WO2005113907A2

WO2005113907A2 - Pressurized grout and delivery system for tile flooring and methods

Info

Publication number: WO2005113907A2
Application number: PCT/US2005/001782
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robert J Miller; Wesley E Cannon; John Brown
Original assignee: Tef, Inc.
Priority date: 2004-05-13
Filing date: 2005-01-19
Publication date: 2005-12-01
Also published as: WO2005113907A3

Abstract

A grout delivery system for a fluid, curable grout composition containing stable particulated material to provide a sand/matte surface finish where the delivery system includes a pressurized grout canister and a dispensing nozzle with a guide and shroud to promote uniform and even dispensing of the pressurized grout.

Description

Pressurized Grout and Delivery System for Tile Flooring and Methods

I. Field of the Invention This invention relates pressurized grout and a delivery system for use in connection with tiled flooring and more particularly to engineered, laminated, ceramic, porcelain, marble, granite or stone veneer, hard surface tile panels for use in flooring applications. The instant invention also relates to a grout or sealant applicator nozzle that minimizes errors during delivery to the target. The inventive nozzle or cap is particularly suited for use in connection with engineered, veneer, hard surface tile panels for use in flooring applications. More specifically, the nozzle/applicator of this invention facilitates proper application of the pressurized grout.

II. Background With the increasing popularity of engineered flooring products, a need for improved underlayments has arisen. In the case of a floating or glueless floor, for example, underlyaments are disposed between a subfloor (plywood, concrete, old floor, etc.) and the new flooring. Such underlayments often serve multiple purposes such as sound damping, cushioning/energy absorption, moisture barrier, etc. Subflooring may also serve to minimize complications that may arise from a subfloor surface incorporating minor irregularities (voids, bumps, cracks, etc.) One particular type of engineered flooring that recently has enjoyed a surge in consumer acceptance and commercial success is a laminated engineered hard- surface, interlocking, floating, tile units Is EDGE RTM flooring tiles produced by Edge Flooring of Dalton, Georgia. The flooring is generally characterized by interlocking, engineered tile panel structures and method substituting for conventional ceramic tile/stone/marble/slate slab construction. EDGE flooring tile products are intended to overcome problems associated with conventional ceramic/natural stone tile manufacture, handling, shipping and installation and allow for installation by homeowners of floating/glueless floors. The EDGE flooring products embody teachings contained in US 10/423,881 filed April 28, 2003 invented by Robert J. Miller, the subject matter of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. III. Summary of the Inventions It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel grout and grout delivery system for use with tiled surfaces. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved grout delivery system facilitating ease of use. A further object is to provide an improved pressurized grout and nozzle delivery system particularly suited for use with engineered, veneer, hard surface tile flooring panels. A further object of this invention is to provide a tile grout delivery system that provides for ease and predictability of use. Still another object of the invention is to provide a flexible grouting material that is non-porous, exhibits a sanded surface finish and possesses substantially permanent elasticity. Yet another object of this invention is to provide a grout for tiles that is readily combinable with selected colorants and that maintains substantially uniform color during and after delivery. It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel nozzle delivery system for use with grout or sealants and particularly with pressurized grout employed to seal pre-formed, engineered, gaps between panels and more particularly, veneer, hard surface tile panels for use in flooring applications. It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel specific grout dispenser, and methods suited for use in flooring applications and particularly suited for use with engineered, veneer, hard surface tile panels. A final stated but by no means final object of the invention is to provide a grout that is both easy to install and to maintain. These and other objects are satisfied by a pressurized grout dispenser for dispensing grout in gaps between tiles, comprising: a pressurized canister; a grout reservoir containing fluid grout contained within the canister; a dispensing gate for dispensing grout from the grout reservoir; a directional nozzle associated with the dispensing gate, said nozzle including a depending guide lug for insertion into and translation along the gaps, and a grout shroud disposed over the dispensing gate and said guide lug to prevent lateral dispersion of the grout during application. Other objects are satisfied by a sealant dispenser cap with a sealant gateway an aperture guide and alignment element disposed on the cap and near the gateway, and a gateway mantle directing sealant from the gateway to the sealant target. Still other objects are satisfied by a grout application method for tiles having a gap therebetween including the providing grout under pressure through a nozzle having a dispensing end corresponding to the gap between the tiles and a guide element for translating through that gap, said method comprising the steps of inserting the guide into the gap and dispensing grout therein. Further objects are satisfied by curable fluid grout for pressurized delivery, comprising: acrylic polymer, dimensionally stable particulated material suited for use in flooring applications and a curable acrylic polymer. In summary, the invention herein provides a tile grout pressurized in a can for neat delivery through a guide nozzle that is dimensioned to cooperate with and provide uniform grout injection into grout gaps. In use the invention is particularly suited for use in connection with laminated, engineered, interlocking tiles with a hard veneer surface comprised of ceramic, marble, granite or stone on a core substructure or panel. The substructure or core to have at least two of it's, longest side edges profiled with a tongue or groove thus allowing the panels to be joined and secured in a locking fashion and at least one of it's short side edges profiled with a dimensional spacing lug allowing the panels to be abutted on the ends in a manner to provide preformed joint/grout gap spacing. The pre-spaced format of the veneer assures for substantially uniform, pre- aligned spacing around the tiles veneers. Thus, the grout delivery system is adapted to delivering the pressurized grout in relatively equal joint spacing after joining or abutting the panels to each other during the installation process. As used herein "substantially," "generally," and other words of degree are relative modifiers intended to indicate permissible variation from the characteristic so modified. It is not intended to be limited to the absolute value or characteristic which it modifies but rather possessing more of the physical or functional characteristic than its opposite, and preferably, approaching or approximating such a physical or functional characteristic. In the following description, reference is made to the accompanying drawing, and which is shown by way of illustration to specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. The following illustrated embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes based on presently known structural and/or functional equivalents may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Given the following detailed description, it should become apparent to the person having ordinary skill in the art that the invention herein provides a novel pressurized grout and delivery system for tiled flooring permitting exploitation of significantly augmented efficiencies while mitigating problems of the prior art. IV. Brief Description of the Drawings Drawings Figure 1 is a front view of a pressurized grout delivery canister according to an embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 is a side view of a nozzle for a pressurized grout delivery canister according to another aspect of this invention Figure 3 is an upper perspective view of the nozzle of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a bottom perspective view of the nozzle of Figure 2. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the grout gate of the nozzle of Figure 2.

V. Detailed Description of Illustrated Embodiment The invention described herein is for pressurized grout and an associated grout dispenser/delivery system for use with flooring and particularly for use with engineered, veneer, hard surface tile panels for use in flooring applications. Non porous, flexible, acrylic, latex grout according to the invention exhibits adhesion and interlocking properties satisfying the requirements for floating veneer/tile systems. The acrylic grout also incorporates particles ranging in size from 45-200 microns of a solid aggregate to provide texture as well as to control shrinkage and may include color fast pigments that resist fading and maintain color stability during curing. Such pigments, while lighter in color upon initial application, quickly stabilize to a permanent, somewhat darker, hue as the grout matrix sets/coalesces/cross-links. The uncured grout composition must be fluid to permit dispensing under pressure and preferably possesses a viscosity appropriate for such delivery, e.g., in the range of 320,000 ± 30,000 cps. After curing, such a grout composition provides an applied product possessing adequate hardness, elasticity, adhesion, and an aesthetic roughened surface appearance. As noted, in the context of it use with the above-described engineered EDGE Flooring, the grout composition preferably contains a particulated component such as stable carbonates in an acrylic polymeric base to provide a sand/matte surface finish corresponding to that of traditional tile grout. One exemplary grout composition comprises calcium carbonate (40-60%), acrylic copolymer (20-40%), titanium dioxide (<5%), propylene glycol (<5%), pigment dispersion (<1 %), mineral spirits (<1 %), and ammonia (<5%). Such a composition is available from Color Caulk, Inc. of Aurora, Illinois. In application, the acrylic latex textured grout of this invention should not set in less than five minutes to allow for cleanup with water around the grout joint. Therefore, after application, the grout provides 5 - 15 minutes of "open time" and does not set-up/cure to the point of causing difficulty in cleanup during this time frame. Once applied to the grout joint and following sufficient curing/setting time (preferably about one hour), an installer can walk on the floor after the grout is applied. In other words, even prior to complete curing, when exposed to normal forces associated with walking, the grout will not crack, degrade, or separate from the abutting tile or veneer. After fully curing, the cured grout should exhibit characteristics generally corresponding to the following. The grout possesses a hardness of at least 60 Shore A Scale by ASTM C661-98 (96 hour cure) and a maximum tack free time of 30-40 minutes under ASTM D2377. Volume shrinkage must be less than 30% (ASTM C1241 ) and adhesion loss of less than 5 Ibf./linear inch (ASTM C794 modified). When tested according to ASTM C719 (modified) the elasticity is maintained with no bond loss or cracking with a bond movement of +/- 50%. The grout should not stain, e.g, have a stain index under ASTM D2203 1 where 1 equals no stain. In tests for artificial weathering under ASTM C732, the grout should exhibit a rating of no washout, no cracking, no slump, and no discoloration following application. Finally, under freeze thaw testing, the grout should exhibit no adverse effect and pass multiple cycles of Freeze-thaw RTM 2243-04 testing. An additional practical requirement for the grout, particularly when used on flooring, is that it must resist reaction with or adverse affects from conventional/commercially available, non-corrosive, household cleaners. Turing now to the delivery aspect of the invention, the preferred delivery vehicle of the grout is illustrated in Figure 1 as a pressurized aluminum canister 10. The canister 10 includes a cover cap 12 and houses an internal plunger/piston (not illustrated) of conventional construction to push the contained grout through a dispensing port at the top of the canister. The top of the canister includes a guide nozzle in fluid communication with the canister dispensing port which together discharge precise amounts of grout to the directional gate at 110 psi, with a unique nozzle that evenly and directionally dispenses the grout composition, without burping and with minimal waste. The canister 10 has an initial pressure from 125 psig (min) and 135 psig (max) and an application pressure of about 110 psig. Preferably, for ease of use and delivery by the user, the each pressurized canister 10 is capable of coverage of approximately 50-60 linear feet or 25-30 square feet of EDGE type veneered tile flooring panels. To facilitate precise grout delivery with maximum ease and requiring a minimum of skill, the grout canister is topped with a grout nozzle 12 of the type illustrated in Figures 2-4. The grout nozzle 12 provides for precision directional flow at a relatively constant rate of a substantially uniform volume of the grout to accurately fill a grout gap/groove/cavity i.e. a grout joint from the bottom to the top with minimum overflow and waste. In applicator guide/nozzle element with an axial bore for communicating grout from the canister reservoir (e.g., a pressurized supply canister) to a forwardly disposed aperture/gate 14. The gate is positioned at the distal tip of the nozzle and proximal to a distally projecting guide lug 16 to recess in a grout gap between adjacent surfaces, e.g. two tiles. In the case of engineered tiling, it is preferred that the width of the guide lug 16 corresponded to the width of the grout gap to facilitate precise dispensing of the grout into the grout gap during application. Disposed above the gate and on the affixed along the upper surface of the nozzle is a grout shroud 18. The grout shroud 18 is formed by two oppositely projecting, flaring, angled wing sections 20 that function to constrain lateral grout displacement from the grout gap. In other words, the shroud is analogous to a doctor blade or hooded mantle which overlies the sealant/grout gateway 14 and directs the still fluid, thixotropic grout into the gap. To facilitate manipulability, the nozzle 12 features a finger cradle 22 that aligns the user's finger over the dispensing gate 14 and permits controlled depression of the nozzle to dispense the pressurized grout through the gate 14 as the user draws the canister rearwardly. In use, the nozzle guide 16 is inserted into an underlying grout joint/gap aligning the gate 14 immediately above the gap. The user then presses on the nozzle 12 using the finger on the cradle 22 to start the grout flow through the gate 14 and simultaneously translates the canister 10 rearwardly at a speed proper to release grout into and filling the grout joint/gap completely. The guide lug 16 and grout shroud 18 cooperate in directionally guiding the extruded grout into the gap. The invention herein is now described in connection with its use in installation of the above-referenced EDGE flooring. Following lay-down of the flooring, the surface should be checked to insure that it is dry, free of dirt, and free of any debris. If not already secured, the nozzle is placed on the canister to establish the applicator guide. The grout should be applied, preferably, at a temperature of 60°-90°F during installation. The tip of the applicator guide is inserted into the grout joint between the tiles. The pressurized grout is released by applying pressure to the finger cradle 22 that causes the nozzle 12 to angulate and releases the pressurized grout from the canister reservoir to the dispensing gate 14. Once flowing, the applicator guide 16 is translated along the grout joint in manner to allow the pressurized grout to fill, but not overflow, the grout gap. As a practical matter, it is preferable to apply the grout in sections, as for example, approximately 9 square feet of the tile at a time. After completing each section, the user immediately removes any excess/overflow grout with a damp sponge. While the floor can accommodate light traffic within an hour of grout application, it is preferable to permit the grout to cure for a full 24 hours before exposing the floor to ordinary traffic. Color matching is complete when grout is fully cured but when still wet/uncured, the grout will appear lighter in color. Some colorant migration from the grout into an adjoining porous surface (carpet, wallpaper, drywall) is possible is some care should be exercised during application to prevent direct contact, e.g. masking the abutting surface, if necessary. The grout/sealant of this invention is also adapted for use with the invention disclosed in commonly-owned, co-pending application SN entitled

Transitions for Tiled Surfaces and Methods, filed on an even date of the filing date of this application, namely, January 18, 2005, the subject matter of which is incorporated by reference herein. From the foregoing, it should be readily appreciated that the inventive grout and grout delivery system provide for much easier application and produce a more aesthetic grout sealant appearance than conventional tube and gun applications. It is therefore understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, and that many modifications and other embodiments of the invention are intended to be included within the scope of the invention. Moreover, although specific terms are employed herein, they are used only in generic and descriptive sense, and not for the purposes of limiting the description invention.

Claims

We Claim:

1. A grout dispenser for dispensing grout in gaps between tiles, comprising: a pressurized canister; a grout reservoir containing fluid grout contained^'within the canister; a dispensing gate for dispensing grout from the grout reservoir; ' a directional nozzle associated with the dispensing gate, said nozzle including a depending guide lug for insertion into and translation along the gaps, and a grout shroud disposed over the dispensing gate and said guide lug to prevent lateral dispersion of the grout during application.

2. The grout dispenser of claim 1 further comprising a finger cradle for maintaining the position of a finger on the nozzle.

3. The grout dispenser of claim 2 further where pressing on the finger cradle dispenses the fluid grout.

4. The grout dispenser of claim 3 further where the grout shroud includes a pair of angled wings that urge grout into the gap during dispensing.

5. The grout dispenser of claim 1 where said depending guide lug being disposed forwardly in the direction of translation relative to the dispensing gate.

6. A sealant dispenser cap with a sealant gateway an aperture guide and alignment element disposed on the cap and near the gateway, and a gateway mantle directing sealant from the gateway to the sealant target.

7. The cap of claim 6 where the sealant is grout, the target is a gap formed between tiles and the mantle comprises flared triangular wings.

8. The cap of claim 7 where the grout is pressurized and applied in a predefined gap formed between engineered, veneer, hard surface tile panels.

9. A grout application method for tiles having a gap therebetween including the providing grout under pressure through a nozzle having a dispensing end corresponding to the gap between the tiles and a guide element for translating through that gap, said method comprising the steps of inserting the guide into the gap and dispensing grout therein.

10. The grout application method of claim 9 where the nozzle includes an angled, overlying shroud element, the method further comprising the step of urging grout into the gap with the overlying shroud element.

11. A curable fluid grout for pressurized delivery, comprising: acrylic polymer, dimensionally stable particulated material suited for use in flooring applications and a curable acrylic polymer.

12. The curable fluid grout of claim 11 further comprising titanium dioxide and propylene glycol.

13. The curable fluid grout of claim 11 where the particulated material is calcium carbonate.

14. The curable fluid grout of claim 13 where the acrylic grout is a co- polymer and the ratio of calcium carbonate and acrylic co-polymer is about 1 :1.

15. The method of using the grout formulation of claim 11 including the step of dispensing the grout under pressure in a canister through a nozzle having a dispensing end corresponding to a gap between tiles and a guide element for translating through that gap.