(19)
(11) EP 1 593 793 A2

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(43) Date of publication:
09.11.2005 Bulletin 2005/45

(21) Application number: 04076986.1

(22) Date of filing: 09.07.2004
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7E04D 11/00, E01C 5/06, E04F 15/02, E04F 15/024
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL HR LT LV MK

(30) Priority: 09.07.2003 NL 1023866

(71) Applicant: Stichting ISA Gronsveld
6247 BC Gronsveld (NL)

(72) Inventor:
  • Starren, Godefridus Elisabeth Hubertus
    6247 BC Gronsveld (NL)

(74) Representative: Griebling, Onno 
Octrooibureau Griebling BV, Sportweg 10
5037 AC Tilburg
5037 AC Tilburg (NL)

   


(54) Concrete plate element, and passable floor system comprising concrete plate elements


(57) A passable floor system (100) is described, comprising concrete plate elements (1) with a rectangular contour. At each of its four corners, each plate element is provided with an adjustable supporting leg (10), which can be adjusted from the upper side of the plate element. This supporting leg (10) has a screw bar (21) with external screw thread (22), fitting in an internal screw thread (13) of an adjustment bush cast in the plate element. At its upper end, the screw bar has an internal form piece (24) with a hexagonal contour, at its bottom end the screw bar has a circular supporting plate (23). The floor system furthermore comprises synthetic leg carriers (50). Each leg carrier comprises a carrier body (51) with four circular recesses (54) in its top surface (52). In each recess, the supporting plate of a supporting leg of a plate element rests. Each leg carrier furthermore comprises a centrally placed plate corner support (60) with a star-shaped cross section, which laterally supports the plate elements and ensures a gap (63) between adjacent plate elements.




Description


[0001] The present invention relates in general to a concrete element, and more particularly to a method to be able to position a concrete element in an adjustable manner.

[0002] There is a need for a concrete element that can be adjustably placed on a base. The concrete element may generally have the shape of a plate, with substantially flat or deepened bottom side and top side which are mutually substantially parallel, wherein the edges for example can have the contour of a rectangle, a hexagon, a triangle, a circle, or any other contour. However, the concrete element may also for example have a substantially U-shaped cross section to be able to fulfil the function of a water gutter.

[0003] The dimensions of the concrete element can be chosen freely, but will generally be in the range of 30 centimetres to 5 metres.

[0004] An important example of a concrete element to which the present invention relates is a plate-shaped element that is placed on a roof in order to become part of a passable floor. The present invention will hereinafter be explained specifically for this application, but it is noted with emphasis that this should not be understood as limitation of the invention. It is specifically noted that the elements may also be made of another material than concrete, for example stone.

[0005] Such concrete plate elements are placed on a roof on which roof covering and possibly insulation is already present. Roof covering is typically applied in the form of partly overlapping strips, often even applied in several layers over each other, so that the thickness of the roof covering is not the same everywhere but is strongly dependent of the place. According to a technique known in practice, the elements are placed on loose supporting legs, which supporting legs are standing directly on the roof covering or directly on the insulation. In the case of a rectangular or square element, there are typically four supporting legs present, one supporting leg at each corner of the element.

[0006] Thus, such a supporting leg rests on the roof covering or on the insulation, but the base for that supporting leg is not flat and has a varying thickness. Since the supporting legs have mutually the same height, it can thus occur that the adjacent concrete plates are not at the same level with respect to each other.

[0007] In practice, one tries to reduce this problem by placing one or more levelling plates under the supporting legs, to which end typically plates are cut at the spot from roof covering material. This is a very labour-intensive approach. Furthermore, it is a problem that, if after placing of the concrete plate elements it appears that the height difference between adjacent plate elements is too large, a correction by placing a levelling plate is only possible by first removing one or more of the concrete plate elements.

[0008] Furthermore, it is in principle possible to place or remove one or more levelling plates under a single leg in the case of triangular plates with three supporting legs, but in the case of rectangular plates with four supporting legs one will usually have to also place or remove one or more levelling plates under at least one other supporting leg.

[0009] The present invention aims to cancel or at least to reduce these objections. To this end, the present invention aims to implement the concrete plate element in such a way that the height of each concrete plate element is still adjustable after placement.

[0010] More in general, the present invention aims to implement a concrete element in such a way that the height and inclination thereof is still adjustable after placement. In the case of a concrete gutter, it can for example be desired to position that gutter on any base in such a way that the gutter lies exactly level, or rather has a predefined inclination.

[0011] According to an important aspect of the present invention, the supporting legs are adjustably mounted to the concrete elements. A concrete element comprises at least one adjustable supporting leg, but preferably all supporting legs are adjustable. Further, the adjustability of the supporting legs is accessible from the top side of the concrete elements.

[0012] The present invention furthermore relates to a passable floor system, comprising a set of plate elements, wherein each plate element is placed on several supporting legs. Such a system is for example used for making parking places on a flat roof of a building.

[0013] As is already noted in the above, in the case of systems known in practice, such a passable floor is applied by placing supporting legs on the existing roof covering and possible insulation, and then placing plate elements on those supporting legs. Each plate element then rests through its own supporting legs on the roof covering and possible insulation. Even when the placement of the supporting legs is completely perfect, i.e. that the top surfaces of two adjacent plate elements are fitting together without height difference, in practice the problem arises that the base of the supporting legs, i.e. the roof covering and possible insulation, gives way when a pressure is exerted to it. More particularly, the base under the supporting legs of a plate element is somewhat compressed when a wheel of a car presses thereon. In the case of a passenger car, one wheel corresponds to a weight in the order of 300-500 kg; in the case of a cargo truck, this weight can easily be a factor 10 higher. When the vehicle concerned passes over the floor, and thus approaches the edge of a plate element, the vertical displacement of this edge will increase; at the transition to the next plate element one therefore experiences a height difference. Thus, driving over this floor is not experienced as driving over a flat floor but as driving over a ribbed floor.

[0014] Furthermore, it is a problem that the known floor system has difficulty in handling horizontal forces, because the stability of the known construction with the supporting legs leaves to be desired. Such horizontal forces originate for example by breaking and accelerating, but also in turns.

[0015] It is a further object of the present invention to improve a passable floor system in this respect as well.

[0016] To this end, the present invention provides a leg carrier, made of a hard material, that is placed on the base (roof covering, insulation) at the corners of the plate elements. The leg carrier supports the supporting legs of the plate elements which come together at the leg carrier. Thus it is attained that the vertical alignment of adjacent plate elements is secured better.

[0017] Preferably, each leg carrier is provided with a vertical plate corner support with a star-shaped cross section. Hereby, the horizontal stability of the plate elements is improved, mutual contact between the concrete plate elements is prevented and thereby damages avoided, and a gap is held open between adjacent plate elements for improvement of the water drainage capacity.

[0018] These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained by the following description with reference to the drawings, in which equal reference numbers indicate same or similar parts, and in which:

figure 1 schematically shows a top view of a square plate element;

figure 2 schematically shows a cross section of a part of the plate element, in order to illustrate the design of an embodiment of an adjustable supporting leg;

figure 3 schematically shows a perspective view of a leg carrier;

figure 4 schematically shows a top view of a floor system according to the present invention;

figure 5 schematically shows a cross section of a central part of a leg carrier body;

figure 6A schematically shows a cross section of an embodiment of a leg carrier body and a filling piece;

figure 6B schematically shows a cross section of another embodiment of a leg carrier body and a filling piece;

figure 7 schematically shows a top view of a floor system according to the present invention;

figure 8 schematically shows a cross section of a part of the floor system of figure 7;

figure 9A schematically illustrates another pattern of floor system with plate elements;

figure 9B schematically shows a perspective view of an adapted plate corner support.



[0019] Figure 1 shows a schematic top view of a concrete plate element 1 with substantially square contour. At the four corners, the positions of four supporting legs 10 are indicated schematically, distinguished with respect to each other by addition of the letter A, B, C, D. Figure 2 schematically shows a cross section of a part of the concrete plate element 1 at the location of a supporting leg 10. A bush 11 has been cast in the concrete plate element 1 during manufacturing, the central axis 12 of which is substantially directed perpendicular to a top surface 2 and a bottom surface 3 of the concrete plate element 1. The bush 11 is provided with a screw thread 13 at its inner surface, which screw thread preferably extends over the full length of the bush 11. The length of the bush 11 may correspond to the full thickness of the concrete plate element, i.e. the distance between the top surface 2 and the bottom surface 3, but in the shown preferred exemplary embodiment a recess 4 is made in the top surface 2 of the plate element 1, aligned with the bush 11, and the bush 11 extends to the bottom of that recess 4.

[0020] A supporting leg 10 comprises a vertical bar 21, which is provided with a screw thread 22 at its outer surface, fitting to the screw thread 13 of the bush 11. At its bottom end, the screw bar 21 is preferably provided with a supporting plate 23. The screw bar 21 and the supporting plate 23 may be manufactured of steel. They may be made out of one piece, or welded together, but in principle it is also possible that the supporting plate 23 and the screw bar 21 are loose from each other. At its free top end, the screw bar 21 is provided with a form piece 24 for engagement of a tool. In the example shown, the form piece 24 is a profiled recess, for example with hexagonal contour for engagement by a hex key. The contour could also for example be a square section, or any other suitable section. As a variation, the form piece might also be an external form piece, for example with a square or hexagonal contour, for engagement by a socket wrench.

[0021] It shall be clear that, by rotation of a supporting leg 10, the axial (i.e. vertical) position of the supporting leg with respect to the element 1 is adjustable, and that thus, when the supporting plate 23 of the supporting leg 10 rests on a base, the vertical position of the element 1 is adjustable with respect to that base.

[0022] Furthermore, it shall be clear that the axial position of the supporting leg 10 protruding under the element 1 is not only adjustable by engagement to the part of the supporting leg 10 protruding under the element 1, but also from the top side of the element 1, and thus after placement of the element 1 with its supporting legs on the base, by engagement to the form piece 24.

[0023] The operation is as follows. Before placement, a supporting leg is screwed into each screw bush, at the bottom side of the concrete element. Then the concrete element is laid down in its place, with the supporting legs downward. Subsequently, from the top side, a tool is brought into engagement with a supporting leg, that is rotated until the concrete plate element at that location has the correct height. This is repeated for each of the supporting legs. Possibly, this process is repeated once again to ensure that each of the supporting legs carries the right amount of weight. That completes the adjustment of the concrete plate element. Finally, locking caps 30 are attached in the recesses 4 in the top surface 2 of the concrete plate element 1, to prevent dirt from entering there.

[0024] Figure 3 schematically shows a perspective view of a leg carrier 50, for application in a passable floor system with rectangular plate elements of the type as described before. The leg carrier 50 is intended to be placed on a base such as a roof covering and possible insulation, at the corners of the plate elements 1, and to support in turn the supporting legs 10 of these plate elements. To this end, the leg carrier 50 has a block-shaped carrier body 51 with a top surface 52 and a bottom surface 53 parallel therewith. In its top surface 52, the leg carrier 50 has four recesses 54, suitable for placing therein the support plate 23 of a supporting leg 10.

[0025] Preferably, the carrier body 51 has a square contour, so that it is symmetrical for rotation over 90°. The supporting legs 10 of the plate elements 1 are therefore preferably located on the diagonals of the corresponding corners of the plate elements 1.

[0026] The leg carrier 50 furthermore comprises a centrally placed plate corner support 60 with a star-shaped cross section extending upward from the top surface 52. The plate corner support 60 in this case comprises four supporting ribs 62, which are directed horizontally from the vertical central axis 61 of the plate corner support 60, mutually include angles of 90°, and are directed according to a vertical plane of symmetry situated between each pair of the recesses 54.

[0027] Figure 4 shows a schematic top view of a floor system 100 according to the present invention. The floor system comprises an assembly of concrete plate elements 1, in this case rectangular plate elements, that have been laid down according to a pattern wherein always four corners of four respective plate elements meet each other, and define a cross point of plate edges there, as indicated by A. A leg carrier 50 is always placed under each cross point of plate edges, as is indicated with dotted lines, wherein the supporting legs 10 of the four plate elements 1 concerned are placed in the recesses 54 in the top surface 52 of the leg carrier 50.

[0028] The leg carrier 50 is made of a hard material, i.e. a material which will not or hardly deform under the loads to be expected. Thus, the vertical alignment of the adjacent plate elements 1 remains assured. A suitable material for the leg carrier 50 is concrete, metal like aluminium or stainless steel, but the leg carrier is preferably made of synthetic material.

[0029] An important object of the supporting plates 23 of the supporting legs 10 is reducing the pressure load on the bottom of the recess 54 of the leg carrier 50, in order to prevent possible deformation of the material of the leg carrier 50 as much as possible. This supporting plate 23 may in principle be loose from the corresponding bar 21, but preferably the supporting plate 23 is fixed to the bar 21. So with adjustment of the supporting leg 10 by rotating it, the supporting plate 23 concerned then rotates as well. Therefore, the supporting plate 23 preferably has the shape of a circular disk, and the recesses 54 of the leg carrier 50 have a corresponding circular contour, the dimensions being chosen in such a way that the supporting plate 23 of the supporting leg 10 fits in a recess 54 with little play. In a suitable embodiment, the supporting plate 23 of the supporting leg 10 has a diameter of 150 mm, just like the recess 54, wherein the recess 54 may have a depth of for example 8 mm. Alternatively, the recess 54 might for example have a square contour, with length and width substantially equal to the diameter of the supporting plates 23.

[0030] As shown more clearly in the enlargement B in figure 4, the plate corner support 60 assures gaps 63 between the adjacent plate elements 1, for a better drainage of rain water and the like. The plate corner support 60 also prevents mutual contact between the concrete plate elements 1, thus preventing damages. On the other hand, the plate corner support 60 can transfer horizontal forces, so that the horizontal stability of the plate elements is improved.

[0031] The plate corner support 60 can be made as one whole with the leg carrier 50; this is particularly meaningful if the material of the leg carrier 50 is synthetic material, but less meaningful if the leg carrier 50 is made of concrete. Preferably, however, the plate corner support 60 is made of a somewhat flexible, resilient material, rubber being preferred. Therefore, it offers advantages if the plate corner support 60 is made as a separate part, that is attached to the body 51 of the leg carrier 50.

[0032] Figure 5 shows a schematic cross section of a central part of the leg carrier body 51, to illustrate a detail of a preferred embodiment, wherein the leg carrier body 51 has a central recess 55 in its top surface 52. In a possible embodiment, that recess 55 can extend over the full thickness of the leg carrier body 51, but in the shown embodiment that recess 55 only has a relatively small depth. The plate corner support 60 is shaped at its bottom end in such a way that it fits in the recess 55.

[0033] Advantageously, the central recess 55 has a circular contour. In the embodiment shown, the recess 55 has a diameter corresponding with the horizontal dimensions of the supporting ribs 62, so that the supporting ribs 62 themselves fit into this hole 55. Of course, the recess 55 may alternatively also have a cross-shaped contour, fitting to the contour of the supporting ribs 62.

[0034] At its bottom end, the plate corner support 60 may also be provided with a central bottom part 65 fitting in the recess 55. This embodiment is illustrated in figure 5. It may be desired that the plate corner support 60 has some horizontal freedom of adjustment: in that case it is advantageous if the diameter of the central bottom part 65 is smaller than the diameter of the hole 55. The diameter of the central bottom part 65 may be smaller than the horizontal dimension of the supporting ribs 62, but preferably the central bottom part 65 has a diameter which substantially corresponds with the horizontal dimension of the supporting ribs 62.

[0035] However, it may also be desired that the plate corner support 60 is fixed with respect to the leg carrier body 51. In that case, the diameter of the central bottom part 65 may be somewhat larger than the diameter of the recess 55 in order to achieve a wringing fit, wherein the central bottom part 65 and/or the recess 55 may have a conical shape in order to facilitate insertion of the central bottom part 65. The central bottom part 65 and/or the recess 55 may also be provided with means accomplishing a clicking fit; since clicking fits are known per se, this detail is not illustrated separately.

[0036] The central bottom part 65 assures a predefined positioning of the plate corner support 60 with respect to the leg carrier body 51, and also functions as support for the supporting ribs 62. In order to prevent the plate elements from resting on the central bottom part 65, it preferably has a height which is smaller than the depth of the recess 55. In a suitable embodiment, the recess 55 has a depth of approximately 5 mm, and the central bottom part 65 has a height of approximately 4 mm.

[0037] In a suitable embodiment, the supporting ribs 62 have a horizontal dimension of approximately 40 mm, a height of approximately 30 mm, and a thickness of approximately 2-3 mm. The supporting ribs 62 may have a conical cross section, wherein their upper edge has a smaller width.

[0038] The height adjustment of the plate elements has a range which is limited by the length of the screw bush 11. In practice, it can happen that this range is insufficient, for example if it is desired to place the plate elements level while the base is somewhat inclined. This can be solved by placing one or more plate-shaped filling pieces 70 under the leg carriers 50. For a good horizontal stability, it is then desired to achieve a coupling between the leg carrier 50 and the filling piece 70 placed there under. This can simply be attained by only a small adaptation of the leg carrier body 51. Figure 6A illustrates that the leg carrier body 51 is provided with recesses 57 in the bottom surface 53 thereof, and that a plate-shaped filling piece 70 is provided with protrusions 79 on its top surface 72, which protrusions 79 fit in the said recesses 57 in the bottom surface 53 of the leg carrier body 51. The contour of a protrusion 79 and a recess 57 is not critical. Also the positioning of protrusions 79 and recesses 57 is not critical, as long as the positioning of the protrusions 79 corresponds to the positioning of the recesses 57.

[0039] If a single filling piece 70 is insufficient, a second filling piece 70 may be placed under the first filling piece. In order to be able to achieve a coupling between the first filling piece and the second filling piece in this case as well, the filling pieces 70 are preferably provided with recesses 77 in their bottom surface 73, corresponding to the recesses 57 in the bottom surface 53 of the leg carrier body 51.

[0040] Figure 6B illustrates a variation, where the leg carrier body 51 is again provided with recesses 57 in the bottom surface 53 thereof, and where a plate-shaped filling piece 70, instead of protrusions 79, is provided with corresponding recesses 74 in its top surface 72. In this case, loose coupling pieces 80 are provided, fitting in the recesses 74 and 57, which are aligned with each other. If those recesses have circular contours with mutually equal diameters, the coupling pieces 80 may have the shape of a circular disc. In a favourable embodiment, the coupling pieces 80 are made of synthetic material.

[0041] Preferably, and as shown, the recesses 57 in the bottom surface 53 of the leg carrier body 51 are then aligned with the recesses 54 in the top surface 52 thereof. Furthermore, the recesses 74 in the top surface 72 of the coupling piece 70 preferably, and as shown, have the same contours and dimensions as the recesses 54 in the top surface 52 of the leg carrier body 51. An advantage of this variation is that the leg carrier bodies 51 can now function themselves as filling pieces 70, so that no separate filling pieces need to be manufactured and kept in store.

[0042] Figure 7 is a top view similar to figure 4, for illustrating that the locking caps 30 which are shown with the individual supporting legs 10 in figure 2 can be replaced by a common locking plate 130, associated with a leg carrier 50. Figure 8 schematically shows a cross section of a corner connection of the floor system 100. At its bottom surface 133, the locking plate 130, which is preferably manufactured of synthetic material, is provided with protrusions 135, which fit in the recesses 4 of the plate elements coming together at a leg carrier 50; in this example the locking plate 130 has four of such protrusions. Not only does such a locking plate 130 offer the advantage that the recesses 4 of four plate elements can be covered at the same time with a single action, but also a further coupling between the four plate elements is hereby provided, whereby the horizontal stability is further improved.

[0043] For sake of convenience, the locking plate 130 in figure 8 is shown as lying on the plate elements. Preferably however, at their corners the plate elements are provided with recesses in the top surface, where the locking plate 130 fits in, in such a way that the top surface of the locking plate 130 is located in the same plane as the top surface of the plate elements.

[0044] In the above, it has been discussed that always four plate elements come together at a leg carrier, but this is not necessary. Figure 9A illustrates, that a pattern is possible wherein two corners of two plate elements come together at a side edge of a third plate element. In that case, the edges do not always make angles of 90° with each other, but angles of 90°, 90°, 180°. Figure 9B is a perspective view of a plate corner support 160 adapted to this situation, which support now has a T-shaped cross section.

[0045] Thus, the invention succeeds in providing a passable floor system 100, comprising concrete plate elements 1 with a rectangular contour. At each of its four corners, each plate element is provided with an adjustable supporting leg 10, which can be adjusted from the upper side of the plate element. This supporting leg 10 has a screw bar 21 with external screw thread 22, fitting in an internal screw thread 13 of an adjustment bush cast in the plate element. At its top end, the screw bar has an internal form piece 24 with a hexagonal contour, at its bottom end the screw bar has a circular supporting plate 23. The floor system furthermore comprises synthetic leg carriers 50. Each leg carrier comprises a carrier body 51 with four circular recesses 54 in its top surface 52. In each recess, the supporting plate of a supporting leg of a plate element rests. Each leg carrier furthermore comprises a centrally placed plate corner support 60 with a star-shaped cross section, which laterally supports the plate elements and ensures a gap 63 between adjacent plate elements.

[0046] It shall be clear to a person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments discussed above, but that several variations and modifications are possible within the scope of protection of the invention as defined in the attached claims.

[0047] For instance, it is possible that the plate elements are made of another material which is strong enough, for example stone, although concrete, especially reinforced concrete, is preferable.

[0048] Furthermore, it is not necessary that the elements are plate-shaped; the elements can for example also be gutter-shaped. The most effect according to present invention is however attained with plate-shaped elements, in an application wherein several plate-shaped elements are placed next to each other, because in such a situation the bottom side of the elements is not accessible anymore for approaching the supporting legs in order to adjust them.

[0049] Furthermore, it is not necessary for the floor system that all plate elements are mutually identical: the floor system may comprise plate elements in different sizes.

[0050] Furthermore, it is not necessary that the plate elements are rectangular. Alternative suitable embodiments for example have a triangular or hexagonal contour; corresponding adjustments of the leg carrier will be clear to a person skilled in the art. In the case of a triangular contour, the corners have an angle of 60°, and always six corners come together, so that the leg carrier has six recesses in its top surface. In the case of a hexagonal contour, the corners have an angle of 120°, and always three corners come together, so that the leg carrier has three recesses in its top surface.

[0051] Furthermore, it is not necessary that the adjustment bush 11 is cast in the plate element; the adjustment bush 11 may also be arranged afterwards, for example by screwing in.

[0052] Furthermore, for attaching a locking cap 30 or a locking plate 130, it is not necessary that the plate elements 1 are provided with a recess 4. In the absence of a recess 4, when a bush 11 extends to the top surface 2 of a plate element, a locking cap 30 or a locking plate 130 may fit in the bush 11. In such a case, a locking cap 30 could even at its bottom side be provided with a screw thread fitting in the bush 11.


Claims

1. Element (1), provided with at least one adjustable supporting leg (10), which supporting leg can be adjusted from the upper side of the element.
 
2. Element according to claim 1, manufactured of concrete.
 
3. Element according to claim 1 or 2, with a polygonal contour, wherein such an adjustable leg (10A, 10B, 10C, 10D) is arranged at each of the corners.
 
4. Element according to any of the claims 1-3, provided with a hole extending from a bottom surface (3), in which a screw bush (11) with internal screw thread (13) is attached, preferably cast in.
 
5. Element according to claim 4, wherein the element (1) is a plate-shaped element, and wherein the said hole extends to a top surface (2).
 
6. Element according to claim 5, wherein the axial length of the screw bush (11) corresponds with the thickness of the plate-shaped element.
 
7. Element according to claim 5, wherein a recess (4) is made in the top surface (2) of the plate element (1), aligned with the bush (11), and wherein the screw bush (11) extends to the bottom of that recess (4).
 
8. Element according to any of the claims 4-7, wherein a supporting leg (10) comprises a vertical bar (21), which is provided with a screw thread (22) at its outer surface fitting to the screw thread (13) of the bush (11).
 
9. Element according to claim 8, wherein the vertical bar (21) is provided with a supporting plate (23) at its bottom end.
 
10. Element according to claim 9, wherein the supporting plate (23) is fixed with respect to the bar (21).
 
11. Element according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the supporting plate (23) has a circular contour.
 
12. Element according to any of the claims 8-11, wherein the vertical bar (21) is provided with a form piece (24) at its top end for engagement by a tool, which form piece (24) preferably is an internal form piece with a hexagonal contour for engagement by a hex key.
 
13. Method for positioning a concrete plate element (1) according to any of the claims 1-12, comprising the steps of:

screwing a supporting leg (10) into each screw bush (11); placing the concrete plate element (1) with the supporting legs downward;

engaging the top end of the supporting leg (10) from the upper side of the plate element (1) by means of a suitable tool; making the supporting leg (10) rotate in order to adjust the vertical position of the plate element (1).


 
14. Leg carrier (50) for a passable floor system, which floor system comprises plate elements (1) of which the corners have an angle of 360°/N, with N being an integer preferably equal to 4, said leg carrier comprising:

a carrier body (51) with N recesses (54) in its top surface (52).


 
15. Leg carrier (50) according to claim 14, symmetrical for rotation over 360°/N.
 
16. Leg carrier according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the leg carrier body (51) is made of a sufficiently hard material, like for example concrete, metal like aluminium or stainless steel, but preferably synthetic material.
 
17. Leg carrier according to any of the preceding claims 14-16, furthermore comprising a centrally placed plate corner support (60) with a star-shaped cross section extending from the top surface (52) upward.
 
18. Leg carrier according to claim 17, wherein the plate corner support (60) has N supporting ribs (62), mutually including angles of 360°/N.
 
19. Leg carrier according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the plate corner support (60) is made of the same material as the leg carrier body (51), and is preferably shaped as one piece with the leg carrier body (51).
 
20. Leg carrier according claim 17 or 18, wherein the plate corner support (60) is made of a flexible and resilient material, like for example rubber, and is preferably provided with a central bottom part (65), which central bottom part (65) preferably has a circular contour and a diameter corresponding to the horizontal dimension of supporting ribs (62).
 
21. Leg carrier according to any of the preceding claims 17-20, wherein the plate corner support (60) is attached in a central recess (55) in the top surface (52) of the leg carrier body (51).
 
22. Leg carrier according to any of the preceding claims 17-21, wherein the leg carrier body (51) is provided with recesses (57) in its bottom surface (53), preferably aligned with the recesses (54) in its top surface (52).
 
23. Leg carrier according to claim 22, furthermore provided with a filling piece (70) having protrusions (79) on its top surface (72) which fit in the said recesses (57) in the bottom surface (53) of the leg carrier body (51), which filling piece (70) is preferably provided with recesses (77) in its bottom surface (73), the positioning of which corresponds to that of the protrusions (79) on the top surface (72).
 
24. Leg carrier according to claim 22, furthermore provided with a filling piece (70) having recesses (74) in its top surface (72), the positioning of which corresponds with that of the said recesses (57) in the bottom surface (53) of the leg carrier body (51), which filling piece (70) is preferably provided with recesses (77) in its bottom surface (73), the positioning of which corresponds with that of the recesses (74) in the top surface (72);
and wherein furthermore a coupling piece (80) is provided which fits with its bottom end in the recesses (74) in the top surface (72) of the filling piece (70) and which fits with its top end in the recesses (57) in the bottom surface (53) of the leg carrier body (51).
 
25. Filling piece (70) for a leg carrier (50) according to claim 23, which filling piece (70) has protrusions (79) on its top surface (72) which fit in the said recesses (57) in the bottom surface (53) of the leg carrier body (51), which filling piece is preferably provided with recesses (77) in its bottom surface (73), the positioning of which corresponds with that of the protrusions (79) on the top surface (72).
 
26. Filling piece (70) for a leg carrier (50) according to claim 24, which filling piece (70) has recesses (74) in its top surface (72), the positioning of which corresponds with that of the said recesses (57) in the bottom surface (53) of the leg carrier body (51), which filling piece (70) is preferably provided with recesses (77) in its bottom surface (73), the positioning of which corresponds with that of the recesses (74) in the top surface (72).
 
27. Coupling piece (80) for a leg carrier (50) according to claim 24, which coupling piece fits with its bottom end in the recesses (74) in the top surface (72) of the filling piece (70) and fits with its top end in the recesses (57) in the bottom surface (53) of the leg carrier body (51).
 
28. Coupling piece according to claim 27, implemented as a circular disc made of synthetic material.
 
29. Locking plate (130) for a floor system (100) comprising a set of plate elements (1) according to any of the preceding claims 1-12, which locking plate (130) has a bottom surface (133) provided with N protrusions (135), each protrusion (135) fitting in a bush (11) or recess (54) of a plate element,
which locking plate (130) is preferably symmetrical for rotation over 360°/N.
 
30. Floor system (100), comprising:

a set of plate elements (1) according to any of the preceding claims 1-12, wherein the corners of the plate elements (1)

have an angle of 360°/N, with N being an integer preferably equal to 4;

as well as a set of leg carriers (50) according to any of the preceding claims 14-24.


 
31. Floor system according to claim 30, wherein the leg carriers (50) are placed on a base, and wherein the supporting legs (10) of the plate elements (1) are always placed in recesses (54) in the top surface (52) of leg carrier bodies (51).
 
32. Floor system according to claim 31, wherein the supporting legs (10) are provided with supporting plates (23) at their bottom side which fit with little play in the recesses (54) of the leg carriers (50), which supporting plates (23) and recesses (54) preferably have a circular contour.
 
33. Floor system according to any of the preceding claims 31-32, wherein, between adjacent plate elements (1), gaps (63) are defined by plate corner supports (60) of the leg carriers (50).
 
34. Floor system according to any of the preceding claims 30-33, furthermore comprising a set of filling pieces (70) according to any of the preceding claims 25-26.
 
35. Floor system according to claim 34, furthermore comprising a set of coupling pieces (80) according to any of the preceding claims 27-28.
 
36. Floor system according to any of the preceding claims 30-35, furthermore comprising a set of locking plates (130) according to claim 29.
 




Drawing