[0001] This industrial invention patent proposes a tile made of stone or agglomerate with
the main characteristic of being made with means that permit it to be inserted on
shower trays or the like.
[0002] It consists of a tile that is made according to criteria that permit it to be installed
inside shower stalls or bath tubs or the like and, in particular, to be set on the
base tray, according to criteria that permit the tile to remain anchored in this position,
offering advantages both from esthetic and practical standpoints.
[0003] As is known the bathroom accessories sector has the need to find procedures and products
to be applied to various surfaces, and in particular to the slipperiest surfaces,
to prevent the hazard of slipping while being walked on or when standing in an erect
position to take a shower or, more in general, to rinse oneself.
[0004] This requirement arises from the fact that glossy surfaces such as those of bathroom
fixtures or accessories, such as bath tubs and shower trays, become extremely slippery
when they are wet and highly dangerous during use.
[0005] Known techniques for solving this problem are aware of several solutions, some of
which call for making the shower tray or walking surface with corrugations, undulations
or reliefs. Other cases call for use of additional elements such as anti-slip plastic
or rubber or even wooden mats, sometimes equipped with suckers or other means for
fastening them to the surface.
[0006] These solutions all, however, have evident functional limits which, both when speaking
of undulations or reliefs on the shower tray or even when speaking of additional mats,
refer to the fact that the slipperiness problem has not been totally solved and in
fact in some cases is even increased as is the case with rubber mats with suckers
where the possibility of detachment of the suckers creates even more dangerous hazards.
[0007] These solutions are also relatively little acceptable from the esthetic point of
view and, in the case of wooden platforms, also characterized by fast deterioration
of the material in contact with water.
[0008] The purpose of the invention is to have conceived and created a tile made of stone
or agglomerate which includes means that permit it to be inserted on shower trays
or the like and which has, as its main characteristic, that of solving the above-mentioned
problems, bringing substantial practical and esthetic advantages to the platform on
which it is applied.
[0009] A first advantage achieved with the solution according to the invention is that whereby
it creates anti-slip elements made of either natural or agglomerate or composite stone
materials which offer the necessary guarantees from the point of view of safety, preventing
any possible detachment from the surface being fastened to.
[0010] Another advantage achieved with the tile according to the invention regards esthetics,
which is pleasing because the accessory that is used is stone with high quality finishes,
made in any of the colors offered by natural or artificial stone and meeting personal
tastes and market requirements.
[0011] The above-mentioned purposes and advantages are all achieved, according to the invention,
by a tile made of stone or agglomerate including means that permit it to be inserted
on shower trays or the like, characterized mainly by the fact that it is made with
at least one surface, and in particular the upper walking surface, which has been
subject to a satin-finish or honing treatment that gives it anti-slip characteristics,
and by the fact that special fastening and shock-absorbing elements, designed to adapt
to the shower tray or other surface, are applied to the support surface to permit
the tile to be fastened and leave a hollow space below for outflow of water.
[0012] Further characteristics and details of the invention can be better understood by
the description that follows, given by way of non-limiting example and which refers
to the attached drawings where:
fig. 1 shows a schematic and perspective view of a first type of tile according to
the invention made according to a basically quadrilateral shape;
fig. 2 shows a schematic and perspective view of a tile made according to a basically
arched shape;
fig. 3 is a schematic cross-section of a shower stall where the tile according to
the invention has been applied to the bottom tray.
[0013] With reference to the attached figures number 1 indicates a complete tile according
to the invention and made according to the above-mentioned criteria, using means that
permit it to be inserted on shower trays, on surfaces inside bath tubs, bathroom fixtures
or the like in general.
[0014] Basically tile 1 is made with at least one surface, and in particular the upper walking
surface, which has been subject to a satin-finish or honing treatment that gives it
anti-slip characteristics.
[0015] This type of treatment of the upper face of the tile, in addition to giving it anti-slip
characteristics, also offers other effects such as relaxing and massaging effects
coming from the satin-finished and honed surface. This same upper surface also has
stain-proof characteristics given it by special treatments that prevent the tile from
being stained by deposits or humidity.
[0016] In addition special fastening and shock-absorbing elements, indicated by number 2,
are applied at the very least onto the lower support surface of tile 1, designed to
adapt to the shower tray or other similar surface to permit the tile to be fastened,
leaving a hollow space below for outflow of water.
[0017] These fastening elements can, for example, be composed of plugs made of elastic or
flexible material having a certain amount of elasticity that gives them shock-absorbing
capacity. Fastening elements 2 can also be provided with adhesive surfaces so as to
ensure maximum adhesion between shower tray and tile.
[0018] In addition these special shock-absorbers, which can be made of plastic with self-leveling,
anti-slip and anti-algae characteristics, adapt to the surface of the shower tray
giving greater safety and balance during use and prevent a series of well-known unpleasant
accidents caused by the ease with which one may slip in showers.
[0019] Another advantage is the creation of rounded edges and corners on all models of tiles
in order to prevent the possibility of bruises or cuts.
[0020] Figure 2 shows a tile 3 made in a basically arched shape designed for installation
in shower trays with matching shapes as are common, for example, in corner or chamfered
models of shower stalls.
[0021] Other further future shapes of the tile can be imagined that conform to the base
or the shower tray or the bath tub where the tiles are to be installed either individually
or in multiple modes, achieving solutions that are to be held to be included within
the scope of protection of the invention the special characteristics of which are
further defined by the following claims.
1. Tile (1) made of stone or agglomerate including means that permit it to be inserted
on shower trays or the like characterized mainly by the fact of being made with at
least one surface, and in particular the upper walking surface, which has been subject
to a satin-finish or honing treatment that gives it anti-slip characteristics, and
by the fact that special fastening and shock-absorbing elements (2) are applied at
least on the support surface, designed to adapt to the shower tray or other similar
surface to permit the tile to be fastened and leaving a hollow space below for outflow
of water.
2. Tile (1) made of stone or agglomerate for shower trays or the like, characterized by the fact that said fastening elements (2) can be composed of plugs made of elastic
or flexible material having a certain amount of elasticity that gives them shock-absorbing
capacity.
3. Tile (2) made of stone or agglomerate for shower trays or the like, characterized by the fact that said fastening elements (2) can also be provided with adhesive surfaces
so as to ensure maximum adhesion between shower tray and tile.
4. Tile (1) made of stone or agglomerate for shower trays or the like, characterized by the fact that said fastening elements (2), which can be made of plastic with self-leveling,
anti-slip and anti-algae characteristics, adapt to the surface of the shower tray
giving greater safety and balance during use and prevent a whole series of well-known
unpleasant accidents caused by the ease with which one may slip in showers.
5. Tile (1) made of stone or agglomerate for shower trays or the like, characterized by the fact that all models of tiles have rounded comers and edges in order to prevent
any possibility of bruises or cuts.
6. Tile (1) made of stone or agglomerate for shower trays or the like, characterized by the fact that it can be produced in any shape of tile to conform to the base or the
shower tray or the bath tub where they are to be applied either individually or in
multiple modes.