EP2271810B1

EP2271810B1 - Modular element for paving and coating in the building sector

Info

Publication number: EP2271810B1
Application number: EP09730970.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Mauro Valsesia; Peppino Poletti; Franco Valsesia
Original assignee: Blackmoon AG
Current assignee: Blackmoon AG
Priority date: 2008-04-09
Filing date: 2009-03-09
Publication date: 2014-07-23
Anticipated expiration: 2029-03-09
Also published as: CY1115568T1; PL2271810T3; PT2271810E; WO2009124625A1; DK2271810T3; ES2512665T3; ITMI20080617A1; EP2271810A1; SI2271810T1; HRP20141012T1; HUE026138T2

Description

The present invention refers to the building sector and in particular to a modular element of slight thickness for paving or coating of indoor and outdoor masonry walls.
The use of metal plates for paving and coating is well known in the building sector. In order to facilitate laying of these metal plates, modules consisting of a metal plate glued or otherwise fixed to a wooden support are generally provided, see for example EP 1 867 804 A , JP 08 082039 A .
These types of modules present drawbacks. In fact the wood is subject to moisture and sudden changes in temperature which cause swelling and dilatation of the support. Therefore, these types of supports are not indicated, above all, for coating of outside walls, which are subject to severe weather conditions.
In fact, only metal plates without the wooden support are generally used for coating of outside walls. However, complex, costly anchoring systems are necessary for fixing of these plates.
Furthermore, it must be considered that the wooden support must have rather great thicknesses of about 12 mm in order to provide an adequate joining system between two adjacent supports. Figure 7 shows the joining system between two modules according to the prior art, designated with the reference numeral 101. Each module 101 comprises a metal plate 102 glued to a wooden support 103. On one edge of the wooden support 103 there is provided a rib 104 adapted to fit into a groove 105 provided in the edge of the adjacent support. It is obvious that to form said rib 104 and said groove 105 in the edges of each wooden support, it is necessary for the support 103 to have an adequate thickness, generally not less than 12 mm.
Because of this great thickness, this type of modules cannot be used as coating, directly on an existing floor. In fact such a coating would raise the level of the floor and would be a hindrance to doors, radiators, electrical sockets, etc. Consequently, it is necessary to dismantle the existing floor, lay a new slab and mount modules on the slab. The problems relating to the thermal dilatations and shrinkage of the wooden support remain.
Object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art by providing a modular element for paving and coating in the building sector that is efficient, solid, of limited thickness, easy to assemble and simple to manufacture. This object is achieved in accordance with the invention with the characteristics listed in appended independent claim 1.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention are apparent from the dependent claims.
The advantages of the invention are obvious. In fact, with the module according to the invention, finishing plates can easily be laid without the need to use a wooden support.
Furthermore, the module according to the invention has an extremely small total thickness, and can be applied directly on an existing floor.
Further characteristics of the invention will be made clearer by the detailed description that follows, referring to a purely exemplifying and therefore non limiting embodiment thereof, illustrated in the appended figures, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the modular element according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a cross sectional view, taken along the plane of section II-II of Figure 1;
Figures 2A and 2B are two enlarged details, enclosed respectively in circles A and B of Figure 2;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the modular element of Figure 1 seen from below;
Figure 3A is an enlarged detail enclosed in the circle A of Figure 3;
Figure 4 is a top plan view showing three modular elements according to the invention, two of which are assembled with each other and a third is in the process of being assembled;
Figure 5 is an enlarged, cross-sectional, partially broken off view, taken along the plane of section V-V of Figure 4;
Figure 6 is an enlarged, cross-sectional, partially broken off view, taken along the plane of section VI-VI of Figure 4; and
Figure 7 is a partially broken off, cross-sectional view, showing assembly of two modular elements according to the prior art.

The modular element according to the invention, designated as a whole by reference numeral 1, is described with the aid of Figures 1-6.
With reference for now to Figures 1 and 2, the modular element 1 comprises a top finishing plate 2 destined to face towards the outside and a bottom support plate 3 destined to face inwards, that is, towards the floor or wall or façade to be coated.
The finishing plate 2 is substantially rectangular or square in shape and is substantially flat.- The finishing plate 2 is preferably a metal plate of reduced thickness, for example less than 4 mm, which has an adequately finished outer surface. However, the finishing plate 2 can be made of any material suitable for coating in the building sector, for example wood, ceramic, stone, marble, glass and the like.
The support plate 3 is preferably a metal plate of reduced thickness, for example less than 3 mm; however, it could also be made by moulding of hard plastic.
The support plate 3 is substantially rectangular or square, with a slightly larger perimeter than the finishing plate 2.
As shown in Figures 3 and 3A, the support plate 3 has a plurality of bosses 30, in the form of recessed parts in the lower surface of the plate 3 which form protruding parts in the upper surface of the plate 3. The bosses 30 protrude upwards from the upper surface of the support plate 3, engendering a thickness substantially equal to or slightly greater than the thickness of the support plate 3.
With reference to Figures 1 and 3, at the ends of one side of the support plate 3, the two corners are cut with respective cuts 31 and 32 at right angles. A first edge 33 of the support plate, defined between the two cut corners 31, 32, is raised, by means of an upwardly folded line of folding 34. A second edge 35 of the support plate, adjacent to the cut corner 32, is raised by means of a respective upwardly folded line of folding 36.
In any case the two raised edges 33 and 35 are maintained substantially parallel to the plane of the support plate 3. The raised edges 33 and 35 are raised with respect to the support plate 3 by the same amount as the protrusions of the bosses 30.
It should be noted that the support plate 3 with the shaping described, can easily be obtained starting from a flat sheet of metal, by cutting and pressing.
The flat finishing plate 2 is placed over the suitably shaped support plate 3 and fixed thereto. If both plates 2 and 3 are sheet metal, they an be made integral with each other, by welding, such as for example, spot arc welding, laser welding, brazing and the like. Obviously gluing could also be provided, for example with two-component epoxy glues for metals.
With reference to Figures 1, 2A and 2B, when the two plates 2 and 3 are placed one on top of the other, the adjacent raised edges 33 and 35 of the support plate protrude slightly from the respective edges of the finishing plate 2. The two unraised adjacent edges 37 and 38 of the support plate 3 also protrude slightly with respect to the respective edges of the finishing plate 2.
As shown in Figure 2B, between the unraised edges 37, 35 of the support plate and the finishing plate 2 an interspace 4 is engendered, of such a size as to be able to accommodate the raised edge 33, 35 of another similar module. In short, each module I has on the two adjacent edges a male coupling represented by the raised edges 33, 35 and on the other adjacent edges a female coupling represented by the interspaces 4 which are engendered between the unraised edges 37, 38 of the supporting plate and the finishing plate 2.
With reference to Figure 4 three modules according to the invention designated with references numerals 1, 1' and 1" are illustrated. Module 1 is connected to module 1', whereas module 1" is about to be connected to module 1.
As shown in Figure 5, the raised edge 33 of module 1 is fitted into the interspace 4 between the unraised edge 37 and the finishing plate 2 of module 1'. In this manner the edges of the top plates 2 of the two modules 1, 1' match perfectly. In a similar way other modules can be assembled in a horizontal direction.
With reference to Figure 6, the raised edge 35' of module 2" is about to be inserted in the interspace 4 which is formed between the unraised edge 38 and the finishing plate 2 of module 1. In this manner, the modules can also be assembled in a vertical direction.
The modules according to the invention can thus be assembled easily and stably, to coat surfaces of various sizes, without the need to provide complex anchoring systems. Furthermore it must be considered that the total thickness of the module 1 can be kept within 10 mm. Consequently this product can be used to coat floors, directly posed on the existing floor, without the need to dismantle it or lay a new slab.
Numerous changes and modifications of detail within the reach of a person skilled in the art can be made to the present embodiment of the invention without thereby departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

A system of modular elements (1), for paving and coating in the building sector, each modular element being substantially square or rectangular in shape, comprising:
- a bottom support plate (3), and

- a top finishing plate (2) fixed to said support plate (3),
wherein
said support plate (3) comprises two adjacent edges (33, 35) raised with respect to its surface facing towards the floor or wall or façade to be coated and the other two adjacent edges (37, 38) at the same level as said surface, said four edges (33, 35, 37, 38) of the support plate protruding from the respective edges of the finishing plate (2), and there being provided spacer means (30) disposed between said support plate (3) and said finishing plate (2) so as to engender interspaces (4) between the unraised edges (37, 38) of the support plate and the respective edges of the finishing plate,
so that the raised edges (33, 35) of the support plate of one module (1) can be fitted into the interspaces (4) of the other modules (1', 1"), characterised in that said spacer means (30) being bosses formed in said support plate (3) having a thickness substantially equal to that of the raised edges (33, 35) of the support plate.
A system of modules (1) according to claim 1, characterised in that said raised edges (33, 35) are parallel to the support plate, and are obtained by means of respective lines of folding (34, 36) so as to raise the edges by an amount equal to the thickness of the spacer means (30).
A system of modules (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at the ends of one (33) of said raised edges of the support plate, coincident with the two corners of the support plate, two cuts (31, 32) are made at right angles.
A system of modules (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said support plate (3) is a metal sheet.
A system modules (1) according to claim 4, characterised in that said support plate (3) has a thickness of less than 3 mm.
A system of modules (1) according to anyone of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that said support plate (3) is in moulded hard plastic.
A system of modules (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said support plate (2) is a metal sheet with a finished outer surface.
A system of modules (1) according to claims 4 or 5 and 7, characterised in that said support plate (3) and said finishing plate (2) are welded to each other at said bosses (30).
A system of modules (1) according to claims 1 and 7, characterised in that said support plate (3) and said finishing plate (2) are glued to each other.
A system of modules (1) according to claims 7 and 9, characterised in that said finishing plate (2) has a thickness of less than 4 mm.
A system of modules (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it has an overall thickness of less than 10 mm.
Use of a system of modules (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, as coating for walls.
Use of a system of modules (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, as paving.