Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Adhered coplanar veneer tile-type facer; e.g. – parquet – Integral edge engaging spacing feature on tile
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-10
2004-06-22
Glessner, Brian E. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Adhered coplanar veneer tile-type facer; e.g., parquet
Integral edge engaging spacing feature on tile
C052S309500, C052S384000, C052S592100, C428S053000, C428S077000, C428S192000, C428S214000, C428S317700
Reexamination Certificate
active
06751917
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
A floor tile structure, which comprises a hard surface layer, a bottom layer, and a soft adhesive intermediate layer, wherein the periphery of the bottom layer is configured with a convex edge and a complementarily concave edge; and, the convex edge is protruded on the periphery of the surface layer, and the concave edge is embedded in the periphery of the surface layer.
2. Description of the Background Art
The plastic floor tile is known to be the easiest implementation and the most reasonable price. But, as is known to all, when the plastic floor tile is attached on the floor, it commonly uses direct adhesive coating on the floor, or the self-adhesive floor tile, which is coated with the adhesive on the back of the floor tile in advance during manufacturing. Both of them are served with the same goal for securely adhering the floor tile on the floor. Opposite to the convenience and stability during adhering, the shoveling for the plastic floor tile during retrofitting is very time-consuming and easy to have adhesive residual on the floor such that it is the most criticized point except the advantage. Over the years, the industry is looking for a substitute for the product without adhesive coating, but they were all failed eventually. For example, the existed foaming sectional floor tile is formed with ragged toothing edge on the periphery that, with the engagement of tooth edges for each other, the floor tiles can be laterally joined. But the largest disadvantage for the foaming floor tile is of a too soft material, so that it will be over-fallen under partial pressure causing the relative protrusion of another floor tile. The effect is frequently occurred at the seam between floor tiles so as to generate the similar floor tile warping causing stumbling of pedestrian. Therefore, such floor tile is difficult to be applied as a floor tile material in the public place or an ordinary family but at most in a place with lower loading, like the playground, preventing the improper collision by the children. The further disadvantage of the foaming sectional floor tile is that the surface embossment and the color is too stiff to exhibit the material feeling for high-class floor tile.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a floor tile structure, which provides a floor tile structure for laterally joining each piece and directly paving with the joined floor tiles on the floor without adhesive coating. The structure of the floor tile is to attach a surface layer and a bottom layer on the upper and lower surfaces of a soft double-sided adhesive tape with pressure sensitivity, wherein the surface layer is provided with a straight periphery, and the bottom layer is provided with a continuous periphery in concave shape relative to the edge and another continuous periphery in convex shape relative to the concave periphery; further, the concave periphery of the bottom layer is embedded in the inner edge of the periphery of the surface layer after joining with the surface layer; and, the convex periphery of the bottom layer is protruded to the outer edge of the periphery of the surface layer.
The above-mentioned joining method for the floor tile is to engage the convex periphery of one floor tile with the concave periphery of another floor tile so that the joining of two peripheries will not become embedded causing undetachable effect. The reason of the lateral joining for the floor tile is that the top of the concave portion in the concave periphery is one of the adhering surface of the double-sided adhesive tape. Although the top of the concave portion is only a small area, it can just adhere the convex portion of the engaged convex periphery, and, by adhering each convex portion onto the concave portion, two pieces of floor tiles can be laterally adhered together as a floor tile surface extending to the wall. The structure according to the present invention for mutually lateral adhesion for floor tiles is further characterized in: after joining the soft double-sided adhesive tape with pressure sensitivity with the hard convex portion of the bottom layer, it will generate a very large lateral tensile strength to prevent the improper detachment between two joined floor tiles so that it can effectively prevent the tearing effect at the joint as in the conventional foaming sectional floor tile. This effect will be illustrated with that a double-sided adhesive tape can be used to hang a mirror on the wall. The present invention is further characterized in: the surface layer can be provided with different material variation, such as metal, ceramic or hard plastic, to exhibit an appearance as a completely real material feeling. Certainly, the color and the pattern can be more versatile to completely overturn the design rule for conventional ceramic floor tile, rock and plastic floor tile. Moreover, the present invention is provided with the surface layer and the bottom layer being of harder material and the intermediate layer being of soft adhesive layer. Thus, it can not only provide the comfortable stepping-on feeling as the foaming sectional floor tile, but also provide a smaller deformation by pressure and a corresponding effect for not easily unfolding by kicking at the seams. Most importantly, the present invention has no need of adhesive coating during the joining for the floor tiles, so that there will be no residual adhesive after paving during retrofitting and the double-sided adhesive tape with pressure sensitivity also realize the repetitive operation for the detachment at any time. Therefore, it can proceed with effective pattern combination without destroying the original floor tile structure and sufficiently realize the intention for DIY.
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Bacon & Thomas PLLC.
Glessner Brian E.
Horton Yvonne M.
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