Field paver connector and restraining system

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for supporting and restraining a plurality of surface tiles that are disposed in horizontally spaced-apart relation, the system comprising:
 a support structure disposed over a fixed surface;   a plurality of surface tiles disposed on the support structure, wherein each of the plurality of surface tiles includes opposite top and bottom surfaces, a plurality of corner portions and an outer edge segment between adjacent ones of the plurality of corner portions and between the top and bottom surfaces, wherein the plurality of surface tiles collectively form an flooring surface, wherein the plurality of surface tiles include interior surface tiles and peripheral surface tiles disposed about the interior surface tiles, wherein collinear outer edge segments of adjacent ones of the peripheral surface tiles collectively form an outer periphery of the flooring surface; and   a plurality of elongate restraining members disposed along the outer periphery of the flooring surface to restrict movement of the peripheral surface tiles in a direction away from the support structure, wherein each of the plurality of elongate restraining members includes a restraining element disposed over the top surfaces of adjacent ones of the peripheral surface tiles, a mounting element disposed under the bottom surfaces of the adjacent ones of the peripheral surface tiles, and a connection element interconnecting the restraining and mounting elements adjacent the collinear outer edge segments of the adjacent ones of the peripheral surface tiles.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the restraining element, mounting element and connection element of each of the plurality of elongate restraining members form an elongate c-shaped channel. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the elongated c-shaped channel is a single, unitary structure. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the restraining element includes opposite upper and lower surfaces, wherein the lower surface abuts the top surfaces of the adjacent ones of the peripheral surface tiles. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the upper surface of the restraining element is positioned above the top surfaces of the adjacent ones of the peripheral surface tiles. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of elongate restraining members is a single, unitary structure. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the restraining element includes opposite upper and lower surfaces, wherein the lower surface abuts the top surfaces of the adjacent ones of the peripheral surface tiles. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the restraining element includes opposite upper and lower surfaces, wherein the upper surface is positioned above the top surfaces of the adjacent ones of the peripheral surface tiles. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the support structure includes a plurality of support pedestals, wherein each of the support pedestals includes a support plate having a top surface for supporting one or more of the plurality of surface tiles. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein each of the support pedestals includes a base plate interconnected to and spaced from the support plate, wherein the base plate rests on the fixed surface. 
     
     
         11 . A system for supporting and restraining a plurality of surface tiles that are disposed in horizontally spaced-apart relation, the system comprising:
 a plurality of support pedestals, the support pedestals comprising a support plate having a top surface for operatively supporting portions of a plurality of surface tiles in horizontally spaced-apart relation; and   a plurality of elongate restraining members, the restraining members comprising a restraining element and a mounting element that is spaced apart from the restraining element and operatively attached thereto, the restraining element configured to be disposed proximate an outer edge segment of at least a first surface tile and along at least a portion of a length of the outer edge segment of the first surface tile, and the mounting element configured to be disposed under a bottom surface of the first surface tile that is adjacent the outer edge segment of the first surface tile and affixed to the support plates of at least first and second spaced-apart support pedestals to secure the restraining member to the first and second support pedestals and restrict movement of the first surface tile in a direction away from the first and second support pedestals;   wherein the plurality of elongate restraining members comprises a plurality of pairs of elongate restraining members, wherein the first elongate restraining member of each pair is configured to be disposed proximate an outer edge segment of the first surface tile disposed over the first support pedestal, and wherein the second elongate restraining member of each pair is configured to be disposed proximate an abutting outer edge segment of a second surface tile disposed over the first support pedestal; and   wherein the restraining members further comprise a connection element interconnecting the restraining and mounting elements, and wherein the connection elements of the first and second elongate restraining members of each pair are abutting.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the restraining members comprise an elongate C-shaped channel. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the restraining element is configured to be disposed over a top surface of the first surface tile. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the restraining element is configured to be operatively positioned within an opening disposed in the outer edge segment. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the opening comprises a slot. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the mounting element comprises a plurality of apertures therein, wherein first apertures of the plurality of apertures are sized and positioned to receive fasteners inserted therein and into the top surfaces of the support plates to secure the restraining members to the support pedestals. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the mounting element comprises a first plurality of the first apertures therein adjacent a first end of the restraining members and a second plurality of the first apertures therein adjacent an opposed second end of the restraining members, wherein the first plurality of the first apertures are sized and positioned to receive a first plurality of the fasteners inserted therein and into the top surfaces of a first of the support plates to secure the restraining members to one of the support pedestals, wherein the second plurality of the first apertures are sized and positioned to receive a second plurality of the fasteners inserted therein and into the top surfaces of another of the support plates to secure the restraining members to a second of the support pedestals, and wherein the one support pedestal is adjacent the other support pedestal. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the first ends of a first plurality of the restraining members and the second ends of a second plurality of the restraining members are secured over common ones of the plurality of support pedestals. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the first plurality of restraining members are perpendicular to the second plurality of restraining members. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the first plurality of restraining members are collinear with the second plurality of restraining members. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the restraining element is configured to be disposed proximate a second adjacent surface tile that is adjacent the first surface tile and along a non-abutting outer edge segment of the second adjacent surface tile that is collinear with the outer edge segment of the first surface tile. 
     
     
         22 . A system for supporting and restraining a plurality of surface tiles that are disposed in horizontally spaced-apart relation, the system comprising:
 a plurality of support pedestals, the support pedestals comprising a support plate having a top surface for operatively supporting portions of a plurality of surface tiles in horizontally spaced-apart relation; and   a plurality of elongate restraining members, the restraining members comprising a restraining element and a mounting element that is spaced apart from the restraining element and operatively attached thereto, the restraining element configured to be disposed proximate an outer edge segment of at least a first surface tile and along at least a portion of a length of the outer edge segment of the first surface tile, and the mounting element configured to be disposed under a bottom surface of the first surface tile that is adjacent the outer edge segment of the first surface tile and affixed to the support plates of at least first and second spaced-apart support pedestals to secure the restraining member to the first and second support pedestals and restrict movement of the first surface tile in a direction away from the first and second support pedestals;   wherein the plurality of elongate restraining members comprise a plurality of pairs of elongate restraining members, wherein the first elongate restraining member of each pair is configured to be disposed proximate an outer edge segment of the first surface tile disposed over a support pedestal, and wherein the second elongate restraining member of each pair is configured to be disposed proximate an abutting outer edge segment of a second surface tile disposed over the support pedestal; and   wherein the top surfaces of the support plates comprise spacers extending therefrom that are configured to space the first and second elongate restraining members of each pair of elongate restraining members.