Floor tile

Abstract

A modular plastic floor tile has a body of a first polymer compound and features overmolded onto the body from a second polymer compound. The compounds may be different from each other in hardness and/or color. The features may include raised pads on the upper surface and/or skins on support member cores downwardly depending from the tile lower surface. The pads on the upper surface may be injection-molded from the lower surface through through-holes. Lateral edges of the tile are provided with latches which fit into loops with an interference fit. The loops flex in order to impose a compressive force on mating tile edges. The tile may have an overmolded peripheral seal.

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         13 . A modular floor tile for use in creating a flooring surface comprising a plurality of such tiles, the floor tile comprising:
 a body having a horizontal, substantially planar web with an upper surface and a general lower surface, the body being molded of a first polymer compound;   at least one support member having a core integrally molded with the horizontal web and to depend downwardly from the general lower surface thereof, the core having a bottom surface positioned to be downwardly spaced from the general lower surface of the web and at least one sidewall extending from the general surface of the web to the bottom surface of the core;   a skin of said at least one support member molded of a second polymer compound which, in its molded solidified form, is softer than the first polymer compound in its molded solidified form, the skin molded to adhere to the bottom surface of the core and to at least a portion of said at least one sidewall of the core.   
     
     
         14 . The floor tile of  claim 13 , wherein the second polymer compound comprises a thermoplastic elastomer. 
     
     
         15 . The floor tile of  claim 13 , wherein the tile has a plurality of support members, the cores of which are laterally spaced apart from each other. 
     
     
         16 . The floor tile of  claim 15 , wherein the support members are divided into groups which are laterally displaced from each other, the skin of all of the support members in a group being joined together. 
     
     
         17 . The floor tile of  claim 13 , wherein at least some of the cores of the support members are annular and have endless bottom surfaces and sidewalls. 
     
     
         18 . The floor tile of  claim 17 , wherein for each support member core formed as an annulus, the skin of said support member does not cover a center of the annulus. 
     
     
         19 . The floor tile of  claim 13 , wherein at least some of the cores of the support members are linear segments which are spaced apart from each other. 
     
     
         20 . The floor tile of  claim 13 , wherein each core has at least first and second sidewalls that each join the general lower surface of the horizontal web of the tile to the bottom surface of the core, the skin covering and adhering to the first and second sidewalls. 
     
     
         21 . The floor tile of  claim 13 , wherein the skin does not cover a majority of the general lower surface of the horizontal web of the tile. 
     
     
         22 . The floor tile of  claim 13 , wherein the first polymer compound includes a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, thermoplastic polyurethane, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and polyvinyl chloride. 
     
     
         23 . The floor tile of  claim 13 , wherein the second polymer compound includes a polymer selected from the group consisting of styrene ethylene butylene styrene based thermoplastic elastomer, thermoplastic polyurethane and polyvinyl chloride. 
     
     
         24 . The floor tile of  claim 13 , wherein the second polymer compound comprises a thermoplastic elastomer. 
     
     
         25 . The floor tile of  claim 13 , wherein an entirety of the upper surface of the floor tile is molded from the first polymer compound. 
     
     
         26 . The floor tile of  claim 25 , wherein the upper surface of the floor tile includes an array of raised features, for each raised feature, at least one support member in approximate registration therewith so as to have transmitted to such support member at least some of the load experienced by the last said raised feature. 
     
     
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         71 . A method for forming a modular floor tile for use in creating a flooring surface comprising a plurality of such tiles, the method comprising the steps of:
 molding a body of the tile from a first, relatively rigid thermoplastic polymer to have a general lower surface and a plurality of support member cores, the cores downwardly depending from the general lower surface; and   overmolding, onto the cores, a skin from a second, relatively nonrigid thermoplastic polymer, the skin and the cores comprising the support members.   
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 71 , and further comprising the steps of forming, laterally around each of the support members, a smooth crush pad to be displaced downwardly from the general lower surface of the body; and
 during said step of overmolding, using the crush pad to shut off the second polymer to thereby prevent flashing of the second polymer.   
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 71 , and further comprising the steps of forming, in a mold, a plurality of runners which join a common fill point disposed adjacent the general lower surface of the body to each of the support member cores; and
 during said step of overmolding, flowing the second polymer compound from the common fill point through the runners to each of the support member cores.   
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 73 , and further comprising the steps of forming a second polymer compound gate to extend from an upper surface of the body to a lower surface thereof to communicate to the runners; and
 injecting the second polymer compound into the gate on the upper surface to mold the skin.   
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 73 , and further comprising the steps of
 forming the body of the tile to have a plurality of through-holes each communicating a lower surface of the body to an upper surface thereof;   communicating said common fill point to each of the through-holes; and   during said step of overmolding, flowing the second polymer compound from the common fill point to each of the through-holes and onto the upper surface of the body, to create a plurality of pads on the upper surface of the body.   
     
     
         76 . The method of  claim 73 , wherein the upper surface of the body includes a general upper surface, the method further comprising the steps of
 forming, on the upper surface of the body, a plurality of smooth crush rings each laterally surrounding an area in which a pad is to be created and each raised above the general upper surface of the body; and   during said step of overmolding, using the crush rings to shut off the second polymer compound, thereby preventing flashing of the second polymer compound.   
     
     
         77 . The method of  claim 73 , and further comprising the steps of
 positioning the through-holes to be adjacent to ones of the crush member cores; and   during said step of overmolding, flowing the second polymer compound from the common fill point through the runners to the support member cores and to the through-holes.   
     
     
         78 . The method of  claim 71 , and further comprising the steps of
 providing, for each of a plurality of groups of support members, a common fill point; and   during said step of overmolding, using the common fill points to introduce the second polymer compound to respective groups of the support members.