Floor tile with overmold crush pads

Abstract

A modular plastic floor tile has a body of a first polymer compound and at least one skin overmolded onto the support member core from a second polymer compound. The compounds may be different from each other in hardness and/or color. Crush pads are formed from the first polymer and are disposed to be below the general lower surface of the tile. The crush pads provide a tight overmold shutoff and prevent flashing of the second polymer compound when the support member is formed.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A modular floor tile for use in creating a flooring surface comprising a plurality of such tiles, the floor tile comprising:
 a body molded of a first polymer compound, the body including a substantially planar, horizontal web having an upper surface and a lower surface including a general lower surface;   at least one support member formed to be disposed below the general lower surface of the horizontal web, at least some of said at least one support member overmolded from a second polymer compound which, when molded and solidified, is softer than the first polymer compound when the first polymer compound is molded and solidified;   a crush pad formed to be laterally adjacent and to laterally surround said at least one support member, the crush pad having a smooth horizontal surface which is lower than the general lower surface of the horizontal web, such that when at least some of said at least one support member is overmolded with the second polymer compound, the crush pad will provide a tight overmold shutoff and will prevent flashing of the second polymer compound.   
     
     
         2 . The floor tile of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one support member is one of a group of support members each formed to downwardly depend from the general lower surface of the horizontal web, at least some of each support member in the group being overmolded with the second polymer compound, the crush pad laterally surrounding all of the support members in the group. 
     
     
         3 . The floor tile of  claim 1 , wherein an entirety of the top surface of the tile body is molded from the first polymer compound. 
     
     
         4 . The floor tile of  claim 3 , wherein a general upper surface of the body has a plurality of spaced-apart upstanding features, for each upstanding feature, at least one of the support members being in approximate registration with the last said feature, such that load on the upper surface experienced by the feature may be at least partially transmitted to the respective support member.