Floor or wall covering panel

Claim 1

A panel assembly particularly suitable as covering for the surfaces of playgrounds or other similar areas, comprising: a carrier element consisting essentially of rigid material and having a generally planar configuration; means defining a plurality of spaced recesses formed as receptacles opening on one side only of said carrier element; a covering element formed as a unitary integral body consisting essentially of resilient material and having a generally planar configuration substantially congruent with said carrier element, said covering element comprising: a generally planar cover wall, a plurality of mounting projections extending integrally from said cover wall, and substantially perpendicularly thereto and having back-cut portions, the number of said recesses provided being at least as many as the number of said projections and coincident therewith, a plurality of spacer elements extending integrally from said cover wall substantially perpendicularly therefrom on the same side thereof as said mounting projections; and a rim extending completely about the periphery of said covering element generally perpendicularly therefrom terminating into abutting relationship with said carrier element against said one side thereof about the entire periphery of said panel assembly; said recesses being dimensioned to receive therein said mounting projections to an extent at least including said back-cut portions; and hardened binder material filling said recesses in said carrier element; said carrier element and said covering element being affixed together in a spaced apart relationship by said binder material with said mounting projections extending into said recesses and imbedded in said binder material and with said spacer elements abutting directly against said carrier element in contact therewith to define hollow spaces between said carrier element and said cover wall of said covering element.