Adjustable Heated Floor Layout Without Weakening the Floor Slab
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heatable floor designs are costly due to the need for thick load-bearing slabs with weakened grooves for heat-emitting conduits, limiting the flexibility in conduit spacing and levelling device placement, which affects mechanical strength and heating efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A heatable, vertically adjustable floor with a solid load-bearing slab and an insulating layer, where the levelling devices are externally threaded and hollow screws with bushings allow for adjustable positioning, and heat-emitting conduits are placed in grooves on the insulating layer with heat-disseminating plates, enabling independent placement based on thermal and mechanical requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If grooves are provided in the load-bearing floor slab for heat-carrying conduits, then heating function is achieved, but the mechanical strength of the floor slab is weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the floor system into separate functional layers: the load-bearing floor slab provides structural support, while the insulating layer (separately placed) contains the heating conduits. This segmentation allows each layer to optimize its specific function without compromising the other - the slab maintains full structural integrity while the insulating layer enables heating functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating layer acts as an intermediary between the load-bearing floor slab and the heat-carrying conduits. It provides a platform for mounting the conduits while maintaining thermal insulation and mechanical support, thereby eliminating the need to weaken the floor slab itself for conduit placement.
2Ease of operation
If levelling devices are positioned in the bottoms of grooves in the floor slab, then vertical adjustment is achieved, but the positioning flexibility is limited by the groove locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the levelling function from the heating function by placing levelling devices directly on the subfloor beneath the insulating layer, while heating conduits are mounted in grooves within the insulating layer itself. This allows independent optimization of each system's positioning without mutual constraint.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent relocates the heating conduit grooves from the vertical dimension (in the floor slab) to the horizontal dimension (in the insulating layer). This dimensional shift allows levelling devices to be positioned independently on the subfloor without being constrained by groove locations, while conduits can be freely arranged in the insulating layer.
3Strength
If the load-bearing floor slab is made extremely thick to compensate for weakened portions, then mechanical strength is maintained, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the floor system into distinct functional components: a normal-thickness load-bearing floor slab for structural support, and a separate insulating layer containing both heating conduits and levelling devices. This segmentation eliminates the need to increase slab thickness for structural compensation, as the slab is no longer weakened by grooves.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating layer serves as an intermediary that carries both the heating conduits and levelling devices, thereby protecting the load-bearing floor slab from structural weakening. This allows the slab to maintain its original thickness and structural integrity while still accommodating all necessary functional elements.
4Temperature
If heat-emitting conduits are placed in grooves in the insulating layer, then heating efficiency is improved, but the insulating layer must be sufficiently strong to support them
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates grooves for heat-emitting conduits directly into the insulating layer during its installation phase. This preliminary integration ensures proper conduit positioning for optimal heating efficiency while the insulating layer's inherent material properties provide sufficient structural support without requiring additional strengthening measures.
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
This design reduces manufacturing costs, maintains mechanical strength, and allows for flexible conduit and levelling device placement, optimizing heating efficiency and adaptability to different subfloor conditions.
Implementation Method 1
heat-emitting conduits which are disposed in grooves in the insulating layer and which are partly surrounded by heat-conducting and heat-disseminating plates
Implementation Method 2
heat-conducting and heat-disseminating plates, preferably of aluminium, which partly surround the conduits
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
A heatable and vertically adjustable floor comprises a load-bearing floor slab (3) which is disposed at a distance (2) above a subfloor (1) and which by means of levelling devices (6) is vertically adjustable in relation thereto. The floor has heat-emitting conduits (18) disposed under an upper floor coating (5), and an insulating layer. According to the present invention, the insulating layer (4) is disposed above the floor slab (3) and the conduits (18) are countersunk in grooves (17) in the upper side of the insulating layer (4). Heat-disseminating plates of aluminium are located in the grooves (17) partly around the conduits (18) and on both sides of the grooves above the insulating layer (4).