Granted Patent B2

US 8,844,207 · App. 13/908,852 · Granted Sep 30, 2014

Abstract

Claims (75)

1. A portable dance floor system comprising a plurality of floor panels removably couplable together to form a dance floor assembly, each floor panel comprising:

a) a perimeter frame circumscribing a core, and a dance floor surface substantially covering the frame and core;

b) the frame comprising an extrusion with an outwardly facing channel having an outward facing opening, and an elongated cavity behind the outwardly facing channel;

c) a plurality of bores extending into the extrusion transverse to a longitudinal axis thereof from a back of the extrusion, into the outwardly facing channel, and to the outwardly facing opening of the outwardly facing channel;

d) a plurality of magnets each disposed in a different one of the plurality of bores;

e) a retaining strip disposed in the elongated cavity and holding the plurality of magnets in the plurality of bores between the retaining strip and the opening; and

f) the retaining strip and the extrusion being non-ferrous;

g) the plurality of magnets having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the plurality of the bores, or the plurality of magnets having a length shorter than a distance from the outwardly facing opening to the retaining strip, or both, such that the plurality of magnets are movable within the plurality of bores.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein

a) the plurality of bores is each wider than the outwardly facing channel and each extends from a bottom of the outwardly facing channel to short of the outward facing opening to form a reduced width with respect to the bore and defining a pair of opposing lips extending inward over the bore; and

b) the plurality of magnets each has a length extending from the pair of lips into a respective bore in the bottom of the outwardly facing channel.

3. A system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the core comprises an aluminum honeycomb core.

4. A system in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:

a) an upper layer extending over the core and over substantially all of the frame;

b) a lower layer extending under the core and under substantially all of the frame;

c) the core and the perimeter frame being sandwiched between the upper and lower layer; and

d) a dance floor surface disposed over the upper layer and substantially covering the frame.

5. A system in accordance with claim 4 , further comprising:

a lower outer lip on the extrusion forming a shallow bottom cavity on a bottom of the frame with the lower layer disposed in the shallow bottom cavity.

6. A system in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the lower layer has an exposed bottom surface.

7. A system in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:

a blade secured in the outwardly facing channel separate from the plurality of magnets and extending out from the outwardly facing channel and beyond a perimeter of the frame, the blade comprising a ferrous material to magnetically attach to another adjacent plurality of magnets of another adjacent panel.

8. A portable dance floor system comprising a plurality of floor panels removably couplable together to form a dance floor assembly, each floor panel comprising:

a) a honeycomb core;

b) a perimeter frame circumscribing the core, the frame comprising an extrusion with an outwardly facing channel with an outward facing opening, and an elongated cavity behind the outwardly facing channel;

c) an upper layer extending over the core and over substantially all of the frame;

d) a lower layer extending under the core and under substantially all of the frame;

e) the core and the perimeter frame being sandwiched between the upper and lower layer;

f) a dance floor surface disposed over the upper layer and substantially covering the frame;

g) a plurality of bores each wider than the outwardly facing channel and each extending from a bottom of the outwardly facing channel to short of the outward facing opening defining a pair of opposing lips extending inward over the bore to form a reduced width with respect to the bore;

h) a plurality of magnets each disposed in a different one of the plurality of bores;

i) the plurality of magnets each having a length extending from the pair of lips into a respective bore in the bottom of the outwardly facing channel;

j) a retaining strip disposed in the elongated cavity and holding the plurality of magnets in the plurality of bores between the retaining strip and the outwardly facing opening;

k) the retaining strip and the extrusion being non-ferrous; and

l) the plurality of magnets having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the plurality of the bores, or the plurality of magnets having a length shorter than a distance from the outwardly facing opening to the retaining strip, or both, such that the plurality of magnets are movable within the plurality of bores.

9. A system in accordance with claim 8 , further comprising:

a lower outer lip on the extrusion forming a shallow bottom cavity on a bottom of the frame with the lower layer disposed in the shallow bottom cavity.

10. A system in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the lower layer has an exposed bottom surface.

11. A system in accordance with claim 8 , further comprising:

a blade secured in the outwardly facing channel separate from the plurality of magnets and extending out from the outwardly facing channel and beyond a perimeter of the frame, the blade comprising a ferrous material to magnetically attach to another adjacent plurality of magnets of another adjacent panel.

12. A portable dance floor system comprising a plurality of floor panels removably couplable together to form a dance floor assembly, each floor panel comprising:

a) a perimeter frame circumscribing a core, and a dance floor surface substantially covering the frame and core;

b) a pair of layers sandwiching the core and the perimeter frame between the layers, and with the dance floor surface disposed over one of the pair of layers;

c) the frame comprising an extrusion with an outwardly facing channel having an outward facing opening, and an elongated cavity behind the channel;

d) a plurality of bores extending into the extrusion transverse to a longitudinal axis thereof from a back of the extrusion, into the outwardly facing channel, and to the outwardly facing opening of the outwardly facing channel;

e) a plurality of magnets each disposed in a different one of the plurality of bores;

f) a retaining strip disposed in the elongated cavity and holding the plurality of magnets in the plurality of bores between the retaining strip and the outwardly facing opening;

g) the retaining strip and the extrusion being non-ferrous; and

h) the plurality of magnets having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the plurality of the bores, or the plurality of magnets having a length shorter than a distance from the outwardly facing opening to the retaining strip, or both, such that the plurality of magnets are movable within the plurality of bores.

13. A system in accordance with claim 12 , wherein

a) the plurality of bores is each wider than the outwardly facing channel and each extends from a bottom of the outwardly facing channel to short of the outward facing opening to form a reduced width with respect to the bore and defining a pair of opposing lips extending inward over the bore; and

b) the plurality of magnets each has a length extending from the pair of lips into a respective bore in the bottom of the outwardly facing channel.

14. A system in accordance with claim 12 , further comprising:

a lower outer lip on the extrusion forming a shallow bottom cavity on a bottom of the frame with a lower layer of the pair of layers disposed in the shallow bottom cavity.

15. A portable dance floor system comprising a plurality of floor panels removably couplable together to form a dance floor assembly, each floor panel comprising:

a) a perimeter frame circumscribing a core, and a dance floor surface substantially covering the frame and core;

b) the frame comprising an extrusion with an outwardly facing channel having an outward facing opening, and an elongated cavity behind the outwardly facing channel;

c) a plurality of bores extending into the extrusion transverse to a longitudinal axis thereof from a back of the extrusion, into the outwardly facing channel, and to the outwardly facing opening of the outwardly facing channel;

d) a plurality of magnets each disposed in a different one of the plurality of bores;

e) a retaining strip disposed in the elongated cavity and holding the plurality of magnets in the plurality of bores between the retaining strip and the outwardly facing opening; and

f) the retaining strip and the extrusion being non-ferrous;

g) the plurality of magnets having a size less than a size of the plurality of the bores, such that the plurality of magnets are movable within the plurality of bores.

16. A system in accordance with claim 15 , wherein

a) the plurality of bores is each wider than the outwardly facing channel and each extends from a bottom of the outwardly facing channel to short of the outward facing opening to form a reduced width with respect to the bore and defining a pair of opposing lips extending inward over the bore; and

b) the plurality of magnets each has a length extending from the pair of lips into a respective bore in the bottom of the outwardly facing channel.

17. A system in accordance with claim 15 , further comprising:

a) an upper layer extending over the core and over substantially all of the frame;

b) a lower layer extending under the core and under substantially all of the frame;

c) the core and the perimeter frame being sandwiched between the upper and lower layer; and

d) a dance floor surface disposed over the upper layer and substantially covering the frame.

18. A system in accordance with claim 17 , further comprising:

a lower outer lip on the extrusion forming a shallow bottom cavity on a bottom of the frame with the lower layer disposed in the shallow bottom cavity.

19. A system in accordance with claim 17 , wherein the lower layer has an exposed bottom surface.

20. A system in accordance with claim 15 , further comprising:

a blade secured in the outwardly facing channel separate from the plurality of magnets and extending out from the outwardly facing channel and beyond a perimeter of the frame, the blade comprising a ferrous material to magnetically attach to another adjacent plurality of magnets of another adjacent panel.

Assignments (8)