Method for manufacturing decorative ceramic openwork border tiles, products thus manfactured and the use thereof

Abstract: The object of this Patent is a method for the manufacture of decorative ceramic openwork tile borders, the products manufactured employing the same and the use thereof. The method in question consists of grinding down the thickness of the tiles (2) on their reverse side (1) using abrasive disks (3) which cut through the back of the indented portions, leaving openings cut through the same. The grinding of the reverse side (1) is done from the two lengthwise edges of the tile (2), creating a centered lengthwise rib (5)which makes the tile rigid. The two adjacent wall tiles (6' 6'') butt up to said raised ridge, the openwork portions of the decorative ceramic tile border being overlapped thereon.

Description: OBJECT The object to which the present invention refers consists of a method for making decorative openwork ceramic tile borders, products manufactured employing the same and the utilization thereof. The term "tile border" is to be understood herein as being a component bearing a decorative pattern which is placed along the length of walls and which usually consists of individual tiles bearing one same pattern placed one after the other. These general features are applicable in the present application to individual decorative openwork ceramic tile borders. BACKGROUND As regards the current state of the art, decorative ceramic tile borders are most often used in the form of affixing the individual tiles to the face of the walls, located in between the wall tiling (linear tile border) (see EP 666 386 for example). Nevertheless, there are also decorative ceramic tile borders which have one edge which juts out and which is overlapped on the adjacent edge of the adjacent wall tiling (overlapped tile border). In any event, the known manufacturing process begins with the design of the decorative aspects, which can be either smooth or in relief. Once the molds have been built in keeping with the ornamental features selected, the individual tiles are made by means of the dry pressing of a sprayed material of a porous make-up. In the case of overlapped borders, an adjustment is made on the reverse of the tiles following manufacture (on unexposed side), this being a procedure which consists of trimming the tile down in thickness using abrasive discs, thinning it down to the point where the distance from the edge of the border is equal to the depth of the overlapped section. This procedure therefore gives rise to a raised ridge on the reverse side, the difference in thickness of which must be equal to the thickness of the wall tiles such that an exact overlap which be achieved. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the method for manufacturing decorative openwork ceramic border tiles which comprises one of the objects of this Patent, the procedure employed is based on relief designs in which these tiles are highlighted at the bottom of the indented portions thereof. These tiles are manufactured by means of state-of-the-art techniques (molding, pressing, grinding), although, for the grinding on the reverse side, as a result of the depth of the bas relief, the depths of the indented areas are cut using abrasive discs, thus resulting in holes or openings of a shape defined by the configuration of the indented parts cut out of the designed relief being cut all the way through to exposed side of the tile. The grinding is done symmetrically, from the two lengthwise edges of the tile by means of two abrasive discs which act simultaneously on the reverse plane proper at a distance such that a central raised ridge or rib is formed along the lengthwise axis thereof, which is the result of the grinding done by another two abrasive disks on planes perpendicular to that of the reverse side. The products manufactured by employing the procedure described are decorative ceramic border tiles, characterized by the existence of openwork on the exposed side thereof which is that of the cutting of the deepest parts of the front relief thereof located to one side and another of a raised ridge or rib centered lengthwise along the same. The ornamental ceramic openwork tile border described hereinabove is positioned between two adjacent wall tiles which butt up to its central rib or raised ridge, which, in addition to this securing function, acts as a means of keeping this tile rigid, the openwork portions of the decorative tile border being overlapped on the two adjacent wall tiles, to one side and the other of the lengthwise axis thereof, the joints thus being concealed yet visible through the openwork on the surfaces of said adjacent wall tiles, thus achieving a beautifully decorative optical illusion, as if the decorative tile border were to have been sculpted into the wall. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS As a further explanation regarding the description of the invention and for the purpose of aiding in the interpretation of the formal, structural and functional aspects thereof, drawings are attached hereto in which different aspects of a preferred embodiment of the method for the manufacture of decorative openwork ceramic border tiles as well as the products manufactured by means of employing the same and the utilization thereof, all of which comprises the object of this Patent, are provided in diagram form. In said drawings: Fig. 1 shows the method for grinding the openwork by means of grinding using abrasive discs from the back side of the decorative ceramic border tiles, as well as the working of the lengthwise rib using other discs. Fig. 2 shows the use of the decorative openwork ceramic border tiles positioned between two wall tiles, the openwork areas thereof being overlapped over the same. DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT For the purpose of clearly demonstrating the nature and the scope of the advantages afforded by the employing the method for manufacturing decorative openwork ceramic border tiles as well as the products manufactured through the use thereof and the advantageous use thereof which comprises the object of the invention in question, a description is provided in following of the structure and functioning thereof, making reference to the drawings, which, given that they entail a preferred embodiment of said object of an informative nature, must be taken in the broadest, nonlimiting sense of the application and the content of the invention. The decorative ceramic openwork border tile manufacturing process entails the state-of-the-art techniques (molding, pressing, grinding). This process is based on designs in which the bottom of the indented parts is highlighted such that, in the process of grinding from the back side (1) of the tiles (2), the bottoms of said indented parts are cut by two abrasive discs (3) which grind simultaneously on the plane of the reverse side proper (1), which leads to holes or openings (4) of a shape defined by the configuration of the indented parts being cut out from the designed relief through to the exposed side. The grinding is done symmetrically, from the two lengthwise edges of the tile, the discs (3) being spaced apart from one another such that a central raised ridge or rib (5) is formed along the lengthwise axis thereof, being ground by another two abrasive discs (7) along planes perpendicular to that of the reverse side (1). The products are decorative ceramic border tiles (2) into which openwork (4) is cut on the exposed side by means of the cutting out of the deepest parts of the frontal relief, positioned to one side and the other of a lengthwise raised ridge or rib (5) centered on the reverse side (1). The use thereof is by means of positioning each decorative openwork ceramic border tile (2) between two adjacent wall tiles (6'-6") which butt up against the central raised ridge or rib (5) on the back side thereof (1). In addition to having a binding function, said raised ridge acts as a means of making the tiles rigid, the openwork portions of the decorative ceramic border tile being overlapped on the adjacent wall tiles (6' - 6") along one side and another of the lengthwise axis thereof, the joints thus being concealed but visible through the openwork on the surfaces of said adjacent wall tiles, thus achieving a beautifully decorative optical illusion, as if the decorative tile border were sculpted into the wall.

Claims: Decorative ceramic border tiles characterised by a shape defined by the conformation of indented parts previously formed in the tiles, openworks cut by grinding out the most deeply indented parts of the frontal relief from the reverse side, sufficient to reach the deeper portions of indented parts giving rise to holes or openings and a central raised ridge or rib located on the lengthwise axis of the reverse side of said ceramic border tile. Method for the manufacture of decorative ceramic openwork border tiles of claim 1 characterised by the creation of a central ridge or rib (5) located on the lengthwise axis of the decorative ceramic openwork border tile, on the reverse side (1) of the tiles (2) by the sides (7) of two abrasive discs (3) which sides act perpendicular to that of the reverse side (1) and by the grinding of the reverse side (1) of the tiles (2) with designs in relief in which the deepening of the indented parts is highlighted are used as a basis, by two abrasive discs (3) which act simultaneously on the plane of the reverse side (1), the grinding is done symetrically and sufficient to reach the deeper portions of said indented parts giving rise to holes or openings (4) in the tile of a shape defined by the configuration of the indented parts previously formed in the tiles. Method for the manufacture of decorative ceramic openwork border tiles of claim 2 characterised in that the exposed side of the openwork (4) is cut by grinding out the most deeply indented parts of the frontal relief thereof, positioned to one side and the other of said lengthwise raised ridge or rib (5) centered on the reverse side thereof (1). Use of decorative ceramic openwork border tiles of claim 1, or produced by the method of claims 2 or 3 characterised by positioning each individual decorative ceramic openwork border tile (2) between two adjacent wall tiles (6' - 6"), which butt up against the central raised ridge or rib (5) on the reverse side thereof (1), which, in addition to fulfilling a securing function, acts as a means of making the tiles rigid (2), the openwork portions of the decorative border tile positioned to overlap the two adjacent (6' - 6") wall tiles, to one and the other side of the lengthwise axis thereof, the joints thus being concealed yet visible through the openwork on the surface of said adjacent wall tiles, thus achieving a beautifully decorative optical illusion, as if the decorative tile border were to have been sculpted into the wall.

Inventors: VILA UBEDA ROGELIO, VILA UBEDA, ROGELIO
Applicants: ESTUDIO CERAMICO S L, ESTUDIO CERAMICO, S.L.
Application year: 1998
Main classification: E04F19
IPC codes: B28B11