Floor Member Retention Apparatus

This is a national stage application of PCT Application No. PCT/EP2023/062604 filed May 11, 2023, which claims the benefit of Great Britain Patent Application GB2214004.0 filed Sep. 26, 2022, which claims the benefit of Great Britain Patent Application GB2206904.1 filed on May 11, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

According to at least one exemplary embodiment the disclosure is concerned with a floor member retention apparatus. More specifically, an exemplary embodiment is concerned with a retention apparatus to secure paving or decking against a pedestal or rail for the prevention of wind lift.

In the field of external floor systems, wind lift is a problem. High speed winds across the upper surface of floor members such as paving slabs reduces the static pressure on the surface. The reduction in static pressure tends to exert a lifting force on the slab, which once weight is overcome can move the slab in an upwards direction. Once the slab is lifted, and the underside exposed, it is acted on by the wind to further lift it out of position.

This problem is exacerbated by the position of the floor in exposed conditions—for example on balconies or terraces.

The movement of paving slabs is best avoided. It may be desirable to overcome or at least mitigate, this problem.

According to a first aspect of an exemplary embodiment, there may be provided a floor member retention apparatus including a floor member support for supporting a floor member, the support may include a support surface. The floor retention member may include a floor member being supported on the support surface of the floor member and a retention assembly including a retention member engaged with the floor member and a tension member configured to form a tensile load path between the retention member and the floor member support to restrict movement of the floor member away from the floor member support.

At least an exemplary embodiment acts to secure the floor members (such as slabs) in a downward position against the force of the wind.

The floor member may include a recess defined on a sidewall thereof, and wherein the retention member engages the recess.

The tension member may form a load path to the floor member support via a threaded connection to allow the tension member to be adjusted in an axial sense by rotation thereof.

There may be a plurality of floor members including the floor member, the plurality of floor members may be simultaneously engaged by the retention member, wherein the plurality of floor members define a gap therebetween and wherein the tension member can be accessed via the gap.

The tension member may have a socket head configured to receive a tool.

The retention member may include an opening receiving part of the tension member.

The retention member may move freely on the tension member, and the retention member is held against a head of the tension member by a positioning member.

The positioning member may be a resilient member configured to urge the retention member against the tension member head.

The positioning member may be a compression spring surrounding the tension member.

The floor member support may be a pedestal having a foot, and may include a support portion extending from the foot, and the support surface defined on the support portion.

The support surface defines a female thread, and the tension member defines a male thread engaged with the female thread of the support surface.

The support surface may include at least one deformable tab extending therefrom, the at least one deformable tab forming an abutment for and edge of the floor member.

In one exemplary embodiment, there may be provided an edge bracket engaged with the pedestal, the edge bracket may have an upturned flange abutment for an edge of the floor member.

The upturned flange abutment may include a return to hook an edge of the floor member.

The edge bracket may include at least one hook portion engaging the support surface.

The support surface may include two adjacent edges, and wherein the edge bracket may include two hook formations for engaging each of the two adjacent edges.

In another exemplary embodiment, the floor member support is a rail having a channel formed therein, the channel having an overhanging portion, wherein the retention assembly may include a base plate engaged with the channel, the base plate connected to the tension member, the tension member extending from the channel.

The tension member may be in threaded connection with the base plate.

The base plate may be moved axially along the rail within the channel.

The rail may include at least one cushioning member between the support surface and the floor member.

The retention member may include a plurality of wings extending therefrom.

The wings may be angled out of the plane of the retention member.

The wings may be angled out of the plane of the recess.

The wings may be angled downwardly towards the floor in use.

The wings may be equal in width.

Various features, aspects, and advantages of the exemplary embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description, along with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components throughout the figures and detailed description. The various described features are not necessarily drawn to scale in the drawings but are drawn to emphasize specific features relevant to some exemplary embodiments.

The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to limit the scope of the disclosure or the claims. To facilitate understanding, reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate like elements common to the figures.

Referring to, there is shown a floor member support and a retention apparatusaccording to an exemplary embodiment.

The retention apparatuscomprises a pedestalhaving a base, a support, a locking nutand a retainer assembly.

The basecomprises a platewhich is flat, planar, and square in shape. The plate comprises a plurality of through-bores. At the centre of the platethere is provided a base shaftextending along a pedestal axis PA. The shafthas an external threaded portion (not visible).

The supportcomprises a support shafthaving an internal threaded portion (not visible). At the upper end of the support shaftthere is provided a support plate. The support plateis a flat, square member having four sidesand four corners. Proximate each corner there are provided U-shaped cutoutsfacing outwardly. Each U-shaped cutout defines a tabwhich (as shown) is deformed upwardly to an angle approaching 90 degrees (normal) to the support plate. At the centre of the support platethere is provided a borewhich is female threaded.

The locking nutis ring-shaped having an external grip formationwith a plurality of circumferentially spaced tabs. It is internally threaded.

Referring to, the retainer assemblyis shown in more detail. It comprises a retainer screwin the form of a socket head cap screw. The screwhas a threaded shaftand a head. A retainer plateis provided. The retainer plateis rectangular in form having an upper surface, a lower surfaceand a central plain bore. A compression springis provided having an inner diameter greater than the retainer screw.

Two paving slabsandare shown in. Each slab is generally planar having an upper surface, a lower surfaceand four sidewalls, and two opposite sidewalls channels. The channelsare positioned above the midway point of the sidewall, i.e., closer to the upper surfacethan the lower surface.

The pedestalis constructed by first threading the locking nuton to the base shaft. The support shaftis then threaded onto the base shaftand rotated to the desired height of the pedestal (i.e., the distance between the lower surface of the plateand the upper surface of the support plate). The locking nutis rotated until it abuts the end of the support shaft, thereby locking the pedestal at the desired position.

The retainer screwis inserted into the retainer platethrough the central plain boresuch that the headrests on the upper surface. The compression springis fed over the shaftsuch that it abuts the underside of the retainer plate. The retainer screwis then engaged with the boreand rotated in threaded engagement such that the spring is compressed between the upper surface of the support plateand the retainer plate.

The pedestalis positioned on an underlying surfacesuch as a balcony or terrace substrate. It may be attached thereto via the plurality of through-bores.

The desired height is determined by rotating the supportrelative to the base. Once the desired height is reached, the locking nut is used to secure the pedestal and the two paving slabsandare positioned on the upper surface of the support plate. The slabsandare positioned such that the retainer plateenters the channels. Two further slabs (not shown) are provided opposite the slabsandsuch that four slab corners are supported on the pedestal.

It will be noted that the sidewallseach abut the tabs-, keeping them evenly spaced, and creating a “+” shaped gap between the four slabs, at the apex of which a tool can be inserted into the headof the retainer screw.

Once the slabs are in position, the retainer screwis tightened. This pulls the retainer plateinto engagement with the lower surface of each channelwhich in turn provides a downward force on the slabs to secure them against the pedestal.

At least an exemplary embodiment therefore prevents the slabs from being lifted by e.g., wind loading.

Referring to, there is shown a floor member support and according to an exemplary embodiment.

The retention apparatuscomprises all features of the retention apparatuswith the addition of an edge bracket. The edge bracket (shown in detail in) is constructed from a piece of flat, deformed sheet metal material. It comprises a basewhich is elongate and generally rectangular. At a first end there is provided an end flangehaving a return. At a second end the baseterminates in a convex “V” shape having a first hook formationand a second hook formation, the hook formations,each defining a respective flange,and return,. The hook formations,extend to an opposite side of the baseto the end flange. An elongate slotis provided extending along the length of the base, in the centre.

As shown in, two tabs,are upturned. The remaining tabs,are flattened (or left flat) flush with the support plate. The edge bracketis positioned with the tabs,engaging the slot. The edge bracketis lowered onto the support platesuch that it extends across corners. The edge bracketis slid into position to engage two adjacent edges of the support platein the hook formations,.