Technical Field

The present invention relates to a method for repairing a continuous surface layer according to the preamble of claim 1. Further, the invention also relates to a device for performing a method for repairing a continuous surface layer.

Background of the Invention

It is common when repairing a continuous surface layer, such as for example a wood floor, that a hole with a symmetrical form, such as square or rectangular, is made in the floor. Thereafter, a frame work is constructed around and behind the hole, against which a gauge block is fixed. This method is hard and time consuming and is therefore also very costly. Besides, if it relates to insulated floors the problem of restoring the insulating function must also be considered, and it is sometimes not possible to solve said problem without breaking up the floor, at least to the damaged part, alternately the entire floor.

Further, floors made of matched boards can be floating and often click-lock floors are floating on a plane subfloor. With floating floors it is not possible to construct a frame work for fitting a gauge block for repairing. In addition, it is not possible to glue the gauge block against the sub floor since the floor should partially be able to move freely in relation to the subfloor.

The term continuous surface layer comprises walls, floors and ceilings where one tries to attain a high surface finish and a damaged part can not be repaired by only surface treatment. Continuous surface layer also relates to different types of boards such as table tops and work tops, but can also be doors or for example hulls or decks of wooden ships.

There are today no suitable methods or devices which allow repairing a damaged continuous surface layer such as floors, walls or ceilings, in a non-damaging way and with preserved integrity for remaining parts of a construction with the continuous surface layer.

Summary of the Invention The object of the present invention is to provide a method for repairing a surface layer, such as for example mounted parquet floors, boarded floors, click-lock floors, gypsum wallboards and chipboards, and a device to be used for performing said method.

The objet is achieved with a method for repairing a continuous surface layer in which a hole is arranged and a gauge block is produced having a form which corresponds to the form of the hole for fitting therein. The method comprises the steps of:

- arranging a first groove around the peripheral surface of the gauge block;

- arranging a second groove around the peripheral surface of the surface layer, which peripheral surface delimits and defines the hole in the surface layer;

- mounting at least one flexible spring in one of the first or second grooves so that the spring extends along said groove, wherein the spring is resilient in a direction substantially perpendicular to the extension of said groove; and

- placing the gauge block in the hole so that the spring partially protrudes into the other of said groove when said groove is substantially flush with the other of said groove.

Moreover, a device is defined for performing a method for repairing a continuous surface layer, wherein the surface layer has a hole for a part of the surface layer to be repaired by means of a gauge block having a form which corresponds to the form of the hole for fitting therein. The device is a spring comprising an elongated flexible strip to be mounted in a groove and on which at least one spring means is arranged, which is resilient in a direction substantially perpendicular to the extension of the strip.

With a method for repairing a continuous surface layer according to the invention no frame works have to be constructed behind the gauge block, but the function of the spring in the grooves makes the gauge block to be kept in place in the surface layer without such a frame work. Further, the spring can act around the whole circumference of the gauge block and therefore providing a secure repair of the surface layer. Moreover, the form of the gauge block may have almost any form (also an asymmetric form), hence the invention provides freedom and flexibility for the layman as well as the skilled person when repairing a continuous surface layer. Yet another advantage with the invention is that the thickness of the gauge block does not have to be the same as the thickness of the surface layer despite that the front side of the gauge block is flush with the front side of the surface layer.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the following detailed description preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the appended figures in which:

- Figure 1 shows a continuous surface layer and a gauge block, wherein the surface layer has a hole for receiving the gauge block;

- Figure 2 shows in detail a gauge block in which a spring is mounted, wherein the gauge block is to be fitted in a hole in a continuous surface layer;

- Figure 3 shows an embodiment of a spring for performing a method for repairing a surface layer, seen in a view from above; and

- Figure 4 shows the spring in figure 3 seen in a perspective view.

Description of Preferred Embodiments of the Invention

Figure 1 shows an example of a continuous surface layer 1 to be repaired. The surface layer 1 can be chipboard, plywood board, gypsum wallboard or any other continuous surface layer composed of a plurality of parts such as a mounted parquet floor, boarded floor or commonly existing so called click-lock floors. Also, other types of surface layers 1 can be repaired with the method according to the invention, for example the hull of a wooden ship. However, the surface layer 1 should have a thickness such that a groove can be arranged for receiving a spring for performing a method according to the invention.

Further, a hole 3 is shown in figure 1 in which a gauge block 2 should be fitted for covering the hole 3. Usually, the gauge block 2 shall replace the former existing part of the surface layer 1 which when being repaired forms a hole 3, but the gauge block 2 can also be the original part of the surface layer 1, for example when a hole 3 has been made in the surface layer 1 for inspection or reparation behind the surface layer, which can be the case at water leakage, inspection of piping and cabling, etc.

The method according to the invention is to be used for repairing a surface layer 1 which has a hole 3 for receiving a gauge block 2 to be fitted in the hole 3, hence the form of the hole 3 and the gauge block 2 shall fit each other. In figure 1, the hole 3, and therefore also the gauge block 2, has a rectangular form, but it is realised that they also can have other forms. The hole 3 and the gauge block 2 can for example be square, triangular or circular, but also have a free asymmetric form depending on the form of the part that need to be replaced on the surface layer 1. Therefore, the method provides high flexibility when repairing a surface layer 1 since the form of the part of the surface layer 1 to be repaired/replaced is immaterial. It is further not essential by which technique the hole 3 or the gauge block 2 have been obtained when performing the present invention, i.e. the hole 3 may have been obtained with the use of a machine or by hand.

Repairing a surface layer 1 according to the present invention is performed by arranging a first groove 4 around the peripheral surface of the gauge block 2, which shall be in contact with the surface layer 1. Further, a second groove 5 is arranged around the peripheral surface of the surface layer 1 which delimits and defines a hole 3 in which the gauge block 2 shall be fitted. Thereafter, according to a preferred embodiment, a spring 6 is mounted in the first groove 6, wherein the spring 6 is resilient in a direction substantially perpendicular to the extension of the first groove 4. When placing the gauge block 2 in the hole 3, the gauge block 2 comprising the mounted spring 6, is fitted in the hole 3 so that the spring 6 is partially compressed until the first groove 4 is substantially flush with the second groove 5. When this happens, the spring 6 will resilient back for partially protruding into the second groove 5, and the gauge block 2 will be kept in place in the hole 3 due to the effect of the spring 6 in both grooves 4, 5. Therefore, with the present method no frame work has to be constructed behind the gauge block 2, which simplifies repairing of a surface layer 1 substantially.

Regarding arranging the first 4 and second 5 grooves on the gauge block 2 and the surface layer 1 , respectively, this can be performed by milling a groove by means of a hand machine or a hand tool. The first 4 and second 5 grooves may also in a preferred embodiment be arranged so that the distance between the first groove 4 and the front side of the gauge block 2 is the same as the distance between the second groove 5 and the front side of the surface layer 1 around the hole 3. Front side in this description means that side of the gauge block 2 or the surface layer 1 which forms the surface on which high finish is desired, for example upper side of a floor, the under side of a ceiling or the side of a gypsum wallboard facing a room. The advantage with arranging the grooves 4, 5 with the same distance as described above is that the gauge block 2 and the surrounding surface layer 1 will be flush with each other irrespective of the thickness of the gauge block 2 is different from the thickness of the surface layer 1. Further, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention the first 4 and second 5 grooves have the same width and height.

In figure 2 a gauge block 2 is shown in detail to be fitted in a hole 3 on a surface layer 1. A first groove 4 is milled out around the peripheral surface of the gauge block 2 which shall be in contact with the peripheral surface of the surface layer 1, and a second groove 5 is milled out around the peripheral surface of the surface layer 1 delimiting and defining the hole 3. Further, a spring 6 is mounted in the first groove 4, wherein the spring 6 extends around one of the corners of the gauge block 2 in figure 2.

The present invention also relates to a device for performing a method for repairing a continuous surface layer 1 described above.

In figure 3 an embodiment of a device according to the invention is shown in a view seen from above, and in figure 4 said device 6 is shown in a perspective view obliquely from above. The device consists of a spring 6 comprising an elongated flexible strip 9 to be mounted in a groove 4, 5. In this embodiment a plurality of spring means 7 are arranged on the strip 9, which are resilient in a direction substantially perpendicular to the extension of the strip 9. The spring means 7 are intended to fully or partially protrude into another groove 4, 5 when the grooves 4, 5 are flush with each other for locking the gauge block 2 to the surface layer 1. In the embodiments in figures 3-4 the spring means 7 have the form of a slightly bent tooth, but may also have other forms with the corresponding function, i.e. being resilient. In an embodiment not shown the spring means 7 have a rectangular or a square form. With such a design it is suitable that the spring means 7 are arranged with the points of the rectangular or square at the strip 9. In another embodiment not shown, the spring 6 comprises only one spring means 7 which is arranged on and along with the extension of the strip 9 and is resilient in a direction substantially perpendicular to the extension of the strip 9.

For facilitating bending of the spring 6 in its longitudinal direction, a plurality of notches 8, such as cuts, recesses, or wedged shaped recesses can be placed on the strip 9, which is shown in the embodiment of the spring in figures 3-4. Moreover, the spring 6 may at its ends comprise connection means 10 for connecting two or more springs 6 to each other for forming a composite spring 6. In the embodiment of the spring 6 shown in figures 3-4 the connection means 10 consists of an annular female for receiving a corresponding annular male, wherein the female and the male are placed on each end of the spring 6 and arranged to be connected to each other.

The spring 6 is preferably made of a flexible plastic, for example polypropylene, but can also be made of any other suitable flexible material, such as for example thin sheet metal providing spring action. Moreover, the spring 6, in an embodiment not shown, comprises a plurality of elevations in the form of pins or corrugations, which are regularly placed on the strip 9 and the function of which is to strengthen the mounting of the spring 6 in the groove 4,

5 by wedge action, hence the spring 6 preferably at its elevations should have a dimension that is slightly larger than the width of the groove 4, 5, for example being over-sized by 0.1- 0.2 mm.

For further strengthening the mounting of the spring 6 in the groove 4, 5 glue may further be applied in the groove 4, 5. Moreover, the spring may be nailed in an inclined position onto the surface layer 1 or the gauge block 2, by the socket of the spring means 7 having one or more guiding means (not shown in the figures) for guiding the nails.

It is realised that the dimension of spring 6 is dependent on the dimensions of the grooves 4, 5 and vice versa, which in turn may depend on such factors such as the thickness of the surface layer 1 or the desired strength of the repair. Therefore, the dimension of the grooves 4, 5 and the spring 6 may differ substantially from one repair to another, and may have values from some few millimetres to many centimetres. Furthermore, the length of the strip 9 can be considerably varied, hence solutions with many short springs 6 with some few longer springs

6 or with only one spring 6 is possible.