WO2009013148A1

WO2009013148A1 - Paving and method for laying tiles

Info

Publication number: WO2009013148A1
Application number: PCT/EP2008/059047
Authority: WO
Inventors: Renato Rossi
Original assignee: Renato Rossi
Priority date: 2007-07-20
Filing date: 2008-07-10
Publication date: 2009-01-29

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for laying tiles that comprises tile or mosaic members (2) pre-assembled on a canvas array (4). The array (4) with its members is placed on a face of a bearing plate (8), and a curable product (10) fills the gaps (6) between the members and the bearing plate (8). The plate (8) can be screwed and/or glued to a wall or the floor of a building.

Description

PAVEMENT AND METHOD FOR THE INSTALLATION OF TILES

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to wall coatings formed from juxtaposed elements, such as tiles and mosaics, and to a process for producing this type of coating rapidly and facilitating the work of the workers. The invention makes it possible, in addition to conventional applications for floors and walls of bathrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, pool walls, prestige halls, etc., to produce coatings adapted to a heating embedded in the walls. of a room, such as the floor or the walls.

State of the art

Imitations of tiles or mosaics made from embossed plastics are currently commercially available. Their appearance is mediocre, they scratch easily, become brittle in the long run and their colors fade to light.

In addition, savvy do-it-yourselfers or those skilled in the art have for a long time been using mosaics whose elements are preassembled on a frame that takes into account the thicknesses of joints and that it suffices to press against a wall, the definitive placement and the fixation of the elements being ensured by the rejointointing.

US 1 932 276 discloses a composite wall structure comprising a metal mesh with projections allowing the regular spacing of cemented facing bricks on the said trellis,

US 3,142,938 discloses a composite wall structure comprising a supporting metal mesh plating pieces, the whole being fixed with mortar on the facades of buildings.

DE-U-8902747 discloses an intermediate layer for applying a coating for fixing facing bricks.

BE-809 846 discloses a method of manufacturing a ceramic coating in which the future position of ceramic tiles is hot-printed in a plastic layer.

Summary of the invention

An object of the invention is to facilitate the installation of tiles, especially mosaics, making possible a degree of prefabrication pushed. Another object of the invention is that the coatings thus produced are not distinguishable from those made by a traditional laying method.

Another object of the invention is to make possible the recovery of mosaics, decorative elements whose price can be very high, depending on their complexity.

A device for laying tiles, which comprises elements of tiling or mosaic preassembled on a textile frame such as a canvas. The frame provided with its elements is placed on the obverse of a flexible support plate, an elastic adhesive product filling the intervals between the elements and the flexible support plate, said flexible plate being able to be secured to an element of building.

The back of the support plate is advantageously coated with a layer adhering to said lapel, which facilitates the possible removal.

The support plate is, according to an advantageous embodiment, made of a polymeric material. According to another advantageous embodiment, the support plate is made of a metallic material.

According to another advantageous embodiment, the flexible support plate is securable by screwing or gluing to a building element.

The curing product is preferably a synthetic resin, possibly fluidized by the addition of adjuvants, such as, in particular, water and / or a surfactant product. Another object of the invention is a tiling method, which comprises preassembling tiles or mosaic elements on a textile frame and the following operations:

-Placement of the frame provided with its elements on the obverse of a flexible support plate;

-Enduction of the elements using a hardening product filling the intervals between the elements and the support plate;

- Store on the periphery of said support plate at least one interval where the tile elements remain blank coating;

-Cleaning the surface of the tile elements so as to let their pattern reappear;

-Place the plate on the element of construction that it must cover;

-Solidariser said plate with the construction element;

-Enduction of the elements using a hardening product filling the intervals between the elements themselves;

-Place other plates adjacent to the first and also join them to the building element; -Repare the edges of the adjacent plates with a coating of characteristics similar to that used for the coating.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the connection between the support and the construction element is made by screwing, the screws being inserted through the plate after removal of a tile element which is then put back in place, over the head of the screw so as to hide it. According to another advantageous embodiment, the connection between the support and the construction element is made by gluing.

The tiling method advantageously comprises beforehand the following operation: -coating the back of the support plate by a layer adhering to the reverse of said plate.

Another object of the invention is a floor or wall heating method in which the outer coating of the heating elements comprises a tile as described above.

Brief description of the figures

These and other aspects of the invention will be clarified in the detailed description of particular embodiments of the invention, with reference to the drawings of the figures, in which:

Fig.l is a partially cutaway perspective view of an element of the delivery device; Fig.2 shows two laying elements juxtaposed on a wall;

Fig.3 and 4 are perspective views of exemplary patterns. Fig.5 is a perspective view partially cut away of another embodiment of an element of the delivery device.

The figures are not drawn to scale. Generally, similar elements are denoted by similar references in the figures. Detailed description of particular embodiments

Fig. 1 shows the device, object of the invention, so as to make visible all the elements in its different layers. From the outside, we see a number of mosaic tiles 2 which are pre-assembled on a textile frame (canvas) 4, as can be found in specialty stores.

In this example, tiles of regular shape have been chosen, but it goes without saying that these tiles 2 may, depending on the pattern chosen, assume all the appropriate shapes and dimensions. Each pair of mosaic elements is distinguished by an interval 6 whose width corresponds to that of the joint designed to keep all the elements in their relative position.

The weft 4 provided with its elements 2 is first fixed temporarily (for example, by a few points of glue or silicone putty) on the obverse of a support plate 8. In part of the Figure, the intervals between the elements 2 and the support plate 8 are then filled with a first flexible hardening product 9.

This embodiment, particularly advantageous, allows the transport of pre-assembled mosaic panels in rolled form, as if they were simple carpet-plains panels.

According to the embodiment shown in this figure, the coating of the intervals 6 between the different tiles 2 is made after the introduction of the flexible panels.

The second curing product 10 must initially be of fairly fluid consistency so as to not only fill the gaps between the different tiles, but to insinuate further into the remaining spaces below the tiles, which makes them perfectly interdependent. The curing products used are generally a synthetic resin of the epoxy type, in which fillers and / or dyes are incorporated. To give such resins the desired characteristics, particularly with regard to their consistency, a small percentage of water is added to them, which goes against the practice recommended by those skilled in the art with this type of product. as well as a surfactant product.

The plate 8, whose thickness is of the order of a few millimeters (generally 2 to 3 mm) is made of a flexible thermoplastic material or thin metal, as will be discussed below. A particularly interesting material is foamed PVC, for example

(or PVC foam). Due to its good mechanical strength, the plate 8 already allows easy and safe handling of mosaics thus preassembled. It will be noted that in addition, the prior fixing on a panel prevents the frame from sagging when the mosaic is placed on a vertical wall, which is an annoying phenomenon well known to those skilled in the art.

The excess of the second hardening product is removed with the aid of suitable solvents in order to give the tiles its final appearance and to put the patterns in evidence. Another embodiment is shown in FIG. 5. It should be noted that the gaps 6 between the elements 2 themselves and between the elements 2 and the support plate 8 are immediately filled with the same hardening product 10. coating being carried out prior to laying, the curing product 10 used is generally a flexible resin, which keeps the advantage of being able to transport the different parts of a pattern in rolled form. In another embodiment, a rigid resin may be used. However, in this case, it is not expected that the product has reached full cure or total polymerization to handle the panels. The freshly coated panels are put in place while they still retain some flexibility, especially on curved walls (curved walls, pillars and columns, etc.). This technique, however, requires a good knowledge of the characteristics of the product. Here too, the use of PVC foam is advantageous because of its flexibility.

The fixing of the panels will be explained with particular reference to FIG. 2. In this figure, two panels were juxtaposed on a building element

(wall or floor). It is found that, during the coating of each panel, a margin 12, of width corresponding to that of one or two tiles has remained free of rejointing coating.

Each panel is attached edge to edge with the related panel either with glue or by screwing, the head of each screw being concealed under a tile which is then put in place, so as to hide it permanently. The craftsman responsible for the installation of the mosaic then proceeds to the coating of the tiles forming the edge with the hardening product, taking care, of course, to use a product whose color exactly matches that of the original coating.

This correspondence poses no problem insofar as one uses products of the same range, which can be marketed respecting a predefined color palette. By proceeding step by step, it is possible to achieve thanks to the method of the invention mosaics of very large dimensions - several meters, even tens of square meters - for an affordable price and in terms of remarkably short installation times.

Figs. 3 and 4 are examples of patterns that can be achieved by the method of the invention, with custom colors. It goes without saying that infinitely more complex patterns can be developed.

When the panels of the invention are used for a floor, it is not absolutely necessary to fix them: one can use the principle of the floating slab. The weight of the tiles / mosaic panels is indeed sufficient to keep them in place. Just provide a flexible seal (eg silicone) along the connection line with the walls. To take full advantage of the benefits (soundproofing, in particular) related to floating slabs, the panels of the invention are generally deposited over an insulating layer, such as high density foam.

One of the advantages of the product and the process according to the invention is that it is possible not only to repair the mosaic, but also to recover almost all of it to replace it elsewhere, in case of moving for example.

Such an option would seem absurd for a classic mosaic, considering the cost of labor involved. This particularity is however extremely advantageous if it is applied to reasons of high artistic value (original works or reproduction of old works). The principle of prefabrication makes it possible to produce such works in ideal working conditions, in workshops, like a puzzle. Nevertheless, even under optimal conditions, certain mosaics can reach a significant price, to which is added the value of the materials used. One can indeed use to make a mosaic as well of the glass or the ceramic that natural stones, marbles of different tones of the rare materials, the exotic woods, the metal, etc. The possibility of recovering them practically intact thus appears as a decisive advantage.

In order to dismantle or repair the mosaics of the invention, specially-calibrated saws are used which make it possible to produce narrow grooves.

(Typically, of width corresponding to that of the interval 6 separating two tiling elements), whose depth of cut corresponds to the thickness of the panels of the invention. If the pattern is suitable, a skilled worker can separate two panels rigorously without loss of tile elements. Anyway, we arrive, by sacrificing a minimum of tiling elements, to cut the mosaic into large panels that simply detach from their support.

To facilitate the transfer, the underside of the panels is advantageously covered with an adherent film, as shown in FIG. 1 under the number 14. It is therefore sufficient to overcome the adhesion between the film 14 and the back of the panel so that the latter is detached without difficulty. Moreover, if the panel has been fixed with screws, a conventional marking system, or even a simple template, can locate them quickly and eliminate them by detaching the tile element that covers them.

The recovered panels are then reinstalled in their new location, fixed and repointed according to a similar method to that described above, by inserting if necessary new tile elements replacing those that were eventually sacrificed or damaged during the cutting .

Note that when panels are used flat, it is often not even necessary to fix them; the weight of the mosaic tiles is indeed sufficient to ensure excellent hold in place.

It has been stated above that the support plates may also be of thin metal. This choice has nothing fortuitous: it makes it possible to make mosaics particularly well adapted for a system of heating by the soil or by the walls. The use of such a support is however not mandatory, because, surprisingly, a flexible vinyl is also particularly suitable for use on the ground.

The good natural resistance of the tiles to heat and their small thickness allows even to opt for a heating at very low temperature, resulting in a series of benefits especially for the environment: reduction of consumption and losses, reduction of thermal inertia, possibility of reducing the thickness of the insulation used, lightening of the supporting structure. It is also perfectly possible, with such a system, to use the heating circuit to convey a cold fluid in summer, thus achieving air conditioning to good especially if a heat pump is used.

Another rather revolutionary aspect of the invention lies in the rationalization of the design of the patterns. The arrangement of the tiles elements being made in the workshop, it is possible to customize the patterns, their dimensions and their layout to a point that has never been achieved to date, using software developed concurrently with the product. Using this tool, the customer can not only verify concretely by virtual reconstruction the appearance of different poses variants, but also verify the effect obtained "in situ" in the room of his choice.

The optimum aesthetic criteria have been set, the computer can develop the "cardboard" of each base panel, its position, the number and color of the necessary elements and the final cost of the realization.

It should be noted, however, that it is absolutely essential that the patterns be made respecting a rigorous alignment of the tile or mosaic elements, both in the longitudinal and transverse directions, otherwise there is a risk of loss of elements when laying or cutting, during a subsequent transfer. This is why assembly workers must have rigorous square templates.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the examples illustrated and described above. The invention comprises each of the novel features as well as their combination. The presence of reference numbers can not be considered as limiting. The use of the term "includes" in no way excludes the presence of other elements other than those mentioned. Use of the definite article "one" to introduce an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of these elements. The present invention has been described in relation to specific embodiments, which have a purely illustrative value and should not be considered as limiting.

Claims

1. A device for laying tiles, which comprises elements (2) of tiles or mosaic preassembled on a textile frame (4) characterized in that the frame (4) provided with its elements is placed on the obverse d a flexible support plate (8), an elastic adhesive product (9) filling the gaps (6) between the elements and the flexible support plate (8), said flexible plate (8) being adapted to be secured to a building element.

2.A device for laying tiles according to claim 1 characterized in that the back of the support plate (8) is coated with a layer (14) adhering to said lapel.

3. A device for laying tiles according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the flexible support plate (8) is made of a polymeric material.

4. A device for laying tiles according to any one of claims 1 or 2 characterized in that the flexible support plate (8) is made of a metallic material.

5. A device for laying tiles according to any one of the preceding claims characterized in that the flexible support plate (8) is securable by screwing or gluing to a building element.

6. A device for laying tiles according to any preceding claim characterized in that a flexible hardening product (10) fills the intervals (6) between the elements (2) themselves

7. A device for laying tiles according to any preceding claim characterized in that the soft curing products (9, 10) are synthetic resins.

8. A device for laying tiles according to claim 7 characterized in that at least one of the hardening products (9, 10) is fluidized by the addition of adjuvants.

9. A device for laying tiles according to claim 8 characterized in that the adjuvants comprise water.

10. A device for laying tiles according to any one of claims 7 to 9 characterized in that the adjuvants comprise a surfactant product.

11. A tiling method, which comprises preassembling tiles or mosaic elements (2) on a textile web (4), characterized in that it further comprises the following operations:

-Placement of the frame (4) provided with its elements (2) on the obverse of a flexible support plate (8);

-Enduction of the elements (2) with a flexible hardening product (9) filling the gaps (6) between the elements and the support plate (8);

-Moving on the periphery of said support plate (8) at least one gap (6) where the tile elements remain blank coating;

-Place the plate on the element of construction that it must cover;

-Enduction of the elements (2) with a second hardening product (10) filling the gaps (6) between the elements (2) themselves; -Cleaning the surface of the tile elements (2) so as to let their pattern reappear;

-Solidariser said plate with the construction element; -Place other plates adjacent to the first and also join them to the building element;

-Remoin the surrounding edges of the adjacent plates with a coating (10) with characteristics similar to that used for coating.

12. A method of laying tiles according to claim 11 characterized in that the coating of the elements (2) with a hardening product (10) filling the gaps (6) between the elements (2) themselves The same is achieved with a soft curing product before the plate is put in place.

13. A method of laying tiles according to one of claims 11 or 12 characterized in that the connection between the support and the construction element is made by screwing, the screws being inserted through the plate after removal of a tile element (2), said element (2) being replaced over the head of the screw so as to conceal it.

14. A method of laying tiles according to any one of claims 11 to 13 characterized in that it comprises beforehand the following operation:

-Coating the back of the support plate (8) by a layer (14) adhering to the underside of said plate.

15. A method of heating by the floor or walls characterized in that the outer coating of the heating elements comprises a tile according to any one of claims 1 to 10.