element. 
     The surface covering element could comprise at least two electrically conductive strip conductors arranged side by side within the surface covering element. 
     The surface covering element could be a decorative surface covering tile, a decorative surface covering panel or a decorative surface covering band. 
     Alternatively, the surface covering element could be used in an underlayer surface covering. 
     The surface covering element could be made on the basis of synthetic polymer materials or of natural resins or of rubber. 
     According to an embodiment, a surface covering element for building electrically conductive circuits in floor coverings is presented. The surface covering element has a front surface, a back surface, a length, two long edges and two short edges and comprises:
         at least one electrically conductive strip conductor arranged between the front surface and the back surface, wherein it extends over the length of the surface covering element;   at least one device recess opening into the back surface, so that it uncovers the at least one electrically conductive strip conductor over a certain length.       

     The surface covering element may further include an electronic device housed in at least one device recess, this electronic device including at least one device contact that is in electric contact with the at least one electrically conductive strip conductor arranged within the surface covering element. 
     The surface covering element could further include a connector recess opening into the back surface and into one of the short edges of the surface covering element, so as to uncover an end of the at least one electrically conductive strip conductor. 
     The surface covering element could further include a connector chip having a first end and a second end, wherein its first end is received in the first connector recess and a connection cable coming out of the second end of the connector chip. 
     The surface covering element as described anywhere above could be a floor covering element, preferably a thin floor covering element and, most preferably, a thin synthetic floor covering element. 
     An embodiment of the invention relates to a surface covering, in particular a floor covering, with active beacons for precise (indoor) positioning built with surface covering elements as described anywhere hereinabove. 
     A further embodiment of the invention relates to a set of surface covering elements for integrating an electrically conductive circuit in a surface covering. The set may comprise surface covering elements according to the first aspect and/or according to the second aspect. Preferably, the set includes surface covering elements including all or some of the features recited described hereinabove. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       The afore-described and other features, aspects and advantages of the invention will be better understood with regard to the following description of several embodiments of the invention and upon reference to the attached drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a top view schematically illustrating a tile floor covering including two electric circuits built with flooring elements; 
         FIG. 2  is a top view schematically illustrating a continuous floor covering including two electric circuits built with further embodiments of flooring elements; 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of the back surface of a flooring element; 
         FIG. 4  is a plan view as in  FIG. 3 , further showing a connector chip and an electronic device integrated into the flooring element; 
         FIG. 5  is a 3D view showing a connector chip in front of a connector recess of a flooring element; 
         FIG. 6  is a 3D view as in  FIG. 5 , showing the connector chip housed in the connector recess of the flooring element, which is shown here as a transparent body; 
         FIG. 7  is a 3D view showing an electronic device to be housed in a flooring element, wherein the view is from the front side; 
         FIG. 8  is a 3D view as in  FIG. 7 , wherein the view is from the back side; 
         FIG. 9  is a transversal section through a device recess in a flooring element, wherein an electronic device is housed in the device recess; 
         FIG. 10  is a transparent 3D view of such a device recess (viewed through the front surface of the tile) illustrating how the electronic device contacts in the device recess two electrically conductive strip conductors; and 
         FIG. 11  is a 3D view showing the back surface of two interconnected flooring panels and of a flooring element in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
     It will be understood that the following description and the drawings to which it refers describe by way of example embodiments of the invention for illustration purposes. They shall not limit the scope, nature or spirit of the claimed subject matter. 
       FIG. 1  is a top view schematically illustrating a tile floor covering composed of flooring tiles of, for example, 50 cm by 50 cm (typical side dimensions are in the range of 30 cm to 150 cm). It will be noted that the tiles could also have other shapes (e.g. a polygonal shape or a circular shape and in general any other shape as long as they can be juxtaposed to build a continuous path.) The thickness of such flooring tiles is usually in the range of 1 mm to 8 mm, preferably in the range of 2 mm to 8 mm. They are made of synthetic polymer materials (such as PVC, polyolefins, polyesters, polyamides), of natural resins (e.g. linoleum) or of rubber and may comprise different kinds of filler materials. Three types of flooring tiles are used in this floor covering. The flooring tiles  10  are classic flooring tiles, i.e. flooring tiles not including any kind of electric circuit material. The flooring tiles  12  are electricity conveying flooring tiles, which are essentially responsible for conveying electricity from one tile to the other (i.e. they include electric conductors). The flooring tiles  14  are device flooring tiles including, in addition to the electric conductors of the electricity conveying flooring tiles  12 , an electronic device  16 , as for example an active beacon for indoor positioning or for positioning in an outdoor environment equipped with the tile flooring. The upper row of flooring tiles comprises for example a first device flooring tile  14  connected by means of an electricity conveying flooring tile  12  to a second device flooring tile  14 , which is connected to a second electricity conveying flooring tile  12 . 
       FIG. 2  is a top view schematically illustrating a floor covering comprising two bands  18 ,  20  composed of flooring elements, which are integrated into an otherwise continuous flooring  22 , but could also be incorporated into a tile or panel flooring. The band  18  is more precisely composed of four flooring panels, wherein the first and the third flooring panels are device flooring panels  24 , similar to the device flooring tiles  14 , the second flooring panel is an electricity conveying flooring panel  26 , similar to the electricity conveying flooring tiles  12 , and the fourth flooring panel is a classic flooring panel  28 , i.e. a flooring panel not including any kind of electric circuit material. The band  20  includes two electronic devices  16 , but there is of course no limitation as regards the number of electronic devices  16 . The band  20  preferably consists of a thin synthetic flooring band, normally having a width in the range of 8 cm to 50 cm and a length of several meters (in some cases even a few tens of meters). 
     The basic structure of a device flooring tile  14  or a device flooring panel  24  will now be described with reference to  FIG. 3 . This flooring element  14  has a back surface  30  (which is seen in the figure) and a front surface (which is not seen in the figure), a first edge  32 , a second edge  34 , a third edge  36  and a fourth edge  38 . Two electrically conductive strip conductors  40 ′,  40 ″ are arranged within the flooring element  14 ,  24  between the back surface and the front surface. They are substantially parallel to these surfaces and extend between the first edge  32  and the second edge  34 , wherein each of the strip conductors  40 ′,  40 ″ has a first end  42 ′,  42 ″ located close to the first edge  32  and a second end  44 ′,  44 ″ located close to the second edge  34 . In a preferred embodiment, these electrically conductive strip conductors  40 ′,  40 ″ are thin copper strips. The electrically conductive strip conductors  40 ′,  40 ″ normally have a thickness in the range of 0.01 mm to 0.5 mm and a width in the range of 5 mm to 15 mm, and are preferably spaced by a distance in the range of 2 mm to 6 mm. The electrically conductive strip conductors may also be or comprise printed conductors (obtained by printing a conductive ink). The thickness of such conductors could, e.g., be comprised in the range from 1 μm to 100 μm. 
     A first connector recess  46  opens into the back surface  30  and the first edge  32 , so as to uncover the first ends  42 ′,  42 ″ of the two electrically conductive strip conductors  40 ′,  40 ″ and to provide a substantially rectangular embayment in the first edge  32 . A second connector recess  48  opens into the back surface  30  and the second edge  34 , so as to uncover the second ends  44 ′,  44 ″ of the two electrically conductive strip conductors  40 ′,  40 ″ and to provide a substantially rectangular embayment in the second edge  34 . A central device recess  50  opens into the back surface substantially in the centre of the flooring tile  14 , so as to uncover the two electrically conductive strip conductors  40 ′,  40 ″ over a certain length. The recesses  46 ,  48 ,  50  are essentially invisible from the top side (front surface) of the device flooring panel. 
       FIG. 4  shows the same flooring element  14  as  FIG. 3 , wherein a connector chip  52  is mounted in the first connector recess  46  and the electronic device  16  is mounted into the central device recess  50 . 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrate the connector chip  52  in greater detail. It comprises a flat chip-like support piece  54 , having a substantially rectangular form (preferably with rounded corners) with a first end  56  and a second end  58 , a back surface  60  and a front surface  62 . Both ends  56  and  58  are designed to provide a positive fit with a connector recess  46 ,  48 . On the first end  52  of the flat support piece  54 , two first connector chip contacts  64 ′,  64 ″ are arranged on the front surface  62 , so as to be in electrical contact with the first ends of the two electrically conductive strip conductors  40 ′,  40 ″ arranged within the flooring element  14 , when the first end of the connector chip  52  is received in the first connector recess  46  (see  FIG. 6 ). On the second end  58  of the flat support piece  54 , which protrudes from the first edge  32  when the first end of the connector chip  52  is received in the first connector recess  46  (see  FIG. 6 ), two second connector chip contacts  66 ′,  66 ″ are located on the front surface  62  so as to form two upwardly directed contact surfaces on the protruding end of the connector chip  50  near the first edge  32 . Electrical conductors  68 ′,  68 ″, which are advantageously embedded in the chip-like support piece  54 , interconnect the first connector chip contacts  64 ′,  64 ″ and the second connector chip contacts  66 ′,  66 ″. The front surface  62  of the connector chip  52  is, with the exception of the first and second connector chip contacts  64 ′,  64 ″,  66 ′,  66 ″, advantageously provided with an adhesive material that allows fixing the connector chip  52  in the corresponding connector recesses  46 ,  48  and sealing these recesses against penetration of liquids and humidity. When the connector chip  52  is mounted in the connector recess  46 , it has its back surface  60  flush with the back surface  30  of the flooring element  14 . 
     It will be noted that each of the connector and device recesses  46 ,  48 ,  50  has a depth in the range of 2 mm to 6 mm, preferably in the range of 2 mm to 5 mm and most preferably in the range of 2 mm to 4 mm. In general, the connector and device recesses have a depth that is 1 mm to 3 mm smaller than the thickness of the flooring element (see in particular  FIG. 9 ). This also means that in the flooring element  14 , the electrically conductive strip conductors  40 ′,  40 ″ are spaced 2 mm to 6 mm from the back surface  30  of the flooring element  14  and 1 mm to 3 mm from the front surface of the flooring element  14 . 
       FIGS. 7 to 10  illustrate an electronic device  16  to be fitted into the central device recess  50 . This electronic device  16  advantageously includes a watertight device box  70  having a front surface  72  and an opposite back surface (see  FIG. 7 ). Two electrical device contacts  74 ′,  74 ″ are located on the front surface  72  of the device box  70 . As seen in  FIG. 10 , these two device contact  74 ′,  74 ″ contact the electrically conductive strip conductors  40 ′,  40 ″ when the electronic device  16  is fitted into the central device recess  50 . A recess cover  76  is affixed to the back surface of the device box  70 , wherein the recess cover  76  is slightly greater than this back surface and forms an outwardly projecting rim  78 . This rim  78  is affixed in a sealed manner to a corresponding rim surface  80  surrounding the device recess  50 , so that the recess cover  76  is flush with the back surface  30  of the flooring element  14  (see in particular  FIG. 9 ). 
       FIG. 11  shows the back surfaces of two interconnected flooring panels  24  and  26 , as well as the back surface of a band-shaped flooring element  20  with one electronic device  16  integrated therein. (Such a band-shaped flooring element  20  may of course include n (&gt;1) electronic devices  16 , which are spaced along its length.) Reference number  82  globally identifies a connector chip that may be used at the periphery of the floor covering for connecting the electric circuit integrated in the flooring elements to an external electric circuit (as e.g. an electric power supply). The connector chip  82  has a first end  86  and a second end  88 , wherein its first end  86  is designed as the first end of the connector chip  52 , to be received in the connector recess  46 . A connection cable  90  comes out of the second end  88  of the connector chip  82 . 
     It will be appreciated that the proposed flooring elements can be advantageously used for integrating electrically conductive circuits in a floor covering and, in particular, in a thin floor covering. They allow in particular to build a floor covering with active beacon for indoor positioning. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Reference signs list 
               
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 10  
                 classic flooring tiles  
               
               
                   
                 12  
                 electricity conveying flooring tile  
               
               
                   
                 14  
                 device flooring tile  
               
               
                   
                 16  
                 electronic device in 14  
               
               
                   
                 18  
                 band of flooring elements  
               
               
                   
                 20  
                 band of flooring elements  
               
               
                   
                 22  
                 continuous flooring  
               
               
                   
                 24  
                 device flooring panel  
               
               
                   
                 26  
                 electricity conveying flooring panel  
               
               
                   
                 28  
                   
               
               
                   
                 30  
                 back surface of 14  
               
               
                   
                 32  
                 first edge of 14  
               
               
                   
                 34  
                 second edge of 14  
               
               
                   
                 36  
                 third edge of 14  
               
               
                   
                 38  
                 fourth edge of 14  
               
               
                   
                 40′,  
                 electrically conductive strip  
               
               
                   
                 40″  
                 conductors  
               
               
                   
                 42′,  
                 first end of 40′, 40″  
               
               
                   
                 42″  
                   
               
               
                   
                 44′, 
                 second end of 40′, 40″  
               
               
                   
                 44″  
                   
               
               
                   
                 46  
                 first connector recess  
               
               
                   
                 48  
                 second connector recess  
               
               
                   
                 50 
                 central device recess  
               
               
                   
                 52  
                 connector chip  
               
               
                   
                 54  
                 flat chip-like support piece  
               
               
                   
                 56  
                 first end of 54  
               
               
                   
                 58  
                 second end of 54  
               
               
                   
                 60 
                 back surface of 54  
               
               
                   
                 62  
                 front surface of 54  
               
               
                   
                 64′, 
                 first connector chip contacts  
               
               
                   
                 64″  
                   
               
               
                   
                 66′,  
                 second connector chip  
               
               
                   
                 66″ 
                 contacts  
               
               
                   
                 68′,  
                 electrical conductors  
               
               
                   
                 68″  
                   
               
               
                   
                 70  
                 device box  
               
               
                   
                 72  
                 front surface of 70  
               
               
                   
                 74′, 
                 electrical device contacts  
               
               
                   
                 74″  
                   
               
               
                   
                 76  
                 recess cover  
               
               
                   
                 78  
                 outwardly projecting rim  
               
               
                   
                 80  
                 corresponding rim surface  
               
               
                   
                 82  
                 connector chip  
               
               
                   
                 86  
                 first end of 82  
               
               
                   
                 88  
                 second end of 82  
               
               
                   
                 90  
                 connection cable