Ceramic wall tile assembly

Claim 1

A TILE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF CERAMIC TILES POSITIONED IN CONTACTING EDGE-TO-EDGE RELATIONSHIP, EACH OF SAID TILES HAVING A BACK SURFACE, A FRONT SURFACE AND EDGE SURFACES, THE FRONT SURFACE OF SAID TILES POSITIONED WITHIN SAID ASSEMBLY TO FACE IN A COMMON DIRECTION, A THIN COATING OF A CURED CONTACT-TYPE ADHESIVE MATERIAL CURED IN SITU UPON THE BACK AND EDGE SURFACES OF EACH SAID TILE PROXIMATE TO THE INTERSECTION OF ADJACENT EDGE SURFACES OF THE TILE; THE REMAINDER OF SAID BACK AND EDGE SURFACES OF EACH TILE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY UNCOATED WITH SAID CONTACT-TYPE ADHESIVE, SAID CONTACT-TYPE ADHESIVE COATING CONSISTING OF AN ADHESIVE MATERIAL WHICH WILL ADHERE ONLY TO A SURFACE COATED WITH A SIMILAR CONTACT-TYPE ADHESIVE MATERIAL AND BEING OF A THICKNESS TO PERMIT THE ADJACENT UNCOATED EDGE SURFACES OF ADJOINING CERAMIC TILES WITHIN THE TILE ASSEMBLY TO BE MAINTINED SUBSTANTIALLY CO-EXTENSIVE WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND A COMMON STRIP OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL CONNECTING EACH OF SAID CERAMIC TILES TO EACH ADJACENT TILE SOLELY THROUGH THE ADHESION OF SAID CONTACT-TYPE ADHESIVE ON THE BACK SURFACES OF SAID TILES TO SAID COMMON STRIP OF FLEXIBLE MATERIAL, SAID FLEXIBLE MATERIAL BEING RELATIVELY SMALL COMPARED TO THE TOTAL BACK SURFACE AREA OF ANY ONE OF SAID TILES AND EXTENDING OVER AND ADHERING TO ONLY THE PORTIONS OF THE BACK SURFACES OF SAID TILES WHICH ARE COATED WITH SAID CONTACT-TYPE ADHESIVE; THE FLEXIBLE MATERIAL BEING COATED AT LEAST ON ONE SIDE WITH A CONTACT-TYPE ADHESIVE WHICH WILL ADHERE ONLY TO SAID CONTACT-TYPE ADHESIVE WHICH IS COATED AND CURED ON THE BACK AND EDGE SURFACES OF SAID TILES.