Support plate made of a foil-like plastic material for a plate-lined floor structure or wall

[0002] The invention relates to a support plate which includes a foil made of a synthetic material and having inner and outer sides and a webbing attached to the inner side of the foil such that the support plate is adapted by the webbing for adhesive attachment to a base of a floor, ceiling or wall structure and the foil provides decoupling of the base and a surface facing applied onto the foil at the outer side of the support plate and wherein on one plate side a net-like textile or a webbing is provided.

[0003] The application of facings, in particular ceramic plates, on the interior or the exterior of buildings is frequently problematic. Due to the differing thermal expansions and the stresses entailed therein, cracks can develop in the facing. The detachment of facing plates, due to such states of stress, has been observed.

[0004] In particular ceramic plate surfacings are frequently laid applying the so-called thin-bed process, in which a suitable contact adhesive agent is used. Therein difficulties are encountered due to the differing adhesion conditions on the underside of such a plate or on the base. In addition, such problematics is further affected by requirements made of the impermeability of the installation or the provision of drainage capability.

[0005] In order to decrement stress differences occurring in such cases of application or in order to decouple the installation, with respect to the occurring stress, from the base, support plates of a foil-like synthetic material have already been proposed. A corresponding plate is known from DE 37 04 414 A1. Through swallowtail-form grooves, open alternatingly to both plate sides, a support plate has therein been proposed which, under pressure and tensile load, can be moved transversely to the extent of these grooves. In order to fasten these plates on the base, a water permeable webbing or a net-like textile is provided on at least one plate side. If such a support plate is fastened on the base and thereon a facing with corresponding contact means is applied, it is subsequently possible to bring about a stress equalization in said direction if it is ensured that the formed grooves do not become completely filled with the contact means, for example an adhesive agent. In order to prevent this filling-in, it has already been proposed to provide such plates on one or on both sides with net-like textiles or webbing, whereby an increased contact capability is also promoted. But such support plates can only be extended or compressed in one preferred direction. Therefore, with such plates the necessary stress decrement is frequently not possible.

[0006] The task of the invention comprises proposing a support plate of a foil-like synthetic material for the platefaced floor/ceiling installation or that of a corresponding wall, with which, in an optimizing manner, differing stresses between base and facing, occurring during their corresponding use, are decremented or decoupled.

[0007] This task of the invention is solved with a support plate with the characteristics of claim 1. Such a plate according to the invention of a foil-like synthetic material has an intersecting structuring in which on one plate side intersecting protuberances are formed, which, in each instance, form peripherally closed chambers. These protuberances are formed on the other side in the manner of grooves, such that the other plate side is determined by intersecting groove patterns. As a rule, the plate with the protuberances and the chambers formed therewith will take up the adhesive means or mortar, whereby an intimate bond with the adhesive or mortar layer is generated. In the event of existing stress, in this layer, in turn, at the numerous edges and corners of the protuberances, multitudes of parting gaps can develop serving for the purpose of decrementing stress. Due to the proposed structuring and its material, the foil-like plate itself can be extended or compressed, at least to a satisfactory degree, in both directions of its plane of extension, such that stress differences between the base and the facing can be absorbed.

[0008] In the case of the plate of a synthetic foil, structured according to the invention, it is preferably proposed to form the protuberances open to one side with grooves with a substantially rectangular cross section, such that intersecting groove patterns are present. It is therein useful to form these groove patterns in uniform surface distribution disposed perpendicularly to one another.

[0009] The protuberances extending at least in two different directions of intersection in each instance form chambers for receiving mortar or adhesive means for fastening the facing placement. Instead of protuberances extending in two different directions, it is also possible to provide three or more. By forming protuberances which are disposed such that they extend in at least two different directions, shearing stress occurring can be taken up according to the protuberances developed in different directions such that the surface facing is effectively decoupled from the base. Due to the intersecting development of the protuberances, in contrast to prior art, the chambers provided for receiving mortar or adhesive means are limited in all circumferential directions and, in each instance, border a protuberance absorbing shearing stress. As a function of the direction in which the shearing stress is occurring, it is absorbed by the protuberances in different proportions as a function of the particular orientation.

[0010] The inner width of the discrete grooves of the groove pattern is usefully formed according to that of the other groove pattern such that the compensation capability made possible through the grooves is identical in both directions in view of the shearing forces occurring. For the formation of an undercut projecting into a chamber to bring about a form-fit interlocking of mortar or adhesive means introduced into such a chamber, it can be provided that this undercut is a portion of a protuberance.

[0011] Such a protuberance can be formed, for example, by vacuum forming of a synthetic foil. It can therein be provided that the undercut is disposed along the entire periphery along the protuberances delimiting a chamber. It can also be provided that only sections of the bordering protuberances have one undercut each, such as can be realized, for example, in the case of intersecting groove patterns by a protuberance forming in each instance specific sections of an edge of such a chamber. For the development of such an undercut, it is also possible to provide the points of intersection of the intersecting protuberances, for example of the grooves intersecting with one another, wherein such an undercut can be associated partially with the one groove pattern and partially with the other groove pattern.

[0012] In the following the invention will be explained in further detail in conjunction with depicted embodiment examples. Therein show:

[0013] FIG. 1aa schematic top view onto a section of a structured synthetic foil as support plate for a building surface facing to obtain stress decoupling,

[0014] FIG. 1bthree-dimensional sectional representation through the support plate of FIG. 1aalong section line A-B,

[0015] FIG. 2ain schematic top view a further structured synthetic foil in section as support plate for a building surface facing to attain stress decoupling,

[0016] FIG. 2ba three-dimensional sectional representation through the synthetic foil of FIG. 2aalong line C-D,

[0017] FIG. 3aas a section a further support plate for a building surface facing to attain stress decoupling in schematic top view,

[0018] FIG. 3bthree-dimensional sectional representation through the plate of FIG. 3aalong line E-F,

[0019] FIG. 4 plate of FIG. 1aafter installation,

[0020] A vacuum-formed support plate 1 of a synthetic foil is structured through two groove patterns extending at right angles with respect to one another, with downwardly open grooves N₁, N₂. Grooves N₁, N₂are open toward an inner side of plate 1, such that the grooves are manifest in the top view in FIG. 1aas raised web regions S₁or S₂, respectively, which are disposed at an outer side of plate 1 such that the grooves are located behind the raised web regions. The raised web regions S₁extend in the longitudinal direction of the plate 1; the raised web regions S₂extend in the transverse direction; and the raised web regions S₁, S₂intersect with one another. Between the grooves and between and offset from the raised web regions, the foil of plate 1 has base web regions B₁which are substantially square in shape, identical in size, larger in size than the raised web regions, and disposed at the inner side of plate 1, and connection web regions C₁-C₄which extend at substantially right angles between and interconnect the raised web regions with the base web regions. The base web regions B₁and the connection web regions C₁-C₄which surround them form outwardly open mortar chambers M₁which are spaced from one another and located in front of the base web regions of the film. The grooves N₁and N₂intersect at right angles wherein it is provided that the groove pattern-forming grooves N₁and the groove pattern-forming grooves N₂are each spaced apart at an identical spacing from one another such that the raised web sections S₁, S₂are substantially rectangular in shape and identical in size with one another. The raised web regions S₁, S₂encompass the upwardly open mortar chambers M₁into which mortar 7 is introduced for applying a surface facing 8, for example a tile surfacing. The mortar chambers M₁comprise an undercut H₁disposed completely peripherally about and defined by edge portions of the raised web regions which overhang the mortar chambers, such that portions of mortar 7, comprised by portions of an adhesive cover layer overlying the outer side of the film as seen in FIG. 4, which are introduced into the mortar chambers M₁, are retained form-fittingly in them after the mortar 7 has cured and thus is connected with the foil of plate 1. The representation of the undercut H₁of a mortar chamber M₁is also evident in the sectional representation of FIG. 1b.The plate 1 further comprises on the inner side thereof a webbing 2, which serves for interlocking the foil of plate 1 in a contact layer applied on a base of either a floor, ceiling or wall structure. The webbing 2 such as a fine-mesh screen fabric serves further to prevent the filling-out of grooves N₁and N₂of the groove patterns which are open toward the inner side of the foil of plate 1. The webbing 2 can therein be fastened through an adhesive connection on the inner side of the plate 1 or it can be pressed into the inner side of the plate 1 when it is still malleable.

[0021] The undercut H₁of the plate is formed thereby that the grooves N₁, N₂comprise a T-form widening at the top. Such an undercut formation can be accomplished for example through a vacuum forming process. Instead of the formation of the undercut H₁shown in FIGS. 1aand 1b,it can also be formed approximately in the form of a swallowtail.

[0022] A further support plate 3 of the same type is depicted in FIGS. 2aand 2b.This plate 3 is structured corresponding to plate 1, however, in contrast to the synthetic foil 1, it comprises mortar chambers M₂which are only undercut in certain regions. The undercuts H₂of this plate 3 are each associated with a groove N₃, N₄or a section of web S₃or S₄. The undercut regions of webs S₃or S₄are formed by overhangs directed toward the mortar chamber M₂, such as illustrated in FIG. 2b.

[0023] Yet a further support plate 4 is shown in FIGS. 3aand 3b,which is also built like the support according to FIGS. 1aand 1bwith the difference that webs S₅, S₆formed by grooves N₅, N₆define undercuts H₃projecting into the mortar chambers M₃, which are located in the region of the points of intersection of grooves N₅, N₆or of webs S₅, S₆. The formation of the undercut H₃is evident in particular in FIG. 3b.

[0024] FIG. 4 shows the plate 1 after it has been installed, such that the plate 1 is fastened on a base 6 by means of an adhesive means or mortar 5. The adhesive means or mortar 5 penetrating into the webbing 2 are sufficiently interlocked in the webbing 2 to anchor the plate 1 on the base 6. After fastening the plate 1 on the base 6, the plate 1 is covered with an adhesive means 7 or mortar, which penetrates into the mortar chamber M and is also introduced behind the undercuts H₁. Onto the adhesive means are subsequently placed tiles 8. It is therein provided that the top sides of the web regions S₁, S₂are only covered with adhesive means 7 with a low thickness of the layer. When using the tile surfacing as a floor/ceiling, the tiles 8 are braced stilt-like on the side of the base via the adhesive means 7 cured in the mortar chambers M. These mortar stilts are separated by grooves N₁, N₂. Shearing forces occurring between the base and the surfacing 8 can now be compensated effectively by the synthetic foil 1 due to the disposition of the grooves N₁, N₂, such that extensive crack formation is avoided.

[0025] As was the case in the previously described embodiment examples, the side walls of the grooves can be provided with openings. The groove channels in this case serve also as water removal channels, such that in such a case the support plate used serves not only for the purpose of stress decoupling, but rather also as a drainage plate.

[0026] The same-level upper web sides of the web patterns offer the capability of sealed impact connections in different directions of the plane, determined by the upper web side, by means of adhered sealing tapes of corresponding width such that a surface can be sealed contiguously.

[0027] If the plate is laid with the webbing 2 facing upwardly, adhesive means or mortar can be applied on the webbing for fastening a surface facing, such as tiles. In this case the groove channels serve also as dewatering channels.