Patent Application
20060260233
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a floor construction covered with ceramic tiles, in which a film-like plastic mat having support elements disposed in a uniform area distribution, hollow towards the underside, capable of support, projecting out beyond the top of the mat, is applied on the sub-floor. Channels carrying open water are formed between the support elements, and a water-permeable or vapor-permeable covering in the manner of a non-woven fabric or woven fabric is disposed on the support elements, above which ceramic tiles laid using the adhesive method are disposed.
2. The Prior Art
Such a floor construction is known from German Patent No. DE 90 11 271 U1. In this connection, a film-like plastic mat in the manner of a nub panel is loosely laid onto the sub-floor, for example a concrete plate or a hardened gradient floor pavement. Applying such a tile to a liquid floor pavement is not possible. Such an application, or even pressing it down, would never result in a permanent attachment of the tile. For the required load distribution, a relatively thick layer of mortar is applied to the top of this plastic mat, which top is covered with a non-woven fabric or the like, on which mortar layer the ceramic tiles are attached by means of appropriate adhesives, for example thin-bed mortar or tile adhesive. In the case of such a floor construction, the load distribution layer configured as a mortar layer is absolutely necessary, in order to be able to apply the vertical stresses that act on the tile covering of the floor distributed on the sub-floor by way of the film-like plastic mat, since the corresponding effective support surfaces on the underside of the plastic mat are relatively slight, in view of the hardened sub-floor, which is not completely level in practice. Such a floor construction therefore requires a load distribution layer having a significant construction height.
It is therefore an object of the invention to reduce the height of such a floor construction, while nevertheless guaranteeing sufficient load distribution.
This object is accomplished with a floor construction in which a film-like plastic mat having support elements disposed in a uniform area distribution, hollow towards the underside, capable of support, projecting out beyond the top of the mat, is applied on the sub-floor. Channels carrying open water are formed between the support elements, and a water-permeable or vapor-permeable covering in the manner of a non-woven fabric or woven fabric is disposed on the support elements, above which ceramic tiles laid using the adhesive method are disposed. The plastic mat is embedded and attached, supported in a still soft, hardening thin-bed mortar layer on the sub-floor, over its full area, in the region of its lower contact surfaces. The ceramic tiles are laid and attached on the covering in the manner of a non-woven fabric, directly, with a thin-bed mortar layer. As a result of the full-area embedding of the available contact surfaces of the underside of the film-like plastic mat capable of support, in a soft, still hardening thin-bed mortar layer, the available lower contact surfaces of the plastic mat are completely used for load transfer. The plastic mat is therefore supported on the sub-floor in a better manner, as compared with a floor construction according to the state of the art, after the thin-bed mortar layer has hardened. Therefore, the ceramic tile covering can be applied to the top of the plastic mat covered with a non-woven fabric or the like, directly onto a plastic mat that has been supported in this manner, using a thin-bed mortar layer. The height of such a floor construction is significantly reduced as compared with constructions according to the state of the art. Furthermore, the application of the mortar layer that serves as the load distribution layer is eliminated, thereby resulting in significant cost savings.
Preferably, nub sheets are used, the contact surfaces of which carry the covering in the manner of a non-woven fabric.
In one embodiment, lower nubs are disposed between all of the nubs that carry the covering in the manner of a non-woven fabric, or individual ones of these nubs, which lower nubs have undercuts on their lower, open side, for clamping the thin-bed mortar that has penetrated. In this way, the attachment of the nub panel on the sub-floor is improved and, at the same time, the support area is increased, since the lower nubs are selected, in terms of their height, in such a manner that they fill out completely when pressed into the thin-bed mortar that is still wet.
A simplified floor construction is provided in another embodiment, where the support elements are configured in strip-like manner, with a preferably U-shaped cross-section. The water-removing channels are formed between the strips on the top of the plastic mat. In case of lower stress requirements, it is also possible to do without a load-distribution layer in the case of such a floor construction.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.
In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:
First, reference will be made to
Plastic mat 3 shown in
On tops 32 of nubs 31 in the shape of a truncated cone, a water-permeable and vapor-permeable covering 4 in the manner of a non-woven fabric is glued on. In this covering 4, in turn, a thin-bed mortar layer 5 is applied, with which ceramic tiles 6 disposed above it are attached. Instead of nubs in the shape of truncated cones, nubs in the shape of a truncated pyramid can also be configured on such a plastic mat capable of support.
There is also the possibility of configuring corresponding structure elements of a plastic mat in strip-like manner, with a preferably U-shaped cross-section, whereby water-removing channels are formed between the strips, on the top of such a mat.
In addition, clamping elements can also be provided on the underside of the plastic mats, in the manner of a grid-like woven fabric 40 or the like. With such measures, the plastic mat is bonded more strongly in the hardening thin-bed mortar layer. To improve adhesion, it is also possible to provide a roughening coating or a roughened surface structure of the lower contact surfaces of the plastic mat.
Preferably, the height of lower nubs 137 approximately corresponds to half the height of higher nubs 131. In the case of these plastic mats, a great number of nubs 131 and 137 is formed, so that the load distribution nevertheless takes place in a uniform distribution, by way of many individual ones of the higher nubs 131. Lower nubs 137 fill completely with mortar 2 when they are pressed into the thin-bed mortar layer that is still hardening, which is combed up in usual manner. In this connection, undercuts 138 on the open underside of these nubs 137 achieve strong clamping of mat 103 to sub-floor 1. In addition, higher nubs 131 can also have circumferential undercuts 136, or undercuts in certain regions, on their open underside. In
Nubs 131 and 137 are disposed at relatively small intervals from one another. In an exemplary embodiment, the distances between center points are approximately 10-30 mm. The maximal height of a panel 103 and therefore the height of the higher nubs 131 lies between 3-12 mm.
Accordingly, while only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 2005 016 963.5 | Apr 2005 | DE | national |
| 06 101 098.9 | Jan 2006 | EP | regional |
