Patent Publication Number: US-9404276-B2

Title: Aid for laying flooring tiles

Description:
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&#39;s back and upper and lower limbs. More specifically, a tiler&#39;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&#39;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. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be explained with reference to a drawing, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a first embodiment of an aid according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  shows a bottom view of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  shows a detail view of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  shows another detail of an embodiment; 
         FIG. 5  shows another detail of an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     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. 
     Numeral  10  in  FIG. 1  shows a non-limitative embodiment of an aid according to the invention. The aid  10  is made up of a handle  11  having a first and a second end  11   a - 11   b . Each end  11   a - 11   b  is provided with a supporting surface  12   a ,  12   b , respectively, which is detachably connected to the respective end  11   a - 11   b , in a manner yet to be described hereinafter. 
     As  FIG. 2  shows, each supporting surface  12   a - 12   b  has a substantially symmetrical square shape, being provided with a projection  13   a ,  13   b , respectively, near each corner point. 
     During use of the aid  10 , 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 projections  13   a - 13   b , which projections  13   a - 13   b  are 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 projection  13   a - 13   b  has 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 projections  13   a - 13   b  have 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 surfaces  12   a - 12   b  can be detached from the ends  11   a - 11   b  of the handle  11 . 
     The first end and the second end  11   a - 11   b  as well as each supporting surface  12   a - 12   b  are to that end provided with mating snap connectors  14   a - 15   a  and  14   b - 15   b , respectively. 
     As  FIG. 3  shows, each supporting surface  12   a - 12   b  is provided with several (three in  FIG. 2 ) openings  15   a - 15   b  provided with a clamp-snap edge  15   a ′- 15   b ′. Each first and second end  11   a - 11   b  is provided with spring projections or pins, which are preferably flat and which can be received in the openings  15   a - 15   b  of each supporting surface. The spring projections or pins  14   a - 14   b  to that end engage behind the clamping edge  15   a ′- 15   b ′ of each opening  15   a - 15   b , 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 aid  10  is 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 bore  16  near each end  11   a - 11   b  (see  FIG. 4 ), in which the screw, which may or may not be a self-tapping screw, can be received, with the screw engaging the supporting surface  12   a - 12   b.    
     Instead of a supporting surface provided with projections, another part can be connected to the support  12 , for example a cement or mortar trowel for levelling large surfaces. 
       FIG. 5  shows another detail of an embodiment for use with an aid  10  according to the invention. Numeral  20  discloses a support cap that can be placed over the projections  13   a - 13   b . The cap  20  is to that end provided with an opening  24 , whose internal dimension (diameter) is equal to or slightly smaller than the external dimension (diameter) of the projections  13   a - 13   b . The cap is preferably cylindrical in shape and has a supporting surface  21  which is wider than the “neck”  22  of the cap. The narrower neck  22  blends into the wide supporting surface  21 . 
     The support cap  20  may be made of a plastic material, in particular a rubber. The support cap  20  is 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 aid  10  from slipping away during this finishing operation of the tiled floor, support caps  20  can be placed over the projections  13   a - 13   b , so that additional friction with the, usually slippery, tile surface is obtained. 
     The supporting surface  21  may 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.