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. Gripping handles on the upper planar panel aid in positioning the gripping apparatus.

Claims

1. A tile gripping apparatus, the tile gripping apparatus comprising: a plurality of suction cups mounted to a lower surface of the tile gripping apparatus; a compressed air control valve coupled to a compressed air source; a venturi fluidly coupled to the compressed air control valve and configured to generate a vacuum in at least a first suction cup of the plurality of suction cups; and a positioning handle mounted to an upper surface of the tile setting device.

2. The tile gripping apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an adjustable guide coupled to the tile gripping apparatus adjacent an edge of the tile gripping apparatus and configured to adjust between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein, in the extended position, the adjustable guide extends beyond the edge.

3. The tile gripping apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of adjustable guides coupled to the tile gripping apparatus, each of the plurality of adjustable guides independently adjustable between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein each of the plurality of adjustable guides is coupled to the tile gripping apparatus adjacent to a respective edge of the tile gripping apparatus, and, in the extended position, is configured to extend beyond the respective edge.

4. The tile gripping apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second venturi connected to the venturi in series.

5. The tile gripping apparatus of claim 4, wherein the venturi and the second venturi each have a shut-off valve for deactivation of the venturi and the second venturi.

6. The tile gripping apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a lower panel, an intermediate panel, and an upper panel, wherein the lower panel, the intermediate panel, and the upper panel are each planar and arranged parallel to one another in the tile gripping apparatus.

7. The tile gripping apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of suction cups are mounted to fittings that extend through the lower panel.

8. The tile gripping apparatus of claim 6, wherein the intermediate panel is arranged between the lower panel and the upper panel and comprises an air-tight chamber.

9. The tile gripping apparatus of claim 8, wherein the venturi and the positioning handle are mounted to the upper panel.

10. A tile gripping device, the tile gripping device comprising: a lower planar panel comprising a plurality of fittings, the plurality of fittings configured to selectively receive each of a vacuum-operated suction cup and a closing cap; an upper planar panel; positioning handles mounted to an upper surface of the upper planar panel; and a venturi fluidly coupled to the plurality of fittings and configured to generate vacuum pressure, wherein the venturi is mounted to the upper planar panel.

11. The tile gripping device of claim 10, further comprising an adjustable guide coupled to the upper planar panel, wherein the adjustable guide is configured to extend and retract in a plane parallel to the upper planar panel and the lower planar panel.

12. The tile gripping device of claim 10, further comprising an intermediate planar panel positioned between the upper panel and the lower planar panel.

13. The tile gripping device of claim 12, wherein the intermediate planar panel comprises an air-tight chamber.

14. The tile gripping device of claim 13, wherein the air-tight chamber is fluidly coupled to the venturi via an orifice in an upper surface of the intermediate planar panel, and wherein the air-tight chamber is fluidly coupled to the plurality of fittings.

15. The tile gripping device of claim 10, further comprising a compressed air control valve fluidly connected to a compressed air source and the venturi, the compressed air control valve configured to selectively control a flow of compressed air from the compressed air source to the venturi.

16. A tile gripping system, the tile gripping system comprising: a tile gripping apparatus comprising a compressed air control valve, a venturi coupled to the compressed air control valve, and a plurality of fittings coupled to the venturi, wherein the plurality of fittings are each configured to selectively receive a suction-cup and a closing cap; and a tile staging tray comprising a flat bottom and sidewalls; wherein the compressed air control valve is coupled to a compressed air source; wherein the tile staging tray is configured to accommodate at least one layer of tile; and wherein the tile gripping apparatus is configured to lift an uppermost layer of the at least one layer of tile via vacuum pressure, the vacuum pressure created at the venturi and provided to the fittings of the plurality of fittings configured with the suction cup.

17. The tile gripping system of claim 16, wherein the sidewalls of the tile staging tray extend a predetermined height above the flat bottom, the predetermined height sufficient to accommodate the at least one layer of tile.

18. The tile gripping system of claim 16, wherein a first sidewall of the sidewalls extends a predetermined height above the flat bottom, and wherein a second sidewall of the sidewalls extends less than the predetermined height above the flat bottom.

19. The tile gripping system of claim 16, further comprising an adjustable guide configured to adjustably extend outwards from an upper surface of the tile gripping apparatus.

20. The tile gripping system of claim 19, wherein, in a use position of the tile gripping apparatus, the adjustable guide contacts a first sidewall of the sidewalls when the adjustable guide is in a fully extended position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] 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;

[0022] FIG. 2 is a top view of the FIG. 1 embodiment with the adjustable guides retracted;

[0023] FIG. 3 is a top view of the FIG. 1 embodiment with the adjustable guides extended;

[0024] FIG. 4 is a right side elevational view of the FIG. 1 embodiment with the adjustable guides retracted;

[0025] FIG. 5 is a right side elevational view of the FIG. 1 embodiment with the adjustable guides extended;

[0026] FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the FIG. 1 embodiment, illustrating the lower planar surface with attached suction cups and closing caps;

[0027] 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;

[0028] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a venturi, illustrating how it uses compressed air to provide a vacuum for the suction cups;

[0029] FIG. 9 is a perspective illustration of the attachment of a suction cup or closing cap to the lower planar panel; FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a suction cup;

[0030] FIG. 11 is a close-up perspective view of the compressed air control valve, hose connections and a venturi of the FIG. 1 embodiment;

[0031] FIG. 12 is an underside view of the FIG. 1 embodiment after picking up an array of herring bone pattern tiles;

[0032] 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;

[0033] 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

[0034] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the tile staging tray used with the FIG. 1 embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] As illustrated in FIGS. 1-14, the tile setting device includes a tile gripping apparatus 18, that includes a lower planar panel 58, an intermediate planar panel 62, an upper planar panel 66, at least one vacuum operated suction cup 70, a positioning handle 74, a compressed air source 78, at least one venturi 82, a compressed air control valve 86 and at least one adjustable guide 90. The lower planar panel 58 has at least one fitting 94.

[0036] The at least one fitting 94 is adapted for attachment of the at least one vacuum operated suction cup 70 or a closing cap 98 and provides a passageway 102 to an upper surface 106 of the lower planar panel 58. The intermediate planar panel 62 is located above the lower planar panel 58 and has at least one air-tight chamber 110. The at least one air-tight chamber 110 is fluidly connected to the at least one fitting 94 and fluidly connected to an orifice 114 in an upper surface 118 of the intermediate planar panel 62. The upper planar panel 66 is located above the intermediate planar panel 62 and provides a mounting surface 122 for the at least one venturi 82 and attachment points 126 for the positioning handle 74. The at least one venturi 82 is fluidly connected to the orifice 114 through an opening 130 in a lower surface 134 of the upper planar panel 66. The compressed air source 78 is fluidly connected to the compressed air control valve 86. The compressed air control valve 86 is fluidly connected to the at least one venturi 82.

[0037] 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.

[0038] In a variant of the invention, the compressed air control valve 86 is adjustably mounted to the positioning handle 74.

[0039] 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.

[0040] In still another variant, 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] In a final variant of the invention, 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.