HRPK20170486B3 - Device for installation and leveling of tiles or of any other panels on the flat surface - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for laying and leveling (1) ceramic tiles, which facilitates the laying of ceramic tiles or any other tile materials. The design of the rim (4) that rests on the tiles and the plug (5) that connects to the base (2) and the shaft (3) without direct contact with the tiles, allows the installation of tiles or other plate material without shearing the tiles both during installation and during drying.This invention refers to a device for installation and leveling (1) of tiles, which facilitates the installation of tiles or of any other panels on the flat surface. The rim (4) overlapping the tiles and the cap (5) for joining the base (2) and the shaft (3) without direct contact to tiles, enable installation of tiles or of any other panels on the flat surface without any sliding of tiles both during installation and during drying.

Description

The technical field to which the invention belongs

This invention relates to a device for placing and leveling ceramic tiles, which makes it easier and faster to place ceramic tiles or any other plate materials on a flat surface.

Technical problem

When installing ceramic tiles on a flat surface of the floor or wall, it is necessary to take care that the tiles are laid in the same plane in relation to each other and that the spaces (joints) between the tiles are even. Also, it is important that the ends of the tiles are placed towards each other at the desired angle, which in most cases is a straight angle.

Namely, all of the above is difficult to achieve, given that the tiles are placed on fresh glue, which works until it dries, and the tiles can move during the fixing process with a leveling device and lose their plane in relation to the flat surface on which they are placed (or the correct closing of the corners in compared to other tiles.

When using different devices for leveling tiles, the following problems arise. Some devices hold the tiles well and stably, but they are difficult to remove, which leads to a lot of time spent in removing the leveling device. Some devices are easily removed after the glue has dried, say just by kicking a leveling device (leveler). However, considering that in such devices, the plug of the device is screwed onto the thread of the shaft and thus they are removed together from the tiles, it is necessary, after removing from the tiles, to unscrew each plug of the device individually from the thread of the shaft, which requires additional time spent in order to re-install the device could be used in laying tiles.

With other devices, there is a problem of tile shearing because by turning the plug, they are made around the axis, and due to bringing the tiles to the same plane, the plug presses the tiles and the tiles shear on the fresh glue, which makes it difficult to place the tiles at the same angle in relation to each other and increases the time installation of tiles, which is definitely avoided.

Therefore, there is a need for a tile leveling device that would easily allow for quick and accurate tile placement, and which, once the adhesive has dried, could be easily removed and reused for another placement of tiles or other sheet material.

State of the art

In the state of the art, there are many solutions for laying and leveling tiles and other sheet materials. Many of them attach the upper part (plug, knot) to the base of the device by means of threads and in this way ensure the horizontal/vertical uniformity of the placed tiles.

European application EP2921609 describes a leveler/leveling device cap locking mechanism in which leveling is achieved by snapping the leveler onto the tiles and tightening, and which is easily removed after use. Namely, the invention has a base with an axis, two parts of the leveler which, when connected, hold the axis of the base in place, that is, the tiles in a certain position. The problem with this leveler is that when the upper part of the leveler is pressed into the lower part, which consists of two parts that are joined together, the tiles under the leveler move and the tiles shear.

The European patent EP2573296, which is protected in Croatia under the number P20150191, protects a leveler with precisely defined breaking points of the base and threaded trunk. The invention consists of a base with spacing protrusions, a threaded trunk, and a plug containing an external threaded portion. The invention is characterized by the fact that, in addition to the central breaking point of the threaded trunk, it also contains breaking points on the hinge joints between the protrusion for spacing and the wings of the threaded trunk.

International application WO2009022359 describes a leveler consisting of a base with a threaded trunk and a node that contains threaded holes and screws, with which the node is attached to the threaded trunk.

US 2006185269 protects a leveler consisting of a shaft having an upper part and a lower part, lower plates combined with the lower part of the shaft; a top plate having an opening adapted to receive a shaft, said top plate having an upper side and a lower side; and a locking assembly having an opening adapted to receive the shaft.

EP 2432951 describes a leveling device having a base with a shaft and a locking set having at least one locking tab which engages recesses in the shaft and is thereby locked in a leveling position.

US 2015211243 describes a leveler that has a base, a tree that contains protrusions for spacing, and a leveler that clamps the tiles to the base and thus levels them. It is evident from the drawing that the leveler has open parts through which you can see if the tile is properly laid in relation to other tiles.

US 2016108627 protects a leveler consisting of a plate that is connected to the shaft, a locking assembly that includes a flexible part that can be changed from a compressed position to a relaxed position, and a safety mechanism that allows the locking assembly to move to one side on the shaft but not in the other direction along the axis.

EP2966238 describes a leveler in which the locking node has a rather complicated threaded locking mechanism. The leveler consists of a base, a threaded shaft and a plate that is located between the threaded shaft and which is fixed to the tiles by means of a fixing assembly consisting of a body with an internal thread, which is made so that it consists of two separate parts with threads with provided that at least one of the two threaded parts is movable along the axis of movement (Y, Y1) relative to the other part in order to change the circumference of the seat, and where the fixing assembly has actuators for driving at least one threaded part to open / close the seat.

EP2549030 describes a leveler which has a thread and a top plug which, by screwing onto the shaft thread, secures the tiles.

Although the above-mentioned state of the art tries to solve the various problems that arise during the construction and application of leveling devices, none of them collectively solves the problems of fast adhesion to the tiles, movement / shearing of the tiles when fixing the leveling device to the tiles, easy release after the glue dries and quick separation the thread of the base from the leveler, and the ease of use of the device and help when placing tiles at equal given distances and at given angles.

Description of the invention

The subject invention relates to a device for laying and leveling tiles and other plate material, which device consists of:

- the base that is placed under the tiles;

- shaft that is vertically connected to the base with a weakened connection that can be easily torn;

- the rim that is placed on the shaft, where the lower part of the rim, which rests on the tiles, is flat and brings the tiles into the plane in relation to the flat surface on which the tiles are placed and keeps them in the plane;

- a plug that is placed on the upper part of the rim and presses the lower part of the rim on the tiles, where the plug is connected to the shaft with a detachable connection.

In this way, the rim that keeps the tiles in the correct position does not move (turns, rotates) while the force of pressing and attaching the leveling device to the tiles is exerted because the shaft of the base and the cap of the device are connected without directly affecting the rim. When installing the tiles, the rim is pressed against the tiles with a plug, and when it rests on the tiles, only the plug is connected to the shaft, while the rim remains motionless on the tiles. In this way, rotation of the rim on the tiles and shearing of the tiles or other plate material is prevented.

It is preferable that the shaft and plug are connected by means of threads. In this case, it is preferable that the plug in the inner part has an internal thread that is separated in one or more places by a slot on the thread so that it cannot accept the shaft thread in the free position. In this case, the inner part of the rim is made in the form of a cone that tapers downwards, that is, towards the horizontal part of the lower part of the rim that rests on the tiles. By pressing the cap against the rim, the inner part of the cap with a slotted internal thread enters the cone of the rim, thus forcing the slotted thread to narrow and embrace the external thread on the shaft. With this embodiment of the invention, the plug is attached to the shaft thread by turning the plug briefly, considering that the internal thread on the plug is only formed when the plug together with the rim has already pressed the tiles and when under the force of pressure the inner part of the plug entered the conical part of the rim that narrowed /closed the thread on the slots and made it possible to grab the thread on the shaft. At the same time, by turning the plug, the shaft is tightened in the inner part of the plug and exerts further pressure on the rim which presses the tiles, but the rim does not turn due to the fact that it does not attach itself to the shaft. Because of this, there is no rotation of the rim directly on the tiles and no shearing of the tiles.

The working principle of the above preferred embodiment of the invention is as follows. In the free position, the plug of the leveling device is located on the rim, but so that the internal thread of the plug is not in the cone of the rim, and the entire leveler can be freely placed on the screw without getting stuck. By pressing the plug down, the threaded part of the shaft is quickly accepted by the rim cone and a full circle of internal thread is formed in the inner part of the plug, which is then of the required diameter to accept the shaft thread. In this position, the plug of the leveling device can engage the threaded part of the shaft, which transferably allows the rim to apply the necessary force to the tiles.

The release of the leveling device is done by turning the plug counterclockwise, as a result of which the leveling device, i.e. the rim, ceases to act by compressive force on the tiles. At that moment, the plug moves away from the rim and the effect of the rim cone on narrowing the diameter of the plug thread stops and the threaded part opens. Such open walls are not able to achieve a threaded connection between the threaded part of the shaft and the thread of the cap, and the threaded part of the cap is free from the thread on the shaft.

It is preferable that one or more protrusions are placed on the lower side of the rim, more precisely on the lower side of the edges of the rim. Such protrusions, by their thickness, determine the thickness of the space between the tiles. Furthermore, it is preferable to place arrows for the direction above the protrusions placed in this way, and on the outer surface of the rim, next to the edge of the rim that rests on the tiles. In such an embodiment of the invention, when installing the tiles, the cap is turned while the rim with ridges for spacing rests on the tiles in such a position that the ridges determine the thickness of the gap between the tiles while the arrows determine the direction of the joint. Using the subject invention in this form, there is no shearing of the tiles and the position and thickness of the joints are precisely shown when laying the tiles. In this way, the tile setter can very easily determine the equal thickness of the joints between all the tiles that are being installed, and when installing the tiles, he can take care of the direction in which he placed the protrusions, that is, the places for the joint. In such cases, when the perimeter determines the thickness and shape of the joints, the base and shaft of the leveling device do not have to have parts that determine the spacing and layout of the tiles. In the case where there are three or four protrusions on the rim that determine the thickness of the joint, it is important that such rim falls on the axis of the base and that the protrusions fall into the place for the joints. To facilitate this, it is desirable that the flat part of the shaft contains a slot that would extend under the round part of the shaft perpendicular to the base, which would visually facilitate the placement of the base between the joints. In this case, it is preferable that at the ends of the base, vertically from its flat part, there are one or more protrusions, which would be used to place the base immediately between the joints.

It is preferable that the weakened connection between the base and the shaft of the leveling device is made by perforation in at least one place of said connection. Furthermore, it is preferable that the base is 10 mm wide. It is desirable that the shaft, at a height of 20mm to 30mm from the connection with the base, is flat so that the tiles can be installed without difficulty. Above the specified height, the shaft can change to a rounded shape with a thread, which serves to connect with the thread on the cap of the device.

Furthermore, it is desirable to place a mark on the top of the shaft in which direction the flat part of the shaft is located. Such a mark would be essential in actual use so that the leveling device can be removed more easily by hitting it in a certain direction in relation to the flat part of the shaft, especially when the shaft is cylindrical in shape.

Such a solution enables faster work when installing tiles, and after removing the installation and leveling device from the tiles, the freed threaded part of the shaft is quickly removed from the leveler.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the rim has one or more openings on the outer surface of the rim, through which it is possible to see the joint in the middle of the setting and leveling device. The rim can also be reinforced with one or more ribs on the inside of the rim. These ribs can also be used so that the flat part of the shaft falls between them and they keep the shaft from rotating under the tiles until the leveler tightens it.

Brief description of the drawing

Drawing 1a – shows the invention in the released position

Drawing 1b - shows the invention in the released position a having openings, protrusions and arrows on the rim

Drawing 2 - shows a cross-section of the invention in the released position, when the plug thread has expanded and can no longer accept the shaft thread

Drawings 3a and 3b - show a section of the invention in the working and released positions

Drawing 4 - shows a device with an opening on the shaft and a protrusion on the base of the base

A detailed description of at least one way of realizing the invention

In the following, one of the preferred embodiments of the subject invention will be described.

In this embodiment of the device of the present invention, the plug (5) in its inner part (12) has an internal thread (8) which is separated in three places by a slot (9) so that it cannot accept the external thread of the shaft (10) in the free position. Furthermore, the inner part of the rim (11) is made in the form of a cone that tapers downwards, that is, towards the horizontal part of the lower part of the rim (6) that rests on the tiles. Also, on the lower side of the rim (6), more precisely on the lower side of the edges of the rim, there are four protrusions (13) that are spaced at an angle of 90 degrees.

In this way, each of the protrusions (13) is used to determine the thickness of the space between the tiles, the joints, in all four directions of tile installation. Above each protrusion (13), on the outer surface of the rim, along the edge of the rim, there are arrows (14) that facilitate the installation of tiles in the desired direction. In this embodiment of the invention, there are 4 openings (15) on the outer surface of the rim, which allow a view of the tile joint located inside the part of the tile covered by the rim.

The device for laying tiles (1) is placed in such a way that the base (2) with the shaft (3) is placed on the floor under the tiles. After the tiles are placed on the floor, the rim (4) with the cap (5) is placed on the shaft (3), in the free position. The rim (4) is placed on the tiles so that it holds them at a straight angle, and holds them parallel to the surface on which they are laid. After the rim (4) is placed in place, the plug (5) is forced into the rim (4). By pressing the plug (5) on the rim (4), the inner part of the plug (12) with the slotted internal thread (8) enters the cone (11) of the rim, thus forcing the slotted thread (8) to narrow and embrace the external thread on the shaft (10). Considering that at the same time, the rim (4) does not rotate, there is no rotation and shearing of the rim (4) directly on the tiles.

List of callsigns

Device/leveler 1

Base 2

Axis 3

Rim 4

Plug 5

The lower part of the rim 6

The upper part of the rim 7

Internal thread 8

Slot/s on internal thread 9

External thread or shaft thread 10

The inner conical part of the rim 11

The inner part of the cap 12

Bulges on the rim 13

Shooters on the rim 14

Rim opening 15

Rim reinforcement rib 16

Slot on shaft 17

Bulge at base 18

Marking on the top of the shaft 19

Claims (11)

1. Device for placing and leveling (1) tiles and other plate material, characterized by the fact that the device (1) consists of: - base (2) which is placed under the tiles; - the shaft (3) which is vertically connected to the base (2) with a weakened connection that can be easily torn; - the rim (4) which is placed on the shaft (3), where the lower part of the rim (6), which rests on the tiles, is flat and brings the tiles into a plane in relation to the flat surface on which the tiles are placed and keeps them in a plane; - plug (5) which is placed on the upper part of the rim (7) and presses the lower part of the rim (4) on the tiles, connecting to the shaft (3) with a detachable connection. 2. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the shaft (3) and plug (5) are connected by means of threads. 3. Device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the shaft (3) is flat at a height of 20 mm to 30 mm from the connection with the base. 4. Device (1) according to patent claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the plug (5) in the inner part (12) has an internal thread (8) which is separated in one or more places by a slot (9) so that in the free position it does not could accept the external thread of the shaft (10), and that the inner part of the rim (11) is made in the form of a cone that tapers downwards and thus, by entering the cone (11), forces the slotted internal thread of the plug (8) to narrow and covering the external thread on the shaft (10). 5. Device (1) according to patent claims 1-4, characterized by the fact that on the lower side of the rim (6), more precisely on the lower side of the edges of the rim, protrusions (13) are placed that determine the thickness of the gap between the tiles. 6. Device (1) according to patent claim 5, characterized in that the flat part of the shaft (3) contains a slot (17) that extends below the round part of the shaft perpendicular to the base (2), and that at the ends of the base (2), vertically from its flat part there is one or more protrusions (18). 7. Device (1) according to patent claim 5 or 6, characterized by the fact that on the outer surface of the rim, along the edge of the rim that rests on the tiles, direction arrows (14) are placed, and that the arrows (14) are located above the protrusion (13). 8. Device (1) according to patent claims 1-7, characterized in that the outer surface of the rim has one or more openings (15) for viewing the joint in the middle of the device. 9. Device (1) according to patent claim 1-8, characterized in that the weakened connection between the base (2) and the shaft (3) of the device is made by perforation in at least one place of said connection. 10. Device (1) according to patent claim 3-9, characterized in that a mark (19) is placed on the top of the shaft in which direction the flat part of the shaft is located. 11. Device (1) according to patent claim 1-10, characterized in that on the inner side of the rim it has one or more ribs (16) for strengthening the rim and for securing the axle from slipping under the tiles.