The present disclosure relates to a levelling system for laying tiles, floor tiles and like with the interposition of gaps and a method of levelling tiles or floor elements using such a levelling system.
Document
The laying of tiles and coverings composed of tiles or more generally floor elements such as floor tiles, slabs of medium or large size with reduced or lowered thickness, wooden boards or such typically requires levelling the tiles or floor elements and ideally equally spacing the tiles in order to provide the regular gaps therebetween. Levelling systems are known for laying tiles, floor tiles and the like which are constituted by a base, to be arranged below two laterally adjacent tiles; optionally some spacing protrusions, extending from such base in order to define the width of the gaps and in fact define the abutments for the edges of the tiles.
By arranging for example two levelling spacers at each side of a tile, preferably proximate to each corner, one obtains for such tile the desired planarity, and at the same time correct placement is sought with respect to the tiles that surround it and also are laid with other identical levelling spacers.
A flat tab protrudes from the base of the levelling spacer, is extended so as to exit from the channel defined between the tiles in order to provide the gap, and is provided with an opening for insertion of a tile locking wedge between the surface of the tile and the upper edge of the opening.
Such wedge-type locking system has two functions: locking the edges of the laterally adjacent tiles between such wedge and the base of the levelling spacer, ensuring co-planner arrangement during the laying of the tiles, removing the tabs of the respective bases for the provision of the gaps by striking the wedge in the direction of insertion in the window of such tab.
Another similar levelling spacer has a toothed strap-like tab that extends from the base with spacers and is preset to be inserted in a locking body, which in turn is adapted to be pressed so as to straddle the two laterally adjacent edges of the nearby tiles.
Yet another similar levelling spacer comprises a base to be positioned under adjacent tiles and with stem provided extending between both tiles, wherein the stem comprises a threaded outer surface. The levelling system further comprises a pressure member made of a tubular body with an internal thread configured to cooperate with the thread on the stem and allowing turning the pressure body towards the base and hence adjusting the plane of the tile by pressing the tile down on the base with the pressure member.
Such known levelling systems, although widely used, have some important drawbacks, such as damaging the upper surface of tiles, due to the rotation or sliding of the pressure body on the tile when levelling the tile, time consuming removal of the pressure body from the stem in case of a rotational pressure which discourages reuse of the pressure body and increases cost of the levelling system.
It follows that there remains a market need for user friendly, preferably ecological and in particular fool proof levelling systems that can be applied for levelling tiles or other floor elements without the risk of damaging the visible upper surface of the tiles or floor elements.
The present invention addresses the above market need by providing a levelling system for laying tiles or floor elements in a desired plane XY, comprising:
The present invention also aims at a method of levelling tiles, the method comprising the steps of
The present invention is defined in the appended independent claims. Preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.
According to the present invention, the first engagement member comprises a series of superposed barbs slantingly extending from the stem in a direction of plane A, the barbs defining free end portions.
The second engagement member comprises a thread configured to engage with free end portions of the series of superposed barbs, allowing adjusting the position of the pressure element in a longitudinal direction Z.
The levelling system according to the present invention preferably has a stem that has a maximum diameter/dimension measured in the XY plane that is smaller than largest dimension of the slot of the pressure member.
The barb or barbs used as the first or second engagement members are flexible allowing movement of the pressure adjustment member over the stem in a direction to the pre-weakened point without or with limited rotation of the pressure adjustment member.
The stem may comprise a spacer portion positioned proximate to the base, said spacer portion having a thickness corresponding to a desired gap between two adjacent tiles or floor elements.
The base and/or stem are preferably manufactured in a bio-degradable or recyclable material.
A preferred embodiment of the levelling system according to the present invention will be disclosed below with reference to the appended drawings, illustrated as a non-limiting example of the present invention, wherein:
The base 2 in this case comprises two slightly wedged portions designed to be positioned under two adjacent tiles or floor elements substantially in a plane A, while the stem 3 comprises a lower portion 6 with which it is fixed to the base, said fixation comprising a pre-weakened zone 7 such as a score line or a thin film zone allowing breaking the stem off from the base. The lower portion 6 in this case is made from a relative thin plate like section, having a thickness in a range of 1 to 2 mm (corresponding to the typical dimensions of a gap between two adjacent tiles or floor elements). The stem further comprises a functional portion 8 distal from the base, where in this case the thickness of the stem is substantially larger than at the lower portion and may typically range between 4 and 10 mm. This functional zone comprises a first engagement member 9 that in this case comprises two series of superimposed barbs 9', each provided at an opposed side of the stem. The barbs are directed slantingly downward towards with free end portions facing or directed towards plane A. The barbs are made flexible such that the free end portions thereof can flex towards the stem which corresponds to a slight compression of the barbs in view of the longitudinal direction.
The width W1 of the functional portion preferably exceeds the width W2 of the lower portion of the stem 3.
The pressure member 4 comprises a tubular body defining an inner slot 10 configured to slide over the stem 2 in the longitudinal direction Z, the slot 10 defining guiding means 10' mating with the stem, thereby preventing rotation of the pressure member 4 around the stem 2. The pressure member further comprises a pressure surface 11 that in an assembled state of the levelling system extends in a plane parallel to an XY-plane corresponding to the plane wherein the visible surface of the tiles or floor elements to be levelled extend and that faces the base when the pressure member is positioned over the stem.
The inner slot 10 of the pressure member is dimensioned to allow sliding the pressure member over both the functional portion and the lower portion of the stem without allowing substantive translation of the pressure member.
The pressure adjustment member 5 comprises a tubular body having at least one a inwardly directed second engagement member 12 configured to engage with the first engagement 9 member on the stem.
In the illustrated embodiment, the second engagement member 12 comprises a thread a the inner surface of the tubular body of the pressure adjustment member 5, whereby the inner diameter of the thread is just smaller than the distance between the free end portions of both opposed series of barbs on the stem (measured in a plane parallel to the XY plane), thereby allowing engagement of the thread with the free end portions of the barbs and hence preventing the pressure adjustment member from sliding upwards, in a direction Z and away from the base when applied on the stem.
Preferably at least the stem and the base of the levelling system are made of a recyclable material and/or a biodegradable polymer such as biodegradable polycondensates, in particular a biodegradable poly(lactic acid) which is defined herein as a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester derived from renewable resources, such as corn starch, cassava roots, chips or starch, or sugarcane. Clearly, also the pressure member and pressure adjustment member may be manufactured in such materials.
In some cases, it may be desired to manufacture the base and stem in different materials. An example of a stem and base manufactured in different materials, is a base made in a polyolefinic material such as polypropylene, a polyester such as PA6 or PLA; block co-polymers such as ABS or admixtures thereof that are known to have a relatively long life-time (more than ten years) similar to or even longer than the average life-time of floor tiles, whereas the stem can be made of a biodegradable and/or recyclable material, allowing break-down thereof in a couple of months or even weeks when placed in appropriate biodegradation conditions such as in warm (+20°C) and humid conditions typically found in a compost heap. Such embodiment allows for using the levelling system of the invention whereby the base remains present under the tiles for an extended period of time, preferably during the entire life-time of the tiles, while the stem can be easily disposed off. When manufacturing the base and stem in different materials, it is preferred that both materials can be either welded together to achieve the fixation between both parts or co-injection moulded, in case both parts can not be welded or co-injection moulded together, mechanical attachment means or gluing can be applied.
Turning now to the
In a first step, the base of the system is positioned on a support surface, with the stem extending in an upright position (upright here indicating that the stem faces away from the support surface, which for a wall might be horizontally), with the wedged portions of the base positioned under two adjacent tiles (the base is thus extending between the support surface and a lower surface of the tiles).
Once in position the pressure member is applied over the free end of the stem, followed by the pressure adjustment member. As the barbs are made flexible, both members are pressed downward towards the base until the pressure surface of the pressure member abuts the visible upper surface of at least one of the tiles as is illustrated in
Next both tiles can be accurately levelled by turning the pressure adjustment member, thereby forcing the pressure member down over the stem and adjusting the tiles by a clamping action between base and pressure surface of the levelling system. As the pressure member is blocked from rotation over the stem, the pressure surface does not move or slide in a direction in the XY plane over the surface of the tiles, thereby preventing damaging the tiles especially when small particles of dirt might be present on the tile surfaces.
When both tiles are levelled in the XY plane, the tiles can be fixed in place either by a mechanical fixation or by waiting until an adhesive applied between the support surface and tiles cures. Once the fixation of the tiles is sufficiently secured, the stem can be broken off from the base of the levelling system, by applying a force on the stem, eg by kicking on it or knocking it over with a hammer.
Finally, the pressure member and pressure adjustment member can both be removed from the stem by a sliding motion towards the end of the stem broken free from the base. As the barbs are made flexible, such removal of the pressure adjustment member does not require rotation thereof versus the base, but a simple and fast sliding action suffices.
Both the pressure body and pressure adjustment body can be re-used with a new stem and base assembly.
This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.