Aid for laying flooring tiles

An aid for laying floor tiles on an adhesive bed applied to a floor surface including a support handle having a first and second end, as well as a supporting surface provided at each end, wherein each supporting surface can be supported on the floor surface and wherein each supporting surface is provided with several projections spaced apart such that a support is realized by means of which the tiler can be supported on the floor surface while carrying out work, so that the occurrence of injuries and other physical discomfort can be reduced as much as possible, and wherein furthermore undesirable disturbance of or damage to the adhesive bed on which the flooring tiles are to be placed is prevented.

The invention relates to an aid for laying flooring tiles on an adhesive bed applied to a floor surface.

Laying flooring tiles is physically demanding work, which imposes a heavy burden on a person's back and upper and lower limbs. More specifically, a tiler's job is characterised by work carried out in uncomfortable postures for prolonged periods of time and by activities, such as heavy lifting, pushing and pulling that may lead to injury and other physical discomfort.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide an aid which provides sufficient support for the tiler when carrying out work close to the ground, so that undesirable and uncomfortable loads on the tiler's back and limb are prevented as much as possible.

According to the invention, the aid is to that end characterised in that it comprises a support handle having a first and a second end, as well as a supporting surface provided at each end, wherein each supporting surface can be supported on the floor surface and wherein each supporting surface is provided with several projections spaced some distance apart.

In this way a support is realised by means of which the tiler can be supported on the floor surface while carrying out work, so that the occurrence of injuries and other physical discomfort can be reduced as much as possible, and wherein furthermore undesirable disturbance of or damage to the adhesive bed on which the flooring tiles are to be placed is prevented.

According to another aspect of the invention, each supporting surface is provided with at least four projections, which projections are disposed near each of the corner points of the supporting surface. In this way an efficient distribution of forces is realised whilst the adhesive bed is disturbed as little as possible.

In another functional embodiment, the projections are spaced so far apart on the supporting surface that when the aid is placed on the floor surface, each projection can be placed between adjacent adhesive ridges formed in the adhesive bed by means of a notch trowel. In this way disturbance of the adhesive bed is prevented, whilst an adequate support of the tiler during his or her work is ensured. This, too, is aimed at preventing physical discomfort, such as back and limb injuries, as much as possible.

According to a functional aspect, the thickness of each projection at most equals the spacing between two adjacent adhesive ridges. The use of projections having a thickness or width that at most equals the spacing between two adjacent adhesive ridges on the one hand provides a sufficiently stable and ergonomic support for the tiler and on the other hand ensures that the adhesive bed will be disturbed as little as possible.

According to another functional embodiment, the aid is characterised in that each supporting surface can be detached from the handle. This makes it possible to repair the aid, for example in the case of damaged supporting surfaces and/or broken projections, which prolongs the life of the aid and which, in addition, makes it readily possible to adapt the aid to the adhesive bed and in particular to the shape or dimension of the adhesive ridges formed in the adhesive bed by means of a notch trowel.

According to a special aspect, the aid is characterised in that each end of the handle and each supporting surface are provided with mating snap connectors.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For a better understanding of the invention, identical parts will be indicated by the same numerals in the following description of the figures.

Numeral10inFIG. 1shows a non-limitative embodiment of an aid according to the invention. The aid10is made up of a handle11having a first and a second end11a-11b. Each end11a-11bis provided with a supporting surface12a,12b, respectively, which is detachably connected to the respective end11a-11b, in a manner yet to be described hereinafter.

AsFIG. 2shows, each supporting surface12a-12bhas a substantially symmetrical square shape, being provided with a projection13a,13b, respectively, near each corner point.

During use of the aid10, the aid must be placed on the adhesive bed that has been applied to a floor surface on which flooring tiles are to be placed. The aid is supported on the floor via its projections13a-13b, which projections13a-13bare placed in the adhesive bed.

More specifically, the cams are so configured as regards their mutual spacing and thickness that when the aid is placed in the adhesive bed, the projections can be placed between adjacent adhesive ridges formed in the adhesive bed by means of a notch trowel. More in particular, each projection13a-13bhas a thickness which at most equals the spacing between two adjacent adhesive ridges.

In this way it is ensured that the adhesive bed will be disturbed as little as possible, so that the placement and bonding of the flooring tiles will be affected to a minimum extent.

In one embodiment, the projections13a-13bhave a length of about 10 mm, and the spacing between the projections (in particular the smallest spacing) is about 90-100 mm.

Preferably, the supporting surfaces12a-12bcan be detached from the ends11a-11bof the handle11.

The first end and the second end11a-11bas well as each supporting surface12a-12bare to that end provided with mating snap connectors14a-15aand14b-15b, respectively.

AsFIG. 3shows, each supporting surface12a-12bis provided with several (three inFIG. 2) openings15a-15bprovided with a clamp-snap edge15a′-15b′. Each first and second end11a-11bis provided with spring projections or pins, which are preferably flat and which can be received in the openings15a-15bof each supporting surface. The spring projections or pins14a-14bto that end engage behind the clamping edge15a′-15b′ of each opening15a-15b, so that they are clampingly retained therein.

In this way a strong yet non-permanent connection can be realised between the handle and the supporting surface, making it possible to exchange the supporting surface, for example when a supporting surface is damaged or when the aid10is to be adjusted to suit a different shape and dimension of the adhesive bed realised by means of a notch trowel.

In another embodiment, the detachable supporting surfaces can be connected to the support by means of a screw, in particular a self-tapping screw. The support is to that end provided with a through bore16near each end11a-11b(seeFIG. 4), in which the screw, which may or may not be a self-tapping screw, can be received, with the screw engaging the supporting surface12a-12b.

Instead of a supporting surface provided with projections, another part can be connected to the support12, for example a cement or mortar trowel for levelling large surfaces.

FIG. 5shows another detail of an embodiment for use with an aid10according to the invention. Numeral20discloses a support cap that can be placed over the projections13a-13b. The cap20is to that end provided with an opening24, whose internal dimension (diameter) is equal to or slightly smaller than the external dimension (diameter) of the projections13a-13b. The cap is preferably cylindrical in shape and has a supporting surface21which is wider than the “neck”22of the cap. The narrower neck22blends into the wide supporting surface21.

The support cap20may be made of a plastic material, in particular a rubber. The support cap20is used in combination with the tool after tiles have been placed on an adhesive bed and in particular upon jointing of the tiles after laying. To prevent the aid10from slipping away during this finishing operation of the tiled floor, support caps20can be placed over the projections13a-13b, so that additional friction with the, usually slippery, tile surface is obtained.

The supporting surface21may be roughened or be provided with small unevennesses, which friction-increasing means have a friction-increasing effect.

It will be understood that the present invention provides an aid by means of which tilers can carry out their work with a minimum physical burden and minimal physical problems, thereby preventing the risk of impeding or permanent back or limb damage.