US7774991B2
Active / In Force
US
⏱️ 0.9 years remaining
Portable ground flooring systems and methods of assembling and packing same
Assignee: Ground Floor Systems LLC
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Filing: 2007-10-02
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Granted: 2010-08-17
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Expires: 2027-10-02
Abstract
Abstract A portable flooring system has one or more hinge members which can be used to quickly connect and secure panels or slats of the flooring system for deployment, while also allowing fast disassembly and stacking for storage or transport. The hinge member(s) can comprise a living hinge element interfacing with a pair of female elements or a female element and a male element of adjoining flooring slats. In one embodiment, the hinge elements are welded or otherwise permanently affixed to the flooring panels.
Inventors
- 👤 G. Shane Fletcher
- 👤 Edward Bindon
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 12:20
CPC Classifications
E; E04; E04F; E04F15/00; E04F15/02; E04F15/02177; E04F15/02183; E01; E01C; E01C5/00; E01C5/005; E01C9/00; E01C9/08; E01C9/086; E04F15/10; E04F15/105; E04F2203/00; E04F2203/04; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/19; Y10T428/192; Y10T428/195
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
135 words
A flooring, comprising: a first and second slat, each slat having a length, substantially parallel upper and lower wall surfaces, and first and second side walls, with a substantially C-shaped female member integrally formed with at least one side wall of each of the first and second slats; and a living hinge element for allowing the slats to be folded onto one another in close fitting engagement such that the respective upper wall surfaces can touch each other while residing in substantially parallel relation to each other while retaining connection of the side walls, wherein the living hinge element has two male end tips, with each male end tip secured to a respective connector member, wherein each connector member is a substantially H-shaped member having two side wall members connected by a middle connector member.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
135 words
A flooring, comprising: a first and second slat, each slat having a length, substantially parallel upper and lower wall surfaces, and first and second side walls, with a substantially C-shaped female member integrally formed with at least one side wall of each of the first and second slats; and a living hinge element for allowing the slats to be folded onto one another in close fitting engagement such that the respective upper wall surfaces can touch each other while residing in substantially parallel relation to each other while retaining connection of the side walls, wherein the living hinge element has two male end tips, with each male end tip secured to a respective connector member, wherein each connector member is a substantially H-shaped member having two side wall members connected by a middle connector member.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
The flooring of claim 1 wherein the two side wall members of each connector member are substantially parallel and are connected at substantially the midpoint thereof by the respective middle connector member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The flooring of claim 1 wherein the living hinge element is secured at one male end tip to a first connector member side wall, and secured at the other male end tip to a second connector member side wall.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
65 words
The flooring of claim 1 wherein the first and second connector members include at least one side wall having a vertical edge, and wherein the living hinge element is secured at one male end tip to the vertical edge of the first connector member side wall, and secured at the other male end tip to the vertical edge of the second connector member side wall.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
194 words
A method of providing a fold-up surface, comprising the steps of: providing a first and second slat, each slat having a length, substantially parallel upper and lower walls, and first and second side walls; providing the first side wall and second side wall of each slat with hinge engaging edge members; providing an attachment member for attaching the first and second slats, the attachment member having a living hinge element with two male end tips, with a first male end tip secured to a first connector member and a second male end tip secured to a second connector member, wherein each of the first and second connector members is a substantially H-shaped member having two side wall members connected by a middle connector member, and where the first connector member cooperatively engages a side wall hinge engaging edge member of the first slat and the second connector member cooperatively engages a side wall hinge engaging edge member of the second slat, so as to permit relative rotation of each of the first and second slats about an axis parallel to the side walls such that the respective upper wall surfaces can touch each other.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
194 words
A method of providing a fold-up surface, comprising the steps of: providing a first and second slat, each slat having a length, substantially parallel upper and lower walls, and first and second side walls; providing the first side wall and second side wall of each slat with hinge engaging edge members; providing an attachment member for attaching the first and second slats, the attachment member having a living hinge element with two male end tips, with a first male end tip secured to a first connector member and a second male end tip secured to a second connector member, wherein each of the first and second connector members is a substantially H-shaped member having two side wall members connected by a middle connector member, and where the first connector member cooperatively engages a side wall hinge engaging edge member of the first slat and the second connector member cooperatively engages a side wall hinge engaging edge member of the second slat, so as to permit relative rotation of each of the first and second slats about an axis parallel to the side walls such that the respective upper wall surfaces can touch each other.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 5 , wherein each slat first side wall hinge engaging edge member comprises a substantially C-shaped member having top and bottom substantially hook-shaped portions having respective outward face portions that are substantially coplanar.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 6 wherein the top hook-shaped portion extends outwardly from, and substantially coplanar with, the upper wall, and wherein the bottom hook-shaped portion extends from a curved bottom edge of the bottom wall so as not to have a portion that is coplanar with the bottom wall.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 5 , wherein each slat first side wall hinge engaging edge member comprises a substantially C-shaped member having top and bottom portions connected by a connector portion, wherein the connector portion is integrally formed with the slat first side wall.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 8 , wherein each slat second side wall hinge engaging edge member comprises a substantially C-shaped member having top and bottom portions connected by a connector portion, wherein the connector portion is integrally formed with the slat first side wall.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 5 , wherein the slat members are provided such that the top portion of each slat member is not a mirror image of the bottom portion thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of claim 5 , wherein the side wall hinge engaging edge members are provided such that the top portion of each hinge engaging edge member is not a mirror image of the bottom portion thereof.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 5 , wherein the slats are provided such that the upper and lower walls comprise substantially planar surfaces.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 5 , wherein the two side wall members of each of the first and second connector members are substantially parallel and are connected at substantially the midpoint thereof by the respective middle connector member.
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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) | 2013-08-16 | 2014-02-15 | 2014-08-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2017-08-16 | 2018-02-15 | 2018-08-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2021-08-16 | 2022-02-15 | 2022-08-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |