WO2009065164A1

WO2009065164A1 - Tiling apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2009065164A1
Application number: PCT/AU2007/001803
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robert Frazer
Original assignee: Innvotech Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2007-11-23
Filing date: 2007-11-23
Publication date: 2009-05-28

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for forming a tiled surface with backing element located on a substrate and with spacer members engageable with the backing elements in selective configurations to snugly abut sides of tiles. Snug abutment ensures that the tiles do not slip on the backing elements. The apparatus enables tiled surfaces to be formed without the need for grout or adhesives to fasten tiles to a substrate. The invention also relates to tiled surfaces formed by with the apparatus and a method of forming tiled surfaces.

Description

TILING APPARATUS

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to tiles . More specifically, the invention relates to forming tiled surfaces in commercial and domestic environments .

Background of the Invention

The procedure for laying tiles remains substantially unchanged through hundreds of years .

Although technical advance has led to improvements in tiles , tools and materials , such as grouts and adhesives , the process still requires the following steps:

(a) applying an adhesive to a substrate over which tiles are to be laid;

(b) setting tiles in the adhesive in a desired configuration with gaps between the tiles for receiving grout;

(c) allowing the adhesive to cure to bond the tiles in the desired configuration to the substrate; and

(d) filling gaps between the tiles with a grout to improve the appearance of the tiled surface and to prevent moisture seeping through the tiled surface to the substrate.

Using conventional techniques, tools and materials, the process may take up to three days to complete. Furthermore, the process is labour intensive and requires competent tile-layers to set the tiles accurately in the adhesive, thereby ensuring that the ._ p _

tiles are aligned in the desired configuration. Accordingly, the cost of hiring skilled tilers for ins-balling tiled surfaces is relatively high.

Nevertheless, tiled surfaces are excellent for a wide range of applications due to the durability of tiles and the capability to form tiles in vast range of colours, patterns and shapes .

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for forming a tiled surface .

Advantageously, the present invention reduces the time required to install a tiled surface and reduces the level of skill required to install a tiled surface.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides , in general terms , a backing element for forming, in combination with a number of backing elements , a backing support for a tiled surface, the backing element comprising a support panel for placement on a substrate and for supporting one or more tiles.

According to one aspect, the invention provides a backing element for forming, in combination with a number of backing elements , a backing support for a tiled surface, the backing element comprising:

(a) a support panel for placement on a substrate and for supporting one or more tiles ; and

(b) spacers for separating adjacent tiles when located on the support panel; wherein the spacers are engageable with the support panel and are selectively configurable, on the support panel or in combination with other backing elements, for location about the perimeter of a tile such that the spacers snugly abut respective sides of the tile substantially to prevent slippage of the tile on the support panel and whereby a tiled surface is formable by selectively configuring an array of spacers between a plurality of tiles .

The tiles are retained in position by the snug fitting of spacer elements about the tiles and by adjacent tiles bearing against each other through the spacer elements. Accordingly, a tiled surface may be formed with the backing element and spacers without the need for adhesives to secure the tiles in position and without the need for grout, unless a moisture impermeable tiled surface is required. Tiles can be accurately set in a desired configuration without the skill of an expert tiler by selecting the desired configuration of spacer members to achieve the desired tile arrangement.

Additionally, because the apparatus does not require adhesives or grout to form a tiled surface, installation is faster than the conventional process which requires time for the adhesive and grout to cure, typically days . The apparatus enables tiled surfaces to be formed that can be walked on straight away.

Additionally, the absence of adhesive means that the tiled surface can be pulled up whenever required and, more importantly, without destroying tiles, backing elements or spacer members. As a result, the apparatus and tiles are reusable and, therefore, are particularly suitable for forming temporary tiled surfaces, for example tile floors for displays at exhibitions.

An important advantage of the apparatus is an ability to accommodate natural variations in the size of tiles. Specifically, conventional tile manufacturing techniques are unable to produce tiles with consistently identical tile dimensions . Conventional methods for forming tiled surface accommodate this by bonding each tile independently to a substrate and filling gaps between tiles with grout. The difference in dimensions between tiles is typically less then a few millimeters . Such differences are not readily apparent to the eye, but can cause problems when forming a tiled surface. The apparatus accommodates these natural differences by enabling selective configuration of spacer members into to positions about tiles depending on the size of the individual tile .

Preferably, the support panel and the spacers include co-operable means on each spacer and on each backing element enabling engagement of the spacers with the support panel in selective configurations .

Preferably, the co-operable formations included in the support panel form an array such that, when adjacent backing elements are linked, the array is continuous over the linked adjacent backing elements, thereby enabling spacers to be placed to engage one support panel or to engage more than one support panel .

Preferably, the co-operable formations included in the support panel comprise an array of discrete locating means for engaging the spacer members such that the location of a spacer member relative to the side of a tile is finely adjustable to ensure snug abutment of the spacer members against side edges of the a tile.

Preferably, the array of locating means comprises locating means aligned in rows . Preferably, the rows are set at an oblique angle relative to sides of the backing element and the spacer members are engageable with locating means in separate rows such that the spacer members, when engaged with the support panel , are oriented at the oblique angle relative to the rows .

Preferably, the spacer members engage locating means in consecutive rows .

Preferably, the locating means are spaced apart in the rows and the rows in the array are spaced apart to enable fine adjustment of the location of spacer members to accommodate natural variations in tile sizes, thereby facilitation snug abutment of the spacer members against sides of the tiles .

Preferably, the spacing of the locating means in the rows and the spacing of the rows in the array enable adjustments of 0.1mm or more and, more preferably, 0.4mm to 0.6mm.

Preferably, the co-operable formations on each spacer comprise one or more lugs and the locating means included in the support panel comprises lug-receiving recesses .

Preferably, the spacers are elongate and have a generally rectangular profile such that the sides of the spacer having a greater dimension contact the side of a tile.

Preferably, the spacers are formed of resilient material such that the lugs form a friction fit with the recesses of the support platform to retain the spacer in position . Preferably, the lugs include one or more projections for improving the friction fit with the recesses and, more preferably, the projections have a longitudinal axis that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the lug.

Preferably, the lugs and recesses have a complementary shape and, more preferably, the lugs and recesses have a circular profile.

Preferably, the recesses form a regular array comprising a series of rows of recesses .

Preferably, the array is angularly off-set relative to the sides of the backing element such that an imaginary line drawn along a row intersects a side of the support panel at an oblique angle .

Preferably, the backing element includes linking formation for linking backing elements together to form the backing support.

Preferably, a portion of the linking formations are shaped to form a continuous barrier, when adjacent backing elements are linked, for preventing grout from moving between the backing elements and reaching a substrate on which the backing elements are located when the grout is placed in a gap between tiles on the backing elements .

Another aspect of the invention provides a backing element for forming, in combination with a number of backing elements, a backing support for a tiled surface, the backing element comprising:

(a) a support panel for placement on a substrate and for supporting one or more tiles; and (b) formations for linking backing elements together to form the backing support; and

wherein a portion of the formations are shaped to form a continuous barrier, when adjacent backing elements are linked, for preventing grout from moving between the backing elements and reaching a substrate on which the backing elements are located when the grout is placed in a gap between tiles on the backing elements.

The grout blocking link elements enable grout to be used between tiles to give a permanent appearance to the tiled surface. The fact that the grout is prevented form reaching the substrates assists with removal of the tiles surface because the grout does not link the tile to the substrate. Additionally, the substrate is not stained or marked by the grout, so there is no need to remove remnant grout from the substrate or remove stains and marks in the course of preparing the substrate for the next floor covering. Accordingly, less time and effort is required to prepare the substrate for the next floor covering.

Preferably, the portion of formations for forming the barrier have a shape that enables the formations to be interleaved to form the barrier.

Preferably, the portion of formations for forming the barrier have a shape of a truncated isosceles triangle .

The present invention also provides a tiled surface comprising:

(a) a support formed on a substrate and comprising a plurality of backing elements ; (b) tiles located on the support with adjacent tiles being separated by spacer members ;

wherein the spacer members are selectively configured on the support by co-operable engaging means of the spacer members and the backing elements such that the tiles are snugly received between spacer members in a desired configuration .

Another aspect of the invention provides a method of forming a tiled surface, the comprising the steps of:

(a) forming an array of backing element such that a substantially continuous support for the tiled surface is formed;

(b) placing a tile on the support;

(c) positioning spacer members about the tile in snug abutment with one or more sides of the tile to restrict sliding of the tile on the support;

(d) repeating step (b) by placing further tiles on the support in abutment with the spacer members positioned in step (b) and positioning further spacer members in abutment with sides of the further tiles to cover the support with tiles, thereby forming a tiled surface .

Preferably, the method involves altering the size and/or shape of backing element to customise the support to the shape of an area to be covered by a tiled surface.

Brief description of the drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a backing element in accordance an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the backing element in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the backing element in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a cross-section of the backing element in Figure 1 along the line D-D.

Figure 5 is a cross-section of the backing element in Figure 1 along the line A-A in Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of part of four backing elements in Figure 1 when linked together .

Figure 7A and 7B are side views of spacers that are engageable longitudinally and diagonally, respectively, with the backing element shown in Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a schematic view of a spacer shown in dashed lines at two positions relative to locating means on the support panel .

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment

A backing element in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 1 to 8 as base member 12 with spacer members in the form of tile spacing strips 40 (Figures 7A and 7B) .

Specifically, the base member 12 includes and upper surface 14 on which strips 40 and tiles 50 are located to form a tiled surface and a lower surface 16 (Figure 2) for contacting a substrate.

The base member 12 and strips 40 include co- operable engaging formations in the form of an array of circular recesses in the upper surface 12 and lugs 44 disposed at regular intervals on an underside of the strips 40. The lugs 44 have a generally circular profile and a dimension similar to the recesses 22 such that the lugs 44 frictionally engage with the recesses 22 to retain the strips 40 connected with the base member 12. The level of frictional engagement enables strips 40 to be removed from the base member 12 and repositioned in an alternate location on the base member 12.

It will be appreciated that although the recesses 22 and lugs 44 are described as having a circular profile, any profile will be suitable provided there is sufficient frictional engagement between the lugs 44 and recesses 22.

For example, the lugs may have flanges (not shown) extending outwardly from the sides of the lugs 44 to improve frictional engagement with the recesses 22.

The base member 12 has a square shape with sides

18 and 20 that have interlocking formations in the form of projections 24, 26 and 30. The lower surface 16 of the base member 12 includes a network of rubberised grip that assists to prevent the base member 12 slipping on a substrate. It will be appreciated that as tiles 50 are laid on the base members 12 , the weight of the tiles will press the bases members against the substrate, thus forcing the rubberised grip into firmer contact with the substrate, thereby improving grip between the base member 12 and the substrate.

Projections 26 are located to extend outwardly from the sides 18 and 20 and are contiguous with the lower surface 16 of the base member. The projections 26 have a bead 28 located along a free end of the projections 92 and directed upwardly to be visible when viewing the upper surface 14 of the base member 12.

Projections 24 are located to extend outwardly from the sides 18 and 20 and are contiguous with the upper surface 14 of the base member. The projections 24 have a bead 28 located along a free end of the projection 24 that is visible when viewing the lower surface 16 of the base member 12.

The projections 24 and 26 (Figures 1 to 3) are formed of the same material as the base member, typically an extrudable or injection mouldable plastics material having resilient properties .

The projections 24 and 26 are interengageable by forcing the projections 24 and 26 together. Although the projections 24 are not directly aligned with the projections 26, the beads 28 on each projection 24 and 26 interfere with each other causing the projections 24 and 26 to resiliently deflect to enable the beads 96 to pass each other. The projections 24 and 26 resume their original position when the beads 28 have passed such that the beads 28 abut, thereby restraining movement of one base member 12 away from an engaged base member 12. Engaged base members 12 are separable by applying sufficient force to cause the beads 28 to push the projections 24 and 26 apart to release the beads 28.

The projections 24 have a shape that, when adjacent base members 12 interengage, the projections 24 form a continuous wall that prevents grout from reaching a substrate on which the base members 12 are located. The projections 24 have a shape -that results in the projections 24 being interleaved when adjacent base members 12 are interengaged.

Specifically, the projections 24 have the shape of a truncated isosceles triangle. However, it is anticipated that other shapes are suitable for the projections 24 in order to form a continuous wall by interleaving the projections 24.

Corners of the base members 12 include a triangular projection 30 that forms a continuous wall with other projections 30 on corners of adjacent base members 12 in the manner described above and as shown in Figure 6.

The formation of a continuous wall or barrier to prevent grout reaching a substrate ensures that the substrate will not be stained by grout. Accordingly, once the tiled surface is removed, less work is required to prepare the substrate for a subsequent floor type. This also enables the tiled surface to be removed with less effort because there would be no grout bonded to the substrate that requires subsequent removal .

The tile spacing strips 40 (Figures 7A and 7B) are formed as elongate bars having a rectangular cross- section with lugs 44 on an underside for cooperating with the recesses 22. The strips 40 have sides 42 which are the sides of the rectangle having a larger dimension. The sides 42, when the strips are located on the base member

12, contact a sides 52 of adjacent tiles 50 (Figure 1) .

The recesses 22 are aligned in rows across the upper surface 14. An example of one row follows the line D-D in Figure 1 and can be seen in cross-section in Figure 4. The rows that are off-set at an oblique angle relative to the orientation of the sides 18 and 20 of the base member 12. The angular off-set is evident in Figure 1 which shows the alignment of the sides 18 and 20 generally as parallel respectively to ^ΛΛX" and ^λΛY" axes shown in the bottom-left corner of Figure 1. The rows of recesses 70 are off-set at a relatively small angle relative to the axes and typically 2-10°. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 8, the angular off-set is 6.34°.

The angular off-set is important for enable fine adjustment of the location of strips 40 to achieve snug abutment of the strips 40 with sides 52 of tiles 50.

The lugs 44 on the strips 40 are spaced at intervals such that each lug 44 engages a recess 22 in separate rows. This is best shown in Figure 1 with recesses 22 ' marked as the recesses 22 in which lugs 44 of a strip 40 (Figure 7A) are received. Specifically, one strip 40 is located in abutment with each respective side 52 of the tile 50 with the lugs 44 located in the recesses 22' . It will be noted that the recesses 22' are in consecutive rows for the strips 40 to align with sides 52 and align with the "X" and ^λΛY" axes.

The angular off-set of the rows results in recesses in a given row being either fully or partially accessible along a side 52 of the tile. A strip will be in snug abutment with the side when lugs of the strip 40 are located on the first fully exposed recess 22 in a row. It will be understood, however, that moving a strip along a side 52 will result in the strip 40 engaging different recesses 22 at an alternative distance from the side 52, thus adjusting the spacing of the strip relative to the side 52 of the tile 50. In the present embodiment, the angular off-set of the rows and the spacing apart of adjacent recesses 22 in each row by 4.2 mm means that the spacing of a strip 40 from the side 52 can be adjusted in increments of 0.5mm. This fine adjustment of the location of the strips 40 ensures that tiles are snugly confined between strips 40 to limit slipping of the tile 50 on the upper surface 14.

The fine adjustment is shown in Figure 8 in which a lug 44 located in recess 22A results in the sides 42 and 42 ' of a strip being at a position shown by dashed lines either side of recess 22A. Shifting the lug from recess 22A to register with recess 22B results in the sides 42 and 42' shifting in the direction of the "Y" axis by a distance marked as "B" .

Such fine adjustment accommodates natural differences in tile 50 dimensions as a result of tile manufacture or other reasons.

Depending on the angular off-set of the rows, the spacing of recesses 22 in each row and the spacing between adjacent rows, the distance ^ΛΛB" can be controlled to provide the desired degree of fine adjustment.

Similarly with the strip in Figure 7A, the strip in Figure 7B has lugs 44 , but the lugs are spaced at different intervals to the lugs 44 on strip 40 in Figure 7A. The difference in spacing enables the strip 40 in

Figure 7B to be located diagonally across the base member 12, that is, diagonally with respect to the "X" and ^MY" axes. More specifically, the lugs 40 of the strip in Figure 7B engage recesses 22 in separate but consecutive diagonal rows .

The recesses are formed in the upper surface 14 of the base member 12 such that the array of recesses is continuous across the upper surface 14. Accordingly, when base members 12 are linked together by projections 24 and 26, a continuous array of recesses 22 is formed over the linked base members, thereby allowing strips 40 to extend across one base member 12 to the next base member 12. Additionally, the continuous array of recesses 22 enables the strips to be placed in a desired configuration to form a tiled surface .

Placement of the strips 40 in engagement with base members 12 is simple and fast, thereby enabling tiled surfaces to be formed without adhesive, grout and without the skilled of a competent tiler. Additionally, because the strips 40 engage the base members 12 with a friction fit and the tiles 50 rest on the base members 12 , the tiled surface can be removed without damage to the tiles and base members 12 for reuse .

Enabling selective placement of the strips 40 allows customisation of tile 50 arrangements, including enabling the use of differently sized and shaped tiles in the same arrangement. Additionally, the strips 40 and recesses 22 enable the customisation to be done faster than conventional methods of laying tiles and may enable an arrangement to be altered, in the event that a tile location or type needs to be changed.

It will be understood that the term "comprises" or its grammatical variants as used in this specification and claims is equivalent to the term "includes" and is not to be taken as excluding the presence of other features or

It will be understood to persons skilled in the art of the invention that many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. A backing element for forming, in combination with a number of backing elements , a backing support for a tiled surface, the backing element comprising:

(b) spacers for separating adjacent tiles when located on the support panel;

wherein the spacers are engageable with the support panel and are selectively configurable, on the support panel or in combination with other backing elements, for location about the perimeter of a tile such that the spacers snugly abut respective sides of the tile substantially to prevent slippage of the tile on the support panel and whereby a tiled surface is formable by selectively configuring an array of spacers between a plurality of tiles.

2. The backing element defined in claim 1 , wherein the support panel and the spacers include co-operable means on each spacer and on each backing element enabling engagement of the spacers with the support panel in selective configurations .

3. The backing element defined in claim 2 , wherein the co-operable formations included in the support panel form an array such that, when adjacent backing elements are linked, the array is continuous over the linked adjacent backing elements, thereby enabling spacers to be placed to engage one support panel or to engage more than one support panel .

4. The backing element defined in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the co-operable formations included in the support panel comprise an array of discrete locating means for engaging the spacer members such that the location of a spacer member relative to the side of a tile is finely adjustable to ensure snug abutment of the spacer members against side edges of the a tile .

5. The backing element defined in claim 4 , wherein the array of locating means comprises locating means aligned in rows .

6. The backing element defined in claim 5 , wherein the rows are set at an oblique angle relative to sides of the backing element and the spacer members are engageable with locating means in separate rows such that the spacer members, when engaged with the support panel, are oriented at the oblique angle relative to the rows .

7. The backing element defined in claim 6 , wherein the spacer members engage locating means in consecutive rows .

8. The backing element defined in claim 7 , wherein the locating means are spaced apart in the rows and the rows in the array are spaced apart to enable fine adjustment of the location of spacer members to accommodate natural variations in tile sizes, thereby facilitating snug abutment of the spacer members against sides of the tiles.

9. The backing element defined in claim 8 , wherein the spacing of the locating means in the rows and the spacing of the rows in the array enable adjustments of 0. lmm or more .

10. The backing element defined in claim 8, wherein the spacing of the locating means in the rows and the spacing of the rows in the array enable adjustments of

0 . 4mm to 0 . 6mm .

11. The backing element defined in any one of claims 5 to 11, wherein the recesses form a regular array comprising a series of rows of recesses .

12. The backing element defined in claim 12 , wherein the array is angularly off-set relative to the sides of the backing element such that an imaginary line drawn along a row intersects a side of the support panel at an oblique angle .

13. The backing element defined in any one of claim 2 to 13 , wherein the co-operable formations on each spacer comprise one or more lugs and the locating means included in the support panel comprises lug-receiving recesses .

14. The backing element defined in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the spacers are elongate and have a generally rectangular profile such that the sides of the spacer having a greater dimension contact the side of a tile.

15. The backing element defined in claim 15, wherein the spacers are formed of resilient material such that the lugs form a friction fit with the recesses of the support platform to retain the spacer in position.

16. The backing element defined in any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the lugs include one or more projections for improving the friction fit with the recesses and, more preferably, the projections have a longitudinal axis that is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the lug.

17. The backing element defined in any one of claims 15 to 17 when dependent on claim 14, wherein the lugs and recesses have a complementary shape.

18. The backing element defined in claim 18 , wherein the lugs and recesses have a circular profile.

19. The backing element defined in any one of the preceding claims , wherein the backing element includes linking formations for linking backing elements together to form the backing support.

20. The backing element defined in claim 20, wherein a portion of the linking formations are shaped to form a continuous barrier, when adjacent backing elements are linked, for preventing grout from moving between the backing elements and reaching a substrate on which the backing elements are located when the grout is placed in a gap between tiles on the backing elements.

21. A backing element for forming, in combination with a number of backing elements , a backing support for a tiled surface, the backing element comprising:

(b) formations for linking backing elements together to form the backing support; and

wherein a portion of the formations are shaped to form a continuous barrier, when adjacent backing elements are linked, for preventing grout from moving between the backing elements and reaching a substrate on which the backing elements are located when the grout is placed in a gap between tiles on the backing elements .

22. The backing element defined in claim 22, wherein the portion of formations for forming the barrier have a shape that enables the formations to be interleaved to form the barrier.

23. The backing element defined in claim 23, wherein the portion of formations for forming the barrier have a shape of a truncated isosceles triangle.

24. A tiled surface comprising:

(a) a support formed on a substrate and comprising a plurality of backing elements ;

(b) tiles located on the support with adjacent tiles being separated by spacer members ;

25. A method of forming a tiled surface, the method comprising the steps of:

(b) placing a tile on the support;

(d) repeating step (b) by placing further tiles on the support in abutment with the spacer members positioned in step (b) and positioning further spacer members in abutment with sides of the further tiles to cover the support with tiles , thereby forming a tiled surface.

26. The method defined in claim 26, wherein the method involves altering the size and/or shape of backing element to customise the support to the shape of an area to be covered by a tiled surface .