GB2243341A

GB2243341A - Creating coloured designs for tiles

Info

Publication number: GB2243341A
Application number: GB9101802A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kareen June Ferney; Alan Richard Ferney
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-04-18
Filing date: 1991-01-28
Publication date: 1991-10-30
Anticipated expiration: 2011-01-28
Also published as: GB9101802D0; GB9008730D0; GB2243341B

Abstract

Apparatus for creating coloured designs for tiles, which apparatus comprises at least one design book (2) for use in producing different designs for the tiles, and a plurality of coloured tile samples (14) for use in determining the colour or colours for the produced different designs, the design book (2) being such that it comprises at least one overlay arrangement (4), and the overlay arrangement (4) comprising at least two transport sheets (6, 8, 10, 12) which are each provided with the whole or a part of the design to be produced and which are adapted to be overlayed so that the parts of the design to be produced can be viewed on top of one another as the final design. <IMAGE>

Description

APPARATUS FOR CREATING COLOURED DESIGNS FOR TILES This invention relates to apparatus for creating coloured designs for tiles.

Tiles are mainly bought from retail outlets, mail order catalogues or through interior designers. The consumer is usually presented with tiles having a selection of designs in specific colours and the consumer is required to sift through these tiles and find the most suitable option. This tends to lead to consumers compromising either on colour or design. It is known to provide a section of tile designs which are available in a given range of colours as represented on printed paper colour charts. These charts are not truly representative of the colours on the tiles since the charts are printed in different ink and on a different material. It is also known to specially commission tiles but this is very expensive and time consuming, and there is never any guarantee that the end result will be satisfactory to the consumer.

It is an aim of the present invention to reduce the above mentioned problems.

Accordingly, this invention provides apparatus for creating coloured designs for tiles, which apparatus comprises at least one design book for use in producing different designs for the tiles, and a plurality of coloured tile samples for use in determining the colour or colours for the produced different designs, the design book being such that it comprises at least one overlay arrangement, and the overlay arrangement comprising at least two transparent sheets which are each provided with the whole or a part of the design to be produced and which are adapted to be overlayed so that the parts of the design to be produced can be viewed on top of one another as the final design.

With the apparatus of the present invention, the overlay arrangement can be used to produce the design, and then the colours for the design can be chosen from the tile samples and these colours will be truly representative since the colours will be on tile material.

Usually, the apparatus of the invention will be one in which the transparent sheets are such that the designs on the transparent sheets are not coloured, and in which the colours for the parts of the designs are chosen from the coloured tile samples. Thus, the designs on the transparent sheets will all usually be in black but they may be in different colours if desired.

Preferably, each overlay arrangement comprises four of the transparent sheets. More or less of the transparent sheets may be employed so that, for example, each overlay arrangement may comprise two, three or five of the transparent sheets. Usually, the overlay arrangement will not include more than five of the transparent sheets since then the number of possible designs gets too great and a user of the apparatus of the invention may tend to get confused.

Preferably, each one of the design books has four of the overlay arrangements. Each one of the design books may however have more or less than four of the overlay arrallgements if desired.

Preferably, there are ten of the design books.

The apparatus may include more or less than ten of the design books.

Advantageously, the or each overlay arrangement is such that the transparent sheets pivot about a pivot member.

Preferably, the apparatus is one in which the pivot member is located at one corner of the transparent sheets, and in which the transparent sheets are able to pivot 3600 around the pivot member. The pivot member may be attached to a backing sheet member.

The or each design book may be produced to have a spring spine arrangement. The spring spine arrangement may then be easily secured to the various overlay arrangements, for example to the backing sheet member of each overlay arrangement.

The coloured tile samples will normally be considerably smaller than the tiles to be produced.

The coloured tile samples are preferably named and numbered on the back of each sample.

Advantageously, the apparatus of the invention comprises a box for housing the design book or books, and the coloured tile samples.

The box may have a central compartment for receiving the design book or books, and a pair of side compartments which are provided one on either side of the central compartment and which are for receiving the tile samples.

The box may have a further compartment for receiving order forms, a price list, conditions of business, and a promotional leaflet. The box may also contain a full size decorated tile sample in order for people to see the general type of product.

The box may have a hinged lid or a removable lide An embodiment of the invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows part of a design book, the design book being open to illustrate one overlay arrangement; Figure 2 is similar to Figure 1 except that the pages of the overlay arrangement have been swivelled to different positions to illustrate the different pages of the overlay arrangement; Figure 3 shows four separate transparent sheets which can be used together to form one overlay arrangement; Figure 4 shows eleven possible different tile designs which can be produced using the four transparent sheets shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 shows a tile sample; and Figure 6 is a top elevation of a box for containing design books and tile samples.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown apparatus for creating coloured designs for tiles. The apparatus comprises ten design books, one of which is shown as design book 2 in Figure 1. The design book 2 is for use in producing different designs for tiles.

The design book 2 is such that it comprises four overlay arrangements, one overlay arrangement being shown in Figures 1 and 2 as overlay arrangement 4.

As can best be seen from Figure 2, each overlay arrangement 4 comprises four transparent sheets 6, 8, 10, 12. Each one of these transparent sheets 6, 8, 10, 12 is provided with the whole or a part of the final design to be produced. When the transparent sheets 6, 8, 10, 12 are overlayed as shown in Figure 1, then the parts of the design to be produced can be viewed on top of one another as the final design. The design on the separate transparent sheets 6, 8, 10, 12 are just in black so that, once the final design as shown in Figure 1 has been produced, then colours for the various parts of the design can be chosen from a plurality of coloured tile samples, one of which is shown in Figure 5 as tile sample 14. As shown in Figure 5, the tile sample 14 is in the form of a small square 16 which is provided with a coloured square 18. The colour on the coloured square 18 will be tile same as the colour on the final tiles since the tile sample 14 will be made of tile material and the tile sample 14 may be a piece of an existing tile or, alternatively, a purpose made tile sample.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the overlay arrangement 4 is such that the transparent sheets 6, 8, 10, 12 pivot about a pivot member 20. The pivot member 20 is located at one corner of the transparent sheets 6, 8, 10, 12 so that the transparent sheets 6, 8, 10, 12 are able to pivot 3600 around the pivot member 20.

The pivot member 20 is attached to a backing sheet member 22. The backing sheet member 22 is attached to a spring spine arrangement 24. The spring spine arrangement 24 enables four overlay arrangements 4 to be contained in the design book 2 such that the design book 2 can easily be opened and closed.

Figure 3 shows the four transparent sheets 6, 8, 10, 12 in a separated form. Figure 4 shows eleven different designs that can be produced by appropriately overlaying the transparent sheets 6, 8, 10, 12. For simplicity of illustration and understanding, the design shown on transparent sheet 6 has been labelled design A, the design shown on the transparent sheet 8 has been labelled design B, the design shown on the transparent sheet 10 has been labelled design C and the design shown on the transparent sheet 12 has been labelled design D.

The various designs shown in Figure 4 are produced by combining two or more of the transparent sheets 6, 8, 10, 12 together and the appropriate combined designs have been shown above each one of the designs illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 6 shows a box 26 which is used for housing the design books 2 and the coloured tile samples 14. The box 26 has a central compartment 28 for receiving the design books 2. The box 26 has a pair of side compartments 30 which are provided one on either side of the central compartment 28 and which are for receiving the tile samples 14. The tile samples 14 are individual tile samples as shown in Figure 5 which can be stored in the side compartments 30.

The box 26 also comprises a further compartment 32 which is for receiving order forms, a price list, conditions of business, a promotional leaflet and, if desired, a full size decorated tile sample. Thus, the box 26 contains all the apparatus necessary for enabling a user to create coloured designs for tiles. The design books 2 enable the user to explore a multiplicity of various design possibilities, with the tile samples 14 enabling the user also to explore a multiplicity of colour combinations. Once the user has chosen the required design and the required colour combination, this can be recorded on the order forms in the compartment 32. The tiles can then be individually created to the required order and the user will know in advance exactly what the final tiles will look like. Although the tiles will be individually created, they will not be prohibitively expensive since the user will basically have done a creative design work using the apparatus of the present invention.

It is to be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings has been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the design books 2 and the box 26 may be differently created. If desired, the box 26 could be replaced by another container or even a purpose made case for use by interior designers travelling to persons9 homes.

Claims

1. Apparatus for creating coloured designs for tiles, which apparatus comprises at least one design book for use in producing different designs for the tiles, and a plurality of coloured tile samples for use in determining the colour or colours for the produced different designs, the design book being such that it comprises at least one overlay arrangement, and the overlay arrangement comprising at least two transparent sheets which are each provided with the whole or a part of the design to be produced and which are adapted to be overlayed so that the parts of the design to be produced can be viewed on top of one another as the final design.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the transparent sheets are such that the designs on the transparent sheets are not coloured, and in which the colours for the parts of the designs are chosen from the coloured tile samples.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which each overlay arrangement comprises four of the transparent sheets.

4. 'Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which each one of the design books has four of the overlay arrangements.

5. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which there are ten of the design books.

6o Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the or each overlay arrangement is such that the transparent sheets pivot about a pivot member.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 in which the pivot member is located at one corner of the transparent sheets, and in which the transparent sheets are able to pivot 3600 around the pivot member.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 or claim 7 in which the pivot member is attached to a backing sheet member.

9. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the or each design book has a spring spine arrangement.

10. 'Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the coloured tile samples are smaller than normal tiles.

11. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the coloured tile samples are named and numbered on the back of each sample.

12. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims and comprising a box for housing the design book or books, and the coloured tiles.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12 in which the box has a central compartment for receiving the design book or books, and a pair of side compartments which are provided one on either side of the central compartment and which are for receiving the tile samples.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13 in which the box has a further compartment for receiving order forms, a price list, conditions of business, and a promotional leaflet.

15. Apparatus for creating coloured designs for tiles, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.