1. A portable floor panel, comprising:
a planar portion including a top surface, a core, and a bottom surface, complementary edge portions;
a panel locking assembly along each edge, the locking assembly having a lock device extending from an edge into the core, connectors, and an anchor element abutting the lock device, the anchor element extending through the bottom surface and having an uppermost portion flush or below the top surface, the anchor element a defining a first connector receiving portion and a second connector receiving portion spaced apart from the first connector portion, each connector receiving portion defining at least two orifices, wherein the connectors engage the lock device and the anchor element to attach the anchor element to the lock device.
2. A floor panel according to claim 1, wherein the anchor element defines voids within the anchor element when inserted in the planar portion.
3. A floor panel according to claim 1, wherein the panel comprises an extruded edge member and wherein the edge member defines an orifice receiving the lock device.
4. A floor panel according to claim 1, wherein the top surface of the panel has a natural wood grain appearance and wherein the wood grain appearance of the top surface defines an indexing spot for aligning the locking device.
5. A floor panel according to claim 1, wherein the anchor element includes a flange with a portion extending over a portion of the bottom surface.
6. A floor panel according to claim 1, wherein the planar portion defines a slot formed through the bottom surface and the core for receiving the anchor element.
7. A floor panel according to claim 6, wherein the panel comprises an extruded edge member and wherein the edge member defines an orifice receiving the lock device.
8. A floor panel according to claim 6, wherein the planar portion defines a recess formed in a side thereof receiving the lock device.
9. A floor panel according to claim 8, wherein the panel comprises an extruded edge member and wherein the edge member defines an orifice aligned with the orifice formed in the side of the planar portion and receiving the lock device.
10. A floor panel according to claim 1, wherein the anchor element comprises nylon.
11. A portable floor panel, comprising:
a planar portion including a top surface, a core, and a bottom surface,
complementary edge portions;
a panel locking assembly along each edge, the locking assembly having a lock device extending from an edge into the core, connectors, and an anchor element abutting the lock device and embedded in a recess in the panel and comprises integral intersecting vertical and horizontal ribs, the anchor element extending through the bottom surface and having an uppermost portion flush or below the top surface, the anchor element having a connector receiving portion, wherein the connectors engage the lock device and the anchor element to attach the anchor element to the lock device.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
It is claimed:
1. A remotely activated novelty device adapted to respond to an operating signal received via an over-the-air channel, the device comprising:
an antenna that receives the operating signal;
a receiver coupled to the antenna;
a decoder that decodes the operating signal to detect the presence of an activation command;
a switch coupled to the decoder; and
an indicator coupled to the switch;
wherein the decoder operates the switch to activate the indicator when the decoder detects the presence of the activation command.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the antenna receives a modulated operating signal including the operating signal, and wherein the receiver further includes a demodulator that demodulates the modulated operating signal to retrieve the operating signal.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein the decoder includes a dual-tone multiple frequency decoder.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein the indicator includes a light emitting diode.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein the indicator includes a speaker.
6. A system for remotely activating a novelty device comprising:
a signal source that provides an activation command;
a transmitter that modulates the activation command to produce an operating signal;
an antenna coupled to the transmitter to transmit an operating signal through an over-the-air channel; and
a plurality of novelty devices, each novelty device including:
an antenna that receives the operating signal via an over-the-air channel;
a receiver coupled to the antenna;
a decoder that decodes the operating signal to detect the presence of an activation command;
a switch coupled to the decoder; and
an indicator coupled to the switch;
wherein the decoder operates the switch to activate the indicator when the decoder detects the presence of the activation command.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the signal source includes a phone.
8. The system of claim 6, wherein the antenna receives a modulated operating signal including the operating signal, and wherein the receiver further includes a demodulator that demodulates the modulated operating signal to retrieve the operating signal.
9. The system of claim 6, wherein the decoder includes a dual-tone multiple frequency decoder.
10. The system of claim 6, wherein the indicator includes a light emitting diode.
11. The system of claim 6, wherein the indicator includes a speaker.
12. A method for remotely activating a novelty device, including the steps of:
providing an activation command;
transmitting an operating signal through an over-the-air channel;
receiving the operating signal via the over-the-air channel;
decoding the operating signal to detect the presence of the activation command; and
operating a switch to activate an indicator when the decoder detects the presence of the activation command.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of modulating the activation command to produce a modulated operating signal.
14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of demodulating the modulated operating signal to produce the operating signal.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of decoding the operating signal includes step of decoding the operating signal to detect the presence of a dual-tone multiple frequency tone.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of operating a switch to activate the indicator includes the step of operating a switch to activate the indicator when the decoder detects the presence of the dual-tone multiple frequency tone.
17. A method for promoting a company, comprising the steps of:
distributing a plurality of remotely activated novelty devices;
providing an activation command after an occurrence of an event or an activity;
transmitting an operating signal through an over-the-air channel;
receiving the operating signal via the over-the-air channel;
decoding the operating signal to detect the presence of the activation command; and
operating a switch to activate an indicator when the decoder detects the presence of the activation command.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of modulating the activation command to produce a modulated operating signal.
19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of demodulating the modulated operating signal to produce the operating signal.
20. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of decoding the operating signal includes the step of decoding the operating signal to detect the presence of a dual-tone multiple frequency tone.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of operating a switch to activate the indicator includes the step of operating a switch to activate the indicator when the decoder detects the presence of the dual-tone multiple frequency tone.