GROUT FLOA

A grout float includes a first body made of rigid material and being a board. The first body is received in a first hole in a second body which is a board. The second body has a first face and a second face respectively defined in the top and the underside thereof, wherein the second face is larger than the first face to shape the second body as a trapezoidal body. The second body has a first side and second side. The second body has four first corners. A first inclined face is connected between the first and second faces. A second inclined face is connected between the first and second sides. The second body is made of soft material. A handle unit is removably connected to the second body and includes a first handle and a second handle.

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Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Fields of the invention

The present invention relates to a grout float, and more particularly, to a grout float which is assembled by three parts which are replaceable.

2. Descriptions of Related Art

The conventional grout float known to applicant is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,010,133 which includes a first body, a second body and a handle. The first body is a metal plate and the second body is made of soft material. The handle is connected to the first body. Nevertheless, the first body protrudes beyond the grout float and may hurt the users. Besides, the second body is fixed to the first body and cannot be replaceable.

The present invention intends to provide a grout float wherein the second body is replaceable relative to the first body so as to eliminate the shortcomings mentioned above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a grout float and comprises a first body made of rigid material and being a board. The first body is received in a first hole in a second body which is a board. The second body has a first face and a second face respectively defined in the top and the underside thereof, wherein the second face is larger than the first face to shape the second body as a trapezoidal body. The second body has a first side and second side. The second body has four first corners. A first inclined face is connected between the first and second faces. A second inclined face is connected between the first and second sides. The second body is made of soft material.

The present invention receives the first body in the second body so that the users do not touch the first body, and the outer appearance of grout float has is attractable and neat. The connection members extend through the third holes, the fourth holes, the second holes and are threadedly connected to the first holes such that the handle unit can be dis-assembled from the second body.

The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the grout float of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows the top view of the second body of the grout float of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view, taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows the front view of the second body of the grout float of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows the side view of the second body of the grout float of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the handle unit of the grout float of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the grout float of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the grout float of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view, taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 shows the top view of the second body of the second embodiment of the grout float of the present invention;

FIG. 11 shows the front view of the second body of the second embodiment of the grout float of the present invention;

FIG. 12 shows another perspective view of the second body of the third embodiment of the grout float of the present invention;

FIG. 13 shows the perspective view of the second body of the fourth embodiment of the grout float of the present invention;

FIG. 14 shows the perspective view of the second body of the fifth embodiment of the grout float of the present invention;

FIG. 15 shows the perspective view of the second body of the sixth embodiment of the grout float of the present invention;

FIG. 16 shows the perspective view of the second body of the seventh embodiment of the grout float of the present invention;

FIG. 17 shows the perspective view of the second body of the eighth embodiment of the grout float of the present invention, and

FIG. 18 shows the perspective view of the first body of the ninth embodiment of the grout float of the present invention.

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 9, the grout float of the present invention comprises a first body 10, a second body 20, a handle unit 30 and multiple connection members 40. The first body 10 is a board and made of rigid material. The first body 10 has a first hole 11 defined in each of two ends thereof, and each of the first holes 11 has inner threads. The first body 10 is put in the mold set of the second body 20 such that when the second body 20 is formed and removed from the mold set, the first body 10 is located in the second body 20.

The second body 20 is a rectangular board and has two second holes 21 which are located corresponding to the first holes 11. The second body 20 has a first connection portion 22 in which the first body 10 is received. The second body 20 has a first face 23 defined in the top thereof, and a second face 24 is defined in the underside of the second body 20. The area of the second face 24 is larger than that of the first face 23, such that the second body 20 is a trapezoidal body. The second body 20 has a first side 25 and a second side 251 on two opposite sides thereof. A first corner 251 is defined in each of four corners of the second body 20. A first inclined face 26 is connected between the first and second faces 23, 24, and a second inclined face 261 is connected between the first and second sides 25, 251. The first and second inclined faces 26, 261 have the same inclination. The second body 20 is made of soft material such as rubber, plastic, epoxy resin, or sponge. The material of the second body is softer than the material of the first body 10.

The handle unit 30 is connected to the second body 20 and includes a first handle 31 and a second handle 32 which is received in the first handle 31. The second handle 32 is put in the mold set of the first handle 31 so that when the first handle 31 is formed and removed from the mold set, the second handle 32 is located in the first handle 31. The first handle 31 is a U-shaped body and has two third holes 311 which are located corresponding to the first and second holes 11, 21. The first handle 31 has two second connection portions 312 which are located between the two third holes 311, in this embodiment, the second connection portions 312 are passages. The first handle 31 is made of soft material. The second handle 32 is received in the first handle 31 and has two third connection portions 321 which protrude beyond the first handle 31 and are connected to the first face 23. Each of the third connection portions 321 has a fourth hole 322 which is located corresponding to the first hole 11, the second hole 21 and the third hole 311. The second handle 32 has a fourth connection portions 323 which are connected to the two third connection portions 321 and located in the first handle 31. The fourth connection portions 321 each are an inverted U-shaped portion. The second handle 32 is made of stiff material which is different from the material of the first handle 31.

Two connection members 40 each extend through the third hole 311, the fourth hole 322, the second hole 21 and the first hole 11 corresponding thereto so as to connect the handle unit 30 to the first and second bodies 10, 20. In this embodiment, the connection members 40 each have outer threads.

The first body 10 can be put in the mold set of the second body 20 of different shape and specification so that the users can connect the handle unit 30 to the second body 20 of different shape and specification according to practical needs. In other words, the grout float may have different second body 20 while the first body 10 is the same. When unscrewing the connection members 40, the handle unit 30 can be separated from the first and second bodies 10, 20.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the first side 25 of the second body 20 has a first corner 252 on each of two ends thereof. Each of the first corners 252 is a right-angle corner. A second corner 253 and a third corner 254 are respectively formed on two ends of the second side 251 of the second body 20. The second corner 253 is an inclined side, and the third corner 254 is a rounded corner. The second body 20 of the second embodiment is connected to the first body 10 of the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 12, the two ends of the second side 251 of the second body 20 each are a fourth corner 255. Each of the fourth corners 255 is a spherical recessed corner so that when the grout float is used to remove the connection material between two objects, there will be a spherical protrusion formed at the corner of the wall.

As shown in FIG. 13, the second body 20 has a triangle-shaped fifth corner on one end thereof.

As shown in FIG. 14, the second body 20 in FIG. 14 is longer than the first body 10 disclosed in FIG. 1. The second body 20 has three second holes 21 which are located transversely in the second body 20 so as to adjust the position of the handle unit 30 relative to the second body 20.

As shown in FIG. 16, the second body 20 is a circular board or a trapezoidal board as shown in FIG. 17.

As shown in FIG. 18. the first body 10 has multiple sixth connection portions 12, and the first and second bodies 10, 20 are securely connected to each other by the sixth connection portions 12.

The advantages of the present invention are that the first body 10 is received in the second body 20 so that the users do not touch the first body 10. The outer appearance of grout float has is attractable and neat. The connection members 40 extend through the third holes 311, the fourth holes 322, the second holes 21 and are threadedly connected to the first holes 11 such that the handle unit 30 can be dis-assembled from the second body 20.

The first body 10 can be put in the mold set of the second body 20 of different shape and specification so that the users can connect the handle unit 30 to the second body 20 of different shape and specification according to practical needs.

The expensive part of the grout float is the handle unit 30, the present invention allows the handle unit 30 to be connected multiple sets of the first body 10 and the second body 20 to reduce the cost of the grout floats.

The gout float is used to remove the surplus material between two tiles by the second body 20. When there are three tiles located at the a corner, if the user wants the corner to be a right-angle corner, the right-angle first corner 252 of the second body 20 is used to remove the surplus material. When the corner needs to be form a spherical protrusion, the fourth corner 255 of the second body 20 can be used. When corner needs to be an inclined side or a curved side, the second corner 253 or the third corner 254 is used. The present invention provides the second body 20 of different shapes and the second body 20 can be connected to the handle unit 30 to have more ways of applications.

While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A grout float comprising:

a first body being a board and made of rigid material, the first body having a first hole defined in each of two ends thereof, each of the first holes having inner threads;
a second body having the first body received therein, the second body being a board and having two second holes which are located corresponding to the first holes, the second body having a first connection portion in which the first body is received, the second body having a first face defined in a top thereof, and a second face defined in an underside thereof, an area of the second face being larger than that of the first face, the second body being a trapezoidal body, the second body having a first side and a second side on two opposite sides thereof, a first corner defined in each of four corners of the second body, a first inclined face connected between the first and second faces, a second inclined face connected between the first and second sides;
the second body being made of a material that is softer than the material of the first body;
a handle unit connected to the second body and having a first handle and a second handle which is received in the first handle;
the first handle being a U-shaped body and having two third holes which are located corresponding to the first and second holes;
the second handle received in the first handle and having two third connection portions which protrude beyond the first handle, the third connection portions connected to the first face, each of the third connection portions having a fourth hole which is located corresponding to the first hole, the second hole and the third hole, the second handle having fourth connection portions which are connected to the two third connection portions and located in the first handle, the fourth connection portions each being an inverted U-shaped portion, and
two connection members each extending through the third hole, the fourth hole, the second hole and the first hole corresponding thereto so as to connect the handle unit to the first and second bodies, the connection members each having outer threads.

2. The grout float as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second body is a rectangular body.

3. The grout float as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first corners each are an right-angle corner.

4. The grout float as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second inclined faces have the same inclination.

5. The grout float as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second body is made of rubber, plastic, epoxy resin, or sponge.

6. The grout float as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first handle has two second connection portions which are located between the two third holes, the second connection portions are passages, the fourth connection portions has fifth connection portions which are located corresponding to the second connection portions, the fifth connection portions connected to the second connection portions, the fifth connection portions each are a cylindrical rod.

7. The grout float as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first side of the second body has a first corner on each of two ends thereof, each of the first corners is a right-angle corner, a second corner and a third corner are respectively formed on two ends of the second side of the second body, the second corner is an inclined side, the third corner is a rounded corner.

8. The grout float as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two ends of the second side of the second body each are a fourth corner, each of the fourth corners is a spherical recessed corner.

9. The grout float as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second body has a triangle-shaped fifth corner on one end thereof.

10. The grout float as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second body is longer than the first body, the second body has three second holes which are located transversely in the second body so as to adjust a position of the handle unit relative to the second body.

11. The grout float as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second body is a circular board or a trapezoidal board.

12. The grout float as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first body has multiple sixth connection portions, the first and second bodies are securely connected to each other by the sixth connection portions.

Patent History
Publication number: 20180148938
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 27, 2016
Publication Date: May 31, 2018
Inventors: Jason Chang (Taichung), Richard maggio JR (Taichung)
Application Number: 15/361,476
Classifications
International Classification: E04F 21/16 (20060101);