Floor covering, device for carrying out a method for laying the same, use of the floor covering as cable protection

Abstract

Floor covering (1) consisting of an arrangement of interconnected plates (10), with lower shells (20) laid under upper shells (30), wherein the lower shells (20) lie on the ground with bottom walls (14) and wherein the upper shells (30) with cover walls (12) form a walkable or drivable surface of the floor covering (1), wherein narrow edge sides (15) and / or internal webs are formed between the top walls (12) and the bottom walls (14) facing the ground, with cutouts (5, 16, 17, 18) in at least the edge sides (15) of the plates (10), characterized in that the lower shells (20) and the upper shells (30) are laid offset from each other and laying recesses (16) in at least the edge sides (15) of the upper shells (30) and / or laying recesses (16) of the lower shells (20) function together and / or with edge sides (15) and / or inner webs of the respective other upper or lower shell (30, 20) as at least a single-value bearing.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a ground cover as a floor slab construction, for example, for load distribution, for soil protection, for use in temporary road construction or for stables or outdoor animal enclosures, as known, for example, from DE 696 12 757 T2, WO 2005 / 035874 A1 or JP 2006 - 63 585 A. It also relates to a device for carrying out a method for laying the ground cover and a use thereof as cable protection.

[0002] WO 2005 / 035874 describes a building panel with a complex shape in plan view. The building panel can be joined to a number of similar panels to form a continuous row. It has a rectangular central section and a pair of end sections extending from opposite end edges of the central section. Each end section has an isosceles trapezoidal part adjacent to the central section and a rectangular part adjacent to the trapezoidal part. Several of the outer edges of the panel are designed to engage with the corresponding edges of other similar panels so that they resist movement in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the panels. To address this common seam problem, an interlocking arrangement allows the panels, when engaged, to be locked together.They therefore resist a relative separation movement.

[0003] JP 2006 - 63 585 A describes a ground cover consisting of an arrangement of overlapping panels. Lower panels with floor walls lie on the ground. Upper panels with cover walls are laid on top of them and form a walkable or drivable surface of the ground cover. Stacked edges and inner webs, each with considerable wall thickness, can be laid on top of each other. Inner webs have recesses. The upper panels are additionally supported directly on the floors by inner supports.

[0004] There is still a need for a ground cover system that can be installed quickly and economically. It should adapt to the undulations in the underlying terrain during installation. No elements should be prone to gaps or bumps, as this would make driving or walking over them difficult. For example, an underlying lawn should not suffer if it is concealed from light and rain for the duration of the event. The floor panels should be able to be reused as quickly and economically as possible or recycled at the end of their useful life.

[0005] This object is achieved according to the invention with the subject matter of the independent claims, namely by means of a ground covering according to claim 1, comprising its characterizing features, furthermore by means of a device for carrying out a method for laying a ground covering according to claim 10 and by means of the uses according to at least one of claims 11 and / or 12.

[0006] Advantageous embodiments are specified in subclaims and can also be taken from the drawings of the figures and the following description.

[0007] In the case of the ground cover to be developed, consisting of an arrangement of interconnected panels with lower panels laid beneath the upper panels, the lower panels rest on the ground with floor walls, and the upper panels with cover walls form a walkable or drivable surface of the ground cover. Narrow edge sides and / or internal webs are formed between the cover walls and the floor walls facing the ground, with recesses in at least the edge sides of the panels.

[0008] According to the invention, the lower shells and the upper shells are laid offset from one another. Laying recesses in at least the edge sides of the upper shells and / or the laying recesses of the lower shells function with each other and / or with the edge sides and / or inner webs of the other upper or lower shell as at least a single-value bearing.

[0009] The inventive concept corresponds to the use of a lower shell which is laterally slotted in its edges with laying recesses as a loose bearing of a floor covering, allowing a movement of upper shells mounted therein in at least one lateral direction and upwards, wherein the laying recesses with notch flanks in the direction of movement along an edge side profile of the upper shells mounted therein are stops for the same.

[0010] For the first time, the use of a staggered ground cover for cable protection and guidance is proposed.

[0011] The resulting freedom offers the installer considerable flexibility and cost advantages. It is possible to construct the upper and lower shells identically. If access to the protected floor is later required, the panels can be removed from the center of the cover, even individually, without damage.

[0012] The staggered installation method according to the invention improves load distribution when the slabs are adjacent to each other. This results in increased adaptability to the terrain. Load peaks in the often rather weak interlocks between adjacent slabs are avoided.

[0013] It is now even possible to provide an expansion gap for thermal expansion, so that there is no additional expansion across several panels, which has occasionally led to buckling or impact damage in state-of-the-art floor coverings.

[0014] Advantageous embodiments of improved floor slab constructions are explained in more detail with reference to the figures. The following figures show several embodiments to which the invention is not limited.

[0015] The figures show: Fig. 1 - a floor covering according to the invention, wherein two upper shells are connected to a lower shell in an offset manner by means of locking devices. Fig. 1a - a lock bolt which has an upper bolt and a lower bolt as part of the locking mechanism. Fig. 1b - a lock bearing plate, which serves as a lock bolt made of Fig. 1a further component of the locking device includes through holes for fastening the lock bearing plate to the respective upper shell. Fig. 1c - a lock mounted on a transparent, partially visible upper shell in the open position. The closed position is achieved by rotating the lock bolt, see arrow clockwise. Fig. 1d - the locking mechanism Fig. 1c in the closed position. The upper latch engages a locking recess of a neighboring upper shell, while the lower latch simultaneously engages a tab of the lower shell in the same rotational movement. Fig. 2 - a lower shell with tabs for holding the lower bolt. Fig. 3 - half a lower shell as an edge plate element. Fig. 4 - a quarter of the lower shell as a corner plate element. Fig. 5 - an upper shell with a view from the inside of lock receptacles for mounting the locking device. Fig. 6 - another embodiment of an upper shell according to the invention without locking elements, in a perspective view obliquely from above. Fig. 7 - a floor cover with lower shells only partially covered by upper shells, to provide an insight into a cable routing. Fig. 7a - another embodiment of a floor covering according to the invention, shown without upper shells. Fig. 7b - a parallel laying of ground cover strips according to the invention, whereby bridging not shown here is also possible by means of special upper shells according to the invention. Fig. 8 - that patterns can be created in the floor covering by coloring the upper shells. Fig. 9 - that various additional components can be attached to a ground cover. Fig. 9a to 9c - that the attachment of the additional components is successful by means of connecting extensions according to the invention. Fig. 10 - an advantageous embodiment of a floor covering according to the invention, which provides for fastening without locks or latches. Fig. 11 - a second advantageous embodiment of a floor covering, which also provides for fastening without locking. In addition to installation recesses, additional grooves can be seen in the lower and upper shells. Fig. 12 - a lower shell according to the invention according to a further advantageous embodiment with floor-wall-deep transport recesses and half-height grooves as central laying recesses. Fig. 13 - half a lower shell according to Fig. 12. Fig. 14 - a quarter of the lower shell according to Fig. 12. Fig. 15 - an upper shell with central half-height groove recesses and cable recesses. Fig. 16 - a lower shell according to Fig. 12 with the upper shell inserted therein for transport, wherein in the perspective view obliquely from above, rear edge sides of the upper shell are laid outwards in the corners by the edge sides of the lower shell in order to rest on the edge sides of the lower shell from the outside starting at the corners, resulting in a nested plate.

[0016] The same reference numerals used in the figures are often reused across the different embodiments to identify similar features, which is not intended to be inconsistent. This serves to facilitate comparability.

[0017] The Fig. 7, Fig. 7a, Fig. 7b shows an advantageous embodiment of a floor covering 1 designed according to the invention as an arrangement of interconnected panels 10. The panels 10 essentially consist of a lower shell 20 laid on the floor and an upper shell 30 placed on top. When fully laid, the top view creates the impression that several panels are lying next to each other. However, the concept of the invention is based on an offset installation of the lower and upper shells 20, 30.

[0018] The lower shells 20 rest on the ground with their floor walls 14. The upper shells 30, with their cover walls 12, later form a walkable or drivable surface of the ground cover 1. Narrow edge sides 15 and / or internal webs (not shown) are formed between the cover walls 12 and the floor walls 14 facing the ground, serving as vertical supports.

[0019] One edge of the upper shell extends directly to the bottom of the lower shell located below it and finds a sufficiently large support surface on the floor, allowing for considerable accuracy with plenty of play. The supporting edge sides 15 have recesses 16, 17, 18. At these points, the upper and lower shells virtually interlock, so that their overall heights do not add up. Of the recesses, the installation recesses 16 function as at least a single-value bearing for the edge sides 15 of a respective other shell that are to be accommodated therein. Each installation recess 16 considered individually limits the movement of the shell mounted therein as a sliding guide, for example, to two sides and downwards. In the illustrations of the Fig. 7, Fig. 7a, Fig. 7b does not indicate, or is not intended to specify, the depth and width of the groove-like installation recesses 16 of the upper shells 30 and lower shells 20, and whether they are always the same at the top and bottom or in one of the shells. This is not important for the time being. Fig. 7, Fig. 7a, Fig. 7b are intended as schematic sketches, even though some of them could be precisely measured.

[0020] In line recesses 17, according to the Fig. 7, Fig. 7a Cable routing elements are visible. Just as the notches in the edge sides 15 guide the cables, the invention, according to embodiments not shown, also provides for notches in support webs, similar to the edge sides, for example, arranged parallel to the edge sides, to continue the cable routing.

[0021] In Fig. 15 shows an advantageous embodiment of a special upper shell 30. Accordingly, it is intended to Fig. 15, the lower shells 20 (not shown) of the panels 10 and the upper shells 30 are to be laid offset by approximately half, overlapping one another, so that they interlock with half-height groove recesses 16.1. This results in a displacement lock of the shells relative to one another, now in a further direction of movement of the shells 20, 30 relative to one another, in comparison to locking recesses 16 running from top to bottom across the entire edge height, namely on two sides each. If, however, for example to bridge a larger cable run or a gutter, the shells are not half-offset, but rather leaving a quarter free ( Fig. 7b) is laid laterally offset, a freer sliding guide results in a groove that is then deeper than the laying recess 16, 17, 18. In Fig. 15 shows, in addition to a central laying recess 16 on each edge, two cable recesses 17, which serve as laying recesses instead of cable recesses in the above-described case. This gauge is also used in the Fig. 7 and Fig. 7a supported.

[0022] A consistent division into thirds is shown in the further example of the Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, once with and once without prepared locking recesses 5. It is an upper shell 30 from the inside ( Fig. 5) and from above / outside ( Fig. 6). The upper shell 30 of this embodiment of advantageous panels 10 also has no central installation recesses in the edge sides 15 because they are designed to be completely recessed into correspondingly completely recessed installation recesses 16 of suitable lower shells 20, with a certain lateral play. From the inside, lock receptacles 13 with four screw holes 23 each can be seen in the four corners of the upper shell 30, into which Fig. 5 not shown lock bearing plates 22 (cf. Fig. 1c, Fig. 1d) can be screwed together.

[0023] A major advantage of the arrangement according to the invention is the good load distribution across the distributed panels 10, whose edges 15 represent distributed, and therefore reasonably spaced, webs. Additional internal webs can be arranged adjacent to create various patterns to support the cover walls 12 on the floor walls 14 or, in some cases, directly on the ground (not shown). Another advantage is the good adaptability of the overlapping ground cover 1 to the terrain, which represents the ground used above in the description but not visible in the drawings.

[0024] Peak loads in locking devices arranged between transversely twisted plates according to the state of the art are now a thing of the past.

[0025] In the basic form, the “slabs” 10 laid according to the invention have, for example, in their lower shells 20 at least four laying recesses 16 as single-value bearings. Each basic lower shell according to the Fig. 7, Fig. 7a, Fig. 7b has at least one laying recess 16 per edge side 15, in order to be available as a loose bearing in the form of a short groove guide for an upper shell. Four upper shells are thus mounted in a lower shell, but also in three further lower shells. At the edge of the floor covering 1 according to the invention, half lower shells 20.1 or lower shell quarters 20.2 are formed to form a closed covering edge, as shown schematically in the Fig. 10 to 14 are shown in the overall view.

[0026] As a further success of the invention, it is thanks to the edge sides 15 with their at least three stops each, which limit displacements of the plates 10 against each other laterally on both sides and vertically downwards, that not only a respective upper shell 30 remains freely removable upwards.

[0027] In Fig. 16 is a subshell 20 after Fig. 12 with the upper shell 30 inserted therein for transport, wherein, in the perspective view obliquely from above, the rear edge sides 15 of the upper shell 30 are relocated outwardly in the corners through the edge sides 15 of the lower shell 20 in order to rest from the outside on the edge sides 15 of the lower shell 20 from the corners, resulting in a nested plate 10. This illustration clearly illustrates the use of the advantageous transport recess 18 in the edge side corners of the lower shell 20. The transport volume is halved.

[0028] In the Fig. 9, Fig. 9a, Fig. 9b and Fig. Figure 9c shows that, in particularly preferred embodiments of the floor covering 1, female connections for limiting elements 7, 8, 9 are provided at its edge with the recesses 16, 17, 18. The limiting elements 7, 8, 9 are connected to male connecting elements 6 (cf. Fig. 9b) in the upper shells 30 and possibly also lower shells 20. Bridge elements not shown could create a gap according to Fig. 7b when they are inserted into the system according to the invention because they are designed as upper shells at the bottom.

[0029] Whether only after releasing a locking mechanism 25 arranged between the lower shells 20 and the upper shells 30 in accordance with the Fig. 1 to 5 or laid without locking, the floor covering according to the invention makes it possible to lay patterns on site, cf. Fig. 8. This creative requirement can be met even better due to the degrees of freedom of the inventive floor covering 1, because the dimensions of the upper shells 30 and lower shells 20 do not have to correspond to each other. The resolution can be increased towards the top by accommodating and storing several upper shells 30 on a lower shell 20, as shown in Fig. 8 shown only in one possible variant.

[0030] In Fig. 7, a particularly preferred embodiment of a floor covering 1 according to the invention is shown only imprecisely or even incorrectly. To represent this further (not precisely shown) embodiment, the upper shells 30 would have to be in the perspective top view of the Fig. 7 and Fig. 7b should be smaller from above than the lower shells 20. When installing several such panels 10, this results in joints between the upper shells 30 that are either visible from above or covered by overlaps. Expansion of the upper shells 30, which are often exposed to intense sunlight, requires play in the bearings / installation recesses 16 of the lower shells 20, even if the lower shells 20 are laid directly butt-together on the relatively cool ground. Outdoors, the upper shells 30 expand, while the lower shells 20, which are more exposed to the ground, expand less or not at all. Therefore, expansion compensation occurs within the ground covering.

[0031] Only exemplary and schematically should be included in the Fig. 1 to 5 illustrate a locking mechanism 25 that can be integrated into the floor covering 1 according to the invention. Other known locking devices can also be used alternatively. However, this variant of the locking mechanism 25 of particular upper shells 30 shown here takes into account the degrees of freedom created in the installation recesses 16 and does not negate them. The locking mechanism 25 essentially consists of a lock bolt 21 mounted in a lock bearing plate 22 so that it can rotate through 90°. Tabs 24 are formed in the lower shells 20 for receiving lower bolts 26 of the lock bolts 21. Upper bolts 28 engage in locking recesses 5 in the edge sides 15 of the upper shells 30 and extend through them into the adjacent upper shell 30.

[0032] Fig. 5 shows in each corner of an upper shell 30 a lock receptacle 13 for screwing 23 one in each Fig. 5 not shown lock bearing plate 22. The lock bearing plate 22 ( Fig. 1b) has a round contour as a bolt bearing 27, in which the lock bolt 21 ( Fig. 1a) is rotatably mounted. A stop 29 ensures that the lock bolt 21 is in Fig. 1a can only rotate by 90°. This ensures that the lock bolt 21 clearly indicates, through an opening in the upper shell 30, whether it is closed or open. List of reference symbols: 1 floor cover 3 Cable duct / water pipe 5 Locking recess 6 Connecting element 7 first boundary element 8 second boundary element 9 third boundary element 10 plates 12 Cover wall 13 Lock holder ( Fig. 5) with blind holes 14 Floor wall 15 edge side 16 Installation recess 16.1 half-height groove recess 17 Cable recess 18 Transport recess 20 lower shell 20.1 half bottom shell 20.2 quarters of the saucer 21 lock bolts 22 Lock bearing plate 23 Screw hole 24 tab 25 Locking 26 lower bar 27 bolt bearings 28 upper bar 29 Stop lock bolt 30 upper shell QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 696 12 757 T2

[0001] WO 2005 / 035874 A1

[0001] JP 2006 - 63 585 A [0001, 0003] WO 2005 / 035874

[0002]

Claims

[1] Floor covering (1) consisting of an arrangement of interconnected plates (10), with lower shells (20) laid under upper shells (30), wherein the lower shells (20) lie on the ground with floor walls (14) and wherein the upper shells (30) form a walkable or drivable surface of the ground cover (1) with cover walls (12), wherein narrow edge sides (15) and / or internal webs are formed between the cover walls (12) and the floor walls (14) facing the floor, with recesses (5, 16, 17, 18) in at least the edge sides (15) of the plates (10), characterized bythat the lower shells (20) and the upper shells (30) are laid offset to one another and laying recesses (16) in at least the edge sides (15) of the upper shells (30) and / or laying recesses (16) of the lower shells (20) function with each other and / or with edge sides (15) and / or inner webs of the respective other upper or lower shell (30, 20) as at least a single-value bearing. [2] Ground cover (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that the lower shells (20) and the upper shells (30) are offset from one another, overlapping each other by approximately half. [3] Ground cover (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bythat in the edge sides (15) and / or webs of female lower shells (20) and / or female upper shells (30) up to the bottom wall (14) or the cover wall (12) downwards or upwards continuous slots are provided as laying recesses (16) for the engagement of edge sides (15) or webs of male upper shells (30) and / or lower shells (20) designed to be continuous without laying recess (16). [4] Ground cover (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized byin that the at least single-value bearing of a lower shell (20) with at least four laying recesses (16), namely at least one laying recess (16) per edge side (15), is designed as a loose bearing in the form of a short groove guide (16.1) in order to provide an edge side (15) of an upper shell (30) with at least three stops which limit displacements of the panels relative to one another laterally on both sides and vertically downwards, wherein the upper shell basically remains freely removable upwards, in preferred embodiments only after a release of a lock (25) arranged between the lower shells (20) and the upper shells (30). [5] Ground cover (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the lower shells (20) are designed to be identical to the upper shells (30), or at least identical to the shape of their edge sides (15). [6] Ground cover (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat laying recesses (16) of the edge sides (15) are recessed to approximately half the edge height, as half-height groove recesses (16.1) in order to support the respective other upper shells (30) or lower shells (20) mutually interlocked by means of grooves. [7] Ground cover (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the upper shells (30) are smaller in plan view from above than the lower shells (20), so that when laying several panels (10), joints between the upper shells (30) that are visible from above or covered with overlaps offer play for the expansion of the upper shells (30) when the lower shells (20) are laid directly next to one another on the floor. [8] Ground cover (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat in the lower shells (20) tabs (24) for receiving lower bolts (26) and in the edge sides (15) of the upper shells (30) locking recesses (5) for receiving upper bolts (28) of the lock bolt (21) rotatably mounted in the upper shells (30) are formed. [9] Ground cover (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that in the edge sides (15) of the lower shells (20) with a distance of 5 mm to 5 cm from the respective corner, transport recesses (18) are made up to the bottom wall (14), so that transport nesting is possible because for transport purposes the upper shells (30) and lower shells (20) are designed to be nestable as a pair without overlapping. [10] Device for carrying out a method for laying a floor covering (1), characterized by that upper shells (30) are laid offset on lower shells (20). [11] Device according to claim 10, characterized bythat the upper shells (30) and the lower shells (20) form a floor covering (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9. [12] Use of a lower shell (20) laterally slotted in its edges with laying recesses (16) as a loose bearing of a floor covering (1), allowing a movement of upper shells (30) mounted therein in at least one lateral direction and upwards, wherein the laying recesses (16) with notch flanks in the direction of movement along an edge side profile of the upper shells (30) mounted therein are stops for the same. [13] Use of the floor covering (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9 as cable protection and guidance.

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