System and method for floor covering installation

• US 8,468,771 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2009
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• 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:
  US12/573,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20100024329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 525/15, 525/16, 523/85, 523/91, 527/450.5, 527/471.1, 156/298, 428/97, 428/194, 428/343, 428/354, 340/944, 340/539
• 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 floorcovering installation comprising:

a. an intermediate substrate positioned on a flooring surface but not connected to the flooring surface;

b. a plurality of tiles, each tile having an underside and edges, wherein the tiles are positioned on top of the intermediate substrate but not connected to the intermediate substrate; and

c. connectors positioned on top of the intermediate substrate and below the tiles, each connector positioned to span and connect adjacent edges of at least two adjacent tiles and comprising;

i. a connector film; and

ii. an adhesive on a side of said film, wherein the adhesive contacts the undersides of the at least two adjacent tiles.

2. The floorcovering installation of claim 1, wherein the intermediate substrate comprises an underlayment film.

3. The floorcovering installation of claim 2, wherein the underlayment film comprises polymeric material.

4. The floorcovering installation of claim 2, wherein the underlayment film is moisture impermeable.

5. The floorcovering installation of claim 2, wherein the underlayment film comprises a first side and a second side, each side having a coefficient of friction, wherein the coefficient of friction of the first side is greater than the coefficient of friction of the second side.

6. The floorcovering installation of claim 5, wherein the tiles are positioned on top of the second side of the underlayment film.

7. The floorcovering installation of claim 2, wherein the underlayment film has a thickness between about 1/1000 inch and about 40/1000 inch.

8. The floorcovering installation of claim 1, wherein the intermediate substrate comprises a cushion.

9. The floorcovering installation of claim 8, wherein the cushion comprises at least one of foam, rubber, cork, woven fabric, nonwoven fabric, or felted fabric.

10. The floorcovering installation of claim 8, wherein the cushion is moisture impermeable.

11. The floorcovering installation of claim 8 wherein a soiled or worn tile of the at least two adjacent tiles in the floorcovering installation connected on top of the intermediate substrate by the connectors is removable without removing the cushion.

12. The floorcovering installation of claim 1, wherein the intermediate substrate comprises an underlayment film positioned on the flooring surface and a cushion positioned on top of the underlayment film.

13. The floorcovering installation of claim 12, wherein at least one of the underlayment film or the cushion is moisture impermeable.

14. The floorcovering installation of claim 1, wherein the intermediate substrate comprises a cushion composite comprising a first layer attached to a second layer, wherein the first layer comprises a cushion and the second layer is more rigid than the first layer.

15. The floorcovering installation of claim 14, wherein at least one gripping component projects from a side of the second layer.

16. The floorcovering installation of claim 15, wherein the flooring surface comprises a carpeted surface and the cushion composite is positioned on top of the carpeted surface so that the at least one gripping component engages the carpeted surface.

17. The floorcovering installation of claim 1 wherein all carpet tiles placed atop the intermediate substrate are connected together using the connectors, wherein the intermediate substrate remains in place after installation of the floorcovering installation during use of the floorcovering installation.

18. A method for establishing an array of radio frequency transponders in known locations in a building, the method comprising:

(a) installing a planar array of regularly spaced radio frequency transponders in a building, the method comprising;

(i) positioning a plurality of floorcovering tiles adjacent to one another on a floor surface in the building, each tile having an underside, edges and corners; and

(i) positioning, under and proximate regularly spaced, juxtaposed tile corners of the tiles, radio frequency transponder assemblies comprising;

(1) a film;

(2) a radio frequency transponder attached to the film; and

(3) an adhesive on a side of the film,

wherein the adhesive contacts the undersides of the tile corners; and

(b) traversing the array of regularly spaced radio frequency transponders with a radio frequency reader and creating a data collection correlating identifying information for the radio frequency transponders and the locations of those radio frequency transponders within the building.