Abstract: Connectors for joining adjacent modular floor covering units. Embodiments of the connectors include a film and an adhesive layer coated on one side of the film. The connectors can have a conductive component that allows electrical continuity to be maintained between adjacent tiles. In yet another embodiment, the connectors can be equipped as radio frequency identification tags by including radio frequency transponders. To install tiles using the connectors, a first tile is placed on the floor and a connector is positioned so that the adhesive layer faces upward and does not contact the floor. The connector is typically positioned so that only a portion of the adhesive layer adheres to the underside of the tile, leaving the remainder of the connector extending from the underside of the tile. One or more tiles are then positioned adjacent the first tile so that a portion of the connector adheres to the adjacent tiles. In this way, the connectors span adjacent tile edges.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 27, 2008
Date of Patent:
July 20, 2010
Assignee:
Interface, Inc.
Inventors:
Chung-Hsien Zah, Connie D. Hensler, Keith N. Gray, Susan F. Fezer, Horace Eddie Bradley, Jr.