Abstract:
The invention relates to a tile separator for uniformly aligning and separating successive tiles while they are being positioned on, and secured to a surface. The separator comprises: a flat body ( 1 ) having two parallel horizontal surfaces; at least one first pair of separating feet ( 2 ) which are aligned along a first horizontal direction (D 1) and which project vertically from the flat body, having a thickness that defines the distance between consecutive tiles; and at least one horizontal recess ( 3 ) defined in the flat body ( 1 ), oriented in a direction perpendicular to the first direction (D 1) and defining at least one respective bending line on the flat body ( 1 ). The aforementioned horizontal recess ( 3 ) defines at least one central portion ( 11 ) and two end portions ( 12 ) which, depending on the degree to which the aforementioned flat body is bent, are arranged either coplanar with one another or such as to form a variable angle there between.

Description:
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention refers to a tile separator aimed at being positioned intermediate to the corners of the tiles, facilitating the alignment of the same during its installation on a surface, as well as the definition between the tiles of separation grooves with a uniform width. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This tile separator is applicable to the building industry and particularly to the installation of ceramic tiles for covering surfaces such as walls or floors. 
       STATE OF THE ART 
       [0003]    At present, tile separators are known for ceramic tiles having mainly separating feet aimed at being located in the area in which four tiles concur, ensuring the alignment by pairs of the tiles and the definition between the tiles of separation grooves with a given width. 
         [0004]    Such separators are located intermediate to the corners of the successive tiles on occasion of the tiles being installed on a flat surface or support substrate, so that the four separating feet be located between the pairs of tiles formed by the four tiles which corners converge towards a common point. 
         [0005]    However, these separators which have four crosswise feet cannot be used when it is desired to lay the tiles with offset joints, that is so that the joints formed by the successive tiles of a row of tiles are not aligned with those of the following row of tiles. 
         [0006]    When the work has to be done on surfaces which have different inclinations or which are arranged in different planes, said separators cannot be located between the tiles to be installed in the transition area or area having a change of inclination to guarantee its alignment and the uniformity of the separation. 
         [0007]    The document WO01/12918A1 describes a pattern of rectangular tiles secured to a substrate by means of a layer of material, in which said pattern has interstices between the adjacent corners of four tiles, said pattern including a plurality of separators for the tiles located in the corresponding interstices of the pattern, each separator including four front portions, separated by 90°, which are interposed between the corresponding adjacent faces of the tiles including as well a rear portion which is interposed between the substrate and each of the tiles adjacent to the interstice. 
         [0008]    This type of separator does not solve the above cited problem and it cannot be retrieved for reuse as the rear portion of the same remains retained between the substrate and the tiles or ceramic elements secured on the substrate. 
         [0009]    The document US2004/0250435 describes a separator for tiles having a support portion adapted to be superimposed by means of a bottom contact surface on the exposed face of one or more tiles and a plurality of first individual separators projecting from the lower support surface of the separator. 
         [0010]    Each one of the first separating elements is separated from the others and has opposing surfaces which are adjacent to the opposing surfaces of the adjacent tiles, to separate the tiles to each other. 
         [0011]    A general problem arising from the use of tile separators is the difficulty to carry out a precise location of the tiles in the area in which the corners of various tiles concur, given the fact that the separator itself prevents the observation by the operator of the area in which the tiles concur. 
         [0012]    The only solution which has be proposed to circumvent the above drawback is the approach disclosed by the document US2004060184 describing a separator for tiles which can be reused and which has double width, for the alignment, separation and pressing of the tiles. This separator has an horizontal body with an open central part to permit the visual access to the corners of the tiles, having as well a plurality of vertical legs distributed around the same. 
         [0013]    None of the above prior documents solves the above cited problem and no separator has been developed which may be arranged between tiles on two converging surfaces forming an angle or having different inclinations, if in order to maintain the continuity of the alignment and the separation of the tiles of both surfaces; permitting at the same time a correct observation of the area in which the tiles concur by the operator carrying out the installation, without needing the body of the separator to have a window or an open central part which would weaken the element. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    The tile separator which is the object of this invention has peculiarities in its construction which, apart from permitting the separation of adjacent tiles during its installation on a flat surface and permitting its removal and reuse after the tiles have been secured on the surface to receive them, permits to carry out the separation and to keep the alignment of pairs of adjacent tiles independently from the fact that the joints of subsequent rows of tiles be aligned, or laterally offset or that the rows of tiles should be installed on surfaces which form different angles, for example, 90°, in case that said surfaces are a wall or floor of a room, or other angles in case of surfaces with different inclination to each other. 
         [0015]    The tile separator of the invention which may be used for the alignment and uniform separation of successive tiles during its installation and fixation on a substrate, has a flat body with two parallel horizontal surfaces and at least a first pair of separating feet aligned in a first horizontal direction, perpendicular to the flat body, vertically protruding in respect at least to one of the horizontal surfaces of the flat body and having a thickness which determines the separation between successive tiles. 
         [0016]    Said flat body has at least an horizontal recess perpendicularly directed to the first horizontal direction defined by the first pair of separating feet, defining at least a folding line of said flat body, said horizontal recess in the horizontal body delimitating at least two end portions bearing the separating feet of the first pair of tiles, which according to the degree of bending of said flat body are coplanarly arranged or form a variable angle to each other. 
         [0017]    The definition in the flat body of at least one horizontal recess oriented as above described permits the separator to be folded by the folding line on the same, so that the separating feet forming the first pair of feet are kept aligned and may be introduced between corresponding pairs of tiles located on adjacent surfaces, converging to each other or having different inclinations, ensuring its alignment and the uniform separation between them. 
         [0018]    According to the invention, the separator has a second pair of separating feet aligned in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction and keeping the same distance in respect to the separating feet of the first pair of feet. 
         [0019]    In this case, the flat body of the separator has at least two horizontal recesses perpendicular to the first horizontal direction, and arranged on the opposed sides of the separating feet of the second pair of feet, in a form that said horizontal recesses delimitate on the flat body: a central portion having the separating feet of the second pair of feet and two end portions having the separating feet of the first pair of feet and that, according to the degree of folding of said flat body are arranged coplanarly or forming a variable angle between them and in respect to the central portion. 
         [0020]    This arrangement of the horizontal recesses which are offset in respect to the center of the flat body permits, by means of the folding of the separator only by one of the horizontal recesses, that one of the separating feet of the first pair of feet be located above the plane of the flat body, while the other three separating feet are kept coplanar, which permits the use of the separator in the installation of tiles without coincidence of the joints, or with the joints forming the three legs of a “T”. 
         [0021]    By means of the folding of the flat body by the two horizontal recesses it is to be obtained that the central portion forms an ample chamfer between the end portions having the first pair of separating feet; in this way the second pair of separating feet is kept in a non-operative position within the angle formed by the projection of the end portions, which will coincide with the angle defined by the surfaces which are to receive the tiles to be separated. 
         [0022]    According to the invention, the separating feet vertically project from the two horizontal surfaces of the flat body, having in each of said portions of the flat body a given thickness which is different from the other side portion, which permits the separator to define two different separations between the tiles, depending from its position of use. 
         [0023]    Preferably, the separator of the invention adopts the form of a single body of plastic material with proper characteristics to permit its repetitive folding by the described recesses without breaking the separator and maintaining the form taken by reason of the folding. 
         [0024]    It is to be mentioned that the outline of the flat body may have different geometrical forms (square, circular, lozenge shaped, etc.) and it may be continuous or alternatively it may have orifices in its surface of any size and shape to reduce the width and the quantity of material needed for its manufacture. 
         [0025]    Additionally, the separator of this invention has characteristic oriented to facilitate its installation and the observation of the area in which the tiles concur, so that the separator itself does not prevent said observation and without needing to arrange any type of window in the body of the separator or an open central portion in the same which could entail its weakening. 
         [0026]    To solve this drawback in an embodiment the tile separator has the peculiarity that the whole separator is conformed in a transparent plastic material which permits to observe the area in which the tiles concur, located under the separator, and in consequence to facilitate its proper location and use. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0027]    To complement the description and with the purpose to facilitate the understanding of the characteristics of the invention, some drawings are annexed to this description to show in a illustrative non-limitative form as follows: 
           [0028]      FIG. 1 , a perspective view of an embodiment of the tile separator according to the invention with two pairs of separating feet aligned in perpendicular directions. 
           [0029]      FIG. 2 , a plant view of the tile separator arranged intermediate to the corners of four coplanar tiles, establishing the alignment and separation among them. 
           [0030]      FIG. 3 , a side view of the separator of the above figures in the position of use of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0031]      FIG. 4 , a plant view of the tile separator of the above figures folded by one of the horizontal recesses, establishing the separation with three of the separating feet of three tiles arranged with offset joints. 
           [0032]      FIG. 5 , a cross section along A-A′ of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0033]      FIG. 6 , a side view of the separator of the previous figures folded by the two horizontal recesses defined in the flat body of the same and with the separating feet of the first pair of feet establishing the separation of a corresponding pair of tiles installed on perpendicular surfaces. 
           [0034]      FIG. 7 , a perspective view of an embodiment of the tile separator according to the invention with two pairs of separating feet aligned in two perpendicular directions, the whole separator being conformed in a transparent plastic material. 
           [0035]      FIG. 8 , a top plant view of the tile separator of  FIG. 7  located among the corners of four tiles coplanarly arranged, establishing the alignment and separation of the tiles and permitting the visual observation of the area in which the tiles concur trough the transparent body of the separator. 
       
    
    
     PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
       [0036]    In the embodiment shown in the annexed drawings, the tile separator has a flat body ( 1 ) with a first pair of separating feet ( 2 ) aligned according to a first direction (D1) and perpendicular to said flat body ( 1 ). 
         [0037]    Said separating feet ( 2 ) protrude from the flat body ( 1 ) defining an upper less thick portion ( 21 ) and a lower thicker portion ( 22 ), which permits the separator to define between the tiles (B) two separation distances depending from its laying position. 
         [0038]    The flat body ( 1 ) has two horizontal recesses ( 3 ) perpendicular to the direction (D1) defined by the first pair of separating feet ( 2 ) conforming two folding lines in the flat body ( 1 ); said recesses delimitate in the flat body ( 1 ) a central portion ( 11 ) and two end portions ( 12 ) having the first feet ( 2 ). 
         [0039]    In the example shown the separator has a second pair of separating feet ( 4 ) aligned according to a second direction (D2) perpendicular to the first direction (D1), being said separating feet ( 4 ) located to the same distance in respect to feet ( 2 ). 
         [0040]    Said separating feet ( 4 ) project vertically from the flat body ( 1 ) defining an upper portion ( 41 ) and a lower portion ( 42 ) with different thicknesses and respectively coinciding with the upper and lower portions ( 21 ,  22 ), of the first pair of separating feet ( 2 ). 
         [0041]    As may be observed in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the device permits to align subsequent and coplanar tiles (B) by the introduction of the feet ( 2 ,  4 ) between said tiles, determining a broader or narrower separation between said tiles (B), depending on the introduction between said tiles of the upper less thick portion ( 21 ,  41 ) or the lower thicker portion ( 22 ,  42 ) of the separating feet ( 2 ,  4 ). 
         [0042]    As is to be observed in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , by means of the folding of the separator by one of the horizontal recesses ( 3 ), it is to be obtained that one of the separating feet ( 2 ) of the first pair of feet be located above the plane of the flat body, permitting the use of the other three separating feet ( 2 ,  4 ,  4 ) to define the separation between the three tiles (B) installed with offset joints. 
         [0043]    As is to be observed from  FIG. 6 , by means of the folding of the separator by the two horizontal recesses ( 3 ), it is to be obtained that the end portions ( 12 ) of the flat body ( 1 ) form different angles between each other and with the central portion ( 11 ) and that the separating feet ( 2 ) of the first pair of feet be arranged between pairs of tiles (B) laying on converging surfaces, which form different angles between each other, ensuring the adjacent tiles (B) of both surfaces to remain perfectly aligned and with the same separation. 
         [0044]    Particularly in  FIG. 6 , the end portions ( 12 ) of the flat body ( 1 ) define an angle of 90° between each other permitting the introduction of the corresponding separating feet ( 2 ) between the tiles to be installed on two converging surfaces which form an angle of 90°. 
         [0045]    In this folded position of the separator, the central portion ( 11 ) forms a chamfer, remaining the second pair of separating feet ( 4 ) in a non-operative position, separated from the tiles (B) without setting any hindrance for the assembly of the tiles. 
         [0046]    To make possible the alignment and separation of the tiles (B) located on two converging surfaces or surfaces with different degrees of inclination, such as those shown in  FIG. 4 , the separator may have only a first pair of separating feet ( 2 ) and a sole horizontal recess ( 3 ) arranged in this case centrally to permit its folding. 
         [0047]    In the variant shown in  FIG. 7 , the separator is made out of a transparent plastic material which permits, as shown in  FIG. 8 , that during its use, the area in which the tiles to be separated concur may be observed trough the separator itself. 
         [0048]    Particularly, in said  FIG. 8  trough the transparent material of the separator the corners may be observed of four tiles (B) separated and aligned uniformly by the separating feet ( 2 ,  4 ) of the separator, being said separating feet arranged between said tiles (B).