Floor structure

Abstract

To provide a floor structure having a weft and warp thread weaved appearance.SOLUTION: A floor structure comprises floor sheet 1 made of soft resin, wherein the floor sheet 1 is provided with a base part 2 and a number of bulged parts 10 in a same shape formed on an upper surface of the base 2. The bulged part 10 has a pair of long sides 13 opposite to each other and a pair of short sides 14 opposite to each other, and a long axis 11 and a short axis 12 passing through a center of the planar shape to intersect to each other. The bulged part 10 includes a first bulged part 10A of which a long axis is parallel to an X axis (a first coordinate axis) and a second bulged part 10B of which a long axis is parallel to a Y axis (a second coordinate axis). The first bulge parts 10A and the second bulged parts 10B are placed apart by a gap d alternately in an X axial direction, and also are placed apart by the gap d alternatively in a Y axial direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a floor structure suitable for a washing area in a bathroom, etc. [Background technology]

[0002] The floor structure of the bathroom washing area has many raised parts to prevent slipping. In the floor structure in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the raised parts have a square planar shape and are regularly arranged in two perpendicular directions, with the gaps between the raised parts forming a lattice-like groove. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-293558 A [Patent Document 2] Design Registration No. 1618841 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The above-mentioned lattice-like appearance is monotonous. In addition, water remains in the grooves of the lattice, preventing drying, and cleaning the dirt that accumulates in the grooves is time-consuming. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a floor structure comprising a base portion and a number of raised portions of the same shape formed on an upper surface of the base portion, the raised portions having a pair of opposing long sides and a pair of opposing short sides, and having long and short axes that are perpendicular to each other and pass through the center of their planar shape, and when a first coordinate axis and a second coordinate axis that are perpendicular to each other are defined on the base portion, the raised portions include a first raised portion whose long axis is parallel to the first coordinate axis and a second raised portion whose long axis is parallel to the second coordinate axis, the first raised portion and the second raised portion are arranged alternately at a predetermined interval in the first coordinate axis direction with the long axis of the first raised portion and the short axis of the second raised portion aligned in a straight line, and the first raised portion and the second raised portion are arranged alternately at the predetermined interval in the second coordinate axis direction with the short axis of the first raised portion and the long axis of the second raised portion aligned in a straight line.

[0006] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the first raised portions and the second raised portions are arranged alternately along the first coordinate axis and the second coordinate axis, thereby creating an appearance as if the weft and warp threads are being woven together and each thread is repeatedly climbing over and crawling under the intersecting threads to form a wavy pattern. In addition, since a space area wider than the groove is formed between the raised portions and connected to the groove, water in the groove is guided to this space area and spreads out, making it easier to dry. Furthermore, dirt in the groove is also guided to this space area, making it easier to clean.

[0007] In one embodiment, the pair of short sides of the raised portion form a convex curve. With this configuration, the convex curve of the short side of the raised portion is reminiscent of the rounded end just before the thread sinks in, further emphasizing the appearance of woven warp and weft. Also, the width of the groove between the adjacent first and second raised portions expands from the center toward the wider space area, making it even easier to guide water and dirt in the groove into the wider space area.

[0008] In one embodiment, the upper surface of the protuberance includes a convex curved region that extends in the major axis direction and has a height that gradually decreases from the center in the major axis direction toward the pair of short sides. This configuration emphasizes the appearance of the weft and warp knitting because the elongated convex surface area resembles the curved shape of the yarn crossings, and also provides comfort when walking barefoot.

[0009] In the above embodiment, preferably, the height of the convex curved surface region is gradually reduced from the center toward both ends in the minor axis direction. With this configuration, the above-mentioned effect can be further enhanced.

[0010] In the above embodiment, preferably, the upper surface of the raised portion includes a pair of inclined surface regions between the pair of long sides and the convex curved surface region, the inclination of which is steeper than the inclination of the convex curved surface region, and the pair of long sides form straight lines parallel to the long axis. This configuration is reminiscent of both side edges of the crossover portion of the wavy yarn, further emphasizing the appearance of woven warp and weft yarns.

[0011] In one embodiment, the floor sheet is made of a soft resin, and the floor sheet has the base portion and the raised portion. Effect of the Invention

[0012] The present invention provides a floor construction with a weft and warp knit appearance, which is quick to dry and easy to clean. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing a portion of a floor sheet according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view showing a raised portion of the floor sheet. [Diagram 3] 3 is a view of the protruding portion in FIG. 2 as viewed from the direction of arrow III. [Figure 4] 4 is a view of the protruding portion as viewed from the direction of arrow IV in FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the arrangement of four raised portions on the floor sheet. [Figure 6]6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a plan view with dashed lines added to show imaginary weft and warp threads in a knitted state that are suggested by the arrangement of the ridges in FIG. 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, a floor structure according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The floor structure of this embodiment is applied to a bathroom washing area, and is constructed by attaching a floor sheet 1 shown in Fig. 1 to the upper surface of a base floor material (not shown) made of a steel plate (lower side), EPS polystyrene foam, and a steel plate (upper side) bonded together with a two-component urethane resin. The base floor material may be FRP or the like, and the floor sheet 1 is made of a resin softer than the base floor material, such as soft polyvinyl chloride resin. The washing area is rectangular when viewed from above, with one side adjacent to the bathtub. A drain is provided in the center of this side. The other three sides of the washing area have slopes that descend toward the drain. As shown in FIG. 1, the floor sheet 1 comprises a base portion 2 having a constant thickness, and a large number of raised portions 10 formed in a regular arrangement on the upper surface of the base portion 2.

[0015] <Shape of the raised part> A large number of the protuberances 10 have the same shape. As shown in Fig. 2, the planar shape of the protuberances 10 is elongated and symmetrical about a major axis 11 and a minor axis 12 that pass through the center and are perpendicular to each other. The raised portion 10 has a pair of long sides 13 and a pair of short sides 14 at the boundary with the upper surface of the base portion 2. The long sides 13 form a straight line parallel to the major axis 11. The short sides 14 form a convex curve.

[0016] The upper surface of the protuberance 10 has a gently convexly curved region 15 extending in the long axis 11 direction between a pair of short sides 14. The height of this convexly curved region 15 changes in the long axis 11 direction, gradually decreasing from the center in the long axis 11 direction to the pair of short sides 14. In this embodiment, the height of this convexly curved region 15 also changes in the short axis 12 direction, gradually decreasing from the center in the short axis 12 direction to both side edges. However, the change in height of the convexly curved region 15 in the short axis 12 direction (the change in height from the center to both side edges) is smaller than the change in height in the long axis 11 direction (the change in height from the center to the short sides 14). The height of the convexly curved region 15 may be constant in the short axis 12 direction.

[0017] Furthermore, the upper surface of the raised portion 10 has a pair of inclined surface regions 16 between the convex curved surface region 15 and the pair of long sides 13. The height of the inclined surface region 16 changes in the direction of the short axis 12, decreasing toward the long sides 13. The inclination of the inclined surface region 16 is steeper than the inclination of the convex curved surface region 15 in the direction of the long axis 11. A transition surface region 17 is interposed between the inclined surface region 16 and the convex curved surface region 15.

[0018] <Arrangement of ridges> 1 and 5, the raised portions 10 are regularly arranged along the X-axis (first coordinate axis) and Y-axis (second coordinate axis) which are perpendicular to each other. Here, the raised portion 10 whose major axis 11 is parallel to the X-axis is defined as the first raised portion 10A, and the raised portion 10 whose major axis 11 is parallel to the Y-axis is defined as the second raised portion 10B.

[0019] The first raised portions 10A and the second raised portions 10B are alternately arranged at equal intervals d along the X-axis direction, and the major axis 11 of the first raised portion 10A and the minor axis 12 of the second raised portion 10B are aligned in a straight line. Similarly, the first raised portions 10A and the second raised portions 10B are alternately arranged at equal intervals d along the Y-axis direction, and the minor axis 12 of the first raised portion 10A and the major axis 11 of the second raised portion 10B are directly aligned.

[0020] The arrangement of the raised portions 10 is expressed from another perspective. As shown in FIG. 5, a virtual lattice having square cells made of a number of lines along the X-axis and the Y-axis is assumed. Four raised portions 10 are arranged at the four corners of each cell (the intersections of a line extending along the X-axis and a line extending along the Y-axis). That is, the center of each raised portion 10 coincides with the corner of the cell, and the long axis 11 and the short axis 12 are arranged on the lines of the virtual lattice. The raised portions 10 are rotated by 90° clockwise or counterclockwise. In other words, the first raised portions 10A and the second raised portions 10B are arranged alternately in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

[0021] As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a groove 20 having a width d is formed between adjacent first and second raised portions 10A and 10B. The grooves 20 extending in the X-axis direction (i.e., the grooves 20 extending along the long side 13 of the first raised portion 10A) are not arranged in a straight line in the X-axis direction, but are alternately displaced in opposite directions. Similarly, the grooves 20 extending in the Y-axis direction are not arranged in a straight line in the Y-axis direction, but are alternately displaced in opposite directions. A spatial region 25 wider than the grooves 20 is formed in the center of the squares of the virtual lattice described above, and two grooves 20 extending in the X-axis direction and two grooves 20 extending in the Y-axis direction are connected to this spatial region 25.

[0022] <Appearance of floor sheet> As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5, the first raised portion 10A and the second raised portion 10B are alternately arranged along the X-axis and the Y-axis, so that as shown in FIG. 7, an appearance is obtained as if the weft extending in the X-axis direction and the warp extending in the Y-axis direction are woven. The weft extending in the X-axis direction alternately passes over and passes under the warp extending in the Y-axis direction to form a wavy shape, and the warp extending in the Y-axis direction alternately passes over and passes under the weft extending in the X-axis direction to form a wavy shape. With reference to FIG. 7, it appears that the imaginary weft has a passing portion indicated by the first raised portion 10A and a passing portion indicated by the dashed line. Similarly, the imaginary warp has a passing portion indicated by the second raised portion 10B and a passing portion indicated by the dashed line. To obtain the above appearance, the ratio of the length of the minor axis 12 to the length of the major axis 11 is preferably 1:1.7 to 1:1.9, and more preferably 1:1.8.

[0023] The weft and warp knitted appearance described above is also enhanced by the following features: The convex curve of the short side 14 of the raised portion 10 is reminiscent of the rounded end just before the thread slips in. The convex curved area 15 extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis 11 of the protuberance 10 resembles the curved shape of the wavy threads. The curvature of the convex curved surface region 15 of the protuberance 10 in the direction of the minor axis 12 resembles the roundness of the cross section of a thread. The straight long side 13 and the inclined surface region 16 of the protuberance 1 resemble the two side edges of the crossover portion of the thread.

[0024] <Other effects> Since there is a spatial region 25 wider than the groove 20, the water in the groove 20 can be guided to the spatial region 25 and spread in this spatial region 25, accelerating the drying process. In this embodiment, since the short side 14 forms a convex curve, the width of the groove 20 increases from the center toward both ends, making it even easier to guide the water in the groove 20 toward the spatial region 25. Like water, dirt and the like also tend to be guided to the wide spatial region 25, making it easy to clean.

[0025] <Example> A specific example of the dimensions of the protuberance 10 will be described. The major axis 11 is 5.4 mm, the minor axis 12 is 3.0 mm, and the planar area of ​​the protuberance 10 is approximately 16 mm 2 , the width d of the groove 20 is 0.5 mm. Alternatively, the ratio of the major axis 11 to the minor axis 12 is the same, the major axis 11 is 8.1 mm, the minor axis 12 is 4.5 mm, and the area of ​​the planar shape of the protrusion 10 is about 36.5 mm. 2 , the width d of the groove 20 is 0.5 mm. The above dimensions are not too large, so anti-slip functionality can be maintained. Also, they are not too small, so they prevent the raised portion from digging into the skin of bare feet and provide a good feel against the skin (no pain). The height of the center of the raised portion 10 is preferably 0.3 to 0.5 mm, more preferably 0.35 to 0.45 mm, and even more preferably 0.4 mm. If it is too low, it will feel uneasy when stepped on with bare feet, and if it is too high, it will not feel good against the skin.

[0026] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Rather than using a soft floor sheet, the base and raised portions may be formed on the surface of the thermoplastic resin flooring or other hard flooring itself. The present invention can be applied not only to the washing area of ​​a bathroom, but also to floor structures exposed to water, such as shower rooms, verandas, and balconies. [Industrial Applicability]

[0027] The present invention is applicable to floor structures such as bathtub washing areas. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 1 Floor sheet 2 Base 10 Ridges 10A 1st raised part 10B 2nd raised part 11 Long axis 12 Short axis 13 Long side 14 Short Side 15 Convex surface area 16 Slope area 20 grooves 25 Spatial domain

Claims

1. A base portion and a number of raised portions of the same shape formed on an upper surface of the base portion, the raised portion has a pair of opposing long sides and a pair of opposing short sides, and has a long axis and a short axis that pass through the center of its planar shape and are perpendicular to each other; When a first coordinate axis and a second coordinate axis perpendicular to each other are defined on the base portion, the protruding portion includes a first protruding portion having a major axis parallel to the first coordinate axis and a second protruding portion having a major axis parallel to the second coordinate axis, the first raised portion and the second raised portion are arranged alternately at a predetermined interval in the first coordinate axis direction with a major axis of the first raised portion and a minor axis of the second raised portion aligned in a straight line, A floor structure characterized in that the first raised portion and the second raised portion are arranged alternately at the specified interval in the second coordinate axis direction, with the short axis of the first raised portion and the long axis of the second raised portion aligned in a straight line.

2. 2. The floor structure according to claim 1, wherein the pair of short sides of the raised portion form a convex curve.

3. 2. The floor structure according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the raised portion includes a convex curved area extending in the major axis direction and gradually decreasing in height from the center in the major axis direction toward the pair of short sides.

4. 4. The floor structure according to claim 3, wherein the height of the convex curved surface area is gradually reduced from the center toward both ends in the short axis direction.

5. The floor structure according to claim 3, characterized in that the upper surface of the raised portion includes a pair of inclined surface areas between the pair of long sides and the convex curved surface area, the inclination of which is steeper than the inclination of the convex curved surface area, and the pair of long sides form straight lines parallel to the long axis.

6. 2. The floor structure according to claim 1, further comprising a floor sheet made of a soft resin, the floor sheet having the base portion and the raised portion.

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