Ventilated Fluted Flooring System
The ventilated fluted flooring system addresses the need for automated debris removal and temperature control by integrating ventilation and ducted vacuum systems to clean and heat/cool the flooring.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- US · United States
- Patent Type
- Applications(United States)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- BRANSON MATTHEW
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-30
AI Technical Summary
Existing flooring systems require significant manual cleaning effort to remove debris and lack the ability to control temperature effectively.
A ventilated fluted flooring system with integrated ventilation and ducted vacuum systems that circulate air to lift and remove debris while adjusting temperature, using a thermostat to heat or cool the flooring.
Automatically cleans the flooring by lifting and removing debris without manual effort and allows temperature control, enhancing convenience and efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure US20260218928A1-D00000_ABST
Abstract
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not ApplicableSTATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not ApplicableTHE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT
[0003] Not ApplicableINCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM.
[0004] Not ApplicableSTATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR
[0005] Not ApplicableBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION(1) Field of the Invention
[0006] The disclosure relates to flooring and more particularly pertains to a new flooring for controlling a temperature of the flooring and cleaning the flooring.(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
[0007] The prior art relates to flooring. Flooring often gathers dirt, hair, and other debris because people walk on flooring and may spill or drop items onto the flooring. Accordingly, many people spend a significant amount of time vacuuming, sweeping, and cleaning flooring in their homes, apartments, and offices. People who have pets need to clean their flooring even more often, as pet hair and dandruff collects on the flooring quite quickly. The prior art discloses vacuums for cleaning the flooring and removing the debris. Central vacuums have been disclosed, which incorporate a vacuum system into the ductwork of the building for suctioning debris into a collection chamber, allowing the user to merely connect tubing and other tools to valves which are installed on walls throughout the building. Users prefer central vacuums because they are generally quieter and more convenient than standard vacuums. However, central vacuums still require users to spend a significant amount of time actively vacuuming and cleaning the flooring. Thus, there is a need in the art for a system that can automatically remove debris from flooring. Ideally, such a system would also be useful for controlling a temperature of the flooring, for example allowing users to heat or cool their flooring as their flooring is being cleaned.BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a building having a floor. A ventilation system is operably positioned within the building wherein the ventilation system circulates air through the building. A plurality of panels are coupled to the floor of the building wherein the plurality of panels cover the floor of the building. A plurality of blower baseboards are coupled to the floor. Each blower baseboard of the plurality of blower baseboards includes a back wall and a front wall. A channel extends inwardly through the back wall and outwardly through the front wall. The channel includes an inlet that is in fluid communication with the ventilation system wherein the ventilation system blows air into the channel through the inlet. An outlet extends through the front wall wherein the ventilation system blows air onto the plurality of panels through the outlet.
[0009] There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
[0010] The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)
[0011] The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a top view of a ventilated fluted flooring device according to an embodiment of the disclosure.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.
[0015] FIG. 4 is a bottom view of an embodiment of the disclosure.
[0016] FIG. 5 is a detail view of an embodiment of the disclosure.
[0017] FIG. 6 is a detail view of an embodiment of the disclosure.
[0018] FIG. 7 is a detail view of an embodiment of the disclosure.
[0019] FIG. 8 is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure.
[0020] FIG. 9 is an isometric view of an embodiment of the disclosure.
[0021] FIG. 10 is a block diagram view of an embodiment of the disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 10 thereof, a new flooring embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described.
[0023] As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 10, the ventilated fluted flooring device 10 generally comprises a building 12 that has a floor 14. For example, the floor 14 may include a primary edge 16. A secondary edge 18 may be coupled to and extend from the primary edge 16. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the secondary edge 18 may be perpendicular to the primary edge 16. A tertiary edge 20 may be coupled to and extend from the secondary edge 18. The tertiary edge 20 may be distally positioned on the secondary edge 18 relative to the primary edge 16. As shown in FIG. 8, the tertiary edge 20 may be parallel to the primary edge 16. A quaternary edge 22 may be coupled to and extend between the tertiary edge 20 and the primary edge 16. The quaternary edge 22 may be distally positioned on the tertiary edge 20 relative to the secondary edge 18. The quaternary edge 22 may be perpendicular to the primary edge 16. In embodiments described above, the floor 14 may be rectangular, although other shapes are also contemplated.
[0024] A ventilation system 24 is operably positioned within the building 12 wherein the ventilation system 24 circulates air through the building 12. For example, the ventilation system 24 may be a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. The ventilation system 24 may include a thermostat 26 that is actuatable to adjust a temperature of the air that is circulated through the building 12.
[0025] A ducted vacuum system 28 may be operably positioned within the building 12 wherein the ducted vacuum system 28 is configured to suction air outwardly from the building 12. The ducted vacuum system 28 may also be configured to remove debris from the building 12 by suctioning the air outwardly from the building 12. For example, the ducted vacuum system 28 may be a central vacuum. The debris may include dust, hair, dirt, and other debris that collects on the floor 14 of the building 12.
[0026] The ducted vacuum system 28 may include a control panel 30 that is actuatable to selectively turn the ducted vacuum system 28 on and off. The control panel 30 may include a timer that is actuatable to schedule a time at which the ducted vacuum system 28 will turn on and off. For example, the timer may be actuatable to schedule a time of day at which the ducted vacuum system 28 will turn on and / or off. Such embodiments would allow a user to create a daily schedule for the ducted vacuum system 28. For example, the timer could be used to schedule the ducted vacuum system 28 to turn on at 4:00 pm each day and to turn off at 8:00 am each day. The timer may also be actuatable to schedule a period of time after which the ducted vacuum system 28 will turn on and / or off. For example, such embodiments would allow the user to schedule the ducted vacuum system 28 to turn on and / or off after 45 minutes.
[0027] A plurality of panels 32 are coupled to the floor 14 of the building 12. More specifically, the plurality of panels 32 cover the floor 14 of the building 12. The plurality of panels 32 are accordingly positioned adjacent to each other. Each panel of the plurality of panels 32 may include a top side 34 and a bottom side 38. A plurality of apertures 36 may extend through the top side 34. A plurality of conduits 40 may extend along the bottom side 38.
[0028] The plurality of conduits 40 are generally parallel to each other wherein the plurality of conduits 40 are configured to direct airflow across the bottom side 38. The plurality of conduits 40 are generally in fluid communication with the plurality of apertures 36 wherein the plurality of apertures 36 are configured to release air upwardly from the top side 34 as air passes through the plurality of conduits 40 beneath the bottom side 38. Air passing upwardly from the top side 34 of each panel of the plurality of panels 32 is configured to lift debris from each panel of the plurality of panels 32. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, airflow can be directed beneath the bottom side 38 of each panel of the plurality of panels 32 and the plurality of apertures 36 can release air upwardly to lift debris from the top side 34 of each panel of the plurality of panels 32.
[0029] A plurality of blower baseboards 42 may extend upwardly from the floor 14. The plurality of blower baseboards 42 may be aligned with each other along the primary edge 16 of the floor 14. In other embodiments, the plurality of blower baseboards 42 may be aligned with each other along the secondary edge 18 of the floor 14.
[0030] Each blower baseboard of the plurality of blower baseboards 42 generally includes a back wall 44 and a front wall 46. A bottom wall 48 may be coupled to and extend between the back wall 44 and the front wall 46. A channel 50 generally extends through each blower baseboard of the plurality of blower baseboards 42. For example, an inlet 52 may extend through the back wall 44. The inlet 52 is in fluid communication with the ventilation system 24 wherein the ventilation system 24 blows air into the channel 50 through the inlet 52. An outlet 54 may extend through the front wall 46 wherein the ventilation system 24 blows air onto the plurality of panels 32 through the outlet 54. Airflow on the plurality of panels 32 is generally configured to urge debris across the plurality of panels 32 and away from the plurality of blower baseboards 42. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the channel 50 directs airflow from the ventilation system 24 onto the plurality of panels 32. The airflow over the plurality of panels 32 can push debris across the plurality of panels 32.
[0031] The thermostat 26 of the ventilation system 24 may be actuatable to adjust the temperature of the air is blown onto the plurality of panels 32. In such embodiments, the thermostat 26 may be configured to facilitate adjustment of a temperature of the plurality of panels 32 on the floor 14. By adjusting the temperature at which the thermostat 26 is set, the temperature of the air is blown across the plurality of panels 32 can be adjusted to either heat or cool the plurality of panels 32 on the floor 14.
[0032] The outlet 54 may be one of a pair of outlets. For example, a lower outlet 54 may be positioned at a junction between the front wall 46 and the bottom wall 48 wherein the lower outlet 54 is configured to direct air into the plurality of conduits 40 on the bottom side 38 of the plurality of panels 32. As airflow passes through the plurality of conduits 40, air may be released upwardly through the plurality of apertures 36. The upward airflow can lift debris from the top side 34 of the plurality of panels 32.
[0033] An upper outlet 54 may be vertically spaced from the lower outlet 54. More specifically, the upper outlet 54 is generally positioned above the top side 34 of each panel of the plurality of panels 32 wherein the upper outlet 54 is configured to direct air across the top side 34 of the plurality of panels 32. Airflow across the top side 34 of the plurality of panels 32 is configured to direct debris away from the plurality of blower baseboards 42. Looking to FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper outlet 54 can create lateral airflow across the top side 34 of the plurality of panels 32. Generally, the lateral airflow travels between opposing edges of the floor 14, such as between the primary edge 16 and the tertiary edge 20, or between the secondary edge 18 and the quaternary edge 22. When combined with the upward airflow travelling from the plurality of conduits 40 through the plurality of apertures 36 on each panel of the plurality of panels 32, this lateral airflow is configured to urge debris which has been lifted off of the plurality of panels 32 away from the plurality of blower baseboards 42.
[0034] A plurality of suction baseboards 60 may be coupled to and extend upwardly from the floor 14. The plurality of suction baseboards 60 are typically positioned across the floor 14 from the plurality of blower baseboards 42. For example, the plurality of suction baseboards 60 may be aligned with each other along the tertiary edge 20 of the floor 14. The plurality of suction baseboards 60 may also be aligned with each other along the quaternary edge 22 of the floor 14.
[0035] The ventilation system 24 may blow air onto the floor 14 through the plurality of blower baseboards 42 and the ducted vacuum system 28 may suction that air, and the debris which has been lifted off of the top side 34 of the plurality of panels 32 and urged away from the plurality of blower baseboards 42, off of the plurality of panels 32. Accordingly, the ventilation system 24 and the ducted vacuum system 28 are designed to work together to direct airflow over the floor 14 and remove debris that has settled on the top side 34 of the plurality of panels 32.
[0036] Each suction baseboard of the plurality of suction baseboards 60 may include a rear surface 62 and a forward surface 64. A lower surface 66 may be coupled to and extend between the rear surface 62 and the forward surface 64. A vent 68 extending inwardly through the forward surface 64 and outwardly through the rear surface 62.
[0037] The vent 68 may include an entrance 70 that extends through the forward surface 64. The entrance 70 is generally spaced from the lower surface 66 wherein the entrance 70 is positioned above the top side 34 of an adjacent panel of the plurality of panels 32. An exit 72 may extend through the rear surface 62. The exit 72 is generally in fluid communication with the ducted vacuum system 28 wherein the ducted vacuum system 28 is configured to suction air and debris from the plurality of panels 32 into the vent 68 through the entrance 70 and out of the vent 68 through the exit 72. As air is blown across the floor 14, debris can be pushed across the floor 14 and suctioned into the vent 68, thereby removing the debris from the plurality of panels 32 on the floor 14.
[0038] A trap door 74 may be coupled to the vent 68. The trap door 74 is generally positioned proximate to the entrance 70. The trap door 74 may be pivotable within the vent 68 wherein the trap door 74 is alternately positionable between an open position 78 and a closed position 80. The trap door 74 blocks the debris from travelling outwardly from the vent 68 through the entrance 70 when the trap door 74 is in the closed position 80. The trap door 74 is pivoted into the open position 78 when the ducted vacuum system 28 is turned on to suction air and debris outwardly from the vent 68 through the exit 72.
[0039] A spring 76 may be coupled to the trap door 74. The spring 76 may be compressed when the trap door 74 is in the open position 78. The spring 76 may be biased to extend wherein the spring 76 urges the trap door 74 into the closed position 80 when the ducted vacuum system 28 is turned off.
[0040] In use, the ventilation system 24 can blow air onto the plurality of panels 32 through the plurality of blower baseboards 42. The thermostat 26 can be used to set the temperature of the air, effectively heating or cooling the plurality of panels 32 as the air flows over them. Accordingly, the ventilated fluted flooring device 10 can be used to heat and cool the floor 14 of the building 12.
[0041] The ducted vacuum system 28 can be turned on and off using the control panel 30. When the ducted vacuum system 28 is turned on, the air blown onto the plurality of panels 32 by the ventilation system 24 will be suctioned off of the plurality of panels 32 through the vent 68 within each suction baseboard of the plurality of suction baseboards 60. As explained above, the debris which is lifted from the plurality of panels 32 by airflow through the plurality of conduits 40 and the plurality of apertures 36 will also be suctioned off of the plurality of panels 32 through the vent 68. Thus, the plurality of panels 32 which cover the floor 14 can effectively be vacuumed and cleaned without the user needing to physically vacuum the floor 14.
[0042] With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
[0043] Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
Claims
1. A flooring system comprising:a building having a floor;a ventilation system being operably positioned within the building wherein the ventilation system circulates air through the building;a plurality of panels being coupled to the floor of the building wherein the plurality of panels cover the floor of the building; anda plurality of blower baseboards being coupled to the floor, each blower baseboard of the plurality of blower baseboards including:a back wall;a front wall; anda channel extending inwardly through the back wall and outwardly through the front wall, the channel including:an inlet being in fluid communication with the ventilation system wherein the ventilation system blows air into the channel through the inlet; andan outlet extending through the front wall wherein the ventilation system blows air onto the plurality of panels through the outlet.
2. The flooring system of claim 1, further comprising a ducted vacuum system being operably positioned within the building wherein the ducted vacuum system is configured to suction air outwardly from the building.
3. The flooring system of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of suction baseboards being coupled to the floor, the plurality of suction baseboards being aligned with the plurality of blower baseboards across the floor wherein airflow on the plurality of panels is configured to urge debris across the plurality of panels and away from the plurality of blower baseboards toward the plurality of suction baseboards.
4. The flooring system of claim 3, the floor further comprising:a primary edge;a secondary edge being coupled to and extending from the primary edge;a tertiary edge being coupled to and extending from the secondary edge, the tertiary edge being distally positioned on the secondary edge relative to the primary edge; anda quaternary edge being coupled to and extending between the tertiary edge and the primary edge, the quaternary edge being distally positioned on the tertiary edge relative to the secondary edge.
5. The flooring system of claim 4, wherein the plurality of blower baseboards are positioned along the primary edge of the floor and wherein the plurality of suction baseboards are positioned along the tertiary edge of the floor.
6. The flooring system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of blower baseboards are positioned along the secondary edge of the floor and wherein the plurality of suction baseboards are positioned along the quaternary edge of the floor.
7. The flooring system of claim 3, each suction baseboard of the plurality of suction baseboards further comprising:a rear surface;a forward surface; anda vent.
8. The flooring system of claim 7, the vent further comprising:an entrance extending through the forward surface, the entrance being positioned above an adjacent panel of the plurality of panels; andan exit extending through the rear surface, the exit being in fluid communication with the ducted vacuum system wherein the ducted vacuum system is configured to suction air and debris from the plurality of panels into the vent through the entrance and out of the vent through the exit.
9. The flooring system of claim 8, the ducted vacuum system further comprising a control panel being actuatable to selectively turn the ducted vacuum system on and off.
10. The flooring system of claim 9, the control panel further comprising a timer being actuatable to schedule a time at which the ducted vacuum system will turn on and off.
11. The flooring system of claim 1, the ventilation system further comprising a thermostat being actuatable to adjust a temperature of the air being circulated through the building whereby the thermostat is actuatable to adjust the temperature of the air being blown through the channel onto the plurality of panels.
12. The flooring system of claim 1, each panel of the plurality of panels further comprising:a top side;a plurality of apertures extending through the top side;a bottom side; anda plurality of conduits extending along the bottom side, the plurality of conduits being parallel to each other wherein the plurality of conduits are configured to direct airflow across the bottom side, the plurality of conduits being in fluid communication with the plurality of apertures wherein the plurality of apertures are configured to release air upwardly from the top side as air passes through the plurality of conduits beneath the bottom side.
13. The flooring system of claim 12, wherein air passing upwardly from the top side of each panel of the plurality of panels is configured to lift debris from each panel of the plurality of panels.
14. A flooring system comprising:a building having a floor, the floor including:a primary edge;a secondary edge being coupled to and extending from the primary edge;a tertiary edge being coupled to and extending from the secondary edge, the tertiary edge being distally positioned on the secondary edge relative to the primary edge; anda quaternary edge being coupled to and extending between the tertiary edge and the primary edge, the quaternary edge being distally positioned on the tertiary edge relative to the secondary edge;a ventilation system being operably positioned within the building wherein the ventilation system circulates air through the building, the ventilation system including:a thermostat being actuatable to adjust a temperature of the air being circulated through the building;a ducted vacuum system being operably positioned within the building wherein the ducted vacuum system is configured to suction air outwardly from the building and wherein the ducted vacuum system is configured to remove debris from the building by suctioning the air outwardly from the building, the ducted vacuum system including:a control panel being actuatable to selectively turn the ducted vacuum system on and off, the control panel including a timer being actuatable to schedule a time at which the ducted vacuum system will turn on and off;a plurality of panels being coupled to the floor of the building wherein the plurality of panels cover the floor of the building, the plurality of panels being positioned adjacent to each other, each panel of the plurality of panels including:a top side;a plurality of apertures extending through the top side;a bottom side; anda plurality of conduits extending along the bottom side, the plurality of conduits being parallel to each other wherein the plurality of conduits are configured to direct airflow across the bottom side, the plurality of conduits being in fluid communication with the plurality of apertures wherein the plurality of apertures are configured to release air upwardly from the top side as air passes through the plurality of conduits beneath the bottom side whereby air passing upwardly from the top side of each panel of the plurality of panels is configured to lift debris from each panel of the plurality of panels;a plurality of blower baseboards extending upwardly from the floor, the plurality of blower baseboards being aligned with each other along the primary edge of the floor, the plurality of blower baseboards being aligned with each other along the secondary edge of the floor, each blower baseboard of the plurality of blower baseboards including:a back wall;a front wall;a bottom wall being coupled to and extending between the back wall and the front wall; anda channel including:an inlet extending through the back wall, the inlet being in fluid communication with the ventilation system wherein the ventilation system blows air into the channel through the inlet; andan outlet extending through the front wall wherein the ventilation system blows air onto the plurality of panels through the outlet and wherein airflow on the plurality of panels is configured to urge debris across the plurality of panels and away from the plurality of blower baseboards, the thermostat of the ventilation system being actuatable to adjust the temperature of the air being blown onto the plurality of panels wherein the thermostat is configured to facilitate adjustment of a temperature of the plurality of panels on the floor, the outlet being one of a pair of outlets, the pair of outlets including:a lower outlet being positioned at a junction between the front wall and the bottom wall wherein the lower outlet is configured to direct air into the plurality of conduits on the bottom side of the plurality of panels; andan upper outlet being vertically spaced from the lower outlet wherein the upper outlet is configured to direct air across the top side of the plurality of panels and wherein airflow across the top side of the plurality of panels is configured to direct debris away from the plurality of blower baseboards; anda plurality of suction baseboards being coupled to and extending upwardly from the floor wherein the plurality of suction baseboards are positioned across the floor from the plurality of blower baseboards, the plurality of suction baseboards being aligned with each other along the tertiary edge of the floor, the plurality of suction baseboards being aligned with each other along the quaternary edge of the floor, each suction baseboard of the plurality of suction baseboards including:a rear surface;a forward surface;a lower surface being coupled to and extending between the rear surface and the forward surface;a vent extending inwardly through the forward surface and outwardly through the rear surface, the vent including:an entrance extending through the forward surface, the entrance being spaced from the lower surface wherein the entrance is positioned above the top side of an adjacent panel of the plurality of panels; andan exit extending through the rear surface, the exit being in fluid communication with the ducted vacuum system wherein the ducted vacuum system is configured to suction air and debris from the plurality of panels into the vent through the entrance and out of the vent through the exit; anda trap door being coupled to the vent, the trap door being positioned proximate to the entrance, the trap door being pivotable within the vent wherein the trap door is alternately positionable between an open position and a closed position, the trap door blocking the debris from travelling outwardly from the vent through the entrance when the trap door is in the closed position, the trap door being pivoted into the open position when the ducted vacuum system is turned on to suction air and debris outwardly from the vent through the exit; anda spring being coupled to the trap door, the spring being compressed when the trap door is in the open position, the spring being biased to extend wherein the spring urges the trap door into the closed position when the ducted vacuum system is turned off.