Floor tile with elastomer jacketed bottom support members

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 skins on support member cores disposed below the tile lower surface. The skins adhere to the bottom and at least a portion of the sidewall of the support member core.

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 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 in relation to the general lower surface thereof, the core having a bottom surface positioned to be downwardly spaced from the general lower surface of the web, the bottom surface being the lowermost part of the body formed by the first polymer compound, a first sidewall of the core extending upwardly from the bottom surface toward the general lower surface of the web; and   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 and cover all of the bottom surface of the core and to cover at least a portion of the first sidewall of the core.   
     
     
         2 . The floor tile of  claim 1 , wherein a second sidewall of the core is disposed to be laterally spaced from the first sidewall and to extend upwardly from the bottom surface toward the general lower surface of the web, the skin further adhering to and covering at least a portion of the second sidewall of the core. 
     
     
         3 . The floor tile of  claim 1 , wherein a crush pad laterally surrounds the core, the crush pad being integrally formed with the web and the core, a lower surface of the crush pad being disposed below the general lower surface of the web, the first sidewall extending from the lower surface of the crush pad to the bottom surface of the core, the skin adjoining the lower surface of the crush pad and extending along the first sidewall to the bottom surface of the core. 
     
     
         4 . The floor tile of  claim 1 , wherein the second polymer compound comprises a thermoplastic elastomer. 
     
     
         5 . The floor tile of  claim 1 , wherein the tile has a plurality of support members, the cores of which are laterally spaced apart from each other. 
     
     
         6 . The floor tile of  claim 5 , 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. 
     
     
         7 . The floor tile of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the cores of the support members are annular and have endless bottom surfaces and sidewalls. 
     
     
         8 . The floor tile of  claim 7 , wherein for each support member core formed as an annulus, the skin of said support member does not cover a center of the annulus. 
     
     
         9 . The floor tile of  claim 1 , wherein at least some of the cores of the support members are linear segments which are spaced apart from each other. 
     
     
         10 . The floor tile of  claim 1 , wherein the skin does not cover a majority of the general lower surface of the horizontal web of the tile. 
     
     
         11 . The floor tile of  claim 1 , wherein the first polymer compound includes a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, thermoplastic polyurethane, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and polyvinyl chloride. 
     
     
         12 . The floor tile of  claim 1 , 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. 
     
     
         13 . The floor tile of  claim 1 , wherein the second polymer compound comprises a thermoplastic elastomer. 
     
     
         14 . The floor tile of  claim 1 , wherein an entirety of the upper surface of the floor tile is molded from the first polymer compound.