Cassette Floor Snap Connection for Fast Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cassette floor systems face challenges with alignment issues during installation, difficulty in unmounting and reconfiguring, and noise generation due to their design, particularly with wooden slats and protruding fixation elements.
Innovation Solution
A cassette floor element featuring a support frame with a treading surface fixed via a releasable snap connection, allowing for easier assembly and disassembly, and incorporating a separate profile element for manufacturing efficiency, with the snap connection hidden from view and flexible materials to reduce noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the treading surface is fixated to the support frame using traditional screws or nails, then the fixation is strong and reliable, but the mounting and unmounting process becomes time-consuming and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The fixation system is segmented into separate components: a profile element attached to the treading surface and a receiving element on the support frame. This segmentation allows the treading surface to be quickly connected and disconnected without dealing with individual fasteners, reducing mounting/unmounting time while maintaining reliable fixation through the distributed engagement points of the profile element
Solution Approach 2:
The traditional mechanical fastening system (screws or nails requiring tools) is replaced with a snap-fit connection system. The profile element with protrusions engages with corresponding recesses in the support frame through simple vertical insertion, eliminating the need for rotational fastening operations and manual tool usage, thus dramatically reducing mounting and unmounting time
2Ease of manufacture
If the treading surface is made as a single integrated piece, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but the weight increases making handling more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The cassette floor element is divided into separate components: the support frame, the treading surface, and the profile element. This segmentation reduces the weight of each individual component that needs to be handled during installation and maintenance, while the modular design actually simplifies manufacturing by allowing each part to be produced independently using optimized processes for that specific component
3Reliability
If traditional fixation methods like screws are used, then the treading surface is securely attached, but the protruding fixation elements create safety hazards and aesthetic issues
Solution Approach 1:
The protruding fixation elements (screw heads or nail tips) are extracted from the visible surface of the treading surface. Instead, the profile element is attached to the underside or edges of the treading surface, with its engagement points hidden from view. This eliminates safety hazards for users while maintaining secure attachment through the profile element's engagement with the support frame
Solution Approach 2:
The fixation system is moved from the top surface dimension to the side or bottom dimension of the treading surface. The profile element engages with the support frame through lateral or downward-facing connection points rather than protruding upward, transferring the fixation function to a different spatial dimension where it doesn't create safety hazards or aesthetic issues
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2d
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
Cassette floor element (1) for temporary cassette floor system for use at outdoor events, the cassette floor element (1) comprising a support frame (2) configured to be mounted on a plurality of base beams and a treading surface (3) configured to be fixated on said support frame (2), wherein the treading surface (3) is configured to be fixated on said support frame (2).