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US 2003/0196402 A1Published application
Structurally integrated accessible floor system
OwnerRoger C. Roeninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A floor system for a building that includes primary and secondary structural supports, a grid attached to the supports, and a plurality of panels removably mounted in the grid to provide access to the space below the panels and the grid. The floor system replaces conventional permanent structural floors, and provides ready access to the underlying space, which would otherwise be inaccessible in a conventional floor.
Claims32
A floor for a building, comprising:
- a plurality of primary structural building members;
- a plurality of spaced-apart secondary structural building members spanning the primary building members;
- a support grid spanning a distance between two of the plurality of secondary building members and bearing only on the secondary building members, the support grid including intersecting structural members defining openings configured to receive panels, the distance spanned by the support grid exceeding a width or length of the openings;
- and
- a plurality of panels mounted on the support grid to form a floor, each of the plurality of panels individually removable from the support grid to provide access to the space between the plurality of spaced-apart secondary structural building members.
2 more elements
A floor structure for use with a primary support system, the structure, comprising:
- means adapted for spanning a primary support system to provide a secondary support system;
- means for supporting a plurality of floor panels between the spanning means, the floor panels having no dimensions equal to or greater than a distance between the spanning means, the supporting means configured to enable removal of individual floor panels to provide access to a space beneath the panels and between the supporting means;
- and
- means for adjusting the position of the supporting means on the spanning means.
1 more element
A floor structure, comprising:
- first and second horizontal structural members held in a spaced-apart relationship;
- a rigid grid assembly spanning the first and second horizontal structural members, and having a plurality of first and second intersecting grid members defining a plurality of openings in each of first and second axes ;
- and
- a plurality of panels, each sized and shaped to be individually and removably engaged with the grid assembly to cover the plurality of openings.
1 more element
A floor assembly, comprising:
- a plurality of longitudinal structural supports, each of the plurality of longitudinal structural supports having an upper surface and a lower surface;
- a grid assembly having a plurality of openings;
- an attachment system attaching peripheral edges of the grid assembly to the upper surfaces of the longitudinal structural supports and configured to enable adjustment in the position of the grid assembly relative to the longitudinal structural supports;
- and
- a plurality of panels, each panel having a top portion and a bottom portion, the size and shape of at least the bottom portion configured to be slidably received into one of the plurality of openings, the size and shape of the top portion selected to bear against a top surface of the grid assembly.
2 more elements
A building, comprising:
- a plurality of primary structural building members;
- first and second secondary structural building members having a distance D therebetween and spanning the primary building members;
- a support grid spanning the distance D between the first and second secondary building members and having intersecting members defining a plurality of openings configured to receive panels;
- and
- a plurality of panels removably received in the support grid to form a floor, each of the plurality of panels individually detachable from the support grid to provide access to the space between the plurality of spaced-apart secondary structural building members, and each having a width and length less than the distance D.
2 more elements
A building, comprising:
- a plurality of primary structural building members;
- a plurality of spaced-apart secondary structural building members spanning the primary building members, each one of the plurality of spaced-apart secondary structural building members having a top surface and a bottom surface;
- a support grid affixed to the top surfaces of the secondary building members and configured to receive panels;
- a plurality of panels removably received in the support grid to form a floor, each of the plurality of panels individually detachable from the support grid to provide access to the space between the plurality of spaced-apart secondary structural building members;
- and
- walls, removably attached to the support grid.
3 more elements
A floor system for supporting removable floor panels between two secondary structural members of a building, comprising:
- a prefabricated floor section, including:
- a plurality of support rails positioned a selected distance apart, each having a pair of spaced apart angle members with spacers positioned between the angle members, the support rails configured to extend between the two secondary structural members of the building, and
- a plurality of cross rails, each spanning between adjacent pairs of support rails, the support rails and cross rails together defining a plurality of apertures between adjacent pairs of support rails and adjacent pairs of cross rails, each aperture configured to receive a removable floor panel.
A floor system, comprising:
- a prefabricated floor section, including:
- a plurality of support rails positioned a selected distance apart, each having a pair of spaced apart angle members with spacers positioned between the angle members, the support rails configured to extend between two secondary structural members of a building, and
- a plurality of cross rails, each spanning between adjacent pairs of support rails, the support rails and cross rails together defining a plurality of apertures between adjacent pairs of support rails and adjacent pairs of cross rails;
- and
- a plurality of removable floor panels, each positioned within one of the plurality of apertures.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.