[0001] The subject of the invention is a resilient sports floor which is adapted to absorb
and soothe the impact of sportsmen when they land on the floor after jumping, whereas
a ball rebounds from this floor almost like from a solid concrete surface.
[0002] There are known constructions of sports floors where the parquet blocks are laid
on plates under which are placed elastic foam rubber layers which make the floor flexible.
Other constructions are known which are made in different embodiments of prismatic-shaped
laths under which on the supporting points sole wooden or rubber plates are inserted
and which are placed either in parallel or rectangular one across the other. With
these prismatic laths deformations occur exclusively in the dangerous profile part,
e.g. in the middle between the supporting points, where the tension in the material
is the highest.
[0003] The present invention aims at the construction of a resilient or elastic sports floor
made of laths or fillets having equally distributed bending rigidity, in which the
tension of the material is about the same along its entire length. Furthermore it
is an object of the invention to provide a resilient sports floor which combines good
integrity with high resiliency.
[0004] This object is solved by a resilient sports floor according to claim 1. The arcuate
shaped laths define supporting points of the base structure on the ground and a resilient
property of the laths between the supporting point, thereby assuring good integrity
and high resiliency as desired.
[0005] It is preferred that the resilient sports floor has its arcuate shape located in
the lower part of the lath facing away from the floor. Thereby the supporting points
are spaced on the ground.
[0006] It is preferred that the resilient sports floor - in an alternative embodiment -
has its arcuate shape located in the upper part of the lath facing to the floor. Thereby
the laths are fully supported on the ground, but the floor or an intermediate holding
plate are supported on spaced supporting points of the base structure. This brings
about a modified resilient behavior.
[0007] Preferred is a resilient sports floor in which two adjacent laths define a sinusoidal,
parabolic or wedge shaped form. This achieves a particularly preferred resiliency.
[0008] It is preferred that the resilient sports floor comprises laths which are arranged
in a rectangular matrix with horizontally and vertically disposed laths. This provides
for a grid of enhanced stability and easy manufacture.
[0009] A resilient sports floor is preferred in which the laths have an equally distributed
bending rigidity along their length. This measure ensures uniform resiliency over
the total length.
[0010] A resilient sports floor is preferred in which the laths have identical form and
are cut out of a prismatic lath in a winding form. This provided for easy manufacture.
[0011] According to a preferred embodiment a resilient sports floor is provided in which
sole plates are inserted under the laths, wherein the curved edges of the laths are
turned upwards. The sole plates provide for good supporting stability.
[0012] Preferred is a resilient sports floor in which the matrix is formed by superposing
laths oriented in one direction onto laths oriented in an orthogonal direction.
[0013] Finally preferred is a resilient sports floor in which the laths have opening slits
in their thicker parts. This measure enhances uniform resiliency.
[0014] Laths with equally distributed bending rigidity have a smaller dead weight and can
therefore better soothe the impacts of sudden loads.
[0015] The ideal shape of laths with equally distributed bending rigidity and constant width
is defined by the equation of a square parabola which is

where the right part of the lath is equal to the left one.
[0016] As it is difficult in practice to design the lath in a parabolic shape, the parabolic
planes are preferably replaced by tangential ones, where the height of the lath above
both supporting points is not equal to zero but to

.
[0017] Wedge-shaped wooden laths are from the technological and economic standpoint only
preferred in specific applications, as the cut off parts represent waste material
and besides it is impossible to cut out the prisms in one piece.
[0018] This problem can be solved by a sinosoidal or arcuate form which is nearer to a parabolic
form enabling also industrial production of laths with equally distributed bending
rigidity by sawing the prismatic laths in a winding shape.
[0020] The invention is further illustrated by the following described embodiments to be
read in connection with the drawings.
- Fig. 1
- is a diagrammatic drawing of a parabolic, wedge-shaped and sine-shaped lath;
- Fig. 2
- a prismatic lath sawed in a winding arcuate form;
- Fig. 3
- a point load of the arcuate lath with equally distributed bending rigidity with supporting
points;
- Fig. 4
- a point loaded arcuate lath with equally distributed bending rigidity supported by
its own upper curved edge;
- Fig. 5
- a evenly distributed loaded arcuate lath with equally distributed bending rigidity
supported by its own upper curved edge;
- Fig. 6
- arcuate laths with equally distributed bending rigidity placed rectangular one across
the other and supported by sole plates;
- Fig. 7
- arcuate laths with equally distributed bending rigidity placed rectangular one across
the other without sole plates;
- Fig. 8
- arcuate laths with equally distributed bending rigidity placed rectangular one across
the other and covered by a plate on which parquet blocks are laid;
- Fig. 9
- arcuate laths with equally distributed bending rigidity placed in parallel and covered
by a plate on which parquet blocks are laid.
[0021] The elastic sports floor of the present invention and illustrated in the drawings
comprises as can be seen in Fig. 1 laths of parabolic 1, wedge-shaped 2 and preferably
of arcuate 3 form with equally distributed bending rigidity.
[0022] The resilient or elastic sports floor of the invention ( see Fig. 2 ) consists of
two arcuate laths 4 and 4' of the same dimensions cut out of a prismatic lath and
of waste material 5.
[0023] The elastic sports floor of the invention as shown in Fig. 1 and 2 operates in the
following way:
[0024] The arcuate laths 4 with equally distributed bending rigidity are supported at their
thinner parts and loaded on certain points in the middle between the supporting points
and on the thicker lath parts respectively as can be seen in Fig. 3.
[0025] The arcuate laths with equally distributed bending rigidity 4 can be with their upper
curved edges turned to the ground and loaded on certain points at the thinner lath
parts. The curved edges serve to hold the whole lath ( see Fig. 4 ).
[0026] The arcuate laths with equally distributed bending rigidity 4 are with their upper
curved edges turned towards the ground and evenly loaded along its entire length (
see Fig. 5 ). The curved edge thicker parts have slit-like cut-outs 6 which provide
elasticity of this part of the lath.
[0027] It follows the description of the elastic sports floor of the invention with the
laths placed rectangular one across the other, where the arcuate laths 4' with equally
distributed bending rigidity are loaded on certain points of the arcuate laths 4 with
equally distributed bending rigidity which are supported by sole-plates 7 equally
spaced on the bottom side along the length.( see Fig. 6 ).
[0028] The elastic sports floor of the invention features laths placed rectangular one across
the other, where the arcuate laths with equally distributed bending rigidity 4' are
superposed to the arcuate laths with equally distributed bending rigidity 4 which
touch on the ground, with the curved upper edges directed to the ground and without
sole plates. (see Fig. 7 ).
[0029] The elastic sports floor of the invention has parquet blocks 8 laid on a holding
plate 9 which distributes the load evenly on all arcuate laths with equally distributed
bending rigidity 4', wherein these laths further load certain points of the arcuate
laths with equally distributed bending rigidity 4. Between the lath layers there is
a thermal isolation layer 10 ( see Fig. 8 ). On places where the arcuate laths with
equally distributed bending rigidity 4 and 4' are placed rectangularly one across
the other, a rubber or any other elastic material 11 is inserted between them and
under the arcuate laths with equally distributed bending rigidity 4 at the contacting
points, whereas under the whole construction there is placed a hydro-isolation foil
12.
[0030] Under the sections where the arcuate laths with equally distributed bending rigidity
4 and 4' are placed rectangularly one across the other according to one embodiment
( Fig. 7 ) a block 13 made of rubber or any other plastic material is inserted for
damping vibrations.
[0031] The elastic sports floor of the invention ( see Fig. 1 and 2 ) with parquet blocks
8 laid on said holding plate 9 puts its load evenly on all arcuate laths with equally
distributed rigidity 4", with cut-outs 6 made in the thicker parts of the laths to
provide elasticity of the laths. Under the laths there is inserted a rubber or any
other elastic material 11, whereas under the entire construction a hydro-isolation
foil 12 is placed ( see Fig. 9 ).
[0032] In an alternative not shown embodiment a three or one layer parquet is mounted on
the base construction without any holding plate, wherein the parquet is a ready -to-use
parquet. This parquet has a depth of 15-25 mm, preferably around 20 mm.
[0033] The distance of the upper laths bottom side from the ground is greater than 2,3 mm
and preferably between 3.8 and 5 mm. This ensures sufficient vertical flexibility.
1. Resilient sports floor having a base construction, characterized in that the base construction comprises a plurality of laths (4,4') forming a supporting
grid, wherein the laths each have an arcuate shaped edge.
2. Resilient sports floor according to claim 1, characterized in that the arcuate shape is located in the lower part of the lath (4,4') facing away from
the floor.
3. Resilient sports floor according to claim 1, characterized in that the arcuate shape is located in the upper part of the lath facing to the floor.
4. Resilient sports floor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that two adjacent laths define a sinusoidal (3), parabolic (1) or wedge shaped (2) form
.
5. Resilient sports floor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the laths (4) are arranged in an rectangular matrix with horizontally and vertically
disposed laths (4,4').
6. Resilient sports floor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the laths have an equally distributed bending rigidity along their length.
7. Resilient sports floor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the laths have identical form and are cut out of a prismatic lath in a winding form.
8. Resilient sports floor according to claim 3, characterized in that sole plates (7) are inserted under the laths, wherein the curved edges of the laths
are turned upwards.
9. Resilient sports floor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the matrix is formed by superposing laths (4') oriented in one direction onto laths
(4) oriented in an othogonal direction.
10. Resilient sports floor according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the laths have opening slits (6) in their thicker parts.