TILE SPACER

Technical Field of the invention

The present invention concerns tile spacer that is a device able to maintain to the right distance and to level tiles while these are laid down on a layer of adhesive paste. The tiles can be of marble, stone, ceramics, china or of any other material. State of the art.

In order to lay down a floor an adhesive substrate is prepared on the surface to be covered. In order to level the surface a concrete adhesive substrate is spread, on it the tiles are laid down, they can be of marble, stone, ceramics or china, to position the tiles to the right distance and in order that such distance is always the same spacers are used. In GB 2179685 a spacer for tiles is described. The spacer described in GB 2179685 allows to arrange tiles at the same distance, but it does not allow to level the floor. Eventual differences of level between a tile and the other must be perceived from the operator and he must possess a remarkable experience to be able to recuperate the unevenness between one tile and the other.

Moreover, the tiles, being only put close one to the other, can assume relative movements during the phase of wetting and anyway before that the adhesive glues the tiles.

Another spacer is described in US 5363560, such spacer has also the function to level the floor, In this patent the spacer is provided of a plate that can have a rough surface in order to increase the gluing force of the adhesive, said spacer

has on the upper surface of the plate a structure with the shape of a cross that keeps the tiles to a distance equal to the thickness of the cross. The plate has the function to level tiles, but also in this case the tiles are free to move and the spacer does not assure that once that the tiles are put in the correct position they maintain it also in the following phases.

Advantages of the invention

The main scope of the present invention is to overcome the difficulties present in the state of the art.

The difficulties present in the state of the art are overcome through the realization of a device able to maintain to the right distance and to level tiles constituted from a plate on which at the centre spacing fins disposed in the form of a cross are present, characterized by the fact that at the centre of the plate is present a threaded pin with a breach point at the base on which an element provided on its axis of a threaded hole screws, that said element, when it is screwed on the threaded pin, tightens adjacent tiles between said element and said plate.

The advantage of the device object of the present invention is to permit a fast positioning of tiles, to put them to the right distance and to the same level and, once this is made, to fasten them in this position without allowing relative movements between one tile and the other.

Another characteristic is given by the fact that the element that screws on the threaded pin is provided of one or more parts that protrude from the part that contains the threaded hole.

Another characteristic is given by the fact that the part that protrudes from the part that contains the threaded hole has the shape of a bell. The protruding part or parts allow to leave inside a cavity, this cavity allows to have a better flow of the liquids on all the surface that must be covered. Another characteristic is given by the fact that the point of breach present at the foot of the threaded pin is realized with the shape of a groove. The weakening through a groove allows an easier breach of the threaded pin before carrying out the grout.

Another characteristic is given by the fact that the element presents protruding elements in order to facilitate screwing of said element on the threaded pin. Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear clear from the following description of some embodiments of the invention given as non- limiting examples in figures 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. A brief description of the figures

Figure 1 represents a view from above of the plate of the device to maintain to the right distance and to level tiles object of the present invention. Figure 2 represents a lateral view of the plate of the device to maintain to the right distance and to level tiles object of the present invention. Figure 3 represents a view from above of the element to block tiles on the slab of the device to maintain to the right distance and to level tiles object of the present invention.

Figure 4 represents one section of the element blocking the tiles on the plate of the device to maintain to the right distance and to level tiles object of the

present invention. Figure 5 represents a view from above of the to maintain to the right distance and to level tiles object of the present invention.

Figure 6 represents one section of the device to maintain to the right distance and to level tiles object of the present invention.

Detailed description of preferred embodiment of the invention.

A preferred embodiment of the device to maintain to the right distance and to level tiles object of the present invention is represented in figures 1 , 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. With reference to figures 1 and 2, on a plate (1) of thin thickness, inferior to the thickness of the tile, for example a third part of its thickness, four spacing fins (2) are cross disposed, they extend perpendicularly from the centre of the plate (1).

The spacing fins (2) are of various thickness to be able to allow laying down of spaced tiles with spacings of various widths. The plate (1) and the spacing fins

(2) at the centre present a threaded pin (3). The threaded pin (3) has at the base a groove (4) that represents its point of breach.

With reference to figures 3 and 4, on the threaded pin (3) an element (5) screws, said element is provided on its axis of a threaded hole (6) that screws on threaded pin (3), such element may have a part or more parts (8) that protrude from the part of the element (5) that contains the threaded hole (6).

The element (5) can.be realized in the shape of a bell and can therefore present a single part (8) that protrudes from the part that contains the threaded hole (6).

In order to facilitate the screwing operation the element (5) is equipped of

protruding elements (7) that help gripping, the protruding elements can have a round shape but they can have whichever other shape.

The device to maintain to the right distance and to level tiles according to the present invention is used in the following way (see Fig. 5 and 6), an adhesive layer is spread, in the usual way not shown in figure, on the surface to be covered, on said adhesive layer is arranged a plate (1) with spacing fins (2) of the desired thickness every four tiles (9), placing these to tightened contact with spacing fins (2), for every four tiles (9), the elements (5) are screwed on the plate (1), tightening them, the part or the parts (8) tighten the tiles (9) between themselves and the plates (1), in this way the tiles will remain positioned to the right distance and the right level.

The layer of adhesive is bathed, waiting that it dries up itself in order to allow the adhesion of tiles with the floor surface to be covered. The elements (5) are unscrewed and the threaded pins (3) are broken in their point of breach (4) in order to be removed.

The grout of the desired colour is spread on the floor in order to fill up the spaces between one tile and the other.

This invention is not limited to the representation given by the figures but can be perfected and modified by men expert in the art without altering the aim of the patent.

This invention has numerous advantages and will permit to overcome problems which could not be achieved by heating systems on the market today.