Finishing for floor covering

Abstract

The invention provides a finishing unit ( 11 ) for floor covering has a lower section ( 12 b ) adapted to engage a floor and an upper section ( 12 a ) adapted to engage an adjacent wall, with the area of the lower section ( 12 b ) adjacent the upper section ( 12 a ) being adapted so that floor covering laid over said area forms a curved surface and wherein the finishing unit is provided with attaching means ( 14 ) suitable for attaching the finishing unit to the floor or wall where it is to be used and/or suitable for attaching the finishing unit to the floor covering, a method for using the finishing unit in laying a floor covering and a sealant kit comprising the finishing unit and a front member for sealing a join between edges of floor covering at a corner of an area in which the floor covering is to be laid.

1 . A finishing unit for floor covering has a lower section adapted to engage a floor and an upper section adapted to engage an adjacent wall, with the area of the lower section adjacent the upper section being adapted so that floor covering laid over said area forms a curved surface and wherein the finishing unit has a wall or floor facing backing part and a floor covering facing front part wherein the backing part and/or front part are provided with attaching means suitable for attaching the finishing unit to the floor or wall where it is to be used and/or suitable for attaching the finishing unit to the floor covering.  
   
   
       2 . A finishing unit as defined in  claim 1  wherein the upper section and lower section are substantially rigid.  
   
   
       3 . A finishing unit for floor covering has a lower section adapted to engage a floor and an upper section adapted to engage an adjacent wall, with the area of the lower section adjacent the upper section being adapted so that floor covering laid over said area forms a curved surface wherein the lower section and the upper section of the finishing unit are substantially rigid and wherein the finishing unit has a wall or floor facing backing part and a floor covering facing front part.  
   
   
       4 . A finishing unit as defined in  claim 3  wherein the backing part and/or front part are provided with attaching means suitable for attaching the finishing unit to the floor or wall where it is to be used and/or suitable for attaching the finishing unit to the floor covering.  
   
   
       5 . A finishing unit as defined in  claim 1  wherein the attaching means is cured or substantially cured adhesive, preferably covered with a removable protective liner, which when removed exposes the cured or substantially cured adhesive so that it may be used to attach the unit to a surface.  
   
   
       6 . A finishing unit as defined in  claim 5  wherein the cured or substantially cured adhesive is provided indirectly on the unit with a piece of foam material between the adhesive and the unit.  
   
   
       7 . A finishing unit as defined in  claim 1  wherein the unit has a wall-facing backing part and a floor covering-facing front part wherein some or all of the backing part is ridged, preferably, the backing part is formed from ridged material.  
   
   
       8 . A finishing unit as defined in  claim 1  wherein the finishing unit is adapted so as to provide one or more holes suitable for use in attaching the unit to a surface.  
   
   
       9 . A finishing unit as defined in  claim 1  wherein the upper section of the finishing unit is adapted to provide a downwardly directed channel for receiving an edge of the floor covering.  
   
   
       10 . A finishing unit as defined in  claim 9  wherein the finishing unit includes a capping part wherein the capping part together with the front face of the upper section of the backing part form a channel having an entrance facing substantially towards the lower section of the backing part.  
   
   
       11 . A finishing unit as defined in  claim 10  wherein the capping part is attached to the finishing unit, preferably to the upper section of the finishing unit.  
   
   
       12 . A finishing unit as defined in  claim 10  wherein the capping part is flexible.  
   
   
       13 . A finishing unit as defined in  claim 10  wherein the capping part comprises an upstanding section, which is dimensionally adapted so that in use it will fit against the wall to which the unit is attached.  
   
   
       14 . A finishing unit as defined in  claim 10  wherein the capping unit has a back section adapted to engage a wall and a front section, with the back section and front section together forming a downwardly directed channel, wherein some or all of the surface of the back section of the capping unit is provided with cured or substantially cured adhesive, preferably the cured or substantially cured adhesive is provided with a removable protective liner.  
   
   
       15 . A finishing unit as defined in any one of  claim 9  wherein the channel is narrower at its entrance than at its closed end.  
   
   
       16 . A finishing unit as defined in  claim 1  wherein the upper section is tapered towards its top, such that the uppermost edge of the upper section has a thickness less than that of the part of the upper section adjacent the lower section.  
   
   
       17 . A coving kit which comprises a finishing unit as defined in  claim 1  and an adhesive system, wherein the adhesive system comprises a substrate such as foam or paper provided on both sides with cured or substantially cured adhesive covered with a removable protective layer.  
   
   
       18 . A method of finishing an edge of a piece of floor covering which comprises attaching a length of a finishing unit as defined in  claim 9  to a section of wall and adjacent floor, attaching the edge area of the floor covering to the front part of the finishing unit and cutting the floor covering to a size such that the edge of the floor covering can be secured in the downwardly directed channel of the unit.  
   
   
       19 . A sealant kit for sealing a join between edges of a self-coving floor covering laid on a floor and a wall, which kit includes at least one backing member in the form of a finishing unit as defined in  claim 1  and at least one front member, the backing member being shaped to have a wall engaging portion, a floor engaging portion and a portion to connect the wall engaging portion to the floor engaging portion and the front member being shaped correspondingly.  
   
   
       20 . A sealant kit as defined in  claim 19  wherein the front member has at least one connecting formation which allows the front member to be connected to the backing member.  
   
   
       21 . A sealant kit as defined in  claim 20  wherein the formation on the front member is a projecting formation, preferably a spike which is more preferably barbed such that once it is inserted into a corresponding formation on the backing member, it is difficult to withdraw.  
   
   
       22 . A sealant kit as defined in  claim 20  wherein the backing member has at least one corresponding formation to enable the connection to be made.  
   
   
       23 . A sealant kit as defined in  claim 22  wherein the corresponding formation on the backing member is a receiving formation; preferably the backing member forms at least one corresponding hole suitable to receive a projecting formation from a front member.  
   
   
       24 . A sealant kit as defined in  claim 19  wherein the front member is formed from a flexible plastics material, preferably the front member is formed from a plastics material which has been coloured to match the colour of the floor covering.