WO2018052331A1

WO2018052331A1 - Tile-levelling system

Info

Publication number: WO2018052331A1
Application number: PCT/RS2016/000014
Authority: WO
Inventors: Aleksandar JELIĆ; Ivo Ivanović
Original assignee: Jelic Aleksandar
Priority date: 2016-09-16
Filing date: 2016-12-08
Publication date: 2018-03-22
Also published as: RS20160775A1; RS59587B1

Abstract

The tile levelling system of the present invention enables the tiling of floors, walls and ceilings so that the resulting surface is completely flat and lippage free, with the installation process simpler, faster and more precise than before. The system (1) comprises a base plate (2) with a vertical member (3) which has a rectangular opening (4) perpendicular to the base plate (2), and two opposite longitudinal grooves (5) which are v-shaped in cross section, placed below the rectangular opening (4) on the vertical member (3). The upper surface (6) of the base plate (2) is flat. The lower surface (7) of the base plate (2) is corrugated with parallel ridges (8). Between these ridges (8) are grooves which ensure better adhesion of either adhesive or aggregate to the very base plate (2), thus making the entire construction stronger.

Description

TILE-LEVELLING SYSTEM

Field of the invention

The invention concerns a system for levelling flat surfaces and is included in the equipment for finishing works in construction, particularly the installation of wall and ceiling tiles and panels. Its IPC symbol is E04F 21/18 (2015.01).

Technical problem

The technical problem being solved by this invention is how to construct a tile levelling system which would ensure that tiles on floors, walls and ceilings are laid in such a manner that the resulting surface covered in tiles is completely flat and lippage-free, and the installation process made simpler, faster and more precise than before, regardless of tilesetters' prior experience.

Prior art

Floor, wall and ceiling tiles are nowadays widely used in business facilities and homes alike. Owing to numerous advantages such as durability and ease of maintenance, tiles are usually the first choice for flooring rooms such as kitchens and home bathrooms, rental suites, and establishments such as bakeries and dairies. Various available tile shapes, sizes and colours enable architects and interior decorators to create impressive combinations for interior design. However, one shouldn't disregard the use of special types of tiles in exterior either.

For these reasons it is necessary to ensure the possibility of tiling as great a surface as possible while saving both time and money, but it is also important that they be level relative to each other so that the resulting surface is monolithic. The subsurface beneath the tiles is typically not perfectly flat which leads to the lippage of the resulting surface, i.e. the resulting surface may be slightly wavy or uneven in any other way, for the applied adhesive cannot compensate for the excessively rough subsurface. More experienced tilesetters are able to overcome this issue through a careful manual adjustment, but it is a time-consuming process, especially when large surfaces are to be tiled, which decreases efficiency and increases working time. Additionally, if tiles are not levelled relative to each other, some of them can stick out and gradually come loose or fall off, or, in case of floor tiles, a person walking over them can stumble and fall.

Another issue that needs to be dealt with is keeping the gaps between the tiles, i.e. grout lines equally wide.

In order to overcome these problems, special tile-levelling systems have been introduced. They support two adjacent tiles from underneath, thus aligning them. There are several prior art examples of such systems such as those described in the following patent documents: WO 2013149166 A1 , WO 2015051768 A1 , CN 204510756 U, TWM 456396 U and US 2008236094 A1. However, none of the described systems solves the above-mentioned issues in entirety.

For instance, the alignment and levelling system described in WO 2013149166 A1 contains a flexible member, bottom plate and a spacing element. The spacing element keeps the flexible element and the bottom plate at a predetermined vertical distance. The flexible element has a first end and a second end, the first end being pivotally connected to the spacing element, which allows the flexible element to pivot between a first and a second position in which the second element exerts downward force on the tile allowing it to level as it is secured to the subsurface. However, despite this system offers certain advantages such as the higher speed of tiling process, its construction is overly complex, which greatly complicates its production process and thus increases its price. Furthermore, such system is easily damaged in storage or transport, becoming unusable.

The tile-levelling system described in US 2008236094 A1 , which is the most similar piece of prior art to the present invention, includes a main member, then a first section extending transversely from the main member and receiving a first tile, and a second section extending transversely from the main member in a direction opposite the first section for receiving a second tile. There is also a wedge-shaped element for penetrating an opening on the main member and exerting force on the tiles to align them. Despite its simpler construction in comparison to the previously described system, this device has its downsides too. They are primarily reflected in the shape of the first and second sections whose aim is to receive tiles. Being curved, they do not ensure proper adherence of tiles. The same applies to the shape of the vertical part of the main member, which is not shaped economically, so a tile-setter cannot take a firm hold of it without putting in a certain amount of effort, which inevitably leads to fatigue and a decline in productivity.

Owing to all these, there is still the need for designing a levelling system which would solve the above-mentioned technical issue.

Summary of the invention

The above-mentioned technical problem is solved by a tile levelling system comprising a base plate with a perpendicular vertical member which has a rectangular opening and two opposite longitudinal grooves which are v-shaped in cross section. The grooves are placed below the rectangular opening. The upper surface of the base plate is flat, same as in the systems from prior art. However, unlike them, the lower surface of the base plate is corrugated with parallel ridges. Between these ridges are grooves which ensure better adhesion of either adhesive or aggregate to the very base plate, thus making the overall construction stronger. Unlike the previous systems, this construction greatly prevents base plate deformation. Incompletely cured adhesive will adhere better to the system due to its greater surface and the geometry of the grooves. This system enables a faster tile-setting process, for it decreases its duration by 20% while simultaneously ensuring the same firmness and shorter curing time than the existing systems.

Another advantage of the grooves on the bottom side of the base plate is the buoyancy created between the adhesive and the surface of the base plate. In other words, the geometry of the base plate allows for the system to "float" on fresh adhesive or aggregate, and for its controlled immersion into the subsurface, which greatly facilitates the entire process of tile-setting in comparison to the existing systems.

Thirdly, the contact surface between the bottom part of the levelling system and the adhesive is increased, resulting in firmer adhesion.

The fourth advantage of this system is that the grooves on the bottom side allow the adhesive to flow. The aforementioned advantages are all the more pronounced when the ridges on the bottom side have a semi-circular shape. The bottom surface of the base plate should have at least 2 ridges defined, but the best results are achieved with 15 ridges. Having the ridges at right angles to the plane of the vertical member has also proven useful.

In a further embodiment it is desirable to define an oval part on the top part of the vertical member, preferably thicker than the part of said member underneath it. In yet another embodiment, a shallow dent is defined on each opposite side of the oval part. It is even more desirable to define two opposite longitudinal ridges on the oval part, just above the rectangular opening. The ridges are particularly useful when they are rounded in cross-section (e.g. semicircular), with their frontal ends filleted.

A vertical member defined like this differs from the ones in existing systems in a way that its rounded (e.g. semi-circular) ridges facilitate the process of pushing the wedge through the opening. The majority of solutions known from prior art require the use of additional tools (e.g. TWM 456396 U). It is not the case with the present invention, which allows the wedge to be manually pushed through the opening using the additional surface on the system. This invention enables tile-setters to use their own fingers as support, which is impossible with the existing systems (e.g. US 2008236094 A1). Also, the very upper surface of the system, i.e. its vertical member is constructed to fit the hand's anatomy, making it easier for tilesetters to use the device.

Additionally, the present invention has an improved vertical member geometry. It is made narrower in relation to the system's upper surface, making it possible to install a larger number of systems per unit area than it is possible with the existing systems. Brief description of the drawings

An exemplary embodiment levelling system is described below in detail and shown in the accompanying figures:

Figure 1 is a front view of an exemplary embodiment system of the present invention,

Figure 2 is a view of an exemplary embodiment system of the present invention in the A-A cross section from Figure 1 ,

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail B from Figure 2,

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail C from Figure 1 ,

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail D from Figure 2,

Figure 6 is a horizontal projection of an exemplary embodiment system,

Figure 7 is an axonometric projection of an upside-down exemplary embodiment system of the present invention,

Figure 8 is an axonometric projection of an exemplary embodiment system of the present invention.

Detailed description of the invention

As can be seen in the drawings, particularly in Figures 6 and 7, the tile-levelling system 1 contains a base plate 2 on which is set a vertical member 3. A rectangular opening 4 defined on the vertical member 3 to accommodate a wedge 14. A longitudinal groove 5 is defined on either side of the vertical member 3. The creation of a breakaway section between the conical grooves 5 eliminates the effect of plastic swirl and prevents the tearing of polymer threads during the casting procedure. The longitudinal grooves 5 represent a weak point whose task is to facilitate the snapping of the vertical member 3 when needed, and they are defined below the rectangular opening 4 on the vertical member 3. Additionally, the longitudinal grooves 5 on the vertical member 3 are defined away from the upper surface 6 of the base plate 2 so that they will be within the thickness of the tile laid on the system 1. It means that the longitudinal grooves 5 will be above the lower tile line once they are laid on the system 1. When the wedge 14 is slid into the opening 4, it will push the tiles to the upper surface 6 of the system 1 and level them, whereupon the grooves 5 will be above the adhesive or aggregate, which will ensure the clean snapping of the vertical member 3 from the base plate 2.

As can be seen in the drawings, when viewed from above, the base plate 2 has a roughly octagonal shape with two opposite U-shaped notches whose axis of symmetry is perpendicular to the plane in which the vertical member 3 is situated. Next, the upper surface 6 of the base plate 2 is flat, which is similar to the solutions known from prior art. However, the lower surface 7 of the base plate 2 is not flat; it is rugged with mutually parallel ridges 8 defined, whose aim is described above in detail.

From the standpoint of production and reliability, it has been shown that the best shape for the ridges 8 on the bottom surface 7 of the base plate 2 is a semi-circle in cross- section. In order to achieve the desired functionality, at least 2 and preferably 15 ridges 8 should be defined on the bottom surface of the base plate. It is also desirable that the ridges 8 on the bottom surface 7 of the base plate 2 be defined at right angles to the vertical member 2 of the system 1.

To ensure a better grip of the system 1 of the present invention, an oval part 9 is defined on the upper part of the vertical member 2 of the system. The oval part 9 is thicker than the part of the vertical member 2 below it. Additionally, a shallow dent 11 is defined on each opposite side 10 of the oval part, which allows for a better grip of the system 1 during use. An even firmer grip of the system 1 is achieved when two opposite longitudinal ridges 12 are defined above the rectangular opening 4 on the oval part 9 of the system's 1 vertical member 2. The ridges 12 are particularly useful when their cross- section is rounded, especially when it is semi-circular. It is also desired that the frontal ends 13 of the ridges 12 be filleted. Tiles are laid using the levelling system 1 of the present invention in the following way: the first step is to apply a layer of adhesive or aggregate to the subsurface and then to position the system 1 of the present invention. A tile is placed on each side of the lower surface 7 of the system, and then the system 1 is fixed using the plastic wedge 14, manually or by using an appropriate tool.

The longitudinal ridges 12 allow for a faster installation of tiles, for when the system 1 is gripped by the semicircular longitudinal ridges 12, the wedge 14 can be slid into the system 1. The procedure is repeated until the entire floor is lippage-free. This allows the floor to act like a single panel and simplifies the tile-setting process, especially facilitating a fine adjustment of floor angles.

Claims

1. A tile levelling system comprising a base plate (2) on which a vertical member is set (3), with a rectangular opening (4) and two opposite longitudinal grooves (5) defined under the rectangular opening (4) on the vertical member (3), wherein the upper surface (6) of the base plate (2) is flat, wherein the lower surface (7) of the base plate (2) is ruffled by mutually parallel ridges (8).

2. The tile-levelling system of claim 1 , wherein the ridges (8) on the lower surface (7) of the base plate (2) have a semicircular cross-section.

3. The tile-levelling system of claims 1 and 2, wherein the lower surface (7) of the base plate (2) has 15 ridges defined.

4. The tile-levelling system of any claim, wherein the ridges on the lower surface (7) of the base plate (2) are perpendicular to the plane of the vertical member (2) of the levelling system (1).

5. The tile-levelling system of any claim, wherein the upper part of the vertical

member (2) of the system (1 ) has a defined oval part (9).

6. The tile-levelling system of any claim, wherein the oval part (9) is thicker than the part of said member (2) underneath it.

7. The tile-levelling system of claims 5 to 6, wherein each of the opposite sides (10) of the oval part (9) are defined with a shallow dent (11 ).

8. The tile-levelling system of claims 5 to 7, wherein the oval part (9) of the vertical member (2) of the system (1) above the rectangular opening (4) has two opposite longitudinal ridges (12) defined.

9. The tile-levelling system of claim 8, wherein the two opposite longitudinal ridges (12) are rounded in cross-section.

10. The tile-levelling system of claims 8 to 9, wherein the frontal ends (13) of the longitudinal ridges (12) are filleted.