Anchor sheet positioning and connection system
AssigneeTac-Fast Georgia L.L.C.
InventorsJoseph Pacione, John Pacione, Franz Rittmannsberger, Hubert Schreimeier
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Attachment devices are described for attaching and locating overlapped anchor sheets while allowing for some relative movement as to expansion and contraction. Generally, the devices are a male/female connection on corresponding sheets and expansion openings or apertures surrounding either the male or female part to provide for areas of flexibility to provide for possible movement of either the male or female part.
Claims26
A first sheet member to connect to an overlapped second sheet member to form a substantially horizontal surface comprising the following:
- (a) the sheet member having a first surface and a countersunk surface below the level of the first surface;
- (b) the first sheet member having in the countersunk portion a first aperture;
- (c) the sheet provided on two opposite sides of the first aperture with second and third apertures proximate to the first aperture, so as to create areas in the sheet of increased flexibility on either side of the first aperture in a path substantially in a line drawn between the middle of the second and third apertures.
A male sheet member to connect to an overlapped female sheet member to form a substantially horizontal surface comprising:
- (a) a sheet member of a thickness substantially the same as the depth of a countersunk portion on a corresponding female sheet member and having a first upper surface,
- (b) a snap fit means comprising at least two flexible prongs projecting from the opposite bottom surface and having, in a normal memory position, a size slightly larger than the size of an aperture of a corresponding female sheet member, each prong having a cam surface projecting outwardly.
A planar subsurface composed of a plurality of injection molded polypropylene pieces attached together by an attachment that allows for motion between the pieces in the plane of the subsurface and having attached thereby on a lower surface a resilient polyethylene foam sheet.
A sheet surface area comprising:
- a first sheet member having a first surface and a countersunk portion below the level of the first surface, the first sheet having, in the countersunk portion, a first aperture having a first size and a channel of a smaller size than the fast aperture and connecting to the first aperture;
- and
- a second sheet member with at least an overlapping portion of a thickness matching the thickness of the countersink of the first sheet member and having a male member with a stem and a head, the head having a second size corresponding to but smaller than the first aperture and larger than the size of the channel, and in which the stem has a thickness corresponding to the size of the channel of the first sheet member so that the head of the second sheet member can be inserted into the first sheet member through the first aperture and the shaft moved into the channel to prevent upward motion of the head and of the first sheet member in relation to the second sheet member, and in which the second sheet member contains first areas of expansion and flexibility on opposite sides of the male member, so as to provide for flexible movement of the second sheet member in relation to the first sheet member along a path drawn between the areas of flexibility surrounding the male member.
A sheet surface area of at least two overlapped sheets, comprising:
- i) a first sheet having a substantially horizontal surface and a portion countersunk from the horizontal surface at, at least, one edge;
- ii) a female aperture within the coutersunk portion;
- and
- iii) a second anchor sheet having at least an overlap portion of a thickness to fit into the countersunk portion of the first anchor sheet to present a substantially planar surface, the second sheet having a male member having (in combination with the female aperture) means to be inserted and retained in the female aperture, in which at least one of the male member or the female aperture have expansion openings or areas of flexibility on at least one of the first or second sheets proximate to at least one of the male member or the female aperture to provide for movement of at least one of the male member or the female aperture, in a path between the expansion areas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.