Adhesive-backed flooring panel, system, and method
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Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of adhesive-backed flooring systems is time-consuming, costly, and requires skilled expertise due to the need for full-spread adhesive application, substrate preparation, and handling of messy adhesives, which complicates the process and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
Adhesive-backed flooring panels with a double-sided adhesive sheet and a peel-away cover sheet that allow for easy installation without the need for separate adhesive material, enabling versatile and efficient installation by adhering directly to a substrate, reducing the complexity and skill required for installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If full-spread adhesive is used for flooring installation, then strong adhesion is achieved, but the installation process becomes time-consuming, costly, and requires skilled expertise
Solution Approach 1:
The adhesive is pre-applied to the back surface of the flooring panel during manufacturing, creating a pre-adhered panel. This preliminary action eliminates the need for on-site adhesive application, allowing the panel to be directly installed by peeling off the protective film and pressing onto the substrate, thereby dramatically reducing installation time while maintaining strong adhesion
Solution Approach 2:
The adhesive system is segmented into two functional parts: the adhesive layer pre-applied to the panel back surface and the protective film covering it. This segmentation allows the adhesive to be prepared in advance while the protective film prevents premature bonding, enabling both strong adhesion and quick installation by simply removing the film during installation
2Strength
If full-spread adhesive is used for flooring installation, then strong adhesion is achieved, but the process becomes messy and requires separate adhesive materials
Solution Approach 1:
The flooring panel and adhesive are merged into a single integrated unit, creating a pre-adhered panel where the adhesive is permanently bonded to the panel back surface. This merging eliminates the need for separate adhesive materials and application tools, reducing installation complexity to simply peeling the protective film and pressing the panel onto the substrate
Solution Approach 2:
The messy adhesive application process is extracted from the installation phase and moved to the manufacturing phase. By pre-applying and drying the adhesive during manufacturing, the installation process is left with only the clean protective film removal and panel placement operations, eliminating adhesive mess and the need for specialized application tools
3Ease of operation
If peel-away cover sheet is added to adhesive-backed panels, then installation ease is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective film serves as an intermediary layer between the adhesive and the environment during storage and installation. It temporarily prevents adhesive bonding while allowing the panel to be handled and positioned, then is easily removed to enable the adhesive to bond to the substrate. This intermediary role simplifies installation while the manufacturing process of applying the film is a standard, well-established operation
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
Facilitates a faster, cost-effective, and less messy installation process by eliminating the need for skilled expertise and separate adhesive materials, while ensuring strong and durable adhesion, thus simplifying the flooring installation process.
Implementation Method 1
a first adhesive layer adhered to the bottom surface of the flooring panel body and the first surface of the base sheet, and a second adhesive layer having an inner surface and an outer surface opposite the inner surface, wherein the inner surface is adhered to the second surface
Data Source
AI summary
Adhesive-backed flooring panels, a flooring system including flooring panels, a method of installing flooring panels, a method of manufacturing flooring panels, and a packaged flooring system are provided.