Patent Publication Number: US-8124210-B2

Title: Metal mosaic tile

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The invention described and claimed hereinbelow is also described in Korean Patent Application No. 2008-0050183 filed on May 29, 2008. This Korean Patent Application, whose subject matter is incorporated here by reference, provides the basis for a claim of priority of invention under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to metal mosaic tile used as the interior finishing material on the wall of a building and, more particularly, to a metal mosaic tile including a metallic board on which convex parts are provided on the surface of the metallic board at regular intervals and concave parts are provided on the back of the metallic board at regular intervals, and a metallic cover which is attached to the convex parts of the metallic board. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Stainless metallic tile disclosed in Korean U.M. Registration No. 0294171 is manufactured by compressing stainless metal, rubber reclaimed from waste tires, and flame resistant urethane such that they are integrated into a single structure. The stainless metallic tile is problematic in that the stainless metal and the reclaimed rubber (or flame resistant urethane) are easily separated from each other when the tile itself repetitively contracts or expands because of changes in temperature. Further, when the tile is attached to a wall, a mesh net for increasing an adhesive surface area between the wall and the tile must be used. 
     Further, stainless tile disclosed in Korean U.M. Registration No. 306349 is manufactured by compressing a stainless part having an opening and a synthetic resin body such that they are integrated into a single structure. The stainless tile is manufactured such that one or more through holes are formed in the synthetic resin body. During the construction, mortar or an adhesive fills the through holes, thus increasing the adhesive force of the tile. However, since the synthetic resin body and the stainless part having different thermal expansive coefficients are compressed and coupled with each other, the synthetic resin body and the stainless part may easily separate from each other when the tile repetitively contracts and expands due to changes in temperature. 
     Further, the conventional metal tiles are problematic in that rubber or synthetic resin produces poisonous combustible gas in the event of its burning in a fire, so that the tiles are harmful to humans. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a metal mosaic tile, including a metallic board having convex parts which are provided at regular intervals on the surface of the metallic board and to which a metallic cover is attached, and having concave parts which are provided at regular intervals on the back of the metallic board and in which a tile adhesive material is filled, so that joining strength between the metallic cover and the metallic board and adhesive strength between the metallic board and an object to which the tile is attached are good, and poisonous combustion gas is not produced even in the event of its burning in a fire, thus having high safety. 
     In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a metal mosaic tile, including a metallic board, a metallic cover and an adhesive layer. Convex parts are provided on the surface of the metallic board at regular intervals and concave parts are provided on the back of the metallic board at regular intervals. The metallic cover includes a bent side plate, a top plate and an opening for accommodating at least one of the convex parts on the metallic board. Each convex part of the metallic board adheres to the top plate via the adhesive layer. 
     Further, the metal mosaic tile according to the present invention is constructed so that each convex part of the metallic board includes a flat portion to which the adhesive layer is applied, an inclined portion and a furrow portion, and furthermore an assembly gap is provided between the end of the side plate of the metallic cover and the furrow portion of the metallic board, and also a space is provided between the inner corner of the side plate and the convex part of the metallic board, thus smoothly discharging bubbles when the metallic board and the metallic cover are adhered to each other via an adhesive layer, therefore allowing the metallic board and the metallic cover to be evenly and firmly adhered to each other, mitigating vibration and noise, and preventing condensation. 
     Further, in the metal mosaic tile according to the present invention, a contact portion between the convex part of the metallic board and the top plate of the metallic cover comprises a fusion portion formed through welding. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view illustrating a metal mosaic tile according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the metal mosaic tile includes one metallic board having thereon convex parts at regular intervals and a plurality of metallic covers of various sizes; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view illustrating the metal mosaic tile according to the present invention as the metallic cover is being attached to the metallic board of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a vertical sectional view illustrating the metal mosaic tile according to the present invention, in which each of the metallic covers having a size corresponding to two or more convex parts provided on the metallic board is attached to the metallic board; 
         FIG. 4  is a vertical sectional view illustrating the metal mosaic tile according to the present invention, in which the metallic cover having a size corresponding to all of the convex parts provided on the metallic board is attached to the metallic board; 
         FIG. 5  is a vertical sectional view illustrating part of the metal mosaic tile according to the present invention, in which the metallic cover having a size corresponding to one convex part provided on the metallic board is attached to the metallic board, and the metal mosaic tile is curved; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged vertical sectional view illustrating the state in which the metallic board and the metallic covers of the metal mosaic tile according to the present invention are attached to each other; 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged vertical sectional view illustrating part of a metal mosaic tile according to another embodiment of the present invention using a welding process; and 
         FIG. 8  is a sectional view illustrating the state in which the metal mosaic tile according to the present invention is attached to a wall. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a plan view illustrating a metal mosaic tile according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which the metal mosaic tile includes a metallic board having on its surface convex parts at regular intervals and a plurality of metallic covers of various sizes.  FIG. 2  is a perspective view illustrating the state in which the metallic cover is being attached to the metallic board according to the present invention.  FIG. 3  is a vertical sectional view illustrating the state in which each of the metallic covers having an opening of a size corresponding to two or more convex parts provided on the metallic board according to the present invention is attached to the metallic board.  FIG. 4  is a vertical sectional view illustrating the state in which the metallic cover having an opening of a size corresponding to all of the convex parts provided on the metallic board according to the present invention is attached to the metallic board.  FIG. 5  is a vertical sectional view illustrating part of the curved metal mosaic tile according to the present invention, in which each of the metallic covers having a size corresponding to one convex part provided on the metallic board according to the present invention is attached to the metallic board. 
       FIG. 6  is an enlarged vertical sectional view illustrating part of the metal mosaic tile according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 7  is an enlarged vertical sectional view illustrating part of a metal mosaic tile according to another embodiment of the present invention using a welding process. 
       FIG. 8  is a sectional view illustrating the state in which the metal mosaic tile according to the present invention is attached to a wall. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 to 6 , the metal mosaic tile according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a metallic board  14 , adhesive layers  16 , and metallic covers  24 - 1 ,  24 - 2 ,  24 - 3 ,  24 - 4 , . . . ,  24 - 16 , . . . ,  24 -n. Convex parts  10  are provided at regular intervals on the surface of the metallic board  14 , while concave parts  12  are provided at regular intervals on the back of the metallic board  14 . The adhesive layers  16  are applied to the convex parts  10  of the metallic board  14 . Each metallic cover includes bent side plates  18 , a top plate  20 , and an opening  22  having a size for accommodating  1  to n convex parts  10  provided on the metallic board  14 . 
     The metallic board  14  is formed by pressing a stainless steel plate having a thickness from 0.2 to 0.4 mm such that the convex parts  10  are provided on the surface of the stainless steel plate and the concave parts  12  are provided on the back of the stainless steel plate. 
     Each adhesive layer  16  is selected from the group including a hot melt adhesive and an epoxy adhesive. 
     Each metallic cover  24 - 1 , . . . , or  24 -n is formed by pressing the stainless steel plate having the thickness of from 0.2 to 0.4 mm. 
     In the present invention, as shown in  FIG. 6 , each convex part  10  of the metallic board  14  includes a flat portion  26  to which the adhesive layer  16  is applied, an inclined portion  28  and a furrow portion  30 . An assembly gap  32  is defined between the side plates  18  of neighboring metallic covers  24 - 1 , . . . ,  24 -n, and an assembly gap  36  is defined between the end of each side plate  18  and the furrow portion  30  of the metallic board  14 . A space  40  is provided between the inner corner  38  of each side plate  18  of each metallic cover  24 - 1 , . . . , or  24 -n and each convex part  10  of the metallic board  14 . 
     Thus, the thin metallic board  14  of a 0.2 to 0.4 mm thickness has superior form stability and evenly distributes load or shocks applied from the metallic covers  24 - 1 , . . . , and  24 -n around the convex parts  10  of the metallic board  14  or mitigates the load or shocks. 
     Further, the space  40  defined between each convex part  10  of the metallic board  14  and each metallic cover  24 - 1 , . . . , or  24 -n, and each concave part  12  provided on the back of the metallic board  14  remarkably mitigate vibration or noise transmitted from the metallic covers  24 - 1 , . . . , and  24 -n or a wall on which the tiles are attached. 
     The use of the metal mosaic tile according to the present invention constructed as such is shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 8 , in the metal mosaic tile according to the present invention, a tile adhesive material  44  such as a general synthetic resin adhesive, tile cement or mortar is applied to the back of the metallic board  14  or the wall  42  of a building to which the tiles are to be set, and thereafter, the tiles are set to the wall  42 . In the state where the tile adhesive material  44  is pushed into the concave parts  12  provided on the back of the metallic board  14 , the tile adhesive material  44  hardens. 
     Thus, the metal mosaic tile according to the present invention is very firmly attached to the wall  42  of the building without using a mesh net for increasing adhesive surface area, unlike the conventional tile. 
     Further, in the metal mosaic tile according to the present invention, the assembly gaps  32  and  36  and the space  40  defined between the metallic board  14  and the metallic covers  24 - 1 , . . . , and  24 -n serve as an air discharge passage for discharging air present between each convex part  10  of the metallic board  14  and the top plate  20  of each metallic cover  24 - 1 , . . . , or  24 -n when each convex part  10  of the metallic board  14  is attached to the top plate  20  of each metallic cover by the adhesive layer  16 , so that bubbles are not generated in the adhesive layer  16 . Consequently, the metallic covers  24 - 1 , . . . , and  24 -n are more evenly and firmly attached to the metallic board  14 , and the assembly gaps  32  and  36  and the space  40  reduce a difference in temperature between the interior of a building and the wall  42 , thus effectively preventing condensation due to a large difference in temperature. 
       FIG. 7  illustrates a metal mosaic tile according to another embodiment of the present invention. In the metal mosaic tile of  FIG. 7 , a contact portion between each convex part  10  of the metallic board  14  and the top plate  20  of each metallic cover  24 - 1 , . . . , or  24 -n comprises a fusion portion  46  which is formed through plasma welding, laser beam welding or spot welding. 
     In the present invention, the metallic covers  24 - 1 , . . . , and  24 -n may have various colors and patterns. For example, mosaic tiles may be manufactured through a titanium arc ion plating process or a nano-ceramic coating process. 
     Thus, as shown in  FIGS. 2 through 6 , when the surface of the metal mosaic tile according to the present invention which is constructed so that the metallic board  14  and the metallic covers  24 - 1 , . . . , and  24 -n are attached to each other using the adhesive layers  16  is treated in a vacuum chamber of high temperature, the interior of the vacuum chamber may be contaminated by the adhesive layers  16 . That is, this may negatively affect the surface treatment. Therefore, preferably, each of the metallic covers  24 - 1 , . . . , and  24 -n is manufactured using a surface-treated metal plate. Thereafter, the metallic covers  24 - 1 , . . . , and  24 -n are attached to the metallic board  14  via the adhesive layers  16 , thus manufacturing the metal mosaic tile. 
     Further, as shown in  FIG. 7 , the metal mosaic tile according to the present invention may be manufactured such that the metallic board  14  and the metallic covers  24 - 1 , . . . , and  24 -n are attached to each other via the fusion portions  46  formed through welding. In this case, even if the surface of the metal mosaic tile is treated in the vacuum chamber of high temperature, the interior of the vacuum chamber is not contaminated, and the metallic covers  24 - 1 , . . . and  24 -n on the metal mosaic tile can be evenly and economically treated. 
     As described above, the present invention provides a metal mosaic tile including a thin metallic board and a metallic cover which has the same coefficient of thermal expansion as and adheres to at least one convex part of the metallic board, so that the metal mosaic tile is light and firm, has high fire resistance, mitigates vibration or noise, effectively prevents condensation and permits the mass production of metal mosaic tile of high quality at lower cost. 
     Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.