US-12624555-B2 - Windproof and anti-fragmentation device for a raised floor

US12624555B2US 12624555 B2US12624555 B2US 12624555B2US-12624555-B2

Abstract

A windproof and anti-fragmentation device of a raised flooring includes a plurality of support plates of cover tiles. The support plates are arranged side by side and each have a groove defined on a perimeter portion. The windproof and anti-fragmentation device also includes an anchoring washer configured to be coupled to the support plates and having an edge emerging transversely with respect to the perimeter of the anchoring washer and conformed so as to partially fit inside the groove of two contiguous plates so as to keep those plates joined together.

Inventors

Beat Roderick Egli
Andrea Bassetto
Roberto ZANIOL

Assignees

PROFILITEC S.P.A. SOCIO UNICO

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240624
Priority Date: 20230628

Claims (7)

1 . A windproof and anti-fragmentation device of a raised flooring comprising: a plurality of support plates for one or more cover tiles, said support plates being arranged side by side, said support plates each comprising a groove defined on a perimeter portion of said plates; and an anchoring washer couplable to one or more of said support plates and having an edge emerging transversely with respect to a perimeter of said anchoring washer, said edge being configured to fit at least partially inside said groove of at least two of said support plates disposed contiguously so as to keep said at least two support plates joined together, wherein said anchoring washer comprises a shaped opening configured to allow an insertion of a tool used to rotate said anchoring washer, said shaped opening having an hourglass-shaped perimeter defined by adjoined opposing trapezoids with rounded bottoms and with lateral walls that provide abutment surfaces for said tool, said abutment surfaces being spaced apart from each other by a predetermined angle so as to allow said tool to force a rotation of said anchoring washer over a rotation angle corresponding to said predetermined angle and further allow a counter-rotation of said tool corresponding to said predetermined angle while avoiding a counter-rotation of said anchoring washer, whereby said tool can be extracted from said opening.
2 . The windproof and anti-fragmentation device according to claim 1 , wherein said anchoring washer comprises a material gap shaped as at least a portion of a circular sector of said anchoring washer so as to allow an insertion in place and a disengagement of at least one of said support plates.
3 . The windproof and anti-fragmentation device according to claim 1 , wherein said edge comprises a radial projection configured to fit into a respective recess made on said perimeter portion of said plates so as to prevent an involuntary rotation of said anchoring washer.
4 . The windproof and anti-fragmentation device according to claim 1 , wherein said predetermined angle is a 45° angle.
5 . The windproof and anti-fragmentation device according claim 1 , wherein said support plates comprise a grid.
6 . The windproof and anti-fragmentation device according to claim 1 , wherein said support plates comprise one or more areas for gluing said one or more cover tiles thereto.
7 . The windproof and anti-fragmentation device according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one anchoring washer comprises position indicators.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is applicable to the building sector and relates to the construction of raised floorings. More in detail, the present invention refers to a windproof and anti-fragmentation device for raised floorings. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the building sector, the laying of raised floorings is known. They are particularly convenient as they allow to easily prepare sub-services and manage uneven floorings that would otherwise require particularly expensive interventions such as, for example, the levelling of the surface below the flooring. Moreover, precisely because of the advantages provided by this cover, raised floorings are increasingly being used to cover and make aesthetically pleasing the outdoor areas of buildings. Even in this case, in fact, the raised floorings allow a faster and more comfortable laying than traditional flooring. Typically, raised floorings have a load-bearing structure arranged to rest on the ground and on which the flooring is arranged. The latter is typically, but not necessarily, made up of tiles of any material. The load-bearing structure comprises a plurality of feet on the head of which a beam supporting the edges of adjacent tiles often rests which are, therefore, rested on the load-bearing structure. This technique, however, has some recognized drawbacks, in particular where the raised flooring is laid outdoors, in particularly windy areas, i.e. subject to particularly intense weather events. In fact, in case of a particularly strong wind, the tiles may lift up, resulting in the subsequent need to lay the flooring again. However, in some cases, tile lifting caused by the wind can cause damage to the structures and, more generally, to the objects in the surrounding areas as well as be a danger to people. This forces the tiles to be stably fixed to the support structure. And there is more. In the aforementioned technique, it often happens that, following a collision or in the presence of particularly heavy weights, the tiles crack, sometimes even shattering. This happens because the tiles are supported exclusively by the beam along the perimeter portion adjacent to the edge. Obviously, in this sense, the tile is weaker in its central part. The above implies the need to replace damaged tiles, resulting in further expenditure of money. Above all, fragmentation can create dangers for things and people. To overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, techniques are known that provide for using flooring support plates that are directly coupled to the support feet in order to make the flooring a single block and, consequently, heavier and more resistant to phenomena of particular intensity. Among others, embodiments are known in which washers are used that are arranged on the upper surface of the support plates, at the corners of the plates adjacent to each other. In more detail, the washers are typically coupled to the underlying foot by means of screws. In other words, the tile support plates are fixed to the underlying support structure by screw means. It follows that each plate must be securely fixed to the feet as the force of the wind could lift it up again. This technique, moreover, is particularly cumbersome, involving a considerable expenditure of time and therefore of money in the installation of the raised flooring. The removal of a single plate to access the underlying spaces or to replace it is also complex. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to overcome at least partially the drawbacks highlighted above by providing a windproof and anti-fragmentation device for a raised flooring that allows to create a raised flooring resistant to wind and, more generally, to atmospheric phenomena of particular intensity. In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide a windproof and anti-fragmentation device that allows to keep the adjacent tiles joined together, implicitly increasing the resistance of the flooring to the wind lift effect. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a windproof and anti-fragmentation device that is simple and quick to install. Moreover, a further object of the present invention is to provide a windproof and anti-fragmentation device that allows to make the disassembly of the flooring easy. It follows that another object of the present invention is to provide a windproof and anti-fragmentation device that allows a saving of time in the installation of the flooring and, consequently, a cost saving for the end user. Moreover, a further object of the present invention is to provide a windproof and anti-fragmentation device that allows to obtain a raised flooring resistant to the heaviest loads. As a result, another object of the present invention is to provide a windproof and anti-fragmentation device that allows to avoid creating dangerous situations following the breakage of one or more tiles, making it necessary to replace them. The aforementioned purposes, a