Height adjustable support panel for a floor covering

Abstract

The invention relates to a height-adjustable support plate (1) comprising two individual plates (9) which change their overall height by rotating relative to each other. A spring drive (2) is provided which acts on the individual plates in the upward direction; and a position holder (7) is provided, which can be actuated mechanically, optionally with a retaining spring (8), or electrically, and which releasably fixes the angular position of the two individual plates (9) relative to each other in a lowered position. The position holder (7) is released mechanically, preferably by means of a cord, remotely, or by a timer as a self-timer.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a height-adjustable support plate for a floor covering consisting of individual covering panels according to the preamble of claim 1. Such floor coverings are often only used temporarily, for exhibitions, presentations and the like, but are also sometimes laid permanently.

[0002] With this type of flooring, all paving slabs meeting at such a junction are supported at the corners by a common retaining plate, also called a support plate, usually secured by a positive fit, but in some cases also by friction-fit fixings, either additionally or instead of this positive fit. Either way, the paving slabs are thus fixed to each other.

[0003] These mounting plates can be laid directly on a level surface, and no further action is required when laying the floor.

[0004] However, if a type of subfloor (raised floor) is to be created for laying cables, pipes, hoses, etc., or if the subfloor on which the floor is constructed is not as level as necessary to achieve the flattest possible surface for all the flooring panels laid on top, support plates are used. These support plates are height-adjustable and are positioned beneath the load-bearing panels. Such support plates have two discs, usually identical in design, which, to a certain extent, share a central axis and central symmetry. The discs are essentially circular with a central, circular opening and a central axis. Along the central opening, cylindrical inner walls extend over the entire height of the discs.

[0005] One side, called the outer side, has elements to which a support plate can be detachably and, in various configurations, rotatably attached around the central axis. A second side, called the screw side, has two concentric ramp sections offset by 90° from each other. Each ramp extends 180° around the circumference, forming a total of four ramps that run along helical lines. The gradient of the ramps is chosen such that the relative rotation is self-locking due to the friction cone. A different number of ramps, and thus different angular ranges, are possible.

[0006] When two discs are placed face to face, with their central axes aligned, the ramps make full contact. This contact varies depending on the discs' relative angles around the central axis, ranging from 100% (of the theoretically possible maximum) in the lowest position to 0% when rotated 180°. Stops prevent such a large rotation, ensuring sufficient overlap and thus full coverage of the ramps, and therefore sufficient load-bearing capacity, even when the discs reach their highest position. The inner wall features projections and undercuts that allow for easy separation of the discs in their highest rotational position, while preventing them from disintegrating in lower positions, thus simplifying handling.The joining in the axial direction is possible in any angular position through slight elastic deformation due to the shape and size of the protrusions and undercuts.

[0007] Since access to the support plate is maintained during the laying of the floor covering until the last covering tile is placed on a support plate, the lower disc, which is not secured against rotation by the support plate and the covering tiles already mounted on it, can be rotated and thus adjusted in height up to this point. If, as indicated, a rotatable support plate is used, the upper individual plate can also be rotated. In this case, the central opening 17 acts as a receptacle 4 for the support plate.

[0008] It has now become apparent that there is a growing desire, particularly with large paving slabs and / or heavy loads (car showroom, etc.), to support the paving slabs in their central area or along the edges, which can only be done in a very laborious way with the known support plates.

[0009] A similar need exists particularly in edge or corner situations where access to the support plates is very limited or not available at all.

[0010] There is therefore a need to decouple and simplify this adjustment activity as much as possible from accessibility in order to accelerate the laying process, and the aim of the invention is to provide a support plate that is capable of doing so.

[0011] According to the invention, this is achieved by the features specified in the characterizing part of claim 1; in other words, by providing a spring drive comprising a spring pre-tensioned in the central opening between the two individual discs, which forces the two discs to rotate about the central axis in a manner corresponding to the increasing distance between the two discs and thus to the overall increase in height, and by providing a holding device which releasably fixes the two individual discs in a predetermined, low, height position against the force of the spring drive.

[0012] The release of the holding device can be done in a variety of ways: by triggering via a cord, by a time-determined mechanical or electromechanical self-timer, by a radio signal, e.g. via Bluetooth, by a signal transmitted via a signal line, especially if it is an "intelligent" covering that has such lines, likewise if the floor covering has an electric heating element that can transmit not only a signal but also power for current-dependent triggering mechanisms, and much more.

[0013] Since the release (triggering) of the holding device causes the two individual plates to rotate relative to each other, thus performing the height adjustment process, without any noticeable load on the ramps, the required spring force is very small. Due to the self-locking mechanism, no further measure for fixing is necessary after reaching the underside of the surface plate; there is no mechanical difference compared to support plates not equipped with the adjustment mechanism.

[0014] The release of the locking mechanism can be achieved, particularly when the support plate is fixed in place by clipped-on flooring panels, by pulling a cord which releases the locking mechanism. The cord can be permanently attached to the locking mechanism, allowing it to be wrapped around the mechanism when the floor is dismantled and reused for the next floor. Alternatively, the cord can be released by a resistance mechanism when pulled from the locking device, allowing it to be collected during the flooring installation.

[0015] If the support plate is slid (placed) centrally under a covering plate, it is advantageous for the holding device to be released by a timer mechanism or remotely controlled to prevent shifting during triggering.

[0016] The invention also has the advantage that, in the case of unstable substrates, the height of the support plate is automatically readjusted to a quite advantageous extent if the substrate yields, and that, in the case of elastic, springy covering plates, a certain useful upward "preload" is achieved.

[0017] The invention is described in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment and the drawing. The drawing(s) show(s). the Fig. 1 a support plate according to the invention without spring drive in a perspective view, which Fig. 2 a top view of a support plate according to the invention with spring drive, which Fig. 3 a section along line III-III of the Fig. 2 , the Fig. 4 a section along line IV-IV of the Fig. 2 , the Fig. 5 a spring drive without a spring in perspective view, which Figures 6A to 6C a variant of a spring drive without a spring and the Fig. 7a variant of a trigger.

[0018] The Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows a support plate 1 usable according to the invention without the spring drive to be used. In this example, the support plate 1 consists of two identical parts, the individual plates 9. The inner surfaces facing each other have the screw surfaces (ramps) already described, which cause the overall height of the support plate 1 to change when the angular position of the two individual plates 9 relative to each other changes. In addition to support ribs 3 for increasing mechanical strength, the outwardly facing surfaces have receptacles 4 into which suitable extensions of the usual retaining plates can be inserted and, if necessary, temporarily fixed there by means of friction or magnetically.

[0019] In the central through-opening 17, an essentially circular hole, the outer outlines of grooves 5 are visible alongside the boundary lines of the two individual plates 9, into which mushroom-shaped projections 6 of the counter plate (other individual plate) engage, thus allowing easy separation of the two plates only in the maximum highest position; assembly is possible, as already explained, in any angular position and thus in any height position, due to purely elastic deformation of the interlocking components.

[0020] This measure facilitates the handling of the support plate 1, regardless of whether it is equipped with a spring drive or not. The projections 6 limit the upward rotation of the two individual plates (before reaching 180°) and thus ensure a sufficiently large contact area of ​​the screw surfaces (ramps) on the inner sides of the individual plates 9. All of this is known from the prior art; what is new in this embodiment is a positioning bracket, designated 7 in its entirety, which is simply provided on each individual plate, with a spring 8 usually being inserted into only one of the two positioning brackets 7.

[0021] The construction of the position holder 7 in the illustrated embodiment is as follows: On the lower single plate 9, as shown, a spring holder 10 and a boundary 11 are provided at appropriate angular positions relative to each other. A suitably shaped and thus pre-tensioned retaining spring 8 is inserted into these plates in a captive but removable manner. The other single plate, the upper one in this view, has a stop 12 that interacts with a lug 13 of the retaining spring 8. In the Fig. 1 In the position shown, the retaining spring 8 is clamped in the spring holder 10 and its nose 13 presses radially inwards against the outer circumference of the other single plate 9. The latter has a stop 12 in this area, which prevents the upper single plate 9 from rotating clockwise relative to the lower single plate 9, and thus prevents the overall height of the support plate 1 from increasing.

[0022] Furthermore, the boundary 11 of one individual plate, together with the boundary 11 of the other individual plate 9, serves to limit the rotation of the two individual plates 9 relative to each other, independently of, and in the direction of raising, before the stop of the projections 6. This has the advantage that when the spring drive is triggered in "idle mode," when there is no vertical stop on the underside of a lining plate (or another object), the forces occurring can be absorbed more easily and reliably due to the significantly larger lever arm around the central axis 20 than by the internal and considerably smaller stops formed by the projections 6.

[0023] The design of the spring retainer 10, the boundary 11 and the stop 12 is geared towards the use of a retaining spring. If, for example, a radially movable bolt or pin (possibly with a polygonal cross-section) is used which is moved a short distance or completely radially outwards to trigger the position retainer, other shapes and elements must of course be provided, which a person skilled in the art can easily achieve with knowledge of the invention and the intended goal.

[0024] The Fig. 2 Figure 1 shows a top view of a support plate 1 according to the invention, with a built-in spring drive 2. Fig. 3 is a section along line III-III of the Fig. 2 , the Fig. 4 a section along line IV-IV of the Fig. 2The three illustrations, taken together, provide a good overall picture of the invention. It should be noted that the radially extending section lines do not pass through the support ribs 3 themselves due to their slight offset, which leads to the special feature explained below. Figures 3 and 4 leads.

[0025] It is clearly visible in Fig. 3 The groove 5, which together with the nose 6 serves to hold the two individual plates 9 together, and the inserted spring drive 2. The offset arrangement of the support ribs results in the views of the two contacting, outer helical surfaces to the left and right of the central axis 20 being centered (with respect to height). The drive spring 14, which is suspended in the lower area of ​​the spring drive 2, and its engagement with the other (upper) individual plate are clearly visible.

[0026] The Fig. 4 , a cut at a right angle to that of the Fig. 3, shows the contact of the inner ramps and the course of the grooves 5; the above also applies to the vertical position of the contact surfaces.

[0027] The in Fig. 5The variant of the spring drive 2 shown in perspective view essentially has a circular base plate 15, the lower surface of which is flush with the corresponding lower surface of the individual plate 9 into which it is inserted. Therefore, in the following, without limitation of generality, the base plate and the lower individual plate 9 will also be considered and referred to as the base plate. An upwardly projecting rim 16, divided into two sections by the base plate 15, is provided. The outer, circular cylindrical surface of this rim serves primarily to form a secure, yet non-destructively releasable, grip in the central recess 17 of the individual plates 9 and thus also of the support plate 1, secured by friction. The upper, outer edge of the rim 16 is generously chamfered to facilitate insertion into the recess 17.

[0028] In the center of the base plate 15 in the variant of Fig. 5A cylinder 18 projects upwards; its height can, as shown, reach up to twice the heights of the individual plates 9 and thus, in the lowest state of the support plate 1, reach up to its upper surface, as shown. Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 This is clearly visible. The reason for this is that it ensures reliable guidance of the (not shown here) drive spring.

[0029] Furthermore, three upwardly projecting projections 19 are provided in the annular area of ​​the base plate 15, which are spaced both from the inner side of the rim 16 and from the outer side of the cylinder 18. These projections 19 rise higher than the rim 16, but significantly lower than the cylinder 18. These projections serve to securely guide the drive spring 14, which is thus reliably guided around the central axis 20. The drive spring 14 is fixed at one of its lower ends to one of the projections 19 by forming an angle, an eyelet, or the like.

[0030] In the variant of Fig. 6 , The figure shows a spring drive 2 in which the base plate 15 is designed without a raised edge. Besides the cylinder 18, only a projection 19, designed as a retaining hook 22 extending upwards from the base plate, is provided. An angled end of the drive spring 14, a spiral or coil spring, can be easily hooked into the retaining hook 22. The edge, also designated 16 here, of the base plate 15 again serves for a friction-fit connection with the inner wall of the central opening 17 of the (lower) single plate and, like the opening 17, can be chamfered at its upper edge.

[0031] The frictional engagement of the spring drive 2 with the lower single plate 9, into which it is inserted, also secures it to this single plate. The other end of the drive spring 14 acts directly on the other, upper, single plate 9 and applies a torque to it, which causes both single plates 9 to expand vertically along their mutually facing helical surfaces.

[0032] The Fig. 7Figure 1 shows a rotatable, angled release lever 23, one of whose two legs is rotatably mounted in the position holder 7 about an axis running approximately tangentially to the outer contour of one of the individual plates 9. In the depicted holding position, the second leg runs at least approximately vertically, parallel to the central axis 20. A mechanical stiffener in the form of an approximately triangular wing 24 is provided between the legs. The second leg lies "in front" of the stop 12 of the other individual plate 9 and thus prevents its rotation. An eyelet 25 is provided in or on the second leg to receive a cord or the like. The cord can be used to rotate the release lever 23 about the axis of the first leg and thus release the rotational movement.

[0033] In the illustrated design, the bearing of the rotatably mounted leg is only loosely designed, so that it can be pulled off with the cord and is immediately ready for the next use.

[0034] The individual figures show various other elements that are not causally related to the invention and were already provided for in the prior art, for example the handles 21. These serve as an aid for applying the necessary forces and moments when using the support plates 1 and in particular when disassembling them into the individual plates 9 and when assembling them.

[0035] The individual plates 9 and the spring drive 2, but not the springs themselves, are preferably made of plastic and manufactured by injection molding. With knowledge of the invention and the prior art to which the individual plates belong, the materials and dimensions can be determined without difficulty by a person skilled in the art. The springs 8, 14 are conveniently made of spring steel.

[0036] Instead of the retaining spring 8, the spring holder 10 (which, like the boundary 11 and, to a certain extent, also the stop 12, no longer deserves this name, but can only be generally referred to as the position holder 7) and the boundary 11 can be fitted with the (not shown) position holder, which has a movable pin extending radially towards the central axis 20. A drive mechanism in the position holder 7, provided by a time-delay mechanism or a remote-controlled mechanism, moves the pin so that it comes out of the movement range of the nose 13, thus triggering the adjustment. Whether this mechanism is designed mechanically or electromechanically can be easily determined and designed by a person skilled in the art with knowledge of the invention, the field of application, and the prior art.

[0037] As is readily apparent to a person skilled in the art familiar with the invention, it is also possible to design the shape and arrangement of the elements 10, 11, and 12 differently and to provide other types of springs, holders, etc., instead of the illustrated retaining spring 8, such as the aforementioned electromechanically acting holders, but also holders that act either purely mechanically or also electromechanically with a time delay. To activate the spring drive, the illustrated retaining spring 8 is preferably pulled radially outwards by means of a cord or the like (an opening may be provided in the retaining spring 8 for easier installation), so that the lug 13 moves out of the path of the stop 12 and the drive spring 14 can effect the rotation of the individual plates 9 relative to each other until the upper individual plate 9 abuts the (not shown) covering plate from below.A reverse rotation due to the load on the covering plate and thus on the upper individual plate 9 is not possible due to the self-locking of the screw surfaces, so that the support plate 1 is able to fulfill its supporting function.

[0038] Another, simpler embodiment of the positioning device consists preferably of several radial indentations on the outer circumference of the screw surfaces, arranged circumferentially such that, at the lowest point of the two individual plates relative to each other (the support plate), these indentations are angularly aligned and allow the insertion of a removable pin, optionally with a circular or polygonal cross-section. This pin is preferably connected to a cord on the outside and can thus be easily removed, thereby triggering the positioning. To counteract the problem of friction caused by the applied torque of the drive spring 14, the indentations and, accordingly, the pin can have a conical (or pyramidal or wedge-shaped) form with an inwardly decreasing cross-section, so that the normal force acting on the contact surface due to the drive spring 14 provides an outward component, thus counteracting the frictional force.Suitable angle ranges can be easily determined by a person skilled in the art with knowledge of the invention, the materials used and the expected spring force (torque).

[0039] In short: The invention relates to a height-adjustable support plate 1, comprising two individual plates 9 which change their overall height by rotating them relative to each other. A spring drive 2 is provided which acts on the individual plates in the upward direction; and a position holder 7, which can be actuated mechanically, possibly with a retaining spring 8, or electrically, is provided, which releasably fixes the angular position of the two individual plates 9 relative to each other in a lowered position.

[0040] The release of the position holder 7 is carried out mechanically, preferably by means of a cord, remotely controlled or by a time control as a self-timer.

[0041] In this description, the terms: above, below, up, etc. are used and understood in their common technical sense. Reference symbol list:

[0042] 01 support plate 14 drive spring 02 Spring drive 15 base plate 03 Supporting rib 16 edge 04 Recording 17 Central opening 05 groove 18 cylinder 06 projection 19 projection 07 Positioning bracket 20 Central axis 08 Retaining spring 21 Handle 09 single plate 22 Retaining hook 10 Spring holder 23 Release lever 11 Demarcation 24 wing 12 stop 25 eyelet 13 Nose

Claims

1. Height-adjustable support plate (1) for a floor covering consisting of individual covering panels, comprising two preferably identical, substantially annular individual plates (9), wherein - each individual plate (9) has a central axis (20) and a concentric annular recess (17) thereto, - each individual plate (9) has a screw side which extends concentrically around the central axis (20) and has at least two ramp areas radially and circumferentially offset from each other around the central axis, each ramp area being formed circumferentially increasing in the same direction and thus forming a total of at least four ramps which run along helical lines, and - at least one of the individual plates has an outer surface which has receptacles (4) which are provided so that a support plate for the covering panels can be detachably attached to them, characterized by - thatat least one positioning bracket (7) is provided on the circumference of each individual plate (9), which together detachably fix the angular position of the two individual plates (9) relative to each other in the working position, - that a spring drive (2) is detachably inserted in the annular recess (17) of one of the two individual plates (9), preferably the lower one, which has a base plate (15) with a rim (16) whose outer surface interacts with the annular recess (17) in a holding manner, with a central cylinder (18) whose height in the installed state in the lowest position of the support plate (1) extends at most to its upper top surface, and with at least one spring holder for a drive spring (14), having either at least two projections (19) or a projection designed as a retaining hook (22).

2. Support plate (1) according to claim 1, characterized by the fact thatthe position holder (7) is formed by: - ​​that at least one spring holder (10), one boundary (11) and one stop (12), preferably two of each of these elements, are formed on the circumference of each individual plate (9); - that the spring holder (10) and the boundary (11) of an individual plate (9) hold a holding device, preferably a holding spring (8), for the angular position of the two individual plates (9), which interacts with the stop (12) of the other individual plate.

3. Support plate (1) according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that The position holder (7) preferably consists of several radial indentations in the outer circumference of the screw surfaces of both individual plates (9), which are arranged circumferentially such that in the lowest position of the support plate, the indentations of the two individual plates (9) are aligned at an angle and allow the insertion of a removable pin, optionally with a circular or polygonal cross-section.

4. Support plate (1) according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that the indentations have a larger cross-section in the circumferential direction with increasing distance from the central axis (20).

5. Support plate (1) according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the position holder (7) comprises a bent release lever (23) which, in its rest position, is rotatably mounted in the position holder (7) with one of its two legs about an axis running approximately tangentially to the outer contour of one of the individual plates (9), such that the second leg runs at least approximately vertically, parallel to the central axis (20) and lies in front of the stop (12) of the other individual plate (9) and thus prevents its rotation about the central axis (29).

6. Support plate (1) according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that an eyelet (25) is provided in or on the second leg to accommodate a cord or the like.

7. Support plate (1) according to claim 5, characterized by the fact thatA mechanical stiffening in the form of an approximately triangular wing (24) is provided between the legs.

8. Support plate (1) according to claim 6, characterized by the fact that the release lever (23) is pulled back with the cord when triggering.

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