FIELD OF APPLICATION
[0001] The present patent concerns raised floors and their supports, and in particular it
concerns a new support, with adjustable height, for raised floors, equipped with a
swing system for the flat flooring elements.
STATE OF THE ART
[0002] To make raised floors, supports are currently placed on the laying surface and the
flat elements that make up the raised floor are placed on them.
[0003] These known supports are composed of at least one base element and a top element
on which the panels are laid.
[0004] The base elements (pedestal) are generally cylindrical in shape, threaded on the
inside, they have a broad base for standing on at the bottom and are placed on the
laying surface in positions corresponding to the corners of the flat flooring elements
laid next to one another.
[0005] The top element on which the panels are laid is composed of a generically cylindrical
part, threaded on the outside, with at the top end a flat surface orthogonal to the
cylindrical part and suitable for supporting the elements of the raised floor.
[0006] To compensate for the difference in slope between the laying surface, which must
be tilted to allow the drainage of meteoric water, and the raised floor, which must
obviously be horizontal, on the flat surface of the top supporting element of some
supports there are four concave seats housing four caps whose spherical surface faces
downwards and whose upper surface is flat. Each corner of the flat elements of the
raised floor rests on said horizontal flat surfaces, which are at different heights
with respect to one another.
[0007] The supports composed as described above make it possible to obtain raised floors
that however, if they are placed on an inclined plane, have the elements of the raised
floor at different heights, and they do not create a continuous surface, but form
steps between each element and the adjacent ones.
[0008] Moreover, in the case of large differences in level between the laying surface and
the raised floor, ridges or shims must be prepared on which the pedestals of the supports
are placed, with considerable expense of labour and time.
DESCRIPTION
[0009] To overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks, a new type of support for raised floors
has been studied and implemented, with adjustable height and a swing system.
[0010] The aim of the new support is to allow the construction of perfectly flat raised
floors, without discontinuity, even in conditions where there is a high slope of the
laying surface, without having to make use of ridges or additional bases for the supports
themselves.
[0011] Another aim of the new support is to allow the construction of raised floors without
interruption of the surface of the panels of the raised floor.
[0012] Another aim of the new support is to provide a suitable laying surface for the panels
of the raised floor.
[0013] Another aim is to solve all the problems connected to slope and height with a few
standard elements (pedestal, extension, top element, cap) which tolerate a considerable
difference between the minimum and the maximum laying height.
[0014] Support for raised floors, with adjustable height and a swing system, comprising
a generically cylindrical base element, one or more threaded cylindrical spacing elements,
a threaded cylindrical top element having a spherical concave top end and suited to
contain in the top a swinging cap with flat top surface on which the elements of the
raised floor are laid.
[0015] The characteristics of the support for raised floors with adjustable height and a
swing system will be better explained by the following description with reference
to the drawings enclosed as an example without limitation.
[0016] Figure 1 shows an application of the new supports on a laying surface (I) tilted
with an inclination of alpha degrees, where the cap (C) is horizontal, that is, rotated
at an angle of alpha degrees with respect to the top element (S).
[0017] Figure 2 shows the four components of the new support, while figure 3 shows the same
elements assembled in the case of a laying surface tilted at alpha degrees.
[0018] Figure 4 shows the top element (S), while figure 5 shows the swinging element (C
).
[0019] The base element (B) comprises a cylindrical portion (Bc), having threaded internal
surface (Bf), with a bottom plate (Bp) for resting on the laying surface (I).
[0020] The spacing element (D) is cylindrical in shape with threaded top internal surface
(Dfs) and variously irregular external surface in order to facilitate grip during
the rotation-adjustment phases.
[0021] The bottom end of said spacing element (D) presents a thread (Dfi) on the bottom
part of the outer wall, so that it can be screwed into the internal thread (Bf) of
the base element (B).
[0022] The top element (S) is cylindrical in shape with a thread (Sf) on the external surface
and it has spherical concave top end (Sc). The external threaded surface (Sf) of the
top element (S) is such as to allow it to be screwed both into the spacing element
(D) and into the cylindrical portion (Bc) of the base element (B).
[0023] In the centre of the concave end (Sc) of the top element (S) there is a linear slot
(Sci) such as to contain the end of a tool, typically a flat-tip screwdriver, so as
to facilitate the rotation and therefore the screwing and unscrewing of said top element
(S) into the spacing element (D) or into the base element (B).
[0024] The swinging cap (C) is an element having curved bottom surface (Ci) so as to be
housed, rotate and swing exactly in the concave end (Sc) of the top element (S).
[0025] The top surface (Ca) of said cap (C) is flat to allow the flat elements (E) of the
raised floor to be laid on it and it presents several vertical diaphragms (Cs) at
right angles to one another and arranged preferably in cross formation in such a way
as to align and separate said flat elements.
[0026] In a central position on the cap (C) there is a vertical hole (Cf) which allows a
suitable tool to be inserted as far as the slot (Sci) in the top element (S) and to
be turned with no need to remove the cap (C).
[0027] The support composed as described above offers considerable advantages and solves
all the problems described concerning the known supports.
[0028] If a raised floor has to be made with a considerable slope and difference in level
with respect to the laying surface, it is possible to use several spacing elements
(D).
[0029] The edges of the flat elements (E) of the raised floor do not present steps or difference
in level, since they all rest on the same flat surface (Ca) of the cap (C), which,
with respect to the bottom part of the support, rotates completely to keep said elements
(E) of the raised floor horizontal without discontinuity.
[0030] Each corner of each element (E) of the raised floor rests on a wide surface, equivalent
to one fourth of the cap surface (C), thus distributing the load better than in the
systems currently used.
[0031] Therefore, with reference to the above description and to the enclosed drawings,
the following claims are expressed.
1. Support for raised floors with adjustable height, comprising a threaded cylindrical
base element (B) for laying on the floor bottom and a threaded cylindrical top element
(S), characterised in that said top element (S) has concave top end (Sc) housing a cap (C) on which the flat
elements (E) of the raised floor are laid, said cap (C) having a corresponding curved
bottom surface (Ci) so as to be housed, rotate and swing exactly on said concave end
(Sc) of the top element (S).
2. Support for raised floors with adjustable height according to claim 1, characterised in that the top surface (Ca) of the cap (C) is flat.
3. Support for raised floors with adjustable height according to claims 1, 2, characterised in that the top surface (Ca) of the cap (C) presents several vertical diaphragms (Cs) at
right angles to one another.
4. Support for raised floors with adjustable height according to claims 1, 2, 3, characterised in that it comprises a threaded spacing element (S) suitable for being inserted between said
base element (B) and said top element (S).
5. Support for raised floors with adjustable height according to claims 1, 2, 3, characterised in that the internal or external surface of the spacing element (S) is threaded at the bottom
(Dfi) so that it can be screwed into said base element (B), and wherein the internal
or external surface is threaded at the top so that it can be screwed into said top
element (S).
6. Support for raised floors with adjustable height according to claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or
5, characterised in that the top element (S) has, in the centre of its concave top end (Sc), a linear slot
(Sci) such as to contain the end of a tool and to allow the screwing and unscrewing
of said top element (S).
7. Support for raised floors with adjustable height according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4 5,
or 6, characterised in that the cap (C) presents in the centre a corresponding vertical hole (Cf) such as to
allow a tool to pass through until reaching said slot in the top element.