HK1118587B - Device for laying and leveling tile - Google Patents

Description

Device for laying and leveling tiles

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application serial No. 10/906,478 filed on 22.2.2005, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of laying and leveling tiles and slabs. More specifically, the present invention relates to a device for aligning and leveling adjacent tiles as they are laid on floors, walls, countertops, and the like.

Background

Ceramic tiles have become common decorative and functional articles for floors, walls, countertops, and the like. Both professional tile installers and self-service installers spend a great deal of time aligning and leveling tiles as they are laid on a substrate surface. Proper alignment and leveling of each tile is important for a number of reasons. One reason is that if one tile is laid incorrectly, the error will propagate to the adjacent tile, making the installation unacceptable, and the tile will have to be replaced and/or ground and polished until the tile is level or flat. For proper laying of tiles, a flush surface is necessary for tile floors, in addition to aesthetic reasons, so that people do not fall and fall over the tiles laid unevenly. The time taken to replace or otherwise correct a tile installation error can increase the overall cost of the tile installation.

Laying and leveling tiles can be difficult due to the many unevenness of the substrate, such as the unevenness of the floor substrate when laying tiles for outdoor patios. In such cases, it may be difficult to use mortar or other substances to raise the lower area of the substrate to level all of the tiles. Additionally, tiles can shift or sink into the mortar as the mortar dries. Therefore, as the mortar dries, it is necessary to continuously monitor the newly laid tiles to ensure that the tiles remain level. If some of the tiles begin to sink into the mortar, it can be difficult to lift the sinking tiles without affecting the adjacent tiles.

Tile installers have used a variety of methods to complete the installation process as quickly as possible while maintaining the quality of the tile installation. One basic approach is to use indicia on the surface of the substrate. Marking the mounting surface requires careful application of plaster to keep the mark visible. While this technique helps align the tiles, the tiles do not remain level when they are laid into the mortar. Moreover, the use of such marking techniques increases the amount of time required for installation, which results in increased costs.

Another device for laying and leveling tiles is a frame designed to space the tiles an appropriate distance apart. Such frames are usually designed as fixed grids for a specific tile size. A disadvantage of this type of device is that it has a fixed size, which requires a professional installer to carry a variety of frames in order to be able to install tiles of different sizes. Another disadvantage of this type of frame is that it can only install one type of tile at a time.

Another device for laying and aligning adjacent tiles is a spacer, such as the one described in us patent 6,625,951 (McCarthy). The spacer disclosed in this patent has rectangular edges (square edge) for perfectly aligning adjacent tiles at right angles; there is also a height adjustment device for adjusting the height of the tile relative to the plaster surface. One problem with this device is that it is difficult to provide a plurality of spacers for the same height, which often results in uneven tile surfaces. One problem associated with such devices is that the height adjustment devices cannot adjust the height of the tiles after they are laid, since they are located below the tiles.

Thus, there is a need for an effective and inexpensive tile leveling and alignment device that allows vertical adjustment of tiles relative to each other after the tiles are laid in the mortar.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention relates to a device for laying and leveling tiles, comprising: a shaft having an upper portion and a lower portion; a base plate combined with a lower portion of the shaft; a top plate having a bore adapted to receive the shaft, the top plate having an upper side and a lower side, the lower side of the top plate having two spacers adapted to be inserted between adjacent tiles; and a locking assembly having an aperture adapted to receive the shaft, wherein the base plate includes a first substantially planar portion extending in a first direction from the shaft and a second substantially planar portion extending in a second direction from the shaft, wherein the first portion engages the shaft at a first location in a first plane and the second portion engages the shaft at a second location in a second plane, the second plane being parallel to the first plane such that the two planes are spaced a predetermined distance apart from each other along the length of the shaft to enable the device to be used between tiles of different thicknesses.

The present invention relates to a tile leveling and aligning device for mounting tiles on a substrate such as a floor, wall, countertop, or the like. The invention comprises a top plate and a bottom plate. The plate is coupled to a shaft extending from the bottom plate through the top plate such that the top plate is movable along the length of the shaft. The first step in laying tiles is typically to apply a setting bed, such as a cement or mortar mixture, to the surface of the substrate. Thereafter, the tiles may be laid in the setting bed. During these steps, the bottom plate of the present invention is positioned in the setting bed beneath the tiles so that the shaft extends upwardly between adjacent tiles. The bottom plate is preferably positioned so that it contacts more than one tile. A shaft extends upwardly from the bottom plate between adjacent tiles and is joined to the top plate. The top plate is movably coupled to the shaft such that after the tiles are laid in the setting bed above the bottom plate, the top plate is moved toward the tiles until the tiles are between and in contact with both plates. Preferably the apparatus includes a locking assembly to prevent movement of the top plate once it has been correctly positioned. The plates support the tiles so that adjacent tiles remain level even if the base material is not flat. In other words, the plate keeps the tiles flush with respect to adjacent tiles rather than with respect to the substrate surface. It is not even necessary to have the bottom plate contact the substrate in order for the device to achieve a flush tile surface. The plates hold the tiles at the same height so that the corners and/or edges of adjacent tiles in the setting bed remain level as the setting bed dries and cures.

After the setting bed dries to secure the tiles to the substrate, the shaft is separated from the base plate leaving the base plate under the laid tiles. The portion of the top plate and shaft above the separation point is disengaged from the laid tiles so that the top plate can be reused in subsequent tile laying and leveling processes.

In addition to the tile leveling feature as previously described, the preferred embodiment also includes a tile spacer for aligning adjacent tiles. The tile spacer is constituted by one or more vertical fins extending from the surface of the plate towards the tiles, i.e. the fins are located on the lower surface of the top plate and/or the upper surface of the bottom plate. The sheet is adapted to be placed between adjacent tiles so that adjacent tiles are spaced apart by a suitable distance. Different panels may include different sized pieces so that the user can select the desired spacing between adjacent tiles.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that multiple tile leveling devices may be used simultaneously between different tiles laid on a substrate to level multiple tiles simultaneously.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the apparatus of the present invention used between two adjacent tiles;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the underside of the top plate showing the spacer and the slide channel;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the upper side of the top plate with the locking assembly engaged therewith;

FIG. 5 is a perspective cut-away view of the upper side of the top panel showing the locking assembly including a locking tongue and a tongue release;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the present invention, wherein the shaft is threaded;

FIG. 7 is a front view of an embodiment wherein the bottom plate is stair stepped to accommodate tiles of different thicknesses;

FIG. 8 is a front view of an embodiment wherein the top of the shaft is thicker than the bottom of the shaft;

FIG. 9 is a front view showing an embodiment wherein the top plate is separated from the locking assembly; and

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 with the top plate engaged with the locking assembly.

Detailed Description

The invention relates to a ceramic tile aligning and leveling device. The device can be used to align and level tiles 18 fastened to any suitable substrate, including floors, walls, countertops, and the like. It should be noted that the words used in this document, such as upper, lower, top and bottom, are relative to the device as shown in figure 2, with the top plate 10 above the bottom plate 12.

As best seen in fig. 1, the present invention includes a top plate 10 and a bottom plate 12 in combination with a shaft 14. The plates 10 and 12 may be made of any suitable material, however, they are preferably made of plastic with metal reinforcing inserts embedded therein. The metal inserts provide the strength and rigidity to the panels 10 and 12 that may be needed to level heavy tiles 18 or panels, while the outer plastic portion protects the tiles 18 from damage and rust.

Fig. 4 and 5 show that the top plate 10 includes an aperture, referred to as a slide channel 24, adapted to receive the shaft 14. The top plate 10 is movable along the length of the shaft 14 by the shaft passing through the slide channel 24. The shaft 14 is preferably made of plastic, so that the shaft 14 is semi-rigid.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 1 and 2, the shaft 14 is square and has surface features 15 on all four sides thereof. The surface features 15 of the shaft 14 will be described further below. The square shape of the shaft 14 allows the locking assembly 33 to be coupled to the shaft 14 in any of four orientations. This improves efficiency as the user does not need to spend time determining the orientation of the locking assembly 33 relative to the shaft 14 when the user slides the locking assembly 33 over the shaft 14. In an alternative embodiment, the shaft 14 has surface features 15 on only one or both sides thereof. However, in these embodiments, the user may have to spend time determining which side of the shaft 14 is properly aligned with the locking assembly 33. In addition to a square shape, the shaft 14 may be any other suitable shape, such as rectangular as shown in fig. 9 and 10 or circular as shown in fig. 6.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view showing the device of the present invention between adjacent tiles 18. The first step in laying the tiles 18 is typically to apply a setting layer 20, such as mortar or cement, to a substrate surface 22. After the setting bed 20 is applied, the tiles 18 may be laid in the setting bed 20. In use, the base plate 12 of the device is positioned beneath the tiles 18 in the setting bed 20 so that the shaft 14 extends upwardly between adjacent tiles 18, preferably in an engaged or angular position. The shaft 14 extends upwardly from the bottom plate 12 between the tiles 18 and is joined to the top plate 10 above the tiles 18. The top plate 10 is moved along the axis 14 towards the tile 18 until the tile 18 comes into contact with both plates 10 and 12, as shown in figure 2. The plates 10 and 12 hold the tiles 18 at their desired height so that adjacent tiles 18 are flush regardless of whether the underlying substrate material 22 is flat. In other words, in the present invention, the base plate 12 need not rest on the substrate in order for the tiles 18 to be flush. The base plate 12 may even be suspended above the substrate so long as at least a portion of the tiles 18 contact the setting bed 20 and the tiles 18 are flush with each other. The plates 10 and 12 hold the tiles 18 at the same height so that the corners and/or edges of adjacent tiles 18 remain aligned and flush as the setting bed 20 sets.

Once the tiles 18 are properly positioned, it is important that the top plate 10 not move upwardly along the shaft 14. To this end, the apparatus includes a locking assembly 33 coupled to the shaft 14 above the top plate 10, which prevents the top plate 10 from moving upward along the shaft 14. In some embodiments, the locking assembly 33 includes at least one locking tongue 30, the locking tongue 30 functioning in conjunction with the shaft 14 similar to a commercially available "zip-tie". In other words, the locking tongue 30 allows the locking assembly 33 to move freely along the length of the shaft 14 in a first direction (downward), but not in a second direction (upward). This is accomplished as shown in fig. 1, wherein a shaft 14 has a plurality of horizontal surface features 15 along its length. These surface features 15 may be grooves or ridges. As shown in fig. 5, the locking tongue 30 of the locking assembly 33 is angled and adapted to interfere with the surface feature 15 such that the shaft 14 can only move in one direction. The surface features 15 are preferably sufficiently closely spaced to provide near infinite adjustment of the height of the locking assembly 33.

Another way in which the locking tongue 30 may resist movement in an upward direction is shown in fig. 10, where the device includes one or more vertical surface features 17. The vertical surface feature 17 is preferably made of a similar plastic material as the shaft 14 so that the angled locking tongue 30 is inserted into the surface feature 17 so as not to allow movement in an upward direction. The locking tongue 30 may be inserted directly into the plastic shaft 14 without any surface features 15, 17; however, the vertical surface features 17 may reduce the surface area into which the locking tongue 30 has to penetrate, so that the locking tongue 30 can be inserted deeper and held better.

As shown in fig. 5,9 and 10, the locking tongue 30 may include a tongue release 31. Activation of the tongue release 31 enables a user to release the locking tongue 30 from the surface feature 15 on the shaft 14 so that the locking assembly 33, and thus the top plate 10, can move in the second direction (upward).

One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the number of locking tongues 30 may vary depending on the shape of the shaft 14 and the desired retention force of the device. Generally, the increased number of locking tongues 30 allows the locking assembly 33 to resist greater forces. For example, the locking assembly 33 may comprise four locking tongues 30, such that there is one locking tongue 30 on each of four different sides of the locking assembly 33. This configuration is preferably used with a square shaft 14 having surface features 15 on all four sides. Alternatively, as shown in fig. 5, the locking assembly 33 may comprise more than one locking tongue 30 on each side of the locking assembly 33.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, 2 and 5, locking assembly 33 is integrated with top plate 10 such that top plate 10 is integral with locking assembly 33. Fig. 9 and 10 show an alternative embodiment in which the locking assembly 33 is separable from the top plate 10 so that different top plates 10 having different sized tabs 26 can be used with the same locking assembly 33. In this embodiment, the top plate 10 preferably includes a member 35, the member 35 being received in a hole (not shown) in the underside of the locking assembly 33 to secure the top plate 10 and locking assembly 33 together by an interference fit in use.

As best seen in fig. 3, the underside of the top plate 10 includes a plurality of spacers 26 for spacing adjacent tiles 18 from each other at a suitable and consistent distance. The thickness of the spacer 26 can vary depending on the desired distance between adjacent tiles 18. Similarly, different plates 10, 12 having different sized spacers 26 may be used depending on the desired distance between adjacent tiles 18. The spacer 26 is preferably rectangular in shape and extends from the edge of the top plate 10 toward the center of the top plate 10. In the preferred embodiment, the top plate 10 includes four spacers 26 when used at the intersection of four tiles 18, and the top plate 10 includes two spacers 26 on either side of the slide channel 24 when used between two tiles 18. In addition, it is preferred that the spacer 26 extend from the edge of the top plate 10 to the edge of the slide channel 24 to reduce the chance of mud or stucco seeping through the channel 24. In an alternative embodiment, the spacer 26 is oriented upward from the upper portion of the base plate 12 and serves the same function as the spacer 26 described above.

As best seen in fig. 1 and 6, the base plate 12 preferably includes a plurality of apertures 28. The holes 28 allow the setting bed material 20 to penetrate through the base plate 12. This infiltration allows the setting bed material 20 to adhere to the portion of the tile 18 directly above the bottom plate 12 that may otherwise not be able to contact a significant amount of the setting bed material 20. Moreover, the infiltration helps to ensure that the tiles 18 remain level during the setting, leveling and setting process as the plates 10 and 12, setting bed material 20 and/or tiles 18 are subjected to forces. If the setting bed material 20 is not allowed to seep through the bottom plate 12, the setting bed material 20 can raise the bottom plate 12 during drying, which in turn will affect the level of the tiles 18.

After the setting bed 20 dries, the tiles 18 are secured to the substrate 22 and the user removes the portions of the device visible on the laid tiles 18, i.e., the shaft 14, top plate 10 and locking assembly 33. To accomplish this, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, the shaft 14 includes a breakaway point 16 proximate to where the shaft 14 connects to the base plate 12. In a preferred embodiment, the separation point 16 is structurally weaker than the remainder of the shaft 14 so that a user can twist the portion of the shaft 14 extending above the tiles 18 and cause the shaft 14 to break at its separation point 16. Although the breakaway point 16 is capable of breaking when twisted, it is strong enough that the shaft 14 will not break when a force is applied along the length of the shaft 14. Once separated at the separation point 16, the base plate 12 remains under the tile 18 and cannot be reused. However, the top plate 10 and locking assembly 33 may be removed from the shaft 14 and reused in a subsequent tile 18 laying process. As previously mentioned, shaft 14 is preferably made of a semi-rigid plastic, and is preferably square in shape. This square shape and semi-rigid material makes it easier for the shaft 14 to be broken at its separation point 16.

Fig. 6 shows an alternative embodiment that is preferred for laying tiles 18 on a wall substrate 22. This embodiment also includes a top plate 10a and a bottom plate 12a joined by a shaft 14 a. In this embodiment, the top plate 10a is preferably metal having a plastic or rubber material on its lower surface. The shaft 14a is preferably threaded like a screw in this embodiment. The base plate 12a includes a threaded bore into which the shaft 14a is threaded to secure the shaft 14a to the base plate 12 a. Preferably, the hole in the base plate 12a is reverse threaded so that the shaft 14a does not loosen from the base plate 12a when the nut 32 is tightened. Further, it is preferred that the hole in the bottom plate 12a extend through only a portion of the bottom plate 12a (rather than through) such that the shaft 14a is secured to the bottom plate 12a, but does not penetrate or screw into the substrate 22 below the bottom plate 12 a.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 6, the top plate 10a is free to move along the length of the shaft 14 a. The locking assembly for this embodiment is a nut 32, preferably a wing nut, threaded onto the shaft 14 a. As with the locking assembly 33 described above, once properly positioned, the nut 32 prevents the top plate 10a from moving upward. The plates 10a, 12a are placed on either side of the tile 18 as described in the previous embodiment, and then nuts 32 are tightened down the shaft 14a to tightly secure the two plates 10a, 12a on either side of the tile 18. After the tiles 18 are laid in the setting bed 20, the screw/shaft 14a can be unscrewed from the base plate 12 a. This allows the top plate 10a and screw/shaft 14a to be removed from the tiles 18, leaving the bottom plate 12a to remain under the laid tiles 18. Alternatively, the screw/shaft 14a may be separated from the bottom plate 12a by using a weaker separation point 16 as described in the previous embodiments.

Fig. 7 shows an alternative embodiment that may be used with any of the previous embodiments. In this embodiment, the base plate 12 is shaped like a two-step staircase, in which two horizontal portions are joined to a vertical portion. The top of the vertical portion is preferably where the bottom plate 12 is coupled to the shaft 14. The purpose of this embodiment is to make the device usable for laying and leveling two tiles 18 and 18a of different thickness. This is shown in fig. 7, where the device is used to level tiles 18 with thicker tiles 18 a.

Fig. 8 shows an alternative embodiment that may be used with any of the previous embodiments, wherein the upper portion 14a of the shaft 14 is thicker than the lower portion 14b of the shaft 14. The upper portion 14a of the shaft 14 is thicker so that the user can better grip the shaft 14 when securing the top plate 10 against the tile 18. The lower portion 14b of the shaft 14 extending toward the base plate 12 between adjacent tiles 18 is thinner so that the tiles 18 can be placed closer together when desired and so that the shaft 14 can be more easily separated from the base plate 12 in embodiments that include a separation point 16.

While the invention has been described in connection with preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the preferred embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is my intention, however, that all such modifications and adaptations as would be apparent to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.

Claims (1)

1. A device for laying and leveling tiles, the device comprising:

a shaft having an upper portion and a lower portion;

a base plate combined with a lower portion of the shaft;

a top plate having a bore adapted to receive the shaft, the top plate having an upper side and a lower side, the lower side of the top plate having two spacers adapted to be inserted between adjacent tiles; and

a locking assembly having a bore adapted to receive the shaft,

wherein the base plate comprises a first substantially planar portion extending in a first direction from the shaft and a second substantially planar portion extending in a second direction from the shaft, wherein the first portion joins with the shaft at a first location in a first plane and the second portion joins with the shaft at a second location in a second plane, the second plane being parallel to the first plane such that the two planes are separated from each other by a predetermined distance along the length of the shaft, such that the device can be used between tiles of different thicknesses.