WO2013102939A1

WO2013102939A1 - Cutting system for preventing the breakage of plates subjected to expansion due to thermal stress

Info

Publication number: WO2013102939A1
Application number: PCT/IT2012/000342
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ettore Anselmi
Original assignee: Pramar S.R.L.
Priority date: 2012-01-04
Filing date: 2012-11-09
Publication date: 2013-07-11
Also published as: ITVI20120005A1

Abstract

A cutting system, which is able to prevent breakage of plates or slabs (1) subjected to expansions due to thermal stresses, provides for making, in correspondence with at least one hole or opening (2) of the plate (1), a thickness cut (3), which is prolonged towards one of the outer edges (8) of the plate (1); the system also provides for making a milling or groove (4) above the cut (3), which has a width greater than the width of the cut (3), and for inserting, in said milling (4), an insert (5) having dimensions smaller than the dimensions of the milling (4), and for inserting, in the cut (3) and within the milling (4) and between the milling (4) and the insert (5), a rubbery and adhesive material, which is resistant to high temperatures, such as for example silicone. The silicone, when polymerized, constitutes a seal or gasket (6) having an elastic modulus capable of absorbing the expansions of the plate (1) due to thermal stresses.

Description

CUTTING SYSTEM FOR PREVENTING THE BREAKAGE OF PLATES SUBJECTED TO EXPANSION DUE TO THERMAL STRESS

The present invention relates to a cutting system adapted to prevent breakage of perforated plates subjected to expansion due to thermal stresses.

More particularly, the invention relates to a system of the aforementioned type, able to avoid the breakage, in particular, but not exclusively, of plates and/or cooking hobs made in natural stone and/or in marble or other similar material, said breakage being due to the mechanical expansions due to thermal stresses.

It is well known that in recent years there has been a wide diffusion of cooking hobs, kitchen countertops, bathroom tops and the like made of natural stone, such as, for example, marble; according to these embodiments, the various elements (such as burners, taps, etc..) are built- in into a slab of natural stone, in particular in a marble slab, after having made the suitable recessed seats on said slab.

In particular, the prolonged use of the burners, as well as the necessary repeated cycles of heating and cooling, expose the plates used for making the cooking hobs to the typical consequences deriving from thermal stresses, which cause cracks and/or splits, which, through time, cause in turn a final break of the plate, with all the consequences, both of aesthetic and structural type, deriving therefrom.

In light of the above, the Applicant has developed a system for cutting slabs and, in particular, of cooking hobs, which overcomes these drawbacks, allowing to maintain the structural and aesthetic integrity of the plate over the time, even when the plate is subjected to extended thermal cycles.

These and other results are obtained, according to the present invention, by means of a cutting system which provides a thickness (total or partial) cutting of a slab or plate, starting from a recessed hole, which is previously made, to one of the outer sides of the plate, or for a length needed to absorb the thermal expansions. Therefore, the system provides for making, immediately above the cutting and in a view surface of the plane, a milling having a width greater than the width of said cut and a variable depth, and for inserting an insert element in said milling, said insert having width and length dimensions smaller than the dimensions of said milling, so as to insert between the adjacent surfaces a rubbery and adhesive element, which is resistant to temperatures, such as silicone, in order to obtain an elastic modulus, which, without breaking, allows the expansions of the plate.

The above mentioned purposes and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by a cutting system according to the independent claim 1 , while other technical characteristics of the system according to the invention are described in the subsequent dependent claims.

The present invention will be now described for illustrative but not limitative purposes, referring in particular to a preferred embodiment of the system which is the object of the present invention and to the enclosed drawings, in which:

- figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a cutting system able to prevent breakage of perforated plates subjected to expansions due to thermal stresses, according to the present invention, and

- figure 2 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the cutting system shown in figure 1 , according to the present invention.

With particular reference to the enclosed figure 1 , the cutting system according to the invention is applied to a plate or slab 1 made of natural stone, such as marble, porphyry, stoneware, etc., on which at least one hole or opening 2 is provided for recessing at least one element (not shown), such as for example a burner or a cooking fire.

The system according to the invention involves the realization of a thickness cut 3 in the plate 1 , starting from the hole 2.

The thickness cut 3 can extend, as shown in figure 1 , up to one of the outer edges 7 of the plate 1 , but could also be limited up to a suitable length for absorbing expansions.

With regard to the thickness, the cut 3 could also be limited to a portion of the affected thickness.

Immediately above the cut 3, i.e. in the viewing surface of the slab 1 , a milling 4 is performed.

Said milling 4 has a width greater than said cut 3 and a depth which varies according to the insert 5 which is to be inserted.

Said insert 5, on the other hand, has width and length dimensions which are smaller than the milling 4, so as to leave, when it is inserted into the milling or groove 4, a space between the insert 5 and the milling 4, said space being filled with a rubbery and adhesive substance, which is resistant to high temperatures, such as for example silicone.

The cured silicone thereby creates a kind of seal or damping element 6, which is placed between the milling 4 and the insert 5 and which has an elastic modulus for absorbing the expansions of the natural stone slab 1.

The silicone may also fill, in addition to the space between the insert 5 and the milling 4, the thickness cutting 3.

In this case, the edge 7 is formed in the insert, 5 and the seal or gasket 6 is formed once the silicone which is inserted between the surfaces of the insert 5 and the milling 4 is fully cured.

With particular reference to the enclosed figure 2, which shows a variant application of the cutting system according to the present invention and which has the same reference numbers used in figure 1 to indicate similar elements, it is noted that, in this case, the milling 4 does not extend up to the outer edge 7 of the plate 1 , but only partially, while the thickness cutting 3 extends up to the outer edge 7 of the plate 1.

In this case, the silicone is also inserted in the slot 8 which is provided behind the milling 4 and fills all the available space.

This embodiment therefore provides for using an insert 5 without edge and the seal or damping element 6 is formed once the silicone inserted between the insert 5 and the milling 4 and between the slot 8 walls on the outer edge 7 of the slab 1 (portion indicated with 9 in the enclosed figure 2), is completely polymerized.

From the above description the technical characteristics of the cutting system, which is the object of the present invention, are clear as well as the related advantages.

Finally, even if the above invention has been described for illustrative but not limitative purposes, according to its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that variations and/or modifications may be made by skilled men in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention as mentioned in the appended claims.

Claims

1. Cutting system which is able to prevent the breakage of plates (1) subjected to expansion due to thermal stresses, said plates (1) being provided with at least one hole or opening (2) for embedding in said hole or opening (2) at least one element, characterized in that said system includes the steps of

- executing at least one cut (3) on said plate (1) and near said hole or opening (2) of said plate (1), said cut (3) extending towards at least one of the external sides of the plate (1),

- executing a groove (4) over the cut (3), said groove (4) having at least one dimension greater than the dimensions of said cut (3),

- including, within said groove (4), at least one insert (5) having dimensions smaller than the dimensions of said groove (4), so as to create at least one area between said insert (5) and said groove (4),

- inserting a rubber and adhesive material within said cut (3), within said groove (4) and within said area provided between said groove (4) and said insert (5).

2. Cutting system according to claim 1 , characterized in that said rubber and adhesive material has a suitable elastic modulus, so that, when polymerization is fully completed, said material behaves as a gasket

(6) able to fully absorb the thermal expansions of said plate (1).

3. Cutting system according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cut (3) is partially achieved starting from said hole or opening (2) and towards at least one outer edge (8) of the plate (1), said cut (3) having a length enough to absorb expansion due to thermal stresses.

4. Cutting system according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said cut (3) is performed partially in the thickness of the plate (1).

5. Cutting system according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said groove (4) extends from said hole or opening (2) up to at least one outer edge (8) of the plate (1).

6. Cutting system according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said groove (4) extends partially between said hole or opening (2) and an outer edge (8) of the plate (1).

7. Cutting system according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said rubber and adhesive material is silicone.

8. Cutting system according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said insert (5) has at least one portion constituting part of said outer edge (8) of the plate (1).

9. Cutting system according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said plate (1) is part of at least one hob.