CONCEALED WIND UPLIFT ACCESSORY FOR ELEVATED PEDESTAL ASSEMBLY

Description

PRIORITY

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/627,833, filed Feb. 1, 2024, entitled CONCEALED WIND UPLIFT ACCESSORY FOR ELEVATED PEDESTAL ASSEMBLY, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a pedestal system for supporting a structure above a fixed surface. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a pedestal system with a concealed fastener wind uplift accessory.

BACKGROUND

Elevated or raised floors supported by pedestals, are often referred to as pedestal floors. The supporting pedestals are uniformly distributed over a sub-surface/sub-floor such as a concrete floor, a roof, a terrace, or any other surface on top of which it is desired to locate an elevated floor. Other non-exhaustive applications of pedestal floors include floors for indoor purpose, such as, laboratories, data centers, or outdoor purpose, such as patios, balconies, pool areas and decking. The pedestals cooperate in supporting floor panels, such as pavers, decking boards, or other floor surfaces. The panel members provide a relatively flat high strength floor.

Typically, the supporting pedestals mainly comprise of a two-piece structure. A pedestal that directly attaches to the sub-surface which can be adjusted vertically and an accessory that sits on top of the pedestal to support the floor panels. Fasteners are generally used to attach the accessory onto the pedestal.

Problems arise when high wind or hurricane zone affected areas lifts or raises the floor panels away from the supporting pedestals. Although wind uplift concerns have been addressed in the past by utilizing fasteners to secure the floor panels to the supporting pedestals, these fasteners are visually exposed (as seen from the top), which creates an unaesthetic look. On some occasions, the fasteners can even break away from the accessory and cause a loose impediment and movable obstruction that can be dangerous to a person and/or cause damage to surrounding structures.

Other solutions to wind uplift have been to conceal the fasteners of the accessory by facing the fasteners towards the pedestal and attaching the accessory to the pedestal. However, these supporting pedestals usually are constructed with two different materials. More specifically, the accessory can be made from a first plastic material and the pedestal can be made from a second plastic material, different than the first plastic material. In another approach, the fasteners, attached to the accessory, can be made from a different material than the accessory. For instance, the fasteners can be made from metal and the accessory can be made from plastic. In either case, unlike materials are untestable or cannot be examined for various weather conditions. This is due to freeze/thaw or expansion/contraction of dissimilar materials makes the concealed fasteners with unlike products unstable and unpredictable. This issue is of concern, due to mismatches in the material coefficient of thermal expansion/contraction in the pedestal assembly. Excessive heating/cooling of the pedestal assembly causes the materials to expand/contract at different rates resulting in a significant stress at the two-material interface. The excessive heating/cooling of this component has an inherent high level of risk and can result in part failure. Accordingly, without the ability to test the system to meet various wind conditions in various climates, there is no method to guarantee the strength and operability of the pedestal assembly.

In view of the problems associated with above, there remains a need to provide a pedestal assembly that conceals the fasteners from view, while properly securing the accessory to the pedestal that may accompany with wind uplift. Further, there is a need for a pedestal assembly to be constructed of a single material structure.

SUMMARY

In an exemplary embodiment, an elevated pedestal system includes a pedestal having a first end portion and a second end portion opposite the first end portion, the first end portion being attachable to a floor surface, the pedestal made from a first material, and a head assembly including a first surface portion facing towards the pedestal and a second surface portion facing away from the pedestal, the first surface portion includes a plurality of fasteners that are cooperatively engageable with a plurality of openings on the pedestal to conceal the plurality of fasteners. The head assembly is made from a second material being of the same material as the first material of the pedestal.

In another example embodiment, a method of installing an elevated pedestal system includes providing a pedestal having a first end portion and a second end portion opposite the first end portion, attaching the first end portion to a floor surface, providing a head assembly including a first surface portion facing towards the pedestal and a second surface portion facing away from the pedestal, the first surface portion including a plurality of attachment members, and inserting the plurality of attachment members inside a plurality of openings on the pedestal so as to conceal the plurality of attachment members, wherein the head assembly and the pedestal are made from the same material.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the preferred embodiment which illustrates, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an elevated pedestal system, according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a pedestal of FIG. 1, according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective top view of a head assembly of FIG. 1, according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a perspective bottom view of a head assembly of FIG. 1, according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5A is a perspective bottom view of a head assembly, according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5B is a perspective side view of a head assembly, according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5C is a perspective view of a fastener of FIG. 5B, according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a perspective bottom view of a head assembly, according to an example alternative embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a pedestal system with floor panels, according to an example embodiment of the present disclosure.

It should be noted that these Figures are intended to illustrate the general characteristics of methods, structure and/or materials utilized in certain example embodiments and to supplement the written description provided below. These drawings are not, however, to scale and may not precisely reflect the precise structural or performance characteristics of any given embodiment, and should not be interpreted as defining or limiting the range of values or properties encompassed by example embodiments. For example, the relative thicknesses and positioning of layers, regions and/or structural elements may be reduced or exaggerated for clarity. The use of similar or identical reference numbers in the various drawings is intended to indicate the presence of a similar or identical element or feature.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a pedestal system that conceals the fasteners from view, while properly securing the accessory to the pedestal that may accompany with wind uplift. Further, unlike traditionally available pedestal systems, the present pedestal system disclosed herein is constructed from a single material (i.e., homogeneous) so as to be testable for various weather conditions. Having a single material pedestal structure provides the basis for reliable testing of wind uplift properties for all wind zones and climates.

It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a pedestal system that is a modular accessory that could be locked into any (or existing) locking elevated pedestal product or system.

It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a pedestal system that is effective and structurally stable.

It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a pedestal system that can be easily assembled/disassembled and transported.

It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a pedestal system that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and easy to maintain while retaining its effectiveness.

Example embodiments disclosed herein provide a new and improved elevated pedestal system that includes a pedestal and a head assembly. The pedestal has a first end portion and a second end portion opposite the first end portion, wherein the first end portion is attachable to a floor surface. The pedestal is made from a first material. The head assembly includes a first surface facing towards the pedestal and a second surface facing away from the pedestal, wherein the first surface includes a plurality of fasteners that are cooperatively engageable with a plurality of openings on the pedestal. This design ensures that the fasteners are concealed or hidden from view, providing an aesthetic, unobstructed supporting structure. The head assembly is made from a second material which is of the same material as the first material of the pedestal. Due to the similar material, the rate of expansion/contraction of the pedestal assembly remains constant such that reliable testing of various weather conditions can be achieved.

In some implementations, the pedestal system can be a stand-alone feature in that it can be used as described, or can be used with other, different pedestals, such as with pedestals that depend on threaded intersections and midsections to obtain the pedestal height required.

As described herein, the term “pedestal assembly” or “pedestal system” includes a pedestal and an accessory.

As described herein, the term “accessory” is interchangeable with “head assembly” and described in a similar manner.

As described herein, the term “pedestal” is interchangeable with “body” and described in a similar manner.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pedestal system 10 in accordance with an example embodiment of the present disclosure. The pedestal system 10 is a type that is commonly referred to as a pedestal flooring such that a subfloor is raised or floating and thus independent of adhesion. It will be appreciated and understood that the various features of the present invention described herein can be implemented in other applications of pedestal floors, such as, but not limited to, patios, balconies, roofs, pool areas and decking. The pedestal system 10 cooperates in supporting floor panels, such as pavers, decking boards, or other floor surfaces. Each pedestal system 10 can provide support for and attach intersecting corners of up to four floor panels.

As shown in FIG. 1, pedestal system 10 includes a pedestal (or base) 20 that supports a head assembly 30. The pedestal 20 and the head assembly 30 can be manufactured, for example, by an injection molded process, using plastic materials. Some exemplary plastic materials include, but not limited to, polyethylene terephthalate, high density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, low density polyethylene, or polypropylene. It should be readily understood that other materials may be used to form the components of the pedestal system 10 as long as structural rigidity is provided. In a preferred embodiment, both the pedestal 20 and the head assembly 30 are made from the same material, providing a homogeneous apparatus. A significant part of the inventive concept is the fact that the entire pedestal system 10 is a single material component. Unlike conventional pedestal systems, the pedestal and head assembly are made generally from different materials, which cannot be tested nor examined for various weather conditions due to having different coefficient of thermal expansion/contraction rates. That is, excessive heating/cooling of the pedestal assembly causes the materials to expand/contract at different rates resulting in a significant stress at the two-material interface. The excessive heating/cooling of these components have an inherent high level of risk and can result in part failure. Accordingly, without the ability to test the system (e.g., ASTM D-3161—Standard Test Method for Wind-Resistance of Asphalt Shingles) to meet various wind conditions in various climates, there is no method to guarantee the strength and operability of the pedestal assembly.

Each pedestal 20 includes a first end portion 21a and a second end portion 21b opposite the first end portion 21a, defining a cylindrical body 22. To describe differently, the first end portion 21a is an (base) end that securely attaches to a sub-surface (e.g., a floor, a terrace, a roof, or any other surface on top of which is desired to locate an elevated floor). The second end portion 21b is an end of the pedestal 20 that directly attaches with the head assembly 30. In some implementations, the first end portion 21a is a flanged base 23 that includes a plurality of openings 24 circumferentially formed on the flanged base 23. Each opening 24 is configured to receive a fastener (e.g., a bolt) (not shown) for securing the pedestal 20 to the sub-surface. It should be noted that in this type of design, the fastener can be installed on the sub-surface and extends upwards from the sub-surface such that the flanged base 23 fits over the fastener, or alternatively, the fastener can be inserted into the openings 24 and fastened onto the sub-surface. In other implementations, the openings 24 can be internally threaded thereof for receiving a corresponding threaded fastener (e.g., a threaded bolt) for tighter securement. Between adjacent openings 24, a drain hole 29 is also formed to drain water away from the flanged base 23 that may have collected therebetween.

The pedestal 20 includes a circumferentially evenly spaced vertical flanges (or ribs) 25 about the body 22 of the pedestal 20. To describe differently, the vertical ribs 25 extend from the first end portion 21a to the second end portion 21b of the pedestal 20. This provides reinforcement and adds rigidity to the entire pedestal 20. In other words, this strengthens the plastic injection molded part of the pedestal 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the vertical rib 25 can also extend into the openings 24 forming a higher rigidity support when the fastener is inserted into the opening 24. That is, a bottom portion of the vertical rib 25 conforms with one of the openings 24 that is directly aligned with the vertical rib 25, forming a circular reinforcement member 26 around the opening 24.

In some implementations, various different sized pedestals 20 can be used to change the overall height dimension of the pedestal 20 that supports the floor panels. To elevate the pedestal to various heights ranging from about 6 inches to about 30 inches above the subsurface over which the floor panels are being installed, a pedestal having a predetermined height is selected for the desired height. For example, when a lower floor is desired, the lower height pedestal is designated and used to form the floor. When a higher floor is desired, the higher height pedestal is designated and used to form the floor.

In some implementations, a coupler or spacer member (not shown) can be attached to the pedestal 20 to further raise the overall height of the pedestal system 10. The coupler can be attached at the first end portion 21a and/or the second end portion 21b of the pedestal 20 and secured with fasteners. The coupler should have substantially similar circumferential dimension as the body 22 of the pedestal 20 to engage the pedestal 20. In one implementation, the coupler serves as a female accepting coupling part and the body 22 serves as a male accepting coupling part. Alternatively, the body 22 serves as a female accepting coupling part and the coupler serves as a male accepting coupling part. In other implementations, the coupler can be threaded to cooperatively engage a threaded portion of the pedestal 20.

Referring to FIG. 2, at the first end (top) portion 21a of pedestal 20, a plurality of openings 27 is formed to receive attachment members 35 (FIG. 4) of the head assembly 30. The attachment members 35 operate as fasteners to attach the head assembly 30 to the pedestal 20. Each opening 27 is spaced apart precisely to cooperatively receive the attachment members 35. In this case, there are four openings 27 equidistance from each other. In an alternative embodiment, a plurality of second openings 51 can be formed at an outer edge of the first end portion 21a to receive additional fasteners (not shown) formed on the head assembly 30. This provides additional securement for heavier floor panels. This provides additional securement for heavier floor panels. Further, at the first end portion 21a of pedestal 20, a plurality of openings 28 is formed, which are configured to receive water and drain the water away from the first end portion 21a. In some implementations, the openings 28 are placed between each openings 27. Also, a larger opening 27a is formed which is configured to excess drain water away from the first end portion 21a.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the head assembly 30 includes a first surface 31a and a second surface 31b opposite the first surface 31a. In use, the first surface 31a serves as a top surface and the second surface 31b serves as a bottom surface. To describe differently, the second surface 31b faces towards the pedestal 20 and the first end surface 31a faces away from the pedestal 20.

On the first surface 31a, a center portion 36 is formed surrounded by a plurality of spacing tabs 37 for supporting the floor panels 47. In some implementations, the center portion 36 is substantially circular shaped and is configured to receive floor panels 47 (as shown in FIG. 7), which will be described in detail later. As shown in FIG. 3, there are four spacing tabs 37 each at a 90° orientation to its neighboring tabs, forming four equidistance spacings 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d, to space the floor panels 47 being installed. More specifically, the spacings 33a, 33b, 33c, 33d are configured to support and attach intersecting corners of four adjacent floor panels 47.

In some implementations, a height of the spacing tabs 37 can be formed at varying heights. For example, the height of the spacing tabs 37 can match a height (i.e., thickness) of the floor panels 47 forming a flush surface level. In other implementations, the height of the spacing tabs 37 can be lower than the height (thickness) of the floor panels. In this example, because the height of the floor panels 47 is above the height of the spacing tabs 37, there forms a space between the floor panels 47.

In other implementations, the spacing tabs 37 can include a scoring 32 (or partial cut) near or at the first surface 31 for removing the spacing tabs 37 thereof. In this case, when one or more such spacing tabs 37 are not required, the spacing tabs 37 can be removed by simply bending it about the scoring 32 provided for easy and rapid removal.

In some implementations, the head assembly 30 includes an opening 38 below the center portion 36 to drain fluid away from the floor surface and into the sub-surface below. A size of the opening 38 should be large enough to permit fluid flow rate to be higher or result to receive more fluid.

It will be appreciated that exemplary embodiments are particularly useful with floor panels 47 having a kerf 49 or other notch formed in a side edge of the floor panel 47, such as in the corner, as shown in FIG. 7. As a result, the center portion 36 that extends into the region bounded by adjacent spacing tabs 37 is received within the kerf 49 so that the corner of each of four flooring panels (with respect to the version of the head assembly shown in FIG. 3) associated with the head assembly situated 30 cooperate to cover all or substantially all of the center portion 36 such that the entire head assembly 30 is effectively hidden and the resulting aesthetic of the flooring system is that of a continuous, uninterrupted floor.

Referring to FIG. 4, on the second surface 31b, a plurality of attachment members 35 are formed thereof. As described herein, the attachment members 35 can be described as a fastener, a peg, a dowel, or any form of an extension member that extends from the second surface 31b to hold or attach the head assembly 30 to the pedestal 20. In one implementation, the attachment members 35 extend from the second surface 31b and configured to engage into openings 27 formed on the top surface 21b of pedestal 20 (FIG. 2). This arrangement provides the attachment members 35 to be concealed or hidden from plain view so as to achieve an aesthetic appearance.

Referring to FIGS. 5A-5C, each fastener 35 includes a body portion 41 attachment from the second surface 31b and a head portion 42 attached at an end of the body portion 41. In order to fix the head assembly 30 relative to the pedestal 20 and prevent accidental displacement due to wind, an impact or the like, the head portion 42 of attachment members 35 are shaped or designed to be securely attached in the opening 27. In some implementations, as shown in FIG. 5A, each attachment member 35 is a two-part component. That is, the attachment member 35 is made up of two-part such that each part is configured to move towards each other in which during attachment (or insertion) of the attachment members 35 to the opening 27 of pedestal 20, the size (or diameter) of the fastener 35 is reduced for easier insertion of the fastener 35 into the opening 27. Once placed in opening 27, the two-part component expand to its original position and provides a tight securement. As shown in FIG. 5C, the head portion 42 has a slighter larger width than the opening 27 which has a smaller circumferential sized opening. This fully locks the head assembly 30 to the pedestal 20.

In other implementations, as shown in a head assembly 50, the attachment members 52 can be a solid one-piece component, as shown in FIG. 6. In this configuration, the attachment members 52 has a hook-like design to securely engage the attachment members 52 to the corresponding openings 27 of the pedestal 20. It is further appreciated that the attachment members can be of different shape, dimension and/or size to allow for other attachment positions including, for example, for edge conditions, and the desire to modify the locations and sizes of the wind uplift accessory to meet hole configurations on other pedestal heads. For instance, the attachment members can be modified to allow for other pavers, wood or porcelain tiles, synthetic surf, elevated platforms, etc. to be able to connect to the pedestal.

In a preferred embodiment, the attachment members 35 are made from the same material as the pedestal 20. A significant part of the inventive concept is the fact that the entire head assembly 30 including the attachment members 35 is a single material component. Unlike conventional head assemblies, they are made generally from different materials which cause the materials to expand/contract at different rates resulting in significant stresses at the two-material interface. Accordingly, the excessive heating/cooling of this component has an inherent high level of risk and can result in the attachment members 35 from breaking off from the head assembly 30. In one implementation, the head assembly 30 can be manufactured by an injection molding process, for example. It should be appreciated that other manufacturing processes can be employed.

Therefore, like materials locked together, expand and contract at the same rate; dissimilar materials do not. Having the head assembly 30 including attachment members 35, with the same material as the elevated pedestal 20, provides the foundation to reliably test wind uplift properties for all wind zones and climates. As an example, the pedestal system 10 of the present disclosure meets the ASTM D-3161 testing—Standard Test Method for Wind-Resistance of Asphalt Shingles (Fan-Induced Method). This testing exhibits 165 mph as the maximum for the testing and the present pedestal system 10 exceeds what the test could replicate. As a result, present pedestal system 10 can meet Category 5 Hurricane Wind Levels (157+ mph), which is highly desirable in the industry.

Although the pedestal system 10 as described herein is particularly suited to use on a level/horizontal subfloor, it will be appreciated that it may also be used on a sloping pedestal floor, in which case a slope adjustment plate is used to compensate for the slope. Alternatively, the pedestal system 10 can also be used to create a sloping pedestal floor on top of a horizontal subfloor/subsurface.

The articles “a” and “an,” as used herein, mean one or more when applied to any feature in embodiments of the present disclosure described in the specification and claims. The use of “a” and “an” does not limit the meaning to a single feature unless such a limit is specifically stated. The article “the” preceding singular or plural nouns or noun phrases denotes a particular specified feature or particular specified features and may have a singular or plural connotation depending upon the context in which it is used. The adjective “any” means one, some, or all indiscriminately of whatever quantity.

“At least one,” as used herein, means one or more and thus includes individual components as well as mixtures/combinations.

The transitional terms “comprising”, “consisting essentially of” and “consisting of”, when used in the appended claims, in original and amended form, define the claim scope with respect to what unrecited additional claim elements or steps, if any, are excluded from the scope of the claim(s). The term “comprising” is intended to be inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude any additional, unrecited element, method, step or material. The term “consisting of” excludes any element, step or material other than those specified in the claim and, in the latter instance, impurities ordinarily associated with the specified material(s). The term “consisting essentially of” limits the scope of a claim to the specified elements, steps or material(s) and those that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristic(s) of the claimed disclosure. All materials and methods described herein that embody the present disclosure can, in alternate embodiments, be more specifically defined by any of the transitional terms “comprising,” “consisting essentially of,” and “consisting of.”

Although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of example embodiments. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

It will be understood that, if an element is referred to as being “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it can be directly connected, or coupled, to the other element or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, if an element is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly coupled” to another element, there are no intervening elements present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a like fashion (e.g., “between” versus “directly between,” “adjacent” versus “directly adjacent,” etc.).

Spatially relative terms (e.g., “beneath,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper” and the like) may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or a relationship between a feature and another element or feature as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as “below” or “beneath” other elements or features would then be oriented “above” the other elements or features. Thus, for example, the term “below” can encompass both an orientation that is above, as well as, below. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or viewed or referenced at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

Example embodiments are described herein with reference to cross-sectional illustrations that are schematic illustrations of idealized embodiments (and intermediate structures). As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, may be expected. Thus, example embodiments should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but may include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which example embodiments belong. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

While the disclosure has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof. While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.