Portable multi-section activity floor and method of manufacture and installation

A portable multi-section activity flooring system comprising:

• a plurality of floor sections adapted to be assembled with one another on a generally planar base surface along abutting peripheral end and side edges thereof to provide a continuous planar activity surface;
• each floor section including a plurality of spaced apart sleepers engageable with the base surface on which said flooring system is to be installed, a subfloor secured to said sleepers, and a flooring layer secured to said subfloor;
• a tongue member supported by at least one floor section along at least one of said peripheral abutting edges thereof between said flooring layer and at least one underlying sleeper thereof, said one floor section further including an edge pocket formed between a bottom surface of said flooring layer and a top surface of at least one underlying sleeper thereof, said tongue member being mounted within said edge pocket of said one floor section and having an extended portion projecting beyond said peripheral abutting edge;
• and
• an edge pocket provided on an adjacent one of said floor sections along at least one of said peripheral abutting edges thereof, said edge pocket defined by a recessed portion of said subfloor spaced inwardly of an outer edge of said flooring layer and an outer edge of at least one underlying sleeper thereby exposing a bottom surface of said flooring layer and a top surface of said at least one sleeper, said edge pocket being in position to receive and support said extended portion of said tongue member when said floor sections are assembled.

A method of constructing and installing floor sections of a portable multi-section activity flooring system to provide a continuous activity surface, said method comprising the steps of:

• constructing at least one floor section of the flooring system by a) arranging a plurality of sleepers in spaced relationship to one another, b) securing a subfloor to the sleepers with at least one marginal end edge of the subfloor being recessed inwardly of and generally parallel to a marginal longitudinal side edge of an endmost one of the underlying sleepers to expose a top surface along the length of the endmost sleeper, and c) securing a flooring layer to the subfloor with at least one corresponding marginal end edge thereof projecting beyond the recessed end edge of the subfloor to provide an end edge pocket between a bottom surface of the flooring layer and the top surface of the endmost sleeper;
• constructing at least one adjacent floor section of the flooring system according to the same method of constructing said one floor section, and including the step of securing a tongue member within the end edge pocket of the adjacent floor section having an extended portion thereof projecting beyond the marginal end edge of the adjacent floor section in a position to be received into the end edge pocket of the one floor section;
• laying the floor sections on a generally planar base surface;
• and
• bringing the respective marginal end edges of the floor sections into abutting engagement with one another so as to extend the tongue of the adjacent floor section into the end edge pocket of the one floor section such that the tongue member engages and is supported by the endmost sleeper within the end edge pocket of the one floor section and a top surface of the tongue member engages and supports the bottom surface of the flooring layer of the one floor section.

A portable multi-section activity flooring system comprising:

• a plurality of floor sections adapted to be assembled with one another on a generally planar base surface along abutting end and side edges thereof to provide a continuous planar activity surface;
• each floor section including a plurality of spaced apart sleepers engageable with the base surface on which said flooring system is to be installed, a subfloor secured to said sleepers, and a flooring layer secured to said subfloor with at least one marginal end edge of the flooring layer disposed over and paralleling an endmost one of said sleepers;
• at least a pair of said floor sections including at least one edge pocket provided on at least one of said sections of said pair along at least one of its said abutting marginal end edges thereof, said edge pocket defined by the flooring layer and at least one underlying endmost sleeper of said section;
• and
• at least the other of said pair of said floor sections including at least one corresponding tongue member provided along at least one of its said abutting end edges in a position to be received within said edge pocket of said one floor section when said pair of sections are assembled such that said tongue member is supported between said marginal end edge of said flooring layer and a marginal longitudinal side edge of at least one of said underlying endmost sleepers of said other floor section.

A portable multi-section activity flooring system comprising:

• a plurality of floor sections adapted to be assembled with one another on a generally planar base surface along abutting end and side edges thereof to provide a continuous planar activity surface;
• each floor section including a plurality of spaced apart sleepers engageable with the base surface on which said flooring system is to be installed, a subfloor secured to said sleepers, and a flooring layer secured to said subfloor;
• at least a pair of said floor sections including at least one edge pocket provided on at least one of said sections of said pair along at least one of its said abutting edges thereof, said edge pocket defined by the flooring layer and at least one underlying sleeper of said section;
• at least the other of said pair of said floor sections at least one corresponding tongue member provided along at least one of its said abutting edges in position to be received within said edge pocket of said one floor section when said pair of sections are assembled such that said tongue member is supported between said flooring layer and at least one underlying sleeper of said other floor section;
• and wherein said abutting edges comprise opposed marginal end edges of said respective flooring layers of said pair of floor sections, said tongue member being secured between said marginal end edge of said flooring layer and a marginal longitudinal side edge of an end-most one of said sleepers.

A portable multi-section activity flooring system comprising:

• a plurality of floor sections adapted to be assembled with one another on a generally planar base surface along abutting end and side edges thereof to provide a continuous planar activity surface;
• each floor section including a plurality of spaced apart sleepers engageable with the base surface on which said flooring system is to be installed, a subfloor secured to said sleepers, and a flooring layer secured to said subfloor;
• at least a pair of said floor sections including at least one edge pocket provided on at least one of said sections of said pair along at least one of its said abutting edges thereof, said edge pocket defined by the flooring layer and at least one underlying sleeper of said section;
• at least the other of said pair of said floor sections including at least one corresponding tongue member provided along at least one of its said abutting edges in position to be received within said edge pocket of said one floor section when said pair of sections are assembled such that said tongue member is supported between said flooring layer and at least one underlying sleeper of said other floor section, said at least one underlying sleeper protruding laterally outward no further than a peripheral outer edge of said flooring layer;
• and wherein said pair of floor sections includes said edge pockets and said tongue member along at least one adjacent end and one side edge thereof for connecting said floor sections to one another and to corresponding adjacent ones of said floor sections.