Patent Publication Number: US-11649640-B2

Title: Interlocking tiles

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The disclosure relates generally to the field of burn rooms. More specifically, the disclosure relates to burn rooms employing a plurality of interlocking tiles. 
     SUMMARY 
     The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented elsewhere herein. 
     In one embodiment, a tile system for a burn room includes a plurality of interlocking surface tiles, each surface tile having an upper portion and a lower portion. The lower portion extends beyond at least a portion of a perimeter of the upper portion to define a flange. The system further includes a plurality of interlocking corner tiles configured to interact with at least one of the plurality of surface tiles; and a bracket system for securing the plurality of surface tiles and the plurality of corner tiles to a surface. 
     In another embodiment, a tile system for a burn room, includes a plurality of surface tiles, each surface tile comprising a main body having a top face and a bottom face, and a flange extending substantially around a perimeter of the main body, wherein a bottom face of the flange is level with the bottom face of the main body. Each tile is configured to be arranged in an upward-facing orientation and a downward-facing orientation. A first tile of the plurality of tiles is arranged in the upward-facing orientation in an installed configuration. A second tile of the plurality of tiles is arranged in the downward-facing orientation in the installed configuration. In the installed configuration, the flange of the first tile is substantially adjacent the flange of the second tile. 
     In still another embodiment, a method of assembling a burn room, includes (a) providing a plurality of interlocking surface tiles, each surface tile comprising a main body having a top face and a bottom face and a flange extending substantially around a perimeter of the main body, wherein a bottom face of the flange is level with the bottom face of the main body; (b) positioning a first tile of the plurality of tiles substantially adjacent a surface in an upward facing orientation; and (c) positioning a second tile of the plurality of tiles substantially adjacent the surface and the first tile in a downward facing orientation. When the second tile is positioned substantially adjacent the first tile, the flange of the second tile at least partially overlaps the flange of the first tile. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures. 
         FIG.  1 A  is a perspective view of an interlocking tile according to embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG.  1 B  is a side view of the interlocking tile of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  1 C  is a front view of the interlocking tile of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  1 D  is a rear view of the interlocking tile of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  2 A  is a side view of a system of interlocking tiles according to embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG.  2 B  is a front view of the system of interlocking tiles according to  FIG.  2 A . 
         FIG.  3 A  is a side view of a bracket system for securing interlocking tiles to a surface according to embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG.  3 B  is a top view of a bracket system for securing interlocking tiles to a surface according to embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG.  4    is a front view of a system of interlocking tiles according to embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG.  5 A  is a perspective view of an interlocking corner tile according to embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG.  5 B  is a side view of the corner tile of  FIG.  5 A . 
         FIG.  5 C  is an end view of the corner tile of  FIG.  5 A . 
         FIG.  5 D  is a front view of the corner tile of  FIG.  5 A . 
         FIG.  6 A  is a side view of overlapping corner tiles according to embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG.  6 B  is a front view of the overlapping corner tiles of  FIG.  6 A . 
         FIG.  7 A  is a side view of a bracket system for securing interlocking corner tiles to a surface according to embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG.  7 B  is a top view of the bracket system of  FIG.  7 A . 
         FIG.  7 C  is a top view of the bracket system of  FIG.  7 A  ready for install with interlocking tiles secured to a surface. 
         FIG.  8    is a front view of interlocking corner tiles with a bracket system according to embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG.  9    illustrates a burn room employing a plurality of interlocking tiles according to embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG.  10 A  is a perspective view of a corner tile according to embodiments of the invention. 
         FIG.  10 B  is a right side view of the corner tile of  FIG.  10 A . 
         FIG.  10 C  is a left side view of the corner tile of  FIG.  10 A . 
         FIG.  10 D  a top view of the corner tile of  FIG.  10 A . 
         FIG.  11    is a perspective view of a corner tile of  FIG.  10 A  in use with a wall tile according to embodiments of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Conventional burn rooms are known in the art. These conventional burn rooms typically consist of walls lined with one or more tiles having fire-resistant and/or fire-retardant properties. With these tiles, the rooms are usable for firefighting training and other similar tasks that require spaces that are resistant to heat or flames. One issue with conventional fire room tiles is that they require a large section (e.g., an entire wall) of tiles to be placed at one time. Thus, installation or repair of these tiles takes significant time and effort. Even if only a single tile needs to be replaced, multiple tiles must be uninstalled in order to remove the tile at issue. To mitigate this issue, prior art burn room tiles are often oversized (e.g., two by four feet, eighteen inches by eighteen inches, et cetera). Oversized burn room tiles reduce the number of tiles required for a given space, thus lowering the amount of time it takes to install or replace those tiles. Even so, these larger tiles are cumbersome and more costly to replace when they inevitably incur damage. The larger tiles are also more susceptible to expansion/contraction under extreme temperatures than smaller tiles. Further, conventional tiles require complex and/or expensive design features to allow the tiles to be sufficiently secured to the fire room surfaces. Embodiments of the disclosure relate to burn room tile systems and methods that, at least in part, resolve the issues with using traditional burn room tiles. 
       FIGS.  1 - 9    depict embodiments of interlocking tile systems  100  for use with a fire room  140  ( FIG.  9   ). The interlocking tile system  100  may include a plurality of wall tiles  110  and a plurality of corner tiles  120 , which may be secured to a surface using a plurality of brackets  130 . In operation, the interlocking tile system  100  may provide a room with fire protection (e.g., by acting as a fire-resistant and/or fire-retardant overlay to the surface they are secured to). The interlocking nature of the system  100  may enable tile installation and replacement that is relatively quicker than the prior art. In embodiments, each tile of the system  100  may be individually replaced without also having to uninstall adjacent tiles. 
       FIGS.  1 A- 1 D  illustrate an interlocking wall tile  110  according to embodiments of the invention. Each wall tile  110  may include a tile body  112  having a generally square profile, though the tile  110  may have any shape. The tile body  112  has an upper portion  116  and a lower flange  114  vertically offset from the upper portion  116  and extending generally around the perimeter of the upper portion  116 . Thus, each of the tiles may have what is referred to herein as an “inverted shiplap” design. In other words, the lower flange  114  may have a total width  114 W that is larger than a width  116 W of the upper portion  116 . The flange  114  may be sized correspondingly with flange  114  of another tile  112 , such that these flanges  114  overlap in an installed configuration as discussed in greater detail below. 
     To accommodate the inverted shiplap design of the interlocking tiles  110 , the flange  114  of the body  112  may have chamfered corners  118 . In some embodiments, the chamfered corners  118  are sized such that the flange  114  has an edge length  114 E that is equal to the upper portion width  116 W. In embodiments, the flange  114  may be broken around the perimeter of the upper portion  116  such that the flange  114  is devoid of corners as represented by the broken lines in  FIG.  1 C . With such configurations (e.g., chamfered corners or no corners), adjacent tiles  110  may be overlapped with little to no conflict therebetween. Similarly, a height  114 H of the flange  114  and a height  116 H of the upper portion  116  may be substantially equal to preclude conflict between overlapping tiles  110 . In an example embodiment, the total flange width  114 W may be about fifteen inches, and the flange  114  may extend about one inch from the perimeter of the upper portion  116 . 
     The body  112  may, in embodiments, be casted, molded, or machined into shape. The body  112  may consist of any suitable fire-resistant or fire-retardant material now known or subsequently developed for tiles, such as polypropylene, polycarbonate, thermoplastic vulcanizate elastomers, et cetera. In embodiments, the body  112  may be formed of a calcium silicate material, which is known in the industry for its superior properties for burn rooms liners as compared to other burn room liner materials. Calcium silicate tiles are lighter yet exhibit greater flexural strength as compared to other tiles (9.7 lb/sf versus 18-25 lb/sf and 3000 psi versus 750-1200 psi, respectively). Such tiles also exhibit improved insulating capabilities, where the temperature at the face of the concrete with calcium silicate tiles is 226° F. with an ambient temperature of 1000° F. and 336° F. with an ambient temperature of 1500° F. This is a marked improvement over other tile materials, where the temperature of the face of the concrete ranges from 583° F. to over 900° F. at similar ambient conditions. Heat retention properties are also improved by calcium silicate tiles: at 1000° F. ambient temperature, calcium silicate tiles retain 4260 btu/sf, and at 1000° F., 7015 btu/sf. For comparison, other tiles retain anywhere from around 10,000 btu/sf to over 17,000 btu/sf under the same conditions. Other fireproofing materials may also be used, either alone or in combination with calcium silicate, to form the tiles  112 . For example, while some embodiments of the tile  110  may inherently have fire-resistant or fire-retardant properties, in other embodiments, the tile  110  may alternatively or additionally be covered with a fire-resistant or fire-retardant coating. 
     Moving on, in operation, a downward facing tile  110  ( FIG.  1 D ) is positioned over an adjacent upward facing tile  110  ( FIG.  1 C ) such that their flanges  114  overlap, as shown in  FIGS.  2 A- 2 B . When assembled, an opening  119  ( FIG.  2 B ) is defined between two or more tiles  110  such that the tiles  110  may be secured to the surface (e.g., a wall, a ceiling), as will be discussed below. Once secured in place, the overlapping tiles  110  may provide fire protection for the surface to which they are secured. 
     The tiles  110  may not be secured directly to a surface such as a wall or ceiling. Rather, a bracket system may be utilized to dissociate the tiles  110  from the surface to provide an area of insulation (e.g., air) between the tiles  110  and the surface.  FIGS.  3 A- 3 B  show an exemplary bracket system  130  for securing the interlocking tiles  110  to a surface (e.g., a wall  50 ). The bracket system  130  may include one or more decoupling channels  132  that together define a channel grid, a plurality of fasteners  133 , a plurality of bolts  134 , and one or more washers  136 . The channel  132  may be any suitable channel now known or subsequently developed. The channel  132  may be secured to the wall  50  using fasteners  133  and may be further configured to receive the bolts  134 , e.g., by having a plurality of apertures defined along its length at predetermined locations, or a slotted hole running along a length of the channel  132 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  4   , to secure the tile to the surface  50 , a first tile  110  is positioned such that the flange  114  on opposing sides overlaps respective channels  132 . A second tile  110 , is situated adjacent the first tile  110  in a reverse configuration such that the flanges  114  overlap and “interlock” as described herein. Additional tiles  110  are added to the surface  50  in an interlocking manner until the surface  50  is covered. When appropriate, bolts  134 , optionally having a washer  136 , may be inserted through the openings  119  defined between corresponding tiles  110  and through respective apertures in the channel  132  to secure the tiles  110  to the channel  132 . Thus, by sandwiching the interlocking tile  110  between the channel  132  and the bolt  134  (and optionally with a washer  136 ), the tile  110  may be retained to the wall  50 . In embodiments, a plurality of tiles  100  may be retained at the same time by a single bolt  134 , optionally together with a washer  136 . For example, as illustrated in  FIG.  4   , a bolt  134 , and optionally washer  136 , may be located at the intersection of four tiles  110 , and thus the bolt  134  (and washer  136 ) may act to retain all four tiles  110  simultaneously. Of course, bolts  134 , optionally with washers  136 , may additionally be located at corners of tiles  110  that do not have an adjacent tile  110  to maintain the tile  110  in position. Because of the chamfered corners of the wall tiles  110  (or the corners being devoid of the flange  114 ) the bolt  134  does not pierce the tile  110  when in an installed configuration. Rather, as noted above, the bolt  134  is received into the opening  119  between respective tiles  110 . 
     At the junction of perpendicular surfaces (e.g., between a wall and the ceiling or between respective walls) it may be difficult to ensure a tight fit between tiles and therefore there is a risk of damage if the fire reaches behind the tiles to the surface.  FIGS.  5 A- 5 D  depict a corner tile  120  specifically designed to protect the area between perpendicular surfaces. The corner tile  120  has a body  122 , with a lower portion  124  and an upper portion  126 . The corner tiles  120  may be configured to fit within a corner of two or more surfaces, as shown in  FIGS.  7 A- 7 C . Accordingly, the corner tile  120  may have an upper portion width  126 W that is less than a width  124 W of the lower portion  124 . This may result in a corner tile  120  with one or more angled edges  125 . The angled edge  125  may be configured to fit within any corner between two surfaces. The corner tiles  120  may have a slot  127  at each end to receive the bolts  134  of the bracket system  130  for securing to a surface ( FIG.  8   ). 
     The corner tile  120  may have a lower portion height  124 H that is substantially similar to the upper portion height  126 H. The upper  126  and lower  124  portions of the corner tiles  120  may be horizontally offset from each other. That is to say, the upper portion  126  may have a length  126 L that is substantially the same as a length  124 L of the lower portion  124 , but the upper portion  126  may be offset from the lower portion  124  by a corner tile offset  123 . In this way, a plurality of corner tiles  120  may be placed end to end in an overlapping manner and secured to a surface (e.g., a wall  50 , a ceiling, etc.), as shown in  FIGS.  6 A- 6 B . In embodiments, the lengths  124 L and  126 L of the corner tile  120  may be about fifteen inches, and the corner tile offset  123  may be about one inch. Also like the wall tiles  110 , the corner tiles  120  may have fire protection properties, and may be cast or molded into form. 
     The corner tiles  120  may be secured to the surface (e.g., one or more walls  50 ) much in the same way as the wall tiles  110  (e.g., via channels  132 , fasteners  133 , bolts  134 , and washers  136 ). In embodiments, the corner tiles  120  may use a corner channel  138  instead of a channel  132 . The corner channel  138  may span across two or more walls  50 . When secured to the walls  50 , the corner tile  20  may abut the corner channel  138  ( FIG.  7 B ), thus sandwiching the corner tile  120  between the washers  136  and the walls  50 . Alternatively, the corner tile  120  may abut two or more wall tiles  110  ( FIG.  7 C ), thus sandwiching both the corner tile  120  and the wall tiles  110  between the washers  136  and the walls  50 . 
     An alternative embodiment of a corner tile  120 ′ is illustrated in  FIGS.  10 A- 10 D . Here, the corner  120 ′ has more of a block configuration so as to maintain more of a traditional corner (e.g., non-angled). Like the wall tiles  110 , the corner tile  120 ′ has a plurality of flanges  114 ′ extending from the main body  122 ′. The flanges  114 ′ alternately extend from the main body  122 ′ to define voids  150  for receiving respective flanges  114  of the wall tiles  110 . When installed, the flange  114  of a respective tile  110  is maintained substantially adjacent the respective flange  114 ′ of the corner piece  120 ′, as shown in  FIG.  11   . The corners  120 ′ may be oriented as a corner piece for the ceiling or the floor, depending on the needs of the room. 
     By assembling both a plurality of wall tiles  110  and a plurality of corner tiles  120  to a series of walls  50 , a fire protected room  140  may be created, as shown in  FIG.  9   . While the floor of the burn room  140  may be shown here without any tiles  110 ,  120 , alternative embodiments may have tiles  110 ,  120  along the floor for added protection.  FIG.  9    also depicts non-uniform wall spaces, such as a window  60  and a door  70 . To accommodate these non-uniform spaces, the tiles  110 ,  120  may be modified. For example, wall tiles  120  may be machined, molded, or cast in a shape that may fit a window  60  or a door  70 . These are depicted in  FIG.  9    as modified wall tiles  110 ′. 
     One of many advantages of the interlocking tile system  100  is that it may allow a user to assemble or replace a series of tiles  110 ,  120  relatively quickly compared to the prior art. A wall tile  110  or a corner tile  120  may be removed from the wall  50  by removing each of the adjacent bolts  134  (e.g., four bolts  134  for a typical wall tile  110  and two bolts for a typical corner tile  120 ). For wall tiles  110  whose upper portion  116  is facing away from the wall  50 , a plurality of adjacent tiles  110  may need to be removed since those adjacent tiles are also holding the target tile  110  down. Even so, this replacement process may be significantly faster than a conventional system where the entire wall of conventional tiles may have to be taken down in order to replace a single tile. 
     Another benefit that may stem from the quick installation/replaceability of the system  100  is that the tiles  110 ,  120  may be made smaller than conventional systems. Because of how long it takes to install or replace conventional tile systems, conventional tiles are incentivized to be made larger, since this would reduce the total number of tiles that would have to installed or uninstalled at a given time. However, these larger tiles suffer from having a greater amount of expansion and contraction due to the high temperatures fire protection tile systems are subjected to. Because each of the tiles in the system  100  may be smaller than the conventional tiles, the system  100  tiles may experience less damages resulting from expansion/contraction of the tiles under extreme temperatures as compared to conventional tiles. 
     Yet another advantage of the inverted shiplap design of the tiles  110  is that the tiles  110  may be reused by flipping the tile  110  over and reinstalling it. The interlocking nature of the tiles  110  allow the tiles  110  to be used in a versatile manner where any one tile  110  may be interchanged with another tile  110  if it is so desired. 
     While the disclosure focuses on burn rooms, the artisan will understand from the disclosure herein that the interlocking tile system  100  may likewise be used in other applications (e.g., regular building insulation and protection, fire protected safes, et cetera). 
     Many different arrangements of the various components depicted, as well as components not shown, are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Embodiments of the present disclosure have been described with the intent to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not depart from its scope. A skilled artisan may develop alternative means of implementing the aforementioned improvements without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations and are contemplated within the scope of the present disclosure.