Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
MODULAR PATIO ASSEMBLY
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to a modular patio assembly.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
US Patent No. 9,145,673 which issued to Hugh A. Dantzer on September 29,
2015, discloses a modular deck assembly including a deck clip. As described in
the
Dantzer patent, modular decks and clips used as connectors in such decks are
by no
means new. An example of a modular deck is described in US Patent No.
6,209,267,
which issued to Hugh A. Dantzer on April 3, 2001. The patents listed on the
cover page
of the Dantzer patent disclose modular deck systems and connectors used in the
construction of such systems. In general, the modular deck systems are
somewhat
complicated and rely on specially designed connectors for assembling the
systems.
The inventor found that there was a need for a deck system which could be
quickly
assembled without specially designed planks and/or connectors. The modular
deck
described in the Dantzer patent is quick and easy to assemble.
An object of the present invention is to provide a modular patio assembly
which
is at least as simple as the Dantzer deck assembly described in US Patent No.
9,145,673, and which can be quickly constructed without a large number of
screws or
other fasteners.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One version of a modular patio assembly in accordance with the present
invention includes a groundsheet; at least three parallel sleepers connected
to and
extending transversely of the groundsheet, including two end sleepers and a
central
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sleeper centered between the end sleepers; two parallel rows of deck tiles
connected to
the sleepers, each deck tile including furring strips and floorboards
connected to the
furring strips and extending perpendicular thereto; and cooperating hook and
eye
fasteners on top surfaces of said sleepers and on bottom surfaces of said
furring strips
for securing the deck tiles to the sleepers.
Another embodiment of the patio assembly includes a modular patio assembly
comprising a flexible groundsheet adapted to be rolled to form a cylinder; at
least three
spaced apart sleepers including two end sleepers and an intermediate sleeper
between
said end sleepers permanently attached to a top surface of the groundsheet;
two
parallel rows of deck tiles mounted on said sleepers, each deck tile including
a
rectangular floorboard of sufficient length to partially overlap adjacent
sleepers when
placed thereon, spacers attached to a bottom surface of said floorboard for
extending
between side edges of adjacent sleepers when the floorboard is placed on the
sleepers; and complementary hook and eye fasteners permanently connected to
the
.. top surfaces of said sleepers and to bottom surfaces of said floorboards
for connecting
said deck tiles to the sleepers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is an isometric view of a rolled up groundsheet and sleepers used in
a
modular patio deck assembly in accordance with the invention;
Figure 2 is an isometric view of the groundsheet and sleepers of Fig. 1 in the
unrolled or laid out condition;
Figure 3 is a top view of a deck tile used in the patio assembly of the
present
invention;
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Figure 4 is a bottom view of the deck tile of Fig. 3;
Figure 5 is an isometric view of a partially constructed modular patio
assembly;
Figure 6 is an isometric view of the completed patio assembly;
Figure 7 is an isometric view of a rolled up groundsheet and sleepers used in
a
second embodiment of the patio assembly;
Figure 8 is an isometric view of the unrolled groundsheet and the sleepers of
Fig.
7;
Figures 9 and 10 are isometric views of sections of the patio assembly at two
stages of construction;
Figure 11 is an isometric view of a deck clip used in the second embodiment of
the patio assembly;
Figures 12 to 14 are isometric views of a section of the patio assembly
showing
the mounting of deck tiles using the deck clip of Fig. 11;
Figure 15 is an isometric view of the completed second embodiment of the patio
assembly of the present invention;
Figure 16 is a top view of the completed patio assembly of Fig. 15;
Figure 17 is an isometric view of a groundsheet and sleepers used in a third
embodiment of the patio assembly;
Figures 18 and 19 are isometric views of a deck tile used in the third
embodiment of the patio assembly;
Figure 20 is an isometric view of one corner of the third embodiment of the
patio
deck assembly during construction; and
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, .
Figure 21 is an isometric view of the completed third embodiment of the patio
deck.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
With reference to Figs. 1 to 3, basic elements of the patio assembly include a
groundsheet 1 formed of landscape fabric which can be rolled up to form a
cylinder, a
plurality of spaced apart, parallel sleepers 2 and 3 (Fig. 2) permanently
attached to the
groundsheet using staples (not shown) or other fasteners, a plurality of
spacers 4, and
a plurality of pre-assembled, rectangular deck tiles 6 (Figs. 3 and 4). An end
sleeper 2
is attached to each end of the groundsheet 1 and the remaining central
sleepers 3 are
mounted on the groundsheet 1 between the end sleepers 2. When the groundsheet
is
unrolled, the spacers 4 are placed on the groundsheet 1 between the ends of
the
sleepers 2 and 3. The spaces 4 stretch out the groundsheet 1.
With the groundsheet 1 stretched out flat, the deck tiles 6 are mounted on the
sleepers 2 and 3. As mentioned above, the deck tiles are rectangular, the
preferred
shape being square. While the dimensions of the deck tiles can be varied, in
the
embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6, each deck tile 6 includes
three
furring strips 7 and seven 1" x 6" floorboards 8 attached to the furring
strips with 1/4"
spacing between the boards. The deck tile 6 is assembled upside down, i.e. the
floorboards 8 are placed on a flat surface and the furring strips 7 are nailed
to the
floorboard 8 using brad nails (not shown), which are not seen when the deck
tile 6 is
topside up. The furring strips 7 are connected to the ends of the boards 8. In
order to
releasably connect the deck tiles 6 to the sleepers 2 and 3, hook and eye
(Velcro 0)
fasteners are connected to the sleepers 2 and 3, and to the deck tiles 6.
Halves 10 and
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11 of the hook and eye fasteners are stapled to the end sleepers 2 and the
central
sleepers 3, respectively, proximate the ends thereof. Fastener halves 12 are
stapled to
the middles of the sleepers 2 and 3. The other halves 14 of the fasteners are
stapled to
the bottoms of the deck tiles 6 proximate the corners thereof. When the deck
panels 6
are mounted on the sleepers 2 and 3, the fastener halves 14 are vertically
aligned and
become attached to the fastener halves 10, 11 and 12 on the sleepers 2 and 3.
Whereas the fastener halves 10 and 14 are small rectangular strips, the
fastener halves
11 and 12 are longer because they underlap the fastener halves 14 of two
adjacent tiles
6 when the tiles are mounted on the sleepers 2 and 3.
The tiles 6 are mounted on the sleepers 2 and 3 one at a time, starting from
one
corner of the groundsheet to form the completed patio shown in Fig. 6. Because
the
tiles 6 are attached to the sleepers 2 and 3 by hook and eye fasteners, the
patio can
quickly and easily be assembled and disassembled.
With reference to Figs. 7 to 16, a second embodiment of the patio assembly
includes most of the basic elements of the assembly of Figs. 1 to 6. Whereas
the deck
assembly of Figs. 1 to 6 is intended to be readily portable the assembly of
Figs. 7 to 16
is a more permanent structure, which once assembled remains in place
indefinitely.
The basic elements of the patio assembly of Figs. 7 to 16 include a
groundsheet 16,
parallel, spaced apart sleepers 17 and 18 permanently connected to the
groundsheet
using staples (not shown), a plurality of spacers 19, pre-assembled deck tiles
6 (Figs. 3
and 4) and deck clips indicated generally at 20. A narrow board 22 defining
one end of
a border is permanently mounted on and extends the length of each end sleeper
17.
Strips 23 of hook and eye fastener halves are attached to the ends of the
sleepers 17
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,
and 18, and to the middle of end sleepers 17. Four narrow boards 24, each
having a
length equal to one-half the distance between the end boards 22 are provided
loose
with the patio assembly. The boards 24 have a height equal to the thickness of
the
furring strips 7 and the deck boards 8 combined. The board 24 have pre-drilled
holes
25 for receiving screws (not shown) when mounting the boards on the spacers 19
at the
ends of the sleepers 17 and 18.
When assembling the patio, the ground sheet 16 is unrolled and the spacers 19
and the boards 24 are removed. The spacers 19 are placed in the position shown
in
phantom outline in Fig. 8. As shown in Fig. 9, a first of the boards 24 is
placed above
one side of the groundsheet 16 overlapping one end sleeper 17 and the end of
one
intermediate sleeper 18. The outside of the board 24 is flush with the ends of
the
sleepers 17 and 18, and with the outsides of the end spacers 19. The thus
positioned
board 24 is then screwed to the spacers 19. First and second deck tiles 6 are
then
positioned on the sleepers 17 and 18 against the boards 22 and 24. A second
board
24 is screwed to the adjacent spacers 19 along the outside edge of the second
tile 6 to
complete one-half of a border around the top of the patio assembly (Fig. 10).
With the corners of the first two deck tiles 6 connected to the base defined
by the
groundsheet 16, the sleepers 17 and 18, and the spacers 19, a clip 20 is used
to
connect the inside corners of the first four of six deck tiles 6 to each other
and to one of
the intermediate sleepers 18. As best shown in Fig. 11, the deck clip 20 is
defined by a
rectangular strip of material, one end 27 of which is bent to form an inverted
L-shaped
hook, which includes a top ledge 28, which is connected to a large rectangular
base 29
by a vertical web 30. The ledge 28 extends horizontally from the top end of
the web 30
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in a direction away from the base 29. Holes 32 are provided in the base 29 for
receiving fasteners, which connect the slip 1 to a sleeper 18 (Figs. 12 to
14). Upwardly
extending barbs 33 are punched out of the base 29.
As shown in Fig. 12, the ledge 28 of the deck clip 20 is slid into a position
in
which one side of the ledge 28 overlaps the inner end of the furring strip 7
of one deck
tile 6 and the side of the furring strip 7 of an adjacent deck tile 6. The
clip 20 is then
connected to the intermediate sleeper 18 using fasteners in the form of screws
35
(Figs. 12 to 14). A third deck tile 6 (Fig. 13) is placed in a position in
which it overlaps
approximately one-half of the base 29 of the clip 20. When properly
positioned, the
.. ends of the floorboards 8 of the third sleeper 6 are aligned with the
longitudinal axis of
the sleeper 18. The corner of the third tile 6 overlapping the clip base 29 is
pressed or
hammered down so that one of the prongs 33 enters the furring strip 7. A
fourth deck
tile 6 (Fig. 14) is then placed in position over the deck clip 20 with its
floorboards 8
extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the sleeper 18. The corner of
the fourth
deck tile 6 is then pressed down so that the second prong 33 enters its
furring strip 7.
A third board 24 is screwed to the spacers 19 in end-to-end relationship with
the first
board 24. A second clip 20 is then mounted on the second intermediate sleeper
18 at
the inner corners of the second and third deck tiles 6 and then the fifth and
sixth deck
tiles are attached to the second sleeper 18 in the same manner as the third
and fourth
tiles. Finally, a fourth board 24 is attached to the other ends of the
sleepers 17 and 18
to complete the border around the tiles 6. As shown in Figs. 15 and 16, the
top of the
deck tiles 8 is in the same plane as the top of the border.
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Referring to Figs. 17 to 21, a relatively simple third embodiment of the
invention
includes a groundsheet 40 formed of landscape fabric (Fig. 17), a plurality of
spaced
apart, parallel sleepers 41 and 42 permanently attached to the groundsheet
using
staples (not shown) or other fasteners, and a plurality of pre-assembled,
square deck
tiles 44 (Figs. 18 and 19). Narrow boards 45 defining end borders are
permanently
mounted on and extend the lengths of the end sleepers 42.
As best shown in Figs. 18 and 19, each deck tile 44 includes a square top
plate
or floorboard 46, spacers 47 mounted on two opposite ends of the bottom of the
floorboard and a strengthening strip 48 (Fig. 19) mounted centrally on the
bottom of the
floorboard 46. The spacers 47 are shorter than the sides of the floorboards 46
so that
the sides of the floorboard extend beyond the ends of the spacers (Fig. 18).
The strip
48 ensures that there are no springy areas on a finished patio. While the
floorboards
44 shown in Figs. 18 to 21 are square, the floorboards can be rectangular. At
least the
top surfaces of the sleepers and the deck tiles are coated with a deck paint
or another
finish such as a vinyl covering available under the trademark DURADEK or a
similar
product. After the coating has been applied to the sleepers and the deck
tiles, strips of
hook and eye fasteners (not shown) are attached to the top surfaces of the
sleepers
and to the bottom corners of the tile floorboards.
As in the case of the first two embodiments of the patio assembly, the
groundsheet 40, sleepers 41 and 42 and the boards 45 would form a more or less
cylindrical roll. In order to construct a patio, the groundsheet 40 is
unrolled (Fig. 17),
and, starting at one corner, the tiles 44 are mounted on the sleepers 41 and
42. As
shown in Fig. 20, when the tiles 44 are mounted on the sleepers 41 and 42,
with the
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=
spacers 47 perpendicular to the sleepers 41 and 42, the sides fo the
floorboards at the
ends of the spacers 47 overlap the sleepers 41 and 42. The length of each side
of the
floorboards is such that the floorboards overlap approximately one half the
width of the
sleeper 41 or 42. The spacers 47 stretch out the groundsheet 40 and keep it
flat on the
ground. With all tiles 44 mounted on the sleepers 41 and 42, the result is the
patio
shown in Fig. 21.
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