Injection molded floor tiles with drainage vents

Abstract

Modular plastic floor tiles have elongate drainage vents formed to extend from the general upper surfaces of the tiles to general lower surfaces thereof. In a two-shot injection molded embodiment, the vents are laterally spaced from locations of overmolded features, and may be disposed within channels defined by downwardly depending support ribs. In one embodiment, groups of elongate vents are disposed around respective fill points in radiant fashion, so as to minimize the impedance to polymer flow within the injection mold. The vents may be radiussed at the tile's upper surface to enhance their fluid collecting capability.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation in part of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 609,959 filed Oct. 30, 2009, and is also a continuation in part of copending International Patent Application No. PCT / US10 / 54515 filed Oct. 28, 2010, which in turn is a continuation in part of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12 / 609,959 filed Oct. 30, 2009. The present application is further a continuation in part of copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 217,556 filed Aug. 25, 2011. All of the foregoing applications are owned by the assignee hereof. The specifications and drawings of each of them are fully incorporated by reference herein.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]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 comm...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]According to one aspect of the invention, a modular floor tile is provided which may be used to create a flooring surface including a plurality of like tiles. A first polymer compound is used to mold a body of the tile. The body has at least one feature overmolded onto the upper surface of the body from a second polymer compound which is different from the first polymer compound. A second polymer compound gate is disposed to be adjacent a lower surface of the tile body and to be remote from the upper surface thereof. The gate communicates to the upper feature through a through-hole which extends from the lower surface to the upper surface. A vent hole, laterally spaced from the through-hole, extends from the upper surface back to the lower surface and is in communication with the upper feature. During the injection of the second polymer compound, molten polymer makes its way from the gate, through the through hole and into the cavity in which the upper feature will be created. The vent hole permits gas or other fluid to be displaced out of the upper feature cavity, thereby obviating or minimizing any void in the as-molded upper feature which might otherwise occur. In one embodiment a portion of the upper pad extends through the vent hole to be disposed below or protrude onto the lower surface. Preferably, the tile has many such pads on its upper surface, and many such support members downwardly depending from its lower surface. Groups of these pads and support member portions may be molded together in a continuous phase of the second polymer compound.

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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