Patent Abstract:
A surface-covering system and methods for making and using the same. The system includes a plurality of components each being a substantially planar portion having plurality of edges and an upper surface and an under surface. A second portion is attached to the under surface of the planar portion along a predetermined one of the edges, forming a thickened edge that has a predetermined cross-section. The plurality of components are placed edge-to-edge to cover a surface. If desired, the edges can be straight and/or the upper and lower surfaces of the components can be rectangular. Also, the cross-section of the thickened edge can be an arc of a circle. The second portion can be attached to the under surface of the planar portion by an adhesive such as an epoxy adhesive. The component can be made from a quarry material such as granite.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/430687, filed May 5, 2003, which claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/380047, filed May 5, 2002, the disclosures of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to surface coverings, and more particularly, to a surface-covering system and methods for making and using the same. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    It is well known to protect surfaces such as horizontal surfaces with materials that can withstand substantial wear. Examples are surfaces around sinks and cooking areas. This protection is also important in applications such as vertical surfaces adjoining wet areas, such as showers. 
         [0004]    The materials can include ceramic materials or quarried materials that are shaped and placed together to form a substantially impervious surface. While it is possible to make such surfaces from a single portion of a material, such applications are necessarily custom-made and, accordingly, expensive, because of the time required to make them. In many cases, it is more economical to cover surfaces with substantially identical tiles. These tiles are either abutted against one another, or placed close to one another and the gaps between filled with a grout material that renders the surface substantially impervious. Where necessary to fit the tiles, the tiles are individually cut, placed and grouted. 
         [0005]    In construction, such surfaces are first defined by structural components, such as plywood, to support the surface. The protective surface is then formed over the structural components and glued to the structural components. 
         [0006]    In most modem-day applications, the finish of the installed surface is all-important. Unless the surface is expensively custom-made, the facing of the surface, i.e., the portion of the surface that faces outward, must be applied separately from the application of the major portion of the surface. For example, where the application is that of a substantially horizontal surface, the edges of the horizontal surface must be finished properly, typically by forming a vertical face that adjoins the edges of the horizontal surface. 
         [0007]    In currently applications, the facing of a surface is created separately, generally by adhering a face piece onto the outer edge of the major portion of the surface. This process, however, requires a seam (such as a channel of grout) to be formed in the major portion of the surface. Such a process is both unsightly and subject to allowing intrusion of undesirable substances (such as water) into the surface. Furthermore, it is frequently desirable to give the facing a shape that is difficult to form by adherence to the major portion of the surface. 
         [0008]    Accordingly, it is desirable to have a surface-covering system that is not subject to these faults. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0009]    This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
         [0010]    According to one aspect, the invention is an integral surface-covering component for covering a surface. The component includes a substantially planar portion having a plurality of edges. The planar portion has an upper surface and an under surface. The component also includes a second portion attached to the under surface of the planar portion along a first predetermined one of the edges. This forms a first thickened edge. Each point on the first thickened edge has a first predetermined cross-section in the plane perpendicular to the first thickened edge at the point. 
         [0011]    According to another aspect, the invention is a plurality of surface-covering components as described above. The plurality of components cover a substantially planar surface. Each of the surface-covering components is adjacent at least one of the other surface-covering components along an edge other than a predetermined one of the edges. 
         [0012]    According to another aspect, the invention is a method for making an integral surface-covering component for covering a surface. The method includes the step of a) forming a substantially planar portion from a material, where the substantially planar portion has a plurality of edges, and the planar portion has an upper surface and an under surface. The method also includes the step of b) forming a second portion from the material. The method further includes the step of c) attaching the second portion to the under surface of the planar portion along a first predetermined one of the edges, thereby forming a rough thickened edge. 
         [0013]    According to a further aspect, the invention is an integral surface-covering component made according to the method described above. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is a perspective drawing of a bull nose component of the inventive system; 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of the bull nose component shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is an elevation view of the components of the inventive system; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a perspective drawing of a left hand inside corner component of the inventive system; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of the left hand inside corner component shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a detail view of the miter edge of the left hand inside corner component of the inventive system; 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  is a perspective drawing of an outside corner component of the inventive system; 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  is a plan view of the outside corner component shown in  FIG. 7 ; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  is a diagram of the disclosed system in an exemplary layout of the inventive system, using the inventive components described above. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0024]      FIG. 1  is a perspective drawing of a bull nose component of the inventive system, and  FIG. 2  is a plan view of the bull nose component shown in  FIG. 1 . The bull nose component  10  includes a substantially planar portion  12  and a second portion  14 . The substantially planar portion  12  has an upper surface  16  and an under surface  18 . 
         [0025]    The substantially planar portion  12  also has a plurality of edges  20 ,  22 ,  24 , and  26 . If desired, the edges  20 ,  22 ,  24  and  26  can be beveled at a 45 degree angle, providing a very thin bevel, approximately 0.03 inch across. In general, the substantially planar portion  12  can have any number of edges, as will be understood by those skilled in the art. However, for illustrative purposes, the component  10  shown in  FIG. 1  is rectangular, having four edges, which can be grouped into two pairs of parallel edges. One pair of parallel edges includes edges  20  and  24 , while the other pair of parallel edges includes edges  22  and  26 . 
         [0026]    The second portion  14  is attached to the under surface  18  of the component  10 , along the edge  20  of the substantially planar portion  12 , forming a thickened edge  28 . Each point of the thickened edge  28  can have a predetermined cross-section in the plane perpendicular to the thickened edge  28  at the point. As shown in  FIG. 1 , the thickened edge  28  is an arc of a circle. 
         [0027]    The custom of the surface tiling industry is that the tiles should be ⅜ inch thick, and most common tiles are square, with sides equal to 12 inches. Accordingly, to make the components of the inventive system compatible with the currently-existing tiles, the substantially planar portion  12  of the inventive components is preferably also ⅜ inch thick and the edges  20  and  24  are 12 inches long. The purpose of the component  10  is to provide a finished look to an installed system according to the present invention. Accordingly, the dimension of the component  10  in the direction parallel to the edges  22  and  26  is 13-¼ inches, and the overall thickness of the thickened edge  28  is 1-½ inches. 
         [0028]    The second portion  14  of the component  10  can be attached to the under surface  18  of the component  10  by means of a very thin layer of an adhesive, such as an epoxy adhesive that can be colored to blend with the color of the substantially planar portion  12  and the second portion  14 . Conventional colors in the trade that are especially suitable for use with the present invention are absolute black, midnight jade, imperial sage, venito topaz, and black empress, although no limits to the colors of the components is to be inferred by any portion of this specification. 
         [0029]    Typically the portions  12  and  14  are made from quarry material such as field granite, although they could be made from any other suitable material, including natural and synthetic materials known to those skilled in the relevant arts. In the case where the components  10  are made from synthetic materials, the portions  12  and  14  can be attached as integral pieces, i.e., they can be manufactured attached to one another. 
         [0030]      FIG. 3  is an elevation view of the components of the inventive system. For illustrative purposes, the relevant portions of the component shown in  FIG. 3  is labeled as if it were a part of the component  10 , taken along the cross-section A-A of  FIG. 2 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 4  is a perspective drawing of a left hand inside corner component of the inventive system, and  FIG. 5  is a plan view of the left hand inside corner component shown in  FIG. 4 . Where it applies, the features of the left hand inside corner component will be given the same reference numbers as were used in the description of the bull nose component  10 . The component  40  includes a substantially planar portion  12  and a second portion  14 . The substantially planar portion  12  has an upper surface  16  and an under surface  18 . 
         [0032]    The substantially planar portion  12  also has a plurality of edges  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26 , and  42 . The component  40  shown in  FIG. 4  is rectangular with one mitered edge, having five edges. Four of the edges can be grouped into two pairs of parallel edges. One pair of parallel edges includes edges  20  and  24 , while the other pair of parallel edges includes edges  22  and  26 . The edge  42  is the mitered edge, which is adjacent the edges  20  and  26 . In the presently described preferred embodiment, the edges  20  and  26  form 135 degree angles with the edge  42 , although in general the edges  20  and  26  could form any desired obtuse angles with the edge  42 . 
         [0033]    The second portion  14  is attached to the under surface  18  of the component  40 , along the edge  20  of the substantially planar portion  12 , forming a thickened edge  28 . Each point of the thickened edge  28  can have a predetermined cross-section in the plane perpendicular to the thickened edge  28  at the point. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the thickened edge  28  is an arc of a circle. 
         [0034]    As described above, the second portion  14  of the component  40  can be attached to the under surface  18  of the component  40  by means of a very thin layer of an adhesive, such as an epoxy adhesive that can be colored to blend with the color of the substantially planar portion  12  and the second portion  14 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 6  is a detail view of the miter edge of the left hand inside corner component of the inventive system. 
         [0036]    It will be understood by those skilled in the relevant arts that a right hand inside corner component could be made as described above, with the provision that the descriptions given in  FIGS. 4-6  are mirror images of those needed to describe the right hand inside corner component. Accordingly, no further description of a right hand inside corner component is deemed needed. 
         [0037]    The major dimensions of the bull nose, and left and right inside corner components are 13-¼×12 inches. 
         [0038]      FIG. 7  is a perspective drawing of an outside corner component of the inventive system and  FIG. 8  is a plan view of the outside corner component shown in  FIG. 7 . Where it applies, the features of the outside corner component will be given the same reference numbers as were used in the description of the bull nose component  10 . The component  60  includes a substantially planar portion  12 , a second portion  14  and another second portion  62 . The substantially planar portion  12  has an upper surface  16  and an under surface  18 . 
         [0039]    The substantially planar portion  12  also has a plurality of edges  20 ,  22 ,  24 , and  26 . The component  60  shown in  FIG. 6  is rectangular, having four edges. The four edges can be grouped into two pairs of parallel edges. One pair of parallel edges includes edges  20  and  24 , while the other pair of parallel edges includes edges  22  and  26 . 
         [0040]    The second portion  14  is attached to the under surface  18  of the component  60 , along the edge  20  of the substantially planar portion  12 , forming a thickened edge  28 . Each point of the thickened edge  28  can have a predetermined cross-section in the plane perpendicular to the thickened edge  28  at the point. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the thickened edge  28  is an arc of a circle. 
         [0041]    The other second portion  62  is attached to the under surface  18  of the component  60 , along the edge  26  of the substantially planar portion  12 , forming a thickened edge  64 . Each point of the thickened edge  64  can have a predetermined cross-section in the plane perpendicular to the thickened edge  64  at the point. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the thickened edge  64  is an arc of a circle. 
         [0042]    As described above, the two second portions  14  and  62  of the component  60  can be attached to the under surface  18  of the component  60  by means of a very thin layer of an adhesive, such as an epoxy adhesive that can be colored to blend with the color of the substantially planar portion  12  and the two second portions  14  and  62 . 
         [0043]    An outside corner has major dimensions of 13-¼×13-¼ inches. 
         [0044]      FIG. 9  is a diagram of an exemplary layout of the inventive system, using the inventive components described above. As described above, it is conventional for individual tiles to be 12 inch squares. Typically, counters are designed to be 24 inches deep and a multiple of 12 inches in the other dimensions. Thus, in the 90 degree layout shown in  FIG. 9 , the tiles marked with reference numbers  90  are conventional 12 by 12 inch tiles. Also, the tiles marked with reference numbers  10  are bull nose components described above, the tile marked with reference number  40  is a left hand inside corner component described above, and the tiles marked with reference numbers  60  are outside corner components described above. The tile marked with reference number  40 ′ is a right hand inside corner component made as a mirror image of a left hand inside corner component are described above. 
         [0045]    In addition to its application for counter tops and the like, the inventive system can be used with island counter configurations, which are conventionally  24 ,  36  and 48 inches in their principal dimensions. The components can also be used in raised counters, custom showers and custom tubs. Further the components can be used as surrounds for fireplaces, using rolled edge bull nose and inside corners. 
         [0046]    In manufacturing the components of the inventive system, the second portion can be attached to the substantially planar portion by a press that uniformly applies pressure to the two portions to obtain the desired very thin layer of epoxy. Thereafter, the components can be finished to have the desired rectangular dimensions and the desired finished contour on the thickened edges. Also, the upper surface of the substantially planar portions will be polished to the desired finish. 
         [0047]    While the foregoing is a detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, there are many alternative embodiments of the invention that would occur to those skilled in the art and which are within the scope of the present invention. For example, it will be understood that the tile do not necessarily have to have rectangular shapes. Accordingly, the present invention is to be determined by the following claims. 
         [0048]    While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 8