GB2260345A

GB2260345A - Ground covering tiles

Info

Publication number: GB2260345A
Application number: GB9121627A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Ashley Mason; Susan Jasmine Carradice
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-10-11
Filing date: 1991-10-11
Publication date: 1993-04-14
Also published as: GB9121627D0

Abstract

A tile shown generally at 10 has a square body portion 11 and leg portions 12 at each corner thereof. The tile 10 is moulded from plastics material and has reinforcing webs (13, 14), (shown in broken lines in figure 2) on its underside and downwardly extending flanges 15 at each of its four edges. The leg portions 12 are tapered to provide sharp spikes for penetration into the ground in use. The upper surface of the body portion 11 comprises a moulded inset portion 16 having a coarse texture (not shown) so as to provide grip for a person walking on the tile 10. The coarse texture is incorporated in the inset portion 16 during moulding of the inset portion 16. As an alternative, the coarse texture may be applied to the inset portion 16 after moulding, eg by cutting or scoring the inset portion 16. Adjacent tiles are interconnected by inverted TT - shaped elements 17. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO THE COVERING OF SURFACES The present invention relates to apparatus and a method of covering a surface and is concerned particularly, although not exclusively, with apparatus and a method of covering a ground surface.

When a portion of ground is to be covered with a patio or other paved surface, the ground must first be excavated to a depth of several inches and a quantity of rubble, followed by hardcore must be deposited in the excavated area which must then be levelled and packed hard to provide a supporting surface for the tiles or slabs of the patio. The tiles or slabs must themselves be laid on some form of adhesive mixture, such as a mixture of sand, cement and water, so that, once set, the tiles do not move apart when pressure is applied to their upper surfaces, for example, if someone walks on them. When the tiles have been laid in this manner a small quantity of adhesive material is placed in the small gaps between the edges of the tiles to seal up the patio from any rainwater or other liquid.

A disadvantage with the above process is that it is both time consuming and expensive and it cannot easily be used to cover areas of ground which are contoured.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a tile for mounting on a mounting surface, the tile having an upwardly facing support surface and at least one penetration member arranged in use to penetrate a mounting surface to resist movement of the tile with respect to a mounting surface in at least one relative direction.

The tile may have a plurality of penetration members which may comprise spikes. There may be provided a plurality of penetration members located substantially around the periphery of the tile.

The tile may comprise a substantially polygonal body portion having at least one penetration member at at least one corner of the body portion.

The tile may have at least one penetration member at each corner of the body portion.

The polygonal body portion may be substantially rectangular, such as square, in plan.

The tile may be arranged to be mountable on a ground surface. The or each penetration member may be arranged to penetrate the ground surface in use.

The tile may be arranged to be connectable to at least one other tile. The or each tile may be arranged to be indirectly so connectable by engagement of each tile with a connecting member.

The tile may have a coarse texture or profile on the support surface thereof. The coarse texture or profile may be moulded into the upper surface during manufacture of the tile. Alternatively or additionally, the coarse texture or profile may be applied to the upper surface after manufacture of the tile.

The tile may comprise a plastics material and may be manufactured by a moulding process.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a covering system comprising two or more tiles arranged to be connectable so as to resist movement with respect to one another.

The tiles may be arranged to be connectable so as to resist movement apart from one another. Preferably the tiles are arranged to be connectable to resist shear movement with respect to one another.

The tiles may be arranged to be connectable by indirect engagement of one tile with at least one other tile. The tiles may be arranged to be connectable by mutual engagement of each of two tiles with a connecting member. The connecting member may comprise a slot arranged to receive an edge or flange from each of two adjacent tiles. The edges or flanges or two adjacent tiles may extend substantially transverse to a support surface of the tiles.

The dimensions of the slots and of the edges or flanges of the tiles are preferably so as to urge the edges or flanges of the tiles into contact with each other when both are inserted in the slot.

The tile system may incorporate one or more tiles according to the first aspect of the invention.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of covering a surface, the method comprising securing at least two tiles to the surface by causing penetration of the surface by one or more penetration members of at least one of the tiles.

The method may comprise causing the tiles to be connected together so as to resist movement of the tiles relative to each other.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a method of covering a surface comprises connecting two or more tiles so as to resist movement relative to each other.

The method may comprise indirectly connecting the tiles. The method may comprise connecting the tiles such that movement of the tiles away from each other is resisted. Alternatively or additionally,, the method may comprise connecting the tiles to resist shear movement with respect to each other.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the tile according to the invention; Figure 2 shows the tile of Figure 1 in plan view, one side of the tile being engaged with a connecting member; and Figure 3 is a sectional view, taken along the line A A of Figure 2.

Referring particularly to Figure 1, a tile shown generally at 10 has a square body portion 11 and leg portions 12 at each corner thereof. The tile 10 is moulded from plastics material and has reinforcing webs 13, 14, (shown in broken lines in Figure 2) on its underside and downwardly extending flanges 15 at each of its four edges. The leg portions 12 are tapered to provide sharp spikes for penetration into the ground in use. The upper surface of the body portion 11 comprises a moulded inset portion 16 having a coarse texture (not shown) so as to provide grip for a person walking on the tile 10. The coarse texture is incorporated into the inset portion 16 during moulding of the inset portion 16.

As an alternative, the coarse texture may be applied to the inset portion 16 after moulding, eg. by cutting or scoring the inset portion 16.

Figure 2 shows the tile 10 in plan view, the webs 13 and 14 of the underside of the tile 10 being shown by broken lines. The webs 13 and 14 have downwardly extending sharp edges (not shown). One portion of edge flange 15a is shown co-operating with a connecting member 17 shown in more detail in Figure 3 in which the flange 15a engages in the slotted portions 18 of the connecting member 17.

Referring particularly to Figure 3, it can be seen that the connecting member comprises an upwardly extending slotted portion 18 and a flat base portion 19. The slotted portion 18 has dimensions so as to permit two flanges 15a, 15b from adjacent tiles (not shown) respectively to be inserted therein, in a friction fit, each flange being in contact with a side and the base of the slotted portion 18 and with the other flange. When two tiles 10 are connected in this way no space is visible therebetween when viewed from above.

In use, each tile is fixed to the ground, eg. turf, by pressing downwardly on the tile 10 so that the leg portions 12 penetrate the ground. When the square body portion 11 makes contact with the ground the legs 12 fully penetrate the ground, as do the sharp edged webbs 13 and 14 on the underside of the body portion 11. At least one flange 15 is made to engage a slotted portion 18 of a connecting member 17 along its full length. Thus relative sliding movement of the tile and connecting member along the lengths of the channel is resisted by the co-operation of the legs at each end of the tile with the connecting member. A second tile 10 is fixed to the ground in a similar way, one of its flanges 15 being made to engage the connecting member 17 as before.If required, connecting members can be used to connect further tiles at each side of the first tile by engagement of the appropriate flanges 15 with appropriate slotted portions 18.

In this way a surface can be quickly and conveniently covered by tiles, each tile being secured closely to its adjacent neighbour(s). The gripping action of the leg portions 12 and the sharp edged webs 13 and 14 with the ground restricts movement of the tiles relative to each other and relative to the ground. Furthermore, the use of the connecting member in which the flanges of adjacent tiles rest on the base ensures that adjacent sides of the tiles lie against each other at precisely the same elevation and angle with the sides being exactly coextensive.

The tiles can be used to cover ground or other surfaces which are contoured, without the difficulty of providing a packed support surface and an adhesive material on which to mount the tiles, provided that the surface to be covered is receptive to the penetrating legs 12.

Claims

1. A tile for mounting on a mounting surface, the tile having an upwardly facing support surface and at least one penetration member arranged in use to penetrate a mounting surface, to resist movement of the tile with respect to the mounting surface in at least one relative direction.

2. A tile according to Claim 1 wherein the tile has a plurality of penetration members.

3. A tile according to Claim 2 wherein at least one of the penetration members comprises a spike.

4. A tile according to any of Claims 1 to 3 wherein there is provided a plurality of penetration members located substantially around the periphery of the tile.

5. A tile according to any of Claims 1 to 4 comprising a substantially polygonal body portion having at least one penetration member at at least one corner of the body portion.

6. A tile according to Claim 5 having at least one penetration member at each corner of the body portion.

7. A tile according to Claim 5 or Claim 6 wherein the polygonal body portion is substantially rectangular, such as square, in plan.

8. A tile according to any of Claims 1 to 7 wherein the tile is arranged to be mountable on a ground surface.

9. A tile according to Claim 8 wherein the or each penetration member is arranged to penetrate the ground surface in use.

10. A tile according to any of the preceding Claims wherein the tile is arranged to be connectable to at least one other tile.

11. A tile according to Claim 10 wherein the or each tile is arranged to be indirectly so connectable by engagement of each tile with a connecting member.

12. A tile according to any of the preceding Claims wherein the tile has a coarse texture or profile on the support surface thereof.

13. A tile according to Claim 12 wherein the coarse texture or profile is moulded into the upper surface during the manufacture of the tile.

14. A tile according to Claim 12 or Claim 13 wherein the coarse texture or profile is applied to the upper surface after manufacture of the tile.

15. A tile according to any of the preceding Claims wherein the tile comprises a plastics material and is manufactured by a moulding process.

16. A tile substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

17. A covering system comprising two or more tiles arranged to be connectable so as to resist movement with respect to one another.

18. A system according to Claim 17 wherein the tiles are arranged to be connectable so as to resist movement apart from one another.

19. A system according to Claim 17 or 18 wherein the tiles are arranged to be connectable to resist shear movement with respect to one another.

20. A system according to any of Claims 17 to 19 wherein the tiles are arranged to be connectable by indirect engagement of one tile with at least one other tile.

21. A system according to any of Claims 17 to 20 wherein the tiles are arranged to be connectable by mutual engagement of each of two tiles with a connecting member.

22. A system according to Claim 21 wherein the connecting member comprises a slot arranged to receive an edge or flange from each of two adjacent tiles.

23. A system according to Claim 22 wherein the edges or flanges of two adjacent tiles extend substantially transverse to a support surface of the tiles.

24. A system according to Claim 22 or Claim 23 wherein the dimensions of the slots and of the edges or flanges of the tiles are so as to urge the edges or flanges into contact with each other when both are inserted in the slot.

25. A system according to any of Claims 17 to 24 which incorporates a tile according to any of Claims 1 to 16.

26. A covering system substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

27. A method of covering a surface, the method comprising securing at least two tiles to the surface by causing penetration of the surface by one or more penetration members of at least one of the tiles.

28. A method according to Claim 27 comprising causing the tiles to be connected together so as to resist movement of the tiles relative to each other.

29. A method of covering a surface comprising connecting two or more tiles so as to resist movement relative to each other.

30. A method according to Claim 29 comprising indirectly connecting the tiles.

31. A method according to Claim 29 or 30 comprising connecting the tiles such that movement of the tiles away from each other is resisted.

32. A method according to any of Claims 29 to 31 comprising connecting the tiles to resist shear movement with respect to each other.

33. A method substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

34. A tile as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 16 when used in a method as claimed in any of Claims 27 to 33.