The invention relates to the technical field of floor and wall coverings that use polyvinyl chloride or similar materials.
The Applicant is a European leader in the manufacture of this type of floor and wall covering and is aware that laying such coverings in reentrant corners is performed by running them up like a skirting board.
A first method which is currently widely used involves the following phases. This process is illustrated in
Another problem is the fact that the welding operation in corners using a roller or nozzle may cause damage to the floor covering in the corner such as, for instance, burns on the floor covering and geometrical deformation, bulges etc. and an untidy visual appearance.
This solution is widely used given the lack of satisfactory alternate solutions and has yet another drawback. The corner parts can be considered as dust traps and facilitate the accumulation of dust and dirt of all kinds and are therefore areas that are particularly prone to soiling. However, floor and wall coverings of the type described are widely used on public and private premises where hygiene is an absolute must. This applies in the case of hospitals for example. The manual or mechanised means of cleaning and cleaning tools used of the brush and broom type do not make it possible to ensure thorough cleaning because it is not possible to access the extreme part of the corner.
It is therefore apparent that this solution is relatively impractical and has many disadvantages.
The Applicant's approach, around fifteen years ago, was to suggest a different solution based on separately fitted thermoformed corner components shown in
This second technology which was used by the Applicant was abandoned because it was impossible to utilise it on an industrial scale.
The Applicant therefore went back to the initial solution even though it had and still has many disadvantages.
Faced with this situation, the Applicant nevertheless continued its research in order to find other alternative solutions.
New research resulted in a solution that is highly attractive in that it makes it possible to overcome all the problems initially encountered and makes it possible to ensure that the visual appearance of the installed floor covering is homogeneous, even in corner areas.
According to the invention, the device for laying floor and wall coverings in reentrant corners is distinctive in that it consists of an independent insert made from the same material as the floor covering and having the same structural and decorative characteristics, said corner insert having two dimensions before it is laid and being defined in three dimensions after it is laid and having, when flat, a geometrical configuration of its irregular lines so that, after it is laid, a peripheral outline of said insert has a regular parallelepiped geometrical configuration and in that said insert comprises 4 areas, three triangular areas of which two of the bases are part of the peripheral outline of the insert and a third inner base makes it possible by consecutive juxtaposition to obtain a central triangular part which slopes after laying and is located in a forward plane away from the corner area where the successive walls and the floor meet, said triangular central part constituting a visible easy-to-access clearance part for cleaning and making it possible to dislodge and collect dust and other particles on its base.
According to another aspect, the method for laying floor and wall coverings in reentrant corners is distinctive in that it involves cutting out inserts in special geometrical shapes from the material of the covering intended to be laid on the floor, said cut-out inserts having two dimensions, offering up said inserts in the reentrant corner areas to be covered and deforming them in order to produce triangular flat parts intended to be fixed to the opposite-facing walls and floor and defining a central triangular sloping part with the base facing forward, this central part standing away from the corner where the walls and floor meet and in that the insert thus produced fits into a corner cut-out made in the main covering and in that the corner insert is fixed by bonding or another method to the opposite-facing walls and floor apart from its central area and in that the joint between the insert and the main covering is obtained by butt joining and depositing a means of connection.
These aspects and others will become apparent from the following description.
The object of the present invention is described, merely by way of example, in the accompanying drawings in which:
In order that the present invention may more readily be understood, the following description is given, merely by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings.
(1A) and (1B) denote two successive walls and (1C) denotes the floor capable of being covered by a floor covering (R) based on polyvinyl chloride or other similar materials having appropriate characteristics depending on the needs of the application. The reentrant corner area is denoted as (1D) and is therefore defined as being the area where the two successive perpendicular walls meet relative to the floor plane (1C).
According to the invention, one places, in the corner areas of a location having a structure of any nature and for any application, independent devices consisting of corner inserts (10) that are made of the same material as the actual floor covering. Thus, the corner inserts (10) have the same technical characteristics and visual appearance as the coverings laid in the location in question, thereby ensuring absolute harmonious consistency in terms of visual appearance and continuity of the technical characteristics of the covering. Each insert (10) is therefore manufactured in the same way as the covering and initially has two dimensions in its initial state before it is laid. The covering (R) and therefore the insert(s) (10) has/have, thanks to its/their constituent material, a certain amount of flexibility and can therefore be deformed. The insert (10) according to the invention has, when flat and after being cut out, an irregular flat geometrical configuration and an overall polygonal shape with two roughly triangular parts (T1-T2) that face each other and have a different surface area separated by a straight junction line (a.a) that corresponds to the maximum width (1) of the insert and a perpendicular line (b.b) that lends the insert its symmetry. The insert (10) is shown flat in
According to the invention, the insert thus defined in its flat geometrical configuration and inherently having a certain degree of flexibility can be placed in the reentrant corner area by assuming the new configuration shown in
It should be noted that fitting the reentrant corner inserts is performed after positioning the quadrant-shaped sections initially mentioned in accordance with the prior art. The method of laying the floor coverings of inserts is as follows.
The method of laying floor and wall coverings in reentrant corners is distinctive in that it involves cutting out inserts in accordance with particular geometrical shapes from the material of the covering intended to be laid on the floor, said cut-out inserts having two dimensions, offering up said inserts in the reentrant corner areas to be covered and deforming them in order to produce flat triangular parts intended to be fixed against the opposite-facing walls and opposite-facing floor and defining a sloping central part shaped like a triangle with its base facing forward, said central part standing away from the corner in which the walls and floor meet and in that the insert produced fits into a corner cut-out made from the main covering and in that the corner insert is fixed by bonding or another method to the opposite-facing walls and floor apart from its central area and in that the joint between the insert and the main covering is obtained by butt joining and depositing a means of connection.
The advantages of the invention are readily apparent. The new concept of producing inserts from the same material and having the same decorative finish as the main floor covering and the simplicity with which the inserts can be used in situ are emphasised. They have to be deformed in three dimensions and certain parts then have to be applied against the walls and floor by joining them by bonding or another method. Cutting out, and welding in the corner are eliminated. This prevents the occurrence of damage due to the effect of heat produced by the heating tool and the tool for depositing the weld bead. This eliminates impossible-to-access corners by shifting the corner area with a large base sloping towards the front avoiding build-up of dirt. Maintenance is therefore easier and can be carried out in every location and therefore satisfies the health and safety requirements that are imposed in particular in hospital and health care environments in general.
It also meets another problem—the fact that walls and/or floors may not be perpendicular to each other, the insert, by its nature, being adaptable very easily to various geometries likely to be encountered in situ between walls/floors.
Another advantage is the possibility of the operator working with a set of templates having variable shapes and sizes which repeat the configuration of the insert according to the invention. It is sufficient for the operator to cut out the insert on site using a cutter from the length of covering made available. There will be no differences whatsoever, because the insert is cut out from the covering that is being laid.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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05 51607 | Jun 2005 | FR | national |
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