Manual tool for application of a tile laying device and similar articles on a surface to coat

1. Manual tool ( 1 ) for application of a tile laying device ( 100 ) and similar articles on a surface to coat ( 200 ), said tiles having a predetermined thickness, said tile laying device ( 100 ) comprising:

a first portion with flat shape equipped with a first face ( 111 ) that, in use, is oriented towards said surface to coat ( 200 ) and a second face ( 112 ) that, in use, is oriented towards a first and a second tile ( 150 a , 150 b ) at a slit ( 155 ) between said tiles ( 150 a , 150 b );

a band member ( 160 ) protruding from said second face ( 112 ) of said first portion ( 110 ), said band member ( 160 ) arranged, in use, between said tiles ( 150 a , 150 b ) at said slit ( 155 );

a second portion ( 120 ) slidingly arranged along said band member ( 160 ) opposite to said first portion ( 110 ) in order to be located between a first position, in which the distance between the first portion ( 110 ) and the second portion ( 120 ) is larger than the thickness of said tiles ( 150 a , 150 b ), and a second position, in which the distance between the first portion ( 110 ) and the second portion ( 120 ) is equal to said thickness of said tiles ( 150 a , 150 b ) and said second portion ( 120 ) pushes said tiles ( 150 a , 150 b ) against said first portion ( 110 ) in such a way to bring the tiles ( 150 a , 150 b ) to a same level;

wherein said manual tool comprises:

a handgrip ( 26 , 261 , 262 ) for a user;

a working head ( 15 ) equipped with a support surface ( 16 ), said support surface ( 16 ) is adapted to be located, in use, next to the second portion ( 120 ) of said tile laying device ( 100 ) opposite to said tiles ( 150 a , 150 b );

an opening ( 20 ) made in said working head ( 16 ), such that said band member ( 160 ) that can be inserted/extracted into/away from said opening ( 20 );

a tensioning means arranged opposite to said tile laying device ( 100 ) with respect to said support surface ( 16 ), said tensioning means adapted, in use, to engage with said band member ( 160 ) of said tile laying device ( 100 ) put in said opening ( 20 ), for applying on said band member ( 160 ) a tension up to reaching a predetermined tension T 1 , so that said working head ( 15 ) pushes said second portion ( 120 ) towards said first portion ( 110 ) for causing a pushing and levelling action of said tiles ( 150 a , 150 b ) between said first and said second portions ( 110 , 120 );

wherein said tensioning means comprises a lock means ( 30 , 35 ) that is adapted to move from a releasing position of said band member ( 160 ) to a locking position of said band member ( 160 ) in which said tension T 1 , or a tension T 2 , with T 2 >T 1 is applied to the band member ( 160 );

wherein said lock means comprises:

an abutment surface ( 35 ); and

a lock member ( 30 ) movable between a releasing position, in which the lock member is at a distance from said abutment surface ( 35 ), to make possible an arrangement of said band member ( 160 ) between said lock member ( 30 ) and said abutment surface ( 35 ), through said opening ( 20 ), and a locking position, in which said band member ( 160 ) is pressed between said lock member ( 30 ) and said abutment surface ( 35 );

wherein said lock member ( 30 ) has a toothed profile at the surface oriented towards said abutment surface ( 35 ).

2. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 1 , wherein the manual tool. comprises a hollow body ( 10 ) which is equipped with said handgrip ( 26 , 261 , 262 ), said working head ( 15 ) and said opening ( 20 ) made in said working head ( 15 ), such that said band member ( 160 ) can be inserted/extracted into/away from said hollow body ( 10 ) through said opening ( 20 ).

3. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 2 , wherein said tensioning means are housed in said hollow body.

4. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 1 , wherein said tensioning means, in addition to apply a tension T 1 on said band member ( 160 ), is adapted to apply an additional tension T 2 on said band member ( 160 ), with T 2 >T 1 , said additional tension T 2 suitable for causing the break of said band member ( 160 ) from said tile laying device ( 100 ).

5. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 1 , wherein said tensioning means comprises an actuating means that is adapted to bring said lock means ( 30 , 35 ) from said releasing position to said locking position.

6. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 5 , wherein a resilient means is provided ( 80 , 102 ) that is adapted to oppose to moving said lock means ( 30 , 35 ) from said releasing position to said locking position.

7. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 5 , wherein said actuating means is adapted to bring said lock means ( 30 , 35 ) from said releasing position, in which the lock means ( 30 , 35 ) is arranged at contact of an abutment surface ( 33 ) opposite to said support surface ( 16 ), to said locking position, in which the lock means is at a distance from said abutment surface.

8. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 5 , wherein said actuating means is adapted to rotate said lock means ( 30 , 35 ) from said releasing position to said locking position.

9. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 5 , wherein said actuating means is adapted to translate said lock means ( 30 , 35 ) from said releasing position to said locking position.

10. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 1 , wherein said abutment surface ( 35 ) and said lock member ( 30 ) are mounted on said actuating means.

11. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 1 , wherein said lock member ( 30 ) is pivotally connected to one end portion of the actuating means and said abutment surface ( 35 ) is integral to a same end portion of said actuating means.

12. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 1 , wherein said toothed profile of said lock member has a plurality of teeth having an angle of incidence set between 5° and 120°.

13. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 5 , wherein said actuating means comprises:

a translating element ( 70 ) sliding along a sliding direction biased by resilient means ( 80 );

an actuating lever ( 25 ) operatively connected to said translating element ( 70 ) on which a user can act for bringing said manual tool ( 1 ) from a rest configuration, in which said translating element ( 70 ) is in an advanced position and said lock means ( 30 , 35 ) is in said releasing position, to an operative configuration, in which said translating element ( 70 ) is in a withdrawn position and said lock means ( 30 , 35 ) is in said locking position.

14. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 1 , wherein said lock member ( 30 ) is associated with a torsion spring ( 34 ) that is adapted to apply a resilient torque on said lock member ( 30 ) up to bring the lock member ( 30 ) to said locking position, in said rest configuration said resilient means ( 80 ) adapted to apply on said translating element ( 70 ) a resilient force larger than the resilient force of said torsion spring ( 34 ), such that the resilient means ( 80 )) forces the lock member ( 30 ) against the abutment surface ( 33 ) maintaining the lock member ( 30 ) in the releasing position, in which it is possible to put said band member between said lock member ( 30 ) and said abutment surface ( 35 ), in said operative configuration, instead, a acting on said actuating lever ( 25 ) can exceed said resilient force of said resilient means ( 80 ) to cause the withdrawal of said translating element ( 70 ) with respect to said support surface ( 16 ) and a subsequent movement of said lock member ( 30 ) from said releasing position to said locking position by said torsion spring ( 34 ).

15. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 13 , wherein said resilient means ( 80 ) is adapted to apply on said translating element ( 70 ) a resilient force oriented along a pushing direction selected from the group comprised of:

a pushing direction parallel to said sliding direction;

a pushing direction at a predetermined angle with respect to said sliding direction.

16. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 1 , wherein said opening ( 20 ) through which said band member ( 160 ) is put in said working head ( 15 ) comprises a first portion that is located at said support surface ( 16 ) and a second portion that is located at a side face of said working head ( 15 ).

17. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 6 , wherein an adjustment means is provided for adjusting said resilient force, or load, of said resilient means ( 80 , 102 ), said adjustment means adapted to set a predetermined resilient force selected among a plurality of predetermined resilient forces.

18. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 6 , wherein said adjustment means is adapted to set a larger force when the tensioning means applies the above described tension T 1 on said band member ( 160 ) and a lighter force when the tensioning means applies the above described tension T 2 on said band member ( 160 ).

19. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 13 , wherein said translating element ( 70 ) is slidingly mounted between a couple of guides ( 93 a , 93 b ) arranged at opposite sides with respect to said translating element ( 70 ).

20. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 19 , wherein each guide ( 91 a , 91 b ) comprises a plurality of projections ( 92 a , 92 b ) oriented towards the recess of the hollow containing body, between each guide ( 93 a , 91 b ) and the translating element a metal sheet is located that is adapted to reduce friction during the sliding movement of said translating element ( 70 ).

21. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 19 , wherein said resilient means comprises a first part having coils with a first pitch P 1 and at least one second part having coils with a second pitch P 2 , with P 2 >P 1 .

22. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 13 , wherein said translating element ( 70 ) has a profiled shape comprising:

a head portion ( 71 ) arranged on a first plane, to said head portion ( 71 ) said lock member ( 30 ) being pivotally connected;

a tail portion ( 72 ) arranged on a second plane parallel to said first plane and arranged at a predetermined distance from the first plane, said tail portion ( 72 ) constrained to said actuating lever ( 25 );

a connection portion ( 73 ) between said head portion ( 71 ) and said tail portion ( 72 ).

23. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 13 , wherein said actuating lever ( 25 ) is pivotally connected to said tool ( 1 ) in a first point with respect to which the actuating lever ( 25 ) can rotate and engages with said translating element ( 70 ) at a second point, the rotation of said actuating lever ( 25 ) about said first point causing a sliding movement of said translating element ( 70 ) along said sliding direction.

24. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 6 , wherein said resilient means ( 80 ) is located in a guide ( 85 ) that is adapted to avoid undesired lateral movements.

25. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 1 , wherein a means is provided for stopping the sliding movement of said translating element ( 70 ) at a predetermined distance from said support surface ( 16 ), said distance at which said sliding is stopped corresponding to the stroke of said translating element ( 70 ) for bringing said first and said second portions ( 110 , 120 ) of said device ( 100 ) from said first to said second position.

26. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 1 , wherein said translating element ( 70 ) and said resilient means ( 80 ) have mutual engagement means.

27. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 1 , wherein said actuating means comprises a first and a second jaw ( 201 , 202 ) having respective handgrip portions ( 261 , 262 ), said first and said second jaws ( 201 , 202 ) being pivotally connected to each other.

28. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 27 , wherein said first and said second jaws ( 201 , 202 ) are adapted to rotate with respect to a rotation point, or pivot point, ( 101 ) biased by resilient means ( 102 ) for moving from a rest configuration, in which said handgrip portions ( 261 , 262 ) are at a distance from each other and said band member ( 160 ), put in said opening ( 20 ), is not subject to any traction force, and a tension configuration, in which said handgrip portions ( 261 , 262 ) are close to each other and said band member ( 160 ), put in said opening ( 20 ), is subject to said traction.

29. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 1 , wherein said lock member ( 30 ) and said abutment surface ( 35 ) are integral to said first jaw ( 201 ), whereas said support surface ( 16 ) is integral to said second jaw ( 202 ), the rotation of said first and of said second jaws ( 201 , 202 ) about said pivot point ( 101 ) causing a detachment of said lock member ( 30 ) from said support surface ( 35 ) and then movement of the lock member ( 30 ) from said releasing position to said locking position.

30. Manual tool ( 1 ), according to claim 29 , wherein a first torsion spring ( 102 ) is provided that is adapted to oppose to the movement of said handgrip portions ( 261 , 262 ) from said distant position to said approached position and a second torsion spring ( 34 ) is provided associated with said lock member ( 30 ), said second torsion spring ( 34 ) adapted to bring said lock member ( 30 ) in said locking position.