System for mounting an accessory on a floor

Abstract

It is known to form a floor from a set of contiguous and interlocking tiles (2), wherein an upper surface of each tile (2) comprises a regularly spaced array of holes (24) that may receive inserts (12) to create a mosaic design. In accordance with the invention, the same array of holes is used for mounting an accessory on the floor. The accessory comprises two or more downwardly projecting pegs (54), the pegs (54) being sized and spaced to be received in respective holes (24) in the tiles (2) to secure the accessory against lateral movement. The pegs (54) may be releasably clipped into the holes (24). The accessory may further comprise apertures (80) aligned with holes (24) in the tiles (2), through which a fastener (72) can secure the accessory to a substrate (32). Possible accessories include a wheel stop 40 to define a parking location of a vehicle (36); a drip tray (60); the base (70) of a post (74); or a cable clip.

Description

[0001] TITLE

[0002] SYSTEM FOR MOUNTING AN ACCESSORY ON A FLOOR

[0003] DESCRIPTION

[0004] Technical field

[0005] The invention relates to accessories for mounting on a floor surface formed from interlocking tiles. Each accessory can be located in one of a large number of defined positions and is secured against at least lateral movement. It may be secured permanently or releasably against vertical movement or it may be capable of being easily lifted from the original position to a different one of the defined positions. In one application, the floor is in a garage and the accessory may be a vehicle accessory such as a guide, a stop, a stand or a drip tray. In other applications, the floor may be in a domestic or commercial setting, such as an office, factory or temporary display stand.

[0006] Background of the invention

[0007] Published patent application WO 2021 / 140221 Al describes a modular flooring system, which comprises a plurality of interlocking tiles for laying contiguously on a substrate. Each tile comprises an array of recesses in its upper surface, arranged in a square grid, into which inserts can be pressed to form a decorative mosaic-style pattern across the floor. Each tile also comprises a plurality of cells on its underside, aligned with the recesses. A hole in each recess communicates with the cell below to provide drainage from the upper surface of the floor. Adjacent cells may be interconnected to form channels parallel to the upper surface and open to the underside of the tile, which can be used as ducting for cables under the floor surface.

[0008] The inserts are essentially flush with the upper surface of the floor and perform a purely decorative function, although it is disclosed that they may be slightly raised and textured to create a non-slip surface.

[0009] Summary of the invention

[0010] The inventors have realized the potential offered by a floor that comprises an array of recesses across its upper surface for mounting accessories in defined locations on top of the floor. Accordingly, the invention provides a system for mounting an accessory on a floor, as defined in claim 1.

[0011] Further features of the invention that are optional and not essential are defined in the dependent claims.

[0012] Each accessory can be located in one of a large number of defined positions and is secured against at least lateral movement. It may be secured permanently or releasably against vertical movement or it may be capable of being easily lifted from the original position to a different one of the defined positions. In one application, the floor is in a garage and the accessory may be a vehicle accessory such as a guide, a stop, a stand or a drip tray. The accessory may be any other accessory suitable for securing to a floor. Including, but not limited to, cable covers, ramps, lights, stands and other similar accessories.

[0013] In embodiments of the invention the two or more downwardly projecting pegs may be integrally formed with the accessory. In such embodiments the pegs are a permanent part of the accessory and are not removable from the accessory. That is, the accessory is formed to be received in the set of tiles without the need for the pegs to be removed from, or reattached to, the accessory. Some accessories may be formed as a single unitary body with the pegs part of the single unitary body.

[0014] The array of holes on each tile may be provided in a square grid pattern, a rectangular grid pattern, a triangular grid pattern, or a hexagonal grid pattern, or in any other regularly repeating pattern. The pattern is provided such that it extends over adjoining tiles, possibly with one or more rows of holes absent at the intersection of adjoining tiles.

[0015] In this specification, terms such as “upper” and “lower” refer to the orientation of the tiles in use, when laid on a substrate to form a floor. It will be understood that the tiles and accessories may be manufactured, distributed and stored in any orientation and that the use of these convenient terms is not intended to exclude such acts from the scope of the claims.

[0016] The drawings

[0017] Figure 1 is a perspective view of two tiles of a modular flooring system according to the prior art, which is suitable for use in the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 is a vertical cross section through part of one of the tiles of Figure 1, which shows how an insert according to the prior art may be inserted into a recess in the tile.

[0019] Figure 3 is a side elevation of a wheel stop suitable for use as an accessory with the tiles of Figure 1, in accordance with the present invention, with a car resting on it.

[0020] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the upper side of the wheel stop of Figure 3.

[0021] Figure 5 is a perspective view if the underside of the wheel stop of Figure 3.

[0022] Figure 6 is a plan view of the wheel stop of Figure 3 mounted in a location on a tiled floor in accordance with the invention.

[0023] Figure 7 is a diagram showing how the wheel stop of Figure 6 may be moved to a first alternative location.

[0024] Figure 8 is a diagram showing how the wheel stop of Figure 7 may be moved to a second alternative location.

[0025] Figure 9 is a diagram showing how the wheel stop of Figure 8 may be moved to a third alternative location.

[0026] Figure 10 is a plan view of a drip tray suitable for use as an accessory with the tiles of Figure 1, in accordance with the present invention.

[0027] Figure 11 is a plan view of a drip tray similar to that of Figure 10 but with a different arrangement of securing pegs.

[0028] Figure 12 is a plan view of a drip tray similar to that of Figure 11 but with a slightly different arrangement of securing pegs.

[0029] Figure 13 is a vertical cross section of part of an accessory according to the invention, showing how it may be fastened into the substrate through holes in a tile.

[0030] Figure 1 illustrates two tiles 2 of a modular tile assembly suitable for use in the present invention. The assembly is intended to be laid on a flat substrate, such as a cement screed, to form a floor on top of the substrate. The tiles 2 are designed to interlock with one another so that they can cover an indefinite area of the substrate in modular fashion. In this embodiment the tiles 2 are square in plan, though other tessellating shapes such as rectangles, hexagons or a combination of two or more different shapes could be used. The tiles are preferably formed from a plastic material, such as polypropylene, that is strong enough to carry the weight that is expected to be placed on the floor and hard enough to resist the wear of the activities that are expected to be carried out on it. For example, if vehicles are to be driven over the floor, it may need to be of a more robust material and / or design than for purely pedestrian use.

[0031] In the illustrated embodiment, each tile 2 is structured as a 14 x 14 grid of square cells 8, which are open to the underside of the tile 2. At least some of the cells 8 provide recesses 10 in the upper surface of the tile 2, into which inserts 12 can be pressed to form a desired pattern, as will be described in more detail below. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, every cell 8 has such a recess 10, although Figure 1 shows only one representative recess 10 that is occupied by an insert 12, with a second insert ready to be pressed into a further recess 10.

[0032] As seen in Figure 2, the underside of each cell 8 is substantially hollow. The walls between adjacent cells 8 take the form of arches 14, which spring from pillars 16 located at each intersection of the grid. The array of pillars 16 supports the floor above the substrate on which it rests. The lines of arches 14 along each row and column of the grid of cells 8 create first and second sets of channels 18 that open to the underside of the tile 2. The channels 18 extend parallel to the upper surface of the tile and at least some of the channels 18 emerge at openings 20 in the side edges of the tile.

[0033] Around the edges of the tiles 2,3, engagement means are provided for securing each tile to adjacent, similar tiles. The engagement means may take various forms, the details of which do not form part of the present invention. As seen in Figure 1 , the engagement means comprise projections 22 that extend from two edges of the tile 2. The other two edges of the tile 2 (hidden from view in Figure 1) comprise corresponding arched openings 20 that can receive the projections 22 from an adjacent tile. Each projection 22 has a substantially square boss 21 that fits into the hollow underside of a cell 8 to lock adjacent tiles together without requiring a hammer or any other tool. The bosses 21 of the engagement means 22 may be provided with countersunk screwholes 26, through which the tiles 2 can be secured to the substrate if required.

[0034] Figure 2 shows how an insert 12 according to the prior art can be received and retained in one of the recesses 10. At the base of each recess 10 is a hole 24 through to the corresponding cell 8 on the underside of the tile 2. The shape of each insert 12 complements the shape of the recess 10. At the bottom of the insert 12 is a pair of downwardly projecting arms 27, which engage the hole 24 in snap-fit connection via hooks 28.

[0035] Figure 3 shows a modular tiled floor 30 in accordance with the invention, which rests on a substrate 32, for example in a domestic garage. At the end of the garage opposite the entrance is a wall 34. The owner of a car 36 or other vehicle may wish to park it in the garage close to the end wall 34 but without touching the wall. Alternatively, they may wish to park the car in another defined location, for example leaving sufficient space for a person to walk between the car and the wall or, in a vehicle showroom, to align the various vehicles on display. To define the desired parking location, a wheel stop 40 is mounted on the floor 30.

[0036] The wheel stop 40, shown in more detail in Figures 4 and 5, comprises a baseplate 42 and a hump 44. The baseplate 42 defines a flat upper surface 46, with the hump 44 projecting upwards from the baseplate 42 at one end of the flat upper surface 46. When a wheel 48 of the car 36 is driven slowly onto the upper surface 46 of the baseplate 42, the hump 44 will resist further forward movement of the wheel 48. This will indicate to the driver of the car 36 that they have reached the desired location and should brake and park the car 36. In the illustrated embodiment, the hump 44 is in the form of a ramp, which provides a relatively gentle application of force to the wheel 48 as it moves forwards. This also reduces the impulse exerted by the wheel 48 on the wheel stop 40. However, the hump 44 can have a more rounded or symmetrical shape or take any form that offers sufficient resistance to be sensed by the driver, without causing damage to the tyre on the wheel 48. The wheel stop 40 may be made from metal or may be moulded from a tough plastic material such as polypropylene. Figures 4 and 5 show a wheel stop 40 in the form of a plastic moulding. The hump 44 is hollow, formed with buttresses 50 to reinforce the ramp 52. The undersides of the buttresses 50 are provided with studs 53 to transmit the force exerted on the ramp 52 by the wheel 48 into the floor 30. It should be noted that the hump 44 is not intended to withstand the weight of the car 36, only the horizontal force exerted by the slow forward movement of the car 36 as it comes to a halt.

[0037] In order to define the desired parking location and resist movement of the wheel stop 40 across the floor 30 as the car 36 comes to rest against it, the underside of the baseplate 42 is provided with a number of downwardly projecting pegs 54. The pegs 54 are sized and spaced to be received in respective recesses 10 in the tiles 2 of the floor 30. Accordingly, as illustrated, each peg comprises a small boss 56, which is shaped to fit into a recess 10, and a central stud 58, which is shaped to fit into the hole 24 at the centre of each recess 10. It is not essential that the pegs 54 should perfectly match the shape of the recesses 10; it may be sufficient for them to fit only into the holes 24, which is the main way they resist lateral movement of the wheel stop 20. By providing multiple pegs 54 - twelve of them in the illustrated example - the horizontal force is distributed among them. By the time the wheel 48 meets the hump 44, a portion of the weight of the car 36 is pressing down on the baseplate 42, which increases friction between the wheel stop 40 and the floor 30, further helping to resist relative movement between them. For that reason, it is preferred that the pegs 54 should be disposed beneath the centre of the baseplate 42, where the weight of the car 36 will act most strongly on them.

[0038] The pegs 54 may be provided with means for clipping them - permanently or releasably - into the recesses 10. For example, such means may be similar to the arms 27 and hooks 28 of the inserts shown in Figure 2. However, because the weight of the car 36 will hold the wheel stop 40 down during use, in practice there should be little need to secure the pegs 54 in that way. It is preferred that the stud portions 58 of the pegs 54 should be formed as solid cylinders - or perhaps made slightly tapering for ease of insertion into the holes 24. This will resist horizontal forces more strongly during use and will make it easier to lift the wheel stop 40 off the floor 30 if desired when not in use, for example to adjust its location or to make space to clean the floor 30 or use it for a different purpose. To resist horizontal forces, the studs 58 only need to be long enough to penetrate through the depth of the holes 24. For some applications, it may be desirable for them to be long enough to extend to the substrate 32, whereby they can share in transmitting the weight of the car 36 to the substrate 32, but this will result in them obstructing the channels 18 on the underside of the tile 2.

[0039] Figure 6 is a diagram in plan view, showing the wheel stop 40 resting on the tiled floor 30 in one of its possible locations. In this location, it may be seen that although parts of the wheel stop 40 overlap neighbouring tiles, the pegs 54 all fall within the boundary of a single tile 2. Specifically, of the 14 x 14 recesses 10 in the upper surface of the tile 2, the pegs 54 are configured to be received in the recesses in rows 1 and 3 and in columns 2, 4, 6, 9, 11 and 13 of the tile. It may also be seen that parts at the front and rear of the wheel stop 40 overlap neighbouring tiles 2, without being directly secured to them by pegs 54.

[0040] Figures 7, 8 and 9 are similar diagrams showing, possible alternative locations where the wheel stop 40 can be mounted on the floor 30, with its pegs 54 engaging different sets of the recesses 10. In each of these diagrams, the position of the wheel stop 40 in Figure 6 is shown in dashed lines for comparison.

[0041] In Figure 7, the wheel stop 40 has been moved forwards by the minimum distance so that the pegs 54 are now received in rows 2 and 4 instead of rows 1 and 3. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the overall dimensions of the tiles are 300 x 300mm and the minimum adjustment distance, equal to the spacing between adjacent recesses, is 21mm.

[0042] In Figure 8, the wheel stop 40 has been moved sideways by the same minimum distance compared with Figure 6 so that the pegs 54 are now received in columns 3, 5, 7, 10, 12 and 14 of the tile instead of 2, 4, 6, 9, 11 and 13. It may be noted that in practice, a wheel stop 40 will typically be provided for each of the front wheels 48 of the car 36 so the spacing between the pair of wheel stops 40 should be adjustable to match the spacing between the front wheels 48.

[0043] In Figure 9, the wheel stop 40 has been moved backwards by the minimum distance compared with Figure 6 so that the pegs 54 are received in rows 12 and 14 of a neighbouring tile 2. If the array of recesses 10 continues with equal spacing across all the contiguous tiles, then the wheel stop 40 (or any other accessory) can be placed in any desired location in the grid, without needing to consider where the edges of the tiles 2 fall. However, because of the need to accommodate the thickness of two side walls of the tile 2, in the illustrated embodiment the spacing between adjacent recesses 10 across the boundary between neighbouring tiles 2 is greater than the spacing between adjacent recesses 10 within the same tile. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the tile 2 has external dimensions of 300 x 300mm and a square grid of 14 x 14 recesses 10. The spacing a between adjacent recesses 10 within the tile 2 (measured between the centres of the holes 24) is 21mm but the spacing b between adjacent recesses 10 across the boundary between two tiles is 27mm. This means that the two rows of pegs 54 in the illustrated wheel stop 40 cannot straddle the boundary to lie with one row on each tile 2 because the spacing between them will be wrong. As a result, although each tile has 14 rows of recesses, the wheel stop can only occupy 12 of them in the forwards / backwards direction. In the left / right direction, it can only occupy 3 of the 14 columns of recesses. This is because the rows of pegs 54 extend across almost the full width of the tile 2 so the outermost pegs lie close to the edges.

[0044] More generally, the spacing of the pegs 54 on the underside of any accessory suitable for mounting on the floor according to the invention must take account of whether a tile boundary will fall between them. Specifically, the spacing between any pair of pegs in the same row or column must be m x a) + n x b where: a is the spacing between adjacent recesses within a tile; b is the spacing between adjacent recesses across a boundary between neighbouring tiles; n is the number of tile boundaries falling between the two pegs; and m can be freely chosen to determine where in the respective tiles the pegs should be received.

[0045] There will be greatest freedom to adjust the locations of the accessory on the tiled floor if the layout of the pegs can be designed such that they are grouped in the centres of respective tiles, then it will be possible to move the accessory in any direction before the pegs reach the edges of the tiles.

[0046] If the spacing b between adjacent recesses across a tile boundary is a multiple of the spacing a between adjacent recesses within a tile (preferably equal to 2a) then all spacings, whether or not they straddle a boundary, will be some multiple of a. This might increase the flexibility of locating accessories on a floor but, if the tiles are also to be used for displaying a mosaic by receiving inserts 12 in the recesses 10, the doublesized space across each tile boundary might lead to undesirable gaps in the resulting image.

[0047] Figure 10 illustrates a different accessory for mounting on a tiled floor 30, namely a drip tray 60, which may be used for example to catch oil dripping from the underside of a vehicle. The tray 60 comprises a rectangular base plate 62, surrounded by low, upstanding walls 64 to contain any liquids within the area of the tray. The base plate 62 overlaps multiple tiles 2 of the floor so there exists a choice for the designer about where to position the pegs 54. In Figure 10, the pegs 54 are all grouped within the area of a single tile 2. This provides a reasonable degree of flexibility about the positioning of the tray 60 on the floor 30 and may be easier for the user to understand. However, the close grouping of the pegs 54 might make the mounting of the tray 60 less stable, particularly if a torque is exerted on it by, for example, someone accidentally kicking one of the comers.

[0048] Figure 11 illustrates a drip tray 60 of the identical size and shape to that in Figure 10 but with the pegs 54 differently arranged. In particular, the groups of three pegs 54 have been moved closer to the respective corners of the tray, which should improve its stability when mounted on a floor 30. However, some of the pegs 54 then fall close to tile boundaries so there is limited freedom to adjust the position of the tray forwards and backwards (i.e. upwards and downwards in the plane of the drawing). In this example, in both directions the spaces between the groups of pegs 54 straddle two tile boundaries (i.e. n = 2 in the formula given above).

[0049] Figure 12 illustrates yet another drip tray 60 of the identical size and shape to that in Figure 10 and with the pegs 54 arranged similarly to those in Figure 11. However, in this case the tray 60 is designed to be placed differently on the floor 30 so that in the forwards / backwards direction, the space between the respective groups of pegs 54 straddles only one tile boundary (i.e. n = 1). This means that their spacing in that direction needs to be reduced slightly. The groups of pegs 54 now fall close to the centres of all four tiles and there is considerable freedom to adjust the location of the tray 60 in all directions.

[0050] Figure 13 is a vertical cross section showing how another accessory 70 according to the invention may be fastened into the substrate 32 using fasteners 72 that pass through holes 24 in a tile 2. The accessory 70 incorporates a post 74, which could be used for any purpose, for example to support a small table or an information board, as part of a handrail or a stand for a bicycle or motorcycle. The post 74 may be one of several legs of a more extensive structure. The top of the post 74 is truncated in the drawing. Although the post 74 is shown as hollow, it could equally be solid. The base of the post 74 is provided with pegs 54 that can be received in recesses 10 in the tile 2 to mount the accessory 70 on the floor 30 in a defined location.

[0051] Because of the height of the post 74, a lateral force exerted near the top could result in a significant moment about its base, potentially causing the post 74 to topple. To avoid this, the post 74 is mounted on a base plate 76. The post 74 and the base plate may be formed integrally as a single component or they may be formed separately and fastened securely together. Brackets 78 may be provided to reinforce the junction between the post 74 and the base plate 76. For some applications, it may be sufficient for the extensions of the base plate 76 to carry further pegs 54 to secure the accessory 70 to the tiles 2 of the floor 30 over a wider area. For other applications, it may be desired to fix the accessory 70 to the substrate 32 using fasteners 72 such as screws that pass through apertures 80 formed in the base plate, which are aligned with holes 24 in respective recesses 10 of the tile 2.

[0052] The invention can be varied in many ways from the particular examples shown in the illustrated embodiments, while remaining with the scope of the claims. An enormous variety of accessories can be mounted on the floor 30 in this way, from essentially horizontal ones like the tray 60 of Figures 10 to 12, to essentially vertical ones like the example 70 in Figure 13, via intermediate forms like the wheel stop 40 of Figures 3 to 9. The accessories can serve many purposes, depending on the setting where the floor 30 has been laid and the activities that are intended to be carried out there. In one example, the accessory comprises means for constraining a flexible, elongate member such as a hose or cable, against lateral movement over the floor 30.

[0053] The tiles 2 can of course be of a different size and have a different number of recesses 10 from those in the illustrated embodiment. The tiles 2 (or some of them) could be rectangular rather than square. In that case, the grid could continue to be square (so that there would be a different number of recesses in the two directions along the tile) or the grid could also be rectangular (so that the values of a and b in the formula above would be different in the two directions). Note that with a rectangular grid, it would not (in general) be possible to turn an accessory through 90° and mount it on the tiles successfully. The form of each recess 10 and of the hole 24 at its centre could be different from those shown. In some cases, the tiles could simply have an array of holes 24 without each one being formed within a recess. In its broadest aspect, the invention would still work if the holes 24 were blind bores but through-holes are preferred, at least for the purpose of providing drainage for the upper surface of the floor 30. The structure of the undersides of the tiles 2 is substantially irrelevant for the present invention, as is the means by which they are interconnected.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A system for mounting an accessory on a floor, comprising: a set of tiles for laying on the floor such that the tiles are contiguous and interlocking, wherein an upper surface of each tile comprises a regularly spaced array of holes; and an accessory suitable for being mounted on the tiles, wherein the accessory comprises two or more downwardly projecting pegs, the pegs being sized and spaced to be received in respective holes in the tiles.

2. A mounting system according to claim 1, wherein the array of holes on each tile is in a square grid pattern, a rectangular grid pattern, a triangular grid pattern, or a hexagonal grid pattern.

3. A mounting system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein all the pegs of the accessory are configured to be received in respective holes of a single tile.

4. A mounting system according to any preceding claim, wherein the array of holes extends across contiguous tiles such that the spacing between adjacent holes on contiguous tiles is equal to, or a whole multiple of, the spacing a between adjacent holes within a tile.

5. A mounting system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the array of holes extends across contiguous tiles such that adjacent holes within a tile are separated by a first spacing a and adjacent holes on contiguous tiles are separated by a second spacing Z>; and wherein the accessory is configured to be mounted on more than one of the tiles, at least some of the pegs on the accessory being arranged in pairs having a spacing between the pegs in each pair that is a multiple of a plus a multiple of b.

6. A mounting system according to any preceding claim, comprising means for releasably securing the pegs in the holes.

7. A mounting system according to any preceding claim, wherein the accessory further comprises at least one vertically oriented aperture, the aperture being positioned such that, when the pegs of the accessory are received in respective holes in the tiles, the aperture is aligned with a further one of the holes in the tiles, whereby a fastening may be passed through the aperture and the further hole to secure the accessory to the floor.

8. A mounting system according to any preceding claim, further comprising a plurality of inserts, wherein each insert comprises means for releasably securing it in one of the holes.

9. A mounting system according to any preceding claim, wherein a lower surface of each tile comprises a regularly spaced array of cells, adjacent cells being interconnected to form a plurality of channels parallel to the upper surface; wherein each hole in the upper surface of the tile opens into a corresponding one of the cells on the underside of the tile.

10. A mounting system according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the accessory is a wheel stop comprising a baseplate and a hump, the baseplate defining a flat upper surface, with the hump projecting upwards from the baseplate at one end of the flat upper surface and the pegs projecting downwards from the baseplate.

11. A mounting system according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the accessory is a tray comprising a baseplate, a rim projecting upwards around at least part of the periphery of the baseplate, and pegs projecting downwards from the baseplate.

12. A mounting system according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the accessory comprises means for constraining a flexible, elongate member such as a hose or cable.

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