Paneled Floating Floor Repair and Methods for Same

Abstract

A floor panel having a heating element disposed therein, the floor panel having at least two abutments for operationally coupling the panel to adjacent panels. Electrical contacts are disposed on complementary abutments or abutment walls and busbars electrically couple between complementary contacts of opposing abutments such that, when adjacent floor panels are laid together to form a floor or a portion thereof, the busbars are able to feed power to heating elements disposed in the panel. The panel have sealants and/or adhesives which protect at least one contact from fluids. Also disclosed are connector bars, adapters, and switching and protection arrangements, and optional constructions for inter-panel connectors.

Claims

1) A repair kit for a floor panel in a floor comprising a plurality of floor panels, each having an upper surface, and at least one panel abutment, the repair kit comprising: at least one repair adapters each adaptor comprising an adaptor abutment region having a abutment shaped to operationally interlock with a corresponding panel abutment, and an adapter flange region extending away from the adapter abutment region, the adapter flange region having a flange having an upper extremity dimensioned such that upon locking engagement between the adapter abutment and an adjacent panel abutment, the upper extremity is disposed substantially level with, or lower than, the upper surface of the adjacent panel.

2) A repair kit as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of floor panels having a plurality of panel electrical contacts disposed in or on its panel abutment; wherein the repair adapter further comprising a plurality of abutment electrical contacts disposed in or on the adapter abutment region, each of the abutment contacts disposed in a matching fashion to at least one corresponding panel electrical contact, such that upon locking engagement between the adapter abutment and the respective panel abutment, the corresponding panel contact cooperate with the corresponding abutment contact to form electrical communication therebetween; and a plurality of flange contacts disposed in or on the adapter flange region, each of the plurality of flange contacts being in electrical communication with at least one abutment contact.

3) A repair kit as claimed in claim 2, further comprising sealant disposed about at least one of the contacts to operationally form at least one sealant zone adjacent to the at least one of the contacts, the sealant zone being disposed so as to limit fluids from reaching either any of the respective panel contact, the adapter contact, a combination thereof, or the flange contact.

4) A repair adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adapter abutment comprises a protrusion dimensioned to be received in a matching socket in the panel abutment, or wherein the adapter abutment comprises a socket dimensioned to receive a protrusion in the panel abutment.

5) A repair kit as claimed in claim 1, the kit comprising a plurality of repair adapters, a first of the plurality of adapters having a male abutment shaped to operationally interlock with a female panel abutment, and a second of the plurality of adapters having a female abutment shaped to operationally interlock with a male panel abutment.

6) A repair kit as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a plug having a body, an upper surface and a first and a second opposing edge regions, each of the first and second edge regions having respectively a first and second plug flanges shaped to interface with the respective first and second adapter flanges, the edge regions are dimensioned such that operationally upon engagement between the respective plug flanges and the adapter flanges, the upper surface of the plug is substantially level with the upper surface of an adjacent floor panel.

7) A repair kit as claimed in claim 6, wherein: at least the first adapter further comprises a plurality of adapter flange electrical contacts disposed in the first adapter flange regions; the plug further comprising a first plurality of plug electrical contacts disposed in or on the region of first of the plug flanges, each of the plurality of plug electrical contacts disposed in a matching fashion to at least one corresponding adapter flange electrical contact, such that upon engagement between the plug flange and the respective adapter flange, the corresponding plug contact cooperate with the corresponding adapter flange contact to form electrical communication therebetween.

8) A repair kit as claimed in claim 7, wherein the plug further comprising a second plurality of plug contacts disposed in or on the second plug flange, each of the first plurality of plug contacts being in electrical communication with at least one corresponding contact in the second plurality of contacts.

9) A repair kit as claimed in claim 7, further comprising sealant disposed about at least one of the contacts to operationally form a sealant zone adjacent to the at least one of the contacts, the sealant zone being disposed so as to limit fluids from reaching either any of the respective panel contact, the adapter contact, the adapter flange contact, the panel flange contact, or a combination thereof.

10) A repair kit as claimed in claim 7, further comprising at least one electrical heating element disposed within the plug and being energized from at least two of the first plurality of plug contacts.

11) A repair adapter for a floor panel in a floor comprising a plurality of floor panels, each having an upper surface, and at least one panel abutment, the repair adaptor comprises: an adaptor abutment region having a abutment dimensioned and formed to operationally engage a matching panel abutment of a floor panel of the plurality of panels; and, a flange region coupled to the adapter abutment region and extending away therefrom, the flange region having flange having an upper extremity dimensioned such that upon locking engagement between the adapter abutment and an adjacent panel abutment, the upper extremity is disposed substantially level with, or lower than, the upper surface of the adjacent panel.

12) A repair adaptor as claimed in claim 11, wherein the floor panel abutment having a plurality of panel electrical contacts disposed in or on the panel abutment, the adapter further comprising: a plurality of abutment electrical contacts in or on the adapter abutment region, each of the abutment contacts disposed in a matching fashion to at least one corresponding panel electrical contact, such that upon locking engagement between the adapter abutment and respective panel abutment, the panel contact cooperate to form electrical communication with the corresponding abutment contact; and a plurality of flange contacts disposed in the adapter flange region, each flange contact being in electrical communication with a corresponding abutment contact.

13) A repair adapter as claimed in claim 12, further comprising sealant disposed about at least one of the contacts to operationally form at least one sealant zone adjacent to the at least one of the contacts, the sealant zone being disposed so as to limit fluids from reaching either any of the respective panel contact, the adapter contact, a combination thereof, or the flange contact.

14) A repair plug for a floor panel in a floor comprising a plurality of floor panels, each having an upper surface, and at least one panel abutment, the repair plug comprises: a body having an upper surface; a first and a second opposing edge regions, each of the first and second edge regions having respectively a first and second plug flanges shaped to interface with the respective first and second adapter flanges of a respective first and second repair adapters, each of the adapters having an abutment region coupled to the adapter flange, the abutment region being shaped to interface with a panel abutment; the edge regions are dimensioned such that operationally upon engagement between the respective plug flanges and the adapter flanges, the upper surface of the plug is substantially level with the upper surface of an adjacent floor panel.

15) A repair plug as claimed in claim 14, wherein: at least the first adapter further comprises a plurality of adapter flange electrical contacts disposed in the first adapter flange regions; the plug further comprising a first plurality of plug electrical contacts disposed in or on the region of first of the plug flanges, each of the plurality of plug electrical contacts disposed in a matching fashion to at least one corresponding adapter flange electrical contact, such that upon engagement between the plug flange and the respective adapter flange, the corresponding plug contact cooperate with the corresponding adapter flange contact to form electrical communication therebetween.

16) A repair plug as claimed in claim 15, further comprising at least one electrical heating element disposed within the plug and being energized from at least two of the first plurality of plug contacts.

17) A repair plug as claimed in claim 15, further comprising sealant disposed about at least one of the contacts to operationally form at least one sealant zone adjacent to the at least one of the contacts, the sealant zone being disposed so as to limit fluids from reaching the flange contact.

Description

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] The summary above, and the following detailed description will be better understood in view of the enclosed drawings which depict details of preferred embodiments. It should however be noted that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement shown in the drawings and that the drawings are provided merely as examples. The drawings are provided to facilitate understanding of various aspects and options of the invention, and no attempt is made to make the drawing conform to scale, nor to maintain a uniform scale between various drawings. Furthermore some of the drawing elements are shown without depth considerations and/or certain objects are potentially being hidden as the drawings, and are provided only to facilitate understanding of various aspects of the invention. For clarity certain views are provided flattened so as to show elements that would have been hidden by constructs closer to the viewer, however in certain cases the disclosure specifically denotes depth relationship, such as element A covering element B, and such specifically disclosed spatial relationships should be considered in accordance with the relevant text.

[0025] For brevity of the description, unless deemed needed for clarity, when denoting a plurality of similar items these specification shall utilize generally similar numerals, and specific letters shall be annexed to the numerals to denote specific instances of the item when deemed required for extra clarity. Thus by way of illustrative example, the numeral 75 denotes generally a busbar, however the numeral 75R denotes a busbar disposed in a plug. The numeral 35 denotes generally and electrode in ab abutment or an abutment section, and 35R, 35F, and 35M relate to such electrodes in a plug, an electrode in the abutment region of one type of repair adapter, and an electrode in the abutment region of a repair adapter having a different and often time opposing abutment region, respectively. Moreover, several enumerated elements may depict a plurality of generally similar elements and such depiction should be considered to represent any number of such elements unless otherwise described. Thus, by way of illustrative example, several individual heating elements within a heater in FIG. 1A enumerated 101, and are directed to whichever number of such heater elements, at any shape.

[0026] FIG. 1 depicts schematically atop view of an electrically heated floor.

[0027] FIG. 1A depicts a top view, simplified diagram of a single electrical floor panel

[0028] FIG. 2 depicts schematically a side cross section of a heated floor panel using tongue and groove abutments.

[0029] FIG. 3 depicts schematically a front cross-section of a heated floor panel using tongue and groove abutments.

[0030] FIG. 4 depicts schematically a cross section of two floor panel utilizing one type of mechanical interlocking type abutment.

[0031] FIG. 5 is schematically a magnified view of a joint between the two adjacent floor panels of B, shown in engaged state. FIG. 5A depicts schematically a magnified view of a similar joint of an electrically heated floor.

[0032] FIG. 6 depicts schematically a simplified side cross section of a repair adapter. FIG. 6A depicts an adapter as the adapter of FIG. 6 for an electrically heated floor.

[0033] FIG. 7 depicts schematically a simplified side cross section of a repair adapter complementary of the repair adapter of FIG. 6. FIG. 7A depicts an adapter as the adapter of FIG. 7 for an electrically heated floor.

[0034] FIG. 8 depicts a simplified cross-section of a repair plug, and FIG. 8A depicts a similar repair plug for electrically heated floor.

[0035] FIG. 9 depicts schematically a cross section of two floor panels after a defective panel 5Def has been removed.

[0036] FIG. 10 depicts schematically the two floor panels of FIG. 9 with respective repair adapters installed

[0037] FIG. 11 depicts schematically a cross section of a repaired floor, after two adapters and a plug where installed.

[0038] FIG. 12 depicts schematically a cross section of the floor panel, repair adapter and plug shown in the right region of FIG. 10, when applied to a heated floor.

[0039] FIG. 13 depicts schematically a cross section of the floor panel, repair adapter and plug shown in the left region of FIG. 10, when applied to a heated floor.

[0040] FIG. 14 depicts a simplified top view of a defective panel to be removed

[0041] FIG. 15 is a simplified flow diagram of repairing a damaged floor panel.

[0042] FIG. 16 depicts schematically an exemplary content of a repair kit.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0043] Certain embodiments of the invention will be described below by way of example embodiments which should not be construed as limiting but as a simplified guide for exercising different aspects of the invention.

[0044] FIG. 1 depicts a schematic overview of an electrically heated floor 1 which comprises a plurality of floor panels 5. While only the floor panels of the first row are enumerated (5A, 5B, 5 . . . 5N, 5T), any number of floor panel and any number of rows may be utilized to cover a desired floor area. A row of floor panels may terminate at a truncated panel 5T and/or a terminating bar 600. While a heated floor is shown, non-heated floors are generally laid similarly. The panels may be laid in staggered fashion. In heated floor installations at least some of the floor panels have at least one heating elements 100 disposed therein. Energy for the heating elements is supplied by busbars 75A and 75B.

[0045] The busbars of each floor panel of a row are electrically coupled to each other by electrodes disposed at interfacing abutments at the short side of the panels. The busbars are fed from a connector bar 500 which carries its own busbars 510 and 530. Any number of busbars many be utilized, and a ground busbar is oftentimes added.

[0046] FIG. 1A depicts a top view, simplified diagram of a single electrical floor panel according to one embodiment of such panel. The floor panel 5 have a plurality of abutments 55 along its border. Two opposing abutments 55A and 55B have electrodes 35, and are operationally arranged so that generally, abutment 55A of one floor panel engages abutment 55B of an adjacent panel, and the respective electrodes of the two panels are in substantial registration sufficient to provide electrical coupling therebetween. Busbars 75A and 75B provide low impedance connection to their respective electrodes. A heater 100 (one enumerated) is electrically coupled between the busbars and receives energy therefrom. While the heater 100 depicted in the figure comprises a plurality of heater elements 101 (only one enumerated) such construction is optional, and the heater may be of any desired construction, including by way of example one resistive element, a Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) heating element, and the like.

[0047] FIG. 2 depicts a simplified side cross section of a heated floor panel 5 using mechanical interlocking abutments of the tongue and groove type, and FIG. 3 depicts a simplified front cross-section of the same. The panel abutments comprise a tongue 25 and groove 30 interfaces, but any other mechanical interlocking system may be utilized. Electrodes 35A and 35 are disposed on the tongue and groove abutments. While only one contact is shown, it is clear that a plurality of electrodes may be disposed along the abutment. As may be seen by way of example in the front view depicted in FIG. 3, two sets of electrodes 35 are shown, one at each side of the floor panels. The numeral 35 designates a pair of electrodes 35A and 35B contacting each other and forming electrical communication therebetween. Optional electrode 170 serves as a ground electrode. It is noted that the location of the electrodes may be varied parallel to the X-X axis. Sealant pads 45A-45D are disposed on the panel to form sealing zones 50 (depicted as 50A, 50B) once the abutments of two panels are operationally engaged. The sealing zone 50 isolates the electrodes from the environment, such as from spilled liquids. Operationally, sealing zones 50 may surround a single electrode pair or a plurality thereof, and may completely surround the electrode pair of partially such as the top alone. The sealing zone may be formed by any number sealing pads, and the four shown (45A-45D) in FIG. 2. The sealing zone may extends through, or partially through, the mechanical interlocking arrangement.

[0048] FIG. 4 is a simplified cross-section depiction of two floor panels 5A and 5B respectively, joined at joint 60. The panels utilize mechanical interlocking type abutments. The top surfaces 20A and 20B of respective panels 5A and 5B form a substantially flat surface.

[0049] FIG. 5 depicts schematically a magnified view of the joint 60 of the two panels 5A and 5B. It is seen that the mechanical engagement between the panels is based on tongue and groove type interfaces turned vertically. Numerous profiles, shapes and variations, are available for interlocking abutments, and such abutments are considered equivalent herein.

[0050] FIG. 5A depicts schematically a magnified view an exemplary joint 60 between two adjacent heated floor panels of a heated floor. Similar to FIG. 5 the mechanical interlocking system acts to secure the two panels 5R and 5L to each other, however, in a heated floor, each of the floor panels carries at least one electrical heater element 100A, 100B, respectively. Busbars 75 connect the heater elements to the cooperating electrode pair 35A and 35B. It is noted that while a single electrical connection is shown, a plurality of such busbars and respective electrodes is commonly present in the abutment. In certain embodiments, the heater element is missing and only busbars are connected via the electrode pair 35A, 35B. Sealing zones 50Y and 50Z are also depicted to indicate but one of the potential sealing arrangements which may be exercised to protect the elect rode pair from the environment. FIG. 5A depicts yet another optional feature of a ground planed 165A, 165B which is electrically coupled between the floor panels by electrodes of both panels, enumerated 170. It is noted that unlike the power carrying electrodes 35, the ground electrode may or may not be sealed by the like of sealant zone 50.

[0051] FIGS. 6 and 7 depict two complementary repair adapters, 200M and 200F respectively. Each of the adapters have an abutment 240, 245 respectively, which fit the panel abutments. The general region of the abutment is shown filled with vertical stripes. Each of the adapters further has a flange region, 250 and 255 respectively. The abutment 240 of adapter 200M has a protrusion 205 and a socket 210, while the abutment 245 of adapter 200F has a socket 215 and a protrusion 220. In some embodiments, the top surface 230 of adapter 200M is depressed to operationally be below the top surface 20 of the adjacent panel, however in some embodiments the top surface is not depressed and is level with the panel top surface. In such embodiments it is advantageous to provide the top surface 230 with aesthetic covering matching the adjacent floor panels.

[0052] FIGS. 6A and 7A depict a simplified, schematic cross section of repair adaptors for electrical heating panels, which for brevity are referred to as electrical adapters 200ME and 200 FE. The adapters are electrical variations of similar the adapters 200F and 200M of FIGS. 6 and 7 respectively, however they contain electrical circuitry to couple and form electrical communications between adapter electrode 35M and flange electrode 37M, and between adapter electrode 35F and flange electrode 37F. Optionally, sealant pads 45 are located at various locations to operationally form sealing zones 50 to protect the respective electrode(s) from the ambient environment.

[0053] FIG. 8 depicts schematically a cross section of an electrical repair plug 260. The plug has a top surface 270 which is optionally provided with an aesthetical appearance similar to the rest of the floor. The plug has two panel flanges 265 at opposing ends thereof. The panel flanges are dimensioned and constructed to interact with respective adapter flange regions. By way of example the panel flanges and the respective adapter flanges may be glued together, use fasteners, and/or interlocked in any desired fashion. In some embodiments, repair adapters are provided for more than two sides, and additional matching panel flanges may be provided (not shown). Optionally, when the repair adapter 200M has a depressed top surface 230 which is lower than the adjacent panels top surface, the plug 260 has a thin section 275 dimension to cover the depressed top surface 230, and to bring the top surface of the installed plug to substantially the same level as the level as the abutting floor panel top surface 20. The top surface of the plug as a whole is therefore dimensioned substantially to the same dimensions as other floor panels, and therefore a properly executed repair become indistinguishable from the seam of any two panels in the floor. In certain embodiments the repair plug top surface 270 is depressed so it is slightly below the surface of the adjacent panels, and a separate aesthetic cover, also known as a topper is attached above the plug top surface. Such embodiment reduces stock requirements of product as a single repair plug befits all matching floors, and the aesthetic appearance is controlled by thin topper sheets of material for each desired floor covering appearance. The embodiment depicted in FIG. 8 shows an optional construction where a topper 280 is placed above the plug 260 and the upper surface of the topper acts as, and is considered equivalent to, the upper surface 270 of the plug itself. Clearly, if the topper 280 is sufficiently thin the top surface does not have to be depressed. Notably, this construction is not mandatory, and the plug itself may extend to the required thickness to match the adjacent floor.

[0054] The electric plug shown in FIG. 8A differs from the non-electrical plug of FIG. 8 by the inclusion of electrical components. In a basic embodiment, the plug has contact electrodes 37R disposed to interact with respective adapter electrodes of the respective adapter 37F, 37M, and further, electrical busbars 75R provide electrical communication between electrodes disposed on each side of the plug. Advantageously, certain embodiments also comprise a plug heater 100R, which receives power from the busbars. Therefore, in a well made repair, a low-impedance continuity for electrical power is achieved between the busbars of adjacent panels, and the embodiments that contain a plug heater the plug also provide heat to the repaired panel section.

[0055] FIG. 9 depicts a cross-section of floor panels 5L and 5R that laid adjacent to the damaged panel 5Def prior to its removal. The floor panel abutments 240 and 245 may be used to facilitate the repair and in installations of electrically heated floor, the floor panel abutments allow maintaining at least electrical continuity between the panels 5L and 5R.

[0056] FIG. 10 depicts the repair adapters 200F and 200M coupled to the floor panels 5R and 5L. The repair adapters abutments are coupled to the matching floor panel adapters. If the floor is electrically heated, the repair adapters are electrical adapters, as shown by way of example in FIG. 12, relating to floor panel 5R and to adapter 200M, and FIG. 13 relating to floor panel 5L and to repair adapter 200F.

[0057] FIG. 11 depicts an exemplary cross section of a repaired floor. A plug 260 is laid and secured by its flanges 265 to the respective adapter flanges 250, and 255. Such securement may be achieved by gluing the flanges together, taking care, if the repair relates to a heated floor, to maintain good contact between abutment electrodes and corresponding adapter electrodes. Other securement methods may include mechanical interlocking, fasteners, and the like. It is advantageous but not mandatory, for sealant zone 50 to be formed about the electrodes. Such sealant zone may be constituted in the glue used to adhere the adapter flange and the plug flange, or a sealing material disposed in channels surrounding the electrodes. Sealant channels may be formed in either of the flanges or in both. The sealant may be made by pre-formed seals such as O-rings and the like or may comprise compressible material which can spread to provide sealing closer to the electrode pairs.

[0058] The flange regions of the adapters and/or the repair flange may be flat as shown or may contain interlocking portions (not shown).

[0059] FIG. 12 depicts a schematic, magnified, cross-section view of edges of floor panel 5R, an electrical adapter 200M and an edge of an electrical plug 260. FIG. 13 depicts a schematic, magnified, cross-section view of edges of floor panel 5L, an electrical adapter 200F and an edge of plug 260 opposite the edge shown in FIG. 12.

[0060] It is seen that the respective busbar 75R each of the adjacent panels 5R and 5L are each electrically connected to an electrode 35P. As stated above, it is common for an abutment to have a plurality of electrodes distributed thereupon. Operationally, such electrodes are coupled to busbars carrying an electrical potential therebetween, such as one electrode being positive and another negative, two or three electrodes each coupled to alternating current busbar, which may be single phase, split phase or three phase, ground electrodes coupled to ground grid, and the like. It is again mentioned that the busbars provide low impedance circuit between the two edges of a panel, and the heater 100 is coupled between energized busbars.

[0061] Operationally, the floor panel electrodes 35P of floor panels 5R and 5F contact a matching adapter electrode 35M and 35F, respectively. Electrode 35F is electrically coupled in low impedance connection to flange electrode 37F, and similarly adapter electrode 35M is electrically coupled to flange electrode 37M. Electrodes 37F and 37M each form a contact with a respective plug electrode 37R. As the electrodes 37R on both sides of the plug are coupled by low impedance busbar 75R, a low impedance is established between the busbars of the adjacent panel 5R and 5L, maintain electrical continuity therebetween. If a heater 100RT is installed in the plug, the plug also provides heat.

[0062] FIG. 15 is a simplified flow diagram of workflow for replacing a defective floor panel which begins with removal the defective panel 1510 while preserving the abutments of at least two adjacent floor panels; inserting 1520 matching repair adapters 200M and 200F to their corresponding abutments in the adjacent floor panels, and coupling 1530 the plug to the adaptors. Such coupling may, by way of example, be carried out by gluing opposing flanges, however if the repair is carried out to an electrical floor care should be exercised in order to avoid insulating cooperating electrodes from each other. Optionally, sealant or seals are placed to protect electrodes in the adapter and/or the plug. In optional embodiments where the repair adapter is generic, a decorative topper 280 befitting the existing floor may be applied. A topper 280 may be used in order to reduce stock requirements, where a generic repair plug is prepared, and the toppers are matched to provide the desired appearance of the floor after completion of the repair. As stated above, such topper should be construed as cooperating with the plug to equivalently raise the plug top layer to the height of the combination of the plug and topper. The topper may be adhered to the plug in any desired manner. Furthermore, the topper may be provided precut or be cut to size in the field.

[0063] FIG. 14 depicts a simplified top view of a floor panel to be removed by one proposed method. The removal of the defective/damaged panel is facilitated by drilling holes 81 in the panel, and then cutting the panel along lines 82, 83, 84, 85, and 86. Optionally, the panel is also cut along the lines 87 and 88. Cutting may be carried out by any capable tool, such as a hand saw, a rotary saw, a rotating saw, and the like. In soft floor panels even a knife may be utilized. The cut portions A, B, C, and D are then removed, with attention to the retaining the abutments of the adjacent floor panels, at least the abutments adjacent portions A and B. Clearly, numerous ways of removal of a defective panel may be utilized. However, for continued operation of heated floor, abutments of adjacent panel are preserved if they are used for power transmission.

[0064] FIG. 16 depicts schematically the content of an embodiment of a repair kit. The kit includes two repair adapters 200 befitting the panel abutments of the floor, and a repair plug 260. The repair plus may or not be an electrical repair plug. Optionally, the kit may further comprise a toper 280. Further optionally the kit may comprise glue, instructions, and potentially tools to facilitate the repair operation (not shown). in certain kits adapters 200L are also provided for the long sides. Notably, it is not necessary for the adapters to extend all of the respective length of their respective edge.

[0065] In all embodiments, the top and bottom layers may be constructed of any desired material, such as plastic, wood, layers of wood and/or plastic venire, ceramic material and the like. If insulated material is utilized to isolate the power carrying elements from the surrounding non-powered elements, metallic and other conductive materials may also be used. Furthermore in some embodiments the lower layers of the adapters and/or the plug may be resilient in order to conform to imperfection in the sub-floor on which the flooring panel is laid. Either one of the layers may be made of similar or dissimilar materials.

[0066] Notably, adhesion zones may be utilized in any location on the complementary abutments, and in adapter and plug flanges. It is common to apply adhesive/sealant on both of the opposing sides, however adhesive/sealant may be applied to only one of the mating surfaces and the application of the adhesive is a matter of design choice. While the invention has been described so far in terms of adhesive/sealant being pre-applied to adhesion/sealing zones, in the case of flat abutment or flange, adhesive may be applied at the time of assembly of the floor. The term adhesion zone and or sealant zone extends equally to areas upon which adhesive are applied, whether to a single surface or to both opposing surfaces of the abutments which form the joint, as well as to the resulting area of adhesive formed after the complementary abutments are joined. Furthermore, an adhesion zone should be construed to include an area in which the adhesive acts as a sealant as well as an area where a portion of the area utilizes only a sealant and another only adhesive, and vice versa. An area were a sealant acts as an adhesive between the mating surfaces is also an embodiment of an adhesion zone. In many embodiments the adhesion zone is formed of a combination of two adhesion zone each on a surface, and the adhesion zone of each is formed when the two adhesion zones are brought together and adhered to each other.

[0067] Sealing may be obtained by adhesive, sealant, dedicated seal, a round cross-section seal such as an O-ring or O shaped seal, and the like.

[0068] It is further noted that while the terms complimentary and substantially complementary are used herein interchangeably, the terms complementary and substantially complementary as relating to abutments, denote an upper and a lower abutments of two adjacent floor panels respectively, the abutments are brought together to form the floor surface, and the complementary nature of the abutment may include any arrangement which will result in substantially flat floor. Such substantially complementary abutments do not necessarily match each and every feature of each other in a completely complementary manner. Thus, by way of example a flat abutment surface may be mated with a slotted abutment surface as well as with another flat surface, and one single protrusion abutment may be mated with a complementary abutment having a plurality of slots if there is at least one slot matching the protrusion. The complementary nature of the abutments may be made within reasonable tolerances selected to enable the jointing of adjacent floor panels, and when applicable to provide the required electrical contact requirements, as considered against other design considerations. When relating to contacts, the term complementary or substantially complementary relate to an arrangement where contacts are brought together to form electrical continuity when respective abutments are brought together in matched face to face relation to form a substantially flat floor surface, in matching fashion such that by way of example by laying floor panels in a continuous fashion where a first panel upper abutment is disposed above the lower abutment of a second panel and such that the respective contacts are in substantial registration sufficiently to create an electrical contact between matching contacts and/or electrodes.

[0069] The term cross-section implies that in the figures, the depth dimension may be largely ignored. The terms repair plug and plug are used interchangeably.

[0070] The term operational and its variations (such as operationally by way of example), when applied to a completed floor or to portions thereof such as individual floor panels including a replacement floor panel and/or its components when placed to replace a floor panel, connector bars, and the like, when the floor and/or the repair kit or a portion thereof are laid in their intended arrangement. Two repair adapters and a plug should be construed as fully operational when the adapters are engaged by floor panels adjacent to the floor panel being replaced, and a plug is laid therebetween and coupled thereto. In an electrically heated floor, the electrical components are operational when being in electrical communication therebetween, and/or receiving electrical power. The term cooperating relates to two or more items interacting with one another, such as when two adjacent abutments interface. With specific relation to electrical components cooperating components are cooperating when in electrical communication, and/or which are designed to be operationally in electrical communication, with each other. Thus by way of example two electrodes contacting each other are cooperating if during operation of the heated floor such connection facilitates electrical energy passage therebetween.

[0071] As is common in patent drawings the drawings and portions thereof are not necessarily drawn to any scale, neither between drawings nor within a single drawing. By way of particular example, adhesion zones may be very thin and depictions thereof in the drawings are highly exaggerated. Some of the drawings reflect only specific portion of the floor panels while other drawings and the accompanying description clarify the relative disposition of such portions.

[0072] Wavy lines in the drawings denote a discontinuity in the drawing, representing limits or boundaries of partial or interrupted views.

[0073] Notably, a damaged or otherwise defective panel is removed to be replaced by the repair adapters and the plug, and thus when the specification refer to floor panels adjacent to the damaged panel, this describes a selection of floor panels and the selection remains valid even after the damaged panel is removed. Furthermore, as heated floors may be fed by one or more connector bars, the such adapter bar may be considered a floor panel to satisfy then requirement of a floor panel adjacent to the damaged panel. In cases where a panel is damaged in the abutment area it may be necessary to repair two or more adjacent panels, a process which will be clear to a skilled artisan in view of the principles disclosed herein.

[0074] Unless otherwise specified, the terms disposed in and disposed on a specific portion of the structure should be construed as interchangeable and in certain embodiments as combinatorial. By way of example when a contact is described as being on an abutment or a flange, such contact may be disposed on the surface of the abutment of flange or protruding therefrom, or sunken therein, or any combination thereof. The term disposed in or disposed on should be considered to indicated general location within the complete structure.

[0075] While for brevity, the figures and the associates description generally describe a floor panels utilizing a rectangular top surface by way of example, it is noted that floor panels may be provided with top surfaces in any desired geometrical form such as, by way of example, square, rectangle, chevron, triangle and other polygons, and the scope of panel claims extend to such configurations. Furthermore, the floor panels disclosed herein may also be installed as a wall covering or even a ceiling if desired.

[0076] While certain embodiments may achieve one or more of the stated objects, persons skilled in the art would recognize that various embodiments may achieve one or more of those goals to a higher or lesser extent, and some embodiments may not achieve one or more goals, yet fall within the scope of the invention.

[0077] Unless otherwise specified, relational terms used in these specifications should be construed to include certain tolerances that the skilled in the art would recognize as providing equivalent functionality. By way of example the term perpendicular is not necessarily limited to 90.0?, but also to any slight variation thereof that the skilled in the art would recognize as providing equivalent functionality for the purposes described for the relevant member or element. Terms such as about and substantially in the context of configuration relate generally to disposition, location, or configuration that is either exact or sufficiently close to the location, disposition, or configuration of the relevant element to preserve operability of the element within the invention which does not materially modifies the invention. Similarly, unless specifically specified or clear from its context, numerical values should be construed to include certain tolerances that the skilled in the art would recognize as having negligible importance as it does not materially change the operability of the invention.

[0078] In these specifications reference is often made to the accompanying drawings which form a part of the disclosure, and in which are shown by way of illustration and not of limitation, exemplary implementations and embodiments. Further, it should be noted that while the description provides various exemplary embodiments, as described below and as illustrated in the drawings, this disclosure is not limited to the implementations described and illustrated herein, but can extend to other embodiments as would be known or as would become known to those skilled in the art. Reference in the specification to one embodiment, this embodiment, these embodiments, several embodiments, selected embodiments or some embodiments means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment(s) may be included in one or more implementations, and the appearances of these phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment(s). Additionally, in the description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough disclosure, guidance and/or to facilitate understanding of the invention or features thereof. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that these specific details may not all be needed in each implementation. In certain embodiments, well-known structures, materials, circuits, interfaces have not been described in detail, and/or may be illustrated schematically or in block diagram form, so as to not unnecessarily obscure the disclosure.

[0079] For clarity the directional terms such as up, down, left, right, and descriptive terms such as upper and lower, above, below, sideways, inward, outward, and the like, are applied according to their ordinary and customary meaning, to describe relative disposition, locations, and orientations of various components. When relating to the drawings, such directional and descriptive terms and words relate to the drawings to which reference is made. Notably, the relative positions are descriptive and relative to the above described orientation such as an upright orientation and modifying the orientation would not change the disclosed relative structure.

[0080] To the extent necessary to understand or complete the disclosure of the present invention, all publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned herein, including in particular the applications of the Applicant if any, are expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety by reference as is fully set forth herein.

[0081] It will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to what has been described hereinabove merely by way of example. While there have been described what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other embodiments, changes, and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention and that it is, therefore, aimed to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention, for which letters patent is applied.