Prefabricated tile assembly

Abstract

A prefabricated tile assembly comprising a rectangular piece of tile having four layers including a top clear wear surface, a patterned layer, and colored core wherein the top clear wear surface and patterned layer have been routed to form at least two squares by cutting along the edges of the piece of tile's top clear wear surface and patterned print film layer on one long side and one short side, and across the top clear wear surface and patterned print film layer at a point halfway along the length of one long side to expose the colored core beneath giving the appearance of two or more grouted tiles is provided, along with a method of making the prefabricated tile assembly.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/675,593 filed Apr. 28, 2005. The prior application is hereby incorporated herein by reference as though fully set forth herein.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to the manufacture and installation of prefabricated tiles.

2. Description of the Related Art

The closest prior art of which applicant is aware is U.S. Pat. No. 6,330,774 issued to Weinstein. Weinstein provides a system comprising a plurality of prefabricated tiled panels for installation on walls, floors, and counters, and intended for interior or exterior use. Each panel comprises a flat, rigid base member and a number of tiles affixed to the base member with an adhesive and grouted to form a selected tiled array. Weinstein discloses only a panel comprising a flat rigid base with tiles affixed to the base member.

Floor-coverings that are sold to the manufactured housing and recreational vehicle industries are judged by different criteria than those of the conventional home building industry. Of great importance to the purchasers of product in these industries is the speed with which a product can be properly installed, due to the assembly line nature of this type of construction and fabrication. A modular home may only stay at the flooring station on the assembly line for 45 to 50 minutes, so the speed at which a flooring product may be installed is significant to the adoption or use of the product. Laying a tile floor one tile at a time is highly impractical in this scenario. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a faster-laying tile design assembly.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a prefabricated tile assembly comprising a rectangular piece of tile having four layers including a top clear wear surface, a patterned layer or print film layer, a colored core layer, and backing layer which serves as a bottom surface; two long sides; and two short sides of equal length wherein the top clear wear surface and patterned layer have been routed to form at least two squares by routing along the edges of the top clear wear surface and patterned print film layer of one long side and one short side of the rectangular piece of tile, and across the integrated design at a point halfway along the length of one long side to expose the colored core beneath giving the appearance of a grouted tile installation when installed on the floor with other similar tiles.

A method for making the prefabricated tile assembly is also provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a top view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is an expanded side view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an expanded side view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is another expanded side view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5A shows a method of making a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5B shows a method of making a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5C shows a method of making a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5D is a perspective view of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2 there is shown a first preferred embodiment of a prefabricated tile assembly 200 comprising a rectangular piece of tile 100, preferably of polyvinyl chloride, having four layers including a top clear wear surface 101, a patterned layer or print film layer 102, a colored core layer 103 that when routed is exposed to create a “grouted” appearance, and backing layer 104 whose lower serves as the bottom surface 105 of the rectangular piece of tile; two long sides 106 and 108 of equal length with leading edges 110 and 112 respectively; and two short sides 107 and 109 of equal length and having leading edges 111 and 113 respectively.

Referring now to FIG. 2 it is seen that the top clear wear surface 101 and the patterned film layer 102 have been routed from the rectangular piece of tile 100 to form at least two squares 201 and 202 by routing 0.3 mm out to expose the core or grout line from top clear wear surface 101 and patterned print film layer 102 along the leading edge 110 of long side 106 and the leading edge 111 of short side 109 of the rectangular piece of tile 100 and vertically across the rectangular piece of tile 100 along a line 205 running perpendicularly to long sides 108 and 109 between halfway points 203 and 204 each halfway along the length of long sides 106 and 108 to expose the colored core 103 beneath forming a prefabricated tile assembly 200 having beveled edges beveled edges 210, 212 and 211 that along with beveled line 207 gives squares 201 and 202 the appearance of two square pieces of tile seamlessly bonded together.

Referring now to FIG. 3 viewing the rectangular piece of tile 100 from long side 108 it is also seen that the top clear wear surface 101 and patterned print film layer 102 have been completely routed along leading edges 110 and 111 forming beveled edges 210 and 211 and exposing the colored core layer 103 so that the prefabricated tile assembly 200 appears as if the two squares 201 and 202 have been seamlessly bonded together with an integrated grout line.

Referring now to FIG. 4 viewing the rectangular piece of tile 100 from long side 109 it is also seen that the top clear wear surface 101 and patterned file layer 102 have been completely routed out of the leading edge 110 of long side 109 to form beveled edge 111 and give the appearance of two pieces of tile joined by a line of grout and bonded together.

Referring to FIG. 5A there is shown a routing table 500 used to manufacture the prefabricated tile assembly by pulling the rectangular piece of tile 100 across the top of the routing table 500 by a conveyor belt 501 to pull the rectangular piece of tile 100 through guide 502, and then moving rectangular piece of tile 100 over an industrial router 503 having a height adjustable router assembly 504 utilizing interchangeable cutting blades 505 of various widths which completely route through the top clear wear surface 101 and patterned print film layer 102 as described in further detail below. It is also seen that the rectangular piece of tile 100 is next pulled over cutting blades 509 and 511.

Referring now to FIG. 5B in a more detailed view of the first step of the method of making the prefabricated tile assembly it is seen that conveyor belt 501 first pulls rectangular piece of tile 100 under cutting blade 504 while rollers simultaneously apply equal pressure across the bottom surface 105 of the rectangular piece of tile 100 as it moves over cutting blade 505 so that cutting blade 505 routes completely through top clear wear surface 101 and patterned print film layer 102 of leading edge 210 to form beveled edge 210.

Referring to now to FIG. 5C in a more detailed view it is further seen that in the next step conveyor belt 501 next pulls rectangular piece of tile 100 under cutting blades 509 and 510 while rollers 511 and 512 apply equal pressure across the bottom surface 105 of the rectangular piece of tile 100 as it moves over cutting blades 509 and 510. In this step cutting blade 509 completely routes through top clear wear surface 101 and patterned print film layer 102 along a line 205 running perpendicularly to long sides 108 and 109 of the rectangular piece of tile 100 between points 203 and 204 and forms groove 207 as cutting blade 510 simultaneously completely routs through top clear wear surface 101 and patterned print film layer 102 of the leading edge 111 of short side 109 of the rectangular piece of tile 100 exposing the top of colored core layer 103 to form a beveled edge resembling a grouted line 211.

Referring now to FIG. 5D it seen that the because top clear wear surface 101 and patterned print film surface 102 have been routed completely through to expose the top of colored core layer 103 to form beveled edges 210 and 211 as well as groove 207, the completed prefabricated tile assembly gives the appearance of two square pieced of tile joined by a line of grout and bonded together.

It is to be expressly understood, however, that the examples shown above are for illustrative purposes only, and that the particular materials and construction as well as other details are not to be construed in a manner that would unduly limit the scope of this invention.

Claims

1. A prefabricated tile assembly, comprising:

a rectangular piece of tile having a having four layers including a top clear wear surface, a patterned layer or print film layer, a colored core layer that when routed is exposed to create a “grouted” appearance, and a backing layer which serves as a bottom surface; two long sides of equal length;

and two short sides of equal length; and

wherein the top clear wear surface and patterned layer of the rectangular piece of tile have been routed to form at least two squares by routing along the edges of the rectangular piece of tile's top clear wear surface and patterned print film layer of one long side and one short side, and across the top clear wear surface and patterned print film layer at a point halfway along the length of one long side to expose the colored core beneath, giving the appearance of two or more grouted tiles.

2. The prefabricated tile assembly of claim 1, wherein the tile is made of plastic.

3. The prefabricated tile assembly of claim 1, wherein the tile is made of polyvinyl chloride.

4. The prefabricated tile assembly of claim 1, wherein the tile is made of multidensity fiberboard.

5. The prefabricated tile assembly of claim 1, wherein the tile is made of wood.

6. A method of manufacturing a prefabricated tile assembly, comprising the steps of:

pulling a rectangular piece of tile having a top clear wear surface, a patterned or print film layer, a colored core layer, and a backing layer which serves as a bottom surface across the top of a routing table using a conveyor belt assembly that moves the tile over an industrial router having a router assembly of adjustable height with interchangeable cutting blades of various widths while applying equal pressure across the bottom surface of the rectangular piece of tile to routing the leading edge from one of the long sides of the rectangular piece of tile by applying the cutting blade to the tile to cut across the top clear wear surface and patterned or print film layer to form a beveled edge; and

routing the edge from one short side of the rectangular piece of tile by applying a second set of cutting blades to the tile to cut through the top clear wear surface and patterned or print film layer along one of the rectangular piece of tile's short side to form a beveled edge while simultaneously using a third blade to cut through the top clear wear surface and patterned print file layer along a line drawn between two points halfway along each long side of the rectangular piece of tile to rout out a groove so as to form two adjacent squares.

7. A method of manufacturing a prefabricated tile assembly, comprising the steps of:

pulling a rectangular piece of tile having a top clear wear surface, a patterned or print film layer, a colored core layer, and a backing layer which serves as a bottom surface across the top of a routing table using a conveyor belt assembly that moves the tile over an industrial router having a router assembly of adjustable height with interchangeable cutting blades of various widths while applying equal pressure across the bottom surface of the rectangular piece of tile and routing edges from one of the long sides of the rectangular piece of tile by applying the cutting blade to the tile to cut across the top clear wear surface and patterned or print film layer to form a beveled edge; and

routing edges from one short side of the rectangular piece of tile by applying a second set of cutting blades to the tile to cut through the top clear wear surface and patterned or print film layer along one of the rectangular piece of tile's short side to form a beveled edge while simultaneously using a third blade to cut through the top clear wear surface and patterned print file layer along a line drawn between two points halfway along each long side of the rectangular piece of tile to rout out a groove so as to form two adjacent squares.