Access floor panel and system

Abstract

The invention relates to an access floor panel for use in an access floor system. The floor panel includes a bottom pan, and a core, the core being made from a mineralized fibrous material blended with cement, such as DURISOL™. The floor panel may further include a top pan which is attached to the top edge of the sidewall.

1 . An access floor panel, comprising: 
 a bottom pan including a plate;    a core including a core body made from a mixture of a mineralized fibrous aggregate and a cement binder, said core being secured to said plate.    
     
     
         2 . An access floor panel as in  claim 1 , wherein said bottom pan further comprises a sidewall that projects upwards from said plate and surrounds said core.  
     
     
         3 . An access floor panel as in  claim 1 , wherein said core body is made from DURISOL™.  
     
     
         4 . An access floor panel as in  claim 1 , further comprising a top pan, said top pan being attached to at least one of said bottom pan and said core.  
     
     
         5 . An access floor panel as in  claim 1 , wherein said plate is a resilient tensile member and said core is fixedly secured to said plate so that said core body and said plate share tensile stresses incurred by said core when a perpendicular force is exerted on said core.  
     
     
         6 . An access floor panel as in  claim 1 , wherein said core is secured to said plate with a hot melt glue.  
     
     
         7 . An access floor panel as in  claim 2 , wherein said mixture is a paste that is adapted to be molded and cured in said bottom pan.  
     
     
         8 . An access floor panel as in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one anchor mounted to said core and extending outwardly from the surface of said core, wherein said bottom pan further includes at least one anchor mating portion for mating with said at least one anchor to secure said core and said bottom pan together.  
     
     
         9 . An access floor panel as in  claim 1 , wherein said core further includes at least one reinforcing bar positioned within said core body so that said core body and said at least one reinforcing bar share tensile stresses incurred by said core when a perpendicular force is exerted on said core.  
     
     
         10 . An access floor panel as in  claim 1 , wherein said core body has a top face, a bottom face and a plurality of side edge faces extending between said top and bottom faces, and said core further includes at least one exterior reinforcing bar, said at least one exterior reinforcing bar being fixedly secured to said core body and extending along at least one side edge face of said core body so that said core body and said at least one exterior reinforcing bar share tensile stresses incurred by said core when a perpendicular force is exerted on said core.  
     
     
         11 . An access floor panel as in  claim 10 , wherein said core body is generally rectangular, and said core further includes two exterior reinforcing bars that are fixedly secured to said core body along two opposing side edge faces of said core body.  
     
     
         12 . An access floor panel as in  claim 10 , wherein said core further includes one of said at least one exterior reinforcing bar, fixedly secured to said core body along each side edge face of said core body.  
     
     
         13 . An access floor panel as in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said core and said plate has at least one protrusion, and the other of said core and said plate has a recess for mating with said protrusion to secure said core to said plate.  
     
     
         14 . A method of making an access floor panel, the method comprising: 
 putting a core material into a bottom pan, said core material comprising a mixture of a mineralized fibrous aggregate and a cement binder; and    molding and curing said core material into a core in said bottom pan.    
     
     
         15 . The method as in  claim 14 , further comprising the step of securing a top pan to said core.  
     
     
         16 . The method as in  claim 14 , wherein the securing step is executed with a hot melt glue.  
     
     
         17 . A method of making an access floor panel, the method comprising: 
 providing a pre-cured core that is adapted to fit with a bottom pan, said core comprising a mixture of a mineralized fibrous aggregate and a cement binder; and    securing said core to said bottom pan.    
     
     
         18 . The method as in  claim 17 , further comprising the step of securing a top pan to said core.  
     
     
         19 . The method as in  claim 17 , wherein the securing step is executed with a hot melt glue.  
     
     
         20 . An access flooring system comprising a plurality of access floor panels as claimed in  claim 1;  and 
 a plurality of pedestals for supporting said access floor panels above a lower floor, each said pedestals including a base that is mountable to said lower floor, a support post extending upwards from said base and a panel support piece mounted to said support post for receiving and supporting a portion of at least one of said plurality of access floor panels.