Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE: MODULAR SURFACE ELEMENT
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the field of modular elements for
covering a surface. More specifically, the invention relates to a novel shaped
modular element for paving or facing surfaces in the form of tiles, pavers,
bricks,
artificial stones, etc. or for use in puzzles and other toys and games.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Walls, floors, ground coverings and other structures are often constructed by
fitting irregularly sized and shaped natural stones. The work requires a
skilled
stonemason to select, cut and fit the stone. It is labor intensive, and
accordingly
expensive. However, custom-built natural stone surfaces are considered very
attractive and desirable.
Conventional manufactured pavers, bricks, tiles, and so forth, are cheaper and
easier to install than natural stone due to their regular geometric shapes,
typically
squares, rectangles, hexagons, or combinations thereof. These surface
coverings are typically laid in repeating patterns, which simplifies
installation and
therefore decreases labor costs. However, the repeating patterns lack the same
aesthetic appeal of irregular natural stone.
It is known to produce manufactured pavers and other surface elements in
shapes that can be laid in repeated patterns that create an effect that
somewhat
resembles irregular natural stone. For instance, PCT application No.
PCT/CA2005/001644 to Castonguay shows such a design. However, the pattern
extends radially, an arrangement that is not very well suited for producing
elongated structures such as walkways. It can also be difficult for an
unskilled
person to lay pavers in such a pattern, requiring careful selection and
orientation
of each element. Furthermore, the shapes that such manufactured surface
elements may adopt are somewhat limited, which restricts manufacturing
freedom as well as the choices offered to consumers.
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Some known paver designs intended to imitate the look of natural stone, such
as
the pavers disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,217,740, use a combination of
different
shapes. However, these require multiple moulds and the stocking of different
pieces. Also, such pavers are more complicated to install.
In addition, some known surface elements intended to imitate irregular natural
stones are not well suited for manufacture on pre-existing production boards
because their shapes and dimensions do not efficiently fit within the
production
board, and the dimensions and angles of the surface element cannot readily be
modified while still fitting together in the intended pattern.
Many known designs of modular surface elements are also not suited for
installation where it is desired to include internal spacing, such as for
water
drainage. Some of these designs cannot have open spaces in their pattern
without losing necessary support of surrounding stones, while others cannot be
laid at all in their intended patterns while accommodating open spaces.
Certain playthings, such as puzzles, also comprise a collection of elements
that
can be arranged so as to cover a surface. In some cases it may be desirable to
lay out such elements in a variety of arrangements. However, the pieces of
common picture puzzles and similar known playthings are intended to fit
together
in only one arrangement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a modular surface element
that
overcomes or mitigates one or more disadvantages of known modular surface
elements, or at least provides a useful alternative.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a
modular surface element that can be arranged in a running bond pattern with
other such modular surface elements. The modular surface element has a
configuration comprising a decorative face, an opposed base, and six sides
extending therebetween generally orthogonal to the base. The sides are
proximal
to and within a modular perimeter defined by three non-alike pairs of opposed
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matching segments that are oriented substantially parallel to each other. At
least
two of the pairs of opposed matching segments are non-linear while at least
two
of the pairs of opposed matching segments are point symmetric. The third of
the
pairs of opposed matching segments may also be point symmetric. Alternatively,
the third of the pairs of opposed matching segments is non-point symmetric.
Each pair of the contiguous segments may form an obtuse angle. Alternatively,
each of two pairs of the contiguous segments forms an angle of approximately
180 and each of the other pairs of contiguous sides forms an angle of
approximately 90 . As another alternative, each of two pairs of the contiguous
segments forms an angle greater than 180 and each of two other pairs of the
contiguous sides forms an angle of less than 90 .
AII six of the segments may be non-linear. The face may include grooves
resembling joints between areas of the face. The sides may have projecting
regions that align more closely to the segments of the modular perimeter.
Optionally, the projecting regions of the sides are adjacent to the base. The
projecting regions of the sides may be near the ends of the segments. It is
possible to have the sides and the decorative face define edges that are
irregularly recessed from the segments of the modular perimeter. Optionally,
the
modular surface element is made of at least two pieces.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, there is
provided a surface covering system comprising a multiplicity of modular
surface
elements as previously described where the modular surface elements are
substantially congruent and arranged in aligned rows in a running bond
pattern.
A plurality of adjacent modular surface elements in one of the aligned rows
may
be positioned with respect to an adjacent row such as to create open spaces,
so
as for example to provide drainage. Optionally, several renditions of modular
surface elements are distinguished by having different decorative faces.
In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, there is
provided a pair of substantially identical components assemblable into a
modular
surface element as previously defined. The components have mating sides that
n,
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are point symmetric and that pass through the geometric center of such an
assembled modular surface element of said pair of components.
Advantageously, each said mating side is non-linear.
The invention provides the advantages of being easy to install because it
requires only one type of manufactured stone that is designed to match
perfectly
when installed in running bond pattern. Because of the seaming irregularity of
its
shape, and features such as false joints and variation in the appearance of
its
face, the manufactured stone of the present invention may be assembled to
produce a surface covering that closely resembles the look of natural stone.
Using the same design principle, many different shapes of manufactured stones
may be produced, which enhance customer choice and offers manufacturers
great flexibility. Moreover, the manufactured stone of the present invention
may
easily be installed without modification so as to provide internal spacing for
water
drainage or other purposes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
These and other features of the present invention will become more apparent
from the following description in which reference is made to the appended
drawings wherein:
Figure 1 is a top view of a modular surface element in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2a to 2c are top views of a portion of such a modular surface element
showing the steps for creating segments of the perimeter of the modular
surface
element of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a top view of a modular surface element in accordance with another
embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 4a and 4b are top views of patterns created using modular surface
elements similar to the modular surface element of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a top view of a pattern created using modular surface elements
similar to the modular surface element of Figure 3.
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Figure 6a to 6d are top views of examples of patterns created using modular
surface elements similar to the modular surface element of Figure 1.
Figure 7a to 7c are top views of examples of patterns created using modular
surface elements similar to the modular surface element of Figure 3.
Figure 8 is a top view of a pattern having water drainage spaces made of
modular surface elements similar to the modular surface element of Figure 1.
Figure 9 is a top view of another pattern made having water drainage spaces
made of modular surface elements similar to the modular surface element of
Figure 1.
Figure 10 is a top view of a portion of a manufactured paver superposed within
the modular perimeter of a modular surface element similar to that of Figure
1.
Figure 11 is a perspective view of a manufactured paver in accordance with
another embodiment of the invention.
Figure 12 is a top view of a pattern made with a plurality of manufactured
pavers
similar to that of Figure 11.
Figure 13 is a top view of a pattern made with manufactured pavers in
accordance with another embodiment of the invention.
Figure 14 is a top view of manufactured pavers in accordance with another
embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention may be used in a wide variety of industries, ranging
from
manufactured stones, pavers, floor and wall coverings to puzzles and other
games. The invention provides a way of designing an element for the
applications so that once a multitude of such elements are installed in a
pattern,
the pattern looks random and the elements do not look similar.
Figure 1 depicts a modular surface element 1 having a modular perimeter 10
made of six contiguous segments, 12, 12', 14, 14', 16 and 16' organized in
three
pairs of matching segments. The segments 12 and 12' form a first pair of
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matching segments, the segments 14 and 14' form a second pair of matching
segments, and the segments 16 and 16' form a third pair of matching segments.
The two segments of each pair (12 and 12'; 14 and 14'; and 16 and 16') are
parallel to each other, that is an imaginary line 13 joining both extremities
of a
segment is parallel to a similar imaginary line 13' joining both extremities
of the
paired segment. Moreover, both segments of a pair of matching segments are
opposed to each other, that is they are located at opposed sides of the
modular
surface element 1 such that they cannot be contiguous. The end result is that,
viewed counter-clockwise, segment 12 is contiguous to segment 14, which is
contiguous to segment 16, which is contiguous to segment 12', which is
contiguous to segment 14', which is contiguous to segment 16', which is
contiguous to segment 12 thereby closing the modular perimeter 10. Another
way of expressing it is that each segment of the first pair of matching
segments
12, 12' is connected at one end to one segment of the second pair of matching
segments 14, 14' and at its other end to one segment of the third pair of
matching
segments 16, 16'.
The modular surface element 1 is created by defining its modular perimeter 10
according to a set of design rules. In a first embodiment of the invention,
the
segments 12, 12', 14 and 14' have point symmetry. Point symmetry exists when
a segment is built around a single point called the central point. For every
point
in the segment, there is another point found at the same distance from the
central point, but in the opposite direction. A segment that is point
symmetric is
unchanged in appearance by a 180 degree rotation. In order to achieve point
symmetry, the segments are built in a specific manner. Each segment is built
of
two identical portions. As shown in Figure 1, segments 12 and 12' are each
made
of portions 12a and 12b, and segments 14 and 14' are each made of portions
14a and 14b. A portion is defined as the portion of a segment extending from
its
central point to one of its extremities.
Figures 2a to 2c depict the steps to create a segment having point symmetry.
In
Figure 2a, a portion 18 of length X/2 is defined by a set of continuous lines
or
curves. In Figure 2b, a copy of portion 18 is rotated 180 around extremity 20
of
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portion 18 to form portion 18'. The extremity 20 then becomes the central
point.
Portion 18 and portion 18' define segment 21 of length X. This is how the
segments are constructed to be point symmetric. This also defines the opposed
segment of the matching pair of segments because both are substantially
identical. Segments 12, 12' and 14 and 14' are constructed this way.
Referring again to Figure 1, segment 14 is joined at an extremity to segment
12
and segments 14' and 12' are similarly joined such that in a plane, the pair
of
identical segments 12-12' have the same orientation and are spaced apart from
each other. Various angles R may be chosen. Similarly, the pair of matching
segments 14-14' must also be placed in the same orientation and spaced apart
from each other. The pairs of matching segments 12-12' and 14-14' may be
placed anywhere in a plane as long as they are oriented similarly and spaced
apart from each other. Segment 16 is then created by joining the free
extremity of
segment 14 to the free extremity of segment 12'. Various paths may be given to
segment 16. Segment 16' matches segment 16 and similarly joins the free
extremity of segment 14' to the free extremity of segment 12. Segments 16 and
16' must have the same orientation to each other. However, in this first
embodiment, there is no requirement that matching segments 16 and 16' have
point symmetry.
As seen in Figure 3, in a second embodiment, segments 12, 12', 14, and 14',
are
similar to those of the first embodiment but whereas the segments 16 and 16'
did
not have point symmetry, segments 316 and 316' do have point symmetry. This
yields different attributes to the modular surface elements 1 defined by the
first
and second embodiments.
In both embodiments, the segments 12, 12', 14, 14', 16, 16', 316 and 316' may
either be linear (a straight line) or non-linear. As will be discussed later
on, for the
intended purpose, it is sufficient that the segments of a pair of segments be
matching. Indeed, for the intended purposes, each pair of matching segments
may be slightly different and still match when two adjacent modular surface
elements are placed together.
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Figures 1, 4 and 6a-6d depict the type of modular surface element of the first
embodiment of the invention where segments 16 and 16' do not have point
symmetry, while Figures 3, 5 and 7a-7c depict the type of modular surface
element of the second embodiment where the segments 316 and 316' have point
symmetry.
Figures 4a and 4b show examples of patterns made with the type of modular
surface element 1 of the first embodiment. The modular surface elements 1 are
assembled in running bond, meaning offset contiguous courses or rows, as
opposed to the complex radial patterns of some of the modular surface elements
of the prior art. It will be appreciated, by comparing Figures 4a and 4b, that
in the
first embodiment, the modular surface elements 1 of a complete row may be
turned 180 . Reference points 22 indicate the orientation of the modular
surface
elements. It is to be noted that the modular surface elements 1 may not be
rotated 1800 individually, but only on a row by row basis.
Similarly, Figure 5 depicts an example of a pattern made with the type of
modular
surface elements 1 of the second embodiment. The modular surface elements 1
of this second embodiment, with all of their 6 segments having point symmetry,
may be rotated 180 on an individual basis. Again, reference points 22
demonstrate how the surface elements may be placed in different orientations.
Figures 6a to 6d show examples of patterns created with modular surface
elements 1 according to the first embodiment (in pairs of matching segments
does not have point symmetry) while Figures 7a to 7c show which one of the
three examples of patterns created with the type of modular surface elements 1
of the second embodiment where all three of the pairs of matching segments
have point symmetry.
Some installations of modular surface elements 1 may require that adequate
water drainage be provided. In the prior art, this is mostly provided by
either
removing a modular surface element, or part of it, from a pattern or by
spacing
two adjacent modular surface elements. Very often, the drawback of doing so is
that as a result the modular surface element does not have the complete
support
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from surrounding modular surface elements and is prone to stability problems
when subjected to a vertical load that is offset from the modular surface
element's center. This is especially the case when the modular surface element
is a manufactured stone for a driveway, for instance. When no gap is present,
the
surrounding modular surface elements provide support to the modular surface
element under load, but if a space is left, for instance with a rectangular
modular
surface element, the loaded modular surface element loses its support on one
side and becomes unstable under load.
Shown in Figure 8 is a pattern made of the modular surface element 1 of the
present invention. The modular surface elements 1 of the third row 103 have
been shifted left with respect to the modular surface elements 1 of the first
and
second rows 101 and 102. This has created open spaces 106 and 108, adequate
for water drainage. Similarly, the fourth and fifth rows 104 and 105 have been
shifted right with respect to the third row 103. This creates open spaces 110
and
112, which do not have to be exactly the same as open spaces 106 and 108,
further adding to the natural aspect of the pattern. Figure 9 shows that even
with
open spaces on each side of a row, the modular surface element 1 is still
supported by surrounding modular surface elements 116, as evidenced by
arrows 118.
Figure 10 depicts a portion of a manufactured paver 111 whose sides 115
closely
follow a modular perimeter 10 similar to that of the previously described
surface
element 1 in accordance with the present invention. However, the sides 115 of
the paver 111 deviate somewhat within the envelope defined by the modular
perimeter 10. Moreover, although the sides 115 of the paver 111 are generally
orthogonal to its base, they have irregularly beveled edges at their top. In
manufactured stones, for example, such irregular beveled edges are often used
to add to the rugged, natural appearance of the manufactured stone.
Consequently, the spaces created between two manufactured paver 111 can
vary in width, further adding to the natural aspect of the pattern. It will be
understood that as long as the sides 115 remain inside the modular perimeter
10,
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there is no risk of interference with similar adjacent manufactured pavers 111
when layed out in a running board pattern.
Reference is now made both to Figure 10 and Figure 11. To facilitate even
spacing during installation of the manufactured pavers 111 and other surface
elements 119 having a modular perimeter 10 as per the present invention, it is
possible to add spacers 120 molded in the manufactured pavers 111 having the
shape of the modular surface element 1. Spacers 120 are positioned on the
vertices 124 joining two contiguous segments. Preferably, the spacers 120
should substantially locally follow the modular perimeter 10, as highlighted
in
Figure 10. This facilitates alignment and support between adjacent
manufactured
pavers 111.
Adding to the natural appearance of the modular surface element 1, it is also
possible to include false joints 122 as shown in Figures 11 and 12. A modular
surface element system may even include modular surface elements 1 having
different shapes of false joints to create an even more natural-looking array.
It is also possible to completely divide a modular surface element 400 made in
accordance with the present invention into two (or more) pieces such as
components 401 and 403, shown in Figure 13. Components 401 and 403 may
be reassembled so as to form the shape of the modular surface element 400.
Spacers may be added to each of the components 401 and 403 in corresponding
areas of the division 402. The division 402 may be linear so as to facilitate
the
installation of the modular surface elements I along a linear border by the
use of
individual components 401 or 403 as needed.
Figure 14 depicts a variation where the division 402 is point symmetric,
either
being linear or non-linear, and passes through the geometric center 404 of the
modular surface element 400. Because the division 402 passes through the
geometric center 404, it divides each opposite segment of one pair of matching
segments at the same corresponding place. For example, in the present case,
matching segments 406 are divided in partial segments 406a and 406b.
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It follows that the modular surface element 400 can be divided into a pair of
substantially identical components 410, 412 that can be assembled to produce
the modular surface element 400 by bringing them together along their point
symmetric mating sides 414, 416 defined by a point symmetric division 402 that
passes through the geometric center 404 of the modular surface element 400.
Splitting the modular surface element 400 this way is advantageous as it
creates
two identical components 410, 412 each having half the size and half the
weight
of the modular surface element 400. They can therefore be more easily
manipulated than the modular surface element 400 while still retaining the
advantage of requiring only one overall shape for all of the pavers.
It will be readily apparent that the modular surface element 1 of the present
invention may be molded so as to provide a decorative top surface that closely
resembles, in form, texture and color, the appearance of natural stone. Adding
different geometries of false joints further enhance the natural aspect of the
modular surface element 1.
Moreover, the same modular surface element system may be used to create
puzzles or other games and playthings, which have a particular level of
difficulty
since some parts may fit upside-down.
The present invention has been described with regard to preferred embodiments.
The description as much as the drawings were intended to help the
understanding of the invention, rather than to limit its scope. It will be
apparent to
one skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the invention
without departing from the scope of the invention as described herein, and
such
modifications are intended to be covered by the present description.
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