Patent Application
20200270870
This invention relates to systems and methods for laying tile and, more specifically, for efficiently reducing tile lippage. Throughout this description, the term tile is used as an example of various matter which is arranged disposed adjacent a substrate (which can be horizontal—floors or vertical—walls or other) in multiple pieces, the term tile should be understood to include panels, sheets, boards, paving stones, bricks or the like. The present invention relates more specifically to improved methods and systems which use tab systems to align and level tiles.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,861,487 and U.S. Design Pat. No. D63077 and the web site www.tuscanleveling.com describe a system for aligning and leveling tiles. While such systems have enjoyed some success in the past, they do have drawbacks. At the conclusion of each job, the vertical shafts extending upwardly between the tile joints in such design are broken away from the base and discarded. This generates waste that may be disposed in landfills. In addition, the act of breaking away the shaft from the base can be time consuming, and it can disturb the tiles if it is not done properly or if the tile is not sufficiently adhering to desired substrate.
Consequently, there is a need for improvement in tile aligning and leveling systems and methods.
More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide a cost effective tile aligning system.
It is a feature of the present invention to include reusable connecting tabs or shafts.
It is an advantage of the present invention to decrease the materials that are consumed or disposed of for each job.
It is another feature of the invention to include a cap system that is detachable from the tab or shaft, while it remains in place attached to the base located under the tile.
It is also an advantage of the present invention to provide improved ease of use and reduce unwanted dislocation of tiles after desired placement is accomplished.
It is another feature of the present invention to change how pressure is applied to the surface of the tile and the connecting tab.
It is another advantage of the present invention to provide for the ability to maintain lippage reducing forces over a wider range of tab or shaft elongation.
The present invention includes the above-described features and achieves the aforementioned objects.
Accordingly, the present invention comprises a tile leveling system with a reusable connecting tab; a cap which is easily removable from an attached connecting tab or shaft; or a spring like cap which provides for variable forces between the cap and the tile without any change in the separation between base and the tile.
In the following description of the drawings, in which like reference numerals are employed to indicate like parts in the various views:
Referring now to the drawings, where like numerals refer to like matter throughout, and more particularly to
One advantage of the present invention over the system of the above referenced patent is that the upper cap spring-like portion 112 acts like a spring which can provide a force which tends to hold adjacent tile in the same relative position, despite a stretching or thermal expansion of said connecting tab 130. Note, in the above referenced patent, if the shaft were to become elongated (even in some cases by a very small amount) as a result of stretching or thermal expansion; then the force applied by the cap onto the adjacent tiles could be completely eliminated. The spring-like nature of the upper cap spring-like portion 112 makes it much less likely that enough elongation will occur to eliminate contact. In other words, it is not as likely that the elongation will be sufficient to overcome the amount of deflection of the upper cap spring-like portion 112.
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In operation, the system of the present invention utilizes the following method:
The reusable connecting tab 130 is coupled to the sub tile base member 340. The system is used to align and level tile in a manner similar to the system described in the above referenced patent, except for the flexing of upper cap spring-like portion 112 after the cap base flange 122 contacts the tile.
In the present invention the upper cap spring-like portion 112 may be, but is not necessarily, compressed and deflected when pressed toward the tile 160. This additional compression of cap system 110 after contact between the cap base flange 122 and the tile provides the force retaining feature to avoid problems associated with undesired elongation of the connecting tab 130.
At the desired time, (e.g. after the mortar is set) the cap system 110 can be removed from the surface of the tile 160 without tipping the cap system 110 and temporarily increasing the forces between the cap and the tile. Instead, the cap system 110 is merely slid away from the connecting tab 130 while the connecting tab 130 remains coupled to the sub tile base member 340. After the cap system 110 has been separated from the connecting tab 130, the re-usable connecting tab 130 is removed from the sub tile base member 340 without the need for increasing downward pressure on portions of the top surface of the tile 160.
The process is repeated for all of the connecting tab 130 and cap system 110 combinations utilized for the job and the re-useable connecting tabs 130 are cleaned and stored for future re-use.
It is believed that when these teachings are combined with the known prior art by a person skilled in the art of the prior art systems, many of the beneficial aspects and the precise approaches to achieve those benefits will become apparent.
It will be understood that certain features and sub-combinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and sub-combinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.
Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is understood that all matter herein shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
This application is a continuation of the non-provisional patent application filed on Sep. 26, 2016, and having Ser. No. 15/275,958; which application is a continuation of the non-provisional patent application filed on Feb. 21, 2014, and having Ser. No. 14/186,729, now Issued U.S. Pat. No. 9,945,133 issued Apr. 17, 2018; which patent application was a divisional of the issued patent with the issued date of Apr. 8, 2014 and having U.S. Pat. No. 8,689,521; which issued patent was a divisional of the issued patent with the issued date of Oct. 22, 2013 and having U.S. Pat. No. 8,561,370; which issued patent was a divisional of the issued patent with the issued date of Nov. 5, 2013 and having U.S. Pat. No. 8,572,927; and which issued patent was a divisional of the issued patent with the issued date of Apr. 30, 2013 and having U.S. Pat. No. 8,429,878, which patents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14030346 | Sep 2013 | US |
| Child | 14186729 | US | |
| Parent | 13855537 | Apr 2013 | US |
| Child | 14030346 | US | |
| Parent | 13707369 | Dec 2012 | US |
| Child | 13855537 | US | |
| Parent | 13296737 | Nov 2011 | US |
| Child | 13707369 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15275958 | Sep 2016 | US |
| Child | 16871421 | US | |
| Parent | 14186729 | Feb 2014 | US |
| Child | 15275958 | US |
