Paving material formed by stacking two components one above the other

Abstract

To provide a paving material that can be easily constructed in a short time without the need to fill joints with sand or the like, and that can correct "warping" and "sinking" caused by changes in molding conditions and the characteristics of materials. This paving material is formed into a plate shape with multiple sides by overlapping and connecting an upper side member 11 and a lower side member 16, and has multiple connectors 9 that connect the upper side member 11 and the lower side member 16.The connectors 9 are arranged at the parts of the upper side member 11 and the lower side member 16 that make up the sides of the paving material, and the upper side member 11 and the lower side member 16 are connected by fitting the connector 9 of the upper side member 11 with the connector 9 of the lower side member 16, and the protrusions on each side are formed by the connectors 9 in the fitted state.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a paving material made of synthetic resin or metal that can be laid outdoors in gardens, sidewalks, parking lots, etc. to form paved surfaces, and can also be used as a decking material to be laid indoors on verandas or to form decks or floor surfaces, and in particular to a paving material that has uneven units formed on all sides for engaging with other paving materials. [Background technology]

[0002] Interlocking block paving is a well-known method for paving sidewalks, roadways, garages, and other public spaces. When implementing this method, concrete curb blocks (such as toe blocks and boundary blocks) are first placed around the perimeter of the pavement to be constructed, and then a base layer of sand is laid on top of the base layer formed inside the interlocking block to form a sand layer.

[0003] Then, on top of this sand layer, a large number of concrete paving blocks are placed in a regular pattern with regular intervals (joints) between them, and a plate compactor (vibration compactor) is used to vibrate the paving blocks from above to compact the sand layer, aligning the height of the top surfaces of the paving blocks to form a flat paved surface.Sand (joint material) is then filled into the gaps between the paving blocks, and sealing material is then filled into the gaps between the curb blocks and the paving blocks. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-168065 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As mentioned above, when constructing interlocking block paving, a process is carried out in which sand is filled into the joints to stabilize the paving blocks. However, this process requires the steps of scattering a large amount of sand onto the pavement surface formed by lining up a large number of paving blocks, spreading it over the entire pavement surface using a broom or similar tool, pouring the sand into all the joints, and finally, collecting the excess sand from the pavement surface, which is extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive.

[0006] Furthermore, when a plate compactor is operated (vibrated) on the paving blocks to compact the sand layer, the metal vibration plate (the bottom plate of the plate compactor) collides with the concrete paving blocks, generating a very loud noise.Furthermore, the sand filled in the joints may flow out, loosening the fixation of the paving blocks and causing problems such as loss of flatness or damage to the paving blocks.

[0007] Furthermore, if protrusions and recesses can be formed on the four sides of the paving blocks so that the sides of adjacent paving blocks can engage with each other (so that the protrusion of one paving block enters the recess of the other paving block, and the protrusion of the other paving block enters the recess of one paving block), it is thought that it will be possible to stabilize the paving blocks without having to fill the joints with sand.

[0008] However, when forming interlocking protrusions and recesses on the sides of a block, high dimensional accuracy is required during molding. However, it is technically difficult to form such protrusions and recesses accurately to the designed dimensions in a concrete block, and there are also strength issues.

[0009] On the other hand, if synthetic resin is used as the raw material and molding is carried out using a method such as injection molding, it is relatively easy to form protrusions and recesses on each side of the molded product (paving material) that can engage with each other.However, if warping or sinking occurs in any part of the main body due to changes in molding conditions or the characteristics of the material, it may become impossible to engage the sides with each other, even if the protrusions or recesses themselves are according to the designed dimensions.

[0010] The present invention is intended to solve the problems of the prior art, and aims to provide a paving material that does not require filling of the joints with sand or the like, can be easily applied in a short time, and can correct "warping" and "sinking" caused by changes in molding conditions or the characteristics of the material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The paving material of the present invention is formed into a plate-like shape having an upper surface, a bottom surface, and multiple side surfaces by overlapping and connecting an upper side member and a lower side member, and each side surface has an upper side surface and a lower side surface, and at a height position between the upper side surface and the lower side surface, multiple protrusions that protrude outward from the upper side surface and the lower side surface, and multiple recesses that are recessed inward from the upper side surface and the lower side surface, and has multiple connectors that connect the upper side member and the lower side member, and multiple connectors are arranged in the parts of the upper side member and the lower side member that make up the sides of the paving material, and the upper side member and the lower side member are connected by fitting the connector of the upper side member with the connector of the lower side member, and the protrusions on each side are formed by the connectors in a fitted state.

[0012] In this paving material, the connectors are preferably comprised of male and female connectors that can be snapped together, and the male connector located on the upper member is preferably mated with the female connector located on the lower member, and / or the female connector located on the upper member is preferably mated with the male connector located on the lower member, thereby connecting the upper and lower members. It is also preferable that multiple male and female connectors are alternately arranged on each side of the upper and lower members.

[0013] Furthermore, it is preferable that when the connectors are mated, the left and right sides of the male connector are sandwiched by the female connector, so that left and right movement of the male and female connectors can be mutually restricted. Also, it is preferable that the male connector be formed of a single element, with a step portion and a tapered portion formed so that the width dimension decreases from the step toward the tip on both left and right sides of the main body, and the female connector be formed of two symmetrically shaped elements arranged at a distance from each other, with a step portion and a tapered portion formed so that the width dimension decreases from the step toward the tip on the inner surfaces facing each other of the elements.

[0014] It is also preferable that the distance between the left and right step portions of the female connector is set smaller than the maximum width dimension of the male connector and larger than the minimum width dimension of the male connector.

[0015] Furthermore, in this paving material, the upper side member is composed of an upper layer portion including an upper surface portion and upper side surface, a middle layer portion formed on the lower side thereof, and a connector, and the lower side member is composed of a lower layer portion including a bottom surface portion and lower side surface, a middle layer portion formed on the upper side thereof, and a connector, and the middle layer portions of the upper side member and the lower side member are positioned at positions more inward than the respective sides of the upper and lower layer portions, and it is preferable that the connector of the upper side member is formed to protrude from the outer surface of the middle layer portion outward beyond the upper side surface and protrude downward beyond the lower end of the middle layer portion, and the connector of the lower side member is formed to protrude from the outer surface of the middle layer portion outward beyond the lower side surface and protrude upward beyond the upper end of the middle layer portion.

[0016] It is also preferable that the lower half of the connector of the upper member engages from the outside with the outer circumferential surface of the middle portion of the lower member, and the upper half of the connector of the lower member engages from the outside with the outer circumferential surface of the middle portion of the upper member. The side portions can be configured so that their planar shape is straight, or they can be configured so that they are S-curved (so that the outline shape of the side portions that appears when projected onto a plane is curved in a wave shape). [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] The paving material of the present invention does not require filling the joints with sand or the like, can be easily applied in a short time, and can effectively avoid the problem of noise when compacting the sand layer. Furthermore, when multiple paving materials are lined up, the projections and recesses (convex and concave units) can be interlocked with each other, thereby effectively preventing the paving surface from shifting vertically, and a stable paving surface can be obtained.

[0018] Furthermore, in the paving material of the present invention, the corresponding edges of the upper and lower members are securely connected by connectors, so even if warping or sinking occurs in either the upper or lower member, or in both, due to changes in molding conditions or material characteristics, the corresponding edges of the upper and lower members can be restrained against each other, thereby correcting the warping or sinking, and a flat paving material can be formed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a paving material 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the paving material 1 shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the paving material 1 shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the paving materials 1 (1A to 1C) shown in FIG. 1 lined up and engaged with each other. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the upper member 11 and the lower member 16 that constitute the paving material 1 shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows the upper member 11 and the lower member 16 shown in FIG. 5 in a state immediately before they are overlapped, and in a state after they are overlapped. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of the paving material 1 shown in FIG. 1 (in a state where the upper side member 11 and the lower side member 16 are connected). [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a plan view of a paving material 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a pair of upper and lower connectors 9 (separated state) in a paving material 1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a pair of upper and lower connectors 9 (fitted state) in a paving material 1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a pair of upper and lower connectors 9 (fitted state) in a paving material 1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a plan view of a paving material 1 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the paving materials 1 (1A to 1C) shown in FIG. 12 lined up and engaged with each other. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing paving materials 1 (1A to 1C) according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention lined up and engaged with each other. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the "paving material" of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan view of paving material 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a side view thereof, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view thereof. Paving material 1 according to this embodiment is in the form of a plate having a top surface portion 2, a bottom surface portion 3, and four side portions 4, and is formed by injection molding or other molding methods using synthetic resin (or metal such as aluminum) as the raw material. The composition of the raw materials for this paving material 1 is adjusted so that the specific gravity is 1.0 or more.

[0021] The top surface portion 2 and the bottom surface portion 3 are both square and of the same size. All four side portions 4 are identical in shape, and each side portion 4 has two vertical side surfaces 5 (upper side surface 51 and lower side surface 52), four protrusions 7 (portions that protrude outward from the side surfaces 5), and four recesses 8 (portions that are recessed inward from the side surfaces 5) (see FIG. 2). The upper side surface 51 and the lower side surface 52 below it are on the same vertical plane, and the protrusions 7 and recesses 8 are formed between the upper side surface 51 and the lower side surface 52. It is preferable that four or more protrusions 7 and recesses 8 are formed on each side portion 4.

[0022] This paving material 1 can have its side portions 4 engage with each other when it is lined up with another identical paving material 1. More specifically, as shown in Figure 4, when two paving materials 1A and 1B are lined up and their side portions 4 are butted together so that their corners 21 are aligned, the positions and spacing of the protrusions 7 and recesses 8 are set so that the protrusions 7 of paving material 1A can enter the recesses 8 of paving material 1B, and the protrusions 7 of paving material 1B can enter the recesses 8 of paving material 1A.

[0023] Furthermore, since the four side portions 4 of each paving material 1A, 1B have the same shape, paving materials 1A, 1B can be similarly engaged with each other even if paving material 1A or paving material 1B, or both, are rotated 90°, 180°, and 270° from the state shown in Figure 4.

[0024] When arranging the paving materials 1A, 1B side by side, it is preferable to form a gap J (joint width) of 1 to 3 mm (more preferably 2 mm) between the opposing side surfaces 5. Furthermore, it is preferable to set the dimensions of the protrusions 7, etc. so that when the side portions 4 of the two paving materials 1A, 1B are butted together with a gap J of 2 mm between them, the protrusions 7 of one paving material 1A (or paving material 1B) will penetrate 1.5 mm or more into the recesses 8 of the other paving material 1B (or paving material 1A).

[0025] Furthermore, even when paving material 1C is shifted by half a pitch of one side relative to paving materials 1A and 1B and side portions 4 are butted together, paving material 1C can be engaged with paving materials 1A and 1B with protrusions 7 of paving material 1C entering into recesses 8 of paving materials 1A and 1B and with protrusions 7 of paving materials 1A and 1B entering into recesses 8 of paving material 1C.

[0026] A characteristic feature of the paving material 1 of this embodiment is that it is formed by molding an upper member 11 and a lower member 16 separately, then overlapping and connecting them to form an integrated structure, as shown in Figure 5. The upper member 11 is composed of an upper layer 12 including an upper surface 2 and an upper side surface 51, a middle layer 13 formed below the upper layer 12, and a connector 9. The lower member 16 is composed of a lower layer 17 including a bottom surface 3 and a lower side surface 52, a middle layer 18 formed above the lower layer 12, and the connector 9.

[0027] The middle layers 13 and 18 have the same configuration, but differ in their orientation. More specifically, the planar contour shapes are both square and of equal size, and the side surfaces of the outer periphery (outer periphery surfaces 13a and 18a) are vertical and the length of each side is set to be shorter than those of the upper layer 12 and the lower layer 17. The center positions of the middle layers 13 and 18 coincide with the center positions of the upper layer 12 or the lower layer 17, respectively, and each side of the outer periphery (outer periphery surfaces 13a and 18a) is positioned more inward than each side (upper side surface 51, lower side surface 52) of the upper layer 12 or the lower layer 17. Therefore, when the upper member 11 and the lower member 16 are overlapped in the orientation shown in FIG. 5 so that the corner positions are aligned, the outer periphery surfaces 13a and 18a and corners 13b and 18b of the middle layers 13 and 18 are aligned in the vertical direction.

[0028] 5, a lattice-shaped reinforcing rib 19 is formed on the inside of the middle layer 18 of the lower member 16. Although not shown in FIG. 5, a similar reinforcing rib is also formed on the inside of the middle layer 13 of the upper member 11.

[0029] The connectors 9 function as connecting means for connecting and integrating the upper member 11 and the lower member 16, and also form protrusions 7 (see Figures 1 to 4) on each side 4 of the paving material 1. These connectors 9 are of two types: male connectors 9M and female connectors 9F. The male connector 9M is composed of a single element, while the female connector 9F is composed of two symmetrically shaped elements spaced apart in the width direction (the longitudinal direction of one side of the upper member 11 or lower member 16 on which the female connector 9F is arranged). The male connector 9M of the upper member 11 and the male connector 9M of the lower member 16 have the same configuration, except for their vertical orientations. Similarly, the female connector 9F of the upper member 11 and the female connector 9F of the lower member 16 also have the same configuration, except for their vertical orientations.

[0030] As shown in Figure 5, two male connectors 9M and two female connectors 9F are arranged alternately on each side of the upper side member 11 (the component parts of the upper side member 11 that, when connected to the lower side member 16, form the side portion 4 of the paving material 1), and two male connectors 9M and two female connectors 9F are also arranged alternately on each side of the lower side member 16 (the component parts of the lower side member 16 that, when connected to the upper side member 11, form the side portion 4 of the paving material 1).

[0031] The male connector 9M and female connector 9F of the upper member 11 are formed to protrude horizontally outward from the outer peripheral surface 13a of the middle layer 13 (more specifically, further outward than the upper side surface 51) and protrude downward beyond the lower end of the middle layer 13. The male connector 9M and female connector 9F of the lower member 16 are formed to protrude horizontally outward from the outer peripheral surface 18a of the middle layer 18 (more specifically, further outward than the lower side surface 52) and protrude upward beyond the upper end of the middle layer 18.

[0032] The male connector 9M of the lower member 16 is arranged at a position corresponding to the female connector 9F of the upper member 11, and the female connector 9F of the lower member 16 is arranged at a position corresponding to the male connector 9M of the upper member 11. More specifically, the male connector 9M of the lower member 16 is formed at a position where it can mate with the female connector 9F of the upper member 11 when the upper member 11 and the lower member 16 are overlapped in the orientation shown in FIG. 5 so that the corner positions are aligned, and the female connector 9F of the lower member 16 is formed at a position where it can mate with the male connector 9M of the upper member 11.

[0033] The male connector 9M and the female connector 9F are configured to be snap-fittable, and one male connector 9M and one female connector 9F formed at a corresponding position function as a pair of upper and lower connectors 9. Specifically, as shown on the left side of FIG. 6, the male connector 9M of the upper member 11 has an upward step 91 formed at an intermediate height position and a tapered portion 92 formed so that the width dimension decreases from the step 91 toward the lower end (tip). On the other hand, the female connector 9F of the lower member 16 has a downward step 93 formed at an intermediate height position and a tapered portion 94 formed so that the width dimension decreases from the step 93 toward the upper end (tip). In the male connector 9M, the step 91 and the tapered portion 92 are formed on both the left and right sides of the main body, respectively, while in the female connector 9F, the step 93 and the tapered portion 94 are formed on the inner sides (facing surfaces) of each element.

[0034] The distance between the left and right step portions 93 in the female connector 9F is set to be smaller than the maximum width dimension in the male connector 9M (the width dimension at the positions where the step portions 91 are formed on both the left and right sides) and larger than the minimum width dimension in the male connector 9M (the width dimension at the portion above the step portions 91 and the width dimension at the bottom end). Therefore, as shown on the left side of Figure 6, when the upper member 11 and the lower member 16 are brought closer together so as to overlap each other, the male connector 9M of the upper member 11 enters the area between the female connectors 9F of the lower member 16, and the tapered portion 92 of the male connector 9M comes into contact with the tapered portion 94 of the female connector 9F.

[0035] If the upper side member 11 and the lower side member 16 are brought even closer together from this state, the male connector 9M will push apart the gap between the two elements that make up the female connector 9F, and when the step 91 of the male connector 9M passes through the area between the left and right step portions 93 of the female connector 9F, the gap between the female connector 9F (the gap between the left and right step portions 93) will return to its original state, and as shown on the right side of Figure 6, the step 91 of the male connector 9M and the step 93 of the female connector 9F will engage with each other and lock, making it impossible for the male connector 9M to be removed from its position between the female connectors 9F (snap fit).

[0036] The mechanism for achieving such snap fitting is common to all of the male connectors 9M and female connectors 9F formed on the upper member 11 and the lower member 16. Therefore, when the upper member 11 and the lower member 16 are overlapped and brought closer to each other, all of the male connectors 9M formed on the upper member 11 snap fit with the corresponding female connectors 9F on the lower member 16, and all of the female connectors 9F formed on the upper member 11 snap fit with the corresponding male connectors 9M on the lower member 16, so that the upper member 11 and the lower member 16 become integrated and cannot be easily separated.

[0037] When the male connector 9M and the female connector 9F are mated, as shown in Fig. 7, the lower half of the male connector 9M (and the female connector 9F) of the upper member 11 engages from the outside with the outer circumferential surface 18a of the middle layer portion 18 of the lower member 16. Also, the upper half of the male connector 9M (and the female connector 9F) of the lower member 16 engages from the outside with the outer circumferential surface 13a of the middle layer portion 13 of the upper member 11. Therefore, when the male connector 9M and the female connector 9F are mated, the upper member 11 and the lower member 16 are restricted from relative movement in all directions (height, width, and depth), and are completely integrated.

[0038] In this embodiment, the paving material 1 has four pairs of upper and lower connectors 9 arranged on each side of the upper side member 11 and the lower side member 16, and the corresponding sides of the upper side member 11 and the lower side member 16 are securely connected by the connectors 9.Therefore, even if ``warping'' or ``sinking'' occurs in either the upper side member 11 or the lower side member 16 (or in both) due to changes in molding conditions or material characteristics, the ``warping'' or ``sinking'' can be corrected by the corresponding sides of the upper side member 11 and the lower side member 16 restraining each other, and a flat paving material 1 can be formed.

[0039] When the male connector 9M and the female connector 9F are mated, protrusions 7 are formed on each side 4 of the paving material 1, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, and recesses 8 are formed between the protrusions 7.As shown in Figure 4, when multiple paving materials 1 are lined up, the side portions 4 can be engaged with each other.

[0040] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a paving material 1 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the top surface 2 and bottom surface 3 are formed in a square shape, and four protrusions 7 and four recesses 8 are formed on each of the four side surfaces 4, but in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, the top surface 2 and bottom surface 3 are formed in a rectangular shape, and eight protrusions 7 and eight recesses 8 are formed on each of the long side surfaces 4. The rules for arranging these protrusions 7 (arrangement positions and intervals) are basically the same as the rules for arranging the protrusions 7 in the paving material 1 of the first embodiment.

[0041] More specifically, when the combination of four protrusions 7 and four recesses 8 formed on one side 4 of the paving material 1 of the first embodiment is referred to as one "uneven unit," one uneven unit is formed on the short side 4 of the paving material 1 shown in Figure 8, and two uneven units (arranged in series) are formed on the long side 4.

[0042] Therefore, the side portions 4 of the short sides of the rectangular paving material 1 in Fig. 8 can be butted against the side portions 4 of the square paving material 1 shown in Fig. 1 etc. to engage with each other, and the side portions 4 of the long sides can also be butted against each other to engage with each other. It is also possible to butt the short side sides 4 of the rectangular paving material 1 in Fig. 8 against each other, the long side sides 4 against each other, or the short side sides 4 against the long side sides 4. Engagement is also possible when the sides 4 are butted against each other with one side shifted by half a pitch.

[0043] 9 to 11 are perspective and cross-sectional views of a pair of upper and lower connectors 9 in a paving material according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, too, connector 9 is composed of one male connector 9M and one female connector 9F that is formed so as to be capable of snap-fitting at a corresponding position. Connector 9 functions as a connecting means for connecting and integrating upper member 11 and lower member 16, and also forms protrusions 7 on each side 4 of paving material 1.

[0044] In the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the step portion 91 and tapered portion 92 of the male connector 9M are formed horizontally on both the left and right sides of the main body, and the step portion 93 and tapered portion 94 of the female connector 9F are also formed horizontally on the inside of the two elements (on the surfaces facing each other), whereas in the male connector 9M of this embodiment, the step portion 91 and tapered portion 92 are formed facing outward (outward) as shown in Figure 9, and the step portion 93 of the female connector 9F is formed in a position and orientation corresponding to the step portion 91 of the male connector 9M (a position and orientation where the step portion 91 of the male connector 9M can engage).

[0045] In the paving material 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, when the upper side member 11 and the lower side member 16 are brought closer together so that they overlap one another, the tip of the male connector 9M enters the inner area of ​​the female connector 9F (the area between the two flaps 95 arranged at a distance), and as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the step 91 at the tip of the male connector 9M engages with the step 93 formed in the middle part 96 which is arranged to connect the two flaps 95 of the female connector 9F, making it impossible to remove the male connector 9M from its position inside the female connector 9F.

[0046] Similar to the paving material 1 of the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 7, multiple sets of connectors 9 (male connectors 9M and female connectors 9F) that achieve this snap fit are formed on each side of the upper member 11 and the lower member 16. All of the male connectors 9M formed on the upper member 11 snap fit with corresponding female connectors 9F on the lower member 16, and all of the female connectors 9F formed on the upper member 11 snap fit with corresponding male connectors 9M on the lower member 16. As a result, the upper member 11 and the lower member 16 are restricted from moving relative to each other in all directions (height, width, and depth), and are completely integrated and cannot be easily separated.

[0047] The connector 9 of this embodiment is similar in that the male connector 9M and the female connector 9F are configured to be snap-fittable. Furthermore, they are similar in that, when mated, the left and right sides of the male connector 9M are sandwiched by the female connector 9F. This prevents disengagement even when force is applied to the upper member 11 or the lower member 16 from any direction, and the upper member 11 and the lower member 16 can be maintained in an extremely stable, integrated state.

[0048] Fig. 12 is a plan view of a paving material 1 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The paving material 1 according to this embodiment differs from the paving material 1 according to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 1 in that the planar shapes of the four side portions 4 are configured to be curved in an S-shape (the outline shape of the side portions 4 that appears when projected onto a plane is curved in a wave-like shape), but is otherwise the same as the paving material 1 according to the first embodiment (for example, the basic shapes of the top surface portion 2 and the bottom surface portion are square).

[0049] This paving material 1 can also have its side portions 4 engage with each other when it is lined up with another identical paving material 1. More specifically, as shown in Figure 13, when two paving materials 1A, 1B are lined up and their side portions 4 are butted together so that their corners 21 are aligned, the positions and spacing of the protrusions 7 and recesses 8 are set so that the protrusions 7 of paving material 1A can enter the recesses 8 of paving material 1B, and the protrusions 7 of paving material 1B can enter the recesses 8 of paving material 1A.

[0050] Furthermore, since the four side portions 4 of each paving material 1A, 1B have the same shape, paving materials 1A, 1B can be similarly engaged with each other even if paving material 1A or paving material 1B, or both, are rotated 90°, 180°, and 270° from the state shown in Figure 4.

[0051] When arranging the paving materials 1A, 1B side by side, it is preferable to form a gap J (joint width) of 1 to 3 mm (more preferably 2 mm) between the opposing side surfaces 5. Furthermore, it is preferable to set the dimensions of the protrusions 7, etc. so that when the side portions 4 of the two paving materials 1A, 1B are butted together with a gap J of 2 mm between them, the protrusions 7 of one paving material 1A (or paving material 1B) will penetrate 1.5 mm or more into the recesses 8 of the other paving material 1B (or paving material 1A).

[0052] Furthermore, even when paving material 1C is shifted by half a pitch of one side relative to paving materials 1A and 1B and side portions 4 are butted together, paving material 1C can be engaged with paving materials 1A and 1B with protrusions 7 of paving material 1C entering into recesses 8 of paving materials 1A and 1B and with protrusions 7 of paving materials 1A and 1B entering into recesses 8 of paving material 1C.

[0053] Figure 14 is a diagram showing paving materials 1 (1A to 1C) according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention lined up and engaged with each other. In the fourth embodiment, the basic shapes of the top surface 2 and the bottom surface are square, and four protrusions 7 and four recesses 8 are formed on each of the four side portions 4. However, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 14, the basic shapes of the top surface 2 and the bottom surface are rectangular, and eight protrusions 7 and eight recesses 8 are formed on each of the long side portions 4. The rules for arranging these protrusions 7 (arrangement positions and spacing) are basically the same as the rules for arranging the protrusions 7 in the paving material 1 of the fourth embodiment.

[0054] More specifically, when the combination of four protrusions 7 and four recesses 8 formed on one side 4 of the paving material 1 of the fourth embodiment is referred to as one ``uneven unit,'' one uneven unit is formed on the short side 4 of the paving material 1 shown in Figure 14, and two uneven units (arranged in series) are formed on the long side 4.

[0055] Therefore, it is possible to butt and engage either side 4 of the paving material 1 in Figure 12 with the side 4 of the short side of the paving material 1 in Figure 14, and it is also possible to butt and engage the side 4 of the short sides of the paving material 1 in Figure 14, and it is also possible to butt and engage the side 4 of the long sides as shown in Figure 14, and it is also possible to butt and engage the side 4 of the short side with the side 4 of the long side. Furthermore, engagement is also possible when the sides 4 are butted together with the short sides shifted by half a pitch.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the corners and edges of the top surface 2, bottom surface 3 and protrusions 7 are all angular, but they may be chamfered (inclined or rounded) as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 1, 1A to 1C: Paving materials, 11: Upper side member, 12: Upper management, 13: Middle floor, 13a: outer peripheral surface, 13b: corner, 16: Lower side member, 17:Lower part, 18: Middle floor, 18a: outer peripheral surface, 18b: corner, 19: Reinforcing rib, 2:Top part, 21: Corner, 3: Bottom part, 4: Side, 5: Side, 51: upper side, 52: lower side, 7: protrusion, 8: recess, 9: Connector, 9M: Male connector, 9F: Female connector, 91: Danbe, 92: Tapered section, 93: Danbe, 94: Tapered section, 95: Flap, 96: Middle part,

Claims

1. A paving material formed into a plate shape having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of side surfaces by overlapping and connecting an upper side member and a lower side member, An upper side surface and a lower side surface are formed on each side portion, and at a height position between the upper side surface and the lower side surface, a plurality of protrusions protruding outward from the upper side surface and the lower side surface and a plurality of recesses recessed inward from the upper side surface and the lower side surface are formed, a plurality of connectors for connecting the upper and lower members; A plurality of connectors are arranged in the portions of the upper and lower members that form the sides of the paving material, A paving material characterized in that the upper and lower members are connected by engaging the connector of the upper member with the connector of the lower member, and the protrusions on each side are formed by the connectors in the engaged state.

2. 2. The paving material of claim 1, characterized in that the connectors are composed of male and female connectors that can be snapped together, and the male connector located on the upper side member is mated with the female connector located on the lower side member, and / or the female connector located on the upper side member is mated with the male connector located on the lower side member, thereby connecting the upper side member and the lower side member.

3. 3. The paving material according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of male connectors and a plurality of female connectors are arranged alternately on each side of the upper and lower members.

4. 3. The paving material according to claim 2, wherein when the connectors are mated, the left and right sides of the male connector are sandwiched between the female connectors, so that left and right movement of the male and female connectors can be mutually restricted.

5. The male connector is formed by a single element, and has a step portion and a tapered portion formed so that the width dimension decreases from the step portion toward the tip on both the left and right sides of the main body, The paving material described in claim 2, characterized in that the female connector is composed of two elements arranged at a distance from each other, and the inner opposing surfaces of each element are formed with a step and a tapered portion formed so that the width dimension decreases from the step toward the tip.

6. 6. The paving material according to claim 5, wherein the distance between the left and right step portions of the female connector is set to be smaller than the maximum width dimension of the male connector and larger than the minimum width dimension of the male connector.

7. The upper member is configured by an upper layer portion including an upper surface portion and an upper side surface, a middle layer portion formed below the upper layer portion, and a connector, The lower member is composed of a lower layer portion including a bottom surface portion and a lower side surface, a middle layer portion formed above the lower layer portion, and a connector, the middle layer portion of the upper member and the middle layer portion of the lower member are disposed at positions inside the respective sides of the upper layer portion and the lower layer portion, The connector of the upper member is formed so as to protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the middle layer portion to an outer side beyond the upper side surface and to protrude downward beyond the lower end of the middle layer portion; A paving material as described in claim 1, characterized in that the connector of the lower member is formed so as to protrude from the outer surface of the middle layer portion outward beyond the lower side surface and protrude upward beyond the upper end of the middle layer portion.

8. A paving material as described in claim 7, characterized in that the lower half of the connector of the upper side member engages from the outside with the outer surface of the middle layer portion of the lower side member, and the upper half of the connector of the lower side member engages from the outside with the outer surface of the middle layer portion of the upper side member.

9. 2. The paving material according to claim 1, wherein the planar shape of the side portion is curved in an S-shape.

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