Tile setting device

Abstract

The tile setting device includes a tile staging tray and a tile gripping apparatus that picks up an array of tiles from the tray using a series of vacuum suction cups. The vacuum is provided by compressed air flowing through venturis mounted to the upper planar panel of the gripping apparatus. An intermediate planar panel includes passageways that direct the vacuum from the venturis to an array of suction cups attached to or removed from the lower planar panel of the gripping apparatus. When removed, to avoid suction over a tile seam or open space, the suction cups are replaced with a sealing cap. Adjustable guides extend from each side edge of the gripping apparatus to position the tiles adjacent tiles that are already in place, a wall or other mounting feature. Gripping handles on the upper planar panel to aid in positioning the gripping apparatus with attached tile arrays.

Claims

1. A tile setting device, comprising: a tile gripping apparatus; said tile gripping apparatus comprising a lower planar panel, an intermediate planar panel, an upper planar panel, at least one vacuum operated suction cup, a positioning handle, a compressed air source, at least one venturi, a compressed air control valve and at least one adjustable guide; said lower planar panel having at least one fitting, said at least one fitting being adapted for attachment of said at least one vacuum operated suction cup or a closing cap and providing a passageway to an upper surface of said lower planar panel; said intermediate planar panel being disposed above said lower planar panel and having at least one air-tight chamber, said at least one air-tight chamber being fluidly connected to said at least one fitting and fluidly connected to an orifice in an upper surface of said intermediate planar panel; said upper planar panel being disposed above said intermediate planar panel and providing a mounting surface for said at least one venturi and attachment points for said positioning handle; said at least one venturi being fluidly connected to said orifice through an opening in a lower surface of said upper planar panel; said compressed air source being fluidly connected to said compressed air control valve, said compressed air control valve being fluidly connected to said at least one venturi; a tile staging tray, said tile staging tray having a flat bottom, an open top, a left side wall, a right side wall, a front wall and a back wall, said left side wall, said right side wall, said front wall and said back wall each extending above said flat bottom to a first predetermined height, said first predetermined height sufficient to accommodate at least one layer of tile and at least a bottom edge of said lower planar panel of said tile gripping apparatus, said at least one adjustable guide being adjustably attached adjacent an edge of said upper planar panel and providing a means for positioning said tile gripping apparatus adjacent one of said left side, right side, front wall or back wall of said tile staging tray or for positioning said tile gripping apparatus adjacent a surface mounting feature or a positioned array of tiles; and whereby, when said at least one layer of tile is disposed within said tile staging tray with said at least one layer of tile positioned against one of said left side wall, right side wall, front wall or back wall, said tile gripping apparatus is configured to be positioned on top of said at least one layer of tile with said at least one adjustable guide configured to be positioned against one of said left side wall, right side wall, front wall or back wall and said compressed air control valve is configured to be activated to provide a vacuum to said at least one vacuum operated suction cup, said tile gripping apparatus is configured to be attached to said at least one layer of tile and said at least one layer of tile is configured to be removed from said tile staging tray and is configured to be positioned upon a mounting surface, said compressed air control valve is configured to be activated and said vacuum is configured to be released from said at least one vacuum operated suction cup and said gripping apparatus is configured to be removed from said at least one layer of tile.

2. The tile setting device as described in claim 1, wherein said compressed air control valve is adjustably mounted to said positioning handle.

3. The tile setting device as described in claim 1, wherein said at least one venturi comprises at least two venturis, each of said at least two venturis being serially connected and having a shut-off valve for deactivation of each of said at least two venturis.

4. The tile setting device as described in claim 1, wherein said right side wall and said back wall of said tile staging tray are of a height less than said first predetermined height, thereby augmenting removal of said tile gripping apparatus and the at least one layer of tiles attached to said at least one vacuum operated suction cup from said tile staging tray.

5. The tile setting device as described in claim 1, wherein said back wall of said tile staging tray is of a height less than said first predetermined height, thereby augmenting removal of said tile gripping apparatus and the at least one layer of tile attached to said at least one vacuum operated suction cup from said tile staging tray.

6. The tile setting device as described in claim 1, wherein said edge of said upper planar panel of said tile gripping apparatus comprises a plurality of edges, and wherein said at least one adjustable guide comprises an adjustable guide disposed adjacent to each of the plurality of edges of said upper planar panel of said tile gripping apparatus.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the tile gripping apparatus of the invention, illustrating the upper planar surface, the venturis, the compressed air control valve and adjustable guides and positioning handles;

(2) FIG. 2 is a top view of the FIG. 1 embodiment with the adjustable guides retracted;

(3) FIG. 3 is a top view of the FIG. 1 embodiment with the adjustable guides extended;

(4) FIG. 4 is a right side elevational view of the FIG. 1 embodiment with the adjustable guides retracted;

(5) FIG. 5 is a right side elevational view of the FIG. 1 embodiment with the adjustable guides extended;

(6) FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the FIG. 1 embodiment, illustrating the lower planar surface with attached suction cups and closing caps;

(7) FIG. 7 is a partial end cross-sectional view of the FIG. 1 embodiment, illustrating a venturi, passageways from the venturi through the upper planar panel, through the intermediate planar panel and through the lower planar panel to the suction cups and closing cap and an attached layer of tile;

(8) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a venturi, illustrating how it uses compressed air to provide a vacuum for the suction cups;

(9) FIG. 9 is a perspective illustration of the attachment of a suction cup or closing cap to the lower planar panel;

(10) FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a suction cup;

(11) FIG. 11 is a close-up perspective view of the compressed air control valve, hose connections and a venturi of the FIG. 1 embodiment;

(12) FIG. 12 is an underside view of the FIG. 1 embodiment after picking up an array of herring bone pattern tiles;

(13) FIG. 13 is an underside view of the FIG. 1 embodiment after picking up an array of rectangular pattern tiles with alternating tiles extending beyond three of the edges of the lower planar panel;

(14) FIG. 14 is an underside view of the FIG. 1 embodiment after picking up an array of rectangular pattern tiles with tiles extending beyond two of the edges of the lower planar panel; and

(15) FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the tile staging tray used with the FIG. 1 embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(16) 1) As illustrated in FIG. 15, a tile staging tray 14 is provided. The tile staging tray 14 has a flat bottom 22, an open top 26, a left side wall 30, a right side wall 34, a front wall 38 and a back wall 42. The left side 30, right side 34, front 38 and back 42 walls extend above the flat bottom 22 to a first predetermined height 46. The first predetermined height 46 is sufficient to accommodate at least one layer of tile 50 and at least the bottom edge 54 of the lower planar panel 58 of the tile gripping apparatus 18. The at least one adjustable guide 90 is adjustably attached adjacent an edge 135, 138 of the upper planar panel 66 and provides a means for positioning the tile gripping apparatus 18 adjacent one of the left side 30, right side 34, front 38 or back 42 walls of the tile staging tray 14 or for positioning the tile gripping apparatus 18 adjacent a surface mounting feature (not shown) or positioned array of tiles 146 (not shown). When the at least one layer of tile 50 is located within the tile staging tray 14 with the at least one layer of tile 50 positioned against one of the left side wall 30, right side wall 34, front wall 38 or back wall 42, the tile gripping apparatus 18 is positioned on top 142 of the at least one layer of tile 50 with the at least one adjustable guide 90 positioned against one of the left side wall 30, right side wall 34, front wall 38 or back wall 42 and the compressed air control valve 86 is activated to provide vacuum to the at least one vacuum operated suction cup 70. The tile gripping apparatus 18 will be attached to the at least one layer of tile 50 and the at least one layer of tile 50 may be removed from the tile staging tray 14 and positioned upon a mounting surface 150 (not shown). The compressed air control valve 86 is then activated and the vacuum is released from the at least one vacuum operated suction cup 70 and the tile gripping apparatus 18 is removed from the at least one layer of tile 50.

(17) 2) As illustrated in FIG. 15, a tile staging tray 14 is provided. The tile staging tray 14 has a flat bottom 22, an open top 26, a left side wall 30, a right side wall 34, a front wall 38 and a back wall 42. The left side 30, right side 34, front 38 and back 42 walls extend above the flat bottom 22 to a first predetermined height 46. The first predetermined height 46 is sufficient to accommodate at least one layer of tile 50 and at least the bottom edge 54 of the lower planar panel 58 of the tile gripping apparatus 18. The at least one adjustable guide 90 is adjustably attached adjacent an edge 138 of the upper planar panel 66 and provides a means for positioning the tile gripping apparatus 18 adjacent one of the left side 30, right side 34, front 38 or back 42 walls of the tile staging tray 14 or for positioning the tile gripping apparatus 18 adjacent a surface mounting feature (not shown) or positioned array of tiles 146 (not shown). When the at least one layer of tile 50 is located within the tile staging tray 14 with the at least one layer of tile 50 positioned against one of the left side wall 30, right side wall 34, front wall 38 or back wall 42, the tile gripping apparatus 18 is positioned on top 142 of the at least one layer of tile 50 with the at least one adjustable guide 90 positioned against one of the left side wall 30, right side wall 34, front wall 38 or back wall 42 and the compressed air control valve 86 is activated to provide vacuum to the at least one vacuum operated suction cup 70. The tile gripping apparatus 18 will be attached to the at least one layer of tile 50 and the at least one layer of tile 50 may be removed from the tile staging tray 14 and positioned upon a mounting surface 150 (not shown). The compressed air control valve 86 is then activated and the vacuum is released from the at least one vacuum operated suction cup 70 and the tile gripping apparatus 18 is removed from the at least one layer of tile 50.

(18) 3) In a variant of the invention, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the compressed air control valve 86 is adjustably mounted to the positioning handle 74.

(19) 4) In another variant, the at least one venturi 82 includes at least two venturis 82. Each of the at least two venturis 82 is serially connected and has a shut-off valve 154 for deactivation of each of the at least two venturis 82.

(20) 5) In still another variant, as illustrated in FIG. 15, the right side wall 34 and the back wall 42 of the tile staging tray 14 are of a height 158 less than the first predetermined height 46, thereby augmenting removal of the tile gripping apparatus 18 and the at least one layer of tile 50 attached to the at least one vacuum operated suction cup 70 from the tile staging tray 14.

(21) 6) In yet another variant, the back wall 42 of the tile staging tray 14 is of a height 158 less than the first predetermined height 46, thereby augmenting removal of the tile gripping apparatus 18 and the at least one layer of tile 50 attached to the at least one vacuum operated suction cup 70 from the tile staging tray 14.

(22) 7) In a final variant of the invention, as illustrated in FIG. 2-5, the at least one adjustable guide 90 includes an adjustable guide 90 located adjacent to each edge 138 of the upper planar panel 66 of the tile gripping apparatus 18.