Patent ID: 7347788

Claim:
A synthetic ice surface system comprising: a plurality of sections of synthetic ice, at least a portion of an outer periphery of each section of synthetic ice has one or more passages; at least one border having one or more passages and having a different shape from any of the plurality of sections of synthetic ice, the at least one border is secured along only one surface against at least a portion of the outer periphery of one or more of the plurality of sections of synthetic ice, the at least one border is made of substantially the same material as the plurality of sections of synthetic ice; and a plurality of dowels, each of the dowels has a pair of opposing ends and one end of one or more of the dowels mates in one of the passages in one of the sections of synthetic ice and another end of the one or more of the dowels mates in another one of the passages in another one of the sections of synthetic ice to secure the adjacent sections of synthetic ice together and form a substantially smooth ice surface and one end of one or more of the dowels mates in one of the passages in one of the sections of synthetic ice and another end of the one or more of the dowels mates in one of the passages in the at least one border to secure the sections of synthetic ice to the at least one border; wherein the at least one border, the sections of synthetic ice and the dowels are made of substantially the same material and the plurality of sections of synthetic ice and the at least one border are freestanding to expand and contract as a single unit substantially without gaps and uneven skating regions on a skating surface formed by the plurality of sections of synthetic ice.