Recycled tire paver blocks
Recycled tire paver blocks with hidden interconnectors are cast blocks composed at least of a binder and rubber, the rubber being shredded rubber from recycled tires. The block has a top, a bottom and at least one sidewall, and has a substantially symmetric shape from a top view. It has at least one protruding male interconnector located on and extending outwardly from the at least one sidewall, and having at least one female interconnector located under the block on its bottom, at least 90 degrees away from the male interconnector as measured in an arc from a centerpoint of the block. The at least one female interconnector is a recess adapted to receive a male interconnector of a similar block. When the paver block male interconnector is inserted into a female interconnector of a similar block, both interconnectors are significantly hidden from top view.
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a. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to recycled tire paver blocks (also called patio blocks) that may be used for any paver application, including walkways, patios, pools and landscape treatments, as well as other applications, such as paddock pathways, and exercise and gym areas. By “pavers” is meant blocks that are designed to interfit, like bricks or patio blocks, to create a pattern or array of units to accommodate different size areas that are typically walked upon. The present invention recycled tire paver blocks have unique construction and hidden interconnectors. The pavers are composed of binder(s), optional colorant and shredded rubber. The shredded rubber, also known as crumb rubber, is made predominantly of recycled shredded rubber and is preferably entirely shredded rubber from used, recycled tires.
b. Description of Related Art
The following patents are representative of the field of this invention:
U.S. Pat. No. 7,344,334 B2 to Thorkelson describes a paver system that comprises of a plurality of paver pieces and at least one substrate. Each of the paver pieces has a top surface and a bottom surface. The bottom surface of the paver pieces is configured for mating with the upper surface of the substrate, whereby paver pieces coupled to the substrate are prevented from moving laterally.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,300,032 B2 to Williams et al. describes a crumb rubber base pad which is for supporting mechanical machines and equipment and which is configured such that it reduces the noise and vibration emanating from these machines. The pad is constructed entirely from shredded and comminuted rubber tires and is configured such that it provides for the efficient run-off and/or draining of any moisture generated from under the machine unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,893 B1 to Gaston describes a paving block system and corresponding components and methods. The system finds particularly efficacious application in forming patios, walkways and driveways, and may comprise interconnecting or adjoining bottom barriers and side barriers. Each bottom barrier receives one or more paving blocks thereon, and may optionally have formed in the bottom surface thereof a recess for receiving a top rail formed into the bottom barrier. In preferred embodiments of the present invention, adjoining blocks interconnect to form a relatively continuous paving block top surface. The present invention permits the effects of undesired displacement forces acting on the blocks, such as frost heave, to be reduced or minimized, and further permits a user to install a driveway, walkway or patio relatively rapidly.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,539 to Crivelli describes a rubber tire recycling process that comprises the steps of granulating black rubber tire side walls and treads and granulating white rubber tire side walls to form coarse rubber crumbs, mixing the coarse rubber crumbs with fine clay particles to form a closely packed mixture, thoroughly wetting the surfaces of the coarse particles with an uncured EPDM rubber to provide a fluid, casting the fluid into a sheet-like configuration, and curing the sheet-like configuration under sufficient heat and for a sufficient time to provide an environmentally compatible paver for outdoor or indoor surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,258,222 to Crivelli describes a rubber tire recycling process that comprises the steps of granulating rubber tires to form coarse rubber crumbs, mixing the coarse rubber crumbs with coarse siliceous grains to form a closely packed mixture of coarse particles that are roughly commensurate in size, thoroughly wetting the surfaces of the coarse particles with a polymerizable liquid binder to provide an environmentally compatible sheet-like product, e.g. a paver or tile for driveways, or a shingle for roof tops, that is characterized by excellent weather, wear and chemical resistance. The surface characteristics of the coarse particles of vulcanized rubber and crystalline grains are critical to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,842,562 to Daigle describes precast concrete slabs that are joined together to form a walk or patio-like matrix by embedding a plurality of rods in each slab and providing cavities in the bottom faces of each slab. Each rod has a hooked end portion which projects beyond opposing end walls of the slab, the hooked end portions and the cavities being positioned such that the hooked end portions of one slab are receivable in the cavities of another slab, whereby the slabs may be interlocked end to end to form a strip of slabs. Similar cavities and rods having hooked ends may be positioned in each slab at right angles to the aforementioned rods and cavities to permit sidewise connections of the slabs along with end-to-end connection.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to recycled tire paver blocks with hidden interconnectors. The present invention is a cast block being composed at least of a binder and rubber, the rubber being shredded rubber from recycled tires. The present invention is a cast block, and preferably a heat fused, cast paver block, that has a top, a bottom and at least one sidewall, the block having a substantially symmetric shape from a top view (at least symmetric as to one axis), and having at least one protruding male interconnector located on and extending outwardly from the at least one sidewall, and having at least one female interconnector located under the block on its bottom, at least 90 degrees away from the male interconnector as measured in an arc from a centerpoint of the block. The at least one female interconnector is a recess adapted to receive a male interconnector of a similar block. When the paver block male interconnector is inserted into a female interconnector of a similar block, both interconnectors are significantly hidden (at least 90% hidden) from top view.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors, there are at least two male interconnectors and at least two female interconnectors.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors, each male interconnector has a symmetrically opposite female interconnector.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors, the cast block has a top view shape selected from the group consisting of circle, oval, square, rectangle, polygon and combinations thereof.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors, each of the at least one female interconnector includes and open bottom horizontal slot and an upward recess.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors, each of the at least one male interconnector includes an outwardly extending portion and an upcrop extending upwardly.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors, at least one side includes at least two male interconnectors and at least one side includes two female interconnectors.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors, the block includes at least one embossed design on the top.
Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the invention may be set forth or apparent from consideration of the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that both the foregoing summary of the invention and the following detailed description are exemplary and intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope of the invention as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and together with the detail description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
Used tires are recycled by being macerated mechanically through a series of cutters with increasingly smaller pieces being produced, from full tires, to tires with sidewall beads removed, to 9″ to 12″ pieces, to 3′ to 5″ pieces, down to an inch or less and then to smaller sizes that are tenths of an inch or less. Centrifuges or other processes remove fiber from rubber and magnets remove metal fines. The resulting crumb rubber is utilized as the major constituent in forming the products of the present invention. The crumb rubber is mixed with a binder and the mixture may include other additives, such as colorants and flame retardants. Binders may be thermoset plastics, polyvinyl chloride, urethane or other material, or combinations thereof.
The crumb rubber and binder (and other constituents, where applicable) are cold blended or hot blended and then molded into the shape of the finished paver blocks of the present invention. The molding process may be hot melt molding and hot pressure molding is preferred. The mixture is poured into an open mold and pressed into the mold with predetermined heat and pressure. The heat is typically below the melting point of the crumb rubber in terms of temperature and exposure time, but in some preferred embodiments, sufficient heating is applied to fuse the binder and crumb rubber particles together. The molded products are ejected or removed from the molds manually or automatically using ejector systems.
Block 1 has a top 3, a bottom 5, and sides 7, 9, 11 and 13. Top 3 is shown as a smooth flat surface, not could be embossed, painted or otherwise embellished. Two adjacent sides 7 and 9 have male interconnectors 15 and 19, respectively. These male interconnectors have a tongue portion and a locking upcrop, shown as upcrop 17 and 21 on male interconnectors 15 and 19, respectively (
At about 90° from male interconnector 19 on side 11 is female interconnector 27. Female interconnector 27 is a slot with a deeper upward recess 29, adapted to receive a male upcrop, similar or identical to upcrop 21 of male interconnector 19. Similarly, on side 13 is a second female interconnector 23 with upward recess 25, likewise adapted to receive a corresponding male interconnector.
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Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those particular embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, in some preferred embodiments, before being melted and fused, the shredded rubber from used tires may be intermixed with an appropriate binding material, such as those used in the insides of a baseball, or any other available binder that works with rubber used in tires.
Claims
1. A recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors, which comprises:
- a cast block having a top, a bottom and at least one sidewall, said block having a substantially symmetric shape from a top view, and having at least one protruding male interconnector located on and extending outwardly from said at least one sidewall, and having at least one female interconnector located under said block on its bottom, at least 90 degrees away from said male interconnector as measured in an arc from a centerpoint of said block, said at least one female interconnector being a recess adapted to receive a male interconnector of a similar block, said block being composed at least of a binder and rubber, said rubber being shredded rubber from recycled tires;
- such that when said paver block male interconnector is inserted into a female interconnector of a similar block, both interconnectors are significantly hidden from top view.
2. The recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors of claim 1 wherein there are at least two male interconnectors and at least two female interconnectors.
3. The recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors of claim 2 wherein each male interconnector has a symmetrically opposite female interconnector.
4. The recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors of claim 1 wherein said cast block has a top view shape selected from the group consisting of circle, oval, square, rectangle, polygon and combinations thereof.
5. The recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors of claim 1 wherein each of said at least one female interconnector includes an open bottom horizontal slot and an upward recess.
6. The recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors of claim 1 wherein each of said at least one male interconnector includes an outwardly extending portion and an upcrop extending upwardly.
7. The recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors of claim 5 wherein each of said at least one male interconnector includes an outwardly extending portion and an upcrop extending upwardly.
8. The recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors of claim 1 wherein at least one side includes at least two male interconnectors and at least one side includes two female interconnectors.
9. The recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors of claim 5 wherein at least one side includes at least two male interconnectors and at least one side includes two female interconnectors.
10. The recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors of claim 1 wherein said block includes at least one embossed design on said top.
11. A recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors, which comprises:
- a cast, heat fused block having a top, a bottom and at least one sidewall, said block having a substantially symmetric shape from a top view, and having at least one protruding male interconnector located on and extending outwardly from said at least one sidewall, and having at least one female interconnector located under said block on its bottom, at least 90 degrees away from said male interconnector as measured in an arc from a centerpoint of said block, said at least one female interconnector being a recess adapted to receive a male interconnector of a similar block, said block being composed at least of a binder, a colorant and rubber, said rubber being shredded rubber from recycled tires;
- such that when said paver block male interconnector is inserted into a female interconnector of a similar block, both interconnectors are significantly hidden from top view.
12. The recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors of claim 11 wherein there are at least two male interconnectors and at least two female interconnectors.
13. The recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors of claim 12 wherein each male interconnector has a symmetrically opposite female interconnector.
14. The recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors of claim 11 wherein said cast block has a top view shape selected from the group consisting of circle, oval, square, rectangle, polygon and combinations thereof.
15. The recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors of claim 11 wherein each of said at least one female interconnector includes an open bottom horizontal slot and an upward recess.
16. The recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors of claim 11 wherein each of said at least one male interconnector includes an outwardly extending portion and an upcrop extending upwardly.
17. The recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors of claim 15 wherein each of said at least one male interconnector includes an outwardly extending portion and an upcrop extending upwardly.
18. The recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors of claim 11 wherein at least one side includes at least two male interconnectors and at least one side includes two female interconnectors.
19. The recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors of claim 15 wherein at least one side includes at least two male interconnectors and at least one side includes two female interconnectors.
20. The recycled tire paver block with hidden interconnectors of claim 11 wherein said block includes at least one embossed design on said top.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 2, 2008
Publication Date: Dec 3, 2009
Applicant:
Inventor: Kenneth P. Glynn (Flemington, NJ)
Application Number: 12/156,483