Modular structural surface assembly

Abstract

A modular surface assembly includes a plurality of panels, each panel having a planar top surface, a double-wall skirt extending around the perimeter of the planar surface and defining a narrow gap between the two walls of the skirt. Collinear first holes extend through the skirt at a first location along the skirt and collinear second holes extend through the skirt at a second location along the skirt spaced from the first location. A first connector extends through the first holes and into the gap of one panel for connecting the one panel to an adjacent similar panel at the first location, and a second connector extends through the second holes and into the gap of the one panel for connecting that panel to the adjacent panel at the second location. Various connector designs are also disclosed.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A modular surface assembly comprising: 
 a panel including a support surface, a double-wall skirt extending around the perimeter of the support surface and defining a narrow gap between the two walls of the skirt, collinear first holes extending through the skirt at a first location along the skirt, collinear second holes extending through the skirt at a second location along the skirt spaced from the first location;    a first connector for extending through said first holes and into said gap for connecting said panel to an adjacent similar panel at said first location, and    a second connector for extending through said second holes and into said gap for connecting said panel to the adjacent similar panel at said second location.    
     
     
         2 . The assembly defined in  claim 1  and further including drainage holes in said support surface said drainage holes having substantially the same diameter as the collinear holes in the skirt so that said connected-together panels may be perpendicular to one another.  
     
     
         3 . The assembly defined in  claim 1  and further including additional collinear holes along said skirt for receiving additional connectors.  
     
     
         4 . The assembly defined in  claim 1  wherein said panel is rectangular with a length which is an integral multiple of the panel width, said skirt including side segments which extend along the sides of the panel and end segments which extend along the ends of the panel.  
     
     
         5 . The assembly defined in  claim 4  wherein the panel also includes at least one double-wall linear rib structure extending from the underside of the support surface between said skirt side segments, said rib structure defining a narrow gap between the two walls of the rib structure, said rib structure being spaced along the panel from one of said skirt end segments by a distance corresponding substantially to the panel width or one-half the panel width.  
     
     
         6 . The assembly defined in  claim 5  and further including additional ribbing extending from the underside of the support surface and extending between said skirt end segments and said rib structure so as to stiffen the panel.  
     
     
         7 . The assembly defined in  claim 5  and further including additional collinear holes extending through the double-wall rib structure.  
     
     
         8 . The assembly defined in  claim 1  wherein the first connector comprises: 
 a bracket having a bottom wall;  
 a pair of coplanar tabs extending up from the bottom wall at spaced-apart locations therealong;  
 means defining a hole extending through each tab, the thickness of said tabs being slightly smaller than the width of said skirt gap so that said bracket can be engaged under the panel with one of said tabs extending into the gap between the two walls of the skirt to place the hole therein tab in alignment with the first collinear holes in said skirt, and  
 a pin insertable into said aligned holes in the skirt and tab so as to lock the bracket to the panel.  
 
     
     
         9 . The assembly defined in  claim 8  wherein said pin is appreciably longer than the total thickness of said double-wall skirt.  
     
     
         10 . The assembly defined in  claim 8  wherein, 
 the panel is generally rectangular with four corners and the first and second collinear holes are located near adjacent corners of the panel;  
 the space between said bracket tabs is wider than twice the total thickness of said double-wall skirt, and  
 the bracket is engaged under the panel so that the hole in one of said tabs is aligned with the first collinear holes in said panel and the other tab extends up from the bracket bottom wall outside the panel skirt in order to engage an adjacent similar panel.  
 
     
     
         11 . The assembly defined in  claim 8  wherein said pin comprises a double-ended pin composed of coaxial mirror-image pin sections having first ends connected together and tapered second ends, each pin section being longer than the total thickness of said double-wall skirt.  
     
     
         12 . The assembly defined in  claim 8  wherein the tabs have opposing corners which are beveled.  
     
     
         13 . The assembly defined in  claim 1  wherein said connector comprises a double-ended pin composed of coaxial mirror image pin sections having first ends connected together and second ends, each pin section being longer than the total thickness of said double-wall skirt.  
     
     
         14 . The assembly defined in  claim 13  wherein said connector is somewhat flexible.  
     
     
         15 . The assembly defined in  claim 1  wherein the second ends of the connector are tapered.  
     
     
         16 . The assembly defined in  claim 1  wherein the second ends of the connector are enlarged.  
     
     
         17 . The assembly defined in  claim 1  and further including an elongated stiffening member extending along the gap in said double-wall skirt.  
     
     
         18 . The assembly defined in  claim 1  and further including a panel retention bracket connecting said panels, said retention bracket having a base, with two legs extending from the base and spaced apart by a distance no greater than about twice the thickness of said skirt and no less than about twice the thickness of a wall of said skirt.  
     
     
         19 . The assembly defined in  claim 18  and further including collinear pin-receiving holes in said retention bracket legs.  
     
     
         20 . The panel defined in  claim 10  wherein said bracket tabs and the holes therein are dimensioned and arranged so that when the hole in said one tab is aligned with the first collinear holes in said skirt and said pin is inserted into said holes in the skirt and one tab, the one tab is spaced from the underside of the top surface and the skirt is spaced from the bottom wall of the bracket, so that the bracket and panel can pivot relatively about the pin.  
     
     
         21 . A panel for a modular surface assembly comprising: 
 a support surface;    a double-wall skirt extending around the perimeter of the top wall and defining a narrow gap between the two walls of the skirt;    collinear first holes extending through the skirt at a first location along the skirt, and    collinear second holes extending through the skirt at a second location along the skirt spaced from the first location.    
     
     
         22 . The panel defined in  claim 21  wherein the panel is rectangular with a length which is an integral multiple of the panel width, said skirt including side segments which extend along the sides of the support surface and end segments which extend the along the ends of the support surface.  
     
     
         23 . The panel defined in  claim 22  and further including at least one double wall rib structure extending from the underside said support surface between said skirt side wall segments, said rib structure defining a narrow gap between the two walls of said rib structure, said rib structure being spaced along the underside of the support surface from one of said skirt end segments by a distance substantially corresponding to the panel width or one-half the panel width.  
     
     
         24 . The panel defined in  claim 23  and further including additional collinear holes extending through the double-wall rib structure adjacent to the ends of the rib structure.  
     
     
         25 . A connector for a modular surface assembly composed of a plurality of panels, a said connector including: 
 a bracket having a bottom wall and a pair of coplanar tabs extending up from the bottom wall at spaced apart locations along the bottom wall;    means defining a hole extending through each tab, and    a locking pin extending through the hole in each tab.    
     
     
         26 . The connector defined in  claim 25  wherein said tabs have opposing corners which are beveled.  
     
     
         27 . A connector for a modular surface assembly composed of panels each panel having a double-wall peripheral skirt, said connector comprising a double-ended pin composed of coaxial, mirror-image pin sections having first ends connected together and second ends, each pin section being longer than the total thickness of the double-wall skirt of each panel.  
     
     
         28 . The connector defined in  claim 27  wherein said pin is somewhat flexible.  
     
     
         29 . The connector defined in  claim 25  wherein said pin has tapered ends.  
     
     
         30 . The connector defined in  claim 25  wherein said locking pin has bulbous ends.  
     
     
         31 . the connector defined in  claim 27  in combination with a tool comprising an elongated shaft having a tapered end and an opposite end, and an annular member extending laterally from said opposite end.