AU2013248215A1 - A tile floor/wall covering system and related components - Google Patents

Abstract

- 11 A tile system comprising a plurality of quadrilateral shaped tiles, each tile having two spaced apart face sides and four edges extending between the face sides, and an elongate spacer to locate between at least two adjacent tiles to space the tiles from each other and to locate in a slot or rebate of each so spaced tile. jo 12-

Description

Regulation 3.2 AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT, 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT ORIGINAL Name of Applicant: BRADLEY WILLIAM SMITH AND BARRY WILLIAM SMITH Actual Inventors: SMITH, Bradley William; SMITH, Barry William Address for service AJ PARK, Level 11, 60 Marcus Clarke Street, Canberra ACT in Australia: 2601, Australia Invention Title: A Tile Floor/Wall Covering System And Related Components The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me.

-2 The present invention relates to a tile floor or wall covering system and related components Ceramic tiles are well utilised in bathrooms and kitchens and elsewhere to provide a nice aesthetic wall cover. Ceramic tiles can be heavy to transport and handle, fragile and and brittle and difficult to cut, especially for the home handyman. Grout used intermediate of tiles, and the adhesive used to adhere the tiles can be difficult and messy to handle. Applying tiles to a surface is also not an easy process in terms of getting the tiles aligned with each other and with adjacent walls or other objects. There is hence a need to for a tile system that is easy to handle, trim, install and finish. Accordingly it's an object of the present invention to provide a tile floor or wall covering system and related components that address the abovementioned disadvantages and/or the above mentioned desiderata and/or will at least provide the pubic with a useful choice. Accordingly the present invention may broadly be said to be a tile system comprising: a plurality of quadrilateral shaped tiles having two spaced apart face sides and 4 edges extending between said face sides, an elongate spacer to locate between at least two adjacent tiles to space said tiles from each other and to locate in a slot or rebate of each so spaced tile. Preferably said two spaced apart face sides are a back side and a front side. Preferably the rebate or slot is located intermediate of said face sides. Preferably said rebate or slot is a rebate and is located at the junction of a face side and Preferably the slot or rebate is located midway between the two face sides. Preferably each said side of each said tile has a slot or rebate Preferably the slot or rebate of each side of said tile is coplanar each other. Preferably the slot or rebate extends parallel to the face sides of the tile. Preferably both face sides are planar and parallel to each other. Preferably the spacer is of constant cross section and is elongate. Preferably the spacer is straight. Preferably the spacer can extend between two rows of a plurality of tiles. Preferably the spacer can help align a row of tiles. Preferably the spacer can help align two adjacent rows of tiles. Preferably secondary spacers are provided that laterally extend between two parallel first mentioned spacers located each side of a row of tiles and space adjacent tiles in that row from each other. Preferably the secondary spacers are of the same cross section as the first mentioned spacer. Preferably the secondary spacers are of a length equal to the side of a tile at which is it to be located. Preferably the spacers (secondary and/or first mentioned) are made of a plastic material. Preferably the spacers (secondary and/or first mentioned) are extruded.

- 3 Preferably the spacers (secondary and/or first mentioned) each comprise of a central member to locate intermediate of two tiles and from which two lip members extend to each located in a slot of rebate of a tile located at each side of said spacer. Preferably the two lip members extend laterally and in opposed directions from said intermediate member. Preferably the two lip members are coplanar each other. Preferably the tiles are square or rectangular. Preferably the tiles are made from a wood based product. Preferably the tiles are made from a recomposed wood based product. Preferably the tiles are resistant to water absorption. Preferably the slot or rebate is machined into the tile. Preferably the slot or rebate is otherwise formed in the tile. Preferably the slot or rebate is located about the entire tile. Preferably the there are two slots or rebates located spaced apart at each edge of the tile, each capable of receiving a part of the spacer. Preferably the spacers (secondary and/or first mentioned) presents a trim surface contiguous two adjacent tiles and bridging there between. Preferably the trim surface is flush with two coplanar face sides of adjacent tiles. Preferably the trim surface is set back from the two coplanar face sides of adjacent tiles. Preferably the trim surface is in use proud of the face sides of two adjacent tiles. Preferably the spacers (secondary and/or first mentioned) presents two trim surfaces to each be contiguous two adjacent tiles and bridging there between. Preferably the spacers (secondary and/or first mentioned) a presents two trim surfaces to each be contiguous two adjacent tiles and bridging there between, a first trim surface being flush with or proud of two coplanar face sides of adjacent tiles and a second trim surface being set back from the opposite coplanar face sides of the adjacent tiles. Preferably the spacer is reversible to allow a first trim surface to be presented in a manner flush with or proud of the exposed two coplanar face sides of adjacent tiles or to allow a second trim surface to be presented in a manner set back from the exposed two coplanar face sides of adjacent tiles. Preferably the lip members act as the trim surface. Preferably the lip members do not act as the trim surface. Preferably the spacer is T shaped in cross section. Preferably the spacer is H shaped in cross section. Preferably the spacer is X shaped in cross section Preferably the spacer allows for a flush grouted look to be presented between tiles. Preferably the spacer allows for a negative detail grouted look to be presented between tiles.

-4 Preferably the tiles are covered at least partially on one face side with a pre-applied adhesive. In a further aspect the present invention may be said to be a tile having four sides each side including a groove into which a tongue of a spacer to located intermediate of adjacent tiles can locate. Preferably the spacer creates a grout like bridging between adjacent like tiles. Preferably the spacer creates a bridge between adjacent like tiles. Preferably the spacer defines the minimum space between tiles with which the spacer is engaged. In a further aspect the present invention may be said to be tiling system comprising a spaced and a plurality of tiles each having four sides each side including a groove into which a tongue of a spacer to located intermediate of adjacent tiles can locate. Preferably the spacer creates a grout like bridging between adjacent like tiles. Preferably the spacer creates a bridge between adjacent like tiles. Preferably the spacer defines the minimum space between tiles with which the spacer is engaged. In a further aspect the present invention may be said to be a spacer for use in a tiling system as herein before described. Preferably the spacer creates a grout like bridging between adjacent like tiles. Preferably the spacer creates a bridge between adjacent like tiles. Preferably the spacer defines the minimum space between tiles with which the spacer is engaged. Preferably the spacer is T shaped in cross section. Preferably the spacer is H shaped in cross section. Preferably the spacer is X shaped in cross section. In yet a further aspect the present invention may be said to be a spacer as described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In yet a further aspect the present invention may be said to be a tile as described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In yet a further aspect the present invention may be said to be a tile and spacer system as described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The term "comprising" as used in this specification means "consisting at least in part of". When interpreting each statement in this specification that includes the term "comprising", features other than that or those prefaced by the term may also be present. Related terms such as "comprise" and "comprises" are to be interpreted in the same manner. This invention may also be said to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers - 5 are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth. Reference will now be made to a preferred form of the invention as described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tile of the present invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view of a spacer of the present invention, Figure 3 illustrates three rows of tiles intermediate to which the spacer or spacers are provided, Figure 4 is a sectional view through adjacent tiles and a spacer, Figure 5 is a sectional view through an alternative configuration of spacer and tile, Figure 6 - Figure 10 show alternative variations, and Figure 11a and 11b show a reversing of the spacer to allow for flush or negative detail appearance to the final finished surface to be provided. With reference to Figure 1 there is shown a tile 1. The tile is preferably quaderlateral in shape but may alternatively be of another shape that is able to tesilate with identical shaped tiles of the same of complementary shape to form a tiled surface of a wall or floor or part thereof. The preferred tile with reference to the accompanying drawings is shown to be rectangular or square in shape. The tile includes two face sides 2 and 3. The face side 2 may be the side to be presented as a final finish of the tiled surface and the face side 3 may be the backing side or back side which is placed against a wall lining such as a tile underlay or plaster board or similar substrate. The back side 3 of the tile may be adhered to such a substrate. The back side 3 of the tile may have pre-applied adhesive that may be in the form of an adhesive that has a peel away backing to expose the adhesive so that the tile can then be adhered to the substrate. Each tile is preferably of similar or the same shape. Each tile also has a plurality of edges 6. For a four sided tile there are four edges each extending between the two face sides 2, 3. The edges present a slot or rebate 7. The slot or rebate 7 is preferably continuous along an edge and preferably continuous about the entire tile. This can be seen with reference to Figure 1 for example. In a preferred form each edge of the tile presents such a slot or rebate 7 in exactly the same position and of the same shape. With reference to Figure 4, the slot or rebate 7 is presented at such an edge of a tile preferably midway between the face sides 2 and 3. However in an alternative form the slot or rebate 7 may be presented not midway between the face sides 2 and 3 but alternatively offset or at the junction between the side of the tile and a face side such as the back side 3. Able to be received in the slot or rebate 7 is a tongue or lip 9 of a spacer 10 that is for example shown with reference to Figure 2. The tongue or lip 9 may be of a complimentary shape to the shape of the slot or rebate 7 so as to locate therein. The spacer 10 is of a shape -6 and configuration a space adjacent tiles at an even distance and consistent distance away from each other. The spacer 10 also includes a trim surface or trim surfaces 11 and 12 that bridge and/or lap adjacent tiles. The trim surface or surfaces present a surface that replicates grout of a traditional tiling system hence the trim surface or surfaces 11, 12 are able to span the gap between the tiles at an appropriate location so as together with the adjacent tiles create a virtually seamless tiled surface. The spacer may be a plastic such as an extruded plastic. It can be easily trimmed with a trim saw or knife or other kind of blade for example. The spaced may be matching in colour with the tile or a different colour. The spacer 10 may be of a kind that is reversible so that in one condition a trim surface 11 is presented substantially flush (or proud as in figure 10) with the coplanar surfaces 2 of adjacent tiles as shown in Figure 4. Reversed, the backing face sides 3 are presented as a final visual surface of the tile surface where the trim surface 12 is presented and provides a negative detailed look or recessed grout looked to the finished surface. This can similarly be achieved for example with the configuration shown in Figure 9 where a reversing of the spacer 10 can allow for the trim surface 11 to be presented, (then downward facing) to the opposite sides of the tiles. The tiles are preferably reversible and have a finished surface on both face sides. The tiles are preferably made of a wood or wood composite material. The tile may also include a fibre and/or cementitious material including a sandwich construction including such. This allows the tiles to be easily trimmed with a skill saw of bandsaw or similar. With reference to Figure 3 it can be seen that a plurality of elongate spacers 10A and 10B may be positioned parallel to each other and a row 16 of tiles 1 can be placed intermediate of the spacers 10A and 10B. Secondary spacers 10C may be used to extend transverse to the parallel primary spacers 10A and 10B to extend along the lateral edges of the tiles. The use of the long run spacers 10A and 10B extending adjacent multiple tiles to define a row of tiles or column of tiles, allows for the system of the present invention to be easily utilised. The long run spacers provide for a guide to each row of tiles so that each row of tiles remain substantially aligned and straight. The long run spacers 10A and 10B therefore provide a convenient manner of appropriate spacing adjacent rows of tiles and the short run intermediate spacers 10C provide a convenient way of spacing adjacent tiles within each row

Claims (58)

1. A tile system comprising: a plurality of quadrilateral shaped tiles, each tile having two spaced apart face sides and four edges extending between said face sides, and an elongate spacer to locate between at least two adjacent tiles to space said tiles from each other and to locate in a slot or rebate of each so spaced tile.

2. A tile system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said two spaced apart face sides are a back side and a front side.

3. A tile system as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the rebate or slot is located intermediate of said face sides.

4. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said rebate or slot is a rebate and is located at the junction of a face side.

5. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the slot or rebate is located midway between the two face sides.

6. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein each said side of each said tile has a slot or rebate

7. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the slot or rebate of each side of said tile is coplanar each other.

8. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the slot or rebate extends parallel to the face sides of the tile.

9. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 wherein both face sides are planar and parallel to each other.

10. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 wherein the spacer is of constant cross section and is elongate.

11. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 wherein the spacer is straight.

12. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 wherein the spacer can extend between two rows of a plurality of tiles.

13. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12 wherein the spacer can help align a row of tiles.

14. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein the spacer can help align two adjacent rows of tiles.

15. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14 wherein secondary spacers are provided that laterally extend between two parallel first mentioned spacers located each side of a row of tiles and space adjacent tiles in that row from each other.

16. A tile system as claimed in claim 15 wherein the secondary spacers are of the same cross section as the first mentioned spacer.

17. A tile system as claimed in claim 15 or claim 16 wherein the secondary spacers are of a length equal to the side of a tile at which is it to be located. -8

18. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17 wherein the spacers (secondary and/or first mentioned) are made of a plastic material.

19. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 18 wherein the spacers (secondary and/or first mentioned) are extruded.

20. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 19 wherein the spacers (secondary and/or first mentioned) each comprise of a central member to locate intermediate of two tiles and from which two lip members extend to each located in a slot of rebate of a tile located at each side of said spacer.

21. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 20 wherein the two lip members extend laterally and in opposed directions from said intermediate member.

22. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 21 wherein the two lip members are coplanar each other.

23. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 22 wherein the tiles are square or rectangular.

24. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 23 wherein the tiles are made from a wood based product.

25. A tile system as claimed in claim 24 wherein the tiles are made from a recomposed wood based product.

26. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 25 wherein the tiles are resistant to water absorption.

27. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 26 wherein the slot or rebate is machined into the tile.

28. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 26 wherein the slot or rebate is otherwise formed in the tile.

29. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 28 wherein the slot or rebate is located about the entire tile.

30. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 29 wherein the there are two slots or rebates located spaced apart at each edge of the tile, each capable of receiving a part of the spacer.

31. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 30 wherein the spacer(s) (secondary and/or first mentioned) presents a trim surface contiguous two adjacent tiles and bridging there between.

32. A tile system as claimed in claim 31 wherein the trim surface is flush with two coplanar face sides of adjacent tiles.

33. A tile system as claimed in claim 31 wherein the trim surface is set back from the two coplanar face sides of adjacent tiles.

34. A tile system as claimed in claim 31 wherein the trim surface is, in use, proud of the face sides of two adjacent tiles. -9

35. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 31 wherein the spacers(s) (secondary and/or first mentioned) present two trim surfaces to each be contiguous two adjacent tiles and bridging there between.

36. A tile system as claimed in claim 35 wherein the spacer(s) (secondary and/or first mentioned) presents two trim surfaces to each be contiguous two adjacent tiles and bridging there between, a first trim surface being flush with or proud of two coplanar face sides of adjacent tiles and a second trim surface being set back from the opposite coplanar face sides of the adjacent tiles.

37. A tile system as claimed in claim 35 wherein the spacer is reversible to allow a first trim surface to be presented in a manner flush with or proud of the exposed two coplanar face sides of adjacent tiles or to allow a second trim surface to be presented in a manner set back from the exposed two coplanar face sides of adjacent tiles.

38. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 31 to 37 wherein the spacers (secondary and/or first mentioned) each comprise of a central member to locate intermediate of two tiles and from which two lip members extend to each located in a slot of rebate of a tile located at each side of said spacer, and wherein the lip members act as the trim surface.

39. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 31 to 37 wherein the spacers (secondary and/or first mentioned) each comprise of a central member to locate intermediate of two tiles and from which two lip members extend to each located in a slot of rebate of a tile located at each side of said spacer, and wherein the lip members do not act as the trim surface.

40. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 39 wherein the spacer is T shaped in cross section.

41. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 39 wherein the spacer is H shaped in cross section.

42. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 39 wherein the spacer is X shaped in cross section

43. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 42 wherein the spacer allows for a flush grouted look to be presented between tiles.

44. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 42 wherein the spacer allows for a negative detail grouted look to be presented between tiles.

45. A tile system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 44 wherein the tiles are covered at least partially on one face side with a pre-applied adhesive.

46. A tile having four sides each side including a groove into which a tongue of a spacer to located intermediate of adjacent tiles can locate.

47. A tile as claimed in claim 46 wherein the spacer creates a bridge and/or a grout-like bridging between adjacent like tiles.

48. A tile as claimed in claim 46 or claim 47 wherein the spacer defines the minimum space between tiles with which the spacer is engaged. - 10

49. A tiling system comprising a plurality of tiles each having four sides, each side including a groove into which a tongue of a spacer to be located intermediate of adjacent tiles can locate.

50. A tiling system as claimed in claim 49 wherein the spacer creates a bridge and/or grout like bridging between adjacent like tiles.

51. A tiling system as claimed in claim 49 or 50 wherein the spacer defines the minimum space between tiles with which the spacer is engaged.

52. A spacer for use in spacing tiles wherein the spacer creates a bridge and/or grout-like bridging between adjacent like tiles.

53. A spacer as claimed in claim 52 wherein the spacer defines the minimum space between tiles with which the spacer is engaged.

54. A spacer as claimed in claim 52 or claim 53 wherein the spacer is T shaped in cross section.

55. A spacer as claimed in claim 52 or claim 53 wherein the spacer is H shaped in cross section.

56. A spacer as claimed in claim 52 or claim 53 wherein the spacer is X shaped in cross section.

57. A spacer for use in a tiling system as herein before described.

58. A tile for use in a tiling system as herein before described.