MODULAR BACKSPLASH DEVICE AND KIT

Abstract

A modular backsplash device includes a plurality of tiles that are permanently affixed onto a durable waterproof substrate having a layer of grout and a plurality of spaced openings extending from the front of the substrate to the back of the substrate. A modular backsplash kit includes a plurality of modular devices, mounting hardware, an installation bracket, a plurality of trim tiles, mounting hardware and user instructions.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Application Ser. No. 61/611,783 filed on 16 Mar., 2012, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to construction materials, and more particularly to a modular tile backsplash device and installation kit.

2. Description of the current art

In the competitive world of real estate, custom features make a big difference between a home selling quickly, and a home sitting on the market. One of the most important features to any home is the kitchen. To this end, it is well known that custom kitchens are huge selling points, and greatly contribute to the pride of home ownership. Conversely, kitchens which appear to be outdated can have an equally negative impact on a home.

One of the most noticeable features of any kitchen is the backsplash area, which ties the countertops and the cabinets together to form a visually appealing look. Although backsplashes can be constructed from a wide array of different materials, many modern homes and custom homes utilize some form of tile.

Although some attempts at streamlining the labor involved in preparing and adhering tile to a vertical backboard have been proposed, the process of constructing a tile backsplash has not changed in recent years. To this end, it is typical for a skilled worker to sand and prepare the drywall of the area onto which the individual tiles will be placed. Once the site has been prepared, the worker will go through a myriad of steps including the application of a bonding agent such as Mastec® to the wall, cutting individual tiles utilizing special equipment such as a wet saw, precisely spacing and installing the cut tiles onto the wall, and finally applying grout and caulk once the tiles and bonding agent have rested overnight.

As described above, this process requires specialized tools and knowledge that id not possessed by the average homeowner. Moreover, the above process takes at least two days of construction time, which raises the price that the experienced craftsman must charge.

Although extremely attractive when installed correctly, over time, these tile backsplashes can become dated. When this happens, the homeowner is left with no choice but to again employ a skilled craftsman to physically strip, scrape and pull each of the individual tiles of the existing backsplash from the kitchen drywall, and then repair any damage caused by the removal procedure, before starting all over again with the installation of a new backsplash.

In this regard, the current state of the art does not provide an easy means for allowing non skilled craftsman install and/or renovate kitchen backsplashes without the special equipment and labor intensive methodologies described above.

Although there are known wall covering devices such as laminate, wall paper and the like, which can include imprinted designs and faux materials, there is nothing currently available which functions to provide real tiles that can be custom arranged and installed by an end user to form a custom backsplash.

Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide a modular device and kit capable of allowing a user to quickly and easily install a custom backsplash that does not suffer from the problems described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a modular backsplash device and kit. One embodiment of the invention can include a plurality of tiles that are permanently affixed onto a durable waterproof substrate. A layer of grout is provided, and a plurality of spaced openings function to secure the device to a building wall.

Another embodiment can further include a plurality of caps for disguising the existence of the openings, and a plurality of removable trim tiles which can be secured along the outer periphery of the device.

In yet another embodiment, a modular backsplash kit can include a plurality of modular devices in addition to mounting hardware, an installation bracket, trim tiles, mounting hardware and user instructions.

This summary is provided merely to introduce certain concepts and not to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Presently preferred embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should be appreciated, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a modular tile backsplash that is useful for understanding the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a modular tile backsplash in accordance with another embodiment.

FIG. 2a is a cutout view of a back side of a clip-on trim tile in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a modular tile backsplash installation bracket in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a modular tile backsplash kit in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an installed modular tile backsplash kit, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the description in conjunction with the drawings. As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the inventive arrangements in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention.

Identical reference numerals are used for like elements of the invention or elements of like function. For the sake of clarity, only those reference numerals are shown in the individual figures which are necessary for the description of the respective figure. For purposes of this description, the terms “upper,” “bottom,” “right,” “left,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in FIG. 1. Although described throughout this document as a backsplash, this is for illustrative purposes only, as the presently claimed invention can be utilized in any capacity wherein it is desirable to provide wall tiles. Accordingly, the embodiments described herein are not to be limited to kitchen use.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a modular backsplash device that is useful for understanding the inventive concepts disclosed herein. As shown, the modular device 10 can include a substrate backboard 11 onto which a plurality of pre-installed tiles 12 are permanently affixed.

The substrate 11 can act as a backboard for securely positioning the tiles onto the studs/drywall of a kitchen, bath or other such structure. To this end, the substrate 11 can include virtually any durable waterproof material which can withstand the weight of the installed tiles, grout and bonding agents, while remaining resilient enough to be shipped and installed as a complete, pre-fabricated unit. To this end, several non-limiting examples include durable cement board, hard wood, rigid plastic and/or a combination of cement board with reinforcement materials blended therein. Several non-limiting examples of suitable reinforcement materials which can be mixed with cement board to provide increased durability and tensile strength include strands of fiberglass, strands of metallic wire, and/or composite materials.

Although the substrate 11 can include any number of different shapes, sizes and dimensions, one preferred embodiment will include a square shape having a height and length of approximately 18 inches, and a thickness of between 0.3 inches and 0.6 inches.

Each tile 12 can be constructed from any size, shape and type of material suitable for use in a kitchen and/or bathroom environment. Several non-limiting examples include ceramic, travertine, glass, plastic, onyx, marble, and graphite rocks, among many others. In one preferred embodiment, each tile 12 can be permanently affixed onto the substrate 11 via conventional bonding agents, and shall be pre-grouted 13 at the time of manufacture, in order to allow installation without the need for custom tools, skills and materials.

As the inventive concepts described herein aim to provide a simple do it yourself approach to creating and installing a custom backsplash, those of skill in the art will recognize that any number of different size, shape and types of tiles can be secured to their respective substrate backboards in any manner. For example, one device 10 can include a plurality of identical sized and/or type of tiles 12 that are positioned in a uniform manner (i.e., in a vertical and horizontal grid) across the entirety of the substrate 11 (FIG. 1). Such a feature can provide the end user with the ability to create a uniform looking backsplash. Additionally, another device 10 can include a plurality of different sized and/or type of tiles 12 that are positioned along the substrate 11 in a non-uniform manner (i.e., without regard to a vertical and/or horizontal grid and at uneven spacing) across the entirety or a portion of the substrate (FIG. 2). Such a feature can provide the end user with the ability to create a random looking backsplash. Finally, as will be described below, any number of the devices 10 can be installed together to create a truly one of a kind custom backsplash.

Although described above with respect to particular construction methodologies, alternate embodiments of the invention wherein the tiles are not grouted at a factory setting are also contemplated, and other means of securing the tiles to the backboard (i.e., glue, for example) are also contemplated. In addition to the above, any number of commercially available antimicrobial additives can be mixed with the grout 13 and/or tiles 12, in accordance with known construction methodologies. Such a feature can provide end users with protection against airborne bacteria and/or mold, for example which can be found in kitchen and bath areas.

In one preferred embodiment, the modular device 10 comprising the substrate 11, tiles 12 and grout 13 shall be pre-fabricated and shipped as a complete unit from a manufacturer. To this end, in one embodiment, the back side of the substrate 11 of each device 10 can further include a soft lining, such as felt, for example. Such a feature can allow a plurality of the devices to be arranged into a vertical stack and then secured onto a pallet for shipping, without causing damage to the tile of the adjacent unit.

A series of openings 14 can be pre-drilled into the substrate in order to allow a user to easily secure the device 10 to a wall. In one preferred embodiment, each of the openings can be separated by a uniform distance, such as 16 inches, for example, so as to allow a user to easily line the openings with their homes existing wall studs. Of course, the openings can also be positioned at virtually any location along the substrate. To this end, each device 10 can be installed onto a wall utilizing conventional and easily recognizable hardware 5 such as nails, screws and/or fasteners, for example.

In one optional embodiment, a plurality of grout colored caps 15 can be provided in order to hide the existence of the openings and/or the hardware positioned within the openings.

As described herein, each of these caps can be constructed from a wide range of materials such as plastic, for example, and can include a shape and size suitable for its intended use. Alternatively, each device can come with a small amount of grout, which the user can place directly into the opening/hardware in order to serve the same purpose.

Although illustrated above as utilizing a plurality of openings for receiving mounting hardware to secure the device to a wall, other embodiments are also contemplated. For example, each device 10 can also be secured to a wall utilizing glue, strips of hook and loop material (i.e., Velcro®) and other such fasteners.

FIG. 2 illustrates another embodiment of the device 10 that further includes a plurality of clip-on trim tiles 20. Each of the tiles 20 can be constructed from the same materials as the tiles 12 described above, and can be pre-fabricated into any number of desirable trim shapes such as bullnose, or round edge, for example.

As shown in FIG. 2a, the back portion of each trim tile 20 can include one or more clips 21a, for example, that are capable of securely affixing each trim tile 20 along the outer edges of the substrate 11 (see arrow a in FIG. 2) and/or along the lip of the bracket as described below. Although described as including a clip, any number of other suitable connectors can also be utilized. For example, the trim tiles can also be secured to the substrate 11 and/or bracket lip 32 via opposing strips of hook and loop material 21b (i.e., Velcro®), glue and/or other known adhesive materials. As will be described below, the inclusion of clip-on trim tiles can allow a user to easily install custom border trim to their backsplash without requiring special tools or skills.

FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of an optional attachment bracket 30 which can act to secure one or more modular devices 10 to a wall in a novel fashion. As shown, the bracket 30 can include an elongated main body 31 having a curved bottom section 32 forming a lip into which one side edge of the substrate 11 can be secured. In one preferred embodiment, the attachment bracket 30 can be constructed from an elongated sheet of metallic material such as aluminum or steel, for example, having a plurality of pre-drilled openings 33 through which conventional mounting hardware 5 (e.g., nails, screws, etc.,) can act to secure the bracket to a wall. It is also preferred that the bracket body 31 be extremely thin so as to prevent the installed device from angling away from the wall along any edge. Although dimensions are not critical, in one preferred embodiment, the bracket can include a length of between about 10 and 18 inches, and a thickness of between 0.05 and 0.1 inches and a lip thickness of between 0.25 and 0.75, suitable to fully engage the substrate 11. Of course, any number of other sizes and dimensions are also contemplated.

FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment of a modular backsplash kit 40 which can include a plurality of the modular devices 10 described above, a plurality of trim tiles 20 a mounting bracket 30, user instructions 45 and mounting hardware 5.

As described herein, the user instructions can include a pamphlet, video, dvd or other such medium for advising a user on proper measuring techniques to ensure the kit will fit the desired space, and can also function to provide step by step installation instructions.

As shown, the bracket 30 can be secured to a wall 1 or other structure in a location where a backsplash is desired to be placed. Once installed, one or more tile backsplash modules 10 can be lowered (see arrow B) until their bottom portion is resting within the lip 32 of the bracket. Once positioned onto the bracket 30, the top portion of each module 10 can be secured directly to the wall utilizing the openings 14 and conventional mounting hardware. Alternately, it is noted that since the weight of each panel 10 will be supported by the bracket 30, it is also possible to utilize an adhesive material such as glue, for example in order to secure the back portion of the substrate 11 directly to the wall 1, if so desired. Finally, any number of trim tiles 20 can be clipped onto the periphery of each of the devices 10 and/or the lip of the bracket 30 so as to create a finished custom backsplash.

Although described above as utilizing the mounting bracket 30, it should be apparent from the discussion provided herein that one or more of the devices 10 can be secured directly to the wall via the conventional hardware 5 and openings 14 without the aid of the mounting bracket. Moreover, other embodiments can utilize a second bracket (not illustrated) which can be positioned in an inverted relationship to the lower bracket in order to secure the upper portion of the devices to the wall in an identical manner as described above. In this regard, each bracket can first be placed onto the wall, and the modular tiles 10 can be slid into place along the lipped portions of the brackets.

While the above descriptions have focused on the installation of a new backsplash onto a wall, it should be apparent that an already installed modular backsplash can be easily uninstalled by reversing the above steps. Such a feature can allow a user easily and quickly remove and reinstall a different backsplash without damaging the wall and/or performing the extreme manual labor of stripping and cutting, as described above.

FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of an installed custom backsplash utilizing a plurality of pre-fabricated modular devices 10. As shown, the installed backsplash provides the same high quality tile materials and gives the same visual appearance as a traditional custom crafted backsplash, but can be arranged, installed and replaced in a significantly shorter period of time utilizing commonly available hardware thereby negating the need for specialized tools, knowledge and craftsman.

As to a further description of the manner and use of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Claims

1. A modular backsplash device, comprising:

a durable waterproof substrate;

a plurality of tiles that are permanently affixed to the substrate;

a layer of grout that is interposed between the plurality of tiles along the substrate; and

a plurality of spaced openings extending from a front side of the substrate to a back side of the substrate, said openings being configured to receive a mounting hardware for vertically securing the device to a wall of a building.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

an antimicrobial coating that is mixed with one of the grout and the tiles.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tiles are constructed from at least one of ceramic, travertine, glass, onyx, marble, and graphite rocks.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein some of the plurality of tiles are constructed from a material that is different than a material of the remainder of the tiles.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of tiles are constructed from ceramic.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tiles include a uniform shape, a uniform size, and are secured onto the substrate in a uniform manner.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tiles include different shapes and are secured onto the substrate in a non-uniform manner.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of trim tiles for engaging the substrate along an outer periphery.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein at least one of the trim tiles further includes at least one clip disposed along a back side thereof, said clip functioning to secure the at least one trim tile to the substrate.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein at least one of the trim tiles further includes opposing strips of hook and loop material, said material functioning to secure the at least one trim tile to the substrate.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein each of the trim tiles are constructed from at least one of ceramic, travertine, glass, onyx, marble, and graphite rocks, and includes a shape of at least one of bullnose and round edge.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the substrate is constructed from reinforced cement board.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of caps having a shape and color that is complementary to the openings and grout, respectively.

14. The device of claim 1, further comprising an elongated attachment bracket, said bracket including a lip for engaging a periphery of the substrate and for securing the same onto the wall of the building.

15. The device of claim 14, further comprising:

at least one trim tile having a clip disposed along a back side thereof, said clip functioning to secure the at least one trim tile to the lip of the bracket.

16. A modular backsplash kit, comprising:

a plurality of modular backsplash devices, each of said devices including a durable waterproof substrate, a plurality of tiles that are permanently affixed to the substrate, a layer of grout that is interposed between the plurality of tiles along the substrate, and a plurality of spaced openings extending from a front side of the substrate to a back side of the substrate;

a plurality of caps having a shape and color that is complementary to the openings and grout, respectively;

mounting hardware for engaging the plurality of openings, and for securing each of the devices to a wall of a building;

a plurality of trim tiles each having a clip disposed along a back side thereof, said clip functioning to secure the trim tile to the substrate along an outer periphery thereof; and

user instructions.

17. A modular backsplash kit, comprising:

a plurality of modular backsplash devices, each of said devices including a durable waterproof substrate, a plurality of tiles that are permanently affixed to the substrate, a layer of grout that is interposed between the plurality of tiles along the substrate, and a plurality of spaced openings extending from a front side of the substrate to a back side of the substrate;

a plurality of caps having a shape and color that is complementary to the openings and grout, respectively;

mounting hardware for engaging the plurality of openings, and for securing each of the devices to a wall of a building;

at least one elongated attachment bracket, said bracket including a lip for engaging a periphery of the substrate and for securing the same onto the wall of the building via the mounting hardware;

a plurality of trim tiles each having a clip disposed along a back side thereof, said clip functioning to secure the trim tile to at least one of the substrate and the lip of the bracket; and

user instructions.