U.S. patent number 3,731,445 [Application Number 05/060,232] was granted by the patent office on 1973-05-08 for joinder of floor tiles.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Carl Freudenberg. Invention is credited to Rudolf Hoffmann, Wolfgang Winkler.
United States Patent |
3,731,445 |
Hoffmann , et al. |
May 8, 1973 |
JOINDER OF FLOOR TILES
Abstract
Floor tiles are joined by cutting away material along the edges
so as to leave undercut projections extending downwardly from the
bottom of the tiles. Joining of tiles is effected by using a strip
provided with a pair of parallel channels into which extend the
projections from two different tiles. The undercut configurations
prevent the tiles from being removed by a simple vertical pull.
Inventors: |
Hoffmann; Rudolf
(Laudenbach/Bergstrasse, DT), Winkler; Wolfgang
(Mannheim, DT) |
Assignee: |
Freudenberg; Carl (Postfach,
DT)
|
Family
ID: |
5770036 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/060,232 |
Filed: |
August 3, 1970 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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May 2, 1970 [DT] |
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P 20 21 503.6 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
52/391; D25/121;
52/471; 52/778; 52/781 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04F
15/02 (20130101); E04F 2201/0138 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E04F
15/02 (20060101); E04f 013/08 () |
Field of
Search: |
;52/391,390,385,309,461,465,469,471,492,493,509,582,386-389
;46/25,31 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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|
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647,812 |
|
Dec 1950 |
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GB |
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584,750 |
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Nov 1958 |
|
IT |
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1,175,582 |
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Nov 1958 |
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FR |
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422,082 |
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Jun 1947 |
|
IT |
|
Primary Examiner: Perham; Alfred C.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A floor covering assembly comprising a plurality of abutting
rectangular tiles and joining strips, said tiles as viewed from
above together making up a continuous surface, each tile comprising
a solid body of predetermined thickness and undercut in its lower
face substantially about its entire periphery so as to leave a
projection whereby it can be held to a locking strip, each tile
being provided at each corner in its underface with a projection
extending toward but terminating short of the bottom surface of the
tile, each strip comprising an elongated member of predetermined
thickness provided in its upper face with a pair of parallel
undercut channels for receiving the projections of two tiles and
thereby holding them together, the joining strips including a
second pair of channels extending at an angle to the first pair,
the bottoms of said strips defining substantially the same plane as
the bottoms of said tiles, material being provided at the
intersections of the channels in a locking strip to form
independent recesses for receiving the corner projections of
tiles.
2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein each tile has cut back
edges, said tile as viewed from the bottom having a recessed
channel about its periphery defined between said bottom surface and
said projection which extends from the top surface but terminates
short of said bottom surface, said projection including a portion
extending toward said bottom and inwardly from the edges, whereby
said tile is held into said assembly with other tiles by said
locking strips which are suitably contoured to receive said
projections, said tiles being in abutting relation and exclusively
making up the top surface with said locking strips being hidden
therebelow.
Description
The invention relates to the joining of individual flooring tiles
or slabs of rubber or the like.
Hitherto, in order to prevent individual floor tiles or slabs from
shifting, they have been joined together by insertion into one
another, for example as shown in FIG. 1, where one floor tile is
provided with a recess and the adjacent floor tile is provided with
a matching projection.
This method of joinder, however, has the disadvantage that the
removal of individual tiles or slabs, when they are damaged for
example, is made very difficult by the fact that the slabs or tiles
are inserted into one another. Instead, the entire floor assembly
has to be removed until the damaged tile is reached.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved
method of joinder or tiles, such as floor tiles, which permits easy
removal of individual tiles, as desired, irrespective of their
location in the assembled structure.
This and other objects and advantages are realized in accordance
with the present invention which provides a tile, having undercuts
along its edges so shaped as to leave downwardly facing
projections, together with joining strips or tracks provided with
parallel channels for receiving the projections of two adjacent
tiles.
The invention will be further described with reference to the
accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a vertical section through two abutting tiles joined in
accordance with prior art teaching;
FIG. 2 is a vertical section through one embodiment of the present
invention;
FIG. 3 is a vertical section through another embodiment of the
invention;
FIG. 4 is a vertical section through one of the tiles shown in FIG.
2;
FIG. 5 is a vertical section through the joining strip of FIG.
2;
FIG. 6 is a vertical section through one of the tiles shown in FIG.
3;
FIG. 7 is a vertical section through the joining strip of FIG.
3;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a different embodiment of a joining
strip;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of still another embodiment of a
joining strip; and
FIG. 10 is a bottom perspective view of the corner of a tile
suitable for joinder by strips such as shown in FIG. 8.
Referring now more particularly to the drawings, in FIG. 2 there is
shown an assembly of two tiles or slabs 2 and 3 and a joining strip
or track 1.
The joining strip 1, which may be made of rubber and which may be
about 3 cm. wide, is first placed on the floor. As can be seen in
FIG. 5, it comprises a base from which there extend projections or
elevations 6, 7 and 8; elevations 6 and 7, and 7 and 8 define
therebetween a pair of channels which in cross-section are
undercut, i.e. they are wider near their bottom than near their
tops and they extend laterally below a shoulder.
FIG. 4 shows one embodiment of the tiles according to the
invention, profiled for use with the strip of FIG. 5. The usually
rectangular or square tiles have on each side a projecting edge 4
and 4', from which a double tongue 5 and 5', respectively,
projects. As viewed from the bottom surface of the tile there is a
peripheral projection extending toward but terminating short of
said surface. The projection defines a recessed channel with and
about the bulk of the tile. In order to lay these tiles, the double
tongue 5 of one tile is forced into the left track-like channel
between the elevations 6, 7, and the double tongue 5' of another
tile is forced into the right track-like channel between the
elevations 7, 8.
In FIG. 6 another embodiment is shown. Here the tile again has a
projecting edge at the margins, but only one bent tongue projects
therefrom, which is identified in FIG. 6 with the reference numbers
9 and 10, respectively.
FIG. 7 shows a cross section of the strip required for the laying
of the tiles of FIG. 6. It is of simpler construction than the
strip according to FIG. 5 in that the center elevation does not
extend upwardly as for as the lateral elevations.
The result of the joining together of the tiles of FIG. 6 by means
of the strip in FIG. 7 is shown in cross section in FIG. 3. Even
though only one projection is provided per tile edge, because it is
canted away from the tile edge and tucks into the undercut of the
channel of the locking strip, firm joinder is still achieved.
In order further to increase the resistance of the tiles laid by
the above method against shifting it is desirable to use so-called
crosses as shown in FIG. 8. These are a further development of the
strips with the elevations 6, 7 and 8 of FIG. 5. While the strips
of the above embodiment can be of any desired length, in the
present case the length of the strip is limited to about one-fourth
of the length of the edge of the tile. At the same time, a second
strip or portion of the same length is connected medially of the
first portion at an angle of 90.degree..
Four tiles can be joined together with a strip of this kind. To
each corner of the structure produced in this manner and consisting
of four tiles, these crossed strips are again attached and
additional joining is performed. In this manner any desired area
can be covered with tiles. The tiles laid by means of these crosses
have a greater resistance to shifting on the floor.
The length of the four arms of the crosses can be made such that
they extend to the middle of each tile edge. In this case the
extremities of adjacent crosses meet in the middle of a tile edge.
The edge of each tile is thus embedded all along its length in a
strip having the elevations 6, 7 and 8.
It is also possible, however, to use crosses having shorter
extremities. In this case more or less of each tile edge is free of
supporting strips in its center. In this case the gaps can be
filled by means of strips extending only longitudinally, according
to FIGS. 5, 7 or 9, so that a continuous supporting of the tile
edges on tracks or crosses is achieved all along the edge. FIG. 10
is a perspective view of the corner of a floor tile that is laid
with the aid of the cross.
FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of strips in which the channels are
sectors of a circle of more than 180.degree.. The projections on
the tiles for joinder thereby will be of approximately the same
shape as the channels. The shape of the channels and projections
may be elliptical segments in place of circular segments, with
similar effect.
Either the tiles or the joining strips or both are made of a
yieldable, somewhat resilient material such as rubber, vinyl, or
the like. In this manner the projections either on the underface of
the tiles near the edges or on the upper face of the joining strip
can give slightly as is needed during connection or separation. The
bifurcated projection of FIG. 4 makes connection easier since the
components have room to move laterally. The undercut surfaces and
shoulders prevent separation by a simple vertical pull. As can best
be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, at the corners there is a small amount of
space between mating members, which space allows for some expansion
and for release of tensions which might result from minor
imperfections in the tiles, strips or surface on which the tiles
are placed.
The projections may be all along two opposite spaced edges of the
tile which is preferably rectangular or square. In this manner the
joining strips can be continuous and parallel. If the projections
are provided on all four edges of a rectangular tile, either
transverse strips can be omitted or special measures taken to
effect joinder cross-wise of the elongated strips or crosses such
as shown in FIG. 8 may be employed. If the tiles are hexagonal,
then three tiles meet at each corner and a trifurcated joining
strip patterned after that in FIG. 8 may be employed.
As noted, the strips may be about 3 cm. wide in which case the
channels will be approximately 1 cm. wide. The thickness of each
tile may vary widely but generally will be about 0.25 to 0.75 cm.
and preferably about 0.3 to 0.5 cm. and the dimensions of the
projections can be approximated from FIGS. 2 and 3.
It will be appreciated that the instant specification and examples
are set forth by way of illustration and not limitation, and that
various modifications and changes may be made without departing
from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
* * * * *