Tile niche holder tool, method, and system
OwnerIoan Gusetinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A support tool for installing tiles onto a wall above a niche in the wall provides support for tiles being mounted above the niche. The tool includes a support plate configured to be secured to or braced against an upper surface of the niche. A tile support bar supporting lower edges of the tiles may be adjusted and held in a selected vertical position relative to the plate, so that lower edges of tiles may be placed in a desired vertical position relative to the upper surface of the niche. The tile support bar may be slidably supported on a support rod in a selected position by a nut threaded onto the support rod. The tool may be secured in position by screwing the support plate onto the upper surface of the niche, or by bracing the tool in place using a length-adjustable extender assembly.
Claims13
A tile installation tool comprising:
- a support plate configured to be affixed to an upper surface of a niche of a wall,
- an adjustable tile support bar,
- a support rod connected to the support plate, and
- a securing nut, wherein
- the tile support bar is slidably engaged on the support rod,
- the support rod has exterior threads,
- the securing nut has interior threads that engage with the exterior threads of the support rod to move the securing nut along an axial direction of the support rod, and
- the securing nut secures the tile support bar in a selected position relative to a position of the support plate to provide support to a lower edge of at least one tile.
A tile installation tool comprising:
- a support plate configured to be affixed to an upper surface of a niche of a wall,
- an adjustable tile support bar engaged with the support plate, wherein the tile support bar is held in a selected position relative to a position of the support plate,
- a support rod connected to the support plate, wherein the tile support bar is slidably engaged with the support rod and the support rod supports the tile support bar in the selected position relative to the position of the support plate,
- a securing nut, and
- an extender assembly configured to be removably mounted to the tool, wherein
- the securing nut is configured to secure the tile support bar in the selected position to provide support to a lower edge of at least one tile,
- the securing nut engages with exterior threads formed on the support rod to secure the tile support bar in the selected position,
- the support plate has a wall-side surface configured to be positioned to be flush with a surface of the wall, and the support plate comprises side wings that extend in a direction opposite to that of a horizontal upper surface of the support plate such that wall-side surfaces of the wings are flush with the surface of the wall,
- the extender assembly comprises a tube comprising a hole formed in an upper end of the tube, and
- interior threads formed in a side wall of the hole engage with exterior threads formed on the support rod to removably mount the extender assembly to the tool.
A system for installing tiles comprising:
- a support plate configured to be affixed to an upper surface of a niche of a wall,
- an adjustable tile support bar,
- a support rod connected to the support plate,
- a securing nut, and
- means for securing the tool in the niche of the wall,
- wherein
- the tile support bar is slidably engaged on the support rod,
- the support rod has exterior threads,
- the securing nut has interior threads that engage with the exterior threads of the support rod to move the securing nut along an axial direction of the support rod, and
- the securing nut secures the tile support bar in a selected position relative to a position of the support plate to provide support to a lower edge of at least one tile.
A method for installing tiles above a niche formed in a wall, comprising:
- providing a tile installation tool comprising a support plate, a tile support bar, a support rod connected to the support plate that supports the tile support bar in a selected position relative to a position of the support plate, and a securing nut, wherein the securing nut is configured to secure the tile support bar in the selected position to provide support to a lower edge of at least one tile, and screws;
- inserting the screws through apertures formed in the support plate;
- screwing the screws into an upper surface of the niche above the support plate to secure the tool to the surface;
- adjusting the position of the tile support bar to the selected position by turning the securing nut;
- and
- positioning the at least one tile so that the lower edge of the at least one tile abuts the tile support bar.
A method for installing tiles above a niche formed in a wall, comprising:
- providing a tile installation tool comprising a support plate, a tile support bar, a support rod connected to the support plate that supports the tile support bar in a selected position relative to a position of the support plate, and a securing nut, wherein the securing nut is configured to secure the tile support bar in the selected position to provide support to a lower edge of at least one tile, and an extender assembly configured to be removably mounted to the tool;
- adjusting a length of the extender assembly to hold the tool in the niche by compression force;
- adjusting the position of the tile support bar to the selected position by turning the securing nut;
- and
- positioning the at least one tile to be held by the tile support bar.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.