Resilient Floor Surface

Abstract

A resilient floor surface for indoor and outdoor, residential, commercial and sporting applications includes a resilient underpad formed of expanded polypropylene product (“EPP”) and suitable for being laid down directly on the ground or other subfloor surface in a floating arrangement not requiring securing to the ground or other subfloor surface, and a floor covering material applied upon the resilient underpad as a covering for the resilient underpad. The surface covering is of the type suitable for floor surfacings, sport playing surfacings and decorative and sports surface coatings, and is selected from hardwood flooring, synthetic rubber and/or plastic flooring tiles and panels, rubber flooring tiles and panels, laminated wood flooring, residential and commercial carpets, crumb rubber surface coatings, EPDM (ethylene-propylene terpolymer) surface coatings, polyurethane surface coatings and any other suitable coatings. The resulting floor surface is shock-absorbing, sound and heat insulating, waterproof, lightweight, and durable, and is less expensive and easier to install than other flooring systems, due to the elimination of the multiple components required in prior flooring systems.

1 . A resilient floor surface comprising:
 a resilient underpad formed of expanded polypropylene product (“EPP”) suspended on top of a base surface; and   a floor surface covering material, other than synthetic turf, disposed atop the resilient underpad as a covering for the resilient underpad such that the resilient floor surface is composed of two components.   
   
   
       2 . The resilient floor surface of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient underpad formed of expanded polypropylene product (“EPP”) is provided in the form of a plurality of hand-portable panels, assembled in an edge-to-edge arrangement over a desired area of the base surface. 
   
   
       3 . The resilient floor surface of  claim 2 , wherein the portable panels include an interlocking edge arrangement for securing adjacent panels edges with respect to each other. 
   
   
       4 . The resilient floor surface of  claim 2 , wherein the resilient underpad is provided in configurations selected from the group consisting of 4-foot by 6-foot (120 cm by 180 cm) and 4-foot by 8-foot (120 cm by 240 cm) configurations. 
   
   
       5 . The resilient floor surface of  claim 1 , wherein the base surface is selected from a group consisting of: ground, other base, and subfloor. 
   
   
       6 . The resilient floor surface of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient underpad comprises a roll in widths selected from the group consisting of 12-feet (3.6 m), 16-feet (4.8 m), 20-feet (6.0 m) and 24-feet (7.2 m). 
   
   
       7 . The resilient floor surface of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient underpad is of a thickness of about ⅛-inch to 12 inches (3 mm to 30.5 cm). 
   
   
       8 . The resilient floor surface of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient underpad is of a thickness of about ½-inch to 4 inches (13 mm to 102 mm). 
   
   
       9 . The resilient floor surface of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient underpad is of a density between 1.1 to 2.8 pounds per cubic foot (0.018 grams per cubic cm to 0.045 grams per cubic cm). 
   
   
       10 . The resilient floor surface of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient underpad is molded into a sheet or pad of open cell structure with a density between 1.1 to 3.5 pounds per cubic foot (0.018 grams per cubic cm to 0.056 grams per cubic cm). 
   
   
       11 . The resilient floor surface of  claim 1 , wherein the floor surface covering material is selected from a group consisting of: (i) floor surfacings, (ii) sport playing surfacings, and (iii) decorative and sports surface coating. 
   
   
       12 . The resilient floor surface of  claim 1 , wherein the floor surface covering material is selected from a group consisting of: (i) hardwood flooring, (ii) rubber, synthetic rubber, or plastic flooring tiles, (iii) rubber, synthetic rubber, or plastic flooring panels, (iv) laminated wood flooring, (v) residential or commercial carpets, (vi) crumb rubber surface coating, (vii) EPDM (ethylene-propylene terpolymer) surface coating, and (viii) polyurethane surface coating. 
   
   
       13 . The resilient floor surface of  claim 1 , wherein the floor surface covering material is of a thickness of about ⅛-inch to 4 inches (3 mm to 102 mm). 
   
   
       14 . The resilient floor surface of  claim 1 , wherein the floor surface covering material is enhanced with a coloring or texture additive to enhance the surface appearance and/or performance of the resilient floor surface. 
   
   
       15 . The resilient floor surface of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient floor surface is suitable for either indoor or outdoor applications. 
   
   
       16 . The resilient floor surface of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient floor surface is suitable for uses selected from a group consisting of: (i) residential and commercial flooring surfaces upon the ground, roof plaza, or within multi-level building structures, (ii) rooftop membrane systems, (iii) sports or playground specialty surfaces, (iv) decorative surfaces, (v) comfort surfaces, (vi) pool, sidewalk or other recreational areas, (vii) general walking surfaces, and (viii) game surfaces. 
   
   
       17 . The resilient floor surface of  claim 1 , wherein the resilient floor surface is removable and replaceable. 
   
   
       18 . A resilient floor surface comprising:
 a plurality of hand-portable panels formed of expanded polypropylene product (“EPP”) assembled in an inter-locking edge-to-edge arrangement over a desired area and suspended on a top of a base surface; and   a surface covering material, other than synthetic turf, disposed atop the plurality of hand-portable panels as a covering for the plurality of hand-portable panels such that the resilient floor surface is composed of two components .   
   
   
       19 . The resilient floor surface of  claim 18 , wherein the floor surface covering material is selected from a group consisting of: (i) hardwood flooring, (ii) rubber, synthetic rubber, or plastic flooring tiles, (iii) rubber, synthetic rubber, or plastic flooring panels, (iv) laminated wood flooring, (v) residential or commercial carpets, (vi) crumb rubber surface coating, (vii) EPDM (ethylene-propylene terpolymer) surface coating, and (viii) polyurethane surface coating . 
   
   
       20 . The resilient floor surface of  claim 18 , wherein the floor surface covering material is applied up to edges of the plurality of hand-portable panels so that removable and replaceable panels for the resilient floor surface are formed.