Interlocking Tile

Abstract

A loose-laid, non-adhesive plastic tile is interconnected with similar tiles by interlocking channel structures employing gripping means. Contiguous pairs of upper and lower laterally extending walls on peripheral edges of the tile carry longitudinally elongated channels and rails in mating pairs, with one side of the pair on the upper walls and the second side of the pair on lower walls. An optional linear seal carried on at least one side of a channel structure compresses against the other side to seal against penetration by liquids. Gripping elements flank the seal to ensure the upper and lower walls are retained in the plane of the tile. Rails and channels may engage by interference fit. Teeth depending from rails may enter sockets in the bottom of a channel to establish interference fit of a suitable distance transverse to the major plane of a typically thin tile.

1 . In an improved interlocking floor tile for participation in a loose-laid assemblage of like floor tiles, the improved floor tile having a main tile body defined between a top surface, a bottom surface, and four peripheral edges, wherein each of a first pair of two contiguous peripheral edges includes a laterally extending upper wall; wherein each of a second pair of two contiguous peripheral edges, opposite from said first pair, includes a laterally extending lower wall; the improvement comprising: 
 first and second longitudinally elongated interlocking elements suitably configured for securing two tiles joined at one juxtaposed edge of each in substantially coplanar relationship on two orthogonal axes while maintaining a mutually slidable relationship on a third orthogonal axis, the secured axes including a coplanar transverse axis relative to said juxtaposed edges and an axis transverse to the common plane of the tiles, and the slidable axis including a coplanar parallel axis to the juxtaposed edges;    wherein each of said first and second interlocking elements is disposed with its longitudinal dimension parallel to a different peripheral edge of the tile, each of said upper walls carries a first element of said set in downwardly extending relationship, and each of said lower walls carries a second element of the set in upwardly extending relationship; and    said peripheral edges are substantially linear, enabling sliding movement between juxtaposed edges of like joined tiles.    
   
   
       2 . The floor tile of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said first and second interlocking elements respectively comprise first and second channel structures configured for mutual engagement;    said first channel structure comprises a female channel having opposite sidewalls spaced at a first selected width and having a relatively wider snap-in reception area defined in at least one of said sidewalls; and    said second channel structure comprises a male channel, having a face wall and opposite sidewalls spaced at a second selected width narrower than said first selected width, and having at least one relatively wider edge portion extending to greater than said first selected width and suitably positioned to engage said snap-in reception area when the second channel structure is received in the first channel structure.    
   
   
       3 . The floor tile of  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said male channel defines a longitudinally elongated linear slot in said face wall, spaced between said opposite channel sidewalls, providing an improved ability of said wider edge portion of the channel to deflect during reception of the second channel structure into the first channel structure.    
   
   
       4 . The floor tile of  claim 2 , wherein: 
 said female channel defines said snap-in reception area in both sidewalls thereof;    said male channel defines said relatively wider edge portion on each of said opposite sidewalls thereof, suitably positioned to snap in to said snap-in reception areas when the second channel structure is received in the first channel structure; and    a compressible linear seal is carried in said longitudinally elongated linear slot in said face wall and extends from said face wall sufficiently to be compressed against the female channel when the male channel is engaged in the female channel, and the seal is arranged such that the relatively wider edge portions in each of the opposite sidewalls of the male channel provide two-sided locking engagement on each lateral side of said seal, opposing disengagement of said first and second channel structures under counter-compressive force of the compressed seal.    
   
   
       5 . The floor tile of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said first interlocking element comprises a female channel that defines longitudinally extending, opposite sidewalls;    said second interlocking element comprises a male channel that defines a face wall and longitudinally extending, opposite sidewalls;    said female and male channels are configured to be mutually engageable by moving two tiles from non-coplanar position into coplanar position;    the female and male channels are configured to have interference of fit between respective sidewalls prior to said tiles reaching coplanar position; and    the female and male channels are lockable in a relative longitudinal position by forcing the tiles into coplanar position with respective sidewalls of the female and male channels in interference fit.    
   
   
       6 . The floor tile of  claim 5 , wherein: 
 said male channel defines a longitudinally elongated linear slot in said face wall, spaced between said opposite male channel sidewalls, providing an improved ability of said male channel to deflect during entry into said female channel in interference fit.    
   
   
       7 . The floor tile of  claim 6 , wherein: 
 a compressible linear seal is carried in said a longitudinally elongated linear slot in said face wall of said male channel, arranged such that said seal is compressed against said female channel when the female and male channels are engaged in interference fit.    
   
   
       8 . The floor tile of  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of teeth arranged on said male channel at longitudinally spaced intervals, positioned to enter said female channel in advance of the male channel when the male and female channels are being engaged;    a plurality of sockets each sized and positioned for receiving at least one of said teeth, arranged in the female channel at like longitudinally spaced intervals;    wherein each tooth includes a sidewall generally parallel with a sidewall of the male channel, and each socket includes a sidewall generally parallel with a sidewall of the female channel, arranged such that the sidewalls of the teeth and sockets create an interference fit prior to said tiles reaching coplanar position.    
   
   
       9 . The floor tile of  claim 8 , wherein said sockets and said teeth are mutually sized to allow a clearance between the sockets and teeth at longitudinal ends of the sockets and teeth, such that the teeth are longitudinally moveable in the sockets.  
   
   
       10 . A method of assembling a first tile with a like configured second tile, comprising: 
 providing a first and second tiles wherein the first tile includes a channel parallel to an associated tile edge thereof and the second tile includes a rail parallel to an associated tile edge thereof, wherein said rail and channel are engageable to bring said first and second tile into generally coplanar alignment when their respective associated edges are juxtaposed;    configuring said rail and channel with an interference fit, wherein said interference arises before the first and second tiles reach generally coplanar alignment;    placing the first tile on a floor with the channel upwardly open;    locating the second tile such that the rail is immediately above the open channel; and    pressing the second tile normally to the first tile to engage the rail into the channel such that the two tiles become secured by interference fit.    
   
   
       11 . An improved assemblage of at least two loose-laid interlocking floor tiles, wherein each floor tile includes a main tile body defined between a top surface, a bottom surface, and four peripheral edges; each of a first pair of two contiguous peripheral edges of each tile includes a laterally extending upper wall; each of a second pair of two contiguous peripheral edges of each tile, opposite from said first pair, includes a laterally extending lower wall; the improvement comprising: 
 the first tile includes a longitudinally elongated rail, depending from said laterally extending upper wall and disposed parallel to a juxtaposed peripheral edge of said first pair of edges;    the second tile includes a longitudinally elongated, upwardly open channel in said laterally extending lower wall, disposed parallel to a juxtaposed peripheral edge of said second pair of edges;    said rail is engaged in said channel in an interlocking relationship joining said juxtaposed edges of each tile in substantially coplanar relationship on two orthogonal axes while maintaining a mutually slidable relationship between the first and second tiles on a third orthogonal axis, the secured axes including a coplanar transverse axis relative to said juxtaposed edges and an axis transverse to the common plane of the tiles, and the slidable axis including a coplanar parallel axis to the juxtaposed edges; and    said peripheral edges are substantially linear, enabling longitudinal sliding movement between the first and second tiles along the juxtaposed edges.    
   
   
       12 . The assemblage of floor tile of  claim 11 , wherein: 
 said upwardly open channel includes opposite sidewalls generally spaced at a first selected width and a snap-in reception area, relatively wider than first selected width, defined in at least one of said sidewalls; and    said rail includes a face wall and opposite sidewalls generally spaced at a second selected width narrower than said first selected width of the channel, and at least one relatively wider area of a rail sidewall extending to greater width than said first selected width and suitably positioned to engage in said snap-in reception area when the rail is received in the channel.    
   
   
       13 . The floor tile of  claim 12 , wherein: 
 said rail defines a longitudinally elongated linear slot in said face wall, spaced between said opposite rail sidewalls, providing an improved ability of said wider area of rail sidewall to deflect during reception of the rail into the channel.    
   
   
       14 . The assemblage of floor tile of  claim 12 , wherein: 
 said channel includes a snap-in reception area in both sidewalls thereof;    said rail includes a relatively wider area of rail sidewall in each of of said opposite sidewalls thereof, suitably positioned to snap into said snap-in reception areas when the rail is received in the channel; and    a compressible linear seal is carried in said longitudinally elongated linear slot and extends from said face wall sufficiently to be compressed against the channel when the rail is engaged in the channel, and said seal is arranged such that the relatively wider area of rail sidewall in each of the opposite sidewalls of the rail provide two-sided locking engagement on each lateral side of the seal, opposing disengagement of the rail and channel under counter-compressive force of the compressed seal.    
   
   
       15 . The assemblage of floor tile of  claim 11 , wherein: 
 said channel defines a pair of longitudinally extending, opposite channel sidewalls;    said rail defines a face wall and a pair of longitudinally extending, opposite rail sidewalls; and    the relative spacing of said channel sidewalls and rail sidewalls establishes an interference fit between the engaged rail and channel when said tiles are coplanar.    
   
   
       16 . The assemblage of floor tile of  claim 15 , wherein: 
 said rail defines a longitudinally elongated linear slot in said face wall, spaced between said opposite rail sidewalls, providing an improved ability of said rail to deflect during entry into said channel in interference fit.    
   
   
       17 . The assemblage of floor tile of  claim 16 , wherein: 
 a compressible linear seal is carried in said a longitudinally elongated linear slot in said face wall of said rail, arranged such that said seal is compressed against said channel when the rail and channel a engaged such that the juxtaposed edges of each tile are in substantially coplanar relationship.    
   
   
       18 . The assemblage of floor tile of  claim 16 , wherein: 
 said rail includes a plurality of teeth arranged at longitudinally spaced intervals;    said channel defines a plurality of sockets each sized and positioned to house at least one of said teeth, arranged in the channel at like longitudinally spaced intervals;    wherein each tooth includes a sidewall generally parallel with a sidewall of the rail, and each socket includes a sidewall generally parallel with a sidewall of the channel, arranged such that the sidewalls of the teeth and sockets create an interference fit when the tiles are in coplanar position.    
   
   
       19 . The assemblage of floor tile of  claim 18 , wherein said sockets and said teeth are mutually sized to allow a clearance between the sockets and teeth at longitudinal ends of the sockets and teeth, such that the teeth are longitudinally moveable in the sockets.