초록 ▼

The invention concerns a unitized access floor system, a method to install it, and automatized leveling tools. The access floor comprises an assembly of modular stringer frames joined to form a layout. Pedestals for vertical leveling of the modular stringer frame are attached to the stringer frame,

The invention concerns a unitized access floor system, a method to install it, and automatized leveling tools. The access floor comprises an assembly of modular stringer frames joined to form a layout. Pedestals for vertical leveling of the modular stringer frame are attached to the stringer frame, or can be hinged to the stringer frame during manufacture, and can fold down from within the stringer frame to facilitate stacking, packaging and shipping from the factory. The primary automatized leveling tool involves a rotating driving female socket coinciding with the layout of the modular stringer frame, matting with the leveling pedestals. The automatized tool has a central motor with variable speeds and reversible independent gear drives or multiple motors. Modular stringer frames are leveled adjacent to each other forming a matrix comprising modular stringer frames which receive floor panels interlocking adjacent stringer frames.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A unitized, pre-fabricated access floor arrangement comprising:a. a quadrilateral modular stringer frame comprising four exterior sides and four diagonal interior sides of equal length, four corner pedestal joining means each connecting two exterior sides and two diagonal interior sides and compr

1. A unitized, pre-fabricated access floor arrangement comprising:a. a quadrilateral modular stringer frame comprising four exterior sides and four diagonal interior sides of equal length, four corner pedestal joining means each connecting two exterior sides and two diagonal interior sides and comprising an indented top surface and a threaded perforation placed at the center of place where the exterior sides connect, and one diagonal pedestal joining means, said diagonal pedestal joining means placed at the center of the modular stringer frame and connecting the four diagonal interior sides and comprising an indented top surface and a threaded perforation placed at the center of place where the four diagonal sides connect;b. a plurality of leveling pedestals for vertical leveling of the modular stringer frame, each leveling pedestal comprising an upper housing, a traveling threaded male column and a foot, the upper housing further comprising an attaching means end, a threaded interior and a bottom end, the threaded male column further comprising a top end, a bottom end and a threaded surface, the foot further comprising an attaching means;c. a corner locking device comprising a flat plate and four attaching means, said flat plate further comprising four perforations, said flat plate shaped to sit on a top surface created by the four corner pedestal joining means of four modular stringer frames placed immediately adjacent to each other with the perforations of said plate geometrically distributed to match the perforations of the four corner pedestal joining means;d. a floor panel comprising a top surface and an underside, the underside comprising a diagonal indentation shaped so that the floor panel can be placed over a modular stringer frame and used to physically hold together two neighboring modular stringer frames by allowing the diagonal indentation to straddle two adjacent exterior sides of two neighboring modular stringer frames;e. a plurality of heating, ventilating and air conditioning diffusers which can be structurally integrated with individual floor panels as needed;f. a plurality of cable trays that can be hung from selected stringer frames to form cable chase ways in the space between a subfloor and the underside of the panel to guide power, voice and data cables; andg. a plurality of plenum dividers that can be inserted in a space created between the stringer frame and the subfloor in order to establish heating, ventilating and air conditioning zones. 2. The unitized, pre-fabricated access floor arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the leveling pedestals are hingedly attached to the modular stringer frame before delivery to an installation site so that the pedestal can swing into a position perpendicular to the modular stringer frame for installation or retract to the horizontal plane of the modular stringer frame for storage or transportation. 3. A unitized, pre-fabricated access floor arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the modular stringer frame does not comprise diagonal interior sides. 4. A unitized, pre-fabricated access floor arrangement according to claim 1 wherein a plurality of adjacent modular stringer frames comprise alternating diagonal interior sides. 5. The unitized, pre-fabricated access floor arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the modular stringer frame comprises three exterior sides and no diagonal interior sides. 6. An access floor leveling tool comprising:a. a stringer housing frame having the same horizontal geometry as, but greater in height than, the modular stringer frame, said stringer housing frame having a top side and a bottom side;b. a control box capable of presetting a desired elevation of the access floor arrangement;c. a plurality of sockets geometrically placed to mechanically mate with the top end of the threaded male column of the leveling pedestal through the corner pedestal joining means and the diagonal pedestal joining means;d. a variable speed, bi-directio nal electric motor mechanically attached to the top side of the stringer housing frame comprising a plurality of motor drives, each motor drive capable of rotating each socket mated to a threaded male column;e. a standard tripod-mounted rotating laser beam transmitter placed on the subfloor and capable of sending a level laser beam at a preset elevation;f. a plurality of laser and torque sensors equipped with a computerized microprocessor capable of independently actuating and controlling the electric motor to rotate each of the sockets while each socket is mated with the top end of each of the leveling pedestal's threaded male column through the corner pedestal joining means and the diagonal pedestal joining means;g. light emitting means mounted on the top side of the stringer frame housing capable of enhancing worker sighting and accurate manipulation of the access floor leveling tool;h. a leveling pedestal holding device placed around each motor drive capable of holding each leveling pedestal attached to the access floor leveling tool; andi. a template comprising a three-dimensional rigid frame of the same horizontal geometry as the access floor leveling tool, and further comprising a plurality of leveling pedestal holding devices. 7. A method to install a unitized, pre-fabricated access floor arrangement comprising:a. snapping two corner chalk lines at a layout starting corner of each major area of a sub-floor to be fitted with the access floor arrangement of this invention;b. setting up a plurality of standard tripod-mounted rotating laser beam emitters on the subfloor;c. setting up the laser beam emitters' elevation to match the desired elevation of the top surface of the floor panel and the vertical distance between the top surface of the floor panel and the center of each tool laser sensor's heightd. assembling the modular stringer frame by joining plurality of stringer pieces in a quadrilateral configuration;e. assembling the leveling pedestal by inserting the bottom end of the threaded male column into the foot and the threading male column into the bottom end of the upper housing so that the upper housing's threaded interior allows the height of leveling pedestal to be controlled by rotating the threaded male column attached to the foot;f. attaching a plurality of leveling pedestals to the pedestal joining means by mechanically engaging the attaching means of the upper housing to the joining means to form a module so that the height and level of the module can be controlled by mechanically varying the height of the leveling pedestals;g. inverting and carrying the module to the layout starting corner and placing the module on the sub-floor with two of the module's corner sides precisely aligned with the perpendicular corner chalk lines;h. placing the leveling tool on the module lowering and guiding the leveling tool until the sockets physically engage with the top end of the traveling threaded column of the leveling pedestal through the joining means;i. pre-setting the control box to the desired module elevation;j. activating the control box to actuate the sockets so that the sockets rotate the threaded male column sufficiently to level the pedestals to the preset elevation of the Module;k. repeating steps a-j until one complete row of modules is assembled in any given direction;l. completing additional rows of modules until an entire subfloor is covered with an array of modules, excepting any irregular width perimeters around building cores, interior columns and exterior walls;m. as each set of four adjacent modules are assembled forming a square array, inserting and locking the corner locking device;n. installing modules using specially made stringer frames to fit the perimeter width dimensions;o. randomly placing floor panels equipped with heating, ventilation and air conditioner diffusers in the array of modules, and relocating said panels at a later time according to occupancy, heating, ventilating and air condi tioning needs;p. hanging the cable trays from the stringer frames as dictated by occupancy and use of the access floor assembly and according to power, voice and data system requirements; andq. inserting plenum dividers under and along any modular stringer frame member between the member and the subfloor so that HVAC zones can be established; andr. placing the underside of a plurality of floor panels on the top surface of the array of modules, so that each floor panel physically holds together two neighboring modular stringers by allowing the diagonal indentation on the floor panel's underside to straddle two adjacent exterior sides of two neighboring modular stringers. 8. The method of claim 7 to install a unitized, pre-fabricated access floor arrangement further comprising:a. setting the access floor leveling tool on the subfloor so that the bottom side of the stringer housing frame is exposed;;b. placing a plurality of leveling pedestal holding devices around each motor drive;c. engaging each attaching means end of a plurality of leveling pedestals to the bottom side of the stringer housing frame so that each pedestal is mated with a corresponding tool drive socket;d. applying an adhesive means to the bottom of the foot of each pedestal;e. placing the access floor leveling tool with the engaged pedestals on a pre-determined location on the subfloor so that the bottom of the foot of each pedestal is adhesively attached to the subfloor;f. actuating the access floor leveling tool so that the plurality of pedestals are leveled to a pre-determined position;g. releasing and removing the leveling tool from the pedestals;h. placing the template on the plurality of already leveled pedestals,i. actuating the template's pedestal holding devices resulting in a firm and stable assembly of template and pedestals attached to the subfloor; andj. using the assembly of template and pedestals as a physical datum for guiding the precise placement of successive arrays of pedestals. 9. The method to install a unitized, pre-fabricated access floor arrangement according to claim 8 wherein the leveling pedestal holding device is electro-mechanically held in place around each motor drive. 10. A method to install a unitized, pre-fabricated access floor arrangement according to claim 8 wherein the leveling pedestal holding device is electro-magnetically held in place around each motor drive. 11. The method to install a unitized, pre-fabricated access floor arrangement according to claim 8 wherein the leveling pedestal holding device is mechanically held in place around each motor drive.