EP0070928B1

EP0070928B1 - Tile panel manufacture and processing

Info

Publication number: EP0070928B1
Application number: EP81200863A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Johannes Jacobus Van De Ven; Petrus Johannes Gerardus Van Lierop
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1981-07-31
Filing date: 1981-07-31
Publication date: 1985-05-29
Also published as: DE3170714D1; ATE13571T1; EP0070928A1

Abstract

The invention provides a method and means for effectively applying a tile-work, by always providing the back side of a plurality of tiles (2) with connection members (3) in such a way that a self-sustaining panel is obtained, while subsequently providing said panel, if necessary, with a so-called shutter layer (6) and filling the joints.

Description

Tile setting is labour-intensive, requires much time and specialized workers.
It is the object of the invention to improve a method and means therefore, for effectively applying a tile work.
For manufacturing a tile panel it has already been proposed in DE-C-817 034 in the name of Willibald Hartlmaier to place a plurality of tiles on a supporting plate at joint distance, after which on the corners at the back side of the tile mortar is applied and on the adjacent corners of different tiles connecting plates are pressed, whereafter the whole is dried until hardening. According to this German patent, a sheet of flexible material is placed on the front side of the tiles, to which the separate tiles are glued. Only after the tile panel has been placed into its position, is the glued on material removed. According to the German patent, two kinds of tile panels are proposed:

- a flexible tile panel, which has to be placed in position in front of a wall, using stiffening elements or a frame. This means extra work and means to obtain an even surface;
- the other proposal, according to the German patent, consists in applying a second plate on the rear side of the tiles and the connecting plates for strengthening and stiffening the tile panel.

In both cases mortar has to be applied, either when the tile panel is placed in front of a wall or after applying the second plate. In such circumstances it will be very difficult to fill the joints between the tiles, as it has to be done from the rear side of the panel.
The object of the invention is to provide an improved method of manufacturing a pre-fabricated tile panel and to install it in front of a wall.
To this effect it is proposed, according to the invention, to place the tile loosely on the supporting plate and, after the hardening of the jointing mortar between the connection plates and tile, to apply a shutter layer of cement resin mortar on the rear side of the tile panel. By applying a shutter layer at the rear side of the tile and filling the joints, it has been found, that a pre-fabricated tile panel of maximum 2 m² can be formed, which can be manufactured in factories as pre-fabricated members and which thereafter can be processed easily on the construction side. On the construction side no further fitting of joints between the tiles or a too narrow space at the rear side of the tiles is necessary.
When such a tile panel is positioned in front of a vertical wall to be tiled, care has to be taken, that at least a distance of I ) cm is present between the rear side of the tile panel and the wall to be tiled and to dam up the lower and the side edges of the tile panel, before inserting thin mortar from the top side in the space between panel and wall. If desired, a tile panel may conveniently be made to size by removing a part of the tiles with conventional means.
One embodiment of the invention will now be explained, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top view of the back side of a tile panel whereon a plurality of connection members are indicated;
Fig. 2 shows, partly in vertical section, a part of a tile panel during the manufacture; and
Fig. 3 is a view, partly in vertical section, of a tile panel positioned in front of a wall.

In accordance with Fig. 2, there are positioned on a supporting plate 1 a plurality of tiles with the front downwards in the required number, shape and pattern and at the required interspace. The various tiles are indicated by 2. On these tiles are attached, always at the angular points, connection plates 3. To this effect, preferably at the four angles of adjacent tiles, a dose of rapid-hardening cement mortar, preferably synthetic resin mortar, is applied on which always the connection plates 3 are pressed. Along the edges of a tile panel always two narrower tile-connecting connection plates 4 are attached. In Fig. 2, the connection mortar is indicated by 5. It has been found that by means of the modern synthetic resin mortars, extremely solid connections can be effected between connection plates and the tiles, whereby a tile panel of e.g. 1 x 2 meters, after hardening of the mortar, can be taken up at the edges and whereby the panel is sufficiently self-sustaining. For enhancing the hardening of the jointing mortar, preferably the pre-treated panel is dried on bearing plate 1 over at least 20°C for 10 hours.
For the jointing plates, as well as for bearing plate 1, use is preferably made of an Eternite (RTM) plate or a synthetic product comparable with Eternite (RTM). The advantage of this material is that a very solid joint with the mortar is realized, since the mortar should naturally also obtain a very good adhesion with the back side of the tiles. This Eternite (RTM) material furthermore does not become deformed during the drying and hardening of the mortar and is sufficiently rigid for ensuring a rigid panel.
The sizes of the tiles are not of relevance, so that both tiles of 10 x 10 cm and of 10 x 15 or 15 x 15 or 10 x 20 or also other sizes can be properly utilized. Such tiles in general have a thickness of approx. 6.5 mm.
For the eternite connection plates, use is preferably made of eternite having a thickness of approx. 6 mm for obtaining sufficient rigidity and strength. Besides a manufacture of a panel with a size of about 1 x 2 m, naturally also square panels or panels of a deviating shape may be made, on condition that only the maximum size of 2 m and a maximum surface of 2 m² is not exceeded. In this manner, also tile panels can be made of floor tiles, e.g. double-baked tiles of 10 x 10 cm.
After hardening of the jointing mortar, preferably at the back side, there is applied a so-called SHUTTER layer of cement mortar, having a thickness of 1 or 2 mm, thus avoiding that during the positioning of a tile panel and the application of mortar behind the tile panel, said mortar will adhere to the tiles, thus producing dams in the mortar. This SHUTTER layer is indicated in Fig. 2 by reference numeral 6. By application of the SHUTTER layer, moreover the joints between the tiles at the back side are shut off. As a result, after reversal of the tile panel, the joints can be easily washed-in from the front side without the jointing mortar extending behind the tile panels, which would otherwise also produce mortar dam effect during the mounting of the tile panels.
The manufacture of the tile panels and the filling of the joints can be effected very easily in factories in the manner indicated, possibly with special machines, while no specialized tilers are necessary and moreover the operations can be effected effectively under favourable conditions, whereby the tile panels formed can be further transported as prefab members to various construction sites for being processed in situ.
During the processing, according to Fig. 3, a tile panel generally indicated by 10 is arranged in front of the wall 11 or a different supporting member.
The tile panel is arranged in such a way that at the back side there remains a space of at least 1s cm, while depending on the unevennesses and irregularities in the wall, also distances up to 5 cm are possible. Use is thereby made of adjusting members such as 12, which can be attached e.g. relatively to the floor, as well as adjustable clip members 13, which are adapted to engage e.g. around a window or door-frame opening or may be fixed in the wall through plugs. By means of threaded pins, the tile panel can be vertically positioned. Subsequently, the edges of the tile panel are dammed up e.g. with rapid-hardening mortar, both at the vertical edges and along the lower edge at 15. When wider tile faces have to be handled, separate panels will be positioned at joint distance from each other, while the joint between the panels can either be dammed up with a rapid-hardening mortar or be sealed with a sealing strip.
When the space behind a tile panel has been dammed up at three sides, thin mortar is supplied at the top side. This may be done e.g. means of a mortar pump 16, which conducts the mortar via a hose 17 to a feeding funnel e.g. of some tens of centimeters in length and 1 cm in width, which terminates behind the upper edge of the tile panel. In this manner, the space behind a tile panel can be rapidly filled. It has been found that thus also the mortar may find its way around the corner of a wall and even at the back side of a wall when e.g. at all three sides tile panels are arranged. The joint is rapidly filled from the bottom to the top, while the support construction serves for retaining the tile panel or tile panels in place. After the hardening and the removal of the support construction, the tile wall or possibly the tile floor is ready.
For a tile floor use may be made of a mortar layer applied on the floor, whereon the tile panels are simply positioned.

Claims

1. Method of manufacturing a tile panel (10), in which a plurality of tiles (2) are placed on a temporary supporting plate (1) at joint distance, after which on the corners at the rear side of the tiles a rapid hardening synthetic resin mortar (5) is applied and on the adjacent corners of different tiles (2) connecting plates (3, 4) are pressed, whereafter the whole is dried until hardening, characterized in that the tiles (2) are placed loosely on the supporting plate (1) and that, after the hardening of the jointing mortar (5) between connecting plates and tiles, the rear side of the tile panel (10) is completely closed by the application of a shutter layer of cement mortar (6).

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that, after the hardening of the jointing mortar (5) between connecting plates and tiles, the joints between the tiles are washed in from the front side of the tiles.

3. Pre-fabricated tile panel made through application of the method according to any of the preceding claims, in which a number of tiles (2), at joint distance from each other, are interconnected by connecting plates (4, 5), provided at the rear side on the corners of the tiles (2), while for the jointing mortar use is made of a rapid hardening synthetic resin mortar (5), characterized in that the panel is provided with a shutter layer of cement mortar (6) at the rear side.

4. Method of applying a tile panel made through application of the method according to any of the claims 1-2, in which the tile panel (10) is positioned in front of a wall (11) to be tiled and mortar is inserted at the rear side of the panel, characterized in that the panel is positioned at a distance of at least 12 cm from the wall to be tiled and the lower and side edges of the tile panel are dammed up, before inserting thin mortar from the top side in the space between panel and wall.