ILLUMINATED CERAMIC TILE AND PRODUCTION METHOD

Abstract

The invention relates to a ceramic tile (1) with a glaze (11) which covers at least the visible face (10). A light generated by one or more light sources (6, 14) is visible on the visible face (10), and at least one bore (2) and/or recess (22) passes through the body of the ceramic tile (1). The glaze (11) is designed to guide light and at least partly fills the bore (2) and/or the recess (22) in a sealing manner, and the one or more light sources (6, 14) are arranged on the rear face of the ceramic tile (1) and are connected to the bore (2) and/or the recess (22) so as to guide light.

Claims

1. A ceramic tile (1) having a casting compound (11) covering at least the visible face (10), the casting compound (11) is designed to be opaque or transparent, and light generated by one or more light sources (6, 14) is visible on the visible face (10), and the body of the ceramic tile (1) has at least one bore (2) and/or recess (22) passing through it, characterized in that the casting compound is designed as a light-conducting glaze (11), and the bore (2) and/or the recess (22) is/are filled and sealed, and the one or more light sources (6, 14) are arranged on the back face of the ceramic tile (1) and are connected to the bore (2) and/or the recess (22) to conduct light.

2. The ceramic tile according to claim 1, characterized in that the ceramic tile in the raw state thereof before firing has the at least one bore (2) and/or recess (22).

3. The ceramic tile according to claim 1, characterized in that the light source is designed as a lighting tile (6).

4. The ceramic tile according to claim 3, characterized in that the lighting tile (6) is arranged in a bottom recess (4), which is recessed on the bottom side (12) of the ceramic tile (1).

5. The ceramic tile according to claim 4, characterized in that the bottom recess (4) is formed by an elevated peripheral bottom edge (5), in which one or more recesses (9) are arranged.

6. The ceramic tile according to claim 1, characterized in that the light sources are designed as spot lighting elements (14) in particular as LEDs and/or OLEDs and/or fluorescent elements in this embodiment.

7. The ceramic tile according to claim 1, characterized in that the light sources (6, 14) in the manner of lighting strips are arranged on the bottom side (12) in the bottom recess (4).

8. The ceramic tile according to claim 1, characterized in that the glaze (11) is formed as a densely fired, vitreous layer or as a curable plastic composition.

9. A method for producing a ceramic tile (1), wherein, in a first method step, the unfired ceramic tile consisting of a blank in a moist and moldable raw condition, containing a clay mixture that is at least earth-moist and also containing other mineral additives, is subjected to an extrusion process or a roll-forming process, and in a second method step, it is provided with a glaze, and in a third method step, it is subjected to a firing operation, in which the ceramic tile is created as a dense clay piece, wherein a number of bores and/or recesses is/are created in the body of the ceramic tile in the soft unfired material in the transition between the first method step and the second method step, these bores and/or recesses passing through the body, i.e., extending from the visible face to the back face of the body of the tile, and thereafter the bores and/or recesses are filled and closed with a glaze that at least partially conducts light, characterized in that one or more light sources (6, 14) are arranged on the back face of the ceramic tile (1) and are connected to the bore (2) and/or recess (22) in a light-conducting manner.

10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that the holes and/or slots are created in the unfired tile, while it is still soft, by means of a nail plate or by a knife plate or by punching tools, which create punched-out areas, bores or recesses in the unfired body of the ceramic tile while still soft.

Description

[0044] The invention is explained in greater detail below on the basis of several drawings illustrating methods of implementation. Additional features that are essential to the invention and advantages of the invention are derived from the drawings and the description thereof, in which:

[0045] FIG. 1 shows schematically a top view of a ceramic tile in the finished condition;

[0046] FIG. 2 shows a section through the ceramic tile according to FIG. 1, illustrating the installation of a lighting tile;

[0047] FIG. 3 shows a top view of the back face of the ceramic tile according to FIGS. 1 and 2;

[0048] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged section through a light-guiding bore in the ceramic tile according to FIGS. 1 and 3;

[0049] FIG. 5 shows schematically the rear view of the ceramic tile according to FIGS. 1 through 3 in a perspective view (simplified in the drawing);

[0050] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment that is modified in comparison with FIG. 5.

[0051] According to FIGS. 1 to 3, the ceramic tile 1 consists of a ceramic body having a plurality of bores 2, which form light-conducting openings in the range of approx. 0.5 to 5 mm diameter in the embodiment illustrated here. They may be distributed regularly or irregularly over the visible face 10 of the ceramic tile 1 and pass through the entire body of the ceramic tile 1, as illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0052] In preferred embodiments, the ceramic tile 1 has a total thickness in the range of approx. 15 to 20 mm, and the peripheral bottom edge 5 has a width in the range of approx. 10 to 20 mm.

[0053] The height of the bottom edge 5 over the bottom recess 4, which is recessed deeper, may be in the range of approx. 4 mm.

[0054] In FIGS. 1 to 3, it is provided that the ceramic tile 1 is finished and at least the visible face 10 and also at least the peripheral edge sides 3 are covered with a vitreous glaze 11.

[0055] However, it is also possible to provide that the bottom recess 4 and the bottom edge 5 are covered with the vitreous glaze 11 and fired.

[0056] To produce an illuminated ceramic tile, it is therefore provided that, according to FIG. 2, a flat lighting tile 6 is introduced into the recess 4 in the bottom recess in the direction of arrow 7 and is secured there with fastening means that are not shown in detail. Such fastening means may be clamping means, but they may also be adhesive means and clamping means.

[0057] The area of the lighting tile 6 should be selected so that it does not protrude beyond the width 8 of the peripheral bottom edge 5 but instead can be fitted so that it is flush in the bottom recess 4.

[0058] FIG. 3 shows that the peripheral bottom edge 5 may also have recesses 9 at the side. The power supply for the lighting elements of the lighting tile 6 can be passed through these recesses 9. It is likewise possible to arrange the lighting elements themselves in the area of these recesses, so that they then illuminate the lighting tile 6 from the edge side and thus create a continuous flat lighting impression of the lighting tile 6.

[0059] FIG. 3 shows that the bores 2 illustrated here as an example can extend into the bottom side 12 of the ceramic tile 1, so that the bores 2 pass through the body of the ceramic tile 1.

[0060] FIG. 4 shows schematically the finished fired ceramic tile 1, where it can be seen that the glaze 11 has run into the bore 2 in the ceramic tile 1, so that it fills the hole after the firing operation and the bore 2 is filled and sealed completely.

[0061] This ensures that, when the ceramic tile is used, its properties are maintained, i.e., a highly abrasion resistant surface with a high resistance to breaking and a high hardness, as would be expected of unlighted ceramic tiles 1.

[0062] FIG. 4 also shows that, instead of the lighting tile 6, discrete lighting elements 14 can now also be arranged in such a way that they are flush and opposite one another at each bore 2. The discrete lighting elements may also generate a colored light.

[0063] Light generated in this way is emitted in the direction of arrow 15 into the bore 2 and is also distributed in the direction of arrow 16 on the bottom side of the ceramic tile 1 and may propagate in these directions of arrows 15, 16 in the lighting tile 6.

[0064] FIG. 5 shows, in highly schematic form, the arrangement when individual lighting elements 14 are arranged so that they are distributed in the manner of lighting strips 17 in the bottom recess 4 in the ceramic tile 1. The recesses 9 arranged on the edge side pass through each.

[0065] They may also be arranged crosswise, so that the recesses 9 arranged opposite one another may also have an additional lighting strip 17 passing through them.

[0066] It is likewise possible to have a power cable 18 passing through the recesses 9 in order to electrically connect the ceramic tiles 1 situated side by side to one another by means of suitable cables.

[0067] In modification of the embodiments shown previously, FIG. 6 shows that, instead of the bores 2, recesses 22 of any shape may also be arranged in the body of ceramic tile 1.

[0068] In the embodiment shown here, these recesses 22 are designed in the form of slots.

[0069] The rays of light 13 generated by the lighting sources in this way (see FIG. 4) are also readily discernible from the visible face 10 and may even extend through the glaze 11, so that they conduct light, and the glaze 11, thanks to its vitreous structure, may also be used as a light conductor, so that an extensive light impression is obtained on the visible face 10 of the ceramic tile 1.

LEGEND TO DRAWINGS

[0070] 1 Ceramic tile [0071] 2 Bore [0072] 3 Edge side [0073] 4 Bottom recess [0074] 5 Bottom edge [0075] 6 Lighting tile [0076] 7 Direction of arrow [0077] 8 Width (of 5) [0078] 9 Recess (in 5) [0079] 10 Visible face [0080] 11 Glaze [0081] 12 Bottom side [0082] 13 Light beam [0083] 14 Lighting element [0084] 15 Direction of arrow [0085] 16 Direction of arrow [0086] 17 Lighting strip [0087] 18 Power cable [0088] 19 [0089] 20 [0090] 21 [0091] 22 Recess