Field of the Invention

The present invention relates in general to tile assemblies and more particularly to a method of installing a plurality of tile assemblies on a planar surface.

Background of the Invention

Tiles are widely used on planar surfaces such as floors in household and commercial installations. Depending on the type of tile, they can be difficult to install since there are many prerequisite steps to ensure a rigid, dimensionally stable base. There are also post-installation steps that must be followed for applying grout between individual tiles laid on the planar surface. The result is that installation can be a lengthy and expensive undertaking. Moreover, tile assemblies laid in such a conventional manner are very difficult to remove if this should prove necessary from the point of view of redecoration or the like.

Typically, the installation of a new tile floor in a household kitchen would entail the following steps :

. Firstly, the existing floor, which could be vinyl tile or something comparable, must be removed; note that removing a traditional tile floor is particularly difficult since the tiles often have to be chiselled out one by one.

A new sub-floor, usually plywood, must be added to the original base floor and the new sub-floor must be securely and thoroughly fastened down for rigidity. Failure to do this could result subsequently in tiles being loosened or cracked, due to flexibility of the floor.

If the floor is of a non-floating type, one must mix and spread out a very thin layer of suitable adhesive, usually a form of cement known as "mud" and the tiles are then laid down in a regular pattern, spaced as evenly as possible and pressed gently into the adhesive.

After a suitable delay, sometimes a day or more, the adhesive is set and the tile is properly bonded.

Grout, a viscous gritty cement-like substance, is then mixed and applied over the floor to fill in the spaces between the tiles. Excessive grout is subsequently washed off with a sponge, a practice that may require many interactions.

After waiting a day or so for the grout to dry, the floor can then be used. The full installation process usually will require 2 to 3 days and any errors made by the installer will be evident.

Several problems stem from a typical tile installation as described above and many of these problems relate to the grout that is applied to fill the spaces between the tiles. Grout tends to get dirty and can be very difficult to clean. It also stains quite easily. Moreover, grout is usually not waterproof and moisture can seep through to the sub- floor which can cause rotting or like problems.

Since certain types of tiles, specifically ceramic tiles, inherently have size variations due to the firing of the ceramic, and it is necessary to have material to fill the spaces between the tiles. The usual choices for such filler such as grout, are based on the ease of application. The grout material must be easy to apply by an installer on site and yet be able to conform to fill the cracks or spaces between the tiles.

Summary of the Invention

One of the features of the present invention is to provide a system of installing tiles where the installation can be performed in fewer steps than those described above. In accordance with the present invention, an installer does not need to perform any messy steps such as preparing and then applying cement or grout to fill the cracks or spaces between the tiles after they have been installed on the sub-floor. This allows the average handyman to install floor tiles more easily and also allows professional tile installers to be more productive. This also results in less total elapsed time to install the system as the installer does not have to wait for the adhesive to dry before proceeding to the next step, nor does he have to perform multiple grouting, cleaning and drying steps.

By way of example, the invention is clearly realized in the preparation and installation of a floating tile floor where carrier bases that support the tiles need not be

adhesively secured to the sub-floor so that, if necessary, an individual tile, with its carrier base, can easily be replaced when damaged or when fashion dictates a change.

If the installation is of "floating" tiles, a tile assembly for such an installation incorporates, for example, a decorative ceramic tile securely bonded to a substrate or carrier base but the carrier itself is not bonded to the underlying sub-floor. The carrier bases, in the installation, can abut one another edge-to-edge or the carrier bases can be of a tongue and groove or similar arrangement whereby they interlock with one another. Even in this type of installation, the preparation and spreading of grout is still required to fill in the spaces between the decorative tiles which are on top of the carrier bases.

One advantage of a floating tile installation is that the sub-floor can flex without breaking the tiles or any rigid filler therebetween since each carrier base unit is not rigidly tied to the sub-floor. This renders the preparation much easier and allows tiles to be used in places that would not be considered with usual methods of installation.

Another significant advantage of a floating tile installation is that the carrier/tile units can be relatively easily removed and. replaced; and the units can then be re-used elsewhere if desired. This is particularly useful for commercial properties where the decor changes regularly, say to accommodate new tenants. Trimming of these carrier/tile units can be done using a diamond saw and may require pre-cutting of the gasket material.

The present invention is applicable to the mounting of normal tiles, such as ceramic tiles, with their inherent size variations, onto carrier bases which themselves are of a tightly controlled size. The carriers are then, easily installed using any number of techniques.

While the present invention is useful in several types of tile installation and/or material other than ceramic tiles, such as granite or other stone tiles, the following description is directed to a floating type floor incorporating tile assemblies that include ceramic surface tiles bonded to carrier bases. The carrier bases can be designed for several installation methods such as tongue and groove interconnection which allows the installation of the tile assemblies to be floating; adhesively secured

to a sub-floor; or fastened by stapling gun to a sub-floor. One form of carrier interconnection is a self-locking joint as shown for example in U.S. Patent 6,006,486. Another form of an interconnecting joint is to bond magnet strips on the edges of the caxrier bases, or complementary pairings of magnetic and magnetic strips, to achieve a secure interconnection with adjacent units.

This invention can be utilized for the installation of wall tiles as well as floor tiles, the only difference being that, for wall applications, the carriers cannot be floating but need to be secured to the wall using adhesive, stapling or some other method of securement. Many of the advantages of the invention are, however, retained.

A so-called bare installation may utilize carrier bases which are simply adhesively secured to the sub-floor.

Two further methods of detachably securing the carrier bases to the sub-floor are (a) through the use of magnetic means, for example where a thin magnetic or ferromagnetic layer such as a sheet of steel is applied on the sub-floor and a thin layer of magnet is bonded to each carrier base and is thereby held in place by magnetic force or (b) by using a system of hook-and-loop material in which the 'hook' or 'loop' side is laid on the floor and the complementary material is bonded to each carrier.

According to a broad aspect, the invention relates to a gasket comprising a malleable material for use in the process of installing a plurality of tiles on a planar surface, the gasket being applied to at least two edges of each tile prior to the installation thereof and having such a width that, wlxen the plurality of tiles are laid adj acent to one another, the gaskets will occupy spacing between substantially parallel edges of the tiles and form a desired profile between., those edges. Each of the malleable gaskets has a physical dimension determined by the gap between the edge of the tile and the adjacent edge of ^* the carrier base on which it is mounted plus a further width to provide a compression factor. In the case where a gasket abuts another gasket, the total width of the gasket material applied to the edges of abutting tile is slightly greater than the width of trie spacing between the tile edges so that when the plurality of tiles are laid there will be a compression factor between the surfaces of the gaskets abutting one another. This compression factor allows for

complete filling of the gap between adjacent tiles despite dimensional variances in manufacturing.

According to a further aspect, the present invention relates to a plurality of tile assemblies installed on a planar surface, each of the tile assemblies comprising a carrier base and at least one tile, secured on the upper surface thereof; means on the edges of the carrier bases providing interconnection between the carrier bases of the plurality of tile assemblies; the tiles having planar dimensions less than that of their associated carrier bases and providing gaps between the edges of the tiles when the carrier bases interconnect with one another; and. a malleable gasket applied to opposing edges of the tiles to occupy the gaps defined there between.

The malleable gasket material is preferably applied to the tile edges prior to the installation of the assemblies on the planar surface. However, other arrangements are also pos ^' sible; for example, the malleable gasket material could be pre- formed and mechanically inserted into the spacing between the tiles. According to a still further aspect, the present invention relates to a method of preparing a tile assembly for use in an installation of a planar, tile surface. The tile assembly comprises a carrier base, a tile having a length and width less than that of the carrier base and being securely bonded on the carrier base, and a gasket member on at least two edges of the tile. The method includes the steps of: a) preparing a mold having length and width dimensions corresponding to those of the carrier base; b) placing the carrier base with the tile thereon into the mold; and c) applying a malleable gasket on ftie edges of the tile where a gap is formed between the tile edges and the mold, the gasket being of sufficient dimension in width to fill the gap with an additional compression factor.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an end view of a conventionally laid tile arrangement;

Figure 2 illustrates one form of ^* tile assembly according to the present invention;

Figure 3 is an end view of a tile assembly of the floating type according to the present invention; Figure 3a is an enlarged view of the joint between the tile edges shown in

Figure 3;

Figures 4, 5 and 6 illustrate variations of the edge portions of the floating tile assembly shown in Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view of one design of a mold according to the present invention; and

Figures 8 and 9 illustrate edge details of the interaction between the desired profile of opposing mold edges and the juxtaposed edges of the tile assemblies.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is an end view of a conventionally laid tile arrangement indicated generally at 10. In preparing the surface for such a conventional installation, the previous, old surface flooring (not shown) must be removed and the existing/original sub-floor 12 must be cleaned up and cleared. An additional plywood sub-floor 14 is then, laid on top of the original sub-floor 12 and screwed or otherwise set down to provide a rigid planar surface for the installation of the tiles. A suitable adhesive or mud 16 is then applied to the surface of the plywood sub floor 14 and the tiles 18 are laid down in a predetermined pattern. After the mud 16 has dried the gaps 20 between the tiles 18 is filled with grout 21 and this must be washed several times to provide a clean, finished surface. After the grout 21 has dried then the floor can be used. As described earlier, the present specification is directed to an example of the present invention being used with tile assemblies in a floating floor installation. The tile assemblies 22 as shown in Figure 2 include a carrier base 24 which is dimensionally stable and a ceramic tile 26 is securely bonded by suitable adhesive 31 to the upper surface of the carrier base 24. Figure 3 illustrates a pair of carrier bases in a floating arrangement on a subfloor.

As illustrated in Figure 2, a tile assembly illustrated generally at 22 prepared in accordance with the present invention includes a dimensionally stable carrier base 24 with a ceramic tile 26 securely bonded to the upper surface of the carrier base 24. The carrier base maybe machined on at least two edges to provide the desired interlocking edges whereby the carrier base can be interconnected to an adjacent base. However, in the illustrated example, the tile assembly 22 includes a carrier base 24 having separate interlocking edge members 28 and 30 which are securely bonded to the edges of the carrier base 24 by sxiitable adhesive 33.

Located on at least two edges of the tile 26 on the upper surfaces of the edge members 28 and 30 are gaskets 32 and 34 which consist of a malleable material for use in the process of installing a plurality of the tiles on a planar surface. As will be described hereafter, gaskets 32 and 34 would be applied to at least two edges of each tile 26 prior to the installation thereof so that when a plurality of tiles are laid adjacent to one another the gaskets will occupy spacing (such as 36 in Figure 3) that exists between the substantially parallel edges of the tiles 26. The gaskets 32 and 34 will thereafter form a desired profile between those edges. As shown in the enlarged view, Figure 3a, the width of each of the gaskets 32 and 34 as applied to the edges of the tiles is slightly greater than half the width of the spacing 36 between the tile edges so that when the plurality of tiles are laid there will be a compression factor between the surfaces of the gaskets such as 32 and 34 that abut one another.

Figure 3 also illustrates the tile assemblies 22 interlocked together by means of their edges 28 and 30 with the malleable gaskets 32 and 34 being accommodated in the spacing between the edges of the tiles 26. The tile assemblies are laid on a subfloor 38 in a floating arrangement. Figures 4, 5 and 6 show several variations in profiles of edge pieces 30a, 30b and 30c that can be used in the manufacture of the tile assemblies and secured to the edges of their associated carrier bases 24a, 24b and 24c respectively.

Turning to Figures 7, 8 and 9, Figure 7 illustrates one design of the mold illustrated generally at 40 and having, as an example, three fixed parts 42, 44 and 46 and one movable part 48. Collectively, these parts define a space 50 for a base carrier 24, not shown, and each of the parts of the mold carries a profiled edge such as 52 and

54, Figures 8 and 9. The bottom surface of the mold 40 is sized to mate with the dimensions of a carrier base 24 and the upper area of the mold as defined by the profiles 56 and 58 of the edges 52 and 54 accommodate the physical size of the malleable gaskets 32 and 34 which are applied at the edges of the tiles 26 when placed in the mold as shown in Figures 8 and 9.

The carrier bases 24 could be fabricated out of any suitable synthetic or non- synthetic material that has the desired levels of rigidity and durability. This could include, for example, moulded plastics, MDF (medium density fibreboard) and composite fibre/resin materials using new and/or recycled materials. For low volume production, the malleable gaskets 32, 34 could be silicone caulking, one such example being GE Silicone I caulking which is widely available In multiple colours. However, any thermoplastic or thermoset polymer, natural or synthetic, could be used provided it has properties appropriate to the installation with respect to flexibility, manufacturability, stain resistance and water resistance. Silicone rubbers and quick-setting two-part epoxy compounds, for example, would b e suitable in certain applications.

A petroleum jelly or the like is applied to the mold surface to allow the malleable gasket to easily separate from the mold itself and, if not already done, the ceramic tile is adhesively secured on the upper surface of the carrier base, one corner of the tile engaging the wall of the mold. This leaves a gap at two edges of the tile where the malleable gasket will be applied.

The malleable gasket is then injected or laid into the gaps. This can either be applied automatically or, for low volume production, it will be sufficient to use some form of caulking gun. The assembly is left to cure and is subsequently removed from the mold.

It will be noted that for a two-edge application described above where the edge of the malleable gasket will butt against a tile edge, the gasket will naturally form a meniscus profile that has a grout-like appearance. In cases of a four-edge application where the malleable gasket will butt against another gasket edge, it will appear to have a ridge in the middle of the gasket line and to make this more grout- like, the mold can be modified so that each gasket edge has half of the correct profile.

One example of tolerance calculations that may be used in the production of the above described tile assemblies is as follows:

Assume 12" x 12" square units (tiles would be 11 ³ / ₄ " x 11 ³ A") ' grout' line is ¹ A" (or 0.25") wide - ISO 13006 specifies tile dimensions to be ± 0.6%, so 11 %" has tolerance of ± 0.07"

Each half-gasket is half of the grout line, or 0.125" nominal Each side has half of the tolerance of the tile, or 0.035" Add 0.005" for compression - Width of the half-gasket is therefore 0.130 ± 0.035"

Compression range 0.005/(0.130-0.035) to 0.005/(0.130+0.035) (1:19 to 1:33, or 3%-5% compression of the gasket)

Similarly, full-gasket width with 0.005" is 0.255 i 0.070, or 1.5%-2.7% compression While the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof and in a specific use, various modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

For example, the tiles described herein could be of any size or geometric shape including polygons such as triangles, hexagons and octagons, and parallelograms such as squares and rectangles. Clearly, different geometric shapes would be provided with different arrangements of manufactured gaskets. A set of triangular tiles, for example, might be provided with two gasket arrangements: half of the tiles being provided with gaskets on two edges, and half of the tiles being provided with a gasket on only one edge.

As well, all of the materials used in the system would have to comply with the requirements of local building standards and codes. Such requirements would ^" be known to one skilled in the art.

The terms and expressions which have been employed in this specification are used as terms of description and not of limitations, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions to exclude any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claims.