Anchor and alignment device for floor covering tiles

Abstract

An anchor for a carpet tile includes a cross-shaped base having four arms extending from a vertex. The arms form a planar top surface and a planar bottom surface. A vertical blade centered on the base rises to engage the backing of a carpet tile when a corner of the carpet tile is placed near the vertex. The blade is preferably made of bendable and resilient material. Preferably, the anchor is used with a pedestal head of a raised-flooring system and has a nub extending from the bottom surface of each of the arms of the base to fit within holes in the pedestal head and thereby secure the anchor to the pedestal head. An alternative anchor includes a plate for the base and the blade in the shape of a cross rises from the plate. The plate may have a hole in each quadrant defined by the blade.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An anchor system comprising a combination of a carpet tile and an anchor,
 the carpet tile comprising four corners, four edges, a backing and fibers attached to the backing, the combination further comprising an anchor, 
 the anchor comprising: 
 a rigid base in the shape of a cross, the base comprising having four arms extending from forming a vertex at their intersection, the arms configured perpendicularly to each other to form a planar top surface and a planar bottom surface; and 
 a rigid blade comprising a top edge in the shape of a cross, said blade rising from the base to a height greater than the height of an access floor panel, with the top edge of the blade removably engaging the backing two of the edges of the carpet tile, thereby anchoring the carpet tile against movement, when a corner of the carpet tile is placed near the vertex. 
 
     
     
       2. The anchor system of  claim 1 , wherein the blade comprises a bendable and resilient material. 
     
     
       3. The anchor system of  claim 1 , wherein the blade consists of nylon. 
     
     
       4. The anchor system of  claim 1 , the combination further comprising a pedestal head, the pedestal head defining a hole, the anchor further comprising a nub, the nub comprising a round cross-section extending from each one of the arms on the planar bottom surface; wherein each such the nub is configured to fit within a the hole in the pedestal head and thereby secure the anchor to the pedestal head. 
     
     
       5. An anchor system comprising a combination offer of a carpet tile and an anchor, the anchor system used with a floor lacking a pedestal head; 
 the carpet tile comprising four corners, a backing and fibers attached to the backing,;  
 the combination further comprising an anchor, the anchor comprising: 
 a rigid square plate attached directly to the floor; and 
 a rigid blade rising vertically from the plate, the blade comprising a top edge in the shape of a cross, the blade comprising two transverse four segments forming a vertex at their intersection, the transverse segments configured perpendicularly to each other and rising vertically from the plate to a height with and defining four quadrants on the plate, the top edge of the blade removably engaging the backing of the carpet tile, and anchoring the carpet tile against movement, when a corner of the carpet tile is placed near the vertex. 
 
     
     
       6. The anchor system of  claim 5 , wherein at least one of the quadrants of the plate defines has a hole in a quadrant defined by the segments of the blade for coupling the plate to the floor. 
     
     
       7. A method of anchoring the a carpet tile of  claim 4  to an access floor panel a raised flooring system using an anchor,
 (a) the carpet tile having four corners, four edges, a backing and fibers attached to the backing; 
 (b) the raised flooring system comprising an access floor panel and a pedestal for supporting the access floor panel, the pedestal having at least one hole; 
 (c) the anchor having
 (i) a rigid base in the shape of a cross, the base having a planar top surface and a planar bottom surface, 
 (ii) a rigid blade in the shape of a cross, the blade comprising four arms, each arm rising from the base to a height greater than the height of an access floor panel, the arms being perpendicular to each other and forming a vertex at their intersection, 
 (iii) at least one nub extending from the planar bottom surface, the nub having a round cross-section for fitting within the hole in the pedestal; 
 
 the method comprising the steps of: 
 securing the base of the anchor to the pedestal head by inserting the each nub of the anchor into the hole of the pedestal; 
 placing an the access floor panel near the vertex of the anchor; and 
 placing a corner of the carpet tile atop the access floor panel near the vertex of the anchor to removably engage two arms of the blade of the anchor against the backing two edges of the carpet tile, thereby anchoring the carpet tile against movement. 
 
     
     
       8. A method of using the an anchor system of  claim 1  and a carpet tile with raised flooring;
 (a) the carpet tile having four corners, four edges, a backing and fibers attached to the backing; 
 (b) the raised flooring comprising access floor panels having a thickness, and pedestal heads connected by stringers, the pedestal heads and stringers for supporting the access floor panels, 
 (c) the anchor having
 (i) a rigid base in the shape of a cross having four arms, the base having a planar top surface and a planar bottom surface, 
 (ii) a rigid blade in the shape of a cross, the blade comprising four arms, each arm rising from the base to a height greater than the height of one of the access floor panels, the arms being perpendicular to each other and forming a vertex at their intersection, 
 
 the method comprisingthe step of: 
 attaching the anchor to a structure selected from the group consisting of a one of the pedestal head heads, and a stringer one of the stringers, 
 said attaching performed such thatplacing one of the access floor panels near the vertex of the anchor; and 
 placing a corner of the carpet tile atop the access floor panel near the vertex of the anchor, so two edges of the carpet tile are removably engaged against two arms of the blade of the anchor, thereby anchoring the carpet tile against movement; 
 wherein the anchor: (i) holds the backing of the carpet tile in alignment with its access floor panel; and (ii) prevents lateral movement of the carpet tile under load transit conditions. 
 
     
     
       9. A method of using the an anchor system of  claim 1  with raised flooring, and a carpet tile with a floor lacking a pedestal head;
 (a) the carpet tile having four corners, a backing, and fibers attached to the backing; 
 (b) the anchor having
 a rigid square plate, and 
 a rigid blade rising vertically from the plate, the blade having a cross shape and comprising four arms forming a vertex at their intersection, the arms configured perpendicularly to each other and defining four quadrants on the plate; 
 
 the method comprising the step of maintaining a plurality of carpet tiles in alignment on a substrate: 
 attaching the plate directly to the floor; and 
 removably placing a corner of the carpet tile near the vertex of the blade so that two of the arms of the blade engage the backing of the carpet tile, thereby anchoring the carpet tile against movement. 
 
     
     
       10. The anchor system of claim 1, wherein the planar bottom surface of the anchor is coupled to a raised flooring system support. 
     
     
       11. The anchor system of claim 1, wherein the blade is centered on the base. 
     
     
       12. An anchor system comprising a combination of a floor covering tile and an anchor;
 the floor covering tile having four corners and four edges;   the anchor comprising:   (a) a rigid base in the shape of a cross, the base comprising four arms forming a vertex at their intersection, the arms configured perpendicularly to each other to form a planar top surface and a planar bottom surface; and   (b) a rigid blade comprising a top edge in the shape of a cross, the blade rising from the base to a height greater than the height of an access floor panel, with the top edge of the blade removably engaging two edges of the floor covering tile, thereby anchoring the floor covering tile against movement, when a corner of the floor covering tile is placed near the vertex of the anchor.   
     
     
       13. The anchor system of claim 12, wherein the floor covering tile is a carpet tile. 
     
     
       14. The anchor system of claim 12, wherein the base is coupled to a raised flooring system supporting access floor panels, and the area of the floor covering tile is approximately equal to the area of one of the access floor panels. 
     
     
       15. The anchor system of claim 12, wherein the blade is centered on the base. 
     
     
       16. The anchor system of claim 12, the anchor further comprising:
 a nub having a top edge connected to the bottom of an arm of the base, the nub for fitting within an opening of a support of a raised flooring system to secure the arm of the base of the anchor to the support of the raised flooring system.   
     
     
       17. An anchor system comprising a combination of a removable floor covering tile and an anchor, the anchor system used with a floor lacking a pedestal head;
 the removable floor covering tile having four corners and a back; and   the anchor comprising   (a) a rigid square plate attached directly to the floor; and   (b) a rigid blade rising vertically from the plate, the blade having a top edge in the shape of a cross, the blade comprising four arms forming a vertex at their intersection, the arms configured perpendicularly to each other and defining four quadrants on the plate, with the top edge of the blade removably engaging the removable floor covering tile, thereby anchoring the removable floor covering tile against movement, when a corner of the removable floor covering tile is placed near the vertex.   
     
     
       18. The anchor system of claim 17, wherein the removable floor covering tile is a carpet tile. 
     
     
       19. The anchor system of claim 17, further comprising:
 four openings in the plate, each opening in a respective quadrant defined by the arms, the openings used in the attaching the plate directly to the floor.   
     
     
       20. A method of anchoring a floor covering tile to a raised flooring system using an anchor,
 (a) the floor covering tile having four corners, four edges, and a back;   (b) the raised flooring system comprising an access floor panel and a pedestal head for supporting the access floor panel, the pedestal head having at least one hole;   (c) the anchor having
 (i) a rigid base in the shape of a cross, the base having a planar top surface and a planar bottom surface, 
 (ii) a rigid blade in the shape of a cross, the blade comprising four arms, each arm rising from the base to a height greater than a height of the access floor panel, the arms being perpendicular to each other and forming a vertex at their intersection, 
 (iii) at least one nub extending from the planar bottom surface, the nub having a round cross-section for fitting within the hole of the pedestal; 
   the method comprising:   securing the base of the anchor to the pedestal by inserting the nub of the anchor into the hole of the pedestal;   placing the access floor panel near the vertex of the anchor; and   placing one of the corners of the floor covering tile atop the access floor panel near the vertex of the anchor, to removably engage the blade of the anchor against two edges of the floor covering tile, thereby anchoring the floor covering tile against movement.   
     
     
       21. The method of claim 20, wherein the floor covering tile is a carpet tile. 
     
     
       22. The method of claim 20, wherein the area of the floor covering tile is approximately equal to the area of the access floor panel. 
     
     
       23. The method of claim 20, wherein the pedestal head has three additional holes, the anchor has three additional nubs extending from the planar bottom surface of respective arms of the base for fitting within respective holes of the pedestal head, and further comprising inserting each of the three additional nubs of the anchor into a respective one of the three additional holes of the pedestal head. 
     
     
       24. A method of using an anchor to anchor a removable floor covering tile to a floor lacking a pedestal head,
 (a) the removable floor covering tile having four corners and a back;   (b) the anchor having
 a rigid square plate and 
 a rigid blade rising vertically from the plate, the blade having a cross shape and comprising four arms forming a vertex at their intersection, the arms configured perpendicularly to each other and defining four quadrants on the plate; 
   the method comprising:   attaching the plate directly to the floor; and   placing a corner of the removable floor covering tile near the vertex of the blade to removably engage two of the arms of the blade against the removable floor covering tile, thereby anchoring the removable floor covering tile against movement.   
     
     
       25. The method of claim 24, wherein the removable floor covering tile is a carpet tile. 
     
     
       26. The method of claim 24, wherein the plate has at least one opening used in attaching the plate directly to the floor. 
     
     
       27. The method of claim 24, wherein the floor is a concrete slab.