Floor construction with variable grade of resilience

• US 9,986,863 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2010
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Datema, Cornelis Pauwel
• Primary Examiner(s): Everett, Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US13/148,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20120101635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,039 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 27/0231 for fighting fatigue A47G27/0218 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/02 Flooring or floor layers composed of a number of similar elements of webs E04F15/16

Abstract

The present invention is related to a floor construction. To provide a floor that is able to serve the different aspects of the use and the user himself, in particular to aspects related to longer standing periods, a floor construction is proposed that comprises a resilient layer (12) with a variable resilience and an adapting surface (14) and means for varying the grade of resilience. In one exemplary embodiment the resilient layer (12) comprises a cavity structure with a number of cavities (18). The cavities (18) are filled with a medium (20) with a variable flexibility. The medium (20) is enclosed in a number of containers 22 with a flexible, non-expandable envelope and the flexibility of the medium can be modified.

Claims

1. A floor construction, comprising:

a resilient layer with a variable resilience that has a grade and an adapting surface; and

means for varying the grade of resilience.

2. The floor construction according to claim 1, wherein the resilient layer comprises an embedded cavity structure with at least one cavity;

wherein the at least one cavity is filled with a medium with a variable flexibility; and

wherein means are provided for modifying the flexibility of said medium.

3. The floor according to claim 2, wherein the medium with a variable flexibility is enclosed in at least one container with a flexible, non-expandable envelope.

4. The floor according to claim 3, wherein the medium comprises a material with a temperature-dependent rigidity;

and wherein means are provided to change the temperature of the medium.

5. The floor according to claim 4, wherein the material with a temperature-dependent rigidity is a gel;

and wherein a floor heating and cooling device is provided.

6. The floor construction according to claim 2, wherein the medium is a fluid;

and wherein means are provided to adjust the pressure of the fluid.

7. The floor construction according to claim 6, wherein the medium is enclosed in at least one flexible tube;

wherein the at least one flexible tube is arranged within at least one container with a flexible, non-expandable envelope; and

wherein the at least one flexible tube is connected to the means to adjust the pressure.

8. The floor construction according to claim 7, wherein the resilient layer comprises a flexible matrix material;

and wherein the at least one container is embedded in said matrix material.

9. The floor construction according to claim 6, wherein the fluid is a gas;

and wherein a pump device is arranged to pressurize the gas.

10. The floor construction according to claim 6, wherein means are provided to change the temperature of the fluid to adjust the expansion of the fluid.

11. The floor construction according to claim 1, wherein a first group of resilient elements and a second group of firm elements is provided;

wherein the first group and the second group are arranged in an essentially alternating distribution; and

wherein the elements of the first group are configured such as to be movable in relation to the elements of the second group.

12. The construction floor according to claim 1, wherein means with a variable extension in the supporting direction of the floor are provided;

and wherein the means change their extension when supplied with electrical potential.

13. The floor construction according to claim 1, wherein the resilient layer comprises a monolithic material with a temperature-dependent rigidity;

and wherein means are provided to change the temperature of the layer comprising the material with a temperature-dependent rigidity.

14. The floor construction according to claim 1, wherein an upper layer with a flooring material is adapted to the adapting surface.

15. A method for automatically adjusting the resilience of at least a part of a floor area comprising the steps of:

receiving occupancy data for the floor area;

analyzing and comparing the occupancy data with stored occupancy data sets which comprise user profiles with preset floor parameters;

selecting one of the occupancy data sets;

transferring the preset floor parameters of the selected occupancy data set to a floor surface parameter control unit; and

adjusting the resilience of the floor according to the chosen user profile.

16. A floor construction, comprising:

a resilient layer with a variable resilience and an adapting surface, said resilient layer comprising a cavity structure having at least one cavity that is filled with a medium of variable flexibility, said medium being enclosed in at least one container having a flexible, non-expandable envelope.

17. The floor construction of claim 16, said medium comprising a material with a temperature-dependent rigidity.

18. The floor construction of claim 17, wherein the material with a temperature-dependent rigidity is a gel.

19. The floor construction of claim 18, further comprising, as a floor heating and cooling device, tubes containing a heating and cooling medium.

20. The floor construction of claim 16, said at least one cavity amounting to a plurality of cavities, said at least one container amounting to multiple containers.

21. The floor construction of claim 16, providing a floor surface with an adjustable softness.

22. The floor construction of claim 21, the resilient layer comprising a flexible matrix material, the at least one container being embedded in said matrix material.