U.S. patent application number 10/757719 was filed with the patent office on 2004-10-28 for tile-, floor tile- or similar-type ceramic piece.
Invention is credited to Montolio, Oscar Carnicer.
Application Number | 20040211145 10/757719 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 8498672 |
Filed Date | 2004-10-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040211145 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Montolio, Oscar Carnicer |
October 28, 2004 |
Tile-, floor tile- or similar-type ceramic piece
Abstract
The present ceramic piece, wall tile, floor tile or similar
article, refers to a piece (1) of the kind that is arranged
contiguously in rows and columns in the form of a grid. The sides
of the piece (1) present certain projections (2) and depressions
(3) which can be slotted together, adapted to the corresponding
decorative motif, which break the continuity in the lines of said
grid, making it difficult to distinguish said lines and enabling
the possibility of ornamentations in sets of pieces with a non-grid
structure.
Inventors: |
Montolio, Oscar Carnicer;
(La Foya - Alcora, ES) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KLAUBER & JACKSON
4th Fl.
411 Hackensack Avenue
Hackensack
NJ
07601
US
|
Family ID: |
8498672 |
Appl. No.: |
10/757719 |
Filed: |
January 14, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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10757719 |
Jan 14, 2004 |
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PCT/ES02/00361 |
Jul 17, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
52/578 ;
52/311.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04F 2201/091 20130101;
E04F 13/142 20130101; E04F 15/08 20130101; E04F 2201/096
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/578 ;
052/311.1 |
International
Class: |
E04F 013/00; E04C
003/30 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 19, 2001 |
ES |
U200101861 |
Claims
1. An improved tile-, floor tile- or similar-type ceramic piece, of
a kind that is arranged contiguously in rows and columns forming a
grid, sides of said piece being provided with projections and
depressions to be slotted together; said projections and
depressions breaking a continuity in lines of said grid, making it
difficult to distinguish said lines; wherein said projections and
depressions are adapted to a corresponding decorative motif, enable
ornamentations in sets of pieces with a non-grid structure.
2. An improved tile-, floor tile- or similar-type ceramic piece,
according to claim 1, wherein said projections and depressions are
provided with a trapezoidal shape; one projection being included in
a central part of one side of the piece, another projection in the
centre of the opposite side, a depression in the centre of another
side of the piece and a further depression in the centre of the
side opposite to said latter side.
3. An improved tile-, floor tile- or similar-type ceramic piece,
according to claim 1, wherein the ornamentation is natural
stone.
4. An improved tile-, floor tile- or similar-type ceramic piece,
according to claim 1, wherein the ornamentation is parquet.
5. An improved tile-, floor tile- or similar-type ceramic piece,
according to claim 1, wherein the ornamentation is mosaic.
6. An improved tile-, floor tile- or similar-type ceramic piece,
according to claim 2, wherein the ornamentation is natural
stone.
7. An improved tile-, floor tile- or similar-type ceramic piece,
according to claim 2, wherein the ornamentation is parquet.
8. An improved tile-, floor tile- or similar-type ceramic piece,
according to claim 2, wherein the ornamentation is mosaic.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a Continuation of co-pending PCT
Application No. PCT/ES02/00361, filed Jul. 17, 2002, which in turn,
claims priority from Spanish Application Serial No. 200101861,
filed Jul. 19, 2001. Applicants claim the benefits of 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.120 as to the PCT application and priority under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119 as to said Spanish application, and the entire
disclosures of both applications are incorporated herein by
reference in their entireties.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention refers to a ceramic piece, wall tile,
floor tile or similar, improved, the main purpose of which consists
of providing a novel ceramic piece for paving and surfacing which
presents a configuration for which important improvements can be
obtained at the aesthetic level. This configuration is obtained by
means of some tongue-and-groove projections and depressions in the
sides of the piece which are adapted to the corresponding
decorative motif and which break the continuity of the line of the
grid formed by a plurality of pieces, thus making it difficult to
distinguish those lines and permitting ornamentations which could
not be achieved with conventional quadrangular pieces.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Ceramic pieces, wall tiles, floor tiles or similar are known
that are arranged contiguously in rows and columns by way of a
grid. These conventional pieces for paving and surfacing present
relative drawbacks in that they leave the lines produced when the
pieces are laid next to each other very visible, since they are all
completely quadrangular and, once they have been laid in position,
a kind of grid can be clearly seen, corresponding to the areas
where the pieces join. Since they are all straight, these grid
lines aesthetically spoil the continuity of a decorative motif and
lessen the impact of the ornamentation effect, whether this be
geometric, or one of imitation of marble shapes, imitation of
natural stone or others.
[0004] There are also known some tiles having a non-square contour
such as those shown in the U.S. design 57111. However, the contour
of said tiles is not adapted to to a corresponding decorative
motif, nor enable ornamentations in sets of pieces with a non-grid
structure.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In order to achieve the objectives and avoid the drawbacks
stated in the above paragraphs, the invention consists of an
improved ceramic piece, wall tile, floor tile or similar, of the
type that is arranged in contiguous rows and columns in the manner
of a grid.
[0006] As a novelty, according to the invention, the said piece
presents certain tongued-and-grooved projections and depressions in
its sides adapted to the corresponding decorative motif that breaks
the continuity in the lines of that grid, thereby making it
difficult to distinguish said lines and enabling the possibility of
ornamentations of sets of pieces with a non-grid structure.
[0007] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, these
projections and depressions present a trapezoid shape, with one
projection being included in the centre of one of the sides of the
piece, another projection in the centre of the opposite side, a
depression in the centre of another side of the piece and a further
depression in the centre of the side opposite to this latter.
Nevertheless, in other embodiments, the shape of these projections
and depressions can vary, always provided that the characteristics
of their being easily slotted together and that they adequately
break the continuity of the lines of join between the pieces are
maintained.
[0008] With the configuration that has been described, the
advantage of the piece of the invention consists of the fact that
it makes possible some much better aesthetic effects in the
corresponding pavements or wall surfacings.
[0009] Below, in order to facilitate a better understanding of this
description and forming an integral part thereof, some figures are
included in which the object of the invention has been represented
as described by the appended claims by way of illustration, and not
to be regarded as limiting.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0010] FIG. 1 represents a plan view of a ceramic piece produced
according to the present invention.
[0011] FIG. 2 represents a plan view of various pieces of the type
referred to in FIG. 1 above, showing their application to an
ornamentation imitating pieces of natural stone.
[0012] FIG. 3 represents a plan view of an arrangement of pieces of
the type referred to in FIG. 1 above, showing an application to a
parquet.
[0013] FIG. 4 represents a plan view of a plurality of pieces of
the type referred to in FIG. 1 above, showing an application in
which the ornamentation imitates a mosaic with pieces of different
geometric shapes.
DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0014] A description of an example of the invention making
reference to the numbering adopted in the figures will now be
made.
[0015] So, the improved ceramic piece of this example of embodiment
consists of an essentially quadrangular piece 1 of the type of a
tile or similar, though with the particular feature that its four
sides present respective projections 2 and depressions 3, as can be
seen in FIG. 1.
[0016] In this example, the projections 2 and the depressions 3 are
trapezoid and are arranged in such a manner that one of the
projections 2 is in the centre of one of the sides of piece 1,
another projection 2 is on the side opposite to the previous one,
one depression 3 in the centre of another side of the piece 1, and
the remaining side presents a depression 3 similar to the previous
one. This configuration determines that the various pieces 1 can be
easily slotted together, since the projections 2 correspond
perfectly to the depressions 3. Moreover, when various pieces 1 are
laid in rows and columns, the corresponding grid lines
corresponding to the joins between pieces become broken up due to
the projections 2 and the depressions 3, making it difficult to see
them.
[0017] Moreover, if the projections 2 and depressions 3 are adapted
to the ornamentation of the pieces, as can be seen in FIGS. 2, 3
and 4, the decoration provided by the pieces 1 will have an
excellent aesthetic appearance, as can be appreciated in the said
FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.
[0018] So, it may be seen in FIG. 2 an application representing
pieces of natural stone, giving a sensation of irregularity that is
impossible to obtain with conventional quadrangular pieces.
[0019] FIG. 3 shows an application to parquet in which the strips
of wood seem to represent a complex arrangement with an attractive
appearance, and it looks as though strips of very different sizes
and shapes have been used when in fact just the pieces of this
example have been used, all of them equal.
[0020] It may be seen in FIG. 4 an application to an ornamentation
which resembles a mosaic in which the pieces used are large
octagonal pieces, some smaller hexagonal pieces and other
pentagonal pieces, also small, when in fact only the pieces like
those of FIG. 1 have been used, all of them equal.
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