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[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/576,875, filed May 22, 2000, titled Ceramic Tile Assembly and Method of Installing Same.
[0002] This invention relates generally to the field of installing floor coverings, and more particularly to tile flooring and a method of installing same.
[0003] Since the beginning of floors people have employed a variety of floor coverings including rugs, carpet, wood and tile to name only a few. A significant portion of floor covering installed to day is tile, usually coming in regular sizes, such as rectangular of varying dimensions, or square, a subset of rectangular, also of varying dimensions. Tile may be made of ceramic, porcelain, stone, marble, granite, vinyl composition tile (vct), brick, or other composite materials that use mortar or the like to set the material to a floor or sub-floor and may be of any thickness.
[0004] Two general methods of installing tile exist today. The first is for installing tile on a concrete slab. In this case, the tile is usually glued to the concrete using a mortar such as available commercially and known as Thinset or other suitable adhesive. A second method is usually used when installing tile to a wooden sub-floor, as is often found in pier-and-beam homes, or on second floors of homes. In the wood sub-floor installation, tile is usually glued to sheets of plywood that have already been rigidly adhered to the sub-floor usually by nails spaced 4-to-6 inches apart. Other forms of adhesion to the floor or sub-floor may be employed including screws. These forms of adhering the tile to the floor are permanent in the sense that, though they can be removed, it takes a significant amount of time and effort to remove. For purposes of this application the term floor will include a floor and sub-floor, as it is the placement of the tile on the floor, regardless of whether the floor is indeed a floor or sub-floor, rather than the type of floor to which the tile is placed.
[0005] There exists a problem when the floor to which the tile is installed moves, such as when a house settles into the ground on which is built, or when the ground shifts for other reasons. When this situation occurs, and it occurs quite often in newly built homes, the tile, and grout between the tile, may crack, requiring expensive and time consuming repair. Further, removing conventionally installed tile is a time and effort consuming, expensive and messy process.
[0006] The primary object of the invention is to reduce cracking of installed tiles.
[0007] Another object of the invention is to allow faster installation of floor tile.
[0008] Another object of the invention is to reduce cracking of grout between installed tiles.
[0009] A further object of the invention is reduces cost of tile floor installation and reduce needed repairs.
[0010] Another object of the present invention is to reduce the time and effort in removing installed tile flooring.
[0011] In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, an improved tile assembly comprises one or more tiles each having an underside, and one ore more connectable support boards adhered to underside of the one ore more tiles, adapted to be placed on a floor without permanently adhering to the floor.
[0012] In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of installing tiles comprises the steps of adhering one or more of the tiles to a first support board, placing the first support board on a floor without adhering the support boar to the floor, and connecting a second support board having tile thereon to the first support board on the floor.
[0013] Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.
[0014] The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.
[0015]
[0016]
[0017]
[0018] Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.
[0019] Turning first to
[0020] Tile
[0021] Support board
[0022] It will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that there are a variety of ways to connect one tile assembly to an adjacent tile assembly, such as abutting one against the other, or having the sides designed as mating surfaces of a variety of shapes, or otherwise as may be appropriate for the situation in which the tile assembly may be installed.
[0023] In the preferred embodiment, support board
[0024] In the preferred, illustrated embodiment of
[0025] In practice, tile
[0026] In the typical installation, multiple tile assemblies
[0027] In accordance with an important feature of the present invention, during installation, tile assembly
[0028] While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.