Patent Publication Number: US-2016244979-A1

Title: Fasteners for pedestal supported tiles or decking

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority from Australian Provisional Patent Application No. 2013904010 filed on 18 Oct. 2013, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to a fastener for attaching surface tiles, pavers, or the like to a support pedestal when forming a raised floor. 
     BACKGROUND 
     It is known to provide elevated or raised floors, also known as pedestal floors. Elevated flooring incorporates a number of, typically height adjustable, pedestals which are uniformly distributed over a subsurface/sub floor such as a concrete floor of a multi-story building, roof, terrace, or any other surface on top of which it is desired to locate an elevated floor. Other non-exhaustive applications of pedestal floors include technical floors for laboratories, fitting out old buildings, patios, balconies, swimming pool surrounds and decking. The pedestals cooperate in supporting floor panels, such as pavers, or other floor surfaces. The panel members provide a relatively flat high strength floor. 
     In many cases, the raised floor will comprise rectangular, most commonly square, tiles or pavers. Each of the spaced apart pedestals therefore supports the corners of four adjacent tiles/pavers. 
     Examples of such support pedestals are shown in International Patent Application No PCT/AU 2006/001613. In some cases, for example with concrete pavers, the weight of the tiles or pavers is typically sufficient to keep the tiles on the pedestals. However if the tiles are made of a less dense material such as wood or plastic, they may require fixing to the pedestals. It is known to do this using various techniques and such techniques include using rotating anchoring washers such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,302,356, however such washers are fiddly and are awkward to use. 
     Any discussion of documents, acts, materials, devices, articles or the like which has been included in the present specification is not to be taken as an admission that any or all of these matters form part of the prior art base or were common general knowledge in the field relevant to the present disclosure as it existed before the priority date of each claim of this application. 
     Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps. 
     SUMMARY 
     In a first aspect, the present invention provides a fastener for attaching surface tiles or the like to a support pedestal, the pedestal including a base which can be located on a surface, and a head member for directly or indirectly supporting a tile, the tile defining a slot in its side for receiving the fastener, wherein the fastener is generally rhomboidal in shape and defines a central elongate slot which extends between two opposed corners. 
     An anchoring means such as a screw, which is attached to the head of the pedestal, will typically locate in the slot in use. The anchoring means may slide along and relative to the slot. 
     It is preferred that a tab projects up from the fastener adjacent each end of the slot. The tab may be contacted by a tool such as screwdriver or the like for pushing/moving the fastener relative to the anchoring means. 
     The head of the anchoring means is preferably wider than the width of the slot. 
     In the centre of the slot there is preferably a circular recess for receiving the head of the anchoring means for locking the fastener in position in the centre of four tiles and preventing accidental movement of the fastener. 
     Typically a paver spacer comprising four tabs arranged in a cruciform orientation will be provided on the top of the head. The tabs do not touch, and are spaced from one another. In use the tabs locate between adjacent pavers. 
     It is preferred that a cruciform support element is provided which supports the fastener and locates in the centre of the paver spacer. 
     In use, the fastener can be located in or moved out of the slots in the sides of the surface tiles and the sliding movement can be used to secure the tiles to the pedestal or to disengage a tile when removal of a tile or tiles is required. 
     The present invention also encompasses a pedestal incorporating a fastener and a floor incorporating pedestals and fasteners embodying the present invention, as well as a method of assembling flooring. 
     Hence in a second aspect of the present invention there is provided. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
       A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an assembly illustrating a fastener embodying the present invention in use; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of part of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the assembly of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a further isometric view of the assembly of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the assembly of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 6  is an isometric view of the fastener only. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings,  FIG. 1  shows a part of a raised floor including a pedestal  10  supporting a raised floor comprising wooden tiles  12 , as are commonly used for outdoor decking. It will be appreciated, however, that the tile may be made of any suitable material including plastic. Each tile  12  typically comprises five adjacent boards or planks of wood  14  connected by a transverse bottom rail  16  at opposed ends. Note that in the drawings, only the tile  12   a  is shown complete with two bottom rails  16 . Note also that in the drawings one of the boards  14   a  is shown as being transparent, to illustrate features which would otherwise be hidden by that board. 
     The pedestal is a known height adjustable pedestal marketed by Elmich Pte Ltd under the “VersiJack” trade mark. With reference to  FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 , on the top of the pedestal there is a cruciform paver spacer  18  which includes four tabs  20 , paced apart at 90° on a circular plate  22 . In use, as shown, these tabs  18  locate between corners of adjacent tiles/pavers  12  as is best seen in  FIG. 3 . 
     As is best seen in  FIGS. 2 and 4  in particular, a triangular slot  24  is formed in the top of the rails  16  of each tile at each corner of each tile. Thus, as shown in  FIG. 2 , where three tiles meet at a pedestal, there are three adjacent slots  22 . 
     The fastener  30  is shown in  FIG. 6 . It is generally rhomboidal (square) in plan view and defines an elongate slot  32  which extends from adjacent one corner to adjacent a diagonally opposite corner. At each opposed end of the slot, there is an upstanding cylindrical tab or projection  34 . In the centre of the fastener, a circular recess  35  is formed in the slot to receive the head of a screw  36  or a similar elongate anchoring means. 
     Underneath the fastener  30  there is a cruciform support  40  which defines a cylindrical hole in its centre for receiving the shaft of the screw  36  and four walls  42  spaced at 90° to each other which are the same height at the tabs  20  of the paver spacer  18 , and are sized to locate inside the paver spacer. 
     In use, with reference to  FIG. 2 , the fastener and support are attached to the top of a pedestal  10  using the screw. Corners of the tiles are placed on the top of the pedestal in between two adjacent tabs  18  of the paver spacer. It will be appreciated that the tiles may be slid into position horizontally or lowered vertically onto the pedestal depending on the stage of construction of the raised floor. The fastener  30  can be slid to move it into or out of the slots  24  to allow tiles to be lowered onto the pedestal or removed. 
     For example,  FIG. 2  shows the fastener in a central position, as it would be positioned to retain the tiles in position. Note that the screw is located in the circular recess  35  in the centre of the slot and this prevents accidental movement of the fastener  30 . It will be appreciated that there will typically be a fourth tile  16  present, when the floor is complete, which is omitted to show the features of the fastener. To remove a tile the screw is loosened sufficiently to allow the fastener  30  to be slid along the axis of the slot. The fastener slides out of two of the slots  24  and further into the opposite two slots releasing two tiles from engagement. The tabs  34  allow the fastener to be slid by using an elongate tool such as a screwdriver, or the like sliding the tool into the gap between tiles and pushing on the tab  34 . They also have the additional function of keeping the fastener aligned with the gap between the tiles, so that the fastener does not twist as it slides. 
     Once the fasteners at all four corners of a tile have been disengaged the tile can be removed and replaced. Once a tile has been replaced the fasteners can be moved back to the centre position shown in  FIG. 2 , and the screw  36  tightened, locking the replaced tile in position. 
     It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments, without departing from the broad general scope of the present disclosure. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.