Tiling Apparatus

Abstract

A tile having a front face for displaying and an underside for securing to a tile support surface, the underside having a closed path seal wall extending backwards. The seal wall is configured to provide a seal between the tile and a tile support surface to prevent substance ingress interior of the closed path of the seal wall. A tile having a seal wall also configured to provide a seal between the tile and a second like tile. A tile having an underside that presents a tile coupling configured to communicate with a tile support coupling to provide a first releasable coupling arrangement. A tile support board having a rear face for securing to a support surface and a front face providing a tile support surface and presenting a tile support coupling, such that the tile may be releasably coupled to the tile support board.

1 . Tiling apparatus comprising:
 a tile support board having a rear face for securing to a support surface and a front face providing a tile support surface, and   a tile having a front face for displaying and an underside for securing to a tile support surface,   the underside of said tile having a closed path seal wall extending backwards and configured to prevent substance ingress interior of the closed path of the seal wall; wherein:   the underside of said tile has a peripheral groove having opposing inside walls and a base wall and said seal wall has a first profile along an inside wall of said peripheral groove;   the front face of said tile support board has a plurality of projections having an outer surface having a second profile, and   said first profile and said second profile are arranged to releasably couple with a positive mechanical fit.   
   
   
       2 . Tiling apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the seal wall is configured to provide a seal between the tile and a second like tile. 
   
   
       3 . Tiling apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the tile has:
 a rectangular shape with four edges only, and a thickness provided by a perimeter side wall extending backwards from the front face;   the seal wall extends along the underside of the tile interior of the perimeter side wall from a first edge of the tile around a first corner to a second different edge of the tile, adjacent the first edge, to provide a first pair of adjacent edges of the tile with a seal underhang providing a tile overhang, and   the seal wall widens from the underside of the tile to the exterior of the perimeter side wall and extends from a third different edge of the tile, adjacent the second edge, around a second corner to a fourth different edge of the tile, adjacent the first edge, to provide a second different pair of adjacent edges of the tile with a seal overhang, whereby   one corner of the tile has a full seal underhang and the diagonally opposite corner of the tile has a full seal overhang.   
   
   
       4 . Tiling apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the seal overhang of the second pair of adjacent edges extends upwards along the exterior of the perimeter side wall to a depth that is greater than the mathematical result of subtracting the depth of the tile overhang along the first pair of adjacent edges from the overall depth of the tile, and the seal overhang is compressible. 
   
   
       5 . Tiling apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the seal wall is fabricated from a first material,
 the projections of the tile support board are fabricated from a second material, and   one of the first material and second material is more flexible than the other of the first material and second material.   
   
   
       6 . Tiling apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the front face of the tile support board has a cell wall extending forwards and interior of which is a recessed cell, and
 the tile is arranged to be coupled to the tile support board such that the seal wall of the tile encircles the cell wall of the tile support board.   
   
   
       7 . Tiling apparatus as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the front face of the tile support board has a plurality of cell walls extending forwards and interior of which is a recessed cell, such that the tile support board has a plurality of cells, and
 the tile has a recessed tile sector interior of the peripheral groove, defining an inner peripheral groove wall that has discontinuities located to accommodate pairs of opposed corners of cell walls such that the tile is arranged to be coupled to the tile support board such that the seal wall of the tile encircles a plurality of cells of the tile support board.   
   
   
       8 . Tiling apparatus as claimed in  claim 6  wherein a projection of the tile support board forms part of a cell wall. 
   
   
       9 . Tiling apparatus as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the cell is configured to receive an insert component. 
   
   
       10 . Tiling apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the tile has a recessed tile sector interior of the seal wall. 
   
   
       11 . Tiling apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the seal wall is fabricated from a first plastic material, the rest of the tile is fabricated from a second plastic material, and the first plastic material is more compliant than the second plastic material. 
   
   
       12 . Tiling apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein both the first material and the second material is a fire-resistant plastic. 
   
   
       13 . Tiling apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein both the first material and the second material is a waterproof material. 
   
   
       14 . Tiling apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the rear face of the tile support board has a matrix of connection channels that extend between the edges of the tile support board. 
   
   
       15 . Tiling apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the tile support board has connection lugs that extend from an edge thereof and that are dimensioned to connect into the connection channels. 
   
   
       16 . Tiling apparatus as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the connection lugs are configured to be manually removed from the tile support board. 
   
   
       17 . Tiling apparatus as claimed in  claim 15 , further comprising an edging strip having connection lugs that are dimensioned to connect into the connection channels of the tile support board. 
   
   
       18 . Tiling apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the tile is provided with an attachment member, by means of which an accessory may be connected to the tile. 
   
   
       19 . Tiling apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the tile is manufactured by a two stage moulding process. 
   
   
       20 . Tiling apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the rear face of the tile support board is continuous.