Sport floor building module and sport floor comprising such modules

Abstract

This invention relates to a sport floor building module (1), comprising a support structure (5,6) fixedly carrying a flat top layer (7) having a rectangular shape, characterized in that said support structure (5,6) comprises a plurality of mainly cellulosic containing support members (5) and wherein said flat top layer (7) includes or is made of corrugated cardboard.

Description

[0001] SPORT FLOOR BUILDING MODULE

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present invention relates to a sport floor building module intended to facilitate costefficient installation of floors in sport buildings, requiring some bouncing effect.

[0004] TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

[0005] The construction industry is affected as well as other areas of the environmental requirements that consumers demand in different stages. In addition, financial requirements are always imposed on the end products, which means there is a need for reduced costs. These requirements that are desired to be met must not be at the expense of something else, such as safety, strength, workplace environment or the like.

[0006] Construction elements made from cellulose fibres, e.g. paper or board, would bring about many benefits in relation to the existing disadvantages related to use of traditional materials.

[0007] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] It is an object of the present invention to greatly reduce environmental impact, price and improve ease of installation regarding a sport floor building module, which is achieved by a sport floor building module according to claim 1.

[0009] Thanks to the invention, a sport floor building module where demands regarding the environment, ease of installation and price can be more easily met, while at the same time building standards can be met. As is well known paper and board may have significant environmental benefits, both in relation to composite, wood and steel.

[0010] According to further preferred aspects of the invention it also relates to a beneficial method of building a sporting wall.

[0011] BRIEF FIGURE DESCRIPTION

[0012] In the following, the invention will be described in more detail, with reference to the two accompanying figures wherein; Fig. 1 shows a cross-sectional side view of a portion of a sport floor when using a sport floor building module, according to the invention, and,

[0013] Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a sport floor building module according to the invention.

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] In Figure 1 there is shown cross-sectional view of a portion of a sport floor, positioned on the ground 2 (e.g. concrete) of a sports building. There is shown a sport floor building module 1, comprising an upper layer 7 and a cellulose fibre beam 5, which are glued into attachment with each other.

[0016] This building module 1 is the core of the invention and will be described in more detail below. On top of the building module 1 there are arranged further layers 3, 4 (e.g. playwood for ref. 3 and a rubber containing surface material 4) which layers are chosen two provide required strength and comfort to the sport floor. Thanks to the design of the sport floor building module 1 it will provide some bouncing effect, as desired / required for sport floors, which in turn may lead to the ability to use less expensive materials in the top layers 3,4.

[0017] The cellulose fiber beam 5 is preferably designed having two shorter walls 5A and two longer walls 5B and a hollow core, preferably of mirror symmetric design both vertically and horizontally. Each short wall 5 A has a height H which is substantially less than the corresponding cross-sectional width W of the longer walls 5B, preferably the ratio is such that 3H> W> 1.5H. In a most preferred embodiment, the width W is 75-120 mm and the height H 35-75 mm. The thickness t of the wall is chosen to be about 1,5 - 16 mm, preferably 3-7 mm. According to a preferred embodiment, the walls comprise an inner layer 50 of glued together spirally wound liquid board, including 4-10 layers of liquid board having a sealing coating 51, e.g. PE, applied to at least one side, with a grammage of 150-500 grams / m2 and, more preferred of 240 - 415 grams / m2. The adhesive used is the sealing coating, which will melt due to applied heat during the process of winding / 1 aminating the layers. The sealing coating will preferably be in the range of 5- 15 g / m2, which is include in the ranges mentioned above. At least the top layer may have the sealing coating 51 on both sides, such that the outer surface will have the sealing coating 51 also at the outer exposed surface. More preferred a majority of the layers have the sealing coating 51 on both sides. This design of the beam 5 has extremely good ability to withstand moist which is an advantage and indeed often needed to fulfil the function as a support beam for a floor.

[0018] Further, it is shown that within the hollow part on the beam 5 there may be position support member 6. A support member 6 is preferably obtained by cutting a limited portion of a beam 5. The support member 6 is pushed into the interior of the beam 5 and will there provide an extra support such that the beam 5will not collapse when the high load is applied. The support member 6 is preferably position such that the open sides, i.e. the passage there through, will face the long sides 5B of the beam 5, such that all walls of the support member 6 will be positioned vertically within the interior of the beam 5. Hence, the preferred support member 6 will have a width Hl that corresponds to the limited height Hl of the short wall 5 A, which may be less than the total height H of the beam 5. As can be noted preferably the beam is not perfectly rectangular but is arranged with somewhat convex outer surfaces, which may be an advantage regarding providing a bouncing perfect. Further as it is evident from Figure 1 the height H2 of the support member 6 basically corresponds to the total height H of the beam 5 minus twice the thickness t of the walls 5 A. Of course, this height H2 may be varied depending on needs / desires.

[0019] In figure 2 there is shown example of and module according to the invention. As show it comprises the top layer 7 and underneath the top player 7 a plurality of beams glued into attachment there with. The top layer is preferably a light-weight material, preferably having a weight below 2800 g / m2. Preferably a resilient top layer 7 is used, e.g. a corrugated cardboard having a thickness T of the top layer is preferably within the range of 4-16 mm. The distance C between a pair of beams 5 arranged with support members 6 may be in the range of the 300 - 800 mm, preferably 350 -600 mm. Further it is shown that there are position a plurality of support members 6 within the interior of each beam 5. The distance X between each pair of the support members 6 may be in the range of 250 - 700 mm, preferably 350 - 500 mm.

[0020] The size of module is chosen with a length L and width B that is adapted to the needs of the user, e.g 1200 xl200 or 1200 x 2400 mm, wherein both the length L and the width B is larger than or the same as 600 mm, preferably at least 800, more preferred at least 1000 mm. The module 1 is very lightweight, e.g. in the range of 3 -15 kilos, preferably 12 kg or below, and it is therefore easily handled by one person when positioning them onto the ground 2 next to each other to form the base part of a sport floor. Once a sufficient area has been covered with modules 1 the next layer 3 may easily be positioned on top thereof with or without glue, e.g. glued if extra fixture during the mounting is desired, onto the existing modules 1 and thereby fulfil strength requirements of the sport floor. Thereafter the chosen top layer 4 may be mounted on top of the strength layer 3, which normally is applied by conventional methods, e.g. gluing.

[0021] In a modified embodiment (not shown) there is no use of any support members 6 within the interior of each beam 5. Instead, there is a use of a larger number of beams 5, i.e. the beams 5 being positioned closer to each other. The distance C between a pair of beams 5 may then be in the range of the 50 - 300 mm, preferably 50 - 100 mm, more preferred 65 - 85 mm.

[0022] In one embodiment (not shown) at one of the sides along which the beams 5 run in parallel with the edge of the top layer 7, each module 1 may have a beam 5 arranged such that a part thereof protrudes to enable support for the edge of the top layer 7 of a neighbouring module 1, e.g. 30-90 % of the width W of the protruding beam 5 being attached to the top layer 7, and 70-10% protruding outside of the edge of the top layer 7, more preferred the protruding part may be in the range of 60-30% of the width W, even more preferred less than 50%.

[0023] According to a further modification (not shown) the beams 5 may be produced by gluing a plurality of layers of corrugated cardboard, e.g. to facilitate a lower height H under the top layer 7. This may be needed in situations where an existing sports floor is exchanged by this novel concept, in order to provide a total height, including the top layer 7, that matches the level of the old sports floor, i.e. to avoid need to change existing thresholds, etc. In that case a plurality of layers of corrugated board is used to provide a height H in the range of 15-70 mm.

[0024] Preferably there may be used one integral sheet forming both the top layer 7 and at least one beam 5, preferably at least one along one edge thereof. This may be achieved by use of V- grooves, i.e. a first 90° V-groove to arrange for an intermediate vertical part to extend vertically from a horizontal first layer of the corrugated sheet and a second 90° V-groove to arrange for a second layer extend horizontally on top of or below the first horizontal layer of the corrugated sheet. Preferably the corrugated sheet is integral with both the top layer and each outer beam 5, i.e. by use of V-grooves as mentioned above. Intermediate beams may be made in a similar manner by folding of a sheet separate from the one forming the top layer 7, or indeed integral therewith by use of a plurality of V-grooves at both sides of the sheet, partly to form triangular body parts extending vertically and partly to form longer parts intended to extend horizontally. It is foreseen that the latter described principles of creatinmg a module for a sports floor may be the subject of a separate, e.g. divisional, application.

[0025] It is evident for the skilled person that the basic function of the invention may also be achieved by means of using an alternative design a plurality of cellulosic containing support members 5. Especially it is foreseen that there may be use of support members described in EP2435242, i.e. being moulded or vacuum- moulded of cellulose fibre-based material in the form of a plurality of cone-shaped cavity structures arranged as truncated cones having a top and a bottom, both having a substantially circular shape; wherein one side of the sheet plane has a continuous, flat surface; from which the cone-shaped cavity structures project outward on the other side of the sheet plane; and wherein the cone-shaped cavity structures have a cone angle of 5-45°. Further, it is evident for the skilled person that the basic function of the invention may easily also be used for construction of other kind of floors than sport floors, e.g. floors having extra need of flexibility.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A sport floor building module (1), comprising a support structure (5,6) fixedly carrying a flat top layer (7) having a rectangular shape, characterized in that said support structure (5,6) comprises a plurality of mainly cellulosic containing support members (5) and wherein said flat top layer (7) includes or is made of corrugated cardboard.

2. A sport floor building module (1) according to claim 1, wherein said support structure (5,6) comprises a plurality of mainly cellulosic containing beams (5) each said beam (5) comprising a pair of opposing wider walls (5B) and a pair of opposing shorter walls (5 A) surrounding a hollow of said beam (5).

3. A sport floor building module (1) according to claim 2, wherein one of said longer walls (5B) of said beams (5) are fixedly attached to said flat top layer (7).

4. A sport floor building module (1) according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said walls (5 A, 5B) comprise an inner annular portion (50) including a plurality of joined layers of liquid board having a water-resistant sealing coating (51) applied on at least one side, preferably polyethylene.

5. A sport floor building module (1) according to claim 4, wherein said walls (5 A, 5B) have a homogeneous thickness (t) in the range of 1,5-7 mm comprising 3-10 layers of liquid board with a grammage of 150-500 grams / m2, preferably of 240 - 415 grams / m2.

6. A sport floor building module (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein the relation between said width (W) and the height (h) of said beam (5) is such that 3H> W> 1.5H.

7. A sport floor building module (1) according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one support member (6) is arranged within said hollow of said beams (5), wherein preferably said support member (6), is made from a cut off piece from a beam of the same kind as said above mentioned beam (5).

8. A sport floor building module (1) according to claim 7, wherein said support member (6), has a width (Hl) that is smaller than 0,6 times the width (W) of said beam (5) and a hight (H2) that is within the range of 100% to -90% of the distance between the inner wall surfaces of the longer walls (5B) of the beam (5).

9. A sport floor, comprising a plurality of sport floor building modules (1) according to any of claims 1-8, wherein said sport floor building modules (1) are positioned next to eachother on the ground (2) of a sport building and wherein a strengthening layer (3) of a sheet formed building material is positioned on top of said top layer (7), preferably fixedly attached by means of adhesive.

10. A sport floor, according to claim 8, wherein a sport floor surface layer (4) is fixedly attached on top of said strengthening layer (3).

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