GB2113271A

GB2113271A - Ceramic tile

Info

Publication number: GB2113271A
Application number: GB08236227A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Michael Wooliscroft Davis; James George Lyttleton
Original assignee: WOOLLISCROFT AND SON Ltd G
Current assignee: WOOLLISCROFT AND SON Ltd G
Priority date: 1982-01-16
Filing date: 1982-12-21
Publication date: 1983-08-03
Also published as: GB2113271B

Abstract

The tile (10) has on each edge a curved decorative surface (12) whose depth is less than the thickness. This enables the tiles (10) to be used as boundary tiles, outside corner tiles or skirting tiles as well as being normal tiles. In addition the tile may have a patterned rear face which can serve either as a key to a wall when a wall is to be tiled or as an upwardly facing grip tile for use, for example in a swimming bath or like situation. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tiles This invention relates to tiles for use as a floor or wall covering.

Conventionally ceramic tiles are manufactured in the form of a sheet, usually rectangular, having a decorative surface on one face and a keying surface on the other face, the edges being plain or provided with spacing lugs or the like. When an area of tiling finishes at an edge on a wall or floor, it is conventional to provide "edging tiles" which have a pencilled round or similarly treated edge to form an edge line of safe and pleasing appearance.

For use at corners of a tiled area, corner tiles having two such edges have to be provided. This means, of course, that a tile manufacturer must maintain an expensive mould for making each of these two "special" tiles which are only used in small quantities.

A further similar disadvantage to floor tiles, particularly tiles used for floors in industrial, commercial or recreational settings such as factories, kitchens and swimming pools and the like. It is conventional to provide in connection with such tiles an upstanding tile skirting along the base of adjoining walls and with conventional tiles three different sorts of tiles are required: a tile having a treated upper edge for presenting a pleasing appearance; an inside corner tile; and an outside corner tile. Again, such tiles are used in only small numbers but the manufacturer must purchase, store and maintain extra expensive moulds which are little used.

Accordingly, the invention provides a ceramic tile for a wall or floor having a decoratively shaped surface on each of its edges capable of forming a part of an edge line of pleasant appearance at an edge of a tiled area and of forming with an adjacent similar tile a non-obtrusive transition between the two tiles.

Preferably the surface is smoothly curved and merges smoothly with at least the outer face of the tile.

Advantageously, the radius of curvature of the edge surface is greatest at its junction with the outer face of the tile and decreases towards its junction with the edge surface. This is important, because the provision of the edge surfaces on all edges of the tiles means that there must be grooves or channels formed between each pair of adjacent tiles. This selection of the radius of curvature ensures that the grooves or channels are not sharp-edged and so do not show obtrusively or present hazards when used on a floor.

As an alternative to the smooth curve each edge surface can comprise a series of planes, e.g.

flat planes, meeting at lines extending parallel to the edge. In this case the angles subtended at such lines should be greatest at the innermost line and lowest at the outermost line to ensure that the grooves or channels mentioned are not very obtrusive.

A further similar disadvantage, which is applicable only to a particular preferred tile of the invention, relates to the provision of slip-resistant tiles, that is to say, tiles having a pattern of protuberances on their one face to give grip. Such tiles are particularly used for swimming baths.

Here, if matching tiles are to be laid on a floor and a wall two moulds are necessary to produce the floor tile having a grip-giving surface on its one face and the wall tile having a smooth or shaped one face and a keying surface on its other, rear, face to enable it to be securely affixed to a wall.

Accordingly, the invention provides a ceramic tile having on one face a decorative surface and on the other face a surface which is textured by having upstanding protuberances, the tile being usable as a wall covering with the one face outwards and the other face providing a keying surface for adhesive, or as a floor covering with the one face downwards and the face having the textured surface upward providing a slip resistant surface.

We have found that although floor tiles have previously been invariably provided with an undersurface shaped to provide a key, this is not necessary. The purpose of a key surface is primarily to prevent movement in a plane parallel to the major forces of a tile and when a tile is laid flat on a floor such forces are low and can easily be borne by the strength of the adhesive and the adjacent tiles. For a wall tile, of course, different considerations apply, particularly during the fixing thereof, where gravitational forces are important.

Preferably the protuberances present only rounded edges.

Advantageously the protuberances can be in a matrix with grooves between them forming a grid on the tile. Some or all of the protuberances can be of such a size to allow smaller protuberances to upstand therefrom.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a preferred tile of the invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-section on line Il-Il of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssectional view showing a pair of the tiles arranged side-by-side; Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view illustrating a variation; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing a pair of tiles of the invention at an outside corner in a skirting or step; and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a further tile of the invention.

A preferred tile 10 of the invention (Figs. 1 and 2) is made conventionally by shaping a mass of plastics clay in a mould, removing the shaped mass and firing. The tile produced (here shown as square in plan although many other shapes such as oblong, regular hexagonal and the like are possible) has on its one, front, face a flat planar decorative surface 11 and along each edge has a smoothly curved surface 12 which merges smoothly with the planar front surface 11 and also with the adjacent edge surface 1 3. The radius of curvature of surface 1 2 is greatest adjacent surface 11 and least adjacent surface 13.This ensures that the channel 1 4 generated when two such tiles are joined side-by-side (Figs. 3) is shallow so as not to be obstrusive to the eye nor to form a hazard when used on a floor.

On a tile (not illustrated) which has only one face which is normally visible the shaped surfaces 12 will be provided only on the edges adjoining such one visible face. Thus there will be four "show" surfaces on a rectangular tile. On the illustrated reversible tile the shaped surface 1 2 is provided on the edges adjoining both faces. That is to say there are eight "show" surfaces on a rectangular tile. On tiles of shapes other than rectangular the number of "show" surfaces will be "n" where the tile has "n" edges and is onesided, or will be "2n" where the tile has "n" edges and is reversible. For example a one-sided hexagonal tile will have six "show" surfaces, and a reversible hexagonal tile will have twelve "show" surfaces.

The rear face 1 5 of the tile 10 is formed with a pattern consisting of twenty-five square protuberances separated by a grid of eight grooves 1 6. The protuberances are divided into plane surfaced protuberances 17 and protuberances 1 8 which have smaller protuberances or pips 1 9 upstanding therefrom.

The tops of pips 19 lie below the level of the tops of protuberances 1 7. All the edges and corners of protuberances 1 7 and 18 are smoothly rounded to provide grip, but to avoid sharp edges which could cause discomfort or injury to the feet of users when the tiles are installed as slip-resistant tiles in a swimming baths, washroom or the like.

When used on a wall or floor the "textured" face of a tile is traditionally placed towards the adhesive where it is said to form a key. Such a key is unnecessary. The fact that the tile has all its edges and corners rounded means that it can present a safe and pleasant appearance without the need for special edging and/or corner tiles.

Also, when used as a skirting the appropriate edge forms a pleasing and effective top to the skirting.

At outside skirting corners (Fig. 5) a similar pleasant rounded corner is also formed.

Fig. 4 shows a possible variation wherein the edge surface is formed by four flat plane surfaces 20 meeting at lines 21 parallel to the edge 22 of the tile 1 9. The angle at the innermost line 21 is greatest and at the outer-most line 21 is least.

This means that the edge surface moves downwardly first shallowly and then more steeply in the same way and for the same reason as the smoothly curved surface.

Fig. 6 shows a further tile 22 of the invention which is also reversible and has a flange 23 along one edge which extends at 45 to the major plane of the tile. This tile 22 can be used as an outside or inside corner tile, eg as a step nosing or at the junction between, say a floor and a vertical surface.

The depth of the surface 12 is equal to or less than 50% of the maximum tile thickness advantageously equal to or less than one third of such thickness, and preferably from 20% to 30% of the tile thickness. This is in contrast to conventional edge tiles where the curved surface is over 50% and usually approaching 1 00% of the tile thickness.

As mentioned, the tile can have shapes other than square, indeed any shape which will tassellate with itself, and a range of sizes and colours can be provided. The main decorative surface of the tile need not be a flat plane but can be decoratively textured if desired.

The number of protuberances and channels on the rear of the tile can, of course, vary with the size of the tile. Also the sizes of the protuberances and channels can be varied. The number of pips on the protuberances, and/or their size, can also be varied as desired.

Claims

1. A ceramic tile for a wall or floor having a decoratively shaped surface on each of its "show" edges capable of forming a part of an edge line of pleasant appearance at an edge of a tiled area and of forming with an adjacent similar tile a nonobtrusive transition between the two tiles.

2. A tile as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shaped surface is smoothly curved and merges smoothly with at least the main outer face of the tile.

3. A tile as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the radius of curvature of the shaped surface is greatest at its junction with the main outer face of the tile and decreases towards its junction with the edge surface.

4. A tile as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said shaped surface comprises a series of planes meeting at lines extending parallel to the edge.

5. A tile as claimed in claim 4, wherein the planes are flat planes.

6. A tile as claimed in claim 5, wherein the angles subtended at such lines are greatest at the innermost and lowest at the outermost line.

7. A tile as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the depth of the shaped surface is equal to or less than 50% of the maximum tile thickness.

8. A tile as claimed in claim 7 wherein the depth of the curved surface is less than one third of the tile thickness.

8. A tile as claimed in claim 7 wherein the depth of the shaped surface is from 20% to 30% of the tile thickness.

9. A tile as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the show surfaces adjoin the main visible face of the tile.

10. A ceramic tile having on one face a decorative surface and on the other face a surface which is textured by having upstanding protuberances, the tile being usable as a wall covering with the one face outwards and the other face providing a keying surface for adhesive, or as a floor covering with the one face downwards and the face having the textured surface upward providing a slip resistant surface.

11. A tile as claimed in claim 10, wherein the protuberances present only rounded edges.

12. A tile as claimed in claim 10 or 11 wherein the protuberances are in a matrix with grooves between them forming a grid on the tile.

13. A tile as claimed in claim 10,11 or 12 wherein some have smaller protuberances upstanding therefrom.

14. A ceramic tile substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

14. A tile which is as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9 and also as claimed in any of claims 10 to 13, having the shaped surface adjoining each edge adjacent both visible surfaces.

1 5. A ceramic tile substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on 26 April 1983.

Superseded claims 1-15.

New or amended claims:

1. A ceramic tile for a wall or floor having a decoratively shaped surface on each of its "show" edges capable of forming a part of an edge line of pleasant appearance at an edge of a tiled area and of forming with an adjacent similar tile a nonobtrusive transition between the two tiles, and having on one face a decorative surface and on the other face a surface which is textured by having upstanding protuberances, the tile being usable as a wall covering with the one face outwards and the other face providing a keying surface for adhesive, or as a floor covering with the one face downwards and the face having the textured surface upward providing a slip resistant surface.

5. A tile as claimed in claim 4, wherein the planes are flat planes.

9. A tile as claimed in claim 7 or 8 wherein the depth of the shaped surface is from 20% to 30% of the tile thickness.

10. A tile as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the show surfaces adjoin the main visible face of the tile.

11. A tile as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the protuberances present only rounded edges.

12. A tile as claimed in claim 11 wherein the protuberances are in a matrix with grooves between them forming a grid on the tile.

13. A tile as claimed in claim 11 or 12 wherein some have smaller protuberances upstanding therefrom.