Hexagonal paving panel

• US 7,331,147 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2002
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olga Kalisiak
• Original Assignee: Jerzy Kalisiak
• Inventors: Szulc, Jerzy, Kalisiak, Jerzy
• Primary Examiner(s): KATCHEVES, BASIL S
• Application Number:
  US10/489,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20040244320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,993 Days
• Field of Search: 523/85, 521/77, 521/80, 521/81, 523/87
• US Class Current: 52/385
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 2201/12 vertically interlocking
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 5/005 Individual couplings or spacer elements for joining the prefabricated units E01C5/10 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 5/20 made of units of plastics, e.g. concrete with plastics, linoleumE01C5/18 takes precedence; of textiles made of synthetic fibres E01C5/008
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 5/226 having an upper layer of rubber, with or without inserts of other materials; with rubber inserts
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 9/086 made of concrete, wood, bitumen, rubber or synthetic material or a combination thereof

Abstract

A hexagonal paving panel, the sides of which are alternately provided with upper and lower connecting elements in the form of tab or overlap elements (102, 103) and fixing pins. The panel (100) is provided with a central aperture (109) and with a downwardly extending collar (101) on its periphery. The central aperture serves as a drain hole, stabilizes the panel on a ground and improves storage of the panels in a stack. The bottom surface (114) of the panel is provided with recesses (20) having small depth and large obtuse angle, while the top surface is anti-slip. Upper overlap elements (103) alternately protrude from sides of the panel beyond the collar (101) while lower overlap elements (103) are formed by reduction of thickness of the collar. Each upper overlap element (102) is provided with connecting holes (105) and each lower overlap element (103) is provided with correspondingly shaped upright connecting protrusions (106) which enter into connecting holes (105) of the upper overlap element (102) of the adjacent panel. Panels are interconnected by clip-pins (116), removable with use of a disassembly tool (121). Borders of road surface laid out of the panels are covered with finishing strips (123). The panels may be produced entirely of plastics, mostly waste or recycled, or of rubber and skeleton frame. The panels are destined for covering yards, roads and walkways without special preparation of the ground base. The panels may carry substantial loads in a wide range of temperatures, between −30° C. and +60° C.

Claims

1. A hexagonal paving panel comprising sides which are alternately provided with upper and lower connecting elements, such that after connection of the panels, lower and upper connecting elements of one panel mate with the upper and lower connecting elements of adjacent panels, the panel having a central aperture, a downwardly extending collar on the panel periphery, and a lower surface provided with a plurality of conical or prismatic recesses having a small depth and a large obtuse angle measuring about 160°

to 170°

;

wherein the connecting elements of the paving panel comprise upper or lower overlap elements alternately protruding from the sides beyond the peripheral collar and lower or upper overlap elements defined by reduction of thickness of the collar of the panel side, and wherein each overlap element is provided with at least one fixing hole for a fixing pin.

2. A panel according to claim 1, wherein each upper overlap element includes at least one connecting hole and each lower overlap element includes correspondingly shaped upright connecting protrusions adapted to enter into connecting holes of the upper overlap element of the adjacent panel.

3. A panel according to claim 2, wherein each upper overlap element includes two connecting holes and each lower overlap element includes two connecting protrusions, wherein between the two connecting holes and between the two connecting protrusions is located one upper and lower fixing hole, respectively, for the fixing pin.

4. A panel according to claim 3, wherein the upper fixing hole is shaped such that it extends conically in its upper and bottom parts, while the lower fixing hole is cylindrical, with a diameter slightly smaller than a maximum diameter of the upper fixing hole.

5. A panel according to claim 3, wherein the panel is provided with a fixing pin in the form of a clip-pin comprising a conical head fitting into the upper part of the upper fixing hole and resilient legs protruding from the head and ended with specially shaped tips which, after connecting the panels, extend through the lower fixing hole of the adjacent panel and rest on the lower surface of the fixing hole.

6. A panel according to claim 5, wherein the clip-pin comprises from two to six resilient legs.

7. A panel according to claim 5, wherein the clip-pin includes a circumferential groove near the head.

8. A panel according to claim 7, further comprising a disassembly tool in the form of a bent rod with a handle and a flat tip entering into a narrow slot formed at the side of the upper fixing hole and in the circumferential groove on the clip-pin.

9. A panel according to claim 2, further comprising a finishing strip, placed on the border of connected panels, wherein in the fixing holes of the strip and the additional fixing holes of the panels, located close to the lower overlap element, is settled a clip-pin.

10. A panel according to claim 9, wherein the finishing strip has, on its oblong side, a vertical wall with a rounded corner, which enters onto the border of the panel, and a chamfered opposite oblong side which constitutes a gentle passage between the upper surface of the panel and the upper surface of the strip.

11. A panel according to claim 1, wherein the central aperture includes a top part with a shallow flat recess and a bottom part with a narrower frustoconical recess, connected with the flat recess by a narrow channel.

12. A panel according to claim 11, wherein an outer diameter of a sidewall of the central aperture is approximately the same as a diameter of the flat recess.

13. A panel according to claim 12, further comprising rounded transitions between the sidewall of the central aperture and the bottom surface of the panel, and between the peripheral collar and the bottom surface of the panel.

14. A panel according to claim 12, further comprising a bottom having at least one arrangement of blind openings, provided on the sidewall of the central aperture or on parts of the collar from which the lower overlap elements extend.

15. A panel according to claim 1, wherein each overlap element has two fixing holes for fixing pins.

16. A panel according to claim 1, wherein the panel comprises a hexagonal frame produced of plastics and provided with radial bracing ribs, connecting a sidewall of a central aperture with corners of the frame, a reinforcement including a few coaxial steel wire coils extending through the holes in the bracing ribs, and a rubber filling.

17. A panel according to claim 1, wherein the panel comprises a hexagonal frame, made of sheetmetal provided with a central part, with hexagonal rim the outline of which is slightly smaller than that of a finished paving panel, and with radial bracing ribs, connecting the central part with corners of the hexagonal rim, a reinforcement, including a few coaxial steel wire coils extending through holes in the bracing ribs, and of a rubber filling, enveloping the frame of all sides and including all the constructional elements of the paving panel.

18. A panel according to claim 16, wherein the rubber filing comprises a rubber granulate, obtained by grinding worn automobile tyres, mixed with hardening adhesive.

19. A panel according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of each upper overlap element is flush with the top surface of the panel, while the lower surface of the lower overlap element lies in the plane of the bottom surface of the collar.

20. A panel according to claim 1, wherein all of its elements are made of plastics, which includes 25% to 75% by weight of polypropylene and 75% to 25% by weight of polyethylene.

21. A panel according to claim 20, wherein the panel contains a modifying agent in the quantity of 5% to 60% by weight in relation to the total mass of polypropylene and polyethylene.

22. A panel according to claim 21, wherein the modifying agent is selected from the group consisting of chalk, talc and glass fibres.

23. A panel according to claim 20, wherein the panel is made of polypropylene in the quantity of about 50% by weight, of polyethylene in the quantity of about 50% by weight, and of chalk in the quantity of 20% by weight, in relation to the total mass of polypropylene and polyethylene.

24. A panel according to claim 1, further comprising a visible marker comprising a shallow groove extending between opposite corners of the panel.

25. A panel according to claim 1, further comprising an identification number on its top surface.

26. A hexagonal paving panel comprising sides which are alternately provided with upper and lower connecting elements, where after connection of a plurality of panels, lower and upper connecting elements of one panel mate with upper and lower connecting elements of adjacent panels, the panel being provided with a central aperture and with a downwardly extending collar on its periphery, wherein the upper and lower connecting elements of the paving panel respectively comprise upper and lower tab elements alternately protruding from the peripheral collar, the upper tab elements having a downwardly extending upper vertical arm, and the lower tab elements having an upwardly extending lower vertical arm, wherein after connection of adjacent panels between the upper vertical arm and the peripheral collar is formed an upper cavity open from the bottom, and between the lower vertical arm and the side of the panel is formed a lower cavity open from the top, the cavities and vertical arms being approximately rectangular in a cross-section.

27. A panel according to claim 26, wherein the central aperture has a frustoconical shape, narrower in a lower part, and has a sidewall with an annular protrusion on an outer surface.

28. A panel according to claim 27, wherein a lower surface of the annular protrusion lies in a plane of a lower surface of the collar.

29. A panel according to claim 26, wherein the tab elements have cavities with a width and vertical arms with a thickness that is approximately 70% of the width of the cavities of the tab elements.

30. A panel according to claim 26, wherein a height of the upper vertical arm of the upper tab element is equal to or slightly less than a depth of the lower cavity of the lower tab element, and a height of the lower vertical arm of the lower tab element is equal to or slightly less than a depth of the upper cavity of the upper tab element.

31. A panel according to claim 26, wherein the sidewall of the central aperture extends beyond a lower surface of the collar of the paving panel.

32. A panel according to claim 26, wherein a lower surface of the paving panel is provided with recesses having a small depth and a large obtuse angle.

33. A panel according to claim 32, wherein a ratio between a greatest thickness and a smallest thickness of the panel equals approximately 1.5.

34. A panel according to claim 26, wherein a length of the tab elements measures between 50% and 80% of a length of the panel'"'"'s side.

35. A panel according to claim 26, wherein all of its elements are made of plastics, which includes 25% to 75% by weight of polypropylene and 75% to 25% by weight of polyethylene.

36. A panel according to claim 35, wherein the panel contains a modifying agent in the quantity of 5% to 60% by weight in relation to the total mass of polypropylene and polyethylene.

37. A panel according to claim 36, wherein the modifying agent is selected from the group consisting of chalk, talc and glass fibres.

38. A panel according to claim 36, wherein the panel is made of polypropylene in the quantity of about 50% by weight, of polyethylene in the quantity of about 50% by weight, and of chalk in the quantity of 20% by weight, in relation to the total mass of polypropylene and polyethylene.

39. A panel according to claim 26, further comprising a visible marker comprising a shallow groove extending between opposite corners of the panel.

40. A panel according to claim 26, further comprising an identification number on its top surface.