Embedment tile with replaceable top plate

• US 20100129150A1
• Filed: 08/03/2009
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duane F. Sippola
• Original Assignee: Duane F. Sippola
• Inventors: Sippola, Duane F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,261,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 404/42
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 3/066 Installations on the floor, e.g. special surfaces, to guide blind persons
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 5/16 made of metallic units with a filling or ground plate of other material E01C5/22; for temporary pavings E01C9/083; steel gratings E01C9/10
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 5/22 made of units composed of a mixture of materials covered by two or more of groups E01C5/008 , E01C5/02 - E01C5/20 except embedded reinforcing materials
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/02 Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements of webs E04F15/16

Abstract

An embedment tile with a replaceable upper plate and a lower plate joined by fasteners in a manner that permits replacement of the upper plate when desired. The embedment tile upper plate comprises a plate having a pattern of upwardly extending projections on its upper surface forming a tactilely detectable pattern.

Claims

1. An embedment tile comprising:

a lower plate;

a moldable material anchor fixed to the lower plate;

an upper plate releasably joined to the lower plate, and the upper plate includes a tactile surface.

2. The embedment tile of claim 1, wherein the lower plate includes a tactile surface of substantially the same shape as the tactile surface on the upper plate.

3. The embedment tile of claim 1, wherein the upper plate is releasably joined to the lower plate with a plurality of nuts and bolts.

4. The embedment tile of claim 1, wherein the upper plate is releasably joined to the lower plate with a plurality of nuts fixed to the lower plate, and a plurality of bolts, each bolt extending through a hole in the upper plate and threaded into a nut.

5. The embedment plate of claim 1, wherein the upper plate includes a downwardly extending flange.

6. The embedment plate of claim 1, wherein the lower plate defines air vents to release air from under the embedment tile during installation.

7. The embedment tile of claim 1, wherein the lower plate includes a plurality of upwardly extending conical domes, and at least one of the conical domes defines an air vent to release air from under the upwardly extending conical domes during installation of the embedment tile.

8. The embedment tile of claim 1, and further comprising:

a downwardly extending flange joined to the upper plate, to extend down into a groove formed in existing and cured moldable material.

9. The embedment tile of claim 1, wherein the upper plate is substantially rectangular in shape.

10. The embedment tile of claim 1, wherein the upper plate is substantially wedge-shaped.

11. The embedment tile of claim 1, wherein the tactile projections on the embedment tile upper plate substantially match tactile projections on the lower plate in shape, size, and spacing.