A VOID MAT FOR STOPPING GAPS AROUND FLOOR PENETRATIONS

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to building fit out apparatus. More particularly, this invention relates to void mat which is temporally installed during building fit out for stopping gaps around floor penetrations for dropped object prevention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Gaps around service penetrations, such as pipes, electrical conduits, and similar structures on construction sites (as depicted in FIG. 1), can lead to unintended consequences, particularly in environments where safety is a paramount concern, wherein there is potential for dropped objects to fall through these gaps which poses a risk the individuals working on the site below. The force generated by objects falling from heights can result in serious accidents or damage to property.

These gaps may align across multiple floors, creating a vertical passage for objects to fall from considerable heights, consequently accumulating substantial kinetic energy during their descent.

The existing methods employed to address this issue involve a somewhat improvised approach of manually cutting chipboard sheets to fit around these penetrations and plug the gaps. However, the ad hoc nature of cutting sheets to fit specific penetrations introduces variability and may not consistently ensure a secure fit. Additionally, the manual process of cutting and fitting these sheets can be time-consuming and labour-intensive, potentially impacting the overall progress and efficiency of the construction project.

In light of these considerations, there is a clear need for a standardised solutions that can effectively seal the gaps around service penetrations. These solutions should not only prioritise safety but also consider factors such as ease of installation, durability, and long-term effectiveness with the goal of establishing a reliable method that can be easily replicated across various construction sites, reducing the potential for accidents caused by falling objects and enhancing overall work site safety.

It is to be understood that, if any prior art information is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the information forms part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

There is provided herein a specialised void mat that has been developed to effectively seal gaps around service penetrations within floors. The mat consists of two main components: a sleeve and a base that interfaces with the sleeve.

The base is generally planar and features a central aperture to connect with the sleeve's edges. The sleeve extends from one side of the base and can be made by stitching together separate material sheets. The mat is designed to address gaps around penetrations, like pipes or conduits, on construction sites.

The mat's functionality involves a side closure to accommodate the penetration into the sleeve and a distal closure to securely enclose the penetration. To use the mat, the side closure is opened, the penetration is inserted sideways into the sleeve, and then the side closure is closed. Subsequently, the distal closure is also closed around the penetration, sealing the gap effectively.

The mat has a pair of distal strips on the sleeve, which can fasten together to accommodate different penetration diameters. These strips may have hook and loop fasteners, allowing them to fit snugly around penetrations of varying sizes. The distal strips are designed to close around the penetration, ensuring a secure fit. The pair of distal strips with hook and loop fasteners may allow the mat to securely fit around different sizes of penetrations, providing a versatile solution that can be used for various types of service penetrations.

The edges of the side closure has base strips that fasten together, along with side strips on the sleeve that continue from the base strips. The side strips have an outer strip that folds around an inner strip, allowing for secure closure and contiguous interfacing between the base strips and the distal strips.

The base of the mat may contain fastener apertures that allow the mat to be secured to the floor using nails or similar fasteners. Reinforcing edge strips with fastener apertures may add further stability and support.

The mat may be constructed with mesh material between the strips which is partially transparent for visibility, enables workers to see that a gap is covered. This visual cue helps prevent workers from inadvertently stepping on the mat, ensuring its functionality is maintained and reducing the risk of damage or accidents. The mesh material may also be fire rated, ensuring safety in hazardous environments.

To enhance visibility and awareness, the strips may be coloured with high-contrast, visible red. The base strips may additionally feature silkscreen printing, warning workers not to stand on the mat.

The void mat's design simplifies the process of sealing gaps. The side closure allows for easy insertion of the penetration into the sleeve, followed by closure of the side and distal closures. This straightforward process reduces installation time and effort compared to traditional methods.

By effectively sealing gaps around penetrations, the void mat contributes to a safer work environment. It prevents objects from falling through gaps, reducing the risk of accidents and injuries to workers on lower levels of the construction site.

The standardised design of the void mat offers a consistent and reliable solution for sealing gaps around penetrations across various construction sites. This reduces variability in gap-filling methods and enhances overall site safety.

In summary, the void mat's advantages include streamlined installation, adaptability to different penetration sizes, improved safety measures, secure closure mechanisms, and overall reliability. These features collectively make the mat a valuable tool for enhancing safety and efficiency on construction sites.

Other aspects of the invention are also disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Notwithstanding any other forms which may fall within the scope of the present invention, preferred embodiments of the disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a gap around a floor penetration;

FIG. 2 shows a void mat for stopping gaps around floor penetrations;

FIG. 3 shows a further perspective view of the void mat;

FIG. 4 shows a top plan view of the void mat;

FIG. 5 shows the void mat enclosing around a large diameter pipe;

FIG. 6 shows the void mat enclosing around a smaller diameter pipe; and

FIG. 7 shows the void mat in an open configuration.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

A void mat 100, shown in FIG. 2, is designed for stopping gaps 101 around a penetration 102 in a floor 103. The mat 100 comprises a sleeve 104 and a base 105 interfacing with the sleeve 104. As shown in FIG. 2, the base 105 may be generally planar and may define a central aperture therethrough which interfaces with adjacent edges of the sleeve 104. Further shown in FIG. 2, the sleeve 104 may extend from one side of the base 105. The base 105 and the sleeve 104 may comprise separate material sheets which are stitched together at interfacing edges.

The mat 100 has a side closure 106 configured for receipt of the penetration 102 into the sleeve 104. The sleeve 104 has a distal closure 107 configured for closing around the penetration 102. Using the void mat 100 to fill the gap 101 around the penetration 102 through the floor 103 comprises opening the side closure 106, as shown in FIG. 7, and inserting the penetration 102 sideways through the side closure 106 into the sleeve 104. The side closure 106 can then be closed. Thereafter, the distal closure 107 is closed around the penetration 102 in the manner shown in FIG. 2.

Preferably, distal portions of the sleeve 104 are configured to fasten together around penetrations 102 of different diameters. For example, FIG. 5 shows the distal closure 107 closing around a 325 mm diameter pipe, and FIG. 6 shows the distal closure 107 closing around a 40 mm diameter pipe.

In the embodiment shown, the sleeve 104 comprises a pair of distal strips 108 which are configured to fasten together. The distal strips 108 may define a closed end 109 away from the side closure 106 and an open end 110 interfacing with the side closure 106 so that the penetration 102 can go into the sleeve 104 when the side closure 106 is open. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the distal strips 108 may be configured so that respective distal ends thereof fasten together on either side of the penetration 102.

Presently, the distal strips 108 have fasteners which allow the distal strips 108 to fasten together anywhere along facing surfaces 111, so that the distal strips 108 can tightly fit around the penetration 102 or even fit around two or more spaced apart penetrations 102. Preferably, facing surfaces 111 of the distal strips 108 comprise hook and loop fasteners.

Preferably, the distal strips 108 have sufficient length to fasten around penetrations having a diameter of up to approximately 325 mm. In a preferred embodiment, the distal strips 108 have a length of greater than approximately 500 mm. In the particular embodiments shown, the base 105 may be approximately 750 mm². Furthermore, the sleeve 104 may have a height of approximately 500 mm.

As alluded to above, the side closure 106 is configurable in an open configuration, as shown in FIG. 7, to receive the penetration 102 therethrough into the sleeve 104 and a closed configuration, as shown in FIG. 2. Similarly, edges of the side closure 106 may be configured to fasten together. In this regard, the edges of the side closure 106 may have base strips 112 that fasten together and the sleeve 104 having side strips 113 which fasten together. The side strips 113 may continue from the base strips 112 and may be continuous or made of separate portions.

As shown in FIG. 2, the base strips 112 may overlap flat. In this regard, the base strips 112 may comprise respective interfacing hook and loop fasteners. The side strips 113 may similarly comprise respective interfacing hook and loop fasteners. In the embodiments shown, the side strips 113 may have an outer strip 113B and an inner strip 113A. The outer strip 113B is configured to fold around the inner strip 113A, as illustrated in FIG. 4. As such, the inner strip 113A may comprise loop fasteners on both surfaces thereof, whereas the outer strip 113B comprises loop fasteners across an inner surface thereof, the inner surface being twice the width of the inner strip 113A.

The base 105 may comprise fastener apertures 115. Nails or the like may secure the base 105 to the floor 103 through the fastener apertures 115. Where the base 105 is square, the base 105 preferably comprises fastener apertures 115 at corners thereof. However, in the embodiment shown, the base 105 comprises further fasteners 115 along straight edges thereof. It should be noted that the base 105 may comprise a pair of fasteners 115 on either side of the side closure 106. In alternative embodiments, the base 105 may be circular.

The base 105 may comprise reinforcing edge strips 114. The edge strips 114 may comprise the fastener apertures 115 therethrough. The mat 100 may comprise mesh material between the strips 108, 112, 113 and 114. The mesh material may be partially transparent so that workers can see that the mat 100 is covering a gap 101 and therefore should not be stood upon or the like. The mesh material may be fire-rated.

The strips 108, 112, 113 and/or 114 preferably have high visibility contrasting colouring. In the embodiment shown, the strips 108, 112, 113 and/or 114 are visibly coloured red. Furthermore, the base strips 114 may comprise silkscreen printing thereon, warning workers not to stand on the mat 100.

The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that specific details are not required in order to practise the invention. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the invention are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed as obviously many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the following claims and their equivalents define the scope of the invention.