Embedment tile with replaceable top plate

• US 8,528,278 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2012
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MetaDome, LLC
• Original Assignee: MetaDome, LLC
• Inventors: Sippola, Duane F.
• Primary Examiner(s): KATCHEVES, BASIL S
• Application Number:
  US13/587,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20130042550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 390 Days
• Field of Search: 521/77, 521/80, 521/91, 525/881
• US Class Current: 52/177
• 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 assembly comprising:

a lower plate;

a moldable material anchor fixed to the lower plate;

an upper plate joined to the lower plate, and the upper plate includes a plurality of tactile projections and a downwardly extending flange around at least a portion of a perimeter of the upper plate and the flange extends downwardly to an elevation below the surface of the lower plate, and wherein each tactile projection on the upper plate has a substantially conical shape and includes a plurality of ribs and each rib extends outwardly from side and top portions of the tactile projection.

2. The embedment tile assembly of claim 1, wherein the lower plate of the embedment tile includes a plurality of tactile projections.

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

4. The embedment tile assembly of claim 1, wherein the upper plate of the embedment tile is 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 assembly of claim 1, wherein the lower plate of the embedment tile defines an air vent to release air from under the lower plate during installation.

7. The embedment tile assembly of claim 2, wherein the tactile projections on the embedment tile upper plate substantially match tactile projections on the lower plate in shape, size, and spacing.

8. The embedment tile assembly of claim 1, wherein the lower plate of the embedment tile is substantially flat.

6. An embedment tile assembly comprising:

a lower plate;

a moldable material anchor fixed to the lower plate;

an upper plate joined to the lower plate, and the upper plate includes a plurality of tactile projections and a downwardly extending flange around at least a portion of a perimeter of the upper plate and the flange extends downwardly to an elevation below the surface of the lower plate; and

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