Surfaces using structural modules
AssigneePermavoid Limited
InventorsPaul David Culleton, Andrew Bryan Shuttleworth, Carolus Hermanus Van Raam
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A structural module which is suitable for combining with like structural modules to form an area suitable for walking on and/or for travelling directly over by a vehicle, comprises a flat top wall and a bottom wall spaced therefrom by side walls so as to define a volume between the top and bottom walls. The top wall is provided with a plurality of apertures to permit the flow of liquid into the volume, and the side walls and/or the bottom wall are provided with apertures to permit the flow of liquid out of the volume. The size and shape of each aperture in the top wall is such that the maximum diameter of sphere that the aperture would let through is in a range up to 10 mm.
Claims24
A structural module suitable for combining with like structural modules to form an area suitable for walking on and/or for travelling directly over by a vehicle, wherein the structural module comprises a flat top wall and a bottom wall spaced therefrom by side walls so as to define a volume between the top and bottom walls, the top wall being provided with a plurality of apertures to permit the flow of liquid into the volume, and the side walls and the bottom wall being provided with apertures to permit the flow of liquid out of the volume, wherein the size and shape of each aperture in the top wall is such that the maximum diameter of a sphere that the aperture would let through is in a range up to 10 mm, and wherein at least some of the apertures in the bottom wall and the side walls are such that they would let through a sphere with a diameter of substantially greater than 10 mm.
A method of providing a surface suitable for walking on and/or for travelling directly over by a vehicle by interconnecting in an array a plurality of structural modules, wherein each structural module comprises a flat top wall and a bottom wall spaced therefrom by side walls so as to define a volume between the top and bottom walls, the top wall being provided with a plurality of apertures to permit the flow of liquid into the volume and the side walls and the bottom wall being provided with apertures to permit the flow of liquid out of the volume, wherein the size and shape of each aperture in the top wall is such that the maximum diameter of a sphere that the aperture would let through is in a range up to 10 mm, and wherein at least some of the apertures in the bottom wall and the side walls are such that they would let through a sphere with a diameter of substantially greater than 10 mm.
An array of interconnected structural modules which forms an area suitable for walking on and/or for travelling directly over by a vehicle, wherein each structural module comprises a flat top wall and a bottom wall spaced therefrom by side walls so as to define a volume between the top and bottom walls, the top wall being provided with a plurality of apertures to permit the flow of liquid into the volume and the side walls and the bottom wall being provided with apertures to permit the flow of liquid out of the volume, wherein a flexible surface layer on which a person is to walk is provided over the top walls of the modules without an intervening rigid layer, and wherein the size and shape of each aperture in the top wall is such that there is substantially no variation in the flatness of the flexible surface layer, and wherein at least some of the apertures in the bottom wall and the side walls are such that they would let through a sphere with a diameter of substantially greater than 10 mm.
A method of providing a surface suitable for walking on and/or for travelling directly over by a vehicle by interconnecting in an array a plurality of structural modules, wherein each structural module comprises a flat top wall and a bottom wall spaced therefrom by side walls so as to define a volume between the top and bottom walls, the top wall being provided with a plurality of apertures to permit the flow of liquid into the volume and the side walls and the bottom wall being provided with apertures to permit the flow of liquid out of the volume, wherein a flexible surface layer on which a person is to walk is provided over the top walls of the modules without an intervening rigid layer, and wherein the size and shape of each aperture in the top wall is such that there is substantially no variation in the flatness of the flexible surface layer, and wherein at least some of the apertures in the bottom wall and the side walls are such that they would let through a sphere with a diameter of substantially greater than 10 mm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.