Artificial flagstone for providing a surface with a natural random look

#The present invention relates generally to the field of artificial stones or flagstones for laying out pavements or for covering a wall surface, and is more particularly directed to such stones giving the resulting pavement or wall surface a natural-looking appearance.

#It is worth mentioning that the expressions “stone” and “flagstone” are used throughout the present description without distinction to define a flat slab of stone used as a paving or building material. Artificial stones often made of concrete are well-known to lay out pavements or covering wall surfaces on residential or commercial properties, for example defining the surface of walkways or patios. Such stones are advantageously relatively inexpensive to make, as opposed to natural carved flagstones, but the resulting pattern is often repetitive or has what is called in this field an unnatural “linear line effect”. Great efforts are therefore being made to design artificial stones which provide a more natural look, creating the effect of old world craftsmanship, while still retaining the ease of their manufacture.

#One example of a prior art artificial flagstone is the flagstone marketed under the trademark Kusel-Form. One drawback however with that prior art flagstone, which is provided with regular segments, is that it still does not provide a satisfactory old natural look. It still looks artificial.

#FIGS. 1A and 1B are respectively schematic top and partial side views of an artificial flagstone according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention.

#FIGS. 2A and 2B schematically illustrates two possible arrangements showing the three possible relative orientations of the flagstone of FIG. 1A when laid out to form a pavement or for covering a wall surface, FIG. 2C is an enlargement of zone 2C of FIG. 2A.

#FIG. 3 schematically shows a section of a pavement made of artificial flagstones as shown in FIG. 1A; FIG. 3A is an enlargement of zone 3A of FIG. 3.

#In the following description, similar features in the drawings have been given similar reference numerals and in order to lighten the figures, some elements are not referred to in some figures if they were already identified in a preceding figure.

#Referring to either one of FIGS. 1A, 7A, 8A and 9A, the outline of an artificial flagstone 10 according to the invention is illustrated. The illustrated flagstone 10 has a generally hexagonal body with six (6) consecutive vertices 1 to 6 and six (6) sides 12a to 12f, defining three pairs 12a-12b, 12c-12d and 12e-12f of mutually engageable surfaces. The first and second sides (12a-12b) extend radially from the first vertex 1 and are rotationally spaced from each other by an angle α of approximately 120°. The third and fourth sides (12c-12d) extend radially from the third vertex 3 and are rotationally spaced from each other by an angle β of approximately 120°. Finally, the fifth and sixth sides (12e-12f) extend from the fifth vertex 5 and are rotationally spaced from each other by an angle ω of approximately 120°. It can also be appreciated that the sides of at least one, preferably each, of the first, second and third pair of sides have at least one split deviation 14b along their length, and are respectively rotationally images of each other, whereby in use in combination with identical flagstones, each one of the sides is matingly engageable with the sides of an equivalent pair of sides of a neighbouring flagstone, as shown for example in FIGS. 4, 7B, 8B and 9B. In each of the preferred embodiments illustrated, each side comprises a split deviation which divides the sides in three segments, 14a, 14b and 14c projecting outwardly and inwardly with respect to the body of the flagstone.

#More particularly, each side has a specific shape along its length which is formed of three end-to-end segments: a first generally straight segment 14a, followed by the split deviation 14b and a second generally straight segment 14c. While conserving this general profile, the sides 12a to 12f are however slightly irregular, to give the flagstone a more natural looking aspect.