Ceramic Floor Panel with Reinforced Core and Interlocking Edges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tile installation methods are laborious and require professional expertise, and attempts to create a floating tile system with a locking mechanism have failed due to instability, dimensional changes, and insufficient impact resistance, leading to structural integrity issues and inability to reuse or repurpose tiles.
Innovation Solution
A floor panel with a core layer comprising ceramic or mineral materials like MgO, Mg(OH)2, MgSO4, MgCl2, and CaCO3, combined with a binder and a reinforcement layer of higher density, and an interlocking mechanism, which provides stability and impact resistance, and can be used as a floating floor with a ceramic or natural stone top layer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional tile installation with mortar and grout is used, then waterproofness and stability are achieved, but installation complexity and labor requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The floor system is divided into modular panels with interlocking edges that feature integrated locking mechanisms. Each panel is a self-contained unit with the top layer bonded to a stable core, eliminating the need for separate mortar and grout applications while maintaining waterproofness through the sealed edges of the interlocking system.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism is integrated directly into the panel edges during manufacturing, combining the fastening function with the panel structure itself. This merges multiple functions (structural support, locking, waterproofing) into a single unified system that simplifies installation while maintaining reliability.
2Ease of operation
If a floating floor system with locking mechanism is implemented, then ease of installation improves, but dimensional stability and structural integrity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The core material is specifically selected and engineered to have minimal coefficient of thermal expansion and negligible moisture absorption. By changing the material parameters to achieve exceptional dimensional stability, the panel can be installed as a floating floor with interlocking edges without suffering from swelling or warping that would compromise structural integrity.
3Reliability
If tiles are installed with grout to ensure stability, then waterproofness is maintained, but the ability to remove and reuse tiles is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The interlocking mechanism is designed to be mechanically reversible, allowing panels to be locked into place during installation and easily disengaged for removal or replacement. This dynamic system replaces the permanent chemical bond of grout with a mechanical connection that maintains waterproofness when locked but allows easy拆卸 when needed.
4Stability of the object's composition
If a stable core material is used to prevent swelling, then dimensional stability improves, but impact resistance and structural strength may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The panel employs a composite construction with a stable ceramic or mineral core material that provides dimensional stability, combined with a reinforcement layer of fiberglass or similar high-strength material. This composite structure achieves both dimensional stability from the ceramic core and impact resistance from the reinforcement layer, resolving the contradiction between these two properties.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a floor panel, comprising a laminate of a core layer, comprising a ceramic or mineral material and a binder a first pair of opposite edges, said first pair of opposite edges comprising complementary coupling parts allowing to mutually couple of plurality of floor panels to each other, a top layer, comprising a ceramic material or a natural stone, wherein the side of the core layer facing the top layer comprises a reinforcement layer, locally having a higher density than the density of the rest of the core layer.