AU2015101927A4

AU2015101927A4 - Tile spacer

Info

Publication number: AU2015101927A4
Application number: AU2015101927A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Damon Hoole; Jorge Pereira
Original assignee: Darth Ind Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Darth Industries Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2014-10-21
Filing date: 2015-09-17
Publication date: 2019-05-02
Anticipated expiration: 2023-09-17
Also published as: AU2015227486A2; AU2015227486A1

Abstract

H:\jzc\Intrwovn\NRPortbl\DCCJZC\6881878I.docx-21/10/2014 Abstract A tile spacer including a base and a stem projecting from the base, in order to distance tiles positioned either side of the stem wherein the stem has a leg attached to the base through a 5 lateral foot and the foot has a separation zone to allow a periphery of the foot to separate from the base.

Description

TILE SPACER

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a spacer for spacing tiles.

Background of the Invention

A known form of tile spacer includes a flat base and a stem with a cross piece and two legs 10 that attach to the base and define an opening between the base and the cross piece. The legs have a frangible join that separates each leg into a top and bottom portion and allows the top portion and cross piece of the stem to be separated from the base, midway along the length of the legs.

In use, the spacer is positioned on a floor surface and tiles are laid either side of the stem so that the stem maintains a set distance between the tiles. After the tiles are set in place, the stem is broken off by driving a wedge through the opening, to separate the stem from the base along the tangible join. The bottom portions of the legs remain connected to the base, below the top surface of the tiles. Grout or joint filler can then be introduced into the 20 gap between the tiles to finish the tile laying process.

Object of the Invention

The present invention seeks to provide an alternative form of spacer.

Summary of the Invention

In accordance with the invention there is provided a tile spacer including a base and a stem projecting from the base, in order to distance tiles positioned either side of the stem 30 wherein the stem has a leg attached to the base through a lateral foot and the foot has a separation zone to allow a periphery of the foot to separate from the base.

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-2Preferably, the separation zone is formed with a material thickness less than the leg, to allow the leg to release from the base substantially at or below a top surface of the base.

Preferably, the separation zone is in the form of a web connecting the leg to the base.

Preferably, the spacer includes a cavity underneath the foot that defines the material thickness of the web.

Preferably, the cavity extends from a bottom surface of the spacer through to an underside of the top surface of the base.

Preferably, the spacer includes two legs attached to the base via a respective foot with a cavity formed underneath each foot.

Preferably, the cavities are located along a centre line of the base, inside a chamfered perimeter part of the base.

Preferably, the perimeter part bridges across the respective cavity.

In another aspect, there is provided a method of forming the above described spacer including moulding the base and stem as a unitary body with a cavity formed under the foot of the stem so as to define a web to connect the foot to the base.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention is more fully described, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure la. is a perspective view of a tile spacer;

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-3Figure lb. is a partial perspective view of a section of the spacer;

Figure 2 is a bottom view of the spacer;

Figure 3a. is a cross-sectional view of the spacer;

Figure 3b. is a partial side view of the spacer;

Figure 4 is a top view of the spacer with the stem removed; and

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic side view of tiles positioned on the spacer and a wedge fitted into a stem of the spacer.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Figures la. and lb. shows a tile spacer 1 with a base 2 and a stem 3 projecting upwardly from the base 2. The stem 3 includes a cross piece 4 and two legs 5 that define an opening 6 in the stem 3 , between a tapered edge 7 of the cross piece 4 and the base 2.

Each leg 5 terminates in a respective foot 8 attached to the base 2. Finger grips 9 are provided on the cross piece 4. A small gap 10 is provided between an inside surface 11 of each leg 5 and the base 2.

Figure 2 shows a bottom view of the base 2. The tapered edge 7 of the cross piece 4 can be 25 seen through the gaps 10. A cavity 12 is provided beneath each foot 8, along a centre line of the base 2. The cavities 12 are located inside edge portions 14 of the base 2. The edge portions 14 bridge across the cavities 12 to maintain structural rigidity of the base 2.

Each foot 8 is joined to the base 2 along a separation zone 15, in the form of a web 16 that 30 runs along the sides 17 of each foot 8.

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-4Figures 3a. and 3b. show a cross section and side view of the spacer 1, respectively, where the cavities 12 are more clearly shown as extending up into the base 2 from a bottom surface 18 of the base 2, to an underside 19 of the feet 8. The edge portions 14 are shown as having a chamfered profile that connects to an associated foot 8 through the respective 5 web 16.

The material thickness of the web 16 is determined by the depth dimension of the cavity 12. As such, a thin separation zone 15 can be readily formed around the foot 8. Although the separation zone 15 is relatively thin, the arrangement provides sufficient stiffness to 10 support the stem 3 as a result of the separation zone 15 extending around the foot 8, along the sides of the legs 5.

Since the web 16 is of a relatively thin material thickness, the legs 5 can nevertheless still be readily removed from the base 2 by application of sufficient separation force to the stem 15 3.

Figure 3b more clearly shows the web 16 as being provided immediately below the top surface 25 so that the leg 5 releases from the base 2 substantially at or just below the top surface 25, to prevent any residual material projecting above the base 2 after the stem 3 is 20 removed.

Figure 4 shows the base 2 after the stem 3 has been removed by breaking the web 16 along the separation zone 15, in order to reveal the cavities 12. No residual stem material remains attached above the top surface 25 of the base 2.

Figure 5 shows the spacer 1 in use. The spacer 1 is initially positioned on a ground surface covered with glue or other suitable bonding material 21 which penetrates into the cavities 12 to better secure the spacer 1 relative to the ground surface 20. Any excess material in the cavities 12 is forced up through the gaps 10.

When the spacer 20 is fixed in place, tiles 22 are positioned either side of the stem 3 and

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-5the stem 3 thereby maintains a space 23 between the tiles 22.

Once the tiles 22 are in place a wedge 24 is pushed through the opening to level the tiles 22 and drive the tiles 22 downwardly into the bonding material 21 to set the tiles 22 in place.

The stem 3 is then removed such as by kicking action, which separates the legs 5 from the base 2, along the separation zone 15. The relatively wide footprint of the connection between the stem 3 and the base 2 means the stem 3 remains relatively stiff while the wedge 24 is initially inserted in the opening 6. When sufficient release force is applied to the stem 3, the feet 8 separate from the base 2 so that the stem 3 can be removed from 10 between the tiles 22.

After the stem 3 is removed, grout or other suitable joint filler can be introduced into the space 23 between the tiles 22. The legs 5 preferably separate from the base 2 at or below the top surface 25 of the base 2, so limited movement of the tiles is accommodated above 15 the base 2, such as may result from expansion and contraction of the tiles 22 or joint filler.

As may be appreciated from the above, the spacer 1 of the present invention can be readily formed by moulding, with the material thickness of the separation zone 15 or web 16 being determined by the depth dimension of the cavities 12. The stiffness of the connection of 20 the stem 3 to the base 2 is, however, preserved as a result of the relatively large footprint of the separation zone 15 which is comparable to the outer profile of the associated legs 5 . This is in contrast to the prior art spacer where a fangible join midway along the leg causes the stiffness of the leg to be compromised.

The invention has been described by way of non-limiting example only and many modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention described.

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-6List of Parts

1. Spacer

2. Base

3. Stem

4. Cross piece

5. Leg

6. Opening

7. Tapered edge

8. Foot

9. Finger grip

10. Gap

11. Inside surface

12. Cavity

13. Centreline

14. Edge portion

15. Separation zone

16. Web

17. Side

18. Bottom surface

19. Underside

20. Ground surface

21. B onding material

22. Tile

23. Space

24. Wedge

25. Top surface

Claims

The Claims

1. A tile spacer including a base and a stem projecting from the base, in order to

5 distance tiles positioned either side of the stem, the stem including two legs that are attached to a top surface of the base via a respective foot, wherein each foot has a separation zone to allow the foot to separate from the base substantially at the top surface.
2. The tile spacer of claim 1, wherein the separation zone is provided around a

10 periphery of each foot in order to allow the periphery of the feet to separate from the base and/or wherein the separation zone is formed of reduced material compared to a material thickness of the associated leg, to allow the leg to release from the base substantially at or below a top surface of the base and/or wherein the separation zone is in the form of a web connecting each leg to the base.
3. The tile spacer of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the spacer includes a cavity underneath each foot that defines the material thickness of the web wherein the cavities extend from a bottom surface of the spacer through to an underside of the top surface of the base and wherein the cavities are located along a centre line of the base, inside a

20 chamfered perimeter part of the base.
4. The tile spacer of claim 3, wherein the perimeter part bridges across the respective cavity.

25 5. A method of forming the spacer of claim 3 or 4, including moulding the base and stem as a unitary body with the cavity formed under each foot of the stem so as to define the separation zone to connect the respective foot to the base.