Interlocking Rubber Tiles For Playgrounds

Abstract

A tile for covering an area which interlocks with an adjacent tile includes a main body having a top surface and a bottom surface disposed opposite the top surface. The main body has at least a first lateral side and a second lateral side. The tile includes a plurality of spaced apart male connectors situated on the first lateral side, and a plurality of spaced apart female receptacles situated on the second lateral side. The tile further includes a plurality of spaced apart slots and a plurality of spaced apart projections. Each slot is situated on either the first lateral side or the second lateral side of the main body inbetween either adjacent male connectors or adjacent female receptacles. Similarly, each projection is situated either on the first lateral side or the second lateral side of the main body inbetween either adjacent female receptacles or adjacent male connectors. The male connectors of the tile are engageable with female receptacles of an adjacent tile so that the tile may interlock with the adjacent tile. Also, the projections of the tile are receivable by slots of the adjacent tile to help prevent the tiles from curling or separating.

1 . A tile for covering an area and which interlocks with an adjacent tile, which comprises:
 a main body having a top surface and a bottom surface disposed opposite the top surface, the main body having at least a first lateral side and a second lateral side;   at least one male connector situated on at least one of the first lateral side and the second lateral side of the main body and extending outwardly therefrom;   at least one female receptacle situated on at least one of the first lateral side and the second lateral side of the main body;   at least one of the first lateral side and the second lateral side of the main body having formed therein at least one slot; and   at least one projection situated on at least one of the first lateral side and the second lateral side of the main body;   wherein the male connector of the tile is engageable with a female receptacle of an adjacent tile so that the tile may interlock with the adjacent tile;   wherein the projection of the tile is receivable by a slot of an adjacent tile so that the tile may further interlock with the adjacent tile;   wherein the main body of the tile resides generally in a plane;   wherein the male connector includes a first segment extending outwardly from the main body co-planarly with the main body, and a second segment joined to the first segment and extending perpendicularly to the first segment;   and wherein the female receptacle includes an inner wall, an outer wall disposed opposite the inner wall, side walls interposed between the inner wall and the outer wall, and a recessed bottom wall, the inner wall, outer wall, side walls and bottom wall of the female receptacle defining a recess for at least partially receiving the second segment of the male connector of an adjacent tile to interlock the tile with the adjacent tile   
     
     
         2 . A tile for covering an area and which interlocks with an adjacent tile as defined by  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the male connector and the female receptacle includes structure defining a reservoir for containing an adhesive for adhesively securing the tile and an adjacent tile together. 
     
     
         3 . A tile for covering an area and which interlocks with an adjacent tile as defined by  claim 2 , wherein the at least one of the male connector and the female receptacle having the structure defining a reservoir further includes structure defining a slot, the slot being in communication with the reservoir to allow excess adhesive to flow from the reservoir therethrough. 
     
     
         4 . A tile for covering an area and which interlocks with an adjacent tile as defined by  claim 1 , wherein the first segment of the male connector has formed therein a glue reservoir for receiving a glue for adhesively joining the tile to an adjacent tile. 
     
     
         5 . A tile for covering an area and which interlocks with an adjacent tile as defined by  claim 4 , wherein the second segment of the male connector has formed therein a slot, the slot being in communication with the glue reservoir formed in the first segment of the male connector to allow excess glue to flow from the glue reservoir of the male connector therethrough. 
     
     
         6 . A tile for covering an area and which interlocks with an adjacent tile as defined by  claim 1 , wherein the female receptacle defines a glue reservoir for receiving a glue for adhesively joining the tile to an adjacent tile. 
     
     
         7 . A tile for covering an area and which interlocks with an adjacent tile as defined by  claim 6 , wherein the glue reservoir of the female receptacle is formed in the recessed bottom surface. 
     
     
         8 . A tile for covering an area and which interlocks with an adjacent tile as defined by  claim 6 , wherein the outer wall of the female receptacle has formed therein a slot, the slot being in communication with the glue reservoir formed in the female receptacle to allow excess glue to flow from the glue reservoir of the female receptacle therethrough. 
     
     
         9 . A tile for covering an area and which interlocks with an adjacent tile as defined by  claim 1 , wherein the first segment of the male connector has formed therein a glue reservoir for receiving a glue for adhesively joining the tile to an adjacent tile;
 and wherein the female receptacle defines a glue reservoir for receiving a glue for adhesively joining the tile to an adjacent tile.   
     
     
         10 . A tile for covering an area and which interlocks with an adjacent tile as defined by  claim 1 , wherein the top surface of the main body of the tile has formed therein at least one recess, the at least one recess defining a water channel through which water may flow. 
     
     
         11 . A tile for covering an area which interlocks with an adjacent tile as defined by  claim 1 , wherein the main body of the tile includes peripheral edges situated at the top surface thereof, the peripheral edges being beveled to form chamfers, the chamfer of one peripheral edge of the tile being situated in parallel with and adjacent to the chamfer of a peripheral edge of an adjacent tile so as to define together a water channel through which water may flow. 
     
     
         12 . A tile for covering an area and which interlocks with an adjacent tile as defined by  claim 1 , wherein the main body includes a plurality of the male connectors situated on the at least one of the first lateral side and the second lateral side of the main body, the male connectors being spaced apart from each other;
 wherein the main body includes a plurality of the female receptacles situated on the at least one of the first lateral side and the second lateral side of the main body, the female receptacles being spaced apart from each other;   wherein the at least one of the first lateral side and the second lateral side of the main body has formed therein a plurality of the slots, a respective slot of the plurality of slots being situated between either a pair of spaced apart male connectors which are adjacent to each other or a pair of spaced apart female receptacles which are adjacent to each other; and   wherein the at least one of the first lateral side and the second lateral side of the main body has formed therein a plurality of the projections, a respective projection of the plurality of projections being situated between either a pair of spaced apart female receptacles which are adjacent to each other or a pair of spaced apart male connectors which are adjacent to each other.   
     
     
         13 . A tile for covering an area and which interlocks with an adjacent tile, which comprises:
 a main body having a top surface and a bottom surface disposed opposite the top surface, the main body having at least a first lateral side and a second lateral side;   at least one male connector situated on at least one of the first lateral side and the second lateral side of the main body and extending outwardly therefrom; and   at least one female receptacle situated on at least one of the first lateral side and the second lateral side of the main body;   wherein the male connector of the tile is engageable with a female receptacle of an adjacent tile so that the tile may interlock with the adjacent tile;   wherein the main body of the tile resides generally in a plane;   wherein the male connector includes a first segment extending outwardly from the main body co-planarly with the main body, and a second segment joined to the first segment and extending perpendicularly to the first segment;   wherein the female receptacle includes an inner wall, an outer wall disposed opposite the inner wall, sidewalls interposed between the inner wall and the outer wall, and a recessed bottom wall, the inner wall, outer wall, sidewalls and bottom wall of the female receptacle defining a recess for at least partially receiving the second segment of the male connector of an adjacent tile to interlock the tile with the adjacent tile;   wherein the female receptacle defines a glue reservoir for receiving a glue for adhesively joining the tile to an adjacent tile; and   wherein the inner wall of the female receptacle has formed therein a channel, the channel being in communication with the glue reservoir formed in the female receptacle and extending from the glue reservoir in a direction toward the bottom surface of the main body of the tile.   
     
     
         14 . A tile for covering an area and which interlocks with an adjacent tile, which comprises:
 a main body having a top surface and a bottom surface disposed opposite the top surface, the main body having at least a first lateral side and a second lateral side;   at least one male connector situated on at least one of the first lateral side and the second lateral side of the main body and extending outwardly therefrom; and   at least one female receptacle situated on at least one of the first lateral side and the second lateral side of the main body;   wherein the male connector of the tile is engageable with a female receptacle of an adjacent tile so that the tile may interlock with the adjacent tile;   wherein the main body of the tile resides generally in a plane;   wherein the male connector includes a first segment extending outwardly from the main body co-planarly with the main body, and a second segment joined to the first segment and extending perpendicularly to the first segment;   wherein the female receptacle includes an inner wall, an outer wall disposed opposite the inner wall, sidewalls interposed between the inner wall and the outer wall, and a recessed bottom wall, the inner wall, outer wall, sidewalls and bottom wall of the female receptacle defining a recess for at least partially receiving the second segment of the male connector of an adjacent tile to interlock the tile with the adjacent tile;   wherein the female receptacle defines a glue reservoir for receiving a glue for adhesively joining the tile to an adjacent tile; and   wherein the male connector further includes a recess formed in the first segment thereof, the recess being provided for locating a fastener in the first segment of the male connector to secure the tile to a supporting substrate.