Patent Publication Number: US-9840850-B2

Title: Tile leveler

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a tile leveler and, more particularly, to the tile leveler which is capable of adjusting a flatness of multiple tiles after the multiple tiles are fixed. 
     Description of the Prior Art 
     Tiles are fixed on a construction site by workers by using hand tools, and the workers observe whether the tiles are fixed flatly and consistently, thus taking a long time to fix the tiles. Furthermore, when the tiles are not fixed flatly and consistently, it is easy to cause poor appearance, water accumulation, tripping or other dangers. 
     To overcome the above-mentioned problems, conventional tile levelers have been developed. However, they cannot be applicable for various tiles with different thicknesses and cannot be used repeatedly. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a tile leveler which is capable of adjusting a flatness of any two adjacent tiles, after multiple tiles are fixed. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a tile leveler which clamps peripheral sides of two adjacent tiles by using at least one first plate of a pressing base and an action segment of a pulling member, so that tops and bottoms of the two adjacent tiles are flush with each other, thus adjusting the flatness of the multiple tiles easily and quickly. 
     A tile leveler provided by the present invention contains: a pressing base, a rotation block, and a pulling member. 
     The pressing base includes at least one first plate and two second plates perpendicular to the at least one first plate. Among a central portion of the at least one first plate and the two second plates is defined an elongated orifice. Two ribs are fixed beside two sides of the elongated orifice, and the two second plates have two U-shaped notches defined on two upper ends thereof, respectively. 
     A first end of the rotation block is fixed between and is in connection with the two second plates of the pressing base. The rotation block includes two coupling shafts extending outwardly from two sides of the first end of the rotation block and retained in the two U-shaped notches of the two second plates, respectively. The rotation block also includes an accommodation chamber defined therein and between the two coupling shafts. The accommodation chamber has a cutout formed thereon. The rotation block further includes multiple recesses arranged opposite to the accommodation chamber and corresponding to the two ribs. 
     The pulling member includes a head segment, an extension, and an action segment which are one-piece formed. A part of the head segment is retained in the accommodation chamber of the rotation block. The extension extends out of the cutout of the accommodation chamber, and the action segment extends through the elongated orifice of the pressing base. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing the assembly of a tile leveler in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is another perspective view showing the assembly of the tile leveler in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing the exploded components of the tile leveler in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a cross sectional view showing the operation of the tile leveler in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view taken along the line A-A of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is another cross sectional view showing the operation of the tile leveler in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will be clearer from the following description when viewed together with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustration only, the preferred embodiments in accordance with the present invention. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a tile leveler according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises: a pressing base  1 , a rotation block  2 , and a pulling member  3 . 
     The pressing base  1  includes at least one first plate  11  in a rectangular shape and two second plates  12  perpendicular to the at least one first plate  11 . The two second plates  12  are parallel to and are separated from each other. Among a central portion of the at least one first plate  11  and the two second plates  12  is defined an elongated orifice  111  in a racetrack shape. Two ribs  112  are fixed beside two sides of the elongated orifice  111  (as shown in  FIG. 3 ). The two second plates  12  have two U-shaped notches  121  defined on two upper ends thereof, respectively. 
     A first end of the rotation block  2  is fixed between and is in connection with the two second plates  12  of the pressing base  1 . The rotation block  2  includes two coupling shafts  21  extending outwardly from two sides of the first end of the rotation block  2  and retained in the two U-shaped notches  121  of the two second plates  12 , respectively. The rotation block  2  also includes an accommodation chamber  22  defined therein and between the two coupling shafts  21 , and the accommodation chamber  22  has a cutout  221  formed thereon. The rotation block  2  further includes multiple recesses  23  arranged opposite to the accommodation chamber  22  and corresponding to the two ribs  112  (as illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6 ). One end of the rotation block  2 , on which the two coupling shafts  21 , the accommodation chamber  22 , and the multiple recesses  23  are arranged, is elliptical, and a part of the one end of the rotation block  2  below the accommodation chamber  22  is semicircular. 
     The pulling member  3  includes a head segment  31 , an extension  32 , and an action segment  33  which are one-piece formed. A part of the head segment  31  is circular and is retained in the accommodation chamber  22  of the rotation block  2 , the extension  32  extends out of the cutout  221  of the accommodation chamber  22 , and the action segment  33  is rectangular and extends through the elongated orifice  111  of the pressing base  1 . A thickness of the head segment  31  is less than a width of the elongated orifice  111 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , when desiring to adjust a flatness of multiple tiles  4  fixed on a cement surface  5  (which is not solidified), the first end of the rotation block  2  and the action segment  33  of the pulling member  3  are inserted into a gap between any two adjacent tiles  4 , and the action segment  33  of the pulling member  3  extends into the cement surface  5  under the two adjacent tiles  4  (in the meantime, two long sides of the action segment  33  are parallel to peripheral sides of the any two adjacent tiles  4 ). Thereafter, the pressing base  1 , the rotation block  2 , and the pulling member  3  are rotated 90 degrees (as shown in  FIG. 6 ), so that the two long sides of the action segment  33  are perpendicular to the peripheral sides of the two adjacent tiles  4 . The multiple recesses  23  engage with the two ribs  112 , and the rotation block  2  is pressed by rotating the two coupling shafts  21  along the two U-shaped notches  121 . Hence the pulling member  3  is driven by the rotation block  2  to lift upwardly until the action segment  33  retains under the two adjacent tiles  4 , and tops and bottoms of the two adjacent tiles  4  are forced by the at least one first plate  11  and the action segment  33 , thus adjusting the flatness of the multiple tiles. 
     After the multiple tiles  4  are fixed and the cement surface  5  is solidified, the rotation member  2  is upwardly rotated 180 degrees and is lifted by rotating the two coupling shafts  21  along the two U-shaped notches  121 . Then, the rotation block  2  is removed from the pulling member  3  and the pressing base  1 , the pulling member  3  is separated from the pressing base  1 , and the pulling member  3  between the two adjacent tiles  4  is cut, thus fixing the multiple tiles  4  and adjusting their flatness. 
     Accordingly, only the pulling member  3  is consumed as fixing the multiple tiles  4 , and the pressing base  1  and the rotation block  2  are used repeatedly. 
     Preferably, adhesive adheres to the cement surface  5  and the multiple tiles  4  securely, and the two adjacent tiles  4  are fixed consistently and quickly. 
     While various embodiments in accordance with the present invention have been shown and described, it is clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.