US3875996A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System for comfortable, year-long use as an athletic playing surface, pedestrian mall, or the like
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1974-06-13
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Granted: 1975-04-08
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Expires: 1994-06-13
Abstract
Abstract A system is provided for comfortable year-long use as an athletic playing surface, pedestrian mall or the like. This system may be adapted to remove snow and ice from and to subsequently dry the surface during winter months. This system may also be adapted to cool the surface during summer months, and includes a playing surface mounted above a plenum chamber. A heating unit or furnace is associated with the chamber to introduce hot gases in the chamber under pressure sufficient to cause them to pass up through the porous surface. These hot gases then serve to melt the snow and dry the surface. The openings in the porous surface should be large enough to permit up-flow of the gases and drainage of the melted snow, but small enough so as to not adversely affect play on the surface. The system also includes a cooling unit or air conditioner associated with the chamber to introduce cool gases in the chamber under pressure sufficient to cause them to pass up through the porous surface. The surface of this system may also be divided into a number of sections and provided with an arrangement for selectively heating or cooling individual sections or zones of the surface.
Inventors
- 👤 Kohorn Henry Von
- 👤 James A B Haughwout
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 08:39
CPC Classifications
E; E01; E01C; E01C13/00; E01C13/02; E01C11/00; E01C11/24; E01C11/26; F; F24; F24F; F24F3/00; F24F3/044
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
139 words
A system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing surface, pedestrian mall, or any other floor which may desirably be cooled, comprising: a foundation which defines a plenum chamber, a supporting structure associated with said foundation, said supporting structure being sufficiently porous to permit cool gases to flow up therethrough, platform means, mounted on and supported by said supporting structure, sufficiently porous to permit cool gases to flow up therethrough, said platform means having an upwardly-facing surface which defines said floor, said platform means further enclosing said plenum chamber, and means associated with said plenum chamber for generating cool gases under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure whereby cool gases are introduced into said plenum chamber and forced, under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, up through said supporting structure and said platform means to cool the floor.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
139 words
A system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing surface, pedestrian mall, or any other floor which may desirably be cooled, comprising: a foundation which defines a plenum chamber, a supporting structure associated with said foundation, said supporting structure being sufficiently porous to permit cool gases to flow up therethrough, platform means, mounted on and supported by said supporting structure, sufficiently porous to permit cool gases to flow up therethrough, said platform means having an upwardly-facing surface which defines said floor, said platform means further enclosing said plenum chamber, and means associated with said plenum chamber for generating cool gases under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure whereby cool gases are introduced into said plenum chamber and forced, under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, up through said supporting structure and said platform means to cool the floor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
79 words
The system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing surface, pedestrian mall, or any other floor which may desirably be cooled as claimed in claim 1 wherein said floor is divided into a plurality of sections and wherein said system further comprises: means for selectively, variably controlling the quantity of cool gases which pass up through each of said floor sections for providing zonal cooling control to thus cool only selected areas of said floor surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
128 words
The system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing surface, pedestrian mall, or any other floor which may desirably be cooled as claimed in claim 2 wherein said platform means comprises: a subsurface platform including a series of elongated members mounted side-by-side in spaced relation on said supporting structure, the spaces between said elongated members being sufficiently large to permit cool gases to flow up therethrough and sufficiently small to provide substantially uniform continuous support for said floor surface, and wherein said means for selectively variably controlling the quantity of cool gases which pass up through each floor section comprises: a plurality of spaced baffles slidably reciprocally mounted to variably close the spaces between said elongated members; and means for slidably reciprocally positioning said baffles.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
128 words
The system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing surface, pedestrian mall, or any other floor which may desirably be cooled as claimed in claim 2 wherein said platform means comprises: a subsurface platform including a series of elongated members mounted side-by-side in spaced relation on said supporting structure, the spaces between said elongated members being sufficiently large to permit cool gases to flow up therethrough and sufficiently small to provide substantially uniform continuous support for said floor surface, and wherein said means for selectively variably controlling the quantity of cool gases which pass up through each floor section comprises a plurality of spaced baffles vertically reciprocally mounted to variably close the spaces between said elongated members; and means for vertically reciprocally positioning said baffles.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
113 words
The system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing surface, pedestrian mall, or any other floor which may desirably be cooled as claimed in claim 1 wherein said platform means comprises: a subsurface platform including a series of elongated members mounted side-by-side in spaced relation on said supporting structure, the spaces between said elongated members being sufficiently large to permit cool gases to flow up therethrough and sufficiently small to provide substantially uniform continuous support for said floor surface, and a hydrophobic web, carried on top of said subsurface platform, and being sufficiently porous to permit the flow of cool gases up therethrough and forming a continuous, resilient floor surface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
130 words
The system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing surface, pedestrian mall, or any other floor which may desirably be cooled as claimed in claim 1 wherein said platform means comprises: a subsurface platform including a series of elongated members mounted side-by-side on said supporting structure, each of said elongated members having a plurality of holes disposed therein to provide fluid communication between said plenum chamber and said playing surface, said holes being of sufficient number and size to permit cool gases to flow up therethrough and providing substantially uniform, continuous support for said floor surface, and a hydrophobic web, carried on top of said subsurface platform and being sufficiently porous to permit the flow of cool gases up therethrough and forming a continuous resilient floor surface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
62 words
The system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing surface, pedestrian mall, or any other floor which may desirably be cooled as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: means for distributing the cool gases generated by said generating means uniformly throughout said plenum chamber to uniformly force the cool gases up through said supporting structure and said platform means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
85 words
The system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing surface, pedestrian mall, or any other floor which may desirably be cooled as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: automatic control means for monitoring the temperature of said floor surface, for starting said cool gas generating means when this temperature rises above a first predetermined temperature, and for stopping said cool gas generating means when the temperature of said floor surface falls below a second predetermined temperature, lower than said first predetermined temperature.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
136 words
A system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing surface, pedestrian mall, computer room floor or any other floor which may desirably be cooled, comprising: a horizontal platform defining a floor surface comprising a porous surface having openings therein large enough to permit cool gases to flow upwardly therethrough but small enough not to prevent use of said surface for use as a floor; means for supporting said platform; an enclosed, cool gas retaining chamber positioned below said platform and substantially coextensive therewith said platform defining the upper surface of said chamber; and a source of cool gases associated with said chamber and capable of supplying cool gases at greater than atmospheric pressure whereby cool gases are generated in said chamber and are forced up through said platform to cool said floor surface.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
136 words
A system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing surface, pedestrian mall, computer room floor or any other floor which may desirably be cooled, comprising: a horizontal platform defining a floor surface comprising a porous surface having openings therein large enough to permit cool gases to flow upwardly therethrough but small enough not to prevent use of said surface for use as a floor; means for supporting said platform; an enclosed, cool gas retaining chamber positioned below said platform and substantially coextensive therewith said platform defining the upper surface of said chamber; and a source of cool gases associated with said chamber and capable of supplying cool gases at greater than atmospheric pressure whereby cool gases are generated in said chamber and are forced up through said platform to cool said floor surface.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
58 words
The system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing surface, pedestrian mall, computer room floor or any other floor which may desirably be cooled as claimed in claim 9 wherein said system further includes: an open duct network, mounted in said chamber, for distributing cool gases originating from said cool gas source throughout said chamber.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
68 words
The system for cooling a floor for use as an athletic playing surface, pedestrian mall, or any other floor which may desirably be cooled as claimed in claim 9 wherein said system further includes: a closed duct network, mounted in said chamber, in which cool gases are confined and circulated to radiantly cool the air confined within said chamber, said cool air being forced up through said platform.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
263 words
A system for removing snow and ice from and for subsequently drying an outdoor surface in winter and for cooling said surface in summer, said system being suitable for year-long use as an athletic or work surface, and comprising: a foundation which defines a plenum chamber; a supporting structure associated with said foundation, said supporting structure being sufficiently porous to permit hot gases to flow up therethrough and water to flow down therethrough; a water permeable platform means mounted on and supported by said supporting structure, said platform means being sufficiently porous to permit hot gases to flow up therethrough and to permit water to flow down therethrough, said platform means having an upwardly-facing surface which defines said surface, said platform means further enclosing said plenum chamber; means associated with said plenum chamber for generating hot gases under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure whereby hot gases may be introduced into said plenum chamber and forced, under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, up through said supporting structure and said platform means to melt snow and ice on said surface, whereby said melted snow or ice is then drained down through said platform means and said supporting structure into said plenum chamber, and whereby said playing surface is then dried by additional hot gases forced upward through said platform means; and means also associated with said plenum chamber for generating cool gases under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure whereby cool gases may be introduced into said plenum chamber and forced, under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, up through said platform means to cool said surface.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
263 words
A system for removing snow and ice from and for subsequently drying an outdoor surface in winter and for cooling said surface in summer, said system being suitable for year-long use as an athletic or work surface, and comprising: a foundation which defines a plenum chamber; a supporting structure associated with said foundation, said supporting structure being sufficiently porous to permit hot gases to flow up therethrough and water to flow down therethrough; a water permeable platform means mounted on and supported by said supporting structure, said platform means being sufficiently porous to permit hot gases to flow up therethrough and to permit water to flow down therethrough, said platform means having an upwardly-facing surface which defines said surface, said platform means further enclosing said plenum chamber; means associated with said plenum chamber for generating hot gases under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure whereby hot gases may be introduced into said plenum chamber and forced, under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, up through said supporting structure and said platform means to melt snow and ice on said surface, whereby said melted snow or ice is then drained down through said platform means and said supporting structure into said plenum chamber, and whereby said playing surface is then dried by additional hot gases forced upward through said platform means; and means also associated with said plenum chamber for generating cool gases under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure whereby cool gases may be introduced into said plenum chamber and forced, under pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, up through said platform means to cool said surface.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
98 words
The system for removing snow and ice from and for subsequently drying an outdoor surface in winter and for cooling said surface in summer, said system being suitable for year-long use as an athletic or work surface as claimed in claim 12 wherein said floor is divided into a plurality of sections and wherein said system further comprises: means for selectively, variably controlling the quantity of hot or cool gases which pass up through each of said floor sections for providing zonal heating or cooling control to thus heat or cool only selected areas of said floor surface.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
145 words
The system for removing snow and ice from and for subsequently drying an outdoor surface in winter and for cooling said surface in summer, said system being suitable for year-long use as an athletic or work surface as claimed in claim 13 wherein said platform means comprises: a subsurface platform including a series of elongated members mounted side-by-side in spaced relation on said supporting structure, the spaces between said elongated members being sufficiently large to permit hot or cool gases to flow up therethrough and sufficiently small to provide substantially uniform continuous support for said floor surface, and wherein said means for selectively variably controlling the quantity of hot or cool gases which pass up through each floor section comprises a plurality of spaced baffles slidably reciprocally mounted to variably close the spaces between said elongated members; and means for slidably reciprocally positioning said baffles.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
145 words
The system for removing snow and ice from and for subsequently drying an outdoor surface in winter and for cooling said surface in summer, said system being suitable for year-long use as an athletic or work surface as claimed in claim 13 wherein said platform means comprises: a subsurface platform including a series of elongated members mounted side-by-side in spaced relation on said supporting structure, the spaces between said elongated members being sufficiently large to permit hot and cool gases to flow up therethrough and sufficiently small to provide substantially uniform continuous support for said floor surface, and wherein said means for selectively variably controlling the quantity of hot or cool gases which pass up through each floor section comprises a plurality of spaced baffles vertically reciprocally mounted to variably close the spaces between said elongated members; and means for vertically reciprocally positioning said baffles.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-04-07 | 1978-10-07 | 1979-04-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-04-07 | 1982-10-07 | 1983-04-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-04-07 | 1986-10-07 | 1987-04-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |