Patent Publication Number: US-2004055243-A1

Title: Knockdown aluminum-made floorboard

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001] The present invention is related to a knockdown aluminum-made floorboard. Two opposite sides of the floorboard are respectively formed with insertion structures for fixedly engaging with the insertion structure of an adjacent floorboard.  
       [0002]FIG. 7 shows a conventional knockdown wooden floorboard. Two sides of the floorboard  5  are respectively formed with lengthwise extending tenon  51  and mortise  52 . By means of inserting the tenon  51  into the mortise  52 , the adjacent floorboards  5  can be sequentially assembled into a predetermined area.  
       [0003] However, the tenon  51  can be simply inserted into the mortise  52  without being fixed. Moreover, the wooden floorboard  5  contains water so that the tenon  51  and mortise  52  tend to deform. As a result, it will be impossible to snugly insert the tenon  51  into the mortise  52 . Therefore, when working on the wooden floorboard  5 , nails  6  or an adhesive is often used to help in connecting the wooden floorboards  5  with one another. This leads to inconvenience in working and the adhesive will result in contamination of the environment. Furthermore, the wooden floorboard  5  lacks fireproof effect.  
       [0004] In order to achieve fireproof effect, the floorboard can be made of aluminum. The aluminum floorboards are generally fixed by screws. This is similar to the measure used in fixing an aluminum window frame  7  as shown in FIG. 8. However, such fixing measure results in inconvenience during working. Also, the exposed screws will ruin the appearance of the floorboard. Therefore, it is necessary to provide an aluminum floorboard, which can be more conveniently and firmly fixed and assembled.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005] It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a knockdown aluminum-made floorboard, which is integrally formed by way of aluminum extrusion. The aluminum-made floorboard has a hollow main body. Two opposite sides of the main body are respectively formed with a projecting plate and two wing plates horizontally extending in lengthwise direction. A front end of the projecting plate is formed with projections. The two wing plates define a receptacle having a front opening. The opposite inner sides of the front opening are respectively formed with two stop sections. When assembled, the projecting plate of one floorboard is inserted into the receptacle between two wing plates of another adjacent floorboard. The projections of the projecting plate are engaged with the stop sections of the two wing plates, whereby the adjacent floorboards are fixedly connected.  
       [0006] It is a further object of the present invention to provide the above floorboard in which two sides of the top of the floorboard are respectively formed with outward extending extension boards. The extension boards serve to prevent the projecting plate and wing plates from being exposed to outer side. In addition, the extension boards are adjacent to the extension boards of the adjacent floorboard so as to minimize the seam between the floorboards and beautify the appearance thereof.  
       [0007] It is still a further object of the present invention to provide the above floorboard, which is made of aluminum material so as to have fireproof effect.  
       [0008] It is still a further object of the present invention to provide the above floorboard in which a facial layer is sprayed on the surface of the top board of the floorboard. The facial layer can have wooden stripes to achieve an appearance as a wooden floorboard.  
       [0009] The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings wherein: 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0010]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention;  
     [0011]FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention;  
     [0012]FIG. 3 is a side view of the present invention, showing that the projecting plate is inserted into the opening of two wing plates of an adjacent floorboard;  
     [0013]FIG. 4 is a side view of the present invention, showing that the guide slopes of the projecting plate stretch open the wing plates of the adjacent floorboard;  
     [0014]FIG. 5 is a side view of the present invention, showing that the projecting plate is fixedly inserted in the receptacle of two wing plates of the adjacent floorboard;  
     [0015]FIG. 6 shows that multiple floorboards of the present invention are assembled;  
     [0016]FIG. 7 shows that the conventional wooden floorboards are fixed by nails; and  
     [0017]FIG. 8 shows that the conventional aluminum window frame is fixed by screws. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     [0018] Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2. The knockdown aluminum floorboard of the present invention is integrally formed by way of aluminum extrusion. The aluminum floorboard has a hollow main body  1  including a top board  11  and a bottom board  12 . A facial layer  2  is sprayed on the surface of the top board  11 . Two lengthwise sides of the bottom board  12  are respectively formed with two side walls  13  upward extending to the top board  11 . Two sides of the top board  11  connecting with the side walls  13  respectively further have two outward horizontally extending extension boards  111 . Several reinforcing ribs  14  are disposed between the side walls  13 . The reinforcing ribs  14  are perpendicularly connected between the top board  11  and bottom board  12  of the main body  1 . The middle section of one side wall  13  of the main body  1  has a projecting plate  15  extending in lengthwise direction. The middle section of the other side wall  13  has two wing plates  16  extending in lengthwise direction. The projecting plate  15  and wing plates  16  oppositely horizontally outward protrude from the side walls  13 .  
     [0019] The front end of the projecting plate  15  is formed with two projections  151  which respectively upward and downward project. The two projections  151  via two forward obliquely extending guide slopes  152  adjoin with each other.  
     [0020] The two wing plates  16  define a receptacle  162  therebetween and the receptacle  162  has a front opening  161  between two free ends of the two wing plates  16 . The opposite inner sides of the front opening  161  are respectively formed with two stop sections  163 . Each stop section  163  has a dent  164  adapted to the projection  151  of the projecting plate  15 .  
     [0021] Referring to FIGS.  3  to  6 , when assembling the present invention, the projecting plate  15  of the floorboard is inserted into the receptacle  162  between two wing plates  16  of an adjacent floorboard. The guide slopes  152  of front end of the projecting plate  15  are inlaid in the opening  161  of the receptacle  162  to stretch open the opening  161 . Therefore, the projections  151  of the projecting plate  15  are engaged with the stop sections  163  of the two wing plates  16  and locked in the dents  164 . Accordingly, the adjacent floorboards are fixedly connected with each other and multiple floorboards can be sequentially assembled into a predetermined area.  
     [0022] The projecting plate  15  of the floorboard is inserted into the receptacle  162  between two wing plates  16  of the adjacent floorboard. Therefore, it is unnecessary to additionally use nails or an adhesive to fix the adjacent floorboards. This makes it convenient to assemble the floorboards. Moreover, the floorboard is made of aluminum by extrusion so that the manufacturing procedure is simplified and the projecting plate  15  and the wing plates  16  are not subject to deformation. Accordingly, the floorboards can be easily and firmly assembled.  
     [0023] Furthermore, the outward extending extension boards  111  of two sides of the top board  11  serve to prevent the projecting plate  15  and wing plates  16  from being exposed to outer side. In addition, the extension boards  111  correspond to the extension boards  111  of the adjacent floorboard so as to minimize the seam between the floorboards. Therefore, after assembled, the floor has better appearance. The facial layer  2  sprayed on the surface of the top board  11  of the floorboard can have wooden stripes to achieve an appearance as wooden floorboard.  
     [0024] Besides, the aluminum-made floorboard has fireproof effect.  
     [0025] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, not intended to limit the scope thereof. Many modifications of the above embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.