U.S. patent application number 14/345763 was filed with the patent office on 2014-08-14 for ceramic tiled floor and its laying method.
This patent application is currently assigned to CERAMICA FAETANO S.P.A.. The applicant listed for this patent is Enzo Donald Mularoni. Invention is credited to Enzo Donald Mularoni.
Application Number | 20140223849 14/345763 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 44908011 |
Filed Date | 2014-08-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140223849 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mularoni; Enzo Donald |
August 14, 2014 |
CERAMIC TILED FLOOR AND ITS LAYING METHOD
Abstract
The ceramic tiled floor includes tiles provided along at least
one edge with grooves, and tongued strips, complementary to the
grooves adapted to connect adjacent tiles, so as to give the entire
floor stability and planarity.
Inventors: |
Mularoni; Enzo Donald;
(Borgo Maggiore, SM) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Mularoni; Enzo Donald |
Borgo Maggiore |
|
SM |
|
|
Assignee: |
CERAMICA FAETANO S.P.A.
Faetano
SM
|
Family ID: |
44908011 |
Appl. No.: |
14/345763 |
Filed: |
July 18, 2012 |
PCT Filed: |
July 18, 2012 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2012/064075 |
371 Date: |
March 19, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/403.1 ;
52/747.11 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04F 15/20 20130101;
E04F 15/08 20130101; E04F 2201/05 20130101; E04F 2201/0511
20130101; E04F 2201/0505 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/403.1 ;
52/747.11 |
International
Class: |
E04F 15/20 20060101
E04F015/20 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 19, 2011 |
IT |
RN2011A000067 |
Claims
1. A ceramic tiled floor, comprising: tiles provided along at least
one edge with grooves; and tongued strips, complementary to the
grooves adapted to connect adjacent tiles, so as to give the entire
floor stability and planarity, wherein said tiles are placed on a
sound-absorbing underlay and suitable to absorb any unevenness on
the laying surface of the floor, and the perimetral edges of the
tiles extend for the entire thickness of the tiles each on a
corresponding single plane perpendicular to the main lying plane of
the tiles, and the grooves extend perpendicular to the lying plane
of the edges.
2. (canceled)
3. The floor according to claim 1, wherein said tiles comprise
grooves on at least two opposite edges, so as to facilitate the
assembly of a series of tiles.
4. The floor according to claim 1, wherein the strips comprise
surface roughness, adapted to increase the friction against the
grooves.
5. The floor according to claim 1, wherein said grooves are
arranged at a greater distance from the upper surface of said tiles
than the distance from the base of said tiles.
6. The floor according to claim 1, wherein said grooves have a
depth that is no less than half the width of said tongued
strips.
7. The floor according to claim 4, wherein said surface roughness
is conformed to fins which extend from the two opposite end zones
of the main body of said strips having facilitated bending towards
the central zone of the main body of said strips for facilitated
insertion in said grooves.
8. The floor according to claim 4, wherein said fins are made of
softer material than the main body of said strips.
9. The floor according to claim 7, wherein said central zone of the
main body of said strips has a thickening to better withstand
shearing and bending stress and to limit the possible reciprocal
movement of the adjacent tiles in a perpendicular direction to
their lying plane (in vertical).
10. The floor according to claim 7, wherein the height of the fins
is greater than the height of the grooves.
11. The floor according to claim 1, wherein the strips are
positioned at least at the corners of the tiles.
12. (canceled)
13. A method for creating a ceramic tiled floor connected dry,
comprising: a step of creating tiles provided along at least one
edge with a groove; a step of inserting strips in the grooves of a
tile already positioned on the laying surface; a step of arranging
the tile on the laying surface of a floor; a step of arranging
adjacent tiles on the laying surface of the floor, alongside the
edges of tiles already equipped with the strip; and a step of
connecting the new tiles against the tiles already equipped with
the strip (3);
14. The method for creating a ceramic tiled floor connectable dry
according to claim 13, wherein the step of creating said tiles
provided along at least one edge with a groove is performed by
exerting on each of said tiles suitable pressure to make them
perfectly planar so that said groove is always parallel at least to
the upper surface of said tiles.
15. The method for creating a ceramic tiled floor connectable dry
according to claim 13, wherein the step of connecting the new tiles
against the tiles already equipped with the strip consists of
putting the strips at least on all the corners of all the
tiles.
16. The floor according to claim 5, wherein said surface roughness
is conformed to fins which extend from the two opposite end zones
of the main body of said strips having facilitated bending towards
the central zone of the main body of said strips for facilitated
insertion in said grooves.
17. The floor according to claim 6, wherein said surface roughness
is conformed to fins which extend from the two opposite end zones
of the main body of said strips having facilitated bending towards
the central zone of the main body of said strips for facilitated
insertion in said grooves.
18. The floor according to claim 5, wherein said fins are made of
softer material than the main body of said strips.
19. The floor according to claim 6, wherein said fins are made of
softer material than the main body of said strips.
20. The floor according to claim 7, wherein said fins are made of
softer material than the main body of said strips.
21. The floor according to claim 8, wherein said central zone of
the main body of said strips has a thickening to better withstand
shearing and bending stress and to limit the possible reciprocal
movement of the adjacent tiles in a perpendicular direction to
their lying plane (in vertical).
22. The floor according to claim 8, wherein the height of the fins
is greater than the height of the grooves.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This is a U.S. national phase application under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.371 of International Patent Application No.
PCT/EP2012/064075, filed on Jul. 18, 2012, which claims priority to
Italian Patent Application No. RN2011A000067, filed on Sep. 19,
2011. The International Application was published on Mar. 28, 2013,
as International Publication No. WO 2013/041264 under PCT Article
21(2). The entire contents of the above Applications are hereby
incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention refers to a ceramic tiled floor,
conveniently connectable also dry.
BACKGROUND
[0003] In the field of constructions or renovations of buildings
intended for civil, industrial and commercial use, there is a
strongly perceived need for materials that allow the creation of
completely smooth floors, i.e. without the classic "gaps" that
normally characterise flooring; in actual fact, the gaps between
the various tiles composing the flooring, are necessary as they
constitute an effective means for compensating and attenuating
unavoidable small imperfections on the tile edges, as well as
slight imprecisions due to the manual assembly of the floor.
[0004] According to the known art, different materials are used
that lend themselves to the creation of floors almost completely
free from gaps, for which the difficult and delicate grouting stage
of the interstices between the tiles, after they have been bonded
using the relevant adhesives to the laying surface, is not
necessary.
[0005] The materials used for the creation of smooth floors are
mainly represented, in the known art, by parquet systems, both in
the traditional form using natural strips of wood or its specific
by-products, or the modern version using industrially produced
synthetic material laths, which now faithfully reproduce the
typical patterns of wood grains; these laths are also characterised
by the presence of tongue and groove edges, which allow stable and
definitive connection of the various elements to each other, also
dry. The adhesion of this type of floor to the laying surface can
be obtained through a layer of adhesive, or the floor can be
"floating", i.e. simply resting on a relevant support sheath.
[0006] Also in the field of ceramic floors, tiles have recently
been adopted that can increasingly take on sizes, shapes and
colours typical of parquet laths; such tiles have met with
remarkable success, being able to ensure, as well as the
traditional strength and inalterability qualities over time typical
of ceramic products, also a more innovative and attractive
aesthetic appearance. However, a problem that has arisen in the use
of such ceramic tiles laths, assembled alongside each other without
grouted gaps, has been that it is fairly difficult to obtain good
evenness and coplanar requirements on the finished floors.
[0007] A significant improvement to such type of disadvantage has
been obtained with the implementation of a mechanical grinding
process on the edge of the tiles, so as to make them perfectly even
and to facilitate their laying alongside each other during
assembly; however, the problem remains of a coplanar finished
floor, due to the substantial size of the tiles, which can reach
considerable lengths.
[0008] Alternatively, the only possibility of dry-assembled ceramic
floors envisages the connection of the tiles to supports made of
more easily workable materials, such as plastic, on which
male-female shape coupling solutions are obtainable.
[0009] The aim of this invention is therefore to eliminate the
above-mentioned disadvantage.
SUMMARY
[0010] This invention, characterised by the claims, reaches the aim
through the use of ceramic tiles equipped with suitable grooved
edges to house tongued strips, which can ensure, during laying, a
coplanar surface and the arrangement alongside each other of
adjacent tiles. The main advantage obtained through the present
invention consists of the fact that the finished floor has
excellent stability and coplanar qualities.
[0011] Furthermore, the complete arrangement alongside each other
of the edges of adjacent tiles can make the floor free from gaps,
therefore there is no need to perform grouting. Hence, its creation
is quick and easy, and does not even require particularly
specialist labour.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] Further advantages and characteristics of the present
invention will more fully emerge from the following detailed
description with reference to the accompanying drawings, which
represent a non-limiting embodiment, in which:
[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates the invention according to a plan view,
with some parts removed to better highlight others;
[0014] FIG. 2 illustrates the invention according to a sectional
view, with some parts removed to better highlight others;
[0015] FIG. 3 shows some disassembled tiles according to a second
preferred embodiment connectable through a strip according to a
second preferred embodiment;
[0016] FIG. 4 shows a section of the tiles of FIG. 3 assembled
through the strip.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] As can be observed from the figures, the present invention
concerns a tiled ceramic floor.
[0018] Such a floor comprises tiles (1) provided along at least one
edge (1a) with a groove (2), and tongued strips (3), complementary
to the grooves (2) adapted to connect adjacent tiles (I), so as to
give the entire floor (10) stability and planarity.
[0019] The tiles (1) are preferably made of porcelain stoneware,
such material having the necessary mechanical resistance to create
the grooves (2) and for connection through the tongued strips (3).
The latter can be provided with surface roughness (3a), so as to
increase the friction against the walls of the grooves (2) that
house them.
[0020] In a preferred embodiment, the tiles (1) comprise grooves
(2) on at least two opposite edges (1a), so as to facilitate the
assembly of a series of tiles (1).
[0021] The laying of the floor first envisages the arrangement of a
row of tiles (1) on the laying surface (10a), the insertion of the
strips (3) in the grooves (2) of a series of tiles (1) already
positioned on the laying surface; more tiles (1) are subsequently
arranged on the laying surface (10a), adjacent to the previous ones
already equipped with the strips (3); then the new tiles (1) are
moved alongside the tiles (1) already equipped with the strip (3),
and then the reciprocal connection of the tiles (1) is performed so
as to provide for the presence of gaps or not.
[0022] Reference is now made to the preferred embodiment
illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.
[0023] In this case the grooves 2 are arranged at a greater
distance from the upper surface of the tiles 1 than the distance
from the base of the tiles 1.
[0024] This provides for a greater thickness for the part of the
tiles 1 including the upper surface of the tiles 1, which is
potentially subject to greater mechanical strain, such as for
example in the event of impact of a body falling onto the
floor.
[0025] The arrangement of the grooves 2 is in particular, with
respect to the upper surface of the tiles 1, approximately 2/3 of
the thickness of the tiles 1.
[0026] Furthermore, the depth of the grooves 2 of the tiles 1 is
more than twice their height.
[0027] In a possible embodiment the tiles 1 have grooves 2 along
all their edges 1a.
[0028] The tiles 1 can have any conformation but are preferably
quadrangular and in particular rectangular, and envisage at least
two grooves 2, with constant height and depth that extend in a
straight line on at least two opposite longitudinal edges 1a of the
tiles 1.
[0029] The depth of the grooves 2 is advantageously no less than
half the width of the strips 3. This enables the edges 1a of the
tiles 1 placed alongside to be rested against each other, hence
preventing the formation between them of gaps that are not
necessary since the floor made of tiles 1, due to being able to be
laid floating onto the laying surface 10a, prevents the onset of
strain between one tile and another tile.
[0030] This option to avoid gaps represents an unmistakable
advantage with respect to traditional floors bonded onto the laying
surface that require gaps so as to prevent any movement of the
laying surface onto which the tiles are bonded causing the onset of
strain between one tile and another tile with the resulting risk of
their chipping or breaking
[0031] Still with reference to the preferred embodiment illustrated
in FIGS. 3, 4, the surface roughness of the strips 3 is conformed
to fins 20 and arranged on the two opposite end zones of the main
body of the strips 3.
[0032] The fins 20 are configured in such a way that they have
facilitated bending towards the central zone 21 of the main body of
the strips 3 for facilitated introduction into the grooves 2. In
particular the fins 20 are conformed to make the insertion of the
strip 3 into the grooves 2 easier and its extraction from the
grooves 2 more difficult.
[0033] The fins 20 are preferably made of a different material and
in particular softer than the main body of the strips 3.
[0034] The central zone 21 of the main body of the strips 3 also
has a thickening to better withstand shearing and bending stress
and to limit the possible reciprocal vertical movement
(perpendicular to the lying plane of the tiles).
[0035] The creation of the main body of the strips 3 in rigid
material allows easy insertion in the grooves 2 further facilitated
by the rounding off of the ends of the main body of the strips 3.
The thickness of the main body of the strips 3 can, for example, be
approximately half the height of the grooves 2.
[0036] The height of the fins 20 is, on the other hand,
advantageously greater than the height of the grooves 2 so that
they can exert the correct pressure against the grooves 2.
The thus proportioned strips 3 can be easily inserted into the
grooves 2 and locked by effect of the high friction due to the fins
20 which guarantee effective and stable coupling between the tiles
1 on the laying surface 10a.
[0037] The strips 3 can have a shorter length than the length of
the edge 1a of the tiles 2 where the grooves 2 are located.
[0038] What is important to ensure the laid tiles 1 are coplanar is
that the strips 3 are positioned at least at the corners of the
tiles 1.
[0039] This provides enormous flexibility of use of the tiles since
it is possible to lay them with any degree of staggering, and in
particular the tiles can also be staggered by an amount of 50% of
their length.
[0040] In the known art the coplanar laying of staggered tiles is
very difficult to perform since tiles, and especially longer ones,
during firing in some cases tend to become slightly curved and do
not make it possible to fit together the central zone and the end
zone of two tiles alongside each other, in the floor.
[0041] On this point, the tiles 1 are advantageously subjected,
during manufacturing, to suitable pressure to make them perfectly
planar so that the grooves 2 are always parallel to their upper
surface.
[0042] This advantageous characteristic is particularly obtained
with a machine that has pressing means during the milling of the
grooves 2 of the tiles 1 to keep the latter perfectly planar and to
obtain, once the strips 3 are inserted in the grooves 2 for
creating the floor, perfect planarity of the floor without any
steps between one tile and another tile.
[0043] The floor according to the invention is suitable for cheap,
clean and quick laying.
[0044] For laying, no adhesive or grout is required since the floor
is floating on the laying surface 10a.
[0045] The floor can consequently be immediately walked on.
[0046] The material of which the tiles is made, for example
porcelain stoneware, is damp-proof and water-proof and can be
installed in damp environments, for example basements and
bathrooms.
[0047] To make walking on the floor quiet and to absorb any slight
unevenness on the laying surface 10a of the floor it is possible to
provide a sound-absorbing underlay to be laid on the laying surface
10a before the floor.
[0048] The floor offers the advantage of simplifying laying to the
extent that it is also possible for unqualified operators.
[0049] The floor can also be disassembled after laying in order to
be reassembled subsequently in another context.
[0050] The substantial absence of gaps, which for a traditional
bonded ceramic tiled floor is impossible due to the technical
reasons explained above becomes, according to the present
invention, a possible option for giving a certain aesthetic
prestige to the floor.
[0051] Naturally for any requirements, the gaps can be sealed with
a sealant for example to make the floor waterproof if laid in an
environment exposed to water.
[0052] In brief, still with reference to the preferred embodiment
illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4, the laying of the floor initially
envisages laying the flat sound-absorbing underlay, and then
arranging rows of tiles on the underlay.
[0053] It is also possible to provide for only the adjacent rows of
tiles to be joined through the strips 3 or also for the tiles of a
same row of tiles to be joined through the strips 3, if they have
grooves along all their edges.
[0054] The tiles of a subsequent row are positioned staggered as
preferred with respect to the tiles of the previous row just as
long as strips 3 are provided at least at the corners of the tiles
and, especially if the tiles are fairly long, also at the central
zone of the sides of the tiles. The strips 3 are inserted half way
along onto the tiles 1 already in position on the underlay.
[0055] The subsequent tiles 1 to be joined to the previous tiles
already in position are moved alongside and joined to the latter
using a rubber hammer with which the other half of the strips 3 of
the tiles already in position is engaged in the grooves 2 of the
tiles to be joined.
[0056] In the event of a tile 1 breaking, the damaged tile is
broken into small pieces which are removed, then the strips 3
joining the tiles 1 around it are cut flush without removing the
underlying part of the underlay, a trickle of silicone is put along
the edge of the tiles that form the boundary of the space left by
the broken tile, and a new tile is inserted. Even after the
replacement of the broken tile the floor remains floating.
[0057] It must be pointed out that the tiles 1 only require one
milling operation on their perimetral edges for the creation of the
grooves 2, and no other processing of their perimetral edges is
required. In fact, each perimetral edge of the tiles 1 extends for
the entire thickness of the tiles on a single corresponding plane
perpendicular to the main lying place of the tiles, and the groove
2 on the edge extends perpendicular to the lying plane of the edge
itself.
[0058] The floor as conceived herein is susceptible to many
modifications and variations, all falling within the scope of the
invented concept; furthermore, all the details are replaceable by
technically equivalent elements.
[0059] The materials used, as well as the dimensions, may in
practice be of any type according to requirements and the state of
the art.
* * * * *