Floor tile with improved connection system

Abstract

A tile for a flooring system includes a tile body and a female connection member associated with a side edge of the tile body. The female connection member has a curved profile, which may include an m-shaped profile, and the female connection member is configured to mate with an adjacent tile. A male connection member is associated with opposite side edges of the tile body, the male connection member having a shape corresponding to a curved profile of a female connection member of an adjacent tile to mate with the adjacent tile. The draft angles of the female connection member and the male connection member may be substantially parallel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to modular floor tiles for floor installation. Background Art

[0002] Modular floor systems have been used for indoor and outdoor applications for some time. Such systems typically include a large number of similarly shaped tiles that are attached to each other (usually by releasable means) to form a substantially continuous sheet of floor tiles covering a desired area. Modular floor systems are popular because they can be assembled quite quickly and generally do not require adhesives or other fasteners to complete the installation process.

[0003] Although such systems have been widely used, in some applications, modular floor systems still have problems. Therefore, there is a desire for modular floor systems with improved connection systems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Before the present invention is disclosed and described, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific structures, process steps or materials disclosed herein, but extends to equivalent alternatives recognized by those of ordinary skill in the relevant art. It should also be understood that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to be limiting.

[0005] It should be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a" and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, a reference to "a support member" includes one or more such support members unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0006] When describing the present invention and claiming the rights of the present invention, the following terms will be used according to the following definitions.

[0007] As used herein, relative terms are used to refer to various components of the floor tile, such as "upper", "lower", "upward", "downward", etc. It should be understood that such terms are not used as limitations, but are used to help describe the floor tile of the present invention in the most straightforward manner. When such terms are used, it should be understood that they refer to the generally accepted orientation of the floor tile when installed or placed for use. For example, in such an orientation, the floor tile is generally arranged above the underlying floor on which the floor tile is to be installed or placed, where the upper surface of the floor tile is exposed upward relative to the underlying floor.

[0008] In addition, the edges of the tiles described herein are sometimes discussed using the terms "lateral" edges and "end" edges in order to most clearly identify the novel features of the present invention. It should be understood that the terms "lateral" edges and "end" edges do not limit the scope of the claims. In particular, the applicant adheres to the view that any structure that can be identified as an "edge" of the tile under consideration is considered to be within the scope of the claims herein.

[0009] As used herein, the term "substantially" refers to the full or near-full extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, when an object or a group of objects is referred to as being "substantially" parallel, it is understood that the object or group of objects is completely parallel or nearly completely parallel. In some cases, the exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may depend on the particular circumstances. However, generally speaking, near-completeness will have the same overall result as achieving absolute and total completeness.

[0010] The use of "substantially" also applies in the context of negative connotations, referring to the complete or almost complete absence of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, an opening that is "substantially free" of a material either completely lacks the material or almost completely lacks the material such that its effect is the same as if there were no material at all. In other words, an opening that is "substantially free" of a material may actually still contain some of such material as long as there is no measurable (appreciable) effect therefrom.

[0011] As used herein, the term "about" is used to provide flexibility to a numerical range endpoint by envisioning that a given value may be "slightly higher" or "slightly lower" than the endpoint.

[0012] As used herein, the term "subfloor" shall be understood to refer to the various floor structures upon which the floor tiles of the present invention are laid or installed. As used herein, the term "floor tile" shall be understood to refer to various modular floor products having a range of dimensions. References to "floor tiles" may include references to products commonly referred to as bricks, panels, pads, sections of sheet floor products, sections of roll floor products, etc., as indicated by the specific embodiments of "floor tiles" referred to herein.

[0013] As used herein, the terms "resilient" and "resilience" shall be understood to refer to a property of a floor tile that allows the floor tile to compress or deflect in response to a load applied to the floor tile and then return or "rebound" to its original state. It should be understood that the use of the terms "resilient" or "resilience" herein should not be restricted or extended, as the flooring industry sometimes incorrectly uses these terms when referring to floor tiles that do not actually have resilience, i.e., floor tiles that tend not to compress (or deflect) when loaded (e.g., unable to provide shock absorption), or floor tiles that tend to permanently deform after compression when subjected to such a load (e.g., unable to return to the original state).

[0014] Distances, angles, forces, weights, quantities, and other numerical data may be expressed or presented herein in a range format. It should be understood that this range format is used for convenience and brevity only and should therefore be interpreted flexibly as encompassing not only the values explicitly listed as the endpoints of the range but also all individual values or sub-ranges included within that range as if each value and sub-range were explicitly listed. For example, the numerical range “about 1 inch to about 6 inches” should be interpreted as encompassing not only the explicitly listed values of about 1 inch to about 6 inches but also the individual values and sub-ranges within the indicated range. This principle also applies to ranges that list only one numerical value, regardless of the width of the range or the property being described.

[0015] The present invention provides a floor tile for a floor system, the floor tile including a tile body and a female connecting member associated with a side edge of the tile body. The female connecting member or members may have a continuously curved profile and may be configured to mate with an adjacent tile. A male connecting member may be associated with an opposite side edge of the tile body, the male connecting member having a shape or profile with a continuously curved profile operable to receive the female connecting member of an adjacent tile so as to mate with the adjacent tile.

[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a floor tile for a floor system, the floor tile including a tile body and a female connecting member associated with a side edge of the tile body. The female connecting member may be configured to mate with an adjacent tile. A male connecting member may be associated with an opposite side edge of the tile body, the male connecting member being configured to mate with an adjacent tile.

[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a floor tile system for floor installation, the floor tile system including a tile body and a female connecting member associated with a side edge of the tile body. The female connecting member may be configured to mate with an adjacent tile. A male connecting member may be associated with an opposite side edge of the tile body, the male connecting member being configured to mate with an adjacent tile. The female connecting member may include an M-shaped profile. Both the male connecting member and the female connecting member may include side walls, such as an inner side wall of the female connecting member and an outer side wall of the male connecting member. In aspects of the present invention, the side walls have a draft angle, and the draft angle of the inner side wall of the female connecting member is the same as, parallel, or substantially parallel to the draft angle of the outer side wall of the male connecting member (see Figure 6 and its discussion). In other aspects, the draft angles may diverge slightly, which may be provided to allow release of the tile from the mold or for other reasons. However, providing connecting members without diverging side walls or having substantially parallel draft angles provides a greater contact surface area, which improves the connection strength of the tiles.

[0018] The floor tiles of the present disclosure and their features can be used with various floor tiles, including floor tiles with improved grip. For example, the features of the present invention can be combined with modular floor tiles including improved grip and bounce characteristics. The tile can include an upper contact surface having ribs, the top edges of the ribs being sharp. Protrusions can extend from the upper contact surface to provide grip and improve ball bounce performance. The floor tile can be made of a composite material of rigid plastic and rubber to improve bounce characteristics. In some examples, the tile can include square or sharp radius corners of the ribs on the upper contact surface. In some examples, the texture or protrusions on the upper contact surface can be etched in a post-treatment, such as laser or chemical etching. In other examples, the protrusions can be added as part of an additive post-treatment or as part of the material composition, such as added as material particles to produce the protrusions.

[0019] The more important features of the present invention have been outlined rather broadly above so that the following detailed description may be better understood and so that the present invention's contribution to the art may be better appreciated. Other features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the claims, or may be learned by practice of the invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 is a top view of a floor tile according to one aspect of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 is Figure 1 an enlarged bottom view of the floor tile;

[0022] Figure 3 is Figure 2 a bottom perspective view of the floor tile;

[0023] Figure 4 is along Figure 3 line A-A of Figure 3 the floor tile taken cross-sectionally;

[0024] Figure 5 is a side perspective view of a pair of adjacent floor tiles fitted according to an aspect of the present invention; and

[0025] Figure 6 is along Figure 4 line B of Figure 4 the floor tile taken in detail. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] As generally shown in the accompanying drawings, in one aspect of the present invention, a floor tile 10 for a floor system is provided. The floor tile or panel may include an upper surface 12 that can be used as part of a floor installation to operate. The floor tile may include a support grid that can be operable to support the upper surface. The support grid may include a plurality of support members or tracks that can extend from the underside of the upper surface. The plurality of support members may terminate in lower sections that can collectively define a subfloor contact profile. A plurality of interconnecting members may laterally interconnect two or more support members.

[0027] As used herein, the term "subfloor profile" is used to denote the lowermost or cross-sectional portion of a floor tile that is configured to contact a subfloor (not shown) for laying or installing the floor tiles of the present invention. While the subfloor profile is adapted to rest on a flat subfloor, the subfloor profile is not necessarily flat, but may include a series of lowest portions aligned in a plane that can be placed on the subfloor.

[0028] A plurality of at least partially open openings may be formed between the interconnecting members 20 and the support members or guide rails. These openings may allow the support members and / or interconnecting members to move or flex in response to a load applied to the upper surface 12 of the floor tile, thereby providing a high level of elasticity to the floor tile. In some embodiments of the present invention, the openings may be completely or partially filled with a flexible filling material (not shown), which can be used to attenuate noise and vibration within the floor tile without significantly interfering with the flexure of the support members and / or interconnecting members.

[0029] The upper surface 12 of the floor tile shown in the figure generally includes a substantially continuous and unbroken plane, which can be easily cleaned and maintained even in severely soiled areas (such as cafeterias). However, in other embodiments (not shown), the upper surface may include a textured surface or a surface interrupted by indentations or openings, as required for certain specific applications.

[0030] The body of the floor tile of the present invention can be made of a variety of materials. In one embodiment, the body is made of a polymer material. Examples of suitable polymer materials include, but are not limited to, PVC, EVA, EVP, PP, PE, acrylic, ABS, and their derivatives and compositions. The polymer floor tile may also include various fillers, additives, etc., which are conceivable to those of ordinary skill in the art. This floor tile is very suitable for forming using extrusion, protrusion, and / or pultrusion techniques, which are relatively well known in the art. Of course, other manufacturing methods (such as injection molding) can also be used to form the floor tile. In one aspect of the present invention, the upper surface 12, the support members or guide rails, and the interconnecting members can be formed as an integral piece. The floor tile or panel can be provided in various lengths and can be cut to a specific length by the installer during installation.

[0031] Figure 1 Shows an example of a floor tile according to certain aspects of the present invention, which includes a floor tile 10 having a female connecting member 20 and a male connecting member 30. The floor tile 10 further includes a floor tile body 11 and an upper surface 12, and the upper surface 12 can be the operable surface of the floor tile or the surface in contact with the user. The floor tile 10, more specifically the floor tile body 11, further includes side edges, including a first side edge 15, a second side edge 16, a third side edge 17, and a fourth side edge 18. In certain aspects of the present invention, the female connecting member 20 is associated with the side edges of the floor tile body 11, while the male connecting member 30 is associated with the opposite side edges of the floor tile body 11. For example, the female connecting member 20 can be associated with the first side edge 15 and the second side edge 16. The male connecting member 30 can be associated with the third side edge 17 and the fourth side edge 18, and the third and fourth side edges 17 and 18 are opposite to the first and second side edges 15 and 16.

[0032] As Figure 1 Further shown, the female connecting member is configured to cooperate with adjacent floor tiles, more specifically, with the male connecting member of adjacent floor tiles. The female connecting member 20 can have a continuously curved profile. In some examples, the female connecting member 20 includes two straight columns 22 connected by a curved profile 24, and the columns 22 and the curved profile 24 form an "m" shape. Thus, it can be said that the female connecting member has an "m" shape profile, or has two concave arcs and one convex arc. In other examples, the female connecting member can include other curved profiles, such as three concave arcs and two convex arcs, or a continuous concave arc, which forms a single "n" shape or an arc with a break, thereby generating various other curved profiles. Similarly, the male-shaped member 30 includes two straight columns 32 connected by a curved profile 34. The columns 32 and the curved profile 34 of the male connecting member 30 are configured to cooperate with the female connecting member 20.

[0033] The male connecting member 30 further includes a clip or tab 36, which is configured to fit onto and snap into the side edge of an adjacent floor tile. For example, a plurality of male connecting members 30 associated with the third side edge 17 of the first floor tile 10 can be arranged near the first side edge 15 of an adjacent second floor tile 10. The tabs 36 of the plurality of male connecting members 30 snap onto or clamp onto the first side edge 15 of the adjacent second floor tile 10.

[0034] Figure 2 and 3Further shown is a floor tile 10 according to certain aspects of the present invention, including the engagement of adjacent floor tiles 10A and 10B. The first floor tile 10A includes a female connection member 20 associated with a first side edge 15 and the like. The second floor tile 10B includes a male connection member 30 associated with a third side edge 17 and the like. When the first floor tile 10A and the second floor tile 10B are arranged adjacent to each other, the female connection member 20 cooperates with the male connection member 30 to restrict the horizontal disassembly of the floor tiles 10A and 10B. In addition, a clip or tab 36 of the male connection member 30 (which is also associated with the third side edge 17 of the second floor tile 10B) engages with the first side edge 15 of the first floor tile 10A to restrict the vertical disassembly of the floor tiles 10A and 10B. Similarly, the curved profile of the male connection member 30 is configured to cooperate with the curved profile of the female connection member 20.

[0035] In addition, according to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the disassembly of adjacent floor tiles 10 is restricted by the floor engagement system. As discussed in more detail herein, the female connection member 20 and the male connection member 30 of the present invention not only ensure that adjacent floor tiles can be installed at the correct spacing, but also provide resistance to the disassembly or uncoupling of the engagement of adjacent floor tiles. In certain aspects of the present invention, the female connection member 20 and the male connection member 30 of the present invention (including an M-shaped profile and substantially parallel draft angles or sidewalls) provide an engagement system that not only resists disassembly but is also easy to assemble. According to certain aspects of the present invention, mating or interlocking components can pose challenges to snapping or connecting together, including based on the physical shape and characteristics of the connection members. The present invention solves many of these problems by providing such a connection system that has at least the same resistance to disassembly as existing systems during normal use (i.e., when the pressure of an athlete standing on the tile is applied to the system), while providing greater convenience in assembly and disassembly.

[0036] As described herein and shown in detail in the figures, the contact between the male connecting member and the female connecting member not only provides the function of initially fixing one floor tile to another, but also provides a fixing strength that enables the floor tiles to remain adjacent and attached when subjected to various loads. In some existing floor tiles, the connection strength between the tiles may not be sufficient to withstand certain forces, such as the force generated when a heavyweight athlete makes a quick stop on the floor. Such lateral forces may cause the connecting members of the existing floor to be forced apart, resulting in connection failure and the formation of gaps between the tiles. According to aspects of the present invention, the connection strength between the tiles is increased by increasing the amount of surface contact between the tiles, including having the male connecting member 30 with a wide tab or clip 36, and having a larger contact surface area between the male connecting member 30 and the female connecting member 20. The M-shaped profile significantly increases the contact surface area, especially compared to various existing products. In some examples, the contact surface area can be increased by making the draft angle of each male connecting member and female connecting member (or, in other words, the angle of the sidewall of each connecting member relative to the surface 12 of the floor tile 10) substantially parallel. In certain aspects, the draft angles of the female connecting member and the male connecting member are substantially parallel, as Figure 6 shown and further discussed with reference to that figure. In some aspects, each draft angle is zero. In other aspects, relative to the top surface 12 of the tile 10, the draft angle can be greater than or less than zero, but the draft angle on the female connecting member 20 is the same as the draft angle on the male connecting member 30. In some aspects, it can be said that the draft angles of the components of the female connecting member and the male connecting members 20, 30 do not diverge.

[0037] Figure 4 This concept is further demonstrated by showing a cross-section of adjacent floor tiles 10A and 10B taken along the Figure 3 axis A-A. According to certain aspects of the present invention, the female connecting member 20 includes sidewalls, particularly sidewalls associated with the posts 22 and the curved profile 24. Specifically, the female connecting member 20 includes an inner sidewall 21 and an outer sidewall opposite the inner sidewall. Similarly, the male connecting member 30 includes sidewalls associated with the posts 32 and the curved profile 34, which includes an outer sidewall 31 and an inner sidewall opposite the outer sidewall. As Figure 4 shown, the inner sidewall 21 of the female connecting member 20 is arranged adjacent to the outer sidewall 31 of the male connecting member 30. In certain aspects of the present invention, when a load is applied to two adjacent tiles, such as when an athlete stops on the tile, the inner sidewall 21 of the female connecting member 20 contacts or abuts against the outer sidewall 31 of the male connecting member 30. The surface area of the corresponding sidewalls 21, 31 provides a frictional resistance against the separation of the adjacent floor tiles. The curved profiles of the female connecting member 20 and the male connecting member 30 provide a larger surface area for the sidewalls 21, 31 to form contact. Compared to existing floor tile joining or connecting systems, this increase in surface area corresponds to a greater attachment strength of the adjacent floor tiles.

[0038] In addition, in certain aspects of the present invention, the sidewalls of the female and male connection members include a texture that increases the resistance between the components upon contact. For example, in certain aspects of the present invention, the process of ejecting bricks from a mold during manufacturing includes an EDM process or electrical discharge machining. The EDM process can be controlled such that the speed of the process contributes to the surface texture of the manufactured bricks. In certain aspects of the present invention, it is desirable to use a relatively fast EDM process, which results in a rougher surface texture that contributes to the grip strength of the contact between the male and female components. In other aspects, the texture on the sidewalls of the male and female connection members can come from an additive post-treatment, from etching (such as laser or chemical etching), or from additives in the material (such as texture-producing material particles).

[0039] In aspects of the present invention, compared to the non-flexible nature of floor tiles and existing floor tile locking systems, the female connection member 20 and the male connection member 30 can be configured to be flexible. For example, in certain aspects of the present invention, each side of each floor tile can include more than 6 female and male connection members, including exactly 7 connection members per side, or more than 7 connection members per side. Due to the flexible nature of the female connection member 20, more sets of connection members may be required to achieve the same or greater connection strength as a traditional connection system. However, in certain aspects of the present invention, it has been found that a greater number of flexible connection members allow for the same attachment strength under load while allowing for quick and easy separation, disassembly, or untying of the floor tiles. This can be desirable because in certain aspects of the present invention, the floor tiles may need to be assembled and disassembled easily and quickly. Thus, an advantage of the present invention is that the same or greater attachment strength is achieved while providing easier and faster installation and disassembly, including because the force required to separate or untie two adjacent tiles is less than that of traditional locking systems.

[0040] In various aspects of the present invention, the components that make up the floor tile, including the female connection member 20 and the male connection member 30, can be formed from the same material as the floor tile body 11. In other aspects, the materials can be different. In any case, the material can be a flexible material, can be formed from a relatively more flexible material, including but not limited to elastic materials such as rubber, synthetic rubber, neoprene, PVC, etc., and their derivatives and combinations. The material can provide a relatively high friction interface between the floor tile and the underlying floor used for laying or installing the floor tiles of the present invention.

[0041] In certain aspects of the present invention, floor tiles can include various types of raw materials. Rigid plastics can be used, including thermoplastic olefins (such as polyethylene, polypropylene, or a combination of both). Flexible rubber can be mixed with the rigid plastic, which can include a material mixture composed of thermoplastics, elastomers, or rubber, or TPO, TPE, TPV, EPDM, and optional fillers (such as polypropylene + calcium carbonate + ethylene propylene rubber). The proportion commonly used in most industrial products ranges from 20% plastic and 80% rubber up to 90% plastic and 10% rubber. In various aspects of the present invention, the brick can be composed of as little as 10% and as much as 30% rubber.

[0042] According to various aspects of the present invention, the floor tiles 10A, 10B of the present invention can include female connecting members 20 that can be associated with the side edges 15, 16 of the floor tiles. Similarly, male connecting members 30 can be associated with the opposite side edges 17, 18 of the floor tiles. The male and female connecting members can cooperate to provide a lateral joint between two adjacent floor tiles. Although the size and shape of the female connecting member can vary, in one aspect of the present invention, the female connecting member can have an M-shaped profile, as Figures 1-5 shown.

[0043] The M-shaped profile, and more generally a continuously curved profile, can be used for various purposes. For example, by forming the female connecting member 20 with a continuously curved profile, when a lateral force is applied at the lateral joint (such as when an athlete stops on the tile), the mating configuration along the lateral edge of the tile is not easily separated. In the case where the mating components have sharp edges or sudden changes in profile, slight movement of the lateral joint components may cause gaps to form, allowing moisture to accumulate in the joint and eventually enter the underlying subfloor beneath the joint.

[0044] The male connecting member 30 can have a shape corresponding to the continuously curved profile of the female connecting member 20, as well as a tab 36. When the male connecting member is inserted into the female connecting member, the tab 36 is used to hold the male connecting member within the female connecting member. In use, the installer simply presses or "snaps" the male connecting member into the female connecting member to provide a secure lateral connection between adjacent floor tiles.

[0045] Figure 5 The engagement and mating relationship between the female connecting member 20 and the male connecting member 30 is further illustrated. It can be understood that the joint formed by the female and male connecting members is strong enough to resist lateral forces generated during the use of the floor tiles, such as lateral forces generated when an athlete moves on the floor tiles.

[0046] As Figure 5As shown, the female connecting member 20 and the male connecting member 30 may share a common size and shape (inverted with respect to each other). However, in one embodiment (not shown), one of the female and male connecting members may be slightly larger in size than the other to provide a press-fit tightness for the joint. In this embodiment, when the male and female connecting members are mated to form a lateral joint, the female connecting member is substantially surrounded by the male connecting member on all sides. That is, substantially all of the exposed surfaces of the female connecting member are contacted and held by the inner surface of the male connecting member.

[0047] Moreover, in one aspect of the present invention, one or both of the female connecting member 20 and the male connecting member 30 may comprise a flexible material configured to be at least partially compressed upon mating to form a tight joint.

[0048] Now referring Figure 6 , a draft angle as described above is shown, which may be the angle or slope of certain surfaces of the brick relative to the mold in which the brick is manufactured. Specifically, with reference to the inner sidewall 21 of the female connecting member 20, the draft angle θ is the angle between the plane C with the inner sidewall 21 as a reference and the plane X of the mold (not shown). In some cases, the angle θ may be zero. In other cases, the angle θ may be positive or negative with respect to the plane X. Similarly, with reference to the outer sidewall 31 of the male connecting member 30, the draft angle β is the angle between the plane D of the outer sidewall 31 and the plane X of the mold (not shown). In some cases, the angle β may similarly be zero, or may be positive or negative with respect to the plane X. As discussed in more detail herein, the draft angles β and θ may be substantially similar, meaning that the draft angles of the female member 20 and the male member 30, or more specifically the draft angles of the sidewalls of each member (21, 31), are substantially the same. In some examples, the plane C of the inner sidewall 21 is substantially parallel to the plane D of the outer sidewall 31.

[0049] As shown, the female and male connecting members may be associated with the brick in a variety of ways (e.g., integrated or adhered to floor tiles). In some examples, the male connecting member includes a segment that wraps under the floor tile, thereby forming a segment of the bonding material that is carried by the lower floor contact profile. In other examples, the male connecting material is connected to the side of the brick without extending too far under the brick.

[0050] Both the female connecting member 20 and the male connecting member 30 of the present invention contribute to providing a mating joint between floor tiles, which can prevent or inhibit the floor tiles from breaking and also allow the floor tiles to expand or contract due to temperature changes or normal use of the floor tiles. Thus, the mating joint provided by the bricks of the present invention can significantly improve the floor tile connection system.

[0051] In a typical installation process (not shown in the figures), an installer may place or lay the first tile on the subfloor. An adjacent second tile may be positioned near the side edge of the tile, and a male connecting member of one tile may be inserted into the female connecting member of the adjacent tile to laterally connect the tiles together. If adjustment of the tile length is needed, the installer can use a simple saw or planer to cut to determine the length of the tile. This process can continue until enough modular floor tiles are assembled to form a substantially continuous sheet covering the desired area. Since the floor tiles are made of polymer, the installer can easily cut the length or width of the tile to the desired size as needed without a large number of specialized tools.

[0052] According to various aspects of the present invention, a floor tile for a floor system may include a tile body, a female connecting member associated with a side edge of the tile body, and a male connecting member associated with an opposite side edge of the tile body. The female connecting member is configured to cooperate with an adjacent floor tile and has a continuous curved profile. The male connecting member has a continuous curved profile corresponding to the female connecting member of the adjacent tile, thereby allowing the tile to fit firmly laterally with the adjacent floor tile. In some aspects, the female connecting member includes an M-shaped profile. In some aspects, the draft angles of the female connecting member and the male connecting member are substantially parallel.

[0053] In still other aspects of the present invention, the female connecting member and the male connecting member include a flexible material configured to at least partially compress during mating to form a seal with the female or male connecting member of the adjacent tile.

[0054] In some aspects, the female connecting member is integrally formed with the tile body. When the male connecting member mates with an adjacent floor tile, the male connecting member can be substantially surrounded by the female connecting member of the adjacent floor tile on all sides. In addition, the male connecting member extends downward from the tile body. The male connecting member may further include a channel formed therein, and the channel has an open portion exposed upward.

[0055] In some aspects, the male connecting member may include a channel formed therein, and the channel has a gap located between a tab and the continuous curved profile.

[0056] According to aspects of the present invention, a floor tile system for floor installation includes at least two floor tiles, each floor tile including a tile body. It further includes a female connecting member associated with a side edge of the tile body and a male connecting member associated with an opposite side edge of the tile body. The female connecting member includes a curved profile. According to various aspects of the present invention, the male connecting member is configured to cooperate with the female connecting member.

[0057] As further discussed herein, the curved profile of the female connecting member may include an M-shaped profile. The draft angles of the male and female connecting members may be substantially parallel. In some aspects, the male connecting member includes a protrusion having a curved profile, and the male connecting member further includes a clip. The width of the clip may be at least as wide as the curved profile. The side walls of the clip and the side walls of the protrusion may be configured to contact the side walls of the female connecting member. For example, in some aspects, at least 50% of the side wall of the male connecting member contacts the female connecting member.

[0058] In some aspects, the distance between the tops of the side walls may be substantially the same as the distance between the bottoms of the side walls.

[0059] As an aspect of the present invention, a floor tile joining method is also disclosed herein, the method comprising the steps of: providing at least two floor tiles, each of the at least two floor tiles including a tile body having a female connecting member associated with a side edge of the tile body and a male connecting member associated with an opposite side edge of the tile body, the female connecting member including a curved profile. The method further includes joining the female connecting member of a first one of the at least two floor tiles with the male connecting member of a second one of the at least two floor tiles.

[0060] According to certain aspects, the method further includes providing a third floor tile and joining the female connecting member of the third floor tile with the male connecting member of the first floor tile, and joining the male connecting member of the third floor tile with the female connecting member of the second floor tile.

[0061] In various aspects of the present invention, as discussed herein, the female connecting member of the method includes an M-shaped profile. The female connecting member and the male connecting member may each include side walls, and the draft angle of each side wall may be parallel, substantially parallel, or may not be divergent. The female connecting member and the male connecting member may each include side walls, and at least 50% of the side wall of the male connecting member may contact the side wall of the female connecting member during joining.

[0062] It should be understood that the above arrangements merely illustrate the application of the principles of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can design many modifications and alternative arrangements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements. Therefore, although the present invention has been described in detail above in connection with the presently considered most practical and preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications can be made, including but not limited to changes in dimensions, materials, shapes, forms, functions and operations, assembly and use, without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein.

Claims

1. A floor tile for a floor system, comprising: A floor tile body; A female connecting member associated with a side edge of the floor tile body, the female connecting member being configured to cooperate with an adjacent floor tile and having a continuously curved profile; and A male connecting member associated with an opposite side edge of the floor tile body, the male connecting member having a continuously curved profile corresponding to the female connecting member of an adjacent tile, thereby allowing the floor tile to fit firmly laterally with an adjacent floor tile.

2. The floor tile according to claim 1, wherein, The female connecting member includes an M-shaped profile.

3. The floor tile according to claim 1, wherein, The draft angles of the female connecting member and the male connecting member are substantially parallel.

4. The floor tile according to claim 1, wherein, The female connecting member and the male connecting member are configured to bend at least partially when mating to form a connection with the female connecting member or the male connecting member of an adjacent tile.

5. The floor tile according to claim 1, wherein, The female connecting member is integrally formed with the floor tile body.

6. The floor tile according to claim 1, wherein, When the male connecting member mates with an adjacent tile, the male connecting member is substantially surrounded by the female connecting member of the adjacent tile on all sides.

7. The floor tile according to claim 1, wherein, The male connecting member extends downward from the floor tile body.

8. The floor tile according to claim 1, wherein, The male connecting member includes a channel formed therein, and the channel has a gap between a tab and the continuously curved profile.

9. A floor tile system for floor installation, comprising: At least two floor tiles, each floor tile including a tile body; A female connecting member associated with a side edge of the tile body, the female connecting member including a curved profile; A male connecting member associated with an opposite side edge of the tile body; and Wherein the male connecting member is configured to cooperate with the female connecting member.

10. The floor tile system according to claim 9, wherein, The curved profile of the female connecting member includes an M-shaped profile.

11. The floor tile system according to claim 9, wherein, The draft angles of the female connecting member and the male connecting member are substantially parallel.

12. The floor tile system according to claim 9, wherein, The male connecting member includes a protrusion having a curved profile, and the male connecting member further includes a clip.

13. The floor tile system according to claim 12, wherein, The width of the clip is at least the same as the width of the curved profile.

14. The floor tile system according to claim 12, wherein, The side walls of the clip and the side walls of the protrusion are configured to contact the side walls of the female connecting member.

15. The floor tile system according to claim 14, wherein, The distance between the tops of the side walls is substantially the same as the distance between the bottoms of the side walls.

16. A method of joining floor tiles, comprising: Providing at least two floor tiles, each of the at least two floor tiles including a tile body, the tile body including: A female connecting member associated with a side edge of the tile body, the female connecting member including a curved profile; and A male connecting member associated with an opposite side edge of the tile body; and Joining the female connecting member of the first floor tile of the at least two floor tiles to the male connecting member of the second floor tile of the at least two floor tiles.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising providing a third floor tile and joining the female connecting member of the third floor tile to the male connecting member of the first floor tile, and joining the male connecting member of the third floor tile to the female connecting member of the second floor tile.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein The female connecting member includes an M-shaped profile.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein, The female connecting member and the male connecting member each include side walls, and wherein the draft angles of the respective side walls are parallel.

20. The method according to claim 16, wherein The female connecting member and the male connecting member each include side walls, and wherein, the distance between the top portions of each side wall is substantially the same as the distance between the bottom portions of each side wall.

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