SK288961B6 - Self-leveling tile spacer - Google Patents

Abstract

The self-leveling tile spacer is an object which forms one piece and consists of a spacer pin (1) with a foot (2), pressure feet (3) and wings (5). The self-leveling tile spacer is a tool for ensuring a uniform joint (8) and height stability between the adjoining tiles of the floor or cladding (6) during the gluing process.

Description

Field of technology

The invention relates to a process for laying floor and wall coverings, in which a tile adhesive is used for fixing it, while it is necessary to ensure a uniform joint and height stability between the adjacent parts of the floor covering. The invention is an object which, by its application in the process, ensures a uniform joint and stability of the height between the adjoining parts of the floor or cladding.

Prior art

Uniform joint, as well as uniform floor height, resp. tiling fulfills not only an aesthetic function but also a practical function. Improper placement of the roofing, where the requirements for the joint or leveling of the roofing are not met, can cause leakage, or. wetting of the substrate. Frequent moisture in the substrate can cause the covering to peel off or gradually degrade. Known technical solutions or inventions, such as spacer pins or crosses, are simple jigs which, by their presence between the roofing parts, define the required joint width without any leveling, i. j. balancing effect. The leveling of the floor covering is often ensured manually by an expert, who exerts pressure on the covering by hand, or balances the following parts of the floor covering, resp. cladding by tapping with a rubber hammer. The quality of the roofing is thus influenced by the expertise and precision of the expert.

Innovations in this area have brought interest in solving the problem, for example through the application of the spacer clip mentioned in US8800246B2 (Gorton, 2013). With the help of a leveling wedge, the spacer clip compensates for the height differences between the adjoining parts of the floor or cladding. The solution also defines the width of the joint between the roofing parts. It is known from practice that it is necessary to provide additional joint definition by means of a spacer pin or a cross. Thus, a uniform height is ensured, but a uniform joint must be defined by the additional device. Similar technical solutions or inventions are US8887475B2 (Ghelfi, 2014) or their design variants USD760566S (Biec, 2016) and USD821838S1 (INVENTION HOLDINGS PTY LTD, 2018). WO2009022359A1 describes the state of the art by means of a spacer cross with a threaded pin and an additional element for leveling the roof height (Vigliarolo, 2009). The threaded pin is manually adjusted by means of an additional element, thus creating mechanical pressure on the roofing, which compensates for the differences in height between the adjoining parts. Similar inventions are WO2010135112A1 (DAVINCI ITALIA / USA GROUP, LLC; 2010), US10151118B2 (ME INNOVATIONS PTY LTD, 2018), or design USD775935S1 (Engineered Productsand Services, Inc; 2017). To release the rest of the invention after application, it is necessary to break off a part of it located under the covering. All of the above technical solutions, inventions or designs are largely disposable, as they leave part of their structure under the roofing after application, which can no longer be removed.

List of cited documents

BIEC, Edmund. Wedge and clip set. Patent originator: Edmund BIEC. Canada. Patent USD760566S. 05.07.2016

DAVINCI ITALIA / USA GROUP, LLC; KUFNER, Eedward; VOLPONI, Michele. Tile alignment and leveling device. Patent originator: Edward KUFNER, Michele VOLPONI. United States. WO2010 / 135112A1. 11/25/10

Engineered Productsand Services, Inc. Tile leveler cap assembly. Patent originator: Kissak Sarajian Chad M. Cushman, Andrew W. Oniszczuk. United States. Patent document USD775935S 10.01.17

GHELFI S.r.L Leveling and aligning device for installing tiles. Patent originator: Stefano GHELFI. Italy. US008887475B2. 11/18/14

GORTON, Michael. Tile leveling device. Patent originator: Michael GORTON. Australia. US8800246B2. 12/08/14

INVENTION HOLDINGS PTY LTD. Tile spacing and leveling device. Patent originator: Peter CASTELANOS. Australia. USD821838S. 03/07/18

ME INNOVATIONS PTY LTD. Tile leveler and spacing system. Patent originator: Michael Andrew IRVINE, Enzo NUDO. Australia. US010151118B2. 12/11/2018

VIGLIAROLO, Giuseppe. Tile spacer. Patent originator: Giuseppe VIGLIAROLO. Italy. WO2009 / 022359A1. 02/19/09

The essence of the invention

The object of the invention is to remove from the gluing process of floor or wall covering an auxiliary tool, which can be a spacer pin used to define a uniform joint between two successive parts of floor or wall covering, or a spacer clip which serves to fix a uniform floor or wall height. coverings. In the prior art, it is necessary to apply both of these tools separately so that the floor, or cladding, fulfills not only a practical but also an aesthetic function. Therefore, the main disadvantage of the prior art is the application of at least two types of tools when laying the floor or wall covering to define a uniform joint and to ensure height stability between the non-binding parts of the floor or wall covering. By applying the present invention, it is possible to remove a spacer pin or a leveling clip from the gluing process of the floor or wall covering, since the invention takes over the function of both of these tools.

The body of the self-leveling spacer consists of a spacer pin with a heel, pressure feet and wings. The spacer pin with the foot performs the function of defining a uniform joint between consecutive parts of the floor or cladding covering and at the same time the foot of the spacer pin forms a stop and defines the thickness of the adhesive application layer between the covering and the surface on which the covering is laid. Notches are formed on the body of the self-leveling clip in addition to the spacer pin with the heel, which form pressure feet on the body of the self-leveling clip, which perform the function of a counter-pressing force towards the base of the spacer pin. This force creates a mechanical pressure and, as a result, creates a self-leveling effect between two consecutive parts of the floor or wall covering. The shape of the foot of the spacer pin and the lower edge of the pressure feet form a recess which, in the process of making the present invention, cuts to form the wings located in the upper part of the self-leveling spacer clip. The wings of the self-leveling spacer serve to hold the tool for the purpose of forceful torsional application of the invention between two successive parts of the roofing. A force torsion application tool would be needed if the application of the invention were not smooth and force was required to apply it.

The present invention combines the function of defining a spacer joint with leveling the height of the covering, by means of a one-piece invention, without the need to manually adjust the clip by pushing the wedge into the spacer, which creates mechanical pressure on the floor covering surface. In another variant, a screw disk is used which, like the wedge, performs a pressure function with a screw type spacer clip. An innovation of the invention is that the invention is made in one piece and no additional pressure wedge or screw disk is required. Due to its shape, the invention exerts pressure on the surface of the floor or cladding covering, which in itself compensates for the height differences between the adjoining parts of the covering, i. j. it is self-leveling and, in contrast to the prior art, no additional pressing part is required in its application, as is known from the prior art. It is therefore clear from the above that the pressure feet, as part of the shape of the invention, have taken over the function of a wedge or a screw disk. In contrast to the application of the prior art, the present invention does not leave any residual material under the roofing. The shape of the invention is designed so that the heel of the spacer pin can be pulled out even after the adhesive has hardened by the torsional movement, i. j. by turning. The invention fulfills its function both as a plastic product and a metal product. Thanks to the proposed shape of the invention, its metal variant minimizes the waste generated during the process of its production by chopping, since the shape of the foot of the spacer pin forms the shape of the recess of the wings of the invention. The plastic variant can be produced both by chopping and by injecting plastic into the mold.

Overview of figures in the drawings

The invention as well as its application are shown in Figures 1-3. Figure 1 shows the invention as an object at rest before application. Figure 2 shows the invention at the moment of application between two parts of the floor or wall covering, where it defines the required joint and ensures the stability of the height in the area of the transition of the individual parts of the covering during the setting of the adhesive. Figure 3 shows a side view of the application of the invention (left) together with a sectional view (right).

Examples of embodiments of the invention

The self-leveling spacer clip shown in Figure 1 is made in one piece and is defined by parts: a spacer pin 1 with a foot 2, pressure feet 3 and wings 5. The invention makes use of the material's ability to return from a state of tension to a state of rest. As a result of this phenomenon, the invention creates a pressure which acts on the surface of the covering 6 and thus compensates for the differences in height between its two adjoining parts.

The spacer pin 1 with the foot 2 defines the required width of the joint 8 between the two adjoining parts of the floor or wall covering 6.

The pressure feet 3, in the presence of mechanical stress, exert mechanical pressure on the roofing 6 towards the upper surface of the spacer pin foot 4. Between the pressure foot 3 and the upper surface of the spacer pin foot 4, a floor or cladding 6. The mechanical stress and elasticity of the pressure feet 3 when acting on the covering 6 create a mechanical pressure, which consequently manifests itself as self-leveling, i. j. self-balancing effect.

The foot 2 of the spacer pin 1 acts as a counterforce to the pressure foot 3 and also acts as a stop and defines a layer of adhesive 7 on the roofing 6 between the substrate on which the roofing is laid and the roofing 6 itself.

The pressure foot 3 together with the foot 2 of the spacer pin 1 form a clip and thus ensure a balanced transition, which consists in the stability of the height between the adjoining parts of the roofing 6 and defines a uniform joint 8 between them. The mechanical stress, the magnitude of the pressure and the elasticity of the pressure foot 3 are influenced by the physical and mechanical properties of the plastic or metal from which the self-leveling spacer is made.

Industrial applicability

The self-leveling spacer clip can be used in the process of laying floor or tile roofing, in which the adhesive for paving and tiling is used for its fastening, while it is necessary to ensure a uniform joint and stability of height between adjoining parts of the roofing.

Claims (3)

PATENT CLAIMS Self-leveling spacer clip, characterized in that the clip body is in the shape of a flat rectangle, where two notches are formed in the clip body placed symmetrically in the center to form pressure feet (3) and a spacer pin (1) to define a uniform joint width ( 8), wherein 5 at the end of the spacer pin is a heel (2) forming a protruding part from the body of the clip to define the thickness of the adhesive (7). Self-leveling spacer according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a recess on the upper edge of the body to form the wings (5) of the spacer for the co-operation of the tool in force torsional application. 3 drawings