Temporary ground cover

Abstract

A temporary cover panel (110) comprises a load-bearing support arrangement (112) for bridging a span (3), the support arrangement formed from fibre-reinforced material, and one or more cover elements (120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, 120e, 120f) held to the support arrangement (112), wherein the one or more cover elements are formed from moulded material comprising higher slip resistance than the support arrangement (112). The fibre-reinforced support arrangement (112) avoids a need to rely on load support from the cover elements (120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, 120e, 120f). Thereby, the cover elements (120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, 120e, 120f) may be provided as discrete modules, in modular form, to allow panels (110) of different lengths to be manufactured using a single-size mould, using one or more moulded elements of relatively smaller size.

Description

[0001] Temporary Ground Cover

[0002] Field of the Invention

[0003] The invention relates to a cover panel installed temporarily, to cover ground or openings underneath, and / or as temporary ramp for stepped surfaces. More specifically, the invention relates to a panel design capable of being used for bridging larger spans, sometimes in excess of two metres, and of a relatively low weight that may be suitable for single-person lift or two- person lift.

[0004] Background

[0005] Temporary ground cover panels made from moulded plastics materials may require different mould sizes and, if reinforced, a correspondingly dimensioned geometry of a reinforcing structure, depending on the size of ground or trench span to be covered.

[0006] Manufacturing costs for moulded articles increase disproportionately with size of the moulded product, and so costs for larger-span panels can become prohibitive. Furthermore, larger panels may have a considerable mass so as to be suitable to support the mass of vehicles or larger numbers of passersby simultaneously. As such, panels that need to cover larger openings, for instance openings that exceed a metre width, are more difficult to move without machinery due to their mass and shape.

[0007] The present invention seeks to provide an improved panel design that at least partially alleviates the problems that may arise in the aforementioned scenarios.

[0008] Summary of the Invention

[0009] In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a temporary cover panel as defined in claim 1 , comprising a load-bearing support arrangement for bridging a span, the support arrangement formed from fibre-reinforced material, and one or more cover elements held to the support arrangement, wherein the one or more cover elements are formed from moulded material comprising higher slip resistance than the support arrangement.

[0010] The temporary cover panel will be understood to refer to a panel suitable to be placed on an area to be covered, for instance directly on ground underneath, or to bridge a span. The panel will be understood to be an item assembled from different components, comprising the loadbearing support arrangement and attached to it an arrangement of one or more cover elements. The support arrangement may comprise one or more panels or one or more beams of loadbearing fibre-reinforced material, that is or are sufficiently long to bridge a nominal span and to support a nominal load. To provide illustrative values, the support arrangement may have a length of 1 m, 1.5 m, 2 m, or longer, and may be dimensioned to support a load of several 100kg. When the support arrangement comprises multiple support elements, e.g. rods, these may each be sufficiently long to bridge the required span. In practice, multiple support elements of a support arrangement will usually have the same length in an elongate direction of the temporary cover panel.

[0011] An appreciation underlying the development of the invention was that some load-bearing components, such as fibre-reinforced beams, may be readily manufactured to a desired length of over 1 or 2 metres, or longer. However, moulding a covering of a size corresponding to the load-bearing arrangement results in a need for large moulds, with corresponding cost. Furthermore, if it is desired to provide coverings for different length spans, a large number of different size moulds may be required.

[0012] A further appreciation underlying the invention was that light-weight load-supporting structures, such as fibre-reinforced structures, tend to be difficult to manufacture with appropriate grip or anti-slip properties on their top surface. An anti-slip surface may be added, e.g. by incorporating texture or by applying coatings, or by attaching inserts. Such approaches tend to increase manufacturing complexity. An alternative, proposed herein, is to provide an anti-slip covering in prefabricated, moulded form, made from a suitable material such as thermoplastics material, with anti-slip properties.

[0013] The suggestion made in this disclosure is to provide a system in which a modular cover element system is used that allows one or more, relatively smaller, cover elements to be attached to the load-bearing support arrangement. In a simple form, a single cover element, e.g. of around 50 cm x 50 cm size, may be used to form a temporary cover panel of corresponding size. The invention allows several discrete cover elements to be combined, to provide, e.g., a cover panel of around 1 metre length, from (in this example) two 50 cm cover elements arranged in series, or 2 metres length from four such cover elements. The arrangement allows a span of practically any length to be covered by using multiple elements from the same unit element, which may be manufactured from the same mould. Embodiments of the invention use cover elements with around 40 cm x 40 cm footprint.

[0014] For instance, a cover element may have a foot print no larger than 100 cm x 100 cm, no larger than 75cm *75 cm, or no larger than 50 cm * 50 cm. As will be appreciated, other dimensions may be used, e.g. of 33 cm * 33 cm, 40 cm * 40 cm, or 33 cm * 50 cm size. A further appreciation underlying the invention was that a fibre-reinforced support arrangement avoids a need to rely on load support from the cover elements. This enables the possibility of loosely joined cover elements being used within the temporary cover panel. It was found that this enables the use of easily reversible attachment mechanisms, including sliding, hooked, or other attachment mechanisms, because the individual cover elements may only require an engagement sufficiently secure to hold them to the support arrangement, and need not necessarily be strong enough to contribute to the load support. If, for instance, it is desired to replace a cover element for repair purposes, the resulting repaired temporary cover panel can be assumed to maintain its load rating when the one or more elements of the support arrangement have not been replaced, to the extent that the load rating is not depending to a great extent on the cover elements.

[0015] If the temporary cover panel is formed from an assembly comprising a load-bearing support arrangement and a single cover element, the cover element may be of a style combinable, in the manner of a tile, with other cover elements of same shape. This facilitates repurposing of the cover elements. For instance, if a panel with single cover element becomes obsolete, it may be possible to disassemble the panel into component parts of the load-bearing support arrangement, and the cover elements, to be used in a new cover panel, that may be longer and require multiple cover panels, which may include one or more repurposed cover panels.

[0016] A further benefit of the separate cover element is that the entire cover element may be made from a material with a higher coefficient of friction, i.e. with higher slip resistance, than the loadbearing support element. This avoids a need for coating, machining, or embedding anti-slip structures with the load-bearing support arrangement. In contrast, the load-bearing support arrangement can be made from a material composition including, e.g., fibre material and resin matrix material, selected for its load-bearing properties, whereas the cover element may have negligible load supporting qualities, and may be manufactured from a material composition or surface texture providing good grip for users of the temporary cover panel.

[0017] The cover element may be made from suitable thermoplastic material such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP) or acrylonitrile- butadiene-styrene (ABS). Other suitable materials might be used depending on colour, size and geometry of the surface layer.

[0018] In some embodiments, at least 60% of the fibre-reinforced material comprise a fibre orientation in span direction. Fibre strands of the fibre material may comprise continuous fibres, e.g. as part of fibre- reinforced composite material pultrusions. Alternatively, the fibre strands of the fibre material may be provided in the form of mats assembled to a fibre-reinforced composite structure. At least 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, or at least 90% of the fibres may extend in the span direction, i.e., in the end-to-end direction of the temporary cover panel. In some embodiments, practically all fibre material extends in the end-to-end direction. The fibre material may be glass fibre material or other suitable fibre material.

[0019] In some embodiments, the support arrangement has an even cross-section extending in the direction of its span.

[0020] The support arrangement may be, for practical purposes, straight, so as to allow a series of cover elements to be slid onto, or pulled along, the support arrangement for assembly.

[0021] In some embodiments, the support arrangement comprises regions free of fibre-reinforced material.

[0022] The support arrangement may comprise a matrix region, such as resin material, extending in the end-to-end direction of the panel without reinforcing fibres. Alternatively, or in addition, the support arrangement may comprise hollow regions or voids, in the form of hollow profiles and / or corrugations. Alternatively, or in addition, the support arrangement may comprise a plurality of spaced apart support elements, the space between support elements being free of fibre- reinforced material.

[0023] Individual support structures of the support arrangement may overlap, or cross each other.

[0024] In some embodiments, the support arrangement comprises spaced-apart support structures.

[0025] For instance, the support structures may be provided by two or more beams or rods. The support structures may extend parallel to each other.

[0026] In some embodiments, the spaced-apart support structures are hollow.

[0027] For instance, the beam profile may comprise a box section in the form of a hollow quadrilateral, or a tubular, hollow cylindrical section.

[0028] In some embodiments, the spaced-apart support structures comprise a beam profile with hollow or concave silhouette. For instance, the beam profile may comprise a C-section profile or U-section profile, H-section profile or l-section profile or similar.

[0029] In some embodiments, the support arrangement comprises a corrugated panel.

[0030] In some embodiments, at least a few of the corrugations comprise a rounded profile.

[0031] For instance, the corrugations may be constituted by an undulating profile.

[0032] In some embodiments, at least a few of the corrugations comprise a polygonally shaped profile.

[0033] For instance, the corrugations may be constituted by tapered shapes or box profile shapes.

[0034] In some embodiments, the cover elements are sufficiently rigid to resist sinking into spacedapart interstitial spaces of the support arrangement.

[0035] As will be appreciated, where the support arrangement is provided by a corrugated structure, and / or by spaced apart structures, portions of one or more cover panels may laterally span support structures, and may not be in contact with a support structure directly underneath. The spaced-apart regions are considered interstitial spaces where there is no direct surface-on- surface contact of the cover element with the support arrangement.

[0036] The moulded cover element may be manufactured with sufficient rigidity, e.g. material properties and / or thickness, to resist sinking into such interstitial spaces. For instance, the cover element may comprise reinforcing structures, such as ribs, in regions not in direct contact with the load-bearing support arrangement. Likewise, the geometry and / or interstitial spacing may be selected such that the corresponding moulded covering can bridge the interstitial spaces without sinking, or tolerating only a small amount of sinking.

[0037] Such reinforcing structures may be integrally moulded with the cover element.

[0038] In some embodiments, the temporary cover panel comprises end ramps.

[0039] As will be appreciated, the end ramps are provided on opposite ends of the temporary cover panel. Typically, a temporary cover panel will comprise two end ramps, one each on opposite ends thereof.

[0040] As will be appreciated, the end ramps may be affixed to the load-bearing support arrangement. The end ramps may be integral with cover modules in embodiments in which a cover module is affixed to the load-bearing support arrangement. The end ramps may be provided by a separate ramp element attached to the load-bearing support arrangement, and to assist with retaining one or more cover elements to the load-bearing support arrangement.

[0041] In some embodiments, the temporary cover panel comprises at least one end ramp of a material of higher rigidity than the cover elements.

[0042] A high er- rigidity end ramp may have the same material as the load-bearing support arrangement, e.g. may be made from fibre-reinforced resin material. The high er- rigidity end ramp may be made from metal material. The high er- rigidity end ramp may comprise a flat plate angled relative to the planar extension of the temporary cover panel, so to be suitable as support ledge to sit on the top of a stepped ground. The end ramp may comprise apertures and / or hook structures to engage a corresponding receiving structure. The high er- rigidity end ramp may be sufficiently rigid to hold the remainder of the temporary cover panel on a stepped surface as a pavement step, or such that the entire temporary cover panel may be used as a temporary ramp for stairs, for a trailer bed, or the like.

[0043] In some embodiments, the temporary cover panel comprises at least one end ramp of a material more flexible than the support arrangement.

[0044] For instance, flexible end ramps and the one or more cover elements may be made from the same material. Some cover elements may comprise an integrally moulded ramp end.

[0045] A softer material, or flexible material, end ramp may be used at an in-use lower end of the temporary cover panel, to provide better friction. The lower end may provide sufficient friction to secure hold a temporary cover panel at an inclined angle when its top end rests on a higher- level surface.

[0046] In some embodiments, the temporary cover panel comprises at least one end ramp having a base protruding underneath the in-use underside of the support arrangement.

[0047] The ramp protruding underneath provides a secure contacting engagement of the ramp with the ground underneath. Two opposite ramps may be provided with a ramp base protruding underneath the in-use underside, which helps to provide ground clearance between the end ramps.

[0048] In some embodiments, at least one end ramp comprises engagement features shaped at least partially complementarily to one or more portions of the support arrangement, the engagement features facilitating attachment of the end ramp to the one or more portions of the support arrangement.

[0049] In this manner, one or two end ramps may be used to hold the cover elements to the support arrangement between the end ramps.

[0050] The engaging features may be constituted by recesses, pockets, for receipt of a protrusion of the load-bearing support arrangement and / or cover panel. Alternatively, the engaging features may be constituted by protrusions or fingers, that overlap with a corresponding other structure of the load-bearing support arrangement and / or a cover element to which the ramp attaches. For instance, the engagement features may be provided by protrusions or finger elements shaped to engage hollow portions or corrugations of the load-bearing support arrangement, to allow the ramps to be affixed through one or more engaging features to the remainder of the temporary cover panel.

[0051] In some embodiments, at least one ramp is formed integrally with a cover element.

[0052] In some embodiments, at least one ramp is attached to either or both of the load-bearing support arrangement or at least one cover element.

[0053] In some embodiments, the temporary cover panel comprises two ramps at opposite ends of the temporary cover panel.

[0054] In some embodiments, the one or more cover elements comprise lateral edges, wherein opposite lateral edges of a cover element comprise mutually engaging connector structures.

[0055] The lateral edges may comprise tabs and corresponding recesses. The lateral edges may comprise a downward-facing lip extending along one lateral edge and an upward-facing lip extending along an opposite lateral edge, the downward-facing and upward-facing lips of two adjacent cover elements engageable to join two adjacent cover elements of two temporary cover panels. It will be appreciated that several other geometries may be used to provide mutually engaging connector structures.

[0056] In this manner, the cover elements may be used to join temporary cover panels laterally. For instance, three temporary cover panels of 40 cm width may be joined to a temporary cover panel assembly, e.g. a temporary ramp or bridge, of 120 cm width.

[0057] In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a stack comprised of a plurality of temporary cover panels according to any one of the embodiments of the first aspect. In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a temporary cover panel according to any one of the embodiments of the first aspect, the method comprising providing a load-bearing support arrangement for bridging a span, attaching to the load-bearing support arrangement one or more cover elements, and providing at least one ramp element at one end of the temporary cover panel.

[0058] In some embodiments, at least two ramp elements are provided, at least one each at opposite ends of the temporary cover panel. In some embodiments, at least one ramp element is provided by attachment to the load-bearing support element, to a cover panel, or to both a loadbearing support element and a cover panel. In some embodiments, at least one ramp element is provided integrally formed with a load-bearing support element or with a cover panel.

[0059] In accordance with a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of laying an arrangement of temporary cover panels according to any one the embodiments of the first aspect, the method comprising laying a first temporary cover panel, laying a second temporary cover panel adjacent to the first temporary cover panel, and laterally connecting the first and the second temporary cover panel to form a joined panel arrangement.

[0060] As will be appreciated, the first and second temporary cover panels may have the same length and / or same number of cover panels.

[0061] Alternatively, the first and second temporary cover panels may have different length, for instance to cover a hole of round, triangular or irregular shape.

[0062] Features described in relation to one or more embodiments of the first aspect may be combined with, and / or incorporated into, any one or more embodiments according to the second, third or fourth aspect. Any one or more embodiments of the third and fourth aspects may be used in the manufacture of, or may use, any one or more embodiments of the first aspect.

[0063] Description of the Figures

[0064] Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the Figures, in which:

[0065] Figure 1 is an isometric top view of an embodiment;

[0066] Figure 2 is a top view of the Figure 1 embodiment;

[0067] Figure 3 is a side view of the Figure 1 embodiment;

[0068] Figure 4 is an isometric underside view of the Figure 1 embodiment; Figures 5A to 5D show top, side and underside views, respectively, of a cover element;

[0069] Figures 6A and 6B show top and side views, respectively, of a ramp element;

[0070] Figures 7 A and 7B show top and side views, respectively, of another ramp element;

[0071] Figure 8 is a side view of a temporary cover panel used as ramp;

[0072] Figure 9 is a side view of another embodiment;

[0073] Figure 10 is an isometric top view of an arrangement using the Figure 9 embodiment;

[0074] Figures 11 to 13 show schematic section illustrations of variants of support elements;

[0075] Figure 14 shows a schematic illustration of support elements engaging a cover panel; and Figures 15 to 17C are schematic illustrations of a cover panel attachment mechanism.

[0076] Description

[0077] Referring to the Figures, a panel 10 is described as an example of a temporary cover panel. The panel 10 comprises a load-bearing support arrangement 12, in the form of a plurality of (here: three) spaced apart rods 12a, 12b, 12c. The rods 12a,b,c are formed from fibre- reinforced material. For instance, the rods 12a,b,c may be pultrusions comprising fibre-strands embedded in a matrix material. The panel 10 is based on a modular design in which one or more cover elements, of relatively small size, e.g. 40cm x 40cm footprint, are adjoined in the manner of tiles, to form a longer cover panel surface of about a metre length, or longer, without requiring a mould for a larger-area panel of that size. In the present example, the rods 12a,b,c may be about 1 .20 metres long.

[0078] Attached to the support arrangement 12 is an arrangement of cover elements 20, here: three cover elements 20a, 20b, 20c. The cover elements 20a, b,c are made from the same mould and comprise engagement hoops to slide over the rods 12a,b,c of the support arrangement 12. To provide exemplary dimensions for illustration purposes, the rods 12a,b,c may be about 20 cm spaced from each other, covering a 40 cm width, and connect three 40 cm x 40 cm cover elements to create a cover surface measuring 40 cm x 120 cm.

[0079] The panel 10 may be intended to bridge a stepped underground, or a trench, and so comprises two opposite ends that are provided with ramps 30, 40, each constituting and end ramp of the panel 10. The ramp 30 is a flexible material ramp, and may be used to provide grip at an in-use lower end of the panel 10. The ramp 40 is a rigid material ramp and may be used as anchoring ledge at an in-use upper end of the panel 10. Each ramp 30, 40 may have a footprint corresponding to the cover elements 20, e.g. around 40 cm x 40 cm, although this is not necessarily a requirement of all embodiments. As such, a temporary cover panel such as the panel 10 may have a 2-metre span and 40 cm width, formed from two 40 cm ramps and three 40 cm cover elements. While the exemplary panel 10 comprises one flexible ramp 30 and one rigid ramp 40, this is not necessarily a requirement of all embodiments. In some embodiments, two end ramps may be flexible. In some embodiments, two end ramps may be rigid. One or both of the end ramps may be pivotably attached to a cover element, e.g. via a hinge, for folding and / or collapsing an end ramp.

[0080] As will be appreciated, it is relatively cost-effective to manufacture relatively longer pultrusions, of practically any length. For instance, the rods 12, here of 120 cm length, may be replaced with rods of 200 cm length, to be covered with five linearly arranged 40 cm x 40 cm cover elements 20, and two end ramps, to provide a temporary cover panel of 280 cm length. By way of the invention, a considerably larger panel can be provided without need for a larger mould.

[0081] The cover elements 20 are affixed to the rod 12 of the support arrangement using bolts 14, here a first group of bolts 14a, 14b, 14c attached one each through a rod 12a, 12b, 12c at the first end ramp 30, and a second group of bolts 14d, 14e, 14f attached, one each, through the opposite ends of the rods 12a, 12b, 12c, at the second end ramp 40. In this manner, only the end portions of the rods 12a, 12b, 12c are directly attached to a cover element 20, here one cover element 20a and an opposite cover element 20c. The centre cover element 20b is, in this embodiment, slidingly attached to the rods 14, and held in position by the adjacent cover elements 20a, 20c. Open ends of the rods 14 may be closed with a cap 18, although this is not necessarily a requirement of all embodiments. Alternatively, open ends of the rods may provide portions that may be engaged by engagement structures of end ramps. The system allows the end portions, here in the form of ramps, to be used to connect the cover panels and elements of the support arrangement, while preventing detachment of the cover panels from the loadbearing support arrangement.

[0082] Each cover element 20 comprises an arrangement of attachment locations 22 to receive a fastener. For instance, the attachment locations may comprise pre-formed holes, and / or may comprise a socket or counter-sunk profile to receive a head of a fastener within the silhouette of the cover element 20, to reduce the risk of trip hazards from protruding fastener portions. As illustrated in the top view in Figure 2, each cover element 20 comprises, here, six attachment locations 22. However, only the six outermost attachment locations 22 (three on each opposite end of the panel 10) are used for location of a fastener 14. For instance, in this example, the six attachment locations 22 of the middle cover element 20b are unused. It was found that the temporary cover panel 10, once assembled, is sufficiently robust using fasteners 14 at end locations of the support arrangement. However, if desired, other attachment locations may be used for engagement with a fastener. The presence of unused fastener locations in a temporary cover panel may be indicative of the use of the modular tile principle of the present invention. Likewise, in embodiments using a single cover panel, which may be appropriate for shorter temporary cover panels, all attachment locations may be used for location of fasteners. Figures 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D show a top view, an underneath view, an end view and a lateral view, respectively, of the cover element 20. The cover element 20 is a unitary moulded panel component of, here, 40 cm x 40 cm footprint, having a first face 24a to constitute an in-use upper face, and a second face 24b to constitute an in-use lower face. The first face 24a comprises anti-slip structures such as ribs and / or spikes in the form of a structure or texture that is integrally moulded with the first face 24a. Along the first lateral side 26a, the cover element 20 comprises a downward-facing ledge 27a. Along the second lateral side 26b, the cover element 20 comprises an upward-facing ledge 27b. The two ledges 27a, 27b are shaped such that two adjacent cover elements 20 may engage each other via the respective other ledge, to practically hook together. The ledges 27a, 27b constitute mutually engaging connector structures located on lateral edges of the cover element 20. In an alternative embodiment, the ledges 27a, 27b are configured as complementary, mirror-symmetric structures, e.g. comprising one half portion carrying a ledge and one half portion carrying a recess, to allow one lateral side to engage another identically shaped lateral side.

[0083] At its underside, comprising the second face 24b, the cover element 20 comprises an arrangement of hoop structures 28. The hoop structures 28 are, here, arranged spaced apart and aligned to define a channel passage 29 through which pultrusions, or other elements of a support arrangement, may be inserted. The hoop structures 28 are, here, integrally moulded with the cover element 20. For instance, the hoop structures 28 may be of shot-through design to allow the hoop structures 28 to be integrally moulded, while also facilitating demoulding during a manufacturing process. As will be appreciated, the contour of the hoop structures 28 may be conforming to a profile contour of the support arrangements. In the present example, the support arrangement comprises rods 12 of square section profile, and the hoop structures 28 are shaped to accommodate square rods 12. The cover element is intended for use with three spaced apart rods, and as such comprises six hoop structures 28, arranged as three pairs of oppositely located hoop structures 28. Thereby, a single cover panel 20 can hold individual support elements of the support arrangement in a spaced-apart relationship as defined by the hoop structures 28. Likewise, a single cover panel 20 is held securely, in a slidable arrangement, to the support elements without reliance on other cover panels to hold the cover panel 20 to the support arrangement.

[0084] While the illustrated panel 20 comprises hoop structures 28, other structures may be provided to hold a panel to a support element, such as hook structures, slots, and others, as well as combinations of different shapes.

[0085] The second face 24b is provided with reinforcing ribs 32 extending between free surface regions 33. The reinforcing ribs 32 strengthen portions of the cover element 20 that are, in use, not lying directly above or on a support element. In this manner, the reinforcing ribs 32 resist sinking of the cover panel portions into voids between spaced-apart support elements.

[0086] The free surface regions 33 are generally flat, or designed in a manner facilitating attachment or insertion of a support element such as a rod along the length of the cover element 20. The attachment locations 22 are aligned with the free surface regions 33, i.e. located in the expected location of a rod 14, once assembled.

[0087] Figures 6A and 6B show a top view and a side view, respectively, of a ramp element 40. The ramp element 40 comprises a top face 42a constituting an in-use upward facing side, and a base 42b constituting an in-use ground-facing side. The top face 42a and the base 42b are angled relative to each other to form a wedge shape with an inward-facing attachment side 43.

[0088] The inward-facing attachment side 43 provides the side, or inside, of the ramp element 40 to be attached to the panel 10. The inward-facing attachment side 43 comprises an arrangement of engagement structures 44, here in the form of fingers suitable to engage elements of the support arrangement. In this example, the engagement structures 44 are shaped to fit inside a hollow channel of a box profile of the rods 12.

[0089] Each engagement structure 44 comprises a hole 45 extending through the thickness of the engagement structure 44. The position of the hole 45 is such that it may be aligned in registration with a hole of an attachment location 22. In this manner, a ramp may be affixed to rods 12 and a cover element 20 using fasteners 14 extending through an attachment location 24, through a rod 12, and through an engagement structure 44.

[0090] The engagement structures 44 may be shaped differently for different geometries of the support arrangement. Likewise, instead of a finger to engage a channel of the rod, the ramp element 40 may comprise a recess such as s pocket for receipt of a free end or protrusion of the support arrangement.

[0091] Opposite the inward-facing attachment side 43, the ramp element 40 comprises a distal end 46, here the tip or toe of the ramp. The ramp 40 comprises attachment locations 47 that may be used to affix the ramp element to a structure or ground underneath, if desired. The underside of the ramp 40 comprises an arrangement of ribs 48, extending in a direction transversely to the span direction of the panel 10. The ribs 48 are located in the thicker region of the wedge profile, nearer the inward-facing attachment side 43. The ribs 48 are live-hinge forming in that they provide a live hinge feature at which the ramp 40 is more pliable, or more flexible, despite the greater wedge thickness, than the narrowing toe region 49 that is characterised, here, by an absence of live-hinge forming ribs. In this manner, the ramp 40 can bend (here upward) for better grip, for instance when the panel 10 is laid down at a steeper angle, predominantly bending at the region of the ribs 48 while reducing stresses in the toe region 49.

[0092] Figures 7A and 7B show a top view and a side view, respectively, of a high er- rigidity ramp element 50, here in the form of a metal plate. The ramp element 50 comprises a top face 52a constituting an in-use upward facing side, and an underside 52b constituting an in-use groundfacing side. The ramp element 50 is made from a rigid material, for instance metal, and intended to be able to support the load of the panel 10 suspended from, or via, the ramp element 50 without bending or yielding under a nominal load. Viewed in profile, the ramp element 50 comprises an attachment portion 53, and a foot portion 54 angled in the in-use downward direction. The attachment portion 53 comprises an arrangement of fixing holes 56 in locations corresponding to the attachment locations 22. With reference to Figure 2, the fixing holes 56 may align with attachment locations 22 to receive a fastener (fasteners 14d, 14e, 14f in Figure 2) to hold the ramp element 50 to the load-bearing arrangement. The distal ends of the foot portion 54 may comprise one or more attachment locations 58 that may be used to secure the ramp 50 to a structure underneath.

[0093] As illustrated, the ramp elements 30 and 40 are used as connection parts providing alignment features to help to hold together the elements of the load-bearing arrangement, here the rods 12a, 12b, 12c, and the cover panels affixed relative to each other via the fasteners 14.

[0094] Referring to Figure 8, a panel 10, such as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, may be used as access ramp or kerb ramp to bridge two different height levels 7a, 7b, wherein the high er- rigidity end ramp 50 may be used to suspend the remainder of the panel 10 from a higher surface level 7b. The end ramp 50 may be affixed to the higher surface level 7b, for instance via its attachment locations 58 . This may be appropriate, for instance, on trailer beds. In other applications, the panel 10 is prevented from slipping by resistive engagement of the flexible end ramp 40 with the ground underneath, here the lower surface level 7a. As illustrated in Figure 8, the end ramp 40 is flexible in the region of the live-hinge-forming ribs 48, allowing the end ramp 40 to bend in the region of the ribs 48, while the toe region 49 of the end ramp 40 remains in contact with ground underneath. In this way, the same panel 10 may be used with steps of different heights. For instance, if used on a trailer bed gradually sinking or raising during loading or unloading, the ribs 48 allow the panel 10 to adjust its steepness while maintaining contact with ground underneath.

[0095] Figures 9 and 10 illustrate a panel 110 arranged to span a trench 3 of about a metre width, located in ground 1 . The assembly principle of a load bearing arrangement carrying a system of cover elements corresponds to the embodiment illustrated in Figure 1. Panel 10 comprises longer rods 112, here of about 240cm length, to which six cover elements 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, 120e, 120f are attached. Each cover element 120 corresponds to the cover element 20 described above. It will be appreciated that the cover elements for this embodiment may be different to the previously described cover elements. However, an aspect driving the development of the invention was that it is possible to create different length temporary cover panels using a single, and relatively small, mould, to be used for multiple length cover panels.

[0096] The panel 110 comprises two flexible end ramps 140a, 140b. Each end ramp 140a, 140b corresponds to an end ramp 40. As may be appreciated, the panel 110 is assembled using fixing means located at the end regions of the rods 114, engaging the end ramps 140 a, 140b through engagement structures (see engagement structures 44 in Figures 6A and 6B) and located in attachment locations of the outermost cover elements 120a, 120f. As such, the inner cover elements 120b, 120c, 120d, 120e are held to the rods via their hoop structures (see hoop structures 28 in Figure 5C) in a sliding engagement, whereby the sliding range is limited by adjacent cover elements and / or end ramps, respectively.

[0097] The panel 110 has, in this example, a length of 3.20 metres, comprised of six cover elements 120 and two end ramps 140a, 140b, each having a footprint of about 40 cm x 40 cm, and manufactured with an existing 40 cm x 40 cm mould. In other words, the moulds created for the panel 10 of Figure 1 can be used to create a panel 110 of practically double the length of the panel 10.

[0098] If it is desired to provide a wider bridging structure, multiple temporary cover elements may be placed side-by-side. In that case, each of the individual cover elements 120 can be connected with a neighbouring, adjacent cover element via their mutually engaging connector structures (see ledges 27a, 27b in Figure 5C). As illustrated in Figure 9, a temporary bridge 112 is provided by linking four panels 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d via the individual connector structures of the cover elements 120. The temporary bridge 112 may be used to cover a trench 3 and span a distance between two sides 5a and 5b of the trench 3. In this example, the temporary bridge 112 is 1.60 metres wide (4 x 40 cm), and it can easily be imagined that wider bridges may be formed with a corresponding number of individual temporary cover elements. In contrast, a moulded panel of around 1 .60 metres x 3.00 metres footprint would be prohibitively expensive to produce and impractical to handle without machinery due to its size and mass.

[0099] Figure 11 shows different section profiles 60, 62, 64 as illustrative example profiles of rods that may be used as part of a load-bearing arrangement. The profile 60 is a box profile, of generally square profile shape, comprising a hollow passage 61 , of generally quadrilateral profile shape. The engaging structures of a ramp element, such as the engaging structures 44 of the ramp 40, may be shaped and dimensioned to fit inside the hollow passage 61 . The profiles 62 and 64 are H (or I) or C (or U) section profiles, respectively, each comprising a recessed track 63a, 63b, and 65, respectively. Engaging structures of a ramp element may be shaped and dimensioned to fit into the recessed tracks, e.g. in a two-finger design to slide from two sides onto tracks 63a, 63b, or a single finger design to engage the recessed track 65. As will be appreciated, different rod profiles may be combined in a single cover panel, although it is believed to be more practical to use a single rod profile.

[0100] As an alternative to rod elements, the load-supporting arrangement may be provided by one or more corrugated structures, such as one or more corrugated panels, or one or more ribbed structures. Figure 12 illustrates, in profile, a corrugated support element 70 comprising polygonally shaped corrugations 71. Figure 13 illustrates, in profile, a corrugated support element 72 comprising rounded corrugations 73, in the manner of undulations.

[0101] The corrugated support elements may be formed by extrusion of fibre-reinforced matrix material. As an alternative, the corrugated support elements may be formed from fibre mat material moulded to provide a load-bearing support panel. As will be appreciated, fibre material of fibre-reinforced material may be embedded in, sprayed with, or otherwise provided with a suitable matrix material, such as resin or other polymer material.

[0102] The provision of hollow regions, or recesses in the form of voids between crests of corrugated shapes, allows the overall mass of the panel to be reduced. For instance, a cover element of moulded thermoplastic material of 40 cm x 40 cm size, and ramp elements of similar size, may have a mass of around 2-3kg each. A temporary cover panel comprising eight elements (e.g., six cover elements and two ramp elements) and relatively low mass fibre-reinforced supports may have a mass of around 20-25kg, which may be suitable as a two-person lift structure to comply with some health-and-safety regulations.

[0103] As will be appreciated, in embodiments comprising corrugated or ribbed support elements, the cover elements may comprise larger hoop structures, similar to the hoop structures 28 but of a size sufficient to accommodate the profile of a corrugated structure. Alternatively, corrugated panels or ribbed panels may be held to a cover element via lateral hook structures, and / or via shelf structures. Alternatively, cover elements may be affixed directly onto the corrugated structures via fasteners. In that case, the attachment locations and / or the corrugated panels may comprise elongate slots in which the cover elements are held to the load-bearing arrangement in a manner permitting limited movement in the plane of the panel, while resisting lifting of the cover element from a load-bearing structure to which it is attached.

[0104] As such, the attachment configurations may be arranged to hold the cover elements securely to the load-bearing arrangement, resisting detachment perpendicularly to the plane of the panel, while permitting a certain degree of in-plane movement, in a direction parallel to the extension of the plane of the panel, the degree of in-plane movement being defined, for instance, by the extension of elongate slots of the attachment locations, and / or by a geometry of fasteners engaged in round attachment holes.

[0105] Figures 14 and 15 illustrate a section and isometric view, respectively, of a proposed fastener arrangement 214 holding a cover element 220 to a load-bearing structure 212. In this example, the cover element 220 comprises an elongate slot 222 that permits movement laterally, in the planar extension of the cover element 220 and the load-bearing structure, while preventing a lifting away in a direction perpendicular to the planar extension.

[0106] Figure 16 illustrates an assembly principle of, here two, pultrusions 60 engaging hoops structures 28 of a cover element 20. As will be appreciated, a cover element may be designed for connection to a different number of pultrusions, e.g. three pultrusions as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4.

[0107] Figure 17A illustrates an isometric view showing an assembly principle corresponding to Figures 14 and 15, wherein a cover element 220 comprises elongate slots 222 as attachment locations for fasteners 214, to engage fastener holes 71 of a corrugated load-bearing support element 70. The arrangement allows shafts of the fasteners 214 to move in the plane of the support element 70 along the elongate slots 222, while holding a cover element 220 to the support element 70.

[0108] Figure 17B illustrates an isometric view showing a variant of the assembly principle of Figure 17A, comprising a cover element 220a that comprises fastener holes 222a as attachment locations for fasteners 214a, to engage elongate slots 71a of a corrugated load-bearing support element 70a. The arrangement allows shafts of the fasteners 214a to move in the plane of the support element 70a along the elongate slots 71a, while holding a cover element 220a to the support element 70a.

[0109] The arrangements of Figure 17A and 17B allow for a degree of movement of the cover element 220, 220a, respectively, relative to the support element 70, 70a, defined by the length of the elongate slots 222 or 71 a, respectively.

[0110] Figure 17C illustrates a further variant, wherein a cover element 220b is attached via a single attachment location, using a single fasting point 214b, to a corrugated load-bearing support element 70. While Figures 17A to 17C show corrugated panels, the support arrangement may be provided by panels reinforced with rib structures. Such rib structures may be located on both faces (i.e., top and underside, in use) or one face (e.g., only the top or only the underside) of the panel. The rib structures may be laterally spaced apart and may extend in the span direction.

[0111] One or more ramps may comprise a hinge mechanism to allow the ramps to be mechanically collapsed and / or angularly adjusted relative to the main body of the cover panel.

[0112] The provision of an attachment configuration that holds cover elements to the load-bearing arrangement, while permitting in-plane movement, is believed to facilitate assembly of multielement panels, specifically of larger panel assemblies comprised of several cover elements. An appreciation underlying the invention was that cover elements used in a cover panel may, eventually, be from different production runs, where there may be variations due to the quality or age of material. For instance, in one scenario, the cover elements are made from recycled plastic material, whose material quality may sometimes exhibit batch-to-batch variation, which may result in slight variations in product dimensions or flexibility. The attachment permitting inplane movement is believed to facilitate the use of cover elements from different production runs.

[0113] Whilst the principle of the invention has been illustrated using exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not so limited, and that the invention may be embodied by other variants defined within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS:1 . A temporary cover panel comprising a load-bearing support arrangement for bridging a span, the support arrangement formed from fibre-reinforced material, and one or more cover elements held to the support arrangement, wherein the one or more cover elements are formed from moulded material comprising higher slip resistance than the support arrangement.

2. The temporary cover panel according to claim 1 , wherein at least 60% of the fibre- reinforced material comprise a fibre orientation in span direction.

3. The temporary cover panel according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the support arrangement has an even cross-section extending in the direction of its span.

4. The temporary cover panel according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the support arrangement comprises regions free of fibre-reinforced material5. The temporary cover panel according to claim 4, wherein the support arrangement comprises spaced-apart support structures.

6. The temporary cover panel according to claim 5, wherein the spaced-apart support structures are hollow.

7. The temporary cover panel according to claim 5, wherein the spaced-apart support structures comprise a beam profile with hollow or concave silhouette.

8. The temporary cover panel according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the support arrangement comprises one or more corrugated panels.

9. The temporary cover panel according to claim 8, wherein at least a few of the corrugations comprise a rounded profile.

10. The temporary cover panel according to claim 8 or 9, wherein at least a few of the corrugations comprise a polygonally shaped profile.11 . The temporary cover panel according any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover elements are sufficiently rigid to resist sinking into spaced-apart interstitial spaces of the support arrangement.

12. The temporary cover panel according any one of the preceding claims, comprising end ramps.

13. The temporary cover panel according any one of the preceding claims, comprising at least one end ramp of a material of higher rigidity than the cover elements.

14. The temporary cover panel according any one of the preceding claims, comprising at least one end ramp of a material more flexible than the support arrangement.

15. The temporary cover panel according any one of the preceding claims, comprising at least one end ramp having a base protruding underneath the in-use underside of the support arrangement.

16. The temporary cover panel according any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein at least one end ramp comprises engagement features shaped at least partially complementarily to one or more portions of the support arrangement, the engagement features facilitating attachment of the end ramp to the one or more portions of the support arrangement.

17. The temporary cover panel according any one of claims 12 to 16, wherein at least one ramp is formed integrally with a cover element.

18. The temporary cover panel according any one of claims 12 to 17, wherein at least one ramp is attached to either or both of the load-bearing support arrangement or at least one cover element.

19. The temporary cover panel according any one of claims 12 to 18, comprising two ramps at opposite ends of the temporary cover panel.

20. The temporary cover panel according any one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more cover elements comprise lateral edges, wherein opposite lateral edges of a cover element comprise mutually engaging connector structures.21 . A stack comprised of a plurality of temporary cover panels according to any one of the preceding claims.

22. A method of manufacturing a temporary cover panel according to any one of claims 1 to 20, the method comprising providing a load-bearing support arrangement for bridging a span,attaching to the load-bearing support arrangement one or more cover elements, and providing at least one ramp element at an end of the temporary cover panel.

23. A method of laying an arrangement of temporary cover panels according to any one of claims 1 to 20, the method comprising laying a first temporary cover panel, laying a second temporary cover panel adjacent to the first temporary cover panel, and laterally connecting the first and the second temporary cover panel to form a joined panel arrangement.

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