Underlayment Tile and Method of Laying a Modular Surface Covering System

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for laying a modular surface covering system on a surface to the covered and an underlayment element for use in such a method and modular surface covering system. The underlayment element includes a planar base with a raised edge along two interconnected sides of the underlayment element. First coupling elements in the form of recesses are provided along the two sides with the raised edge and second coupling elements in the form of protruding tongues are provided along the other two interconnected sides. The finishing layer elements are clamped between raised edges of coupled underlayment elements. The top surface of a raised edge between finishing layer element provides the grout effect. The underlayment elements enables one to lay a surface covering system with a multitude of pattern, e.g. as grid pattern, brickwork pattern, herringbone pattern, etc.

Claims

1. A parallelogram-shaped underlayment element for a modular surface covering system, the underlayment element comprises: an essentially planar base with a support surface at its top side configured to support a parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element, the support surface having a perimeter corresponding to an parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element; a raised edge along two interconnected sides of the support surface, the raised edge having a width defining a distance between parallelogram-shaped finishing elements when placed next to each other; and, a coupling structure at a bottom side of the underlayment element for releasably coupling parallelogram-shaped underlayment elements, the coupling structure comprising first coupling elements located along the two interconnected sides with the raised edge and second coupling elements located along the other two interconnected sides of the support surface, first coupling elements are connectable to second coupling elements of an adjacent underlayment element, the first coupling elements being located inside the perimeter defined by the support surface of the planar base, and the second coupling elements being located outside the perimeter defined by the support surface, wherein the first coupling elements are recesses and the second coupling elements are protruding tongues wherein the protruding tongues along a side of the underlayment tile have an outer circumference which corresponds with an inner circumference of the recesses along the opposite side of the underlayment tile, wherein a recess/protruding tongue can be coupled to a protruding tongue/recess of another underlayment element by a movement perpendicular to the planar base, wherein each side of the underlayment element is composed of a plurality of adjacent uniform edge sections corresponding to the number of recesses or protruding tongues along said side.

2. The parallelogram-shaped underlayment element according to claim 1, wherein the recesses and the protruding tongues on opposite sides are equally spaced along the sides with a distance corresponding to the length of a side divided by the number of tongues/recesses along said side.

3. The parallelogram-shaped underlayment element according to claim 1, wherein a protruding tongue comprises a first retaining structure and a recess comprises a second retaining structure, the first retaining structure and the second retaining structure are configured engage when a protruding tongue is pushed in a recess.

4. The parallelogram-shaped underlayment element according to claim 3, wherein the first retaining structure is a ridge or a groove and the second retaining structure has a structure complementary to the first retaining structure.

5. The parallelogram-shaped underlayment element according to claim 1, wherein the second coupling elements have a top surface with a chamfered edge and edges of the bottom surface of the essentially planar base that define the perimeter of the first coupling elements are chamfered.

6. The parallelogram-shaped underlayment element according to claim 1, wherein a cross section of the top surface of the raised edge of an underlayment element has a concave shape.

7. The parallelogram-shaped underlayment element according to claim 1, wherein the raised edge is wider at the top than at the bottom.

8. The parallelogram-shaped underlayment element according to claim 1, wherein a side of the raised edge facing away from the support surface leans forward.

9. The parallelogram-shaped underlayment element according to claim 1, wherein the side of ends of the raised edge leans outwards.

10. The parallelogram-shaped underlayment element according to claim 1, wherein the underlayment element is made resilient plastic.

11. The parallelogram-shaped underlayment element according to claim 1, wherein the support surface has a shaped which is one selected from a group comprising: rhomboid, rectangle, rhombus and square.

12. A method for laying a modular surface covering system on a surface to be covered comprising: providing a multitude of parallelogram-shaped finishing layer elements; providing a multitude of parallelogram-shaped underlayment elements according to claim 1, placing a first underlayment element on the surface to be covered, placing a first parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element on the support surface and with two sides against the raised edge of the first underlayment element; coupling at least one first coupling element of a second underlayment element to corresponding second coupling elements the first underlayment element, causing the first parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element to be clamped between the raised edge of the first underlayment element and the raised edge of the second underlayment element; placing a second parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element on the support surface and width two sides against the raised edge of the second underlayment element; coupling at least one first coupling element of a third underlayment element to corresponding second coupling elements the first underlayment element, causing the first parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element to be clamped between the raised edge of the first underlayment element and the raised edge of the third underlayment element; and, placing a third parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element on the support surface and with two sides against the raised edge of the third underlayment element.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the method further comprises: coupling at least one first coupling element of a fourth underlayment element to corresponding second coupling elements of the second underlayment element and third underlayment element, causing the second parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element to be clamped between the raised edge of the second underlayment element and the raised edge of the fourth underlayment element and causing the third parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element to be clamped between the raised edge of the third underlayment element and the raised edge of the fourth underlayment element; and, placing a fourth parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element on the support surface and width two sides against the raised edge of the fourth underlayment element.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] These and other aspects, properties and advantages will be explained hereinafter based on the following description with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote like or comparable parts, and in which:

[0027] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a first embodiment of an underlayment element from above;

[0028] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the first embodiment from below;

[0029] FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of the first embodiment;

[0030] FIG. 4 illustrates a bottom view of the first embodiment;

[0031] FIG. 5 illustrates a cross sectional view of modular surface covering system with underlayment elements according to the first embodiment;

[0032] FIG. 6 illustrates a perspective view of a second embodiment of an underlayment element from above;

[0033] FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of the second embodiment from below;

[0034] FIG. 8 illustrates a cross sectional view of modular surface covering system with underlayment elements according to the second embodiment;

[0035] FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of a third embodiment of an underlayment element from above;

[0036] FIG. 10 illustrates a perspective view of the third embodiment from below;

[0037] FIG. 11 illustrates a side view of the third embodiment;

[0038] FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate the clamping of a finishing layer element;

[0039] FIG. 13 illustrates a top view of a grout effect obtained with the first and second embodiment;

[0040] FIG. 14 illustrates a top view of a grout effect obtained with the third embodiment;

[0041] FIGS. 15A-15H illustrate a first embodiment of a method for laying a modular surface covering system;

[0042] FIG. 16 illustrates a part of a second embodiment of a modular surface covering system;

[0043] FIG. 17 illustrates a part of a third embodiment of a modular surface covering system;

[0044] FIG. 18 illustrates a part of a fourth embodiment of a modular surface covering system;

[0045] FIG. 19 illustrates a perspective view from below of an underlayment element with a groove pattern in the bottom surface; and,

[0046] FIG. 20 illustrates a perspective view from above of the underlayment element in FIG. 19.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0047] When used in this description the expressions “horizontal”, “vertical”, “upper”, “lower” and similar expressions refer to directions in normal use of an underlayment element.

[0048] FIGS. 1-4 illustrate a first embodiment of an underlayment element 100 for laying a modular surface covering system on a surface to be covered. A surface in the context of the present application may be a floor, a wall, inside or outside a building. The surface to be covered must have a contact surface even or smooth enough to carry or support the modular surface covering system. The contact surface may be flat or with a smoothly curved, horizontal, vertical or slanted. Thus the surface to be covered may have some dents as long as the area of the dents is relatively small in relation to the dimensions of an underlayment element. The underlayment element comprises an essentially planar base 102 and a raised edge 106.

[0049] The planar base 102 comprises a support surface 104 at its top side configured to support a parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element 150 positioned on the underlayment element, and a coupling structure at a bottom side along the four sides of the planar base. The support surface has a perimeter corresponding to a parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element. The perimeter is defined by the dimensions of the parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element supported by the support surface 104. In the first embodiment, the perimeter forms a square. However, the perimeter and parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element may also have the form of a rhomboid, rectangle or rhombus.

[0050] The coupling structure at the bottom side of the underlayment element is configured for releasably coupling parallelogram-shaped underlayment elements. The coupling structure comprises first coupling elements 110 located along two interconnected sides 108A, 108B with the raised edge 106. Second coupling elements 112 are located along the other two interconnected sides of the support surface 104. The first coupling elements are connectable to second coupling elements of an adjacent underlayment element of a modular surface covering system. Seen in a direction perpendicular to the support surface, the first coupling elements 110 are located inside the perimeter defined by the support surface 104 of the planar base. Seen in a direction perpendicular to the support surface, the second coupling elements 1102 are located outside the part of the planar base 102 defined by the perimeter of the support surface 104.

[0051] The first coupling elements 110 are recesses in the bottom surface of the planar base 102. The second coupling elements 112 are protruding tongues. The protruding tongues 112 along a side of the underlayment tile have an outer circumference which corresponds with an inner circumference of the recesses along the opposite side of the underlayment tile. Two underlayment elements may be coupled by positioning one or more recesses forming first coupling elements of an underlayment element to be positioned above corresponding tongues forming second coupling elements of an already positioned underlayment element. Subsequently, the underlayment element to be positioned is moved downward such that one or more protruding tongues are pushed in the corresponding recesses. “Move downward” or “push downward” in the context of the present description means in a direction perpendicular to the support surface 104 of the underlayment element.

[0052] To improve the locking of a protruding tongue 112 in a recess 110, a protruding tongue comprises a first retaining structure 116 and a recess comprises a second retaining structure 114. The first retaining structure and the second retaining structure are configured to engage when a protruding tongue is pushed in a recess. The first retaining structure is a ridge or a groove and the second retaining structure has a structure complementary to the first retaining structure. The retaining structures are located about half-way the height of a tongue and half-way the depth of a recess and reduce the likelihood of tongues slipping out of corresponding recesses in a direction perpendicular to the support surface or bottom surface of the planar base 102.

[0053] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the protruding tongues 112 have a bevelled or rounded top edge 120 and the recesses 110 have a bevelled or rounded bottom edge 118. In other words, the second coupling elements 112 have a top surface with a chamfered edge 120 and edges of the bottom surface of the essentially planar base 102 that define the perimeter of the first coupling elements 110 are chamfered. The bevelled or rounded bottom edge 118 and chamfered edge 102 facilitate insertion of protruding tongues in recesses.

[0054] The raised edge 106 is located along two interconnected sides 108A, 108B of the support surface provided with the first coupling elements. The raised edge 106 forms an L-shape. The raised edge has a width which will define a distance between parallelogram-shaped finishing elements when placed next to each other and placed on underlayment elements.

[0055] The planar base 102 comprises a through hole 130 in the middle of the support surface 104. Vapour coming out of the material below the underlayment elements can escape to the air above the laminar finishing element 150 positioned on the support surface 104. Similarly, moisture that settles along the raised edge 106 and laminar finishing element 150 can through the through hole 130 temporarily be absorbed by the material below the underlayment element 100.

[0056] FIGS. 3 and 4 show the shape of the side ends 106A, 106C of the L-shaped raised edge 106. The side ends 106A and 106C are point-shaped. The angle 106B formed by the two legs of the L-shaped raised edge is bevelled.

[0057] The underlayment element 100 is formed from an engineered plastics material such as injection moulded high-density polyethylene, which will advantageously provide a degree of resilience. Of course, it should be understood that other production methods and materials might be used without departing from the scope of the present application. For example, a mixture of plastic pellets and shredded recycled packaging, e.g. beverage containers, can be used. The underlayment element 100 is composed of one piece of material that includes the planar base 102 with recesses forming the first coupling structure, the protruding tongues forming the second coupling structure, and raised edge 106.

[0058] FIG. 5 illustrates a cross sectional view of modular surface covering system with underlayment elements according to the first embodiment. A finishing element 150 is positioned tightly between the raised edge 106 on which the finishing element 105 placed and the raised edge 106 of a coupled adjacent underlayment element. The top surface of the raised edge 106 of an underlayment element closes the distance between neighbouring finishing layer elements 150. Thus only raised edge 106 provides the grout effect between adjacent finishing layer elements 150. The top surface of the raised edge forming the grout effect between two adjacent finishing layer elements may be concave, convex, V-shape or of any other suitable shape.

[0059] FIGS. 6-8 illustrate a second embodiment of an underlayment tile 200. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it comprises an upstanding edge 222 along the sides of the support surface 204 having the protruding tongues 212. The height of the upstanding edge 222 is less than the height of the raised edge along the sides of the support surface 204 along which the recesses 210 are located. The upper part of the raised edge 206 is wider than the upstanding edge 222. Furthermore, the raised edge 206 has longitudinal recessed area in its outward facing surface to receive the upstanding edge 222 of an adjacent underlayment element 200. In FIG. 8 can be seen that the upstanding edge 222 fits in the recessed area and that the outward facing surface above the longitudinal recessed area is aligned with the inward facing surface of the upstanding edge 222 of the adjacent underlayment element. In this way, moisture from above is forced to pass over the support surface 204 and via the through hole to the material below the underlayment element 200 and not between abutting surfaces of two adjacent underlayment elements.

[0060] FIGS. 9-11 illustrate a third embodiment of an underlayment element. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment by the shape of the raised edge 306. The raised edge is wider at the top than at the bottom of the raised edge. In the present embodiment, the inward facing side of the raised edge is perpendicular to the support surface and the outward facing side of the raised edge leans forward. Furthermore, the outward facing side 330 of the raised edge 306 forms a straight angle 306B where the two legs of the raised edge join. Also the sides 332 of the end sides 306A, 306C lean forward. FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate the advantage of the forward leaning sides. FIG. 12A shows the case wherein two adjacent underlayment element are at a small distance from each other. It can be seen that the gap between the raised edge 330 and the finishing layer element 150 narrows upwards. It can further be seen that the end 306A of the raised edge on which the finishing layer element 150 is positioned, protrudes outwards. When the underlayment elements are coupled, as shown in FIG. 12B outwards facing side 330 is pushed against the side of the finishing layer element and the slanted side of the end 306A to form a sealing. The material in the top part of the raised edge 306 is compressed more than the bottom part. Consequently, the sealing is the best at the top. By compression of the raised edge, the finishing layer element 150 is clamped along all sides between raised edges of underlayment elements. A recess forming the first coupling elements and protruding tongue forming the second coupling elements of the planar base 302 are indicated by reference 310 and 312, respectively.

[0061] Furthermore, as the finishing layer element is clamped between the raised edges of two adjacent underlayment tiles, when an underlayment tile with its recesses is placed on the tongues of the adjacent underlayment tile on which a finishing tile is already positioned, tension will build up in the elastic material of the T-like protruding tongues 312. A part of the tension will be in the stem of a T-like tongues in the form of tensile stress and a part of the tension will be in the in the side branches of the T-like tongues in the form of bending stress. This additional tension together with the tension in the material of the raised edges 306, causes the finishing layer element 150 to remain clamped between the raised edges. This method of securing the finishing tile further has the advantage of providing improved noise reduction when walking on the modular surface covering system.

[0062] FIG. 13 illustrates a top view of a grout effect obtained with the first and second embodiment. It can be seen that when the underlayment elements are coupled to form a grouting cross, one of the two surface of point-shaped end 106A is pushed against one of the two surfaces of point-shaped end 106C. The other surfaces of end 106A and 106C are pushed against the bevelled outward facing side of angle 106B of the raised edge 106.

[0063] FIG. 14 illustrates a top view of a grout effect obtained with the third embodiment. It can be seen that when underlayment elements are coupled to form a grouting cross, the flat outward leaning sides of the ends 306A and 306C are pushed against the outward facing sides of the raised edge at the joint of the two legs forming the L shape.

[0064] FIGS. 15A-15H illustrate a first embodiment of a method for laying a modular surface covering system. The method for laying a modular surface covering system on a surface to be covered comprises the actions:

[0065] providing a multitude of parallelogram-shaped finishing layer elements 150, 152, 154, 156;

[0066] providing a multitude of parallelogram-shaped underlayment elements 360,362, 364, 366;

[0067] placing a first underlayment element on the surface to be covered (FIG. 15A);

[0068] placing a first parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element on the support surface and with two sides against the raised edge of the first underlayment element (FIG. 15B);

[0069] coupling at least one first coupling element of a second underlayment element 362 to corresponding second coupling elements 312 of the first underlayment element 360, causing the first parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element 150 to be clamped between the raised edge of the first underlayment element 360 and the raised edge of the second underlayment element 362 9 FIG. 15C);

[0070] placing a second parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element 152 on the support surface and width two sides against the raised edge of the second underlayment element (FIG. 15D);

[0071] coupling at least one first coupling element of a third underlayment element 364 to corresponding second coupling elements the first underlayment element 360, causing the first parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element 150 to be clamped between the raised edge of the first underlayment element and the raised edge of the third underlayment element (FIG. 15E);

[0072] placing a third parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element (on the support surface and with two sides against the raised edge of the second underlayment element (FIG. 15F);

[0073] coupling at least one first coupling element of a fourth underlayment element 366 to corresponding second coupling elements of the second underlayment element 362 and third underlayment element 364, causing the second parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element 152 to be clamped between the raised edge of the second underlayment element 362 and the raised edge of the fourth underlayment element 364 and causing the third parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element 154 to be clamped between the raised edge of the third underlayment element 164 and the raised edge of the fourth underlayment element 166 (FIG. 15G); and,

[0074] placing a fourth parallelogram-shaped finishing layer element 156 on the support surface and width two sides against the raised edge of the fourth underlayment element 366.

[0075] The thus obtained modular surface covering system forms floor wherein the finishing layer elements form a grid pattern. It should be noted that the method described above may also be used for the first and second embodiments of the underlayment elements.

[0076] The third embodiment of the underlayment elements has an advantage over the first and second embodiment. The third embodiment of underlayment elements allows the finishing layer elements to be laid in a pattern other than the grid pattern. This is the case when the recesses and the protruding tongues on opposite sides are equally spaced along the sides with a distance corresponding to the length of a side divided by the number of tongues/recesses along said side such that a side of the coupling structure is divided in corresponding sections. Each section along a side has an equivalent shape. In other words: each side of the underlayment element is composed of a plurality of adjacent uniform edge sections corresponding to the number of recesses or protruding tongues along said side. The length of a side of an underlayment element is the sum of the length of the corresponding side of the support surface and the width of the raised edge at the level of the support surface. The length of an edge section is the length of the side of an underlayment element divided by the number of recesses/protruding tongues along said side. The most left recess on a side of an underlayment element may be coupled to any of the protruding tongues on a side of another underlayment element. FIG. 16 illustrates a part of a second embodiment of a modular surface covering system wherein the finishing layer elements will form a brickwork pattern. The order of laying the underlayment elements is: first underlayment element 1602, secondly underlayment element 1604, thirdly underlayment element 1606 and finally underlayment element 1608. When laying an underlayment element a person has to take care that all recesses of the side(s) of the underlayment element being placed has to be coupled with a protruding tongue of already laid underlayment elements. It should be noted that the underlayment elements may also be placed in the order 1602, 1606, 1604 and 1608.

[0077] FIG. 17 illustrates a part of a third embodiment of a modular surface covering system, in which rectangular finishing layer elements and squared finishing layer element are used. The order of laying the underlayment elements may be 1702, 1704, 1706, 1708, 1710 and 1712. In principle, a finishing layer element of any length and width can be used. The length of a side and the number of protruding tongues/recesses defines the dimensions of a coupling element, especially the width and contour of a repetitive part comprising a tongue/recess along a side and thus the spacing between two neighbouring coupling elements along a side. The finishing layer elements form a brickwork pattern.

[0078] FIG. 18 illustrates a part of a fourth embodiment of a modular surface covering system. In this embodiment the finishing layer elements have the shape of a rhomboid. Columns formed by finishing layer elements are laid offset by one coupling element from each other.

[0079] All previous embodiments of a modular surface covering system which uses only finishing layer elements with the same dimensions require only one type of underlayment element. To form a modular surface covering system with a herringbone pattern, two different underlayment elements are required. For the first type when looking at the inward facing surface of the raised edge, at the left side of the joint between the legs of the raised edge is the long side of the underlayment element and at the right side of the joint is the short side of the underlayment element. For the second type when looking at the inward facing surface of the raised edge, at the left side of the joint between the legs of the raised edge is the short side of the underlayment element and at the right side of the joint is the long side of the underlayment element.

[0080] The described technology can also be used for rhombus shaped finishing layer elements.

[0081] The technology described above does not require that the finishing layer elements be bonded to the top surface of the underlayment elements with an adhesive. Furthermore, the material to be used for the finishing layer element is not limited to stone, wood, plastic, laminate, concrete, ceramics, material obtained by injection moulding of a mixture of recycled particles.

[0082] A characteristic of the underlayment elements according the present subject technology is that opposite sides have mutually cooperating protruding tongues and recesses. However, the dimension and shape of the mutually cooperating protruding tongues and recesses along first opposite sides and along second opposite sides may differ.

[0083] FIG. 19 illustrates a perspective view from below of an underlayment element with a groove pattern 1960 in the bottom surface with ridges 1962 between the grooves. The groove pattern comprises grooves 1960A, 1960B along the midlines of the bottom surface of the planar base part, groove 1960C, 1960D along the diagonals of the bottom surface, and curved grooves 1960A around the through hole in the middle of the planar base part of the underlayment element 1900. The groove pattern has a silencing effect for sound generated by walking over the floor. Furthermore the grooves facilitate vapour from the underground below the underlayment element to flow through the grooves and the through hole to the space above the underlayment element.

[0084] FIG. 20 illustrates a perspective view from above of the underlayment element in FIG. 19. The underlayment element further comprises additional through holes 1970 at the corners of the support surface 1902 to facilitate vapour to move from below the underlayment element to space above the underlayment element.

[0085] In the embodiment of underlayment elements, the protruding tongues and recesses have a perimeter which is mushroom-shaped. However, other shapes are suitable shapes may be used, e.g. dovetail joint. In another embodiment, the recess is a U-shaped groove with the ends of the legs directing outwards and the protruding tongue has a corresponding U-shaped that fits in the U-shaped groove.

[0086] It is clear to the skilled person that a underlayment element according to the subject technology that lies in the middle of a floor covering system is relatively easy to replace if damaged. The sides with the first coupling structure of the underlayment element to be replaced should be loosened by pulling it up. And when the underlayment elements lying on the tongues of the underlayment element to be replaced have also been loosened by pulling them upwards, the underlayment element to be replaced can be removed.

[0087] While the invention has been described in terms of several embodiments, it is contemplated that alternatives, modifications, permutations and equivalents thereof will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the specification and upon study of the drawings. The invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. Changes can be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.