WO2010092177A1

WO2010092177A1 - A floor tile for an animal house

Info

Publication number: WO2010092177A1
Application number: PCT/EP2010/051875
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael Earls
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-02-16
Filing date: 2010-02-15
Publication date: 2010-08-19
Anticipated expiration: 2011-08-16
Also published as: IES20100085A2

Abstract

A floor tile (20) is provided for a floor (50) for an animal house, the floor tile having a main body, at least one pair of flexible projections (24) adjacent to one another and integral with the main body and projecting from its lower surface, said pair of flexible projections located adjacent one another. The floor tile is retained in position on the floor for an animal house by the pair of flexible projections extending into an elongated aperture (52) in the floor, and an expansion member (36) is received through an aperture extending from the tile's upper surface to the lower surface between the flexible projections, so that the expansion member forces apart the flexible projections to engage with the sides of said the floor's elongated aperture, to retain the floor tile in position.

Description

A Floor Tile for an Animal House

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a floor tile for an animal house, in particular to the attachment mechanism of a floor tile for an animal house.

Background of the Invention

It is known to provide a series of rubber floor tiles as part of a floor for an animal house. The use of such a rubber floor provides a relatively comfortable and insulated floor for the animals, which can result in higher yields and reduced incidents of animal injury, as opposed to traditional concrete slatted floors.

An example of such a floor for an animal house is provided in European Patent No. 1232687, issued to the Applicant. With reference to Fig. 1, a floor tile 10 as described in EP 1232687 comprises a moulded body of substantially non-deformable rubber. A plurality of studs 12 project from the underside of the floor tile 10, said studs generally spaced along the underside of the floor tile 10, adjacent a series of through-going slots 14 that are defined in the body of the floor tile 10. The floor tile 10 can have a plurality of ridges 16 defined on the top surface of the tile 10.

In use, the studs 12 are inserted into apertures defined in a generally concrete slatted floor of an animal house (not shown), to secure the floor tile 10 in place. The slots 14 are aligned with the underlying apertures, so that animal waste can be drained through the slots 14 and the apertures. The presence of the ridges 16 allows for the animal waste to be directed off the tiles 10. Such a floor tile 10 can be used to create a floor for an animal house that provides a relatively comfortable and insulated surface, which can be easily cleaned, e.g. through use of a scraper.

However, one of the problems with such floor tiles or mats is the selection of a suitable floor tile to fit the underlying slatted floor, and the provision of a secure fit of the floor tile when installed. It can often occur that the studs 12 of a floor tile 10 are too wide to fit into the apertures of the slatted floor, preventing installation of the floor tile 10 in the animal house. Alternatively, the studs 12 may be relatively shallow compared to the apertures of the slatted floor, preventing a tight fit of the floor tile on the slatted floor, and allowing the floor tile to move about in position on the slatted floor. Furthermore, if a floor tile is chosen having studs 12 that correspond exactly to the dimensions of the apertures of the underlying slatted floor, additional effort may be required in order to fully insert the studs 12 into the apertures.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a floor tile for an animal house that allows for relatively easy installation, and can be securely installed in slatted floors of varying dimensions.

Summary of the Invention Accordingly, there is provided a floor tile for a floor for an animal house, wherein the floor has at least one elongated aperture, the floor tile comprising: a main body having an upper surface and a lower surface; and at least one pair of flexible projections integral with the main body and projecting from said lower surface, said pair of flexible projections located adjacent one another, wherein the floor tile is adapted to be retained in position on the floor for an animal house by the at least one pair of flexible projections extending into said at least one elongated aperture in a floor for an animal house, wherein the floor tile is arranged to receive an expansion member through an aperture extending from said upper surface to said lower surface between said flexible projections, whereby the expansion member may force apart the flexible projections to engage with the sides of said at least one elongated aperture, to retain the floor tile in position on the floor for an animal house.

As the free-standing substantially planar members of the pair of flexible projections (also referred to as attachment member pairs) are forced apart to engage with the sides of the aperture, the floor tile is retained in place on the floor. In addition, as the free-standing substantially planar members need only be forced apart once the floor tile is in position on the floor, this means that different sizes of apertures may be accommodated by one particular size of floor tile.

The fact that the attachment member pairs are integral with the tile body provides an improved manner of fitting the tiles to the floor. The attachment member pairs, projecting from the underside, locate the tile in position on the floor's apertures, and fixing in place then requires only the insertion and fixing of the expansion member. Integral attachment members provide the additional advantage that under the heavy wear and tear experienced underfoot in e.g. a cattle shed, the attachment members are protected, being integrally formed with the underside of the tile, in contrast to systems where the attachment or fixing means are driven into the tile from above and are separate from the tile itself.

Preferably, the pair of flexible projections are in the form of a pair of generally planar flaps of flexible material which in their relaxed position abut against one another along adjacent faces.

Such flaps will extend a short distance along the length of the floor's aperture, providing a greater surface area of engagement with the edges of the floor's aperture when forced apart by the expansion member, which improves the strength with which the tile is held in position, particularly when the flaps are made of a material like rubber which has a high coefficient of friction and good gripping properties.

Preferably, the adjacent faces of the pair of generally planar flaps are each provided with a respective groove, the pair of grooves facing one another to form a channel between the flaps to receive the expansion member.

In this way the flaps can substantially fill the width of the floor's elongate aperture while still admitting the expansion member and even a small degree of expansion will jam the flaps against the sides of the aperture.

Preferably, the floor tile is provided with at least two elongate, co-linear slots extending through the main body permitting drainage through the main body into at least one elongated aperture of the floor, the adjacent ends of a pair of adjacent slots being separated from one another by a connective portion of the main body, wherein the at least one pair of flexible projections extends from the lower surface of the connective portion of the main body.

This design allows optimal drainage through the slots into the floor's elongate apertures, while taking advantage of the solidity of the short length of connective material between the ends of adjacent slots to accommodate the attachment members. More preferably, a series of three or more of said elongate, co-linear slots is provided, each adjacent pair of said series being separated by a respective one of said connective portions, each connective portion being provided with a respective pair of said flexible projections.

This particular design provides an optimal balance in the trade off between good drainage and secure fixing.

Preferably, the floor tile further comprises an expansion member, the expansion member adapted to force apart the free-standing substantially planar members.

Preferably the expansion member comprises a threaded bolt having a head portion and a threaded portion and a wedge provided on the threaded portion of said bolt, the wedge adapted to advance along the length of the threaded portion of said bolt, wherein the threaded portion of said bolt extends through said through-going aperture, the wedge operable to force apart the flexible projections as the wedge is advanced along the length of the threaded portion of said bolt by rotation of the head portion of said bolt.

The use of the expansion member (also referred to as a wedge expander device) allows for the selective actuation of the securing mechanism of the floor tile, for example after the floor tile has been positioned in place on a floor for an animal house.

Preferably, at least one through-going slot is formed on said main body, said at least one through-going slot extending from said upper surface to said lower surface, wherein said at least one through-going slot formed adjacent said at least one pair of flexible projections.

Preferably, the flexible projections abut one another, and wherein a channel is defined on the opposed surfaces of the flexible projections, the channel adapted to accommodate the threaded portion of said bolt.

Preferably, a recess is defined in the upper surface of the main body around said through- going aperture, the recess adapted to accommodate the head portion of said bolt, such that the head portion is in register with the upper surface of the main body.

Detailed Description of the Invention An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art floor tile for an animal house; Fig. 2(a) is a perspective view of the underside of a floor tile for an animal house according to the invention;

Fig. 2(b) is an enlarged view of a portion of the floor tile of Fig. 2(a) Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the portion of Fig. 2(a);

Fig. 4(a) is a side plan view of an attachment member for a floor tile according to the invention;

Fig. 4(b) is a top plan view of the attachment member of Fig. 4(a); Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the floor tile of Fig. 2(a) when installed in a slatted floor of an animal house;

Fig. 6(a) is a cross-sectional view of the portion of Fig. 5 prior to securing the floor tile in place; and

Fig. 6(b) is a cross-sectional view of the portion of Fig. 5 after securing the floor tile in place.

With reference to Fig. 2(a), a floor tile for an animal house is indicated at 20, the floor tile 20 comprising a moulded body of substantially non-deformable rubber having a lower surface 21a and an upper surface 21b. A series of through-going slots 22 are defined in the body of the floor tile 20, the slots 22 spaced along the longitudinal axis of the floor tile 20.

A series of attachment member pairs 24 project from the lower surface 21a of the floor tile 20, the attachment member pairs 24 located between successive slots 22 defined in the floor tile 20. The attachment member pairs 24 are formed from a resilient material, e.g. moulded rubber. As can be seen from Fig. 2(a), corrugations are provided on portions 26 of the lower surface 21a of the floor tile 20. The corrugations 26 allow for drainage of materials beneath the floor tile 20 through the slots 22 and the apertures provided in the slatted floor of an animal house. It will be understood that other embodiments are foreseen that do not employ corrugations 26, e.g. lower surface 21a may be provided as a flat planar surface.

Referring to the enlarged view of Fig. 2(b), the attachment member pairs 24 comprise a pair of free-standing substantially planar members 24a,24b, the members 24a,24b abutting one another along a major side of the members 24a,24b. The members 24a,24b are orientated such that the members 24a,24b are provided in line with the slots 22 defined in the floor tile 20. The free ends of the members 24a,24b comprise a wedge-shaped projection 28, the wedge-shaped projections 28 of the adjacent members 24a,24b forming a V-shaped channel therebetween, indicated generally at 29.

With further reference to the cross-sectional view of Fig. 3, a semi-circular channel 30 is defined on the unexposed surface of each of the members 24a,24b, the channels 30 of each member 24a,24b in register with one another, forming a circular aperture extending along the height of the attachment member pair 24. The circular aperture defined by the channels 30 lies in register with a through-going aperture 32 defined in the floor tile 20, the through- going aperture 32 extending from the upper surface 21b to the lower surface 21a of the floor tile 20. A shallow circular recess 34 is provided on the upper surface 21b of the floor tile 20, the recess 34 located around the end of the aperture 32 provided on the upper surface 21b of the floor tile 20.

With reference to Figs. 4(a) and 4(b), a wedge expander device is indicated generally at 36. The wedge expander device 36 comprises a threaded bolt 38 having a head end 38a and a free end 38b, a circular washer 40, and an expander wedge 42 having a triangular cross- section. A threaded through-going aperture (not shown) is defined on the wedge 42, the aperture located at the mid-point along the wedge 42, and extends through the body of the wedge 42. The threaded aperture receives the free end 38b of the bolt 38, the narrow end of the wedge 42 facing the head end 38a of the bolt 38.

The wedge expander device 36 is attached to the floor tile 20 by initially removing the expander wedge 42 from the bolt 38, and passing the free end 38b of the bolt 38 through aperture 32, the threaded portion of bolt 38 being substantially received in the circular aperture formed by the channels 30 of the members 24a,24b. The head end 38a of the bolt 38 and the washer 40 are received in the shallow recess 34, such that the exposed surface of the head end 38a and the washer 40 are in register with the exposed upper surface 21b of the floor tile 20. The expander wedge 42 is then attached to the free end 38b of the bolt 38, such that the narrow end of the wedge 42 is received within the V-shaped channel 29 formed by the free ends of the members 24a,24b. The presence of the expander wedge 42 on the free end 38b of the bolt 38 acts to retain the wedge expander device 36 in position on the floor tile 20, see Fig. 6(a).

With reference to Figs. 5, 6(a) and 6(b), when in use the floor tile 20 is placed on a slatted floor 50 of an animal house, with the attachment member pairs 24 positioned in apertures 52 defined in the floor of the animal house, the apertures bounded by surfaces 54 of the floor. The floor tile 20 is then secured in position on the floor 50 through actuation of the wedge expander device 36. The bolt 38 is rotated through use of a suitable tool, e.g. a screwdriver, on the exposed head end 38a.

As the expander wedge 36 is contained within the V-shaped channel 29 formed by the free ends of the members 24a,24b, the wedge 42 is not free to rotate in position as the bolt 38 is rotated. As a consequence, the wedge 42 is advanced along the threaded bolt 38 towards the head end 38a. As the wedge 42 advances, the members 24a,24b are forced apart, as can be seen in Fig. 6(b), until the members 24a,24b contact the surfaces 54 of the floor 50 bounding the apertures 52. The advancement of the wedge 42 forces the members 24a,24b to wedge against the surfaces 54 of the aperture 52, securely positioning the floor tile 20 in place on the floor 50.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described herein but can be amended or modified without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A floor tile for a floor for an animal house, wherein the floor has at least one elongated aperture, the floor tile comprising: a main body having an upper surface and a lower surface; and at least one pair of flexible projections integral with the main body and projecting from said lower surface, said pair of flexible projections located adjacent one another, wherein the floor tile is adapted to be retained in position on the floor for an animal house by the at least one pair of flexible projections extending into said at least one elongated aperture in a floor for an animal house, wherein the floor tile is arranged to receive an expansion member through an aperture extending from said upper surface to said lower surface between said flexible projections, whereby the expansion member may force apart the flexible projections to engage with the sides of said at least one elongated aperture, to retain the floor tile in position on the floor for an animal house.

2. The floor tile of claim 1, wherein the pair of flexible projections are in the form of a pair of generally planar flaps of flexible material which in their relaxed position abut against one another along adjacent faces.

3. The floor tile of claim 2, wherein the adjacent faces of the pair of generally planar flaps are each provided with a respective groove, the pair of grooves facing one another to form a channel between the flaps to receive the expansion member.

4. The floor tile of any one of claims 1-3, wherein the floor tile is provided with at least two elongate, co-linear slots extending through the main body permitting drainage through the main body into at least one elongated aperture of the floor, the adjacent ends of a pair of adjacent slots being separated from one another by a connective portion of the main body, wherein the at least one pair of flexible projections extends from the lower surface of the connective portion of the main body.

5. The floor tile of claim 4, wherein a series of three or more of said elongate, co-linear slots is provided, each adjacent pair of said series being separated by a respective one of said connective portions, each connective portion being provided with a respective pair of said flexible projections.

6. The floor tile of any preceding claim, further comprising an expansion member, the expansion member adapted to force apart the free-standing substantially planar members.

7. The floor tile of claim 6, wherein the expansion member comprises a threaded bolt having a head portion and a threaded portion and a wedge provided on the threaded portion of said bolt, the wedge adapted to advance along the length of the threaded portion of said bolt, wherein the threaded portion of said bolt extends through said through-going aperture, the wedge operable to force apart the flexible projections as the wedge is advanced along the length of the threaded portion of said bolt by rotation of the head portion of said bolt.

8. The floor tile of claim 7, wherein a recess is defined in the upper surface of the main body around said through-going aperture, the recess adapted to receive the head portion of said bolt, such that the head portion is retained substantially beneath the upper surface of the main body.

9. The floor tile of claim 7 or 8, wherein the flexible projections abut one another, and wherein a channel is defined on the opposed surfaces of the flexible projections, the channel adapted to accommodate the threaded portion of said bolt.

10. The floor tile of any preceding claim, wherein at least one through-going slot is formed on said main body, said at least one through-going slot extending from said upper surface to said lower surface, wherein said at least one through-going slot is formed adjacent said at least one pair of flexible projections.