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(11) | EP 1 811 100 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Cement mix tile |
| (57) A coloured or uncoloured cement mix tile, featuring a substantially rectangular plan
of width (a) and length (b), characterised in that at least one of said width (a)
and length (b) is greater than the corresponding European standard tile size equal
to 33 cm in width and 42 cm in length.
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[0002] The cement mix tile, of a coloured mix or natural colour, has witnessed a major production development in the last 50 years, partially replacing traditional tiles and baked roof tiles.
[0003] The reasons for such a development are numerous, either linked to technology because of advancements in production techniques or because of the inherent characteristics of the product itself which combines great resistance, shape precision and frost resistance for which its use is recommended in all frost-prone countries.
[0004] Another favourable factor in the spreading of the cement mix tile is the easy availability of the prime materials needed for the production and their limited costs.
[0005] In fact, for the production it is necessary to have available at least sand, cement and, of course, water and, if a coloured product is wanted, powder colour (iron oxides and the likes).
[0006] Furthermore, the production process does not require particular schemes, being similar to that of all products having a cement binder as a base: it is necessary to mix at least water, sand and cement in the required proportions and let the mix settle on a support (bottom) while taking care of keeping the product in a high humidity environment.
[0007] The product hardens more or less quickly depending on the temperature, thus making it possible to re-use the "bottom" on which the tile was formed.
[0008] During the last decades, the production process of cement mix tiles has undergone major developments or because of the refining of the continuous production process by obstruction or because of the automation of the production phases that has taken place.
[0009] With the current technology, the European standard tile is produced by extrusion by compacting the cement mortar of sand, cement and water, and possibly colour, above a mould and "bottom" in die-cast aluminium.
[0010] The thus produced tile is cut according to the dimensions of the "bottom" and is introduced in a processing oven in which an accelerated hardening process of the cement mix takes place (caused by the temperature increase) which allows for the re-use of the mould after 6-8 hours.
[0011] In figures 1-3, a bottom F for the widely spread "doppia romana" Double Roman tile is depicted respectively in plan (figure 1), in longitudinal section (figure 2) and in transversal end view (figure 3).
[0012] The bottoms determine the lower shape of the produced tile, whereas the extrados of the tile is determined by the production machine named "extruder" which, with the extrusion head and, in particular, with the upper smoother named "counter-shape", forms the surface of the tile.
[0013] Over the years, various types of upper surfaces of cement mix tiles (figures 4-13) have been used increasingly, which are always cylindrical surfaces, that is to say, in terms of projective geometry, that they are surfaces that feature parallel generating lines.
[0014] The ten tiles according to the know art schematically depicted in figures 4-13 indicated by references 1A-1L are commonly indicated by trade names such as: "Doppia Romana" Double Roman 1A (figure 4), "Coppo Veneto" Venetian tile 1B (figure 5), "Bold Roll" 1C (figure 6), "Mission" 1D (figure 7), "Onda Marina 1" Sea Wave 1 1E (figure 8), "Onda Marina 2" Sea Wave 2 1F (figure 9) "Francese" French 1G (figure 10), "Spagnola" Spanish 1H (figure 11), "Coppo Fiorentino" Florentine tile 1I (figure 12), "Piana" Flat 1L (figure 13).
[0015] Even the plan dimensions of the single tile have been varied over time until they were unified according to the European standard of 33 cm in width and 42 cm in length, also including in the unification the minimum characteristics of quality and resistance of the product to be verified with special equipment, in order to unequivocally establish the structural qualities and the minimum acceptable resistance in order to be able to put it on the market.
[0016] The cement mix tile according to the known art has some fundamental characteristics that regard the way of using it as roofing. The tiles may be overlapped along the sides transversal to the maximum slope direction of the roof and are laterally interlocked with the adjacent tiles along the sides parallel to the maximum slope direction of the roof.
[0017] The greater the overlapping of the transversal sides, the lesser the roof slope while the lateral interlocking is fixed and is carried out by grooves located under the tile which is to overlap the adjacent one and which, from the opposite side, are located above the tile itself. The characteristics described are those that make the roof, once correctly assembled, rain- and/or snow- and/or wind-proof in all possible combinations.
[0018] The Applicant has seized the problem of developing a tile which improves both the roofing capacity and the roof laying time while leaving unchanged or improving the other characteristics that have made the cement mix tile a product appreciated on the market.
[0019] The Applicant has therefore been able to solve the above-mentioned technical problem by studying a cement mix tile having optimised dimensions so that the plan surface is at least twenty percent greater than existing ones.
[0020] Advantageously, the cement mix tiles according to the present invention, once laid, feature a weight per square meter covered lower than that obtained with the cement mix tiles according to the known art.
[0021] According to a first aspect of the invention, a cement mix tile of increased length is therefore provided, having the same transversal dimension in plan and the same profile as those known but longer than those according to the known art.
[0022] Such tile of increased length is advantageously feasible for all highly curved profiles such as, for example, the "coppo veneto" Venetian tile (fig. 5).
[0023] According to another aspect of the invention, a cement mix tile of increased length, width and transversal profile is provided so as to reach the wanted results.
[0024] The characteristics and advantages of a cement mix tile, according to the present invention, will become more evident from the following exemplifying but not limiting description, referring to the accompanying schematic drawings, in which:
figure 1 schematically depicts in plan a bottom F for a "doppia romana" Double Roman tile according to the know art;
figure 2 schematically depicts in longitudinal section according to line A-A of figure 1 a bottom F for a "doppia romana" Double Roman tile according to the know art;
figure 3 schematically depicts a transversal end view according to arrows B of figure 1 a bottom F for a "doppia romana" Double Roman tile according to the know art;
figures 4-13 depict in partial perspective view as many tile profiles according to the know art;
figure 14 depicts in perspective view a tile of increased length according to the invention;
figures 15-17 depict in partial perspective view three profiles of cement mix tiles of increased length, width and profile, according to the invention.
[0025] Referring to figures 14-17, as many types of increased cement mix tiles according to the invention are schematised.
[0026] In particular, referring to figure 14, a tile 10 of increased length having a "coppo veneto" Venetian tile profile is depicted.
[0027] The cement mix tile according to the invention may therefore be coloured or not, and features a substantially rectangular plan of width a and length b, at least one of said width a and length b being greater than the corresponding European standard tile size equal to 33 cm in width and 42 cm in length.
[0028] The cement mix tile according to the present invention has a plan surface at least 20% greater than the plan surface of tiles according to the European standard.
[0029] The exemplified profile is purely indicative and the tile according to the invention may be further made in any one of the known profiles commonly indicated by trade names such as: "Doppia Romana" Double Roman, "Bold Roll", "Mission", "Onda Marina 1" Sea Wave 1, "Onda Marina 2" Sea Wave 2, "Francese" French, "Spagnola" Spanish, "Coppo Fiorentino" Florentine tile.
[0030] The tile of increased length features a length b of at least 51 cm, for all the indicated profiles, while it keeps the transversal dimension or width a unchanged (considered in plan).
[0031] The minimum measurement of length b of 51 cm allows for obtaining a significant reduction of the weight of the laid roofing per square meter of roofing with percentages varying from 7% to 15%, thanks to the fact that, depending on the profile used, the transversal overlapping areas between one tile and the next are reduced in the maximum slope direction of the roof. The weight reduction obviously corresponds to a lower expenditure in proportion to the prime material and transport.
[0032] A second favourable result is obtained while laying the roof, with the reduction in the number of pieces, with a lower required number of fixing laths, lesser need for manpower for positioning the tiles, less junctions per square meter, just to mention a few.
[0033] Referring to figures 15-17, three tiles are depicted according to a second embodiment of the invention, of increased length b, width a and profile p.
[0035] For exemplifying purposes, a "coppo veneto" Venetian tile 10'B, a bold roll tile 10'C and an "onda marina" Sea Wave tile 10'E, featuring the above-mentioned dimensions of a and b, and possibly a suitable profile to increase the resistance of the manufactured article, are depicted.
[0036] The roof obtained with the tiles of at least increased width and length has a weight per square meter covered lower than that obtained with standard cement mix tiles, in this case also with percentages varying from 7% to 15%.
[0037] Such overall reduction is not caused by the weight of the single tile, which is greater, but is caused by the lesser influence that both longitudinal and transversal overlappings have referring to square meters.
[0038] In fact, in the overlapping areas, the roofing weight is almost double since the thicknesses of the single tile are more or less constant and may not be reduced at will for resistance reasons.
[0040] The machines and/or production facilities must be adapted to the new dimensions in order to obtain the increased tile.
[0041] As such, the cement mix tile extruder is of a continuous or batch-wise feeding type and operates with sand, cement and water mixes (besides colour if requested) and is capable of extruding the increased tiles according to the invention by using aluminium alloy bottoms of a profile suitable and adequate for the aim that is sought after and the shape of the tile.
1. Coloured or uncoloured cement mix tile, featuring a substantially rectangular plan
of width (a) and length (b), characterised in that at least one of said width (a) and length (b) is greater than the corresponding European
standard tile size equal to 33 cm in width and 42 cm in length.
2. Cement mix tile according to claim 1, wherein the plan surface is at least 20% greater
than the plan surface of tiles according to the European standard.
3. Cement mix tile according to claim 1, wherein said length (b) is at least 50 cm with
the width (a) kept constant at 33 cm.
4. Cement mix tile according to claims 1 and 2, wherein both the width (a) and the length
(b) are greater than the dimensions of the European standard tile.
5. Cement mix tile according to claim 1, wherein said tile features a "Doppia Romana"
Double Roman, or "Coppo Veneto" Venetian tile, or Bold Roll, or Mission, or "Onda Marina 1" Sea Wave 1, or "Onda Marina 2" Sea Wave 2, or "Francese" French, or "Spagnola" Spanish, or "Coppo Fiorentino" Florentine tile, or "Piana" Flat tile profile with length (b) greater and equal to 50 cm.
6. Machine for the extrusion of a cement mix tile according to one of the previous claims,
characterised in that it features a cement mix tile extruder of a continuous or alternate feeding type
operating with at least sand, cement, water and possibly colour mixes, if requested,
arranged to extrude the increased tiles according to the invention by using aluminium
alloy bottoms of a profile suitable and adequate for the aim that is sought after
and the shape of the tile.