Surface covering tiles having an edge treatment for assembly that allows for grouting

摘要

Surface covering tiles made using synthetic materials employ junction strips which enable the tiles to be connected to one another. The connections can be made with or without adhesive. When the tiles are connected, a space is left between adjacent decorative surfaces to permit the application of grout or simulated grout therein. When the tiles are used as floor covering they can be used to make floating floors. As wall coverings, the tiles are adhered to the walls using conventional means.

主权项

1. A surface covering tile consisting essentially of an upper tile surface and an opposing lower tile surface, the upper tile surface lying in a first plane and the lower tile surface lying in a second plane in parallel with the first plane, the distance from the first plane to the second plane defining a thickness of the tile, the upper tile surface having an even number of sides and the lower tile surface having the same number of sides as the upper tile surface, the sides of the lower tile surface being offset and in parallel with the sides of the upper tile surface, each side of the upper tile surface and the lower tile surface having a side edge, one half of the side edges of the upper tile surface being adjacent, upper tile surface side edges having a lower junction strip extending therefrom and one half of the side edges of the lower tile surface being adjacent, lower tile surface side edges having an upper junction strip extending therefrom, each lower junction strip extending in a direction opposite an upper junction strip, each lower junction strip having an upper face and an opposing lower junction strip surface, the lower junction strip surface comprising a portion of the lower tile surface and each upper junction strip having a lower face and an opposing upper junction strip surface, the upper junction strip surface comprising a portion of the upper tile surface;
each lower junction strip having a lower junction strip outer edge and the upper face comprises a first raised portion and a first channel, each first raised portion having a first inner edge, and each first channel having a first width defined by the upper tile surface side edge and the first inner edge, the first inner edge and the lower junction strip outer edge being in parallel with the upper side edge and defining a second width of each first raised portion, the lower junction strip outer edge defining a side edge of the lower tile surface; each upper junction strip having an upper junction strip outer edge and the lower face comprises a second raised portion and a second channel, each second raised portion having a second inner edge, and each second channel having a third width defined by the lower tile surface side edge and the second inner edge, the second inner edge and the upper junction strip outer edge being in parallel with the lower side edge and defining a fourth width of each second raised portion, the upper junction strip outer edge defining a side edge of the upper tile surface; the first raised portions of the lower junction strips having a thickness less than the thickness of the and being sized to fit within and interlock with the second channels of the upper junction strips; and the second raised portions of the upper junction strips having a thickness less than the thickness of the tile, the fourth width of each second raised portion of the upper junction strips being less than the first width of each first channel of the lower junction strips wherein a space extends between a side edge of the upper surface having a lower junction strip extending therefrom and an upper junction strip outer edge when the surface covering tile is attached to another surface covering the having the same construction and a portion of the upper surface of the first channel is visible in the space from eyes looking down upon the upper surfaces.