Various types of securing clips for installation of flooring elements are known. The flooring elements may be constituted e.g. by decking planks having mounting flanges on their longitudinal edges or flooring panels, or else regular flooring planks having a rectangular cross-section. The known securing clips, apart from being engaged with a flooring element, must be attached to it by means of fixing means like bolt screws, screws etc.

An example of a securing clip suitable for engagement with mounting flanges of decking planks that requires fixing to supporting elements by means of screws is disclosed in the document WO 2010/004539. The described clip is not very convenient because suitable fixing means and additional tools must be selected and used, which is troublesome and laborious. Besides, demounting of the planks requires the screws to be unscrewed, which may become difficult or even impossible with time. There is also an additional disadvantage consisting in that once the planks have been installed, the holes for the screws remain both in the planks and in the supporting elements.

The aim of the invention was to provide a securing clip and a system for installation of flooring elements enabling to install the flooring elements without the use of fixing means and additional tools.

Another aim of the invention was to provide a securing clip for installation of a flooring element on a supporting element, which securing clip would be made of a single piece of sheet material.

Yet another aim of the invention was to provide a securing clip and a system for installation of flooring elements that would be easy to demount and would leave neither holes nor notable traces in the flooring elements and the supporting elements.

According to the invention a securing clip is provided for installation of neighboring flooring elements on a supporting element, the securing clip being made of a single piece of sheet of resilient material.

The securing clip according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises at least two lower wings to be engaged with at least a portion of the supporting element and at least two upper wings one of which is to be engaged with one of the neighboring flooring elements and the other is to be engaged with the other of the neighboring flooring elements, the wings being made by notching the sheet and cutting off its selected portions.

Preferably, the securing clip comprises two mutually opposite lower wings.

The securing clip may optionally comprise three upper wings, two of which are to be engaged with one of the neighboring flooring elements, and the third upper wing located between said two upper wings is to be engaged with the other of the neighboring flooring elements. Preferably, each wing is bent as an angle, the upper wings having their bend lines directed transversally to the bend lines of the lower wings.

At least one wing that is bent as an angle may have two flanges directed at right angles to each other.

The securing clip may comprise four upper wings, of which the first and the third upper wings are engaged with one of the neighboring flooring elements, the second and the fourth upper wings are located between said first and third upper wings, the fourth upper wing being engaged with the other of the neighboring flooring elements and the second upper wing being engaged with said supporting element.

Preferably, the second upper wing is provided with teeth at its free edge catching the supporting element.

At least one wing may be provided with at least one engaging detent.

Preferably, the at least one engaging detent is made by notching and bending of a piece of the securing clip material.

According to the invention a system for installation of flooring elements is provided comprising at least one securing clip according to the invention and at least one supporting element comprising a protrusion to be engaged with at least one securing clip, the protrusion having a cross-section adapted to the shape of the cross-section of the space between the lower wings of the securing clip.

Preferably, the lower wings of the at least one securing clip are shaped as angles with two flanges directed at acute angles to each other and the protrusion of the at least one supporting element has a cross-section shaped as a dove-tail so that the lower wings are clipped around said protrusion.

The supporting element is preferably a channel profile element, most preferably made of plastic material.

Examples of embodiment of the invention are shown on the appended drawing including the following figures:

Fig. 1 presenting a perspective view of a first embodiment of the securing clip according to the invention;

Fig. 2 presenting a perspective view of a second embodiment of the securing clip according to the invention;

Fig. 3 presenting a perspective view of a third embodiment of the securing clip according to the invention;

Fig. 4 showing a plan view of the sheet material for the securing clip shown in fig. 3;

Figs. 5A and 5B showing a fourth embodiment of the securing clip according to the invention in perspective views as seen from opposite sides; Fig. 5C presenting a plan view of the piece of the sheet material for the securing clip from figs. 5A and 5B;

Fig. 6A presenting a side view of a fragment of the system according to the invention;

Fig. 6B presenting an enlarged detail indicated by the circle on fig. 6A, in a cross-section taken transversally to the view of fig. 6A.

The securing clip according to the invention is used for installation of neighboring flooring elements on a supporting element. The securing clip is made of a single piece of resilient sheet material; the upper part of the securing clip is engaged with the neighboring flooring elements and the lower part is engaged with the supporting element so that they form together a solid but demountable floor covering. The material of which the securing clip is made may be selected by a specialist, it may be e.g. a hard resilient stainless steel.

Fig. 1 shows the securing clip 1 according to the first embodiment. It comprises two lower wings 3, 3' and two upper wings 4, 4'. One of the upper wings is engaged with one of the neighboring flooring elements B, and the other upper wing is engaged with the other of the neighboring flooring elements B. The lower wings 3, 3' are clipped around the supporting element A located underneath (see figs. 6A, 6B). In this embodiment the lower wings are located opposite to each other. The securing clip according to the invention may also be provided with more lower wings which may be located opposite to each other or not, e.g. alternately (not shown in the figures).

Fig. 2 shows the securing clip 1 according to the second embodiment of the invention. It differs from the securing clip shown in fig. 1 in that it has three upper wings 4, 4', 4", two of which i.e. the upper wings 4 and 4" are located on the same side of the clip and they are used for engagement with one of the neighboring flooring elements, and the third upper wing 4' located between the upper wings 4 and 4" on the other side of the clip is used for engagement with the other of the neighboring flooring elements.

Fig. 3 shows the securing clip 1 according to the third embodiment of the invention. It is similar to the securing clip from fig. 2 but it has four upper wings. Between the upper wings 4 and 4" engaged with one neighboring flooring element there is a wing 4' engaged with the supporting element.

Fig. 4 shows a plan view of an exemplary piece of a sheet 2 of resilient material for a securing clip 1 shown in fig. 3. The securing clip according to all the embodiments of the invention is made by suitably notching the sheet 2 and bending those of its portions which will constitute the lower wings 3, 3' and the upper wings 4, 4', 4", 4"'.

All the wings 3, 3', 4, 4', 4", 4"' are bent as angles, the upper wings 4, 4', 4", 4"' having their bend lines directed transversally to the bend lines of the lower wings 3, 3'. Most preferably, but not necessarily, the flanges 8, 9 of the angles (shown in fig. 2) are directed at acute angles to each other. The flanges 8, 9 may also be directed substantially at right angles to each other. The selected angle depends on the resilience of the material of the securing clip as well as on the dimensions of the securing clip, the flooring elements and the supporting elements. Preferably, the areas of the flanges 9 located close to its free edges are slightly bent to the outside of the securing clip in order to facilitate installation.

Figs. 5A and 5B show the fourth embodiment of the securing clip 1 according to the invention in two perspective views. This embodiment is similar to the one shown in fig. 3 but it is further provided with engaging detents 6 located on all its wings. The detents 6 are made by notching and bending small angular pieces of the securing clip material. The detents 6 may be present in any suitable number; their function is enhance the friction connection between the securing clip and the flooring and supporting elements.

Fig. 5C shows a plan view of an exemplary sheet of a material for a securing clip from figs. 5A and 5B. As shown in figs. 5A, 5B, 5C, in this embodiment the upper wing 4' is further provided with teeth 5 enhancing the connection between this wing 4' with the supporting element and prevent the securing clip 1 from sliding on its surface.

In fig. 6A a fragment of the system according to the invention is shown. The system is used for installation of the flooring elements B on the supporting element(s) A. The system includes at least one securing clip 1 according to the invention (in fig. 6A one securing clip is visible) and at least one supporting element A comprising a protrusion 7 engaged with at least one securing clip 1. The shape of the cross-section of the protrusion 7 corresponds to the cross-section of the area between the lower wings 3, 3' of the securing clip 1.

Figs. 6B presents an enlarged detail indicated by the circle on fig. 6A, in a cross-section taken transversally to the view of fig. 6A. As shown in fig. 6B, in this embodiment the protrusion 7 of the supporting element A has a dove-tail shaped cross-section, so that upon installation the lower wings 3, 3', bent at acute angles, are clipped around the protrusion 7. The supporting element A is a channel profile element, preferably made of plastic material. Both the shape of the protrusion 7 and the cross- section and material of the supporting element A may be different to those shown and may be suitably selected by a specialist.