This invention relates in particular, but not exclusively, to a spacer for use as a tiling aid.

A burgeoning Do-It- Yourself (DIY) market means that an increasing number of people chose to improve their own homes. Often this improvement includes the laying of new wall or floor tiles.

The tiles come in differing polygonal shapes and sizes. In addition it is also possible to vary the arrangement of tiles relative to one another.

When arranging the tiles on a support surface it is necessary to provide a predetermined gap between adjacent tiles, i.e. a "tile side spacing", to allow for grouting therebetween.

The planar arrangement of a tile relative to a support surface is determined by the extent to which a tile adhesive between the tile and the support surface is compressed. Normally it requires a degree of skill on the part of a user to ensure that the tile adhesive is compressed evenly so that each tile in a series of tiles lies in the same plane.

As a result, it is also often desirable to provide a predetermined spacing between the rear of each tile and the support surface, i.e. a "tile back spcacing". This tile back spacing allows a user compress the adhesive between the tile and the support surface ^' until the tile is spaced from the support surface by the predetermined distance. This ensures that each tile is spaced from the support surface by the same distance and so lies in the same plane as each of the other tiles.

It is known from Patent Cooperation Treaty application number PCT/GB2004/002295 to use a spacer having a one piece body which includes both tile side spacers and tile back spacers.

The tile spacer includes a planar body divided by two or more ridges. The planar body defines respective tile back spacers and the ridges define respective tile side spacers. In use, the tile spacer is attached to the back of adjacent tiles using tile adhesive or other suitable adhesive.

It is necessary to apply an adhesive to each tile back spacer in order to attach the tile back spacers to the rear of respective tiles. This process is awkward and time- consuming, thereby extending the time required to lay tiles using such spacers.

Therefore it is a general aim of the invention to provide a spacer, for use as a tiling aid, which permits a user to quicldy and easily attach the spacer to the rear of a tile so as to space the tile from adjacent tiles as well as from a support surface.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a spacer, for use as a tiling aid for spacing wall or floor tiles from one another and from a support surface during laying on the support surface, the spacer comprising a one piece body including at least one tile side spacer adapted for positioning two or more tiles relative to one another, and at least two tile back spacers adapted for positioning two or more tiles relative to the support surface, a first tile back spacer being adapted for adhesive connection to the rear of one of the two or more tiles.

The inclusion of a single first tile back spacer adapted for adhesive connection to the rear of a tile means that a user need only affix the first tile back spacer, of each spacer he wishes to use, to the rear of a tile. This simplifies the affixing process and reduces the time required to lay a series of tiles.

Preferably the spacer includes at least three tile side spacers, each pair of adjacent tile side spacers being arranged at a predetermined angle to one another for seating engagement with the corner of a first of the two or more tiles, each tile side spacer defining an elongate gap between the first tile and a second adjacent tile, adjacent pairs of tile side spacers positionally locating the first and second tiles relative to one another along the gap.

The foregoing arrangement provides a convenient way of positionally spacing adjacent tiles relative to one another.

Optionally respective ends of each pair of adjacent tile side spacers are spaced from one another. Such spacing accommodates any irregularity in a tile corner, thereby permitting the uniform spacing of adjacent tiles.

Conveniently the spacer includes three tile side spacers and two tile back spacers.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the spacer includes four tile side spacers and four tile back spacers.

The foregoing features provide for the desired relative positional location of a plurality of tiles in a variety of typical geometric arrangements.

Preferably the spacer further indues a perforation at the centre thereof. The inclusion of a perforation reduces the volume of material required to manufacture the spacer, thereby saving material costs. In addition, the perforation helps to reduce the separation force when the spacer is manufactured by injection moulding. This decreases the likelihood of a spacer becoming damaged during removal from a mould and also allows for the moulding of more spacers per injection cycle.

Conveniently the first tile back spacer includes a carrier platform for supporting an adhesive, whereby the first tile back spacer is attachable to the rear of one of the two or more tiles.

Optionally the carrier platform includes at least one depth stop against which the back of a tile is locatable, thereby defining a predetermined spacing between the spacer and the rear of a tile.

The or each depth stop allows the carrier platform to accommodate a desired volume of adhesive, so as to ensure reliable adhesive connection to the rear of a

tile, while maintaining a predetermined spacing between the spacer and the rear of the tile.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention the carrier platform is imperforate. This helps to prevent the transmission of adhesive to a rear side of the spacer which may otherwise affect the predetermined spacing of a tile from a support surface.

Preferably the carrier platform defines a well for receiving the adhesive. The provision of a well provides an indication to a user as to where on the spacer he should apply the adhesive. The well also permits the metering of adhesive deposited therein. This helps to maintain the predetermined spacing between the spacer and the rear of a tile, which in turn helps to maintain the predetermined spacing of the tile from the support surface.

Optionally the or each other tile back spacer includes at least one window.

The inclusion of at least one window reduces the volume of material required to manufacture the spacer. It also reduces the separation force when the spacer is manufactured by injection moulding. A further advantage of having one or more windows in the or each other tile back spacer is that the or each window is able to accommodate any excess tile adhesive on the rear of a second tile which is coincident with the respective tile back spacer when the second tile is laid on top thereof. This prevents the excess tile adhesive affecting the spacing between the spacer and the second tile, thereby maintaining the predetermined spacing between the spacer and the tile and, in turn, the tile and the support surface.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a spacer, for use as a tiling aid for spacing wall or floor tiles from one another and from a support surface during laying on the support surface, the spacer comprising a one piece body including at least one tile back spacer having a carrier platform for supporting an adhesive, the carrier platform including at least one depth stop

against which the back of a tile is locatable, thereby defining a predetermined spacing between the spacer and the rear of a tile.

The or each depth stop allows the carrier platform to accommodate a desired volume of adhesive, so as to ensure reliable adhesive connection to the rear of a tile, while maintaining a predetermined spacing between the spacer and the rear of the tile.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a method of tiling comprising the steps of:

(i) affixing at least one spacer according to any of Claims 1 to 11 to the rear of a tile by applying an adhesive to the first tile back spacer of the or each spacer;

(ii) applying tile adhesive to the rear of the tile; and

(iii) affixing the rear of the tile to a support surface.

The need to apply an adhesive to only one first tile back spacer simplifies and speeds up process of laying a series of tiles that are evenly spaced from one another and from a support surface.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a method of tiling comprising the steps of:

(i) affixing at least one spacer according to any of Claims 12 to 14 to the rear of a tile by applying an adhesive to the carrier platform of the or each spacer;

(ii) applying tile adhesive to the rear of the tile; and

(iii) affixing the rear of the tile to a support surface.

Applying an adhesive to the carrier platform of the or each spacer simplifies the application of one or more spacers to a tile, thereby permitting an unskilled user to lay evenly spaced tiles quickly.

There now follows a brief description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, by way of non-limiting example, with reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view from above of a spacer according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 shows a perspective view from below of the spacer shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows a perspective view from above of another spacer according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 shows a perspective view from below of the spacer shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a second spacer according to another embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 6 shows a perspective view from below of the spacer shown in Figure 5.

A spacer according to a first embodiment of the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral 10.

The spacer 10 comprises a one piece, planar body 12 which includes a first, second, third and fourth tile side spacer 14, 16, 18, 20 and a first, second, third and fourth tile back spacer 22, 24, 26, 28. The first tile back spacer 22 is adapted for affixing to the rear of a tile using an adhesive.

In the embodiment shown, respective pairs of adjacent tile side spacers 14, 16, 18, 20 are arranged perpendicularly to one another. In other embodiments of the invention this angle may vary. For example, in a spacer having three tile side spacers the angle between respective pairs of adjacent tile side spacers may be 120°.

Each pair of adjacent tile side spacers 14, 16, 18, 20 seatingly engages with the comer of a respective tile. Each tile side spacer 14, 16, 18, 20 defines an elongate

gap between adjacent tiles, thereby spacing one tile from another. Adjacent pairs of tile side spacers 14, 16, 18, 20 positionally locate adjacent tiles relative to one another along the gap.

The planar body 12 has a predetermined thickness. This determines the thickness of each tile back spacer 22, 24, 26, 28 and in turn the spacing of each tile from the support surface.

The inner ends 30 of each tile side spacer 14, 16, 18, 20 are spaced from one another. This allows the spacer 10 to accommodate any irregularities in the shape of the corner of a tile.

The spacer 10 includes a perforation 32 at the centre thereof. The perforation helps to reduce the volume of material used in manufacturing the spacer 10.

The first tile back spacer 22 includes a carrier platform 34 for supporting an adhesive.

In the embodiment shown the carrier platform 34 includes a plurality of depth stops 36 in the foπn of elongate ribs 38. In other embodiments of the invention different forms of depth stop 36 are also possible. Adjacent ribs 38 define a channel 40 therebetween, each channel 40 being capable of receiving adhesive. In this way the carrier platform 34 is able to retain a desired volume of adhesive without the adhesive affecting the spacing of the spacer 10 from the rear of a tile.

The carrier platform 34 is imperforate which prevents the transmission of adhesive onto a rear side 42 (see Figure 2) of the spacer 10.

The carrier platform 34 defines a well 44 for receiving the adhesive. This provides and indication to a user where he should apply the adhesive as well as helping to meter to amount of adhesive required.

Each of the other three tile back spacers 24, 26, 28 includes a window 46. The windows 46 reduce the volume of material required to manufacture the spacer 10. They also reduce the moulding stresses when the spacer 10 is injection moulded from, e.g. a plastics material, thereby allowing for the production of more spacers 10 per injection cycle.

In addition, each window 46 is able to accommodate excess tile adhesive on the rear of a second tile which is coincident with the tile back spacer 24, 26, 28 when the second tile is laid on top thereof. This prevents the excess tile adhesive affecting the spacing between the spacer 10 and the second tile, thereby maintaining the predetermined spacing between the spacer 10 and the tile and, in turn, the tile and the support surface.

Each other tile back spacer 24, 26, 28 also includes a strut 48 which interconnects respective parrs of adjacent tile side spacers 14, 16, 18, 20. In use the strut 48 lies behind a respective tile thereby helping to retain the spacer 10 and tile in a desired position.

The spacer 10 may also include three tile side spacers 14, 16, 18 and two tile back spacers 22, 24, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

In use of the embodiments shown, a user applies a spreadable adhesive to the first, imperforate tile back spacer 22 of a spacer 10. One type of adhesive is or includes cyanoacrylate, although other types are also possible.

The user then affixes the spacer 10 to the rear of a corner of a tile by pressing the first tile back spacer 22 into contact with the back of the tile. This action causes the adhesive to spread along the channels 40 between the ribs 38 until the top of each rib 38 touches the back of the tile.

As necessary, the user affixes additional spacers 10 to the remaining corners of the tile in the same way. For example, when laying the first tile in an arrangement, a user may choose to affix a spacer 10 to each corner of the tile. When laying a

second tile in the arrangement the user may choose to affix a spacer 10 to just two adjacent comers of the tile. This is because the opposite corners of the second tile will be spaced from the first tile and the support surface by two of the spacers 10 already affixed to the first tile.

Following the affixing of a desired number of spacers 10 to the rear of a tile, the user then applies tile adhesive to the rear of the tile.

The user then affixes the rear of the tile to the support surface using the or each tile back spacer 22, 24, 26, 28 to space the tile evenly from the support surface. ■ When laying a subsequent tile the user repeats the above procedure and uses the tile side spacers 14, 16, 18, 20 on respective spacers 10 to space the subsequent tile from previously laid tiles.

Figures 5 and 6 show a second spacer 70 according to another embodiment of the invention. The second spacer 70 shares features with the aforementioned embodiments. These features are designated by the same reference numerals.

The second spacer 70 comprises a one piece planar body 12 which includes first and second tile side spacers 14, 16 and a single first tile back spacer 22.

The tile back spacer 22 includes a carrier platfoπn 34 for supporting an adhesive. The carrier platform 34 includes a plurality of depth stops 36 in the form of elongate ribs 38. Adjacent ribs 38 define a channel 40 therebetween, each channel 40 being capable of receiving adhesive. In this way the carrier platform 34 is able to retain a desired volume of adhesive without the adhesive affecting the spacing of the spacer 70 from the rear of a tile.

The carrier platfoπn 34 is imperforate and defines a well 44 for receiving the adhesive.

Other embodiments of the second spacer 70 may include additional tile back spacers 24, 26, 28.

In use of the second spacer 70, a user applies a spreadable adhesive to the imperforate carrier platform 34. The user then affixes the first spacing formation 14 to the rear of one corner of a tile by pressing the first tile back spacer 22 into contact with the back of the tile. As outlined above, this action causes the adhesive to spread along the channels 40 between the ribs 38 until the top of each rib 38 touches the back of the tile. The user may affix additional spacers 70 to other corners of the tile, as desired.

The user then applies tile adhesive to the rear of the tile and affixes the rear of the tile to a support surface, using respective tile back spacers 22, 24, 26, 28 to space the tile evenly from the support surface.