Patent Publication Number: US-2005120651-A1

Title: Clamping device for combined floors

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to a clamping device, and more particularly to a clamping device for combined floors.  
      2. Description of Related Art  
      The most popular ways to decorate a floor are to lay a carpet, to cover the floor with plastic bricks, or to use a combined floor. However, the carpet is hard to keep clean and the plastic bricks are easily worn and torn. Consequently, to cover the floor with a combined floor is the most popular way to decorate the floor, and the combined floor is usually wooden.  
      To lay the conventional wooden bricks on the original floor, it is necessary to nail a base member on the original floor and the combined floor is glued on the base member. Such a construction takes a lot of time and lacks effect. Furthermore, the conventional base member provides no space to absorb any change of the combined floor arising because the combined floor expands when hot and shortens when cold.  
      The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the disadvantages of the conventional clamping device for combined floors.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The main objective of the present invention is to provide an improved clamping device for combined floors that has a better connection.  
      To achieve the objective, the combined floors includes multiple wooden bricks each having a first long side, a second long side parallel to the first long side, a first short side and a second short side respectively connecting two opposite ends of the first long side and the second long side. An L-shaped protrusion laterally extends from the first long side and the first short side of the brick and an L-shaped groove is laterally defined in the second long side and the second short side of the brick for partially receiving the L-shaped protrusion of two adjacent bricks. A first groove is defined laterally defined in the second long side of the brick under the L-shaped groove and a second groove is laterally defined in the first long side of the brick under the L-shaped protrusion. A first slot and a second slot are respectively defined in a bottom of the brick, wherein the first slot corresponds to the second long side of the brick and the second slot corresponds to the first long side of the brick.  
      The clamping device includes multiple clamping seats each made of plastic material and having a rectangular shape. The clamping seat includes a protrusion with a T-shaped cross-section upwardly extending therefrom. The protrusion has two opposite topsides respectively received in the first groove and the second groove of two adjacent bricks. A first rib and a second rib respectively extend from a top of the clamping seat and correspond to the two opposite topsides of the protrusion. A guider longitudinally extends from a first end of the clamping seat corresponding to the second rib. The guider has two side plates longitudinally connected to the clamping seat and a connecting plate connected to two free ends of the two side plates. A stub extends from the connecting plate toward the clamping seat. A wing laterally extends from the stub and connected to a corresponding one of the two side plates of the guider. A receiving space is defined in a second end of the clamping seat for longitudinally receiving the guider of the adjacent clamping seat. Two parallel sidewalls and a plate upwardly extend from a bottom of the receiving space to define the receiving space. An indentation is defined in a top of each of the sidewalls and the plate includes two opposite sides each having a guiding groove defined therein and corresponding to the two side plates of the guider so that the two side plates of the guider of the adjacent clamping seat can be slidably received in the two guiding groove. A cylinder inwardly extends from the plate for receiving the stub of the adjacent clamping seat. A spring is compressively received in the cylinder and the stub of the adjacent clamping seat compresses the spring to enhance the connection between the two adjacent clamping devices due to the restitution force of the spring. A gap is laterally defined in the cylinder and corresponds to the wing so that the wing is slidably received in the gap of the adjacent clamping seat to enhance the connection between the two adjacent clamping devices.  
      Multiple lateral rods each is straddled two parallel clamping seats. The lateral rod includes two opposite ends each having a hook longitudinally extending therefrom. The two hooks are respectively engaged to the indentation of a corresponding one of the two parallel clamping seats to assure parallel relation between the two parallel clamping seats.  
      Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of two clamping devices for combined floors laterally connected to each other in accordance with the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the clamping device in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the clamping device of the present invention and a wooden brick of the combined floor;  
       FIG. 4  is a top plan view of the clamping device of the present invention;  
       FIG. 5  is a side plan view of the clamping device in  FIG. 4 ;  
       FIG. 6  is a side cross-sectional view of the clamping device in  FIG. 4  along line  6 - 6 ;  
       FIG. 7  is a front cross-sectional view of the clamping device in  FIG. 4  along line  7 - 7 ;  
       FIG. 8  is a front cross-sectional view of two clamping devices of the present invention before being engaged to each other;  
       FIG. 9  is a front cross-sectional view of two clamping devices of the present invention after being engaged to each other;  
       FIG. 10  is a schematic plan view of mounting the bricks of the combined floor on the engaged clamping devices of the present invention;  
       FIG. 11  is a schematic plan view of mounting the bricks of the combined floor on the engaged clamping devices of the present invention;  
       FIG. 12  is a schematic plan view of mounting the bricks of the combined floor on the engaged clamping devices of the present invention; and  
       FIG. 13  is a top plan view of mounting the bricks of the combined floor on the engaged clamping devices of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      With reference to the drawings and initially to  FIGS. 1-7 , a clamping device for combined floors in accordance with the present invention comprises multiple clamping seats ( 20 ) linearly connected one after one and laterally connected to an adjacent clamping seat ( 20 ) by a lateral rod ( 30 ).  
      The combined floors includes multiple rectangular bricks ( 10 ) each having a first long side, a second long side parallel to the first long side, a first short side and a second short side respectively connecting two opposite ends of the first long side and the second long side. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the brick ( 10 ) is wooden. The brick ( 10 ) includes an L-shaped protrusion ( 11 ) laterally extending from the first long side and the first short side of the brick ( 10 ) and an L-shaped groove ( 13 ) laterally defined in the second long side and the second short side of the brick ( 10 ) for partially receiving the L-shaped protrusion ( 11 ) of two adjacent bricks ( 10 ). A first groove ( 14 ) is defined laterally defined in the second long side of the brick ( 10 ) under the L-shaped groove ( 13 ) and a second groove ( 12 ) laterally defined in the first long side of the brick ( 10 ) under the L-shaped protrusion ( 11 ). A first slot ( 18 ) and a second slot ( 17 ) are respectively defined in a bottom of the brick ( 10 ), wherein the first slot ( 18 ) corresponds to the second long side of the brick ( 10 ) and the second slot ( 17 ) corresponds to the first long side of the brick ( 10 ).  
      The clamping device includes multiple clamping seats ( 20 ) each made of plastic material and having a rectangular shape. The clamping seat ( 20 ) includes a protrusion ( 21 ) with a T-shaped cross-section. The protrusion ( 21 ) has two opposite topsides respectively received in the first groove ( 14 ) and the second groove ( 12 ) of two adjacent bricks ( 10 ). A first rib ( 23 ) and a second rib ( 22 ) respectively extend from a top of the clamping seat ( 20 ) and correspond to the two opposite topsides of the protrusion ( 21 ). The second rib ( 22 ) is received in the second slot ( 17 ) and the first rib ( 23 ) is received in the first slot ( 18 ) in an adjacent brick ( 10 ). A guider ( 24 ) longitudinally extends from a first end of the clamping seat ( 20 ) corresponding to the second rib ( 22 ). The guider ( 24 ) has two side plates ( 241 ) longitudinally connected to the clamping seat ( 20 ) and a connecting plate ( 245 ) connected to two free ends of the two side plates ( 241 ). Each side plate ( 241 ) includes an engager ( 243 ) inward laterally extending therefrom. A stub ( 246 ) extends from the connecting plate ( 245 ) toward the clamping seat ( 20 ). A wing ( 247 ) laterally extends from the stub ( 246 ) and is connected to a corresponding one of the two side plates ( 241 ) of the guider ( 24 ). A lever ( 248 ) longitudinally extends from the connecting plate ( 245 ) opposite to the stub ( 246 ) and has a stopper ( 249 ) downward extending from the lever ( 248 ).  
      Further with reference to  FIGS. 8-13 , a receiving space ( 25 ) is defined in a second end of the clamping seat ( 20 ) for longitudinally receiving the guider ( 24 ) of the adjacent clamping seat ( 20 ). Two parallel sidewalls ( 251 ) and a plate ( 253 ) upwardly extend from a bottom ( 258 ) of the receiving space ( 25 ) to define the receiving space ( 25 ). An indentation ( 252 ) is defined in a top of each of the sidewalls ( 251 ) for laterally connected to the lateral rod ( 30 ). The plate ( 253 ) includes two opposite sides each having a guiding groove ( 255 ) defined therein and corresponding to the two side plates ( 241 ) of the guider ( 24 ) so that the two side plates ( 241 ) of the guider ( 24 ) of the adjacent clamping seat ( 20 ) can be slidably received in the two guiding groove ( 255 ). A slit ( 254 ) is laterally defined in the two opposite sides of the plate ( 253 ). Each slit ( 254 ) communicates with a corresponding one of the two guiding groove ( 255 ) and corresponds to a corresponding one of the two engagers ( 243 ) so that the two engagers ( 243 ) are respectively slidably received in the two slits ( 254 ) for assuring the two adjacent clamping seats ( 20 ) in a horizontal condition when the two adjacent clamping seats ( 20 ) are longitudinally connected to each other. A cylinder ( 256 ) inwardly extends from the plate ( 253 ) for receiving the stub ( 246 ) of the adjacent clamping seat ( 20 ). The first rib ( 23 ), as described above, upwardly extends from the two sidewalls ( 251 ) and the cylinder ( 256 ). A spring ( 36 ) is compressively received in the cylinder ( 256 ) and the stub ( 246 ) of the adjacent clamping seat ( 20 ) compresses the spring ( 36 ) to enhance the connection between the two adjacent clamping devices ( 20 ) due to the restitution force of the spring ( 36 ). A gap ( 257 ) is laterally defined in the cylinder ( 256 ) and corresponding to the wing ( 247 ) so that the wing ( 247 ) is slidably received in the gap ( 257 ) of the adjacent clamping seat ( 20 ) to enhance the connection between the two adjacent clamping devices ( 20 ) when connecting the two adjacent clamping seats ( 20 ). An aperture ( 259 ) is defined in the bottom ( 258 ) for receiving the stopper ( 249 ) of the lever ( 248 ) of the adjacent clamping seat ( 20 ) for holding the adjacent clamping seat ( 20 ) in place.  
      The lateral rod ( 30 ) straddled two parallel clamping seats ( 20 ). The lateral rod ( 30 ) includes two opposite ends each having a hook ( 31 ) longitudinally extending therefrom. The two hooks ( 31 ) respectively engaged to the indentation ( 252 ) of a corresponding one of the two parallel clamping seats ( 20 ) to assure parallel relation between the two parallel clamping seats ( 20 ). A cushion (not shown) is attached to a bottom of the clamping seat ( 20 ) for absorbing vibration and reducing noise.  
      The multiple clamping seats ( 20 ) are arranged to a series of parallel strip for combining the bricks ( 10 ) and every two parallel strips of clamping seat ( 20 ) are connected by multiple lateral rods ( 30 ). The bricks ( 10 ) sequentially straddle on the series of parallel strip of the clamping seats ( 20 ). The lateral bricks ( 10 ) are interlaced relative to each other so that the middle portion of each of the bricks ( 10 ) is securely connected to a corresponding one of the clamping devices ( 20 ). The first groove ( 14 ) and the second groove ( 12 ) of the two adjacent bricks ( 10 ) are combined to form a T-shaped passage for receiving the protrusion ( 21 ). The brick ( 10 ) will make the stub ( 246 ) of the clamping seat ( 20 ) push the spring ( 36 ) of the adjacent clamping seat ( 20 ) and form a distance (H) between every two adjacent clamping seat ( 20 ), and the two engagers ( 243 ) are received in the two slit ( 254 ) of the plate ( 253 ) of the adjacent clamping seat ( 20 ) so that the connection between every two adjacent clamping seats ( 20 ) are stable. The stopper ( 249 ) of the lever ( 248 ) is engaged to the aperture ( 259 ) in the bottom ( 258 ) of the adjacent clamping seat ( 20 ) to promote the convenience and accuracy for assembling the clamping seats ( 20 ). The user can upwardly wrench the lever ( 248 ) to make the stopper ( 249 ) disengage from the aperture ( 259 ) in the adjacent clamping seat ( 20 ) and then the clamping seat ( 20 ) can be easily detached from the adjacent clamping seat ( 20 ).  
      As described above, the restitution force of the spring ( 36 ) can provide a better clamping effect to the adjacent clamping seats ( 20 ) and the spring ( 36 ) can absorb length variation of the combined floor due to the variation of the ambient temperature. Furthermore, the bricks ( 10 ) are combined without needing any glue and nails, and the user only needs to pull the lever ( 248 ) of the clamping seat ( 20 ) upwardly, thereby detaching the clamping seat ( 20 ) from each other easily and conveniently.  
      Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.