Floor tile

Abstract

A modular plastic floor tile has a body of a first polymer compound and features overmolded onto the body from a second polymer compound. The compounds may be different from each other in hardness and / or color. The features may include raised pads on the upper surface and / or skins on support member cores downwardly depending from the tile lower surface. The pads on the upper surface may be injection-molded from the lower surface through through-holes. Lateral edges of the tile are provided with latches which fit into loops with an interference fit. The loops flex in order to impose a compressive force on mating tile edges. The tile may have an overmolded peripheral seal.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]Conventional modular injection-molded tiles are known in the art for laying across upper surfaces of garage floors, sports surfaces, outdoor surfaces and other substrates. These tiles typically are twelve to thirteen inches square and can be manually assembled and disassembled. A common feature of these tiles is their ability to be snapped together, with few or no tools, using male and female connectors molded into each tile for the purpose.[0002]Conventional single tiles are molded to be a single, uniform color such as all-black or all-red. The consumer typically can choose different tiles in different colors. The consumer or contractor will often choose two or more colors for a particular floor, for assembly into an aesthetically pleasing pattern. But manufacturing an injection-molded plastic tile that has two or more perceptible colors per tile is more difficult and to date no such tile has been provided that has proven to be acceptable to the con...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention provides a modular floor tile that can be easily molded and joined together to create a flooring surface. The floor tile has a body with a plurality of through-holes and a support member that downwardly depends from the body. The support member has a smooth surface that is continuous with the body's surface. The floor tile also has a plurality of raised pads on its upper surface, which are laterally surrounded by a crush ring to prevent flashing. The floor tile can be used in a flooring surface with other floor tiles, and the edges of the tiles can be joined together to create a seal. The invention also provides a method for molding the floor tile and a nonlinear interference between the parts to reduce stress on the attachment points of the floor tile.

Problems solved by technology

But manufacturing an injection-molded plastic tile that has two or more perceptible colors per tile is more difficult and to date no such tile has been provided that has proven to be acceptable to the consumer.

But it is believed that the separate molding of these inserts, flash removal from them and physical insertion of them into respective receiving holes in the plastic tile substrate is time-consumptive and greatly increases the cost of manufacture of the resultant tile.

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