US 3,720,027 · Granted 1973-03-13
The Snap-Together Ice Rink Floor That Changed Cold Sports
Imagine a floor made of wooden blocks, each one wrapped completely in plastic like a waterproof package. These blocks lock together with a tongue-and-groove joint (like puzzle pieces), so you can quickly cover an ice rink without glue or screws. The plastic keeps moisture from ruining the wood underneath.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a modular floor system where individual elements have a wooden core surrounded on all sides by a vapor-tight plastic coating. What's protected is the specific construction method: how the wood and plastic combine, and the tongue-and-groove interlocking mechanism that lets these blocks snap together without additional fasteners. Anyone making a competing snap-together rink floor with this exact sandwich structure (plastic-wrapped wood with interlocking edges) would be infringing.
Why it matters
Before this patent, covering an ice rink was slow and unreliable—moisture would seep into wooden floors and cause rot or warping, shutting down the rink for repairs. This design solved a real problem by making the floor modular and moisture-proof. Sports facilities and ice arenas needed a faster, cheaper way to install and replace rink surfaces, and a system that locked together without tools was a practical breakthrough for the industry.
Real-world use
When a professional or amateur ice hockey rink needs a quick floor replacement or temporary cover, workers can snap these plastic-coated wooden blocks together in hours instead of days, keeping the rink dry and usable.
Original USPTO abstract
A floor structure for covering an ice rink and comprising elements adapted to be joined together by means of a key and tongue, characterized in that it comprises elements each of which has a wooden core and is covered on all sides by a vapor-tight material, preferably plastics.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 3,720,027
- Filing date
- 1971-02-22
- Grant date
- 1973-03-13
- Assignee
- Bruun & Soerensen
- Inventor(s)
- CHRISTENSEN P,DK
- CPC class
- E04C2/243
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