Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02411550 2002-11-12
l~~J~(~RIP'l~~t
BACKGROUND
°This invention relates to impro~wements in m~~sauc tile assemblies or
she;ets and
methods of installation in a rr~o~i~rn volc.rnw 4~~avir~~nanent Io this
application a
mosaic tile assembly or sheet couT~p~-ises a plr.~raiity <>h individual small
coloured
pieces of stone or tile assemtvl~:ul into a rrs~s~I~le shape for packaging,
shipping,
installaticm and use.
It is known to have multiple individual tile pieces adhered a substrate
individually. C)n a. volume basi:~_ individu;~l tile pieces are adhered to a
web-like
fabric material at the time c~f ar~~~nuf~~ctr~re il~t~3 c;~7~n~renient
arrangements, such as
10 pieces by 10 pieces forru~kn~; ~~ l~'T :;cl~~r~r~~ ,yhett of tile, for
packaging,
shipping, and installation.
A door or wall surfac~;; is p~-~I~areP:l as b~ levelling and then covered with
a
quantity of adhesive, usually in ~-ibl~ac~ns., ir7~o ~~-l~i~h t1»; ti1e is
set. Application
of pressure to the tile arnd its I~m~,esclne~;.rt:~ adhesive iatc~ substantial
contact
with the individual pieces anti u~) thrarr~;h tlr~: wewl> It~bric into inter-
piece spaces.
Levelling of tile tile is accon ol,,~ishe.d byr l~rc~~su~~~~ lion abo~~e and
may or may
not be adequate due to I~ardne~~s rind quant~tv ~~f ~~dlnes~ve. °I'I~is
action is limited
by the amount of preparation ~>t the substrate as ~~n~iy nunor imperfections
can be
overcome by this method
As a final step, further grout ~awav 1~~; e~ac~rn~xily applied in a known
manner to
complete tile Ailing of reirn~i~~ir~g interGtic~:s <~i~d r~enden the completed
job
uniform in appearance.
'This creates problems of levelm7~ss at tl~e ectge~; c>t tiled areas where
e'lifferent
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materials adjoin or where thiclyx~~ss of materials is ~~c~t identical, even if
tiled.
In areas of' vibration or rno~~crrent the substrate i:~ often prepared with
extra
Mooring and/or substantial ia~~~rs of cc>ncretc,-like material. Alternatively,
flexible adhesive and grout ar~~ a.rwed to mafot~:uir1 tl~e~ surface.
30 Extra care and attention are r~:quired for' exterior applications,
particularly in
several climates or in adverse c;ontlition5 as t~~mperatrrre variation and
water
penetration along tile piece b«~r~~daries will eo ~ntually cause tile pieces
to loosen
or crack. Expensive silicon-l~a~~~;d materials ~xla~r be crsed to extend
lifetimes in
such environments.
35 dome solutions require specially shaped tilts ~>r tile pieces 'which are
adapted to
provide holding s~rrfac~;s alovrre. the° tile t~r~~:c: cvd~~~ where
grout overlaps the
piece.
Also known are anchor curb _st~~nes, retair~irr~ u~;~Yls and pieces pre-formed
in a
variety of ways, some of~whicf~ ioclrr~ie i~ater~i~~okiry~r portions and
anchors.
40 'there is a substantial valuc.F ~~rer~rriurn ~.}rr natural appearing
environments.
especially out of doors. Nato~rr,:~l materials h~si~~ rxrar~y rrs~~fr~l
properties but are
not uniform as to dimensions car physical t~rh:7pervi~:~»_ such as rate of
expansion
and surface irregularities.
'The addition of decorative sl7a~rs,s nr~d deaigris ;~dcls substantially
further to the
45 Mnished cost, such as when us;~<i in zlc~corativ~ rn~_>saics~ anc! often
requires piece-
by-piece installati~~n by train~e~l c;raftsrne~i ~c~ ~~,l~ieve a level and
somewhat
durable finished mosaic pattern ~~r a tiled ar~;a
As a result, installation of natrcr-al wurface ilc>or~, ~rnd other surfaces is
tedious,
time consuming and expensiw;;° as each piece or~~_rst be installed and
levelled
SO individually. This process i~~ l~ror~e to t-<~iirrr~~ pariic.ularlv where
pieces are
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smaller in lateral dimensioan. and installatior,u is redvrir-ed where tlhere
is
movement or vibration ;rnd, ed.~p3::~:iallv <~ut ~~i~ ~~c~ear5. whe~r~~
thermal and moisture
changes will have a significanu iinprrct.
55 UBJECT OF THE IN'~'E~V7'l~)N
~hhe present invention prcwisiEN~ a rmosai~; tile a:~semblay c.c>mposed of
many
individual pieces or conrponent~, c~f'stone ur ~rro~;aic tile wlricl~ may be
irregular,
non-uniform and especially .::w~ natural r~ri~in, such as ;:r plurality of'
beach
pebbles. The tile of the irwen~:~or~ rnav L~~~ 1°apicj~w~ and
in~;~pensively installed
60 with a high degree of tixatic~r~ rrair~g le:~s ~:~t~er,wiv, materials. It
results in a
substantially rugged and long 1,~3sting natural fir~is6~ ~>'he tile also
self=lf;velling
and may be desi~;roed to prcj~nlo ~ larded v~~ri~:,~t°w ~>(-'
ornamental designs and
patterns. The mosaic; silo as~~~G~i~nbl~~ is p~~irti~.;,~rlarl°,-
~;uited t~~ out door r.rse and
installation in variablf. and ~over~~: clir~rat~.~ ;~ncl «ther conditions ass
each
65 individual piece of the r«osaic r~.~ ~:ompletel~~ K~r~c;l~oned. onto
installed.
'Th o invention provides a mos,a~~'~ tile. a5seuubl~ v~ir.h t~ plurality of
individual tile
components or mosaic pieces ~e~~~c:,lr <~dherer~ to a ba~,hir~g rnaterial and
adapted to
present a finished surivrce wim1~~ installed -~;~ci~ cc>mpone.nt includes a
cavity
aligned c>n an axis suhstant~aiiy t~er-pen;~li~;r~la~= to said f~nishod
surface and
7~0 spacing means extending out i~~:~~n said ~:ak qty along said axis tc~ a
distal end. A
retainer keeps said spacing ~;roa~~s in sais~l cavit;a. and tho cavity, the
spacing
means, and said retainer mair~tai~~ a substar~t~;~ll~~ r~r~itorw~
'pac°,ing between said
finished surface and said distal ~:nd. The ;v~taine;~r includes ;arr anchor
claimed in
claim 4 wherein said anchor r~r~ ~rr~:~ is a 1>c>l~ ;~~4ra~yoci with its
enlarged end away
75 from the cavity and the linislo;~d ~~nrtnce.
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THE DRAWING
Figure 1 shows a cross-,,,ectio~~~ ,~t~ ~~ typical b~~K:~cl~ peb>;>le such as
assembled into
the mosaic tile assembly of th~:a io~ven~tion.
80 Figure 2 shows a cross-section <.~1-a typical bolt w(ri~;ll is assem~>led
to the pebble
of Figure 1.
Figure 3 shows a cross-seotio~u ~~f a plurality «f ~:mt~bles as in Figure l
a.~~ranged
and adhered to a backing papeu~ ~v~,r i.~u-the~- ;~ss~~~o~l~ .
Figure 4 shows a cross-sectiow ~, f they fir~islmi m;osa~c tile assembly
including it
85 web fabric and plurality of bolts ~~s it is ma~cl~ ~.~p.
Figure 5 shows the mosaic tile ~:~ssmnbly as ~~~:;~ra(l~d on ~~ typical
substrate in
cross-section.
Figure 6 shows the mosaic tile ~,~scmt~ly as pr~f~ra(~ly installed in cross-
sf;ction.
F figure 7 shows a play:~ vie~~,~ c~i' the ~r~usa~~° xit~ asse»~blv of
the invention
90 configured as a specific patter~r aocl ~~astallf~~:!
THE PREFERRED ElVIB01:1fMEN~f
The preferred embodiment of tlae rnc~sai~.: tile assembly c~f the invention is
assembled from irregular de~~~r~~tive pebbl~:5 ~,u~l~ ~xs beach pebbles as
shown in
95 Figure 1. Each such pebl~l~° has an ~~~~~~~-ui~~ic~rrn l~s~rible
dimension C.
~Vlultiple such pebbles may bw:: .~~rar~ged into <~ x>~atterw in tl-m tc~rrr~
of a floor or
wall tile assembly ofte~~ in a ;;qG_~are o~ ~~~,}ciang~tlar pattern for
pa~;,kaging
shipment and installation as a ~m~t.
A cavity 2 is formed in eactn ~~~btrle ato~~~. ~~ ~,u~~~~t~ axis 3 Each cavity
2 is
100 arranged to penetrate the pebl~l~v ! to a variable ~let~th A so as to have
a finished
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distance 1:3 along axis 3.
Figure 2 shows a bolt or ~~thrN~ fastener ~ (ctemrahlv fabricated from
stainless
steel or other corrosion resistant material f f~avin~; ~ rt~ain axis 5, a head
portion 6
and a threaded shank 7
105 As in Figure 3, multiple peblal~;~!. I arc arranged into a desiraL~le tile
pattern 8
having a lateral dimension E: rtr~d ,~dlmred tc~ a blacking paper 9 with axes
3
extending substantially verticarll ~ . bile pattern & may be square,
rectangular or
any other shape as desired. (~t u~ to be nc~t~c9 that scrrwfirce f f is not
necessarily
planar and if often highly it-r~et~;r~i~xr~ due to '~<~ri~~ti~,v~~ irr
din~ensir>n C from pebble
1 10 to pebble. In this drawing tfw.~ dim~nsic:o~ (.' i~~ ~l~own as ,-~
nominal thickness.
The maximum dimension of tl~i~:~:n~~sa oi~tf~~; pile ~p~tt~r-n 8 is shown as
Cr- which
is a highly variable amount.
As can be seen, finished distatv,°~; B is the' ~~~t~~; t«r each pebble
and spavces the
bottom of cavities 2 an equal ~;li~;~arn~.e frcarat ta~tpEV f>acking ~;~
115 As in Figure 4, a tile shaped w~;i> fabric 1 ' i~ ~r~3l~e:rr:d to the
upper side of the tile
pattern 8 of Figure ~. For cor~v~nience. in rhi~ drawing tire pebbles 1 are;
shown
as all having a thickness ~'. ~h~i~l~t-ic~ i 2 is pry°t~~r~a~uv less
tlaart the full tile width
E in lateral dimension.
Each cavity 3 is fitted with a ~:,orresp<>nding ~~rstf~ner ~l of equal length
to the full
120 depth of cavity 2, as with epo~:v c>r the like~ a:> at i ~, with its
distal or head end 6
spaced an equal di<.>tance from tftt; backing ~~
Thus, tile pattern 8 will have a r~nifc>rm depth 13 plus I~~ as shown.
in this preferred contiguratiori t~l~s c;an 1>e a-earciily assembled, stored
and shipped
with additional protection and stability in the pac~,f~;~g~.
125 upon installation as in ~~'igure 5 t~ substantial clvrarttitl~ of adhesive
or concrete 14
_.S_
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is applied to the substrate surface 15 'file patten~ ~ ~s then inverted and
pressed
into the adhesive such that: tl~c~ udl~~siv~: i~~~Os E~p mta interstices 16
between
pebbles 1 to the desired amour~~~ where it ~s~ ~ei't t~~~ harden. 'T'hus, the
overall
depth of the finished tile surface is ~ ~ F
130 In tile preferred embodiment sincwvn in Fi~u~re tj a minimal amount of
grout 14 is
initially applied to substrate 1 °v ~I'il~ pattern ~ i;s l~re5sed
towairds the substrate
until each of fasteners ~ come into contact ~~itU the substrate 15 as at 17.
This
ensures that the installation depth is a unify?rn~ distance of B+G and that
the
finished tile is level to the sub:~tr~:atc~.
135 Figure 7 shows tile mosaic tile assembly in plan view con:fi~rrred as a
pattern on
a square tile of dimension E: and ir~sta.llecl as irv F~~:~rr~ b. l.,i~ht
coloured pebbles
of different sizes 1 and 1 ' are tcrracyed ts> lie set c~ti~ by a darker
background
which may be darker pebbles ( ~ ~ wivich may l~~ ~:nf' similar car different
si~:e from
either lighter pebbles 1 «r 1 ' .
140 The foregoing description of ~ hK~ preferred var iatic~n~; and uses of
this invention
has been presented for the pur-I~ose c~f iliutrrition. It is not meant to
limit the
invention. Many variations ~: ~:w.st within tlr a :~cc~pe yo' this invention
as will be
apparent to those skilled in thctart
_b.,
