Wood deck with boards and connectors

Abstract

The wood deck is made of deck boards and deck board connectors. Each deck board has a lip extending along each side thereof. A pair of wings, a riser and the sole plate of a board connector define a pair of oppositely facing board receiving slots for receiving the lips of a pair of adjacent deck boards. Each deck board is preferably made of torrefied wood. The deck board connectors have bosses on their riser for maintaining a desired spacing between deck boards. Each deck board connector has drainage channels in its sole plate, on each side of the riser for draining any moisture that may seep between deck boards. Each deck board connector also has aeration gaps under its sole plate for drying any moisture that may seep beneath the boards. The wood deck is thereby less susceptible of retaining moisture under or between the deck boards.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A deck board connector having an elongated strip-like shape and a cross-section; said cross-section comprising;
 a sole plate;   a riser extending vertically from said sole plate;   a pair of wings extending in opposite directions from said riser in parallel alignment with said sole plate; said pair of wings, said riser and said sole plate defining a pair of oppositely facing board receiving slots for receiving a pair of adjacent deck boards;   each of said board receiving slots having a tapering upper wall and indentations along said upper wall for retaining said deck board therein.   
     
     
         2 . The deck board connector as claimed in  claim 1 , further having drainage channels in said sole plate on each side of said riser. 
     
     
         3 . The deck board connector as claimed in  claim 2 , further having aeration gaps under said sole plate. 
     
     
         4 . The deck board connector as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said wings define a head portion thereof, and said head portion has a colorable groove along a centerline thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The deck board connector as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said groove has a cross-sectional shape of a segment of a circle. 
     
     
         6 . The deck board connector as claimed in  claim 4 , further having a head-portion-receiving groove in a bottom surface of said sole plate and said head-portion-receiving groove having same dimensions as said head portion. 
     
     
         7 . The deck board connector as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said head-portion-receiving groove is defined by a resilient lip. 
     
     
         8 . The deck board connector as claimed in  claim 4 , having a board spacer on each side of said riser for maintaining a desired spacing between adjacent deck boards. 
     
     
         9 . The deck board connector as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein a combined thickness of said board spacers is a same dimension as a width of said colorable groove. 
     
     
         10 . A first and second deck board connectors being removably engaged to each other; each of said first and second deck board connectors having an elongated strip-like shape and a cross-section; said cross-section comprising;
 a sole plate;   a riser extending vertically from said sole plate;   a pair of wings extending in opposite directions from said riser in parallel alignment with said sole plate; said pair of wings defining a head portion thereof, and   a head-portion-receiving groove in a bottom surface of said sole plate and said head-portion-receiving groove being defined by a resilient lip and wherein said head portion of said second deck board connector being removably engaged into said head-portion-receiving groove of said first deck board connector.   
     
     
         11 . A wood deck made of deck boards and deck board connectors; said deck boards having a lip extending along each side thereof; each of said connectors having an elongated strip-like shape and a cross-section; said cross-section comprising;
 a sole plate;   a riser extending vertically from said sole plate;   a pair of wings extending in opposite directions from said riser in parallel alignment with said sole plate; said pair of wings, said riser and said sole plate defining a pair of oppositely facing board receiving slots for receiving said lips of a pair of adjacent positioned deck boards;   each of said board receiving slots having a tapering upper wall and indentations along said upper wall for retaining said deck board therein.   
     
     
         12 . The wood deck as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said deck boards are made of torrefied wood. 
     
     
         13 . The wood deck as claimed in  claim 11 , further having drainage channels in said sole plate on each side of said riser. 
     
     
         14 . The wood deck as claimed in  claim 11 , further having aeration gaps under said sole plate. 
     
     
         15 . The wood deck connector as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said wings define a head portion thereof, and said head portion has a colorable groove along a centerline thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The wood deck as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein said groove has a cross-sectional shape of a segment of a circle. 
     
     
         17 . The wood deck as claimed in  claim 16 , having board spacers on both sides of said riser for maintaining a desired spacing between adjacent deck boards. 
     
     
         18 . The wood deck as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein a combined thickness of said board spacers is a same dimension as a width of said colorable groove. 
     
     
         19 . The wood deck as claimed in  claim 11 , further having edging connectors along a perimeter thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The wood deck as claimed in  claim 11 , further having ventilation spaces under a central region of each of said deck boards