High-strength composite floor

Abstract

A floor made up of interlocking floor panels locked together by locking members includes floor reinforcements having mid-sections substantially equally spaced from one another across substantially an entire length of each floor panel. The reinforcements are configured to accommodate the locking members while not disrupting the uniform spacing of the reinforcements at their mid-sections. The reinforcements are configured to permit insulation to be positioned within an interior space of the floor panels.

1 . An insulated floor comprising a first floor panel, the first floor panel comprising: 
 (a) a plurality of reinforcements substantially uniformly spaced from one another,    wherein each reinforcement has at least one transverse opening therein;    (b) a panel sheet below the plurality of reinforcements;    (c) a decking member overlying the plurality of reinforcements;    (d) a tread surface overlying the decking member;    (e) panel sidewalls extending vertically along the perimeter of the first floor panel;    (f) at least one locking member adjacent to a panel sidewall,    wherein at least one reinforcement of the plurality of reinforcements is configured to accommodate the at least one locking member; and    (g) insulation between the lower panel sheet and the decking member and residing in the at least one transverse opening.    
   
   
       2 . The insulated floor of  claim 1  wherein the at least one reinforcement is bifurcated into two segments, such that each segment extends toward the panel sidewall on opposite sides of the at least one locking member.  
   
   
       3 . The insulated floor of  claim 1  wherein the at least one reinforcement is notched, such that a first portion of the reinforcement extends toward the at least one locking member and a second portion of the reinforcement extends toward the panel sidewall.  
   
   
       4 . The insulated floor of  claim 1  wherein each of the plurality of reinforcements comprises first and second elongated flat spans separated by a series of vertical members, such that a plurality of transverse openings are defined between the first and second elongated flat spans.  
   
   
       5 . The insulated floor of  claim 1  further comprising a second floor panel coupled with the first floor panel, wherein the at least one locking member engages the second floor panel to secure the second floor panel to the first floor panel.  
   
   
       6 . The insulated floor of  claim 5  wherein the second floor panel comprises a panel sidewall, and wherein an abutting edge of the panel sidewalls of the first and second floor panels comprises a tongue-and-groove edge seam.  
   
   
       7 . The insulated floor of  claim 5  wherein the second floor panel has a decking member overlying a plurality of reinforcements and a tread surface overlying the decking member, and wherein the tread surfaces of the first and second floor panels descend along a portion of an abutting edge of the decking members separating the decking members.  
   
   
       8 . The insulated floor panel of  claim 5  wherein the locking members comprise locking devices for engaging corresponding locking members in the first and second floor panels and drawing the first and second floor panels together.  
   
   
       9 . The insulated floor panel of  claim 8  wherein the locking device of the first floor panel comprises a retractable latch and the locking device of second floor panel comprises a locking stud.  
   
   
       10 . The insulated floor of  claim 1  wherein the insulation comprises a polyurethane foam.  
   
   
       11 . The insulated floor of  claim 1  wherein the decking member comprises a plywood material.  
   
   
       12 . The insulated floor of  claim 1  wherein the tread surface comprises a metal sheet.  
   
   
       13 . The insulated floor of  claim 1  wherein the reinforcements comprise a molded fiberglass material.  
   
   
       14 . A floor panel comprising: 
 (a) a series of floor reinforcements having midsections substantially equally spaced from one another;    (b) panel sidewalls extending vertically along a perimeter of the floor panel; and    (c) at least one panel fasten adjacent to at least one panel sidewall,    wherein at least one of the floor reinforcements has an axis that is aligned with and configured to accommodate a corresponding locking member.    
   
   
       15 . The floor panel of  claim 14  wherein at least one of the floor reinforcements has at least one end that is bifurcated into two segments, such that each segment extends toward the panel sidewall on opposite sides of the corresponding locking member.  
   
   
       16 . The floor panel of  claim 14  wherein the one or more floor reinforcements are notched, such that a first portion of the reinforcement extends toward the corresponding locking member and a second portion of the reinforcement extends past the locking member toward the panel sidewall.  
   
   
       17 . The floor panel of  claim 14  further comprising: 
 (a) a decking member overlying the series of floor reinforcements;    (b) a tread surface overlying the decking member; and    (c) a panel sheet below the plurality of reinforcements.    
   
   
       18 . The floor panel of  claim 17  wherein the decking member comprises plywood having a thickness of about ¾ inches to about 1 inch.  
   
   
       19 . The floor panel of  claim 17  wherein the tread surface comprises a metal sheet.  
   
   
       20 . The floor panel of  claim 17  wherein the floor reinforcements include a plurality of transverse openings therein, and wherein the floor panel further comprises a polyurethane foam between the decking member and the panel sheet and residing in the plurality of transverse openings in the floor reinforcements.  
   
   
       21 . The floor panel of  claim 14  wherein the locking members comprise locking devices for engaging corresponding locking members in adjacent floor panels.  
   
   
       22 . A floor comprising a plurality of floor panels locked together by locking members, each floor panel including floor reinforcements wherein at least one reinforcement is configured to accommodate a locking member.  
   
   
       23 . The floor of  claim 22  wherein midsections of the plurality of floor panels are substantially equally spaced from one another across substantially an entire length of each floor panel.  
   
   
       24 . The floor of  claim 22  wherein the at least one reinforcement is bifurcated into two segments, such that each segment extends toward a panel sidewall on opposite sides of the locking member.  
   
   
       25 . The floor of  claim 24  wherein the two segments having a length that corresponds with a length dimension of the locking member.  
   
   
       26 . The floor of  claim 24  wherein the bifurcation comprises the two parallel segments attached to a third transverse segment, and wherein the transverse segment is attached to the two parallel segments to define a space within the two parallel segments and the transverse segments that corresponds with perimeter dimensions of the locking member.  
   
   
       27 . The floor of  claim 22  wherein the at least one reinforcement is notched, such that a first portion of the reinforcement extends toward the locking member and a second portion of the reinforcement extends past the locking member toward a panel sidewall.  
   
   
       28 . The floor of  claim 27  wherein the second portion has a length that corresponds to a perimeter dimension of the locking member.  
   
   
       29 . The floor of  claim 22  wherein a portion of the plurality of floor panels have side edges having a tongue and another portion have side edges with a groove therein, such that the floor panels abut against each other and form a tongue and groove edge seam.  
   
   
       30 . The floor of  claim 29  wherein the floor panels further comprise a decking member and a tread surface overlying the decking member, and wherein the tread surfaces descend along a portion of the edge seam and separate the decking members.  
   
   
       31 . The floor of  claim 29  wherein the decking members overlying floor panels having a groove therein have a beveled side edge, and the decking members overlying floor panels having a tongue have a substantially straight side edge.