Patent Publication Number: US-10760284-B2

Title: Knob for leveling spacer for laying wall tiles, floor tiles and the like

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is related to, and claims the benefit of, Italian Patent Application No. 202018000000694, filed on Jan. 12, 2018, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to a knob for a leveling spacer for laying wall tiles, floor tiles and the like with the interposition of gaps. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The laying of floor pavings and wall claddings composed of wall tiles, floor tiles or slabs of medium and large dimensions with reduced or recessed thickness entails considerable difficulties in the steps of leveling the laying and of arranging the tiles at equal distances to provide the gaps. 
     In order to ensure adequate relative arrangement between the tiles and give uniform leveling to the floor, tools provided specifically to achieve this goal are normally used. 
     One type of tools of this type comprises a leveling element and a knob. 
     The leveling element is constituted by a base which is inserted below the corners of, for example, four tiles being laid, from which four spacing raised portions extend for abutment of the edges of the corresponding tiles. 
     A threaded stem protrudes centrally from the base in a direction that is perpendicular to the plane of the base. 
     The knob is screwed onto the threaded stem and is substantially cylindrical with a central female thread portion adapted for the insertion of the stem. The female thread portion is axially symmetrical and its axis coincides with the axis of extension of the knob. 
     The knob has a flat part which is adapted to press on the tiles in order to lock and align the edges and the corners of the tiles arranged on the base of the leveling element. 
     After laying, the knob, coupled to the stem, is removed by applying pressure in a direction that is perpendicular to the direction of the stem. 
     Preweakened points provided on the base proximate to the spacing raised portions facilitate the separation of the stem from the base. 
     The base and the spacing raised portions are embedded and concealed by the paste with which the gaps are subsequently provided. 
     However, these known methods have aspects that can be improved. 
     The knob has a substantially cylindrical body and does not allow visual contact with the corners of the tiles that must be aligned. 
     Furthermore, the substantially cylindrical shape can cause difficult removal of the knob after leveling. 
     SUMMARY 
     The aim of the present disclosure is to provide a knob for leveling spacer for laying wall tiles, floor tiles and the like with the interposition of gaps that is capable of improving the background art in one or more of the aspects indicated above. 
     Within this aim, the disclosure provides a knob for leveling spacer for laying wall tiles, floor tiles and the like with the interposition of gaps that allows to visually check the alignment of the tiles. 
     The disclosure further provides a knob for leveling spacer for laying wall tiles, floor tiles and the like with the interposition of gaps that allows convenient and easier removal of the spacer after laying with respect to those of the known type. 
     The disclosure also provides a knob for leveling spacer for laying wall tiles, floor tiles and the like with the interposition of gaps that is highly reliable, relatively easy to provide and at competitive costs. 
     This aim, as well as these and other advantages which will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by providing a knob for leveling spacer for laying wall tiles, floor tiles and the like, said spacer being of the type comprising a base with spacing raised abutment portions for the edges of corresponding tiles and a stem, said knob being characterized in that it is provided with circumferential openings on the side wall. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further characteristics and advantages of the disclosure will become better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the knob for leveling spacer for laying wall tiles, floor tiles and the like according to the disclosure, illustrated by way of nonlimiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a view of a leveling spacer for laying tiles and the like with a knob according to the disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a different perspective view of the knob of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is another perspective view of the knob of  FIG. 1 , taken parallel to the plane of arrangement during use; 
         FIGS. 4 a  and 4 b    are views of two different application configurations of the disclosure; and 
         FIG. 5  is a view of the step of removal of the knob of the disclosure of  FIG. 4 a    after application. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1-5 , a knob for leveling spacer for laying wall tiles, floor tiles and the like according to the disclosure is designated generally by the reference numeral  10 . 
     The knob  10  is applied to a leveling element  11  of a known type, which comprises a base  12 , provided with a plurality of spacing raised portions  22  for the abutment of the edges of corresponding tiles, from which a stem  13  extends at right angles to said base  12  and is threaded and fixed at right angles to the base  12  in at least one breaking point  23 . 
     The knob  10  has a substantially frustum-like tubular shape. 
     The two ends  14  and  15  of the knob  10 , the one that faces the tile and the opposite one, in the configuration for use, therefore have different diameters. 
     The frustum-like side wall  17  is interposed between said two ends. 
     Advantageously, the side wall  17  can be cylindrical. 
     The knob  10  has a central female thread section  18  which is extended with an axis that coincides with the axis of extension of the frustum-like shape of the knob  10 . 
     The central female thread section  18  is shorter than the distance between the ends  14  and  15 . 
     The central female thread section  18  is connected to the internal face of the frustum-shaped side wall  17  of the knob  10  by means of a plurality of supporting ribs  19 . 
     The ribs  19  extend radially from said central female thread section  18  to said side wall  17 . 
     In this manner, the ribs  19  allow adequate redistribution of the lateral tensions in the step of removal of the knob following leveling. 
     The frustum-like side wall  17  is provided with grooves  21  to facilitate adequate non-slip grip. 
     A particularity of the disclosure is the presence, on the frustum-like side wall  17  of the knob  10 , of at least one opening  16 . 
     In the example shown in the figures, for example, the openings  16  are six. 
     Such openings  16  are substantially rectangular, but they can also have a different shape. 
     Such at least one opening  16  has the purpose of ensuring visual contact between the tile setter and the tiles during alignment. 
     Considering the ends  14  and  15 , the first end  14 , which has a smaller diameter, is annular and has a greater wall thickness than the side wall  17 . 
     This greater thickness than the side wall  17  ensures greater resistance during the removal step. 
     The second end  15 , which has a larger diameter, is tubular and frustum-like. 
     Advantageously, the second end  15 , which has a larger diameter, can be tubular and cylindrical. 
     Substantially at the internal face of the second end  15 , the ribs  19  are fixed to the side wall  17 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 4 a  and 4 b   , depending on the type of tile and its thickness, the configuration of the knob  10  can be changed. 
     For tiles with a reduced thickness, for example up to 20 mm, the end  14 , which is a smaller diameter, is arranged so as to face the tile  20   a , as shown in  FIG. 4   a.    
     For thicker tiles, for example over 20 mm and up to 40 mm, the end  15 , which has a larger diameter, is arranged so as to face the tile  20   b , as shown in  FIG. 4   b.    
       FIG. 5  is a view of the step of removal of the knob applied with the configuration shown in  FIG. 4   a.    
     In order to be able to remove the knob  10  screwed onto the stem  13 , after the leveling step, it is sufficient to impart a blow in a direction that is perpendicular to the direction of the axis of extension of the knob  10  at the height of the end  15  that has a larger diameter. 
     In this manner, the frustum-like shape of the knob  10  facilitates removal by means of a lever effect. 
     The knob  10  is for example made of at least partially transparent plastic material. 
     It should be noted that the presence of openings on the frustum-shaped side wall of the knob allows continuous visual contact with the tiles during the leveling and laying step. 
     It should be noted that the presence of a plurality of supporting ribs for the central female thread section, connected to the frustum-like side wall substantially only at the larger-diameter end, allows to vary the configuration of the knob, which can be used both for low-thickness tiles and for thicker tiles. 
     It should be noted that the frustum-like shape of the knob allows faster and easier removal thereof after laying. 
     In practice it has been found that the disclosure achieves the intended aims and advantages by providing a knob for leveling spacer for laying wall tiles, floor tiles and the like, the spacer being of the type comprising a base with spacing raised portions for the abutment of the edges of corresponding tiles and a stem, the knob being characterized in that it has circumferential openings on the side wall. 
     The disclosure thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations; all the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements. 
     In practice, the materials used, so long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to the requirements and the state of the art.