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People often decorate their walls with canvas art, framed art, photo frames, decorative tiles, and more. However, most wall décor is not customizable. Further, most wall décor requires tools to install and is not child-friendly. In particular, making and installing decorative tiles requires a significant amount of work and skill. For example, spacers, nails, and/or tapes may be required to keep tiles in place during installation because the weight of tiles tends to pull them down during installation. Further, various tools (e.g., knife, drill, wet saw, hammer, trowel, tile adhesive, caulking) may be required to apply tile adhesives, cut tiles, place the tiles, and fill gaps between the tiles.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that is further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
For example, a tile can comprise a rigid body made of fibers, wherein the body has a top surface and a bottom surface that are parallel to each other; the bottom surface is configured to be attached to a substantially flat surface; an area of the top surface is smaller than an area of the bottom surface; a distance between the top surface and the bottom surface is a thickness of the tile; and the thickness is no greater than 1 inch.
Similarly, a tile kit can comprise a plurality of the aforementioned tiles, wherein each of the plurality of tiles has a color selected from the plurality of predetermined colors and a shape selected from the plurality of predetermined shapes; and the plurality of tiles is configured to form one or more designs.
Additional features and advantages will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by the practice of the teachings herein. Features and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims. Features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.
In order to describe the manner in which the above-recited and other advantages and features can be obtained, a more particular description of the subject matter briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments which are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting in scope, embodiments will be described and explained with additional specificity and details through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
The embodiments described herein are related to tiles made of fibers (such as felt tiles) and tile kits. Each tile can have a rigid body. The tiles described herein (also referred to as felt tiles) can be used to cover a portion of a wall surface as decorative wall décor and/or visually appealing bulletin boards. Alternatively, or in addition, the tiles described herein can be used to cover a whole wall surface or floor surface completely to build an acoustic room with custom designs.
In some embodiments, the body can be made with at least 50% recycled content. The body has a top surface and a bottom surface that are parallel to each other. A distance between the top surface and the bottom surface is a thickness of the tile. In some embodiments, the thickness can be no greater than 1 inch. In some embodiments, the thickness of the body is about 1/10 of an inch to about 2/1 of an inch, preferably about ⅓ of an inch. An area of the top surface is smaller than an area of the bottom surface. In some embodiments, the body of the tile can have at least one chamfered edge.
The chamfered edges or other designed edges give the tiles an aesthetic appeal. Especially, each tile may be made slightly different in thickness or dimension. The chamfered edges or other designed edges mitigates such imperfections and improve appearance of the overall design.
In some embodiments, the body of the tile can have a plurality of side surfaces connecting the top surface and the bottom surface. At least one of the plurality of side surfaces (which may be flat or not flat) and the top surface or the bottom surface form an acute angle.
In some embodiments, the top surface and the bottom surface can be geometrically similar, but the top surface is smaller than the bottom surface. In some embodiments, the plurality of side surfaces can include a first set of side surfaces and a second set of side surfaces. The first set of side surfaces are directly connected to the top surface, and the second set of side surfaces are directly connected to the bottom surface.
In some embodiments, the first set of side surfaces and the top surface can form an acute angle (i.e., the first set of side surfaces are not perpendicular to the top surface or the bottom surface), and the second set of side surfaces can be perpendicular to the top surface or the bottom surface. In some embodiments, the first set of side surfaces and the second set of side surfaces can be directly connected to each other to form chamfered edges. In some embodiments, each of the first set of side surfaces and the top surface form an angle of about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees, preferably about 45 degrees. In some embodiments, each of the second set of side surfaces has a width that is about 30% to about 70%, preferably about 50% of the thickness of the body.
In some embodiments, the top surface further can include one or more grooves that form a pattern. The grooved pattern is configured to divide the top surface into a plurality of sections, causing the tile to appear to be a plurality of smaller tiles when viewed from a side of the top surface.
In some embodiments, the body of the tile has a particular color, a particular shape, and/or a particular pattern. The particular color is selected from a plurality of predetermined colors, the particular shape is selected from a plurality of predetermined shapes, and the particular pattern is selected from a plurality of predetermined patterns.
In some embodiments, a plurality of tiles can be assembled into a tile kit. Each of the plurality of tiles has a color selected from the plurality of predetermined colors, a shape selected from the plurality of predetermined shapes, and a pattern selected from the plurality of predetermined patterns. The plurality of tiles is configured to form one or more designs.
In some embodiments, the tile kit can further include one or more adhesive devices configured to attach the plurality of tiles onto a substantially flat surface (e.g., a wall or a floor). In some embodiments, the one or more adhesive devices can include a plurality of double-sided adhesive tabs. One side of the double-sided adhesive tabs is configured to be attached on the bottom surface of each of the plurality of tiles, and another side of the double-sided adhesive tabs is configured to be attached onto the substantially flat surface. In some embodiments, the one or more adhesive devices can include glue.
In some embodiments, the tile kit can further include an instruction document having instructions for installing the tile kit. In some embodiments, the instruction document can show an arrangement of the design formed by the plurality of tiles in the tile kit. In some embodiments, the instruction document can show an instruction for applying the one or more adhesive devices. For example, for each of the plurality of shapes, the instruction document can show one or more locations on a tile having the shape, where the adhesive devices should be applied.
The chamfered edges or other designed edges give the felt tiles an aesthetic appeal. Especially, each felt tile may be made slightly different in thickness or dimension. The chamfered edges or other designed edges mitigates such imperfections and improve appearance of the overall design.
In some embodiments, the body 100 of the felt tile has multiple side surfaces 130, 140 connecting the top surface 110 and the bottom surface 120. At least one of the multiple side surfaces 130, 140 is not perpendicular to the top surface 110 or the bottom surface 120.
In some embodiments, the top surface 110 and the bottom surface 120 are geometrically similar, but the top surface 110 is smaller than the bottom surface 120. For example, in some embodiments, the top surface 110 and the bottom surface 120 are both square-shaped, rectangular-shaped, or triangular-shaped; however, the top surface 110 is smaller than the bottom surface 120.
In some embodiments, the multiple sides surfaces 130, 140 include a first set of side surfaces 130 and a second set of side surfaces 140. The first set of side surfaces 130 are directly connected to the top surface 110, and the second set of side surfaces 140 are directly connected to the bottom surface 120.
In some embodiments, the first set of side surfaces 130 forms an acute angle with the top surface 110, and the second set of side surface 140 are perpendicular to the top surface 110 or the bottom surface 120. In some embodiments, the first set of side surfaces and the second set of side surfaces are directly connected to each other to form chamfered edges or fillet edges. In some embodiments, each of the first set of side surfaces 130 and the top surface 110 form an angle of about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees, preferably about 45 degrees. In some embodiments, each of the second set of side surfaces has a width 160 that is about 30% to about 70%, preferably about 50%, of the thickness 150 of the body.
In some embodiments, a body of a felt tile has a beveled edge.
In some embodiments, a body of a felt tile has a fillet edge.
In some embodiments, a body of a felt tile has a stepped edge.
Even though the first side surface 330D and the third side surface 350D illustrated in
In some embodiments, a body of a felt tile has a double-beveled edge.
In some embodiments, a top surface of a body of a felt tile has one or more grooves that form a pattern. The pattern is configured to divide the top surface into a plurality of sections, causing the felt tile to appear to be multiple smaller felt tiles when viewed from a side of the top surface.
In some embodiments, each felt tile has a particular shape selected from a set of predetermined shapes and a pattern selected from a set of predetermined groove patterns.
As illustrated, the slash pattern divides a square felt tile into two triangle sections, causing the square felt tile to appear to be two triangle felt tiles. The cross pattern divides a square felt tile into four small triangle sections, causing the square felt tile to appear to be four small triangle felt tiles. The 4-square pattern divides a square felt tile into four square sections, causing the square felt tile to appear to be four quarter felt tiles. The parallel pattern divides a square felt tile into four small rectangle sections, causing the square felt tile to appear to be four small rectangular felt tiles.
In some embodiments, each felt tile has a color selected from a set of predetermined colors.
In some embodiments, a set of felt tiles are assembled in a felt tile kit. Each of the set of titles has a color selected from a set of predetermined colors (e.g., the set of predetermined colors 600 of
In some embodiments, the felt tile kit also includes one or more adhesive devices. In some embodiments, the one or more adhesive devices include one or more double-sided adhesive tabs. One side of the double-sided adhesive tabs is configured to attach to a back surface of a felt tile. Another side of the double-sided adhesive tabs is configured to attached to a substantially flat surface (e.g., a wall or a floor). Because the felt tiles described herein are made of fibers (e.g., felt), they are very light compared to ceramic felt tiles. The adhesive used for the felt tiles described herein does not need to be permanent. In some embodiments, the one or more double-sided adhesive tabs can be easily applied and removed from a wall surface without damaging the wall surface. In some embodiments, the one or more adhesive devices include glue for more permanent attachment.
In some embodiments, each felt tile has a predetermined price, and the kit is charged based on the felt tiles included in the kit. As illustrated, each triangle felt tile can be manufactured and provided at relatively low cost, affordable for nearly any given budget. In some embodiments, a receipt including a list of all the felt tiles and their respective price and a total price is included in the felt tile kit.
In some embodiments, the tile kit also includes an instruction document having instructions for installing the tile kit. In some embodiments, the instruction document shows an arrangement of the design formed by the set of felt tiles in the tile kit (e.g., the design 700 of
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.