JP7731791B2 - Floor tile with drainage guide and installation method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a floor tile with a drainage guide attached to the floor tile, and to an installation method for the same.

Conventionally, large floor tiles have been laid on the rooftop balconies and verandas of relatively large buildings, such as those found in large commercial facilities, to create a flat floor surface.

Floor tiles installed outdoors like this frequently become wet due to rainfall or water sprinkling. For this reason, floor tiles are treated to make their surfaces hydrophilic, making them less slippery even when wet. However, hydrophilic floor tiles are prone to puddling on their surfaces due to the surface tension of water, which can cause pedestrians to get wet when walking on them, or the puddles can freeze and make the surface slippery, causing pedestrians to fall.

To prevent puddles from forming on the surface of floor tiles, for example, the floor tiles disclosed in JP 2016-102033 A (Patent Document 1) have a coating made of a hydrophilic substance formed on the sides, improving the drainage properties of the floor tiles.

JP 2016-102033 A

However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires special processing of the floor tiles themselves, which increases the cost of manufacturing floor tiles. Furthermore, it is not necessarily easy to apply a coating made of a hydrophilic substance to the sides of floor tiles that have already been installed, making this technology difficult to apply to floor tiles that have already been installed.

The present invention was therefore made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to improve the drainage properties of floor tiles with a simple structure.

A floor tile with a drain guide device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a floor tile and a drain guide device. The floor tile is made of an inorganic material and has a hydrophilic top surface. The drain guide device is made of at least one of a metal material and a resin material and is attached to the floor tile. The drain guide device has a plate-shaped base that contacts and covers a portion of the side surface of the floor tile. The base reaches the edge of the side surface of the floor tile that is closest to the top surface of the floor tile.

In the floor tile with drain guide device based on the first aspect of the present invention, the drain guide device may further have a plate-shaped top surface protrusion that protrudes from the end of the base that faces the top surface of the floor tile toward the floor tile, and in this case, the top surface protrusion may contact and cover a portion of the top surface of the floor tile.

In the floor tile with drain guide device according to the first aspect of the present invention, the base may reach the edge of the side surface of the floor tile on the bottom side of the floor tile. In this case, the drain guide device may further have a plate-shaped bottom protrusion that protrudes from the end of the base on the bottom side of the floor tile toward the floor tile, and in this case, the bottom protrusion may contact and cover a portion of the bottom surface of the floor tile. Furthermore, in this case, the floor tile may be sandwiched between the top protrusion and the bottom protrusion, thereby engaging the drain guide device with the floor tile.

A floor tile with a drain guide device according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises a first floor tile, a second floor tile, and a drain guide device. The first and second floor tiles are made of an inorganic material, are arranged adjacent to each other, and have hydrophilic top surfaces. The drain guide device is made of at least one of a metal material and a resin material, and is arranged between the first and second floor tiles. The drain guide device has a plate-shaped first base that contacts and covers a portion of the side surface of the first floor tile, and a leaf spring that protrudes from the first base toward the second floor tile. The leaf spring abuts against the side surface of the second floor tile in an elastically deformed state, thereby attaching the drain guide device to the first and second floor tiles. The first base reaches the edge of the side surface of the first floor tile that faces the top surface of the first floor tile.

In the floor tile with drain guide device based on the second aspect of the present invention, the drain guide device may further have a plate-shaped first top surface side protrusion that protrudes from the end of the first base portion on the top surface side of the first floor tile toward the first floor tile, and in that case, the first top surface side protrusion may contact and cover a portion of the top surface of the first floor tile.

In the floor tile with drain guide device based on the second aspect of the present invention, the drain guide device may further have a plate-shaped second base that contacts and covers a portion of the side surface of the second floor tile, and in that case, the leaf spring portion may be connected to the second base at the end of the leaf spring portion opposite the first base portion.

In the floor tile with drain guide device based on the second aspect of the present invention, the drain guide device may further have a plate-shaped second top surface side protrusion that protrudes from the end of the second base portion on the top surface side of the second floor tile toward the second floor tile, and in that case, the second top surface side protrusion may contact and cover a portion of the top surface of the second floor tile.

The method for installing floor tiles with drain guides according to the present invention comprises the following steps.
(a) A step in which a floor tile made of an inorganic material and having a hydrophilic top surface is prepared.
(b) A step of preparing a drain guide device made of at least one of a metal material and a resin material and having a plate-shaped base.
(c) A step in which the drain guide device is attached to the floor tile so that the base contacts and covers a portion of the side surface of the floor tile and the base reaches the edge of the side surface of the floor tile on the top surface side of the floor tile.

This invention makes it possible to improve the drainage properties of floor tiles with a simple configuration.

1 is a plan view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to an embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the floor tile with drain guide shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the floor tile with drain guide shown in FIG. 1. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a method for installing a floor tile with a drain guide according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the floor tile with drain guide shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to a first modified example. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to a second modified example. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to a third modified example. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to a fourth modified example. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to a fourth modified example. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to a fourth modified example. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to a fifth modified example. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to a fifth modified example. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to a fifth modified example. FIG. 13 is a plan view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to a sixth modified example. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to a sixth modified example. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to a sixth modified example. FIG. 13 is a plan view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to a seventh modified example. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to a seventh modified example. FIG. 13 is a plan view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to an eighth modified example. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to an eighth modified example. 1 is a table showing the results of a verification test.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that in the embodiments described below, identical or common parts will be designated by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and their description will not be repeated.

(Embodiment)
Fig. 1 is a plan view of a floor tile with a drain guide device according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the floor tile with a drain guide device shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Fig. 1. First, a floor tile with a drain guide device 1A according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the floor tile with drainage guide device 1A according to this embodiment includes a first floor tile 21, which is one of a plurality of floor tiles 2A laid out in an array on the floor surface of a rooftop balcony or veranda of a relatively large building, such as a large commercial facility, and eight drainage guide devices 3A configured to improve the drainage of the first floor tile 21 when attached to the first floor tile 21. Here, a grid-like joint 40 is formed between the first floor tile 21 and the adjacent floor tiles 2A, and water that falls or is sprinkled on the first floor tile 21 is guided along the joint 40 into a drain.

The floor tile 2A has a plate-like shape that is roughly rectangular when viewed from above, and includes a top surface, a bottom surface, and four side surfaces connecting these. The shape of the floor tile 2A when viewed from above is not limited to a roughly rectangular shape, and may be, for example, a polygonal shape, a roughly circular shape, a roughly elliptical shape, etc. For example, floor tiles 2A measuring 600 mm square and 20 mm thick are used, but the size of the floor tiles 2A is not particularly limited to this and can be changed as appropriate depending on the construction conditions, etc.

The floor tiles 2A are preferably made of an inorganic material, such as a porcelain material or stoneware material. In this embodiment, the floor tiles 2A are made of a porcelain material. Furthermore, the top surfaces of the floor tiles 2A are surface-treated to make them hydrophilic, thereby making the top surfaces of the floor tiles 2A less slippery.

In the floor tile 1A with drain guides, eight drain guides 3A are attached to the first floor tile 21 described above. Specifically, two drain guides 3A are arranged on each of the four sides of the first floor tile 21.

In the following description, of the multiple floor tiles 2A arranged adjacent to the first floor tile 21 as shown in Figure 1, the one located to the right of the first floor tile 21 in a plan view will be referred to as the second floor tile 22. Furthermore, of the four side surfaces of the first floor tile 21, the one facing the second floor tile 22 will be referred to as the first side surface 21b, and of the four side surfaces of the second floor tile 22, the one facing the first floor tile 21 will be referred to as the second side surface 22b.

In addition, the following explanation will focus on the configuration and effects of the drainage guide 31, which is located relatively lower in plan view of the two drainage guides 3A arranged on the first side surface 21b as shown in Figure 1, but the configuration described for this drainage guide 31 also applies to the other drainage guides 3A.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the drain guide device 31 has a plate-shaped first base portion 31a that contacts and covers a portion of the first side surface 21b of the first floor tile 21, and a plate spring portion 31b that protrudes from the first base portion 31a toward the second floor tile 22.

The upper end of the first base 31a reaches the edge of the first side surface 21b on the first top surface 21a side of the first floor tile 21, and the lower end reaches the edge of the first side surface 21b on the first bottom surface 21c side of the first floor tile 21.

The drainage guide 31 further has a plate-shaped first top surface protrusion 31c that protrudes from the end of the first base 31a on the first top surface 21a side toward the first floor tile 21, and the first top surface protrusion 31c comes into contact with and covers a portion of the first top surface 21a.

The drainage guide device 31 is typically 20 mm high, 20 mm wide, and 0.8 mm thick, but the size of the drainage guide device 31 is not limited to this and can be changed as appropriate depending on the size of the floor tile 2A, construction conditions, etc.

The material of the drainage guide 31 is not particularly limited as long as it is made of at least one of a metal material and a resin material, and examples include stainless steel and ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM rubber). This construction makes it less likely for water to pool on the surface of the first floor tile 21, as will be discussed in more detail later.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 1, illustrating the method for installing a floor tile with a drainage guide according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the floor tile before the drainage guide is attached. Next, we will explain the method for installing a floor tile with a drainage guide 1A according to this embodiment of the present invention, with reference to Figure 4.

As shown in Figure 4, before attaching the drainage guide 31 to the first floor tile 21, the first floor tile 21, which is made of an inorganic material and has a hydrophilic top surface, and the adjacent floor tile 2A are laid out in advance. At this time, the above-mentioned joint 40 is formed between the first floor tile 21 and the adjacent floor tile 2A.

In this state, first, a drainage guide device made of at least one of a metal material and a resin material and having a plate-shaped first base portion 31a, a leaf spring portion 31b, and a plate-shaped first top surface protrusion portion 31c is prepared, and the drainage guide device 31 is positioned and placed at a predetermined position above the first floor tile 21. Next, the drainage guide device 31 is moved toward the first floor tile 21 (i.e., in the direction of arrow AR1 in Figure 4) so that the first base portion 31a and leaf spring portion 31b of the drainage guide device 31 are inserted into the joint portion 40 between the first side surface 21b of the first floor tile 21 and the second side surface 22b of the second floor tile 22.

As shown in Figure 3, the drainage guide device 31 moved in this manner comes into contact with the second side surface 22b with the leaf spring portion 31b elastically deformed, thereby positioning the drainage guide device 31 between the first floor tile 21 and the second floor tile 22 and attaching it to them. The drainage guide device 31 attached in this manner has its first base portion 31a contacting and covering a portion of the first side surface 21b of the first floor tile 21, and the first base portion 31a reaching the edge of the first side surface 21b on the first top surface 21a side of the first floor tile 21.

Figure 5 is a schematic enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line V-V in Figure 2. Next, with reference to Figure 5 and the above-mentioned Figure 2, the drainage effect of the floor tile with drain guide 1A according to this embodiment will be explained, and a consideration will be given as to why the floor tile with drain guide 1A achieves this drainage effect.

As described above, the first top surface 21a of the first floor tile 21 installed outdoors may become wet due to rainfall or sprinkling of water. In such cases, puddles are likely to form on the surface of the first top surface 21a due to the surface tension _γSL calculated by the following equation 1. Therefore, in order to improve the drainage effect of the first top surface 21a of the first floor tile 21 (i.e., to reduce the surface tension _γSL ), it is important to reduce the contact angle θ of the first top surface 21a with water.

(Formula 1) γ _SL = γ _S - γ _L・cosθ
Here, "γ _SL " represents the surface tension acting at the interface between a solid and a liquid, "γ _S " represents the surface tension acting at the interface between a solid and a gas, "γ _L " represents the surface tension acting at the interface between a liquid and a gas, and "θ" represents the contact angle.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the floor tile 1A with drainage guide according to this embodiment, as described above, the drainage guide 31 has a plate-shaped first base 31a that contacts and covers a portion of the first side surface 21b of the first floor tile 21, and the first base 31a reaches the edge of the first side surface 21b of the first floor tile 21 on the first top surface 21a side of the first floor tile 21. The drainage guide 31 also has a plate-shaped first top surface protrusion 31c that protrudes from the end of the first base 31a on the first top surface 21a side of the first floor tile 21 toward the first floor tile 21, and the first top surface protrusion 31c contacts and covers a portion of the first top surface 21a of the first floor tile 21.

By configuring it in this manner, the first top surface protrusion 31c of the drainage guide 31 is positioned on the first top surface 21a of the first floor tile 21. When the first top surface 21a of the first floor tile 21 is wet, not only is there an interface between the water and the first floor tile 21 at the position on the first top surface 21a side of the first floor tile 21, but there is also an interface between the water and the drainage guide 31.

As described above, the first top surface 21a of the first floor tile 21 is hydrophilic, and the contact angle θ of the first floor tile 21 with water at a position on the first top surface 21a side of the first floor tile 21 is generally 20° or more and 40° or less. On the other hand, because the drainage guide 31 is made of at least one of a metal material and a resin material as described above, it is estimated that the contact angle θ of the drainage guide 31 with water at a position on the first top surface 21a side of the first floor tile 21 will be generally less than 20°.

Therefore, by using the floor tile 1A with drainage guide according to this embodiment, when the first top surface 21a of the first floor tile 21 gets wet, the interface between the water and the drainage guide 31, where the contact angle θ with respect to water is small, is located on the first top surface 21a side of the first floor tile 21, and therefore the surface tension γ _SL on the first top surface 21a can be made smaller than when the drainage guide 31 is not attached to the first floor tile 21. Therefore, by using this configuration, the drainage effect is significantly improved, and as a result, it is possible to make it difficult for puddles to form.

As described above, the first floor tile 21 is made of an inorganic material, and as shown in FIG. 5, the first top surface 21a of the first floor tile 21 has fine irregularities. Therefore, a gap 50 is located between the first top surface 21a of the first floor tile 21 and the first top surface protrusion 31c of the drainage guide 31 covering the first top surface 21a. Similarly, a gap 50 is located between the first side surface 21b of the first floor tile 21 and the first base portion 31a of the drainage guide 31 covering the first side surface 21b.

As a result, some of the water that comes into contact with the first top surface protrusion 31c covering the first top surface 21a flows down the gap 50 located between the first top surface 21a and the first top surface protrusion 31c, reaches the edge of the first top surface 21a of the first floor tile 21, and then flows downward down the gap 50 located between the first side surface 21b and the first base 31a. Furthermore, another portion of the water that comes into contact with the first top surface protrusion 31c covering the first top surface 21a flows downward down the side of the first top surface protrusion 31c of the drainage guide 31 and the side of the first base 31a.

As mentioned above, because the first top surface 21a of the first floor tile 21 is hydrophilic, water that accumulates on the first top surface 21a spreads relatively easily. Therefore, even water that accumulates on a portion of the first top surface 21a far from the first top surface protrusion 31c of the drain guide 31 will spread and gradually come into contact with the first top surface protrusion 31c that covers the first top surface 21a. Therefore, by adopting the above configuration, residual water on the first top surface 21a of the first floor tile 21 can be effectively prevented.

As explained above, by using a floor tile 1A with a drainage guide device according to this embodiment, it is possible to significantly improve the drainage performance of the floor tile 2A with a simple configuration in which the drainage guide device 3A is attached to the side of the floor tile 2A.

The improved drainage effect of the floor tile 1A with drain guides described above has been confirmed by the verification tests described below.

Furthermore, in the case of floor tiles 1A with drainage guides according to this embodiment, drainage can be improved by attaching drainage guides 3A not only during the initial installation of floor tiles 2A, but also to installed floor tiles 2A. Therefore, this also contributes to convenience.

Furthermore, in the floor tile 1A with drainage guide according to this embodiment, the drainage guide 3A is not only attached to the floor tile 2A by the elastic force of the leaf spring portion 31b, but also latches onto the first top surface 21a by contacting the first top surface protrusion 31c with a portion of the first top surface 21a. Therefore, this configuration prevents the drainage guide 3A from falling off the floor tile 2A, ensuring reliable attachment of the drainage guide 3A to the floor tile 2A.

In the floor tile with drainage guides 1A according to this embodiment, as described above, two drainage guides 3A are arranged on each of the four side surfaces of the first floor tile 21; however, the number and arrangement of drainage guides 3A attached to the first floor tile 21 is not limited to this and can be changed as appropriate depending on the size of the first floor tile 21, the required drainage performance, etc. Furthermore, it is not necessary to arrange drainage guides 3A on all four side surfaces of the first floor tile 21; for example, drainage guides 3A may be arranged on only one side surface to allow drainage in one direction.

(First and second modified examples)
6 and 7 are plan views of floor tiles with drain guides according to first and second modified examples, respectively. Hereinafter, floor tiles with drain guides 1A1 and 1A2 according to the first and second modified examples based on the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the floor tiles with drainage guides 1A1 and 1A2 of the first and second variants differ from the floor tile with drainage guides 1A of the above-described embodiment in the size of the floor tiles 2A1 and 2A2 and the number and arrangement of the drainage guides 3A attached to the first floor tile 21.

As shown in Figure 6, in the floor tile 1A1 with drain guides according to the first variant, the floor tile 2A1 has a smaller outer shape than the floor tile 2A according to the embodiment described above. Accordingly, in the floor tile 1A1 with drain guides, one drain guide 3A is arranged on each of the four side surfaces of the first floor tile 21.

As shown in Figure 7, in the floor tile 1A2 with drain guides according to the second modified example, the floor tile 2A2 has a larger outer shape than the floor tile 2A according to the embodiment described above. Accordingly, in the floor tile 1A2 with drain guides, three drain guides 3A are arranged on each of the four side surfaces of the first floor tile 21.

Even with this configuration, the same effects as those described in the above embodiment can be obtained.

(Third Modification)
Fig. 8 is a plan view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to a third modification. Hereinafter, a floor tile with a drain guide 1A3 according to the third modification based on the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8.

As shown in Figure 8, the floor tile with drain guide device 1A3 of the third modified example differs from the floor tile with drain guide device 1A of the above-mentioned embodiment in that the drain guide device 3A is attached not only to the first floor tile 21 but also to another floor tile 2A arranged adjacent to it.

Specifically, in floor tile 1A3 with drainage guides, two drainage guides 3A are arranged on each of the four sides of floor tile 2A, which is arranged adjacent to first floor tile 21. Furthermore, when focusing on first floor tile 21 and second floor tile 22, the drainage guide 3A attached to the first side 21b of first floor tile 21 and the drainage guide 3A attached to the second side 22b of second floor tile 22 are arranged so that they are positioned alternately when viewed along the joint 40 between the first floor tile 21 and the second floor tile, and the other drainage guides 3A are arranged in a similar manner. The arrangement of these drainage guides 3A is not limited to this, as long as they are arranged so as not to interfere with each other.

Even with this configuration, the same effects as those described in the above embodiment can be obtained.

(Fourth Modification)
Fig. 9 is a plan view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to a fourth modified example. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the floor tile with a drain guide shown in Fig. 9, and Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the floor tile with a drain guide taken along line XI-XI in Fig. 9. Below, a floor tile with a drain guide 1A4 according to a fourth modified example based on the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 9 to 11.

As shown in Figures 9 to 11, the shape and arrangement of the drain guides 3A4 in the floor tile with drain guides 1A4 of the fourth modified example differs from those of the drain guides 3A in the floor tile with drain guides 1A of the above-described embodiment. Here, the arrangement of the drain guides 3A4 in the floor tile with drain guides 1A4 of the fourth modified example is the same as the arrangement in the floor tile with drain guides 1A3 of the above-described third modified example, so the description thereof will not be repeated.

The multiple drainage guides 3A4 provided on the floor tile with drainage guide 1A4 according to this modified example differ in configuration from the drainage guide 31 provided on the drainage guide 3A according to the embodiment described above in that, while the drainage guide 3A4 has the first base portion 31a and leaf spring portion 31b that the drainage guide 31 had, it does not have the first top surface protrusion 31c (see Figures 1 to 4) that the drainage guide 31 had.

That is, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, focusing on the drainage guide 31, which is one of the multiple drainage guides 3A4 provided on the floor tile with drainage guide 1A4 according to this modified example, the drainage guide 31 has only a plate-shaped first base 31a that contacts and covers a portion of the first side surface 21b of the first floor tile 21, and a plate spring portion 31b that protrudes from the first base 31a toward the second floor tile 22.

By configuring it in this manner, the end of the first base 31a of the drainage guide 31 facing the first top surface 21a of the first floor tile 21 is exposed and positioned at the edge of the first top surface 21a of the first floor tile 21.When the first top surface 21a of the first floor tile 21 is wet, not only is there an interface between the water and the first floor tile 21 at the position on the first top surface 21a side of the first floor tile 21, but there is also an interface between the water and the drainage guide 31.

Therefore, by using the floor tile 1A4 with drainage guide according to this modification, when the first top surface 21a of the first floor tile 21 gets wet, the interface between the water and the drainage guide 31, where the contact angle θ with respect to water is small, is located on the first top surface 21a side of the first floor tile 21, and therefore the surface tension γ _SL on the first top surface 21a can be made smaller than when the drainage guide 31 is not attached to the first floor tile 21. Therefore, by using this configuration, the drainage effect is significantly improved, and as a result, it is possible to make it difficult for puddles to form.

In addition, some of the water that comes into contact with the first base 31a exposed at the edge of the first top surface 21a flows downward along the gap 50 located between the first side surface 21b and the first base 31a, and another portion of the water that comes into contact with the first base 31a exposed at the edge of the first top surface 21a flows downward along the side surface of the first base 31a.

Therefore, by using the floor tile with drainage guide 1A4 according to this modified example, not only can the same effects as those described in the above-mentioned embodiment be obtained, but also, because the first top surface protrusion 31c does not cover the first top surface 21a of the first floor tile 21, the aesthetic appearance of the floor tile with drainage guide 1A4 can be improved.

The improved drainage effect of the floor tile with drain guide 1A4 described above has been confirmed by the verification test described below.

(Fifth Modification)
Fig. 12 is a plan view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to a fifth modified example. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the floor tile with a drain guide shown in Fig. 12, and Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the floor tile with a drain guide taken along line XIV-XIV in Fig. 12. Below, a floor tile with a drain guide 1A5 according to a fifth modified example based on the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 12 to 14.

As shown in Figures 12 to 14, the shape and arrangement of the drain guides 3A5 in the floor tile with drain guides 1A5 of the fifth modified example differ from those of the drain guides 3A in the floor tile with drain guides 1A of the above-described embodiment. Here, the arrangement of the drain guides 3A5 in the floor tile with drain guides 1A5 of the fifth modified example is the same as the arrangement in the floor tile with drain guides 1A3 of the above-described third modified example, so the description thereof will not be repeated.

The multiple drainage guides 3A5 provided on the floor tile with drainage guide 1A5 according to this modified example differ in configuration from the drainage guide 31 provided on the drainage guide 3A according to the embodiment described above in that, while the drainage guide 3A5 has the first base portion 31a and first top surface protrusion 31c that the drainage guide 31 had, it does not have the leaf spring portion 31b (see Figures 1 to 4) that the drainage guide 31 had.

That is, as shown in Figures 13 and 14, focusing on the drainage guide 31, which is one of the multiple drainage guides 3A5 provided on the floor tile with drainage guide 1A5 according to this modified example, the drainage guide 31 has only a plate-shaped first base 31a that contacts and covers part of the first side surface 21b of the first floor tile 21, and a plate-shaped first top surface side protrusion 31c that protrudes from the end of the first base 31a on the first top surface 21a side toward the first floor tile 21.

Here, as shown in Figures 13 and 14, the drainage guide 31 of the drainage guide 3A5, which does not have a leaf spring portion 31b, is attached to the first side surface 21b of the first floor tile 21 via adhesive portions 31s (the colored portions in Figure 13 correspond to the adhesive portions 31s) provided at a pair of widthwise ends on the main surface of the first base portion 31a facing the first side surface 21b.

In this way, by partially adhering the main surface of the first base 31a facing the first side surface 21b to the first floor tile 21 without adhering the entire surface, it is possible to prevent the gap 50 located between the first side surface 21b and the first base 31a from being completely blocked by the adhesive portions 31s. The number and positions of the adhesive portions 31s provided on the main surface of the first base 31a facing the first side surface 21b are not particularly limited and can be changed as appropriate.

Even with this configuration, the same effects as those described in the above embodiment can be obtained.

(Sixth Modification)
Figure 15 is a plan view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to a sixth modified example. Figure 16 is a perspective view of the floor tile with a drain guide shown in Figure 15, and Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view of the floor tile with a drain guide taken along line XVII-XVII shown in Figure 15. Below, a floor tile with a drain guide 1A6 according to a sixth modified example based on the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 15 to 17.

As shown in Figures 15 to 17, the shape and arrangement of the drain guides 3A6 in the floor tile with drain guides 1A6 of the sixth modified example differs from those of the drain guides 3A in the floor tile with drain guides 1A of the above-described embodiment. Here, the arrangement of the drain guides 3A6 in the floor tile with drain guides 1A6 of the sixth modified example is the same as the arrangement in the floor tile with drain guides 1A3 of the above-described third modified example, so the description thereof will not be repeated.

When compared with the drainage guide 31 provided in the drainage guide floor tile 1A6 according to this modified example, each of the multiple drainage guides 3A6 has a different configuration only in that it has the first base portion 31a that the drainage guide 31 had, but does not have the leaf spring portion 31b and first top surface protrusion 31c (see Figures 1 to 4) that the drainage guide 31 had.

That is, as shown in Figures 16 and 17, when we focus on the drain guide 31, which is one of the multiple drain guides 3A6 provided on the floor tile with drain guide 1A6 according to this modified example, the drain guide 31 has only a plate-shaped first base 31a that contacts and covers a portion of the first side surface 21b of the first floor tile 21.

Here, as shown in Figures 16 and 17, the drainage guide 31 of the drainage guide 3A6, which does not have a leaf spring portion 31b, is attached to the first side surface 21b of the first floor tile 21 via adhesive portions 31s (the colored portions in Figure 16 correspond to the adhesive portions 31s) provided at a pair of widthwise ends on the main surface of the first base portion 31a facing the first side surface 21b.

In this way, by partially adhering the main surface of the first base 31a facing the first side surface 21b to the first floor tile 21 without adhering the entire surface, it is possible to prevent the gap 50 located between the first side surface 21b and the first base 31a from being completely blocked by the adhesive portions 31s. The number and positions of the adhesive portions 31s provided on the main surface of the first base 31a facing the first side surface 21b are not particularly limited and can be changed as appropriate.

When configured in this manner, not only can the same effects as those described in the above-mentioned embodiment be obtained, but the aesthetic appearance of the drain guide-equipped floor tile 1A6 can be improved because the first top surface protrusion 31c does not cover the first top surface 21a of the first floor tile 21.

The improved drainage effect of the floor tile 1A6 with drain guides according to this modified example has been confirmed through verification tests described below.

Furthermore, the method of attaching the drainage guide 31 to the first floor tile 21 in this modified example is not limited to the method using the adhesive portion 31s described above. For example, the drainage guide 31 may be made of an elastic material such as EPDM rubber, and the thickness of its first base portion 31a may be formed so that it is slightly larger than the width of the joint portion 40 (i.e., the distance between the first side surface 21b of the first floor tile 21 and the second side surface 22b of the second floor tile 22). When the drainage guide 31 configured in this manner is inserted into the joint portion 40 while compressed in its thickness direction, the drainage guide 31 attempts to restore its original thickness and is attached between the first side surface 21b and the second side surface 22b in abutment therewith.

(Seventh Modification)
Figure 18 is a plan view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to a seventh modified example, and Figure 19 is a cross-sectional view of the floor tile with a drain guide along line XIX-XIX shown in Figure 18. Below, a floor tile with a drain guide 1A7 according to the seventh modified example based on the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 18 and 19.

As shown in Figures 18 and 19, the shape and arrangement of the drain guides 3A7 in the floor tile with drain guides 1A7 of the seventh modified example differ from those of the drain guides 3A in the floor tile with drain guides 1A of the above-described embodiment. Here, the arrangement of the drain guides 3A7 in the floor tile with drain guides 1A7 of the seventh modified example is the same as the arrangement in the floor tile with drain guides 1A3 of the above-described third modified example, so the description thereof will not be repeated.

When compared with the drainage guide 31 provided in the drainage guide floor tile 1A7 according to this modified example, each of the multiple drainage guides 3A7 provided in the drainage guide 3A according to the embodiment described above has the first base 31a and first top surface protrusion 31c that the drainage guide 31 had, as well as the first bottom surface protrusion 31d described below, but does not have the leaf spring portion 31b (see Figures 1 to 4) that the drainage guide 31 had.

That is, as shown in FIG. 19, focusing on the drainage guide 31, which is one of the multiple drainage guides 3A7 included in the floor tile with drainage guide 1A7 according to this modified example, the drainage guide 31 has a plate-shaped first base 31a that contacts and covers a portion of the first side surface 21b of the first floor tile 21, a plate-shaped first top surface protrusion 31c that protrudes from the end of the first base 31a on the first top surface 21a side toward the first floor tile 21, and a plate-shaped first bottom surface protrusion 31d that protrudes from the end of the first base 31a on the first bottom surface 21c side toward the first floor tile 21. Here, the first bottom surface protrusion 31d contacts and covers a portion of the first bottom surface 21c.

The drainage guide device 31 configured in this manner is attached by clamping the first floor tile 21 between its first top surface protrusion 31c and first bottom surface protrusion 31d, thereby engaging with the first floor tile 21.

Even with this configuration, the same effects as those described in the above embodiment can be obtained.

(Eighth Modification)
Figure 20 is a plan view of a floor tile with a drain guide according to an eighth modification, and Figure 21 is a cross-sectional view of the floor tile with a drain guide taken along line XXI-XXI shown in Figure 20. Below, a floor tile with a drain guide 1A8 according to an eighth modification based on the above-described embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 20 and 21.

As shown in Figures 20 and 21, the shape and arrangement of the drain guide 3A8 in the floor tile with drain guide 1A8 according to the eighth modified example differs from that of the drain guide 3A in the floor tile with drain guide 1A according to the embodiment described above.

The multiple drainage guides 3A8 included in the floor tile with drainage guide 1A8 according to this modified example differ in configuration from the drainage guide 31 included in the drainage guide 3A according to the embodiment described above in that, while the multiple drainage guides 3A8 include the first base 31a, leaf spring 31b, and first top surface protrusion 31c that the drainage guide 31 had, they also include a second base 31e and a second top surface protrusion 31f, which will be described later. In the floor tile with drainage guide 1A8 according to this modified example, each of the multiple drainage guides 3A8 is disposed in the joint 40 located between adjacent floor tiles 2A, including the first floor tile 21 and second floor tile 22 described above.

More specifically, focusing on the drainage guide device 31, which is one of the multiple drainage guide devices 3A8 provided on the floor tile with drainage guide device 1A8 of this modified example, the drainage guide device 31 has a plate-shaped first base 31a that contacts and covers a part of the first side surface 21b of the first floor tile 21, a plate-shaped first top surface protrusion 31c that protrudes from the end of the first base 31a on the first top surface 21a side toward the first floor tile 21 side, a plate-shaped second base 31e that contacts and covers a part of the second side surface 22b of the second floor tile 22, a plate-shaped second top surface protrusion 31f that protrudes from the end of the second base 31e on the second top surface 22a side toward the second floor tile 22 side, and a plate spring portion 31b that protrudes from the first base 31a toward the second floor tile 22 side and is connected to the second base 31e at the end opposite to the first base 31a side.

When configured in this manner, effects similar to those described in the above-mentioned embodiment can be obtained, and the drainage performance of both the first floor tile 21 and the second floor tile 22, which are arranged adjacent to each other, can be improved by using a single component, the drainage guide 31.

(Verification test)
In the verification test, several types of drainage guide device samples were prepared, and the drainage status of the floor tiles was visually confirmed when these samples were installed and when they were not installed, to verify the effect of the drainage guide devices on the drainage properties of the floor tiles.

In this verification test, three types of drainage guide samples were prepared: one made of SUS304 and having the same shape as drainage guide 3A of the embodiment (referred to as L-shaped in Figure 22 described below) (hereinafter referred to as Sample 1 for ease of explanation); one made of SUS304 and having the same shape (T-shaped) as drainage guide 3A4 of the fourth modified example (Sample 2); and one made of EPDM rubber and having the same shape (I-shaped) as drainage guide 3A6 of the sixth modified example (Sample 3). Additionally, floor tiles made of a porcelain material, measuring 600 mm square and 20 mm thick, were prepared.

To verify the effect of the drainage guide device on the drainage performance of the floor tile, first, two samples 1 were attached to each of the four sides of the floor tile, similar to floor tile 1A with drainage guide device according to the embodiment (see Figure 1). Next, water was sprayed onto the floor tile to wet its top surface, and the time required for drainage was measured by observing the top surface of the floor tile over time. The amount of water sprayed was set to be enough to fully wet the entire top and side surfaces of the floor tile. Similar verification was performed on samples 2 and 3, and also on floor tiles without drainage guide devices attached.

Figure 22 is a table showing the results of the verification test conducted as described above. The table shows the drainage rate after 30 minutes, the amount of remaining water after 60 minutes, and the time to complete drainage for floor tiles with and without each sample attached, along with an evaluation of these. In this verification test, drainage was considered complete when the amount of remaining water on the top surface of the floor tile was 50 cc or less. Also, in Figure 22, samples that completed drainage in 30 minutes or less were evaluated as "excellent," samples that completed drainage in more than 30 minutes but less than 60 minutes were evaluated as "good," and samples that completed drainage in more than 60 minutes were evaluated as "unacceptable." Samples that had not completed drainage even after 60 minutes were not further observed.

The results of this verification test showed that attaching drainage guides made of stainless steel or EPDM rubber to floor tiles significantly improved the drainage performance of the floor tiles.

(Other forms, etc.)
The shape, configuration, size, number, material, etc. of each part shown in the above-described embodiment of the present invention and its modified examples can be changed in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Furthermore, the characteristic configurations shown in the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention and their variations can naturally be combined with each other within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

As such, the above-described embodiments and their variations disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not limiting. The technical scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and includes all modifications that are equivalent in meaning to and within the scope of the claims.

1A, 1A1 to 1A8: Floor tiles with drainage guides, 2A, 2A1, 2A2: Floor tiles, 21: First floor tile, 21a: First top surface, 21b: First side surface, 21c: First bottom surface, 22: Second floor tile, 22a: Second top surface, 22b: Second side surface, 3A, 3A4 to 3A8, 31: Drainage guide, 31a: First base portion, 31b: First top surface protrusion, 31c: Leaf spring portion, 31d: First bottom surface protrusion, 31e: Second base portion, 31f: Second top surface protrusion, 31s: Adhesive portion, 40: Joint portion, 50: Gap.

Claims (8)

a floor tile made of an inorganic material and having a hydrophilic top surface;
a drain guide made of at least one of a metal material and a resin material and attached to the floor tile;
The drain guide has a plate-shaped base that contacts and covers a part of the side surface of the floor tile,
A floor tile with a drainage guide, wherein the base reaches an edge of the side surface of the floor tile on the top surface side of the floor tile. The drain guide device further has a plate-shaped top surface side protruding portion protruding from an end of the base portion on the top surface side of the floor tile toward the floor tile,
The floor tile with drain guide according to claim 1 , wherein the top surface side protrusion contacts and covers a part of the top surface of the floor tile. the base reaches the edge of the side surface of the floor tile on the bottom side of the floor tile,
The drain guide further has a plate-shaped bottom surface side protruding portion protruding from the end of the base portion on the bottom surface side of the floor tile toward the floor tile,
the bottom surface protrusion contacts and covers a portion of the bottom surface of the floor tile;
The floor tile with drain guide according to claim 2 , wherein the floor tile is sandwiched between the top surface protrusion and the bottom surface protrusion, thereby causing the drain guide to be engaged with the floor tile. a first floor tile and a second floor tile made of an inorganic material, arranged adjacent to each other, and having a hydrophilic top surface;
a drain guide made of at least one of a metal material and a resin material and disposed between the first floor tile and the second floor tile;
The drain guide device has a plate-shaped first base portion that contacts and covers a part of the side surface of the first floor tile, and a plate spring portion that protrudes from the first base portion toward the second floor tile,
The drain guide device is attached to the first floor tile and the second floor tile by the leaf spring portion being in an elastically deformed state and contacting the side surface of the second floor tile,
A floor tile with a drainage guide, wherein the first base reaches an edge of the side surface of the first floor tile on the top surface side of the first floor tile. The drain guide device further has a plate-shaped first top surface side protruding portion protruding from an end of the first base portion on the top surface side of the first floor tile toward the first floor tile,
The floor tile with a drain guide according to claim 4 , wherein the first top surface side protrusion contacts and covers a part of the top surface of the first floor tile. The drain guide further has a plate-shaped second base portion that contacts and covers a part of the side surface of the second floor tile,
The floor tile with a drain guide according to claim 5 , wherein the leaf spring portion is connected to the second base portion at an end of the leaf spring portion opposite to the first base portion side. The drainage guide further has a plate-shaped second top surface side protruding portion protruding from the end of the second base portion on the top surface side of the second floor tile toward the second floor tile,
The floor tile with a drain guide according to claim 6 , wherein the second top surface side protrusion contacts and covers a part of the top surface of the second floor tile. A step of preparing a floor tile made of an inorganic material and having a hydrophilic top surface;
A step of preparing a drainage guide device made of at least one of a metal material and a resin material and having a plate-shaped base;
and attaching the drain guide device to the floor tile so that the base contacts and covers a portion of the side surface of the floor tile and the base reaches the edge of the side surface of the floor tile on the top surface side of the floor tile.