Suspended Modular Flooring Panel

#The present invention relates to flooring tiles and more particularly to improved suspended synthetic flooring tiles and methods of manufacturing the same.

#Many designs of sports floors have been produced to satisfy the needs of sports competition as well as recreational physical and sporting activities. The technical criteria of sports floors therefore vary depending on the required use tempered by financial and economic constraints because the investments are costly and must be able to be rapidly amortized. Different types of sports floors have been used, such as point elastic floors, area elastic floors and combined elastic floors. Point elastic floors are made of synthetic materials produced in one or more layers provided in strips rolled out to a desired length and placed directly onto a receiving base (i.e., concrete). In this implementation, the weight of the athlete is spread over an area only slightly greater than the surface area of the athlete's foot with an impact zone of tenths of inches around the foot. This type of covering is satisfactory in relation to its low cost and its properties of durability (wear, maintenance, resistance to impacts). However, the sporting properties are limited due to the thickness-flexibility compromise of the floor which prevents the cushioning layer from being increased without experiencing problems of stability or support.

#Area elastic floors can be made of synthetic or wood-based materials, the load of the athlete being spread over an area much greater than the area of the foot (several inches around the foot). In the past, certain area elastic floors comprise a first covering made of polyurethane foam of a certain thickness onto which are placed two superposed tiers of wood panels arranged in staggered pattern, with a finish covering. However, the investment in an area elastic sports floor of this type is high. The installation time can be long due to the disposition of the two tiers of wood panels and the difficulties of correctly filling the entire playing surface. In addition, certain disadvantages have been observed. The wood panels are sensitive to humidity which tends to rise from the concrete base. This may alter the characteristics of the floor with inappropriate effects. Furthermore, the cost of maintenance is high. Wood panels may also expand and deform due to the ambient environment and temperature, and thus modify the conditions of sealing between panels. Certain suspended synthetic flooring with area elastic properties offers significant advantages over wood-based area elastic flooring surfaces including resilience, durability, ease of installation, and transportation. Creating molds for numerous shapes and sizes of synthetic flooring products, however, is expensive. Moreover, changing molds during the manufacturing process is a time-consuming effort.

#The present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings merely depict exemplary embodiments of the present invention they are, therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope. It will be readily appreciated that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Nonetheless, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an elongate base panel in accordance with one aspect of the technology;

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an elongate base panel in accordance with one aspect of the technology;

#The following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof and in which are shown, by way of illustration, exemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. While these exemplary embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, it should be understood that other embodiments may be realized and that various changes to the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but is presented for purposes of illustration only and not limitation to describe the features and characteristics of the present invention, to set forth the best mode of operation of the invention, and to sufficiently enable one skilled in the art to practice the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is to be defined solely by the appended claims.

#The following detailed description and exemplary embodiments of the technology will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the elements and features of the invention are designated by numerals throughout. As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on their presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary. In addition, various embodiments and examples of the present invention may be referred to herein along with alternatives for the various components thereof. It is understood that such embodiments, examples, and alternatives are not to be construed as de facto equivalents of one another, but are to be considered as separate and autonomous representations of the present invention.

#Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the description, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of lengths, widths, shapes, etc., to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.