Tile with protected imitation grout line

• US 10,544,595 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2018
• Issued: 01/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quickstyle Industries Inc. (Courey International Commerce, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Quickstyle Industries Inc. (Courey International Commerce, Inc.)
• Inventors: Courey, Stephen, Alfieri, Michele
• Primary Examiner(s): Mintz, Rodney
• Application Number:
  US16/196,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20190169858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2266/0235 Vinyl halide, e.g. PVC, PVDC, PVF, PVDF
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/412 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/72 Density
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/722 Non-uniform density
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2419/04 Tiles for floors or walls tiles for roofs B32B2419/06
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/065 of foam
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/20 using fillers, pigments, thixotroping agents
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/304 comprising vinyl halide (co)polymers, e.g. PVC, PVDC, PVF, PVDF
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/06 for securing layers together; for attaching the product to another member, e.g. to a support , or to another product, e.g. groove/tongue, interlocking
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/263 characterised by a layer having non-uniform thickness
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/18 characterised by features of a layer of foamed material
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/02033 Joints with beveled or recessed upper edges
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/02038 characterised by tongue and groove connections between neighbouring flooring elements
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/105 of organic plastics with or without reinforcements or filling materials
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 15/107 composed of several layers, e.g. sandwich panels layered products in general B32B; producing decorative panels or veneers B44C5/04
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/0153 by rotating the sheets, plates or panels around an axis which is parallel to the abutting edges, possibly combined with a sliding movement
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/023 with a continuous tongue or groove
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 2201/043 with tongues and grooves being formed by projecting or recessed parts of the panel layers

Abstract

A tile that may be used as a covering on a floor, wall, or other surface comprises a top section, a protective section, and a core layer, and an exposed portion formed along at least one of its sides and structured to represent an imitation but highly realistic looking grout line. In a preferred embodiment, the top section comprises a wear layer, a decorative layer and a polyvinyl chloride layer, and the core layer comprises a densified foam material. The protective section is disposed between the top section and the core layer, and preferably comprises both a protective layer and another decorative layer. The exposed portion structured to represent an imitation grout line is formed within the protective section and is resistant to staining. In some embodiments, the exposed portion is also formed across a middle section of the tile, and may further include an interconnecting mechanism to facilitate installation.

Claims

1. A tile comprising:

a top section at least partially defining a top surface, said top section including a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) layer;

a protective section joined to said top section,

a rigid core layer joined to said protective section, said rigid core layer comprising a densified foam material,

a plurality of sides at least partially defined by said rigid core layer,

at least one exposed portion comprising a textured surface structured to represent a grout line, said at least one exposed portion disposed along a corresponding one of said plurality of sides, and

said at least one exposed portion defined within and exposing at least a portion of said protective section.

2. The tile as recited in claim 1 further comprising a second exposed portion formed substantially across a middle section of said top surface;

said second exposed portion defined within and exposing at least a portion of said protective section.

3. The tile as recited in claim 1 wherein said polyvinyl chloride (PVC) layer comprises a density of about 1,600 kg/m³ (about 99.884 lb/ft³) to about 2,600 kg/m³ (about 162.313 lb/ft³).

4. The tile as recited in claim 1 wherein said rigid core layer comprises a density of about 500 kg/m³ (about 31.214 lb/ft³) to about 2,000 kg/m³ (about 124.856 lb/ft³).

5. The tile as recited in claim 1 wherein said polyvinyl chloride (PVC) layer comprises a first density and said rigid core layer comprises a second density;

said first density being greater than said second density.

6. The tile as recited in claim 1 wherein said top section further comprises a wear layer interconnected to said polyvinyl chloride (PVC) layer.

7. The tile as recited in claim 6 wherein said top layer further comprises another decorative layer disposed between said wear layer and said polyvinyl chloride (PVC) layer;

said wear layer comprising a substantially transparent material, said second decorative layer is visually observable through said wear layer.

8. The tile as recited in claim 1 wherein said protective section comprises a protective layer joined to said top section.

9. The tile as recited in claim 8 wherein said exposed portion is defined within and exposes at least a portion of said protective layer.

10. The tile as recited in claim 8 wherein said protective section further comprises a decorative layer disposed between said protective layer and said rigid core layer.

11. The tile as recited in claim 10 wherein said protective layer comprises a substantially transparent material, said decorative layer is visually observable through said protective layer.

12. A tile comprising:

a top section at least partially defining a top surface, said top section including a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) layer comprising a first density;

a protective section comprising a protective layer and a decorative layer,

a rigid core layer joined to said protective section, said rigid core layer comprising a densified foam material, said rigid core layer comprising a second density,

a plurality of sides at least partially defined by said rigid core layer,

a plurality of exposed portions each comprising a textured surface structured to represent a grout line, at least a first of said plurality of exposed portions disposed along a corresponding one of said plurality of sides,

said at least one exposed portion defined within and exposing at least a portion of said protective layer,

said decorative layer disposed between said protective layer and said rigid core layer,

said protective layer comprising a substantially transparent material, said decorative layer visually observable through said protective layer, and

said first density of said polyvinyl chloride (PVC) layer greater than said second density of said rigid core layer.