CA2286080A1 - Tile-like flat element - Google Patents

Abstract

A flat building element substantially consists of a highly water-resistant wooden material plate (2) provided with a plastic coating (4) on at least part of its top and/or bottom surface (5, 3). This element is designed as a wall or floor tile. Grooves (8) and springs (10) are provided at the edge surface (7) to secure and join several elements. The width (b) of the springs (10) is preferably larger than the depth (t) of the grooves (8), ensuring a particular, uniform joint width (bf) between the elements.

Description

T T7 l~ l~ T T T T T !1 AT
PLATE-LIKE ELEMENT IN THE. MANNER OF A TILE
The invention relates to a substantially plate-like (structural) element, which can mainly be used for producing a wall or floor covering, according to the preamble of claim 1.
Ever increasing use has been made in the recent past of the so-called laminate floor, both in domestic and business premises. The laminate floor comprises a wooden material as the support plate, which is provided with a plastic coating at least on its top surface. For producing the laminate floor board or deal-like laying parts are glued by means of existing groove and tongue elements. The construction of such laying parts has fundament-ally long been known and reference can e.g. be made to German utility model G 81 13 176.3.
The described laminate floors are not normally used in so-called moist or wet areas. This is due to the fact that the wooden material forming the support plate is not normally water-resistant and instead swells in contact with moisture. Therefore in moist areas such as hallways and lobbies and in particular in wet areas such as bathrooms an d kitchens, even now use is mainly made of tiles as the wall and floor covering.
However, despite their high water resistance conventional ceramic tiles and stove tiles suffer from certain disadvantages. Thus, ceramic tiles are difficult to work. It is necessary to use special tile cutting machines, particularly in order to cut off narrow borders or corners or provide holes for sockets, switches, etc. It is also well-known how easily such tiles break. In addition, a large amount of very fine grinding dust occurs when working ceramic tiles. Ceramic tiles in the frequent cases where there is no floor heating are also very "cold to the feet". This is particularly unpleasant in the bathroom, where one normally moves about with bare feet.
Reference is finally made to the disadvantage that, despite careful laying, frequently after a certain period of time cracks appear in the joints or even in the tiles, because rigid ceramic tiles are unable to absorb the stresses of the substrate. This effect is more particularly visible when rehabilitating old buildings, if wooden material plates are laid for floor '~mancie~3 she=t balancing or compensating purposes. Whereas chipboards can expand, ceramic tiles and the joint sealer used for joining purposes do not have a corres-ponding flexibility.
In WO-A-96/27721 a tongue and groove joint: is provided for a wall or floor plate. However, the groove and tongue have the same width, in order to ensure an accurate-fitting, positive connection of the individual elements.
According to this document the formation of joints between the individual elements is to avoided.
Also in US-A-4 388 788 grooves and tongues are provided on a floor element.
However, here again they have the same length, so that the individual elements following joining abut flush at t:he top side.
CH-A-595 525 describes a 'so-called Tafer plate made from wood. The open joint formed on the top side merely fulfils decorative functions and its width is not defined in fixed manner by the choice of the groove and tongue sizes.
GB-A-1,048,132 merely discloses the general procedure used when laying a floor covering.
Thus, the problem of the invention is inter alia to make available novel structural elements, which combine the advantages of the described mater-ials, whilst substantially avoiding their disadvantages. In particular a structural element is to be provided for moist and wet areas, which with-stands the moisture occurring there, together with the corresponding temperature fluctuations, whilst creating the necessary ease and living comfort.
This problem is solved by the plate-like ~~tructural element with the feat-ures of claim 1. Special developments of this element are described in the dependent claims 2 to 9. A floor or wall covering according to the inven-tion is claimed in claim 10 and the associated, dependent claims 11 and 12.
A process for the production of a floor covering according to the invention is defined in claim 13. By reference, the wording of all the claims is lmen~i~ui ~~IIE~~~r hereby made into part of the content of the description.
The plate-like element according to the invention essentially comprises a wooden material plate with a high water resistance, which has a coating on at least part of its top and/or bottom side. The coating is in particular a plastic coating. The element also has at least one groove and at least one tongue. According to the invention, this element is constructed in the manner of a tile, preferably a wall or floor tile. Thus, the structural element according to the invention can also be called a tile element or tile.
According to the invention, said element is constructed in such a way that the groove and tongue are means for fixing and/or joining two adjacent elements in spaced manner, the width of the tongue being greater than the depth of the groove and the difference between said width and said depth corresponds to the desired joint width of a covering produced with the aid of at least two adjacent elements.
The combination of said features makes the novel element surprisingly also suitable for use in moist and wet areas. The tile can have any size and configuration of a conventional nature for ceramic tiles, i.e, in a simple case rectangular or square, but fundamentally all other known tile shapes are possible, including a mosaic with a random outline. Correspondingly the dimensions are also variable within standard limits. The thickness of the elements can correspond to a standard tile thickness and as a result of the wooden material used element thicknesses between 5 and 10 mm are preferred. A conventional element thickness is in particular 8 mm.
The term "plate-like" is merely intended to indicate that, as is conven-tional for tiles, the length and width of the element are normally greater than its thickness. Obviously the invention also covers small tile elements, e.g. mosaic tiles, in which the length and width are only slightly greater than the thickness.
In the invention the width of the tongue, i.e. the tongue length projecting aver the upper edge of the element, is greater than the depth of the ,,,,, ; ,.i s;ieer_ corresponding groove. Thus, between two adjacent elements there is a clearly defined spacing. This spacing, which results from the difference between the tongue width and the groove dE:pth, is so chosen that it corres-ponds to the desired joint width of a tile covering to be laid. This measure ensures a constant joint width.
Tongue and groove as means for fixing andjor joining the elements in mutu-ally spaced manner facilitate the production of a tile covering, i.e.
conventionally a tile wall or floor. They are in particular provided on the narrow sides of the element passing round the outer circumference and which are referred to hereinafter as edge surfaces. It is e.g. possible to provide pin or peg-like joining means on a.n element, which can be inserted in a corresponding recess of another element. It is also possible to insert separate pin elements in in each case one recess of two elements.
The grooves and tongues can either run over an entire edge surface of the inventive element parallel to its top and/or bottom side, or may only be zonally provided on said edge surfaces. F'or producing a tongue and groove joint for two elements on one of said elements is provided the groove or grooves and on the other element the tongue or tongues. However, it is also possible to join a groove provided or. both elements with the aid of a (separately) inserted or introduced .tongue.
In a further development of the tongue and, groove joint for two tile elements according to the invention, it is. preferable if the tile elements Have four edge surfaces and on two adjacent edge surfaces are provided grooves and on the two other edge surfaces tongues. This particularly, but not exclusively applies to square and rectangular tile elements. In this way the elements can be laid in a simple manner on a surface.
In preferred embodiments the described grcoves can have a conical, partic-ularly slightly conical cross-sectional surface. Preference is given to a conical shape in which the groove tapers towards the interior of the wooden material plate. In such embodiments the shape of the cross-sectional surface of the corresponding tongues is also conical, so that for an inwardly conicaLLy tapering grogve sha~:e, the ;associated tongue l;ne nded sheet conically tapers outwards. This maintains the good fit of the tongue and groove joint. As a result of the described groove shape, the actual edge can be made flatter and consequently the susceptibility to shock is reduced.
According to a further development, the structural element according to the invention has on its top side recesses, markings or the like, which bring about a subdivision of the element, at least for the observer. This gives the impression that the element comprises not only one, but instead at least two and preferably several tiles. ,As a result of the markings, recesses, etc. for a single element several elements or tiles are "simulated"
(continues with original page 6 of the de:~cription) ~rn~: v.-.i~:~i s;n~~~t natural wood) and have the requisite high water resistance (low swell-ability). A particularly suitable wooden material plate for the tile element according to the invention is the wooden material plate plysoc(R) of the present applicant.
The (plastic) coating on the top surface of the wooden material plate is fundamentally freely selectable provided that it has the necessary water resistance for use in wet and moist areas, The coating normally has a decorative function in order to imitate the hitherto used ceramic tiles, so that the decorations can be very varied. It is also possible to imitate stone floors, select fantasy decorations or use simple monochromatic shades.
The plastic films or coatings can be sele<:ted on the basis of different standpoints. Preferably use is made of conventional melamine resin papers, such as already exist in numerous decorations or which can be produced on request. These melamine resin papers are produced by heat sealing under a pressing action on the surface of the wooden material plate using known methods. Over such melamine resin-impregnated paper layers can optionally be applied further top coatings, in the form of so-called overlays. These can also be melamine resin papers with special characteristics, e.g. those which are transparent or translucent. Thus, a highly abrasion-resistant coating is made available.
On the underside of the wooden material p7_ate is preferably also provided a (plastic) coating. This firstly serves as a so-called antidrag coating, in order to prevent a distortion of the wooden material plate by coating on one side. However, this coating can also assume the additional function of a moisture barrier or a bonding admixture. In particular for the latter function, the coating can have on the underside of the wooden material plate a structuring, such as e.g. a surface roughness. Melamine resin papers, as known from the prior art, can also be used for the coating of the underside. Normally a decorative function is not required on the underside of the plate.
For the case that on the top surface of the tile element according to the invention grooves, particularly longitudinal and/or transverse grooves are ;provided for "subdividing" the element, an optionally (resent coating on the underside of the plate can be partly removed at the points correspond-ing to the grooves on the top surface. This is normally brought about in that following the application of the coatings to the top and bottom side, not only on the top, but also on the bottom corresponding grooves are milled in. The grooves on the underside are intended to ensure that the moisture penetrating the wooden material plate on drying the joint sealer introduced into the grooves on the top surface can pass out of the under-side of said plate into the substrate. This would not be possible or at least only partly possible if a closed (substantially moisture-tight coating) was present on the underside of the wooden material plate.
In preferred embodiments of the invention. the described grooves can also be provided on the underside of the tile element, if there are no grooves on the top surface of said element. In such. cases the grooves on the bottom surface can improve the layability of the tile element, particularly if it is bonded to the substrate. This is due to the fact that the corresponding adhesive, at the points where the grooves are present, comes directly into contact with the wooden material. At such points there is then normally a stronger adhesive action than at the contact points between the plastic coating on the bottom surface and the adr.esive. In addition, on laying the element the adhesive can collect in said grooves on the underside. To aid this improved adhesive action, the grooves on the underside can have a larger width than the grooves on the top side. Then only a few grooves on the underside can suffice for this purpose. The effect of the improved adhesive action obviously also occurs in cases where there are grooves on the top surface for optically subdividing; the tile element.
T
whi emi ly suitable for use in moist and wet areas. It has the necessary water 'sta and is e.g. wet-jointable and can also be easily worked and laid (as oppose er ti.les). It is not "cold to the feet"
in the same way as ceramic tiles and e. s s for floor heating systems a much better energy balance, because it mor absorbs the heat and stores the latter much longer. Express reference is ma he o a .

Thus, in summarizing, the invention makes available a structural element, which is eminently suitable for use in moist and wet areas. It has the necessary water resistance and is e.g.~ wet-jointable and can also be easily worked and laid (as opposed to ceramic tiles). It is not "cold to the feet"
in the same way as ceramic tiles and e.g. also has for floor heating systems a much better energy balance, because it more rapidly absorbs the heat and stores the latter much longer. Express reference is made to the other advantages already mentioned.
The invention also covers a covering formed from structural elements, particularly a floor or wall covering. It has the features referred to in claim 10.
According to a further development, said covering is jointed with an ;adequately) watertight joint sealer, which has an adequate elasticity/
flexibility and which is therefore tear-resistant. This makes available a closed covering with a high watertightness and long life. , Said joint sealer in particular comprises a so-called plastic-treated joint sealer, which is commercially available. Conventionally silicones or acrylic resins are used as plastic constituents. However, the invention is not restricted to such joint sealers. A so-called welding rod jointing is also conceivable, where use is e.g. made of PVC-containing hot melt adhesives.
The invention finally relates to a method in which the described tile elements according to the invention are laid on a suitable substrate and subsequently the joints formed are jointed with a suitable joint sealer.
Laying the tile elements conventionally takes place as for known tiles, accompanied by bonding to the substrate and jointing can also take place "wet" in the conventional manner.
The described features and further features of the invention can be gath-ered from the following description of preferred embodiments in conjunction with the subcLaims and drawings.
In the drawings show:
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Fig. 1 A plan view of laid elements according to the invention (prior to jointing).
Fig. 2 A section along line II-II of fig. 1 (after jointing).
Fig. 3 The structure of the joint according to fig. 2 as a larger-scale detail III.
Fig. 1 shows four tile elements 1 according to the invention in the laid, but not yet jointed state. The left-hand upper and in the present case square tile element 1 is completely shown;, whereas the three others are only partly shown.
As can also be gathered from figs. 2 and 3, each tile element 1 comprises a wooden material plate with a high water resistance, particularly a PMDI-bound chipboard plate (plysoc(R) product of the applicant). On its under-side 3 the wooden material plate 2 is provided with a plastic coating 4 in the form of a surface-structured melamine resin paper. On the top surface of the wooden material plate 2 is provided a plastic coating 6 in the form of a melamine resin paper provided w~_th decorations. The coatings 4 and 6 (continues with original page 12 of the description) -~."~ .-!~a~~:;

but n yet 'ointed state. The left-hand, upper and in the present case square tile eme L is completely shown, whereas the three others are only partly shown.
As can also be gathered from fi ~3, each tile element 1 comprises a wooden material plate with a high wate\a ' tance, particularly a PMDI-bound chipboard plate (plysoc(R) product of t licant). On its under-side 3 the wooden material plate 2 is provided with stic coating 4 in the form of a surface-structured melamine resin paper. On op surface of the wooden material plate 2 is provided a plastic coating 6 ' a a~.e~ serve in the above-described manner as an antidrag film, moisture barrier and bonding admixture (plastic coating 4) and for imitating the appearance of ceramic or earthenware tiles (plastic coating 6).
In the case of the tile element shown, on two adjacent edge surfaces 7 and parallel to the top and bottom surface are provided longitudinally directed grooves 8 aad on two other adjacent edge surfaces 9 corresponding tongues i0. The grooves 8 in the edge surfaces 7 have a depth t. The tongues 10 on the edge surfaces 9 have the width b projecting over the associated outer edge. As shown in the drawings, for the tile element 1 the width b of the tongues 10 is greater than the depth t of the grooves 8, so that on inserting the tongues 10 in the grooves 8 a joint with bf remains, which corresponds to the difference between the width b and the depth t. As a result of this construction of the tile element.l a constant joint width bf is ensured, which can be predetermined and selected.
On the top surface 5 of the tile element 1 there are longitudinal and trans-verse grooves 12, which give the impression that also in the present case the tile element 1 is formed from four identical tile elements. The width of the grooves 12 corresponds to the selected joint width bf. As has already been stated, the grooves 12 in the same way as the joints formed between the tile elements 1 are jointed with joint sealer after laying.
The depth of the joints 12 is fundamentally not critical. However, the joints 12 must be able to absorb sufficient joint sealer to ensure a stable, detectable joint.
The joint sealer diagrammatically represented in fig. 2 and given the reference numeral 11 in fig. 3 is produced from a commercially available, particularly plastic-treated joint sealing material, which has an adequate watertightness, flexibility and tensile strength. Reference is made to the corresponding points in the description concerning the materials usable.
When laying the tile elements 1 according to the invention, the following procedure is adopted. Firstly the individual tile elements 1 are laid on an optionally prepared substrate, the tongues 10 being inserted in the associated grooves 8. Although a floating laying of the tile elements 1 is fundamentally possible, said elements 1 are conventionally bonded to the substrate. After producing the wall or floor covering in this way, the grooves formed by the groove and tongue ;joint and the optionally present grooves 12 can be jointed. As shown in i:ig. 3, between the tile elements 1 the free space left above the tongue 10 is filled with joint sealer 11.
The space formed below the tongue 10 is 7_eft empty. Jointing can take place "wet" in known manner, i.e. the joint sealer material is prepared/
mixed with water and in this form applied to the covering. This is partic-ularly surprising as it was not hitherto considered possible to use plate-like elements with a wooden material in this way for a wall or floor covering for moist and wet areas.

Claims (13)

1. Plate-like element (1) in the manner of a tile, preferably in the manner of a wall or floor tile, comprising a wooden material plate having a high water resistance with a coating (4, 6), particularly a plastic coating, on at least part of its top and/or bottom side (3, 5) and with at least one groove (8) and at least one tongue (10), characterized in that the groove (8) and tongue (10) are means for faxing and/or joining two adjacent elements in mutually spaced manner, the width (b) of the tongue (10) being greater than the depth (t) of the groove (8) and the difference between said width (b) and said tongue (10) corresponds to the desired joint width (b f) of a covering produced with the aid of at least two adjacent elements (1).

2. Plate-like element according to claim 1, characterized in that the groove and tongue are provided on the edge surfaces (7, 9) of the element (1).

3. Plate-like element according to claim 2, characterized in that the groove and tongue are formed on an edge surface parallel to the top and bottom side of the element.

4. Plate-like element according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the element (1), preferably in the case of a rectangular or square base surface, has four edge surfaces (7, 9), in which preferably on two adjacent edge surfaces (7) there are grooves (8) parallel to the top and bottom side of the element and on the two other edge surfaces (9) there are tongues (10) parallel to the top and bottom side of the element.

5. Plate-like element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on the top side of the element are provided recesses, markings or the like, which give the impression that the element is formed from at least two and preferably at least two identical elements.

6. Plate-like element according to claim 5, characterized in that on the top side (5) of the element (1) are provided longitudinal and/or transverse grooves (12) and preferably the width of these grooves corresponds to the desired joint width of a covering produced with the aid of the element.

7. Plate-like element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wooden material plate with a high water resistance is a wood chipboard and preferably the wood chipboard is PMDI-bound.

8. Plate-like element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on the top side (5) of the element (1) is provided a decorative coating (6) of plastic, particularly a melamine resin coating.

9. Plate-like element according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on the bottom side (3) of the element (1) is provided a preferably structured coating (4) of plastic, particularly a melamine resin coating.

10. Covering, particularly floor or wall covering, comprising at least two adjacent, plate-like elements (1) in the manner of a tile, preferably in the manner of a wall or floor tile, each element (1) comprising a wooden material plate with a high water resistance and having a coating (4, 6), particularly a plastic coating, on at least part of its top and/or bottom side (3, 5), one element (1) having at least one groove (8) and the other element (1) at least one tongue (10), characterized in that the groove (8) and tongue (10) are means for fixing and/or joining two adjacent elements (1) in mutually spaced manner, the width (b) of the tongue (10) being greater than the depth (t) of the groove (8) and the difference between said width (b) and said depth (t) corresponds to the desired joint width (b f) of the covering.

11. Covering according to claim 10, characterized in that its joints are filled with a watertight, adequately tear-resistant, flexible joint sealer.

12. Covering according to claim 11, characterized in that the joint sealer is formed by a plastic-treated joint sealing material.

13. Process for the production of a covering, particularly a floor or wall covering, characterized in that elements according to at least one of the claims 1 to 9 are laid on a suitable substrate, particularly accompanied by bonding to said substrate and subsequently the joints formed are filled with a suitable joint sealing material in the conventional manner, i.e. wet,