Abstract:
A universal tile installation mat is described for use in the construction of tiled floors and walls and wherein the mat is secured on a sub-floor surface formed of wood or concrete or a wall surface. The tile installation mat uncouples the mortar and the tiles set therein and disposed over the mat to prevent cracking of the mortar, the tiles and the grouted joints due to displacements in the support surfaces. The tile installation mat is formed from flexible plastics materials and has three different types of support formations integrally formed therein to anchor mortar and to retain heating wires captive in different patterns as desired to form a heated tiled floor or wall. The support formations facilitates ease of installation of heated wires and provides counter acting forces against a heating wire from escaping from anchoring passages formed by the support formations.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a universal tile installation mat for use in a tile installation system for uncoupling floor or wall tiles set in mortar from a sub-floor or wall surface and which tile installation system can also be used to attach heating wires in desired patterns to heat the tiles. 
         [0002]    Underlayments are known to uncouple mortar in which floor or wall tiles are set from a sub-floor or wall support surface whereby any movement in the sub-floor or wall is not transmitted into the mortar and tiles set therein causing fissures to form in the mortar and transmitted to the joints and/or tiles causing the tiles to cracks thereby necessitating costly repairs. They also provide waterproofing and drainage and act as a vapor barrier. Different and thicker underlayments have been developed to attach electrical heating wires to formations formed in the top surface of the underlayment and to also uncouple the mortar from the sub-floor or wall to prevent the same problems as well as preventing short circuits in the wiring. If a break is formed in the wiring which is set in mortar, it must first be located by the use of special devices and then it is necessary to break the tiles and mortar to repair the wire breakage. This requires skilled workmanship and is an expensive repair. 
         [0003]    Some known underlayments and other form of connectors are adapted to support and connect to electrical heating wiring by post-like formations which define projecting flexible flanges or protrusions formed in opposed support post formations to define a channel there between wherein a wire passing therein is retained in the channel by the opposed projecting flanges. Usually, these formations are identical and extend on the top face of the underlayment in transverse rows or single row strips. Reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,950,141 and 7,250,570 as examples of these. 
         [0004]    Several other patents also exist in the prior art relating to various types of underlayments with attachments for connecting electrical heating wires, or piping adapted to circulate a heated liquid, are known. Various types of formations are also disclosed for the attachment of electrical heating wires and some formation layouts can become confusing to the installers due to their complicated patterns. Further, some proposed post attachment designs can cause the wire runs to detach due to inadequate retention of the wire(s) or complicated pattern runs. Such detachments are often caused by tradesmen walking on the underlayment with the wires installed, prior to the application of the thin set mortar and tiles. 
         [0005]    It is common in the trade to use a different underlayment when electrical heating wires are required. The use of different underlayment products adds to production cost and to the cost of having to support in inventory, both to the manufacturer, distributor and the trades person, two different types of underlayment products. 
         [0006]    It would therefore be advantageous to have a single underlayment product which can be used to construct heated or non-heated floor or wall surfaces. With heated floor surfaces it is also advantageous to provide an underlayment with support attaching formations which make it easy to install electrical heating wires, in various patterns with straight runs, while providing adequate wire retention and the availability of different spacing between wire runs. The installation and connection of the wires should be made simply by sliding the finger over the wire with the wire being guided by some of the formations in retention areas. 
         [0007]    It is also desirable to provide adequate support formations with mortar anchoring means wherein the thin set mortar is easily channeled in undercut regions of some of the formations to assure proper retention of the mortar with the upper surface area of the underlayment. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    It is a feature of the present invention to provide a universal tile installation mat which provides the desired results and features mentioned herein above. 
         [0009]    It is a further feature of the present invention to provide a universal tile installation mat which can be used as a decoupling strata between a floor or wall surface comprising tiles set in a mortar base and a supporting sub-floor or wall formed of various materials. 
         [0010]    A further feature of the present invention is to provide a universal tile installation mat which reduces costs of fabrication, transport and inventory as compared to the use of two different underlayments which produce different functions. 
         [0011]    Another feature of the present invention is to provide a tile installation mat with wire connecting and guiding formations which facilitates the installation of wires in a variety of different patterns while providing a secured attachement of the wires within the surface of the tile installation mat. 
         [0012]    A still further feature of the present invention is to provide a tile installation mat with wire retention means wherein alternate wire retention means of adjacent rows exerts an opposed retention force on a wire connected within the tile installation mat to prevent accidental displacement ot the wire. 
         [0013]    According to the above features, from a broad aspect, the present invention provides a universal tile installation mat for use on a sub-floor or wall surface to anchor mortar adapted to receive in support engagement floor or wall tiles and wherein the mat uncouples the mortar from the sub-floor or wall surface. The mat is comprised of a flexible base sheet, having integrally formed, a plurality of elevated support formations projecting outwardly from a flat outer surface of the base sheet and terminating in a flat top surface lying in a common flat plane substantially parallel to the flat outer surface of the base sheet. The support formations are disposed in a repeat pattern throughout the base sheet. Some of the support formations are circular mortar anchoring formations each defining an open top end cavity in their flat top surface and which have at least a portion of an inner side wall of the cavity sloping downwardly and inwards under the flat top surface from the flat top wall to a base wall of the open top end cavity. The circular mortar anchoring formations further define a circumferential protruding top edge. Some of the elevated formations are guide posts disposed on opposed transverse sides of the circular mortar anchoring formations and spaced there from a predetermined common distance to define an anchoring passage between a straight vertical side wall of the guide posts and a bottom outer wall portion of the circular mortar anchoring formations. 
         [0014]    According to a still further broad aspect of the present invention the anchoring passage is one of a mortar anchoring passage and/or heating wire anchoring passage. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective top view of the universal tile installation mat of the present invention illustrating the different elevated support formations and the distribution pattern of the formations throughout the mat; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged cross-section view along cross-section line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a further enlarged cross-section view along cross-section line  3 - 3  of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a bottom perspective view of the universal tile installation mat showing more details of the construction of the support platform and the cavities forms in the lower surface of the mat for decoupling and also illustrating in a fragmented portion a liner material bonded to the bottom face of the mat; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged view showing part of the mortar anchoring formation formed in the base sheet and the design of the elongated rectangular shaped guide post disposed adjacent the mortar anchoring formation to form an anchoring passage there between; 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is a top fragmented view showing the three different support formations and their relationship and positions relative to one another and their counter acting force, with respect to one another, to retain a heating wire captive in their respective anchoring passage; 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  is a fragmented cross-section view showing the tile installation mat in use wherein ceramic or natural stones tiles have been set on a layer of mortar anchored in the various cavities formed on the flat upper surface of the mat base sheet herein connected to a plywood sheet subfloor by glue; 
           [0023]      FIG. 8  is a fragmented perspective view illustrating a modification of the construction of the elongated rectangular shaped guide post, and 
           [0024]      FIG. 9  is a further fragmented perspective view illustrating a modification of the construction of the mortar anchoring formation. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0025]    Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIGS. 1 to 5 , there is shown generally at  10  in  FIG. 1  the universal tile installation mat of the present invention. It is comprised by a base sheet  11  formed of a suitable flexible plastics material, such as for example polyethylene, polypropylene or other flexible material capable of maintaining its shape after molding. As herein shown the tile installation mat is formed from a flexible base sheet  11  of the plastics material with a plurality of elevated support formations  12  projecting outwardly from a flat upper surface  13  of the base sheet  11 . All of the support formations define a flat top surface  14  which lie in a common flat plane  15  which is substantially parallel to the flat upper surface  13  of the base sheet. There are three types of support formations  12  and these are disposed in a specific pattern, as shown in  Figure 1 , which repeats throughout the mat. The tile installation mat has a thickness of about 5 millimeters as calculated from an under face of the base sheet  11  to the top face of the flat top surface of the formations. The structure of the support formations  12  and their function with respect to one another follows. 
         [0026]    As shown more clearly in  FIGS. 2 and 5 , the support formation  12 ′ is a circular anchoring formation which is provided with an open top end cavity  16  in its flat top wall  17  whereby to anchor mortar therein, as illustrated in  FIG. 7 . The open top end cavity has an inner side wall  18  which slopes downwardly and inwards at an angle of about 80 degrees form the flat top wall  17  and terminates at a base wall  19  of the cavity. The circular anchoring formation  12 ′ also defines a circumferential protruding outer top edge forming a lip  20  projecting beyond a straight vertical outer wall  21  thereof for a purpose which will be described below. As herein shown the lip is of bead shape transverse cross-section. The lip can also be formed by an outermost portion of the vertical outer wall being sloped outwardly, such as in the direction of the guide ramp  26  as will be described herein below. 
         [0027]    A second of the support formations is in the form of a guide post  12 ″ which is disposed on opposed transverse sides of the circular anchoring formation  12 ′ and is spaced there from a predetermined common distance to form a first anchoring passage  22  . The first anchoring passage  22  is defined between the straight vertical side wall  23  of the guide post  12 ″ and the vertical outer wall  21  below the protruding lip  20  of the circular anchoring formation  12 ′. As shown, the guide post  12 ″ is formed has an elongated, substantially rectangular, guide post defining opposed outwardly curved end edges  24  and opposed parallel side edges  25 . The length of the guide post  12 ″ is equal to the diameter of the circular anchoring formation  12 ′ and serves also as an abutment to a heating wire trained there against to maintain the wire along a straight path. A circumferential guide ramp  26  is defined in a top portion the straight vertical side wall  23  and merges to the flat top wall  27  in a direction slopping away from the circumferential protruding lip  20  whereby to form a side angulated entry opening  22 ′ leading to the first anchoring passage  22 , as better illustrated in  FIG. 4 , wherein to facilitate the positioning of a heating wire into the first anchoring passage  22 . 
         [0028]    A third of the support formations is in the form of a circular anchoring post  12 ′″. The anchoring post  12 ′″ is disposed spaced a predetermined common distance between the end edges  24  of opposed associated ones of four of the guide posts  12 ″, as better seen in  FIG. 1 . The circular anchoring posts  12 ′″ each have a circumferential protruding top edge forming an outwardly projecting lip  28 , as does the circular anchoring formations  12 ′, whereby to define second anchoring passages  29  between the circular anchoring posts  12 ′″ and the end edges  24  of opposed associated ones of the four elongated rectangular guide posts  12 ″ as identified in  FIG. 1  by reference characters A, B, C, and D. As also illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the elongated rectangular guide posts  12 ″ have a central longitudinal axis  30  thereof aligned with one another on transverse axes  31  and  31 ′ of the repeat pattern throughout the base sheet  11 . The circular anchoring posts  12 ′″ have a center point  32  thereof lying at each intersection of the transverse axes  31  and  31 ′. The anchoring passages  22  and  29  have a predetermined width to receive a heating wire in close fit therein. In the embodiment described, and for a typical wire installation, the passages  22  and  29  have a width of about 0.15 inches whereby to receive in close friction fit therein a heating wire having an outer diameter of about 0.16 inches, has is common in the trade. 
         [0029]    As shown in  Figure 4 , the first, second and third elevated formations  12 ′,  12 ″, and  12 ′″, are hollow formations in at least portion thereof, to form air cavities or pockets  56  which are closed by a liner material  57 , a portion of which is illustrated, and bonded to the bottom surface  58  of the base sheet  11  to trap air. These cavities or pocket permit flexing of the underlayment when loads are applied to it from above, such as when a person walks on a tiled floor surface or when there is movement in a sub-floor or wall whereby to decouple the mortar from the support surface of the underlayment  10  by permitting the underlayment to absorb the loads and displacements. 
         [0030]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , a first anchoring passage  22  and a second anchoring passage  22 ′ are disposed in alignment with one another on a common longitudinal axis  29  and in a continuing sequence whereby the beaded lip  20  projecting in the top edges of the circular anchoring posts  12 ′″ and the circular anchoring formations  12 ′ are alternately offset from one another, that is to say face in opposed directions in an alternate fashion. The reason for this is illustrated in  FIG. 6  where it can be seen that their disposition creates opposed restraining forces against a heating wire  35 , and on opposed sides of the wire in alternating sequence, trained along a path  29  between the alternating anchoring passages  22 ,  22 ′, 22 , and so on. For example, the circular anchoring post  12 ″′, at position  34 , retains the heating wire  35  captive in its anchoring passage  22  under its beaded lip  28  between its outer side wall  21  and the vertical side wall  23  of the elongated guide post  12 ″ and wherein a biasing planar retention force is created against the wire  35  under the lip  28  by the guide post  12 ′ on opposed sides of the anchoring post  12 ″′, as illustrated by arrow  36 , acting against the displacement of the heating wire wanting to be displaced out of the side entrance opening  22 ′ as shown in phantom lines  35  in  FIG. 5 . Likewise, opposed circular anchoring posts  12 ″′ on opposed sides of a circular anchoring formation  12 ′ create a planar retention force, as illustrated by arrows  37 , to retain the wire under the lip of the formation  12 ′ there between. Accordingly, the overhanging lips disposed offset in opposite spaced alternate direction over each side of the wire  35  prevent the wire  35  from popping out of the anchoring passages. These planar retention forces  37  and opposed restraining forces on the heating wire are created when the wire is exerted a force to pull out of the anchoring passages  22 . Such forces on the heating wire can be caused by a person walking on the installation prior to the application of the thin set mortar or accidentally by the trade person engaging the heating wire by a trowel or any other accidental means. If portions of the heating wire becomes detached during the application of the mortar, the detached wire would create a bump in the mortar causing an uneven surface in which the ceramic tiles are set resulting in one or more floor tiles being set on a cantor exposing elevated side edges of the tile and making the floor uneven. 
         [0031]    As also shown in  FIG. 6 , when the wire  35  is disposed tor a right angle turn, such as shown at position  55 , the circular anchoring posts  12 ″′ at position “D” and “F”, exert its planar pushing force, as shown by arrows  37  in the direction of corner circular anchoring formation  12 ′ at position “G” to bias the wire  35  under the projecting lip  20  in the curved corner portion of the circular anchoring formation  12 ′. The tile installation mat of the present invention provides for heating wires to be trained along several patterns with runs extending along transverse axes. Wire runs can be formed extending at right angles around each of the first  12 ′, the second  12 ″, or the third  12 ′″ support formations. Therefore, heating wires can be disposed with spacings of 2.25 inches when around two of the formations  12 ′, 3.67 inches when around three of the formations  12 ′″, and 3.08 inches when around two of the formations  12 ″. 
         [0032]    Because the elongated guide posts have a circumferential guide ramp, the installation of the wire into the passages is greatly facilitated by simply sliding the finger over the wire aligned with the anchoring passages and the ramp of the guide ramp of the rectangular guide post guides directs the wire sideways into the anchoring passages under the projecting lips of the circular anchoring formations  12 ′ and alternate circular anchoring post  12 ′″. 
         [0033]    With reference to  FIG. 7  there is illustrated a typical installation of the tile installation mat in the construction of a floor where ceramic or natural stone tiles  40  are laid in a mortar base  43 . The left side of  FIG. 7  illustrates the use of the mat to decouple the mortar  43  and tiles  40  from the top surface  41  of a sub-floor herein constructed by a single plywood sheet  42 . As herein shown, the liner material sheet  57 , a non-woven fleece sheet, is bonded to the bottom surface of the base sheet and secured to the sub-floor  42  by glue  59 . A grout  44  is also disposed and sets in the joints formed between the tiles  40  after the mortar has set. As can be seen the mortar or thin set cement  43  enters into the open top end cavities  16  of the circular anchoring formations  12 ′ and lodges itself in the undercut formed by the inwardly slopping side walls  18 . Also, the mortar will lodge itself in the anchoring passages  22  and  29  and this is facilitated by the surrounding guide ramp  26  section of the side wall slopping about the elongated guide posts  12 ″ and directing the concrete to enter the passages  22  and  29  through the side entry openings to be retained captive under the projecting lip formed in the top edges  20  and  28  of the respective anchoring passages  22  and  29 . The left side of  FIG. 7  illustrates the use of the same tile installation mat to perform the decoupling feature but as well it serves to anchor heating wires  35  in the anchoring passages  22  and  29  as above described with reference to  FIG. 6 . 
         [0034]    With reference to  FIG. 8  there is illustrated a modification of the elongated rectangular guide post  12 ″ and has herein shown a mortar anchoring cavity  50  is herein shown formed in the flat top wall  27  of the guide post.  FIG. 9  illustrates a still further modification of the circular mortar anchoring formation  12 ′ wherein the open top end cavity  16 ′ is herein constituted by a surrounding inner side wall  51  having opposed side wall sections  52  formed has straight concavely shaped sections and opposed side wall sections  53  having inwardly inclined and concavely shaped side wall sections  53 ′ wherein mortar can lodge in the undercut formed by the inwardly inclined side wall sections. 
         [0035]    The word “universal” has used herein is intended to mean that the same tile installation mat can be used to serve two distinct functions, as described herein above, as opposed to prior art underlayments where a separate underlayment is required for each of the two functions. 
         [0036]    It is within the ambit of the present invention to cover any obvious modification to the examples of the preferred embodiment described herein, provided such modifications fall within the scope of the appended claims.