A procedure for manufacturing a device for casting a slope of a floor, a device and a method for casting a slope
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for casting a slope towards a floor drain are labor-intensive, skill-dependent, and often result in unsymmetrical or incorrectly inclined surfaces, leading to water pooling and potential damage, as they rely on manual construction and lack stability.
Innovation Solution
A device manufactured using a procedure involving metal foil sheets and a polymeric core, with grooves and a tubular part for connection to the floor drain, allowing for precise inclination and easy alignment using levelling-screws, and heated to form a stable, ergonomic casting surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual construction methods are used to create the slope, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but manufacturing precision and reliability deteriorate due to skill dependency and inconsistency
Solution Approach 1:
The slope casting device is pre-manufactured with the exact desired slope angle and geometry already built in. This preliminary action transfers the precision requirement from the construction phase to the manufacturing phase, where the device can be produced with high accuracy using CNC machining or other precise manufacturing methods. The device then serves as a reusable template that guarantees consistent precision across multiple installations without requiring skilled manual work each time.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a physical copy or replica of the ideal slope geometry in the form of a casting device. This device replicates the perfect slope angle and shape, which can then be used repeatedly to transfer this precise geometry to the actual floor surface. The copying principle allows the ideal slope to be reproduced consistently without requiring the original designer's skill to be recreated manually each time.
2Device complexity
If manual construction methods are used to create the slope, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity and time efficiency deteriorate due to labor intensity and skill requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The slope casting process is segmented into distinct components: a reusable slope casting device, a separate leveling mechanism, and the casting material itself. The device is divided into functional parts including the base element, inclined surface, and attachment mechanisms. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and assembled quickly on-site, improving productivity without requiring complex integrated systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The slope casting device incorporates self-leveling features and self-aligning mechanisms that automatically adjust during installation. The device includes integrated leveling screws and reference marks that guide proper positioning without requiring highly skilled operators. This self-service capability allows less experienced workers to achieve correct installation, thereby improving productivity while keeping the device design relatively simple.
3Ease of manufacture
If manual slope construction is used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to unsymmetrical slopes causing water pooling and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The correct slope angle and symmetrical geometry are built into the casting device during manufacturing, before installation. This preliminary action ensures that the device itself embodies the correct functional geometry, eliminating the risk of human error during construction. The device is pre-configured with the exact slope angle needed for proper water drainage, ensuring reliable functionality without requiring the installer to calculate or measure the slope manually.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates reference marks, leveling indicators, and alignment features that provide visual feedback during installation. These feedback mechanisms allow the installer to verify that the device is properly positioned and oriented before finalizing the installation. The feedback system ensures that the slope geometry is correct, preventing water pooling issues and ensuring reliable drainage functionality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables efficient, repeatable, and ergonomic casting of slopes that meet construction standards, reducing manual adjustments and ensuring correct inclination, thereby preventing water pooling and damage, and improving usability across skill levels.
Implementation Method 1
a core of polymeric material between the first and second sheet... When heat is supplied to the element... A pressure force is applied to the first sheet of metal foil for forming the sheets... the polymeric material is allowed to flow out into the grooves
Implementation Method 2
Heat is supplied to the element, for example by radiation such as infrared (IR) radiation, induction, convection or conduction
Implementation Method 3
a dark layer, such as dark color or a dark foil layer, to said zone surrounding the circular hole, before supplying heat, for increasing the ability of the element to absorb heat in this zone
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A procedure for manufacturing a device (40) intended to be used for casting a slope with correct inclination toward a floor drain (41) provides an element (10) with a first (11) and a second (12) sheet of metal foil, which are arranged in parallel to each other, and a core (13) of a polymeric material. A through circular hole (20) of the element is taken out of the element (10), and several grooves (21) are made in the first sheet. After heating a pressing force is applied to the first sheet of metal foil for forming the sheets so that the bottom surface of the element corresponds to an inclination providing a correct slope, simultaneously the edges of the circular hole are bent so that a tubular part is formed for connection to the floor drain. The grooves of the sheet allow the polymeric material to flow, which will increase the formability of the element, and also tensions of the element will be reduced. A method uses the manufactured device for casting a slope with a correct inclination toward a floor drain.