Elevated flooring system and panel therefor

Claim 2

A substantially rectangular panel hinged across diagonally opposite corners, and including as a part thereof elevating supports extending downwardly from said opposite corners and the remaining corners on said panel, said panel being divided into triangular panels along a hinge line, and said elevating supports at said opposite corners being attached to only one of said triangular panels adjacent said hinge line.

Claim 3

The panel of claim 1 wherein said elevating supports at said opposite corners span said hinge line.

Claim 4

The panel of claim 1 wherein said rectangular panel is substantially square.

Claim 5

The panel of claim 1 wherein said triangular panels have base edge faces positioned adjacent one another along said hinge line.

Claim 6

The panel of claim 4 and including a covering secured to the upper surface of said rectangular panel and spanning said base edge faces to define hinge means.

Claim 7

The panel of claim 4 wherein said base edge faces are hingedly connected by hinge means integral with said triangular panels.

Claim 8

The panel of claim 4 wherein said panel is of laminated multi-layer construction including a thin flexible intermediate layer spanning across said base edge faces of said triangular panels to define hinge means.

Claim 9

The panel of claim 4 and including hinge means secured to the lower surface of said rectangular panel and spanning said base edge faces.

Claim 10

The panel of claim 8 wherein said hinge means comprises a thin strip of flexible material.

Claim 11

An elevated flooring system comprising: a plurality of triangular panels supported on a floor, each of said panels having a base edge face intersecting side edge faces at opposite corners, said side edge faces extending substantially perpendicular to one another and intersecting at a central corner, each of said panels having upper and lower surfaces, each of said panels having elevating supports on said lower surface thereof at said corners to provide a three-point support means for supporting said panels in elevated position above said floor, said panels being assembled in substantially abutting relationship on said floor, pairs of said panels being positioned with said base edge faces thereof adjacent one another to define substantially rectangular panels having rectangular panel edge faces defined by said side edge faces of said triangular panels, and hinge means for hingedly connecting said base edge faces of said pairs of triangular panels.

Claim 12

An elevated flooring system comprising: a plurality of triangular panels supported on a floor, each of said panels having a base edge face intersecting side edge faces at opposite corners, said side edge faces extending substantially perpendicular to one another and intersecting at a central corner, each of said panels having upper and lower surfaces, each of said panels having elevating supports on said lower surface thereof at said corners to provide a three-point support means for supporting said panels in elevated position above said floor, said panels being assembled in substantially abutting relationship on said floor, pairs of said panels being positioned with said base edge faces thereof adjacent one another to define substantially rectangular panels having rectangular panel edge faces defined by said side edge faces of said triangular panels, and hinge means for hingedly connecting said base edge faces of said pairs of triangular panels.

Claim 13

The system of claim 10 wherein said rectangular panels have a covering secured to said upper surfaces thereof and spanning said base edge faces, said hinge means being defined by said covering.

Claim 14

The system of claim 10 wherein said hinge means is secured to said lower surfaces along said base edges of said pairs of panels.

Claim 15

The system of claim 10 wherein said triangular panels are of laminated multi-layer construction including a thin flexible intermediate layer spanning across said base edge faces of said pairs of triangular panels to define said hinge means.

Claim 16

The system of claim 10 wherein said hinge means is formed integrally with said pair of triangular panels.

Claim 17

The system of claim 14 wherein said pair of triangular panels are molded integral with one another and are integrally connected by flexible joining portion at said base edge faces thereof to define said hinge means.

Claim 18

The system of claim 10 wherein said elevating supports are attached to only one of each pair of triangular panels at said opposite corners.