System and method for floor covering installation

• US 8,220,221 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2010
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Interface Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Interface Incorporated
• Inventors: Gray, Keith N., Hensler, Connie D., Zah, Chung-Hsien, Fezer, Susan F., Bradley, Horace Eddie Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilbert, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chi Q
• Application Number:
  US12/702,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20100176189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 523/85, 523/91, 527/450.5, 527/471.1, 525/16, 525/15, 527/413, 527/414, 428/101, 156/304.5, 156/298, 340/944
• US Class Current: 52/747.11
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 27/0475 Laying carpet tiles
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 27/0481 Connecting means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2401/21 Electrical or magnetic properties, e.g. conductivity or resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1922 for covering surfaces such as carpets, roads, roofs or walls
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 37/005 Hand-held apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2203/314 for carpets
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/22 Plastics; Metallised plastics
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/38 Pressure-sensitive adhesives [PSA]
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/02 Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements of webs E04F15/16
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/07 with connections using a special adhesive material
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/68 Marker, boundary, call-sign, or like beacons transmitting signals not carrying directional information
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0027 of actual mobile position, i.e. position determined on mobile
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/109 Embedding of laminae within face of additional laminae
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/16 Two dimensionally sectional layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/23993 Composition of pile or adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2848 Three or more layers

Abstract

Connectors for joining adjacent modular floor covering units. Embodiments of the connectors include a film and an adhesive layer coated on one side of the film. The connectors can have a conductive component that allows electrical continuity to be maintained between adjacent tiles. In yet another embodiment, the connectors can be equipped as radio frequency identification tags by including radio frequency transponders. To install tiles using the connectors, a first tile is placed on the floor and a connector is positioned so that the adhesive layer faces upward and does not contact the floor. The connector is typically positioned so that only a portion of the adhesive layer adheres to the underside of the tile, leaving the remainder of the connector extending from the underside of the tile. One or more tiles are then positioned adjacent the first tile so that a portion of the connector adheres to the adjacent tiles. In this way, the connectors span adjacent tile edges. The tiles are assembled on an underlying flooring surface without the need to attach them to the floor surface. Rather, the tiles are linked to each other with the connectors, so that the tiles create a floor covering that “floats” on the underlying floor surface. Additionally, the tiles need not be installed directly on the floor surface. Rather, an underlayment, such as a film or cushion or cushion composite, may be positioned on the floor surface prior to the installation of tiles.

Claims

1. A method of using radio frequency transponders in a floorcovering, the method comprising:

forming a floorcovering by (a) positioning a plurality of tiles adjacent to one another on a flooring surface, each tile having an underside and edges; and

(b) positioning connectors to span adjacent edges of at least some adjacent tiles, each connector comprising;

(i) a film;

(ii) and a radio frequency transponder; and

(iii) an adhesive on a side of a film;

wherein the adhesive contacts the undersides of the at least some adjacent tiles; and

using a radio frequency reader to read one or more radio frequency transponders; and

wherein the connectors form a grid.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying a location of each radio frequency transponders.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising determining a radio frequency transponder map.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a position of a person or piece of equipment using the radio frequency reader.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking a movement of people or equipment using the radio frequency reader.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising guiding a person or a piece of equipment to a location using the radio frequency reader.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency reader is placed on a cleaning machine.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the radio frequency reader is programmed with a sequence of radio frequency transponder numbers and used to guide the cleaning machine in accordance with the sequence.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the radio frequency transponder numbers corresponding to locations of higher traffic appear more often in the sequence than radio frequency transponder numbers corresponding to locations of lower traffic.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the radio frequency reader is placed on a robot used for localization or navigation of equipment.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising recording location history information about the radio frequency reader by recording radio frequency transponders read by the radio frequency reader.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the radio frequency reader is used with a cleaning device and the location history information comprises a cleaning history information.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the location history is stored at the radio frequency reader for later download to control system.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the radio frequency reader transmits to a control system the connector radio frequency transponder that it reads.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising recording location and time information for the radio frequency reader.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising using the location and time information to determine information about traffic flow.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising using the location and time information to determine how long a radio frequency reader was in an area.