TILE LEVELLING DEVICE

Abstract

A tile levelling device of the type used on a surface to level at least two adjacent tiles which comprises: a support designed to be positioned between at least two adjacent tiles and equipped with a base designed to be positioned underneath the at least two tiles and an elongated body or rod which extends orthogonally from the base and is equipped with means for the gripping thereof from the outside;

a levelling and pressure body designed to be removably connected to the support by means of the elongated body or rod and comprising a structure which is endowed with a lower edge endowed with a flat support surface intended to operate through contact with at least one of the upper surfaces of the at least two adjacent tiles; the said support surface being positioned perpendicular to the central axis of the pressure body, wherein the pressure body may be coaxially coupled by means of a magnetic attraction coupling to an external rotating member, whose task is to generate, on command, the rotation thereof in both directions. The external rotating member is, in turn, equipped with a tang for coupling with the external screwing tool and comprises, integrally coupled therewith on at least part of the internal surface thereof, at least one insert consisting of a ring-shaped magnet.

Claims

1-7. (canceled)

8. A tile levelling device of the type used on a surface to level at least two adjacent tiles and comprising: a support designed to be positioned between at least two adjacent tiles and equipped with a base designed to be positioned underneath the at least two tiles; an elongated body or rod which extends orthogonally from the base and is equipped with means for the gripping thereof consisting of an external thread; a pressure and levelling body designed to be removably connected to the said support by means of the elongated body or rod and comprising a structure which is endowed with a lower edge endowed with a flat support surface intended to operate in contact with at least one of the upper surfaces of the at least two adjacent tiles, the said support surface being positioned perpendicular to the central axis of the pressure body; wherein the pressure body may be coaxially coupled to an external rotating member whose task is to generate, on command, the rotation thereof in both directions.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein the pressure body may be coaxially coupled to an external rotating member by means of a magnetic attraction coupling, the said external rotating member being equipped with a tang for coupling with an external screwing tool.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein the external rotating member has an axially symmetrical bell shape, shaped to accommodateperfectly centred therewithinat least part of the upper portion of the pressure body, and comprises, integrally coupled with at least part of the internal surface thereof, at least one insert consisting of a ring-shaped magnet.

11. A device according to claim 10, wherein the pressure body has a cylindrical shape overall and is provided with an annular insert, which is made of a ferromagnetic material and is positioned integrally and coaxially with the side walls of the said device.

12. A device according to claim 11, wherein the axially symmetrical bell-shaped external rotating member comprises, integrally coupled with at least part of the internal surface thereof, at least one insert consisting of a ring-shaped magnet, the magnet fulfilling the function of providing the magnetic attraction with the annular insert made of ferrous material or ferromagnetic material.

13. A device according to claim 10, wherein the pressure body has a cylindrical shape overall and is made of a magnetic material.

14. A device according to claim 13, wherein the axially symmetrical bell-shaped external rotating member is made of a ferromagnetic material, thereby fulfilling the function of providing the magnetic attraction with the magnetic material of which the pressure body is made and with which it is coupled, the external rotating member having an axially symmetrical bell shape, shaped to accommodateperfectly centred therewithinat least part of the upper portion of the pressure body, and comprising, integrally coupled with at least part of the internal surface thereof, at least one insert consisting of a magnet 8 configured in an annular shape.

Description

[0007] This object and others besides are achieved by the present invention, which relates to a tile levelling device according to the claims, as described and illustrated in the appended drawings in which:

[0008] FIG. 1 shows a schematic exploded view thereof;

[0009] FIG. 2 shows, schematically and in sequential order, the nine main steps constituting a single levelling operation carried out by means of the present invention;

[0010] FIG. 3 shows a schematic axonometric view of a step consisting of the application of the embodiment in FIG. 1;

[0011] FIG. 4 shows a schematic axonometric view of a step following that shown in FIG. 3

[0012] FIGS. 5 and 6 show the axial sections of certain parts.

[0013] With reference to the appended figures, 1 denotes the individual tiles used to make a floor. The tiles 1 are laid on a surface with a layer of glue 2 interposed therebetween.

[0014] Laying is complete once the levelling action has been performed by means of levelling devices distributed over the entire floor being laid.

[0015] In particular, each levelling device is used to act between at least two adjacent tiles 1 and comprises a support which is designed to be inserted between at least two adjacent tiles 1 and is endowed with a base 5, which is positioned under the two adjacent tiles and embedded in the layer of glue 2.

[0016] Part of the support is an elongated body or rod 4 which extends orthogonally from the base 5 and is equipped with means for the gripping thereof from the outside, which essentially consist of an external thread 40.

[0017] The external thread 40 is featured and sized so that a pressure body 3 couples therewith in a removable manner by means of a tapped hole 33 with which the said pressure body is endowed.

[0018] The pressure body 3 has a lower edge 30 which is in turn provided with a flat support surface 31 intended to operate in contact with at least part of the upper surfaces of the adjacent tiles 1, either with or without a scratch guard plate interposed therebetween. The support surface 31 is arranged perpendicular to the central axis of the pressure body 3, which is overall axially symmetric.

[0019] The pressure body 3 may be coaxially coupled to an external rotating member 7 designed to be driven by an external screwing tool 10 whose task is to generate, on command, the rotation thereof in both directions.

[0020] The pressure body 3 may be coaxially coupled to the external rotating member 7 by means of a coupling achieved by magnetic attraction.

[0021] The external rotating member 7 is, in turn, equipped with a tang 9 for coupling with the external screwing tool 10.

[0022] The pressure body 3 is cylindrical overall and is equipped with protruding ribs 35 on part of the external surface thereof. It is also equipped with an annular insert 32, made of a ferrous or ferromagnetic material, arranged integrally therewith and coaxially on part of the side walls thereof.

[0023] The external rotating member 7 have an axially symmetrical bell shape, shaped to accommodateperfectly centred therewithinat least part of the upper portion of the pressure body (3), and comprises, integrally coupled with at least part of the internal surface thereof, at least one insert consisting of a magnet 8 configured in an annular shape.

[0024] The task of the magnet 8 is to provide magnetic attraction to attract the annular insert made of a ferromagnetic material 32 with which the single pressure body 3 is equipped

[0025] The mutual arrangement of the materials used to provide the magnetic attraction between the pressure body 3 and the external rotating member 7 may be swapped and therefore a magnet may be coupled with the pressure body 3 instead of the ferromagnetic material and the external rotating member 7 may be coupled with a ring made of ferromagnetic material or the like instead of the magnet 8.

[0026] As regards the construction of the external rotating member 7, various possible methods may be suggested, namely: [0027] using a magnetic plastic material for the production thereof; [0028] using a ferrous or ferromagnetic plastic material for the production thereof; [0029] using a plastic material for the production thereof with a pressure-co-moulded magnetic ring inside; [0030] using a plastic material for the production thereof with a co-moulded metal ring or washer.

[0031] Similar production methods can be used for the construction of the pressure body 3.

[0032] The entire levelling operation, whichfor the sake of simplicityrefers to a case of two tiles 1, is easily schematised by a sequence of steps, which are identified with the numbers 1 to 9 and shown, schematically, in FIG. 2.

[0033] Alongside the tile 1 placed on the layer of glue 2, the elongated body 4 is positioned in a vertical arrangement, so that the base 5 thereof is inserted into the layer of glue 2 underneath the edge of the said tile. A new tile 1 is then laid alongside the previous one. The lower part of the elongated body 4 keeps the edge of the new tile away from the edge of the tile laid previously. The tile layer then acts by preparing the assembly consisting of the pressure body 3 magnetically constrained to an external rotating member 7 and then coupling the tang 9 with a screwing tool 10. Activation of the screwing tool 10 screws the pressure body 3 onto the external thread 40 of the elongated body or rod 4 until the lower supporting surface 31 is forced to operate through contact with the upper surfaces of the two tiles 1. The action just described is the result of the pressure applied by the pressure body 3 to the upper surfaces of the tiles 1 through the counteraction applied by the base 5 to the lower surfaces of the said tiles 1.

[0034] Unscrewing can be performed just as quickly using the same screwing tool 10. Once levelling has been achieved and sufficient time has lapsed for stabilisation of the assembly, for example, the elongated body 4 may be brokenby hammering the pressure body (3 (step 7))and detached therefore from the base 5, which remains in position under the adjacent tiles 1.

[0035] Unscrewing can be performed quickly using the same screwing tool 10 (see steps 8 and 9).

[0036] The magnetic attraction exerted between the magnet 8 fixed to the external rotating member 7 and the annular insert 32 made of ferromagnetic material makes the pressure body 3 integral with the said external rotating member 7, thereby ensuring easy manoeuvrability of the assembly which is further increased by the possibility of use thereof in conjunction with a screwing tool.