Cobblestone Peripheral Structuring for Flexible Interlocking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cobblestones with irregularly designed side surfaces, such as curved surfaces, face difficulties in designing interconnecting systems that allow for effective engagement and flexibility in pavement laying, as they require specifically configured adjacent stones with matching interconnecting regions.

Innovation Solution

The cobblestone features a peripheral structuring with a meandering pattern of alternating projecting and receding sections, which can be distributed over the entire height or just the bottom part, allowing for flexible engagement and placement with other stones, even those of irregular shapes, by ensuring that projecting sections of one stone fit into the receding sections of another, thereby maintaining interconnectivity without direct stone contact.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If individual interconnecting regions are provided on side surfaces at certain points, then displacement safeguard is achieved, but only stones with specifically configured matching interconnecting regions can be adjacently positioned

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplacement safeguardVSAvoidcompatibility with different stone shapes

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The meandering peripheral structuring serves as a universal interconnecting system that can accommodate any cobblestone shape (circular, rectangular, irregular). The continuous meandering pattern with alternating projecting and receding sections allows any stone to find a compatible matching section on adjacent stones, making the interconnecting system universally applicable to all stone geometries.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The peripheral structuring is segmented into multiple alternating projecting and receding sections arranged in a meandering pattern. This segmentation allows different portions of the structuring to engage with different portions of adjacent stones, enabling flexible accommodation of various stone shapes while maintaining displacement safeguard through multiple engagement points.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If sufficient joint space is provided, then flexibility and surface water seepage are achieved, but interconnecting effect between stones is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility of pavementVSAvoidinterconnecting effect

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The meandering peripheral structuring extends the interconnecting engagement into the vertical dimension with alternating projecting and receding sections that can engage at different heights. This allows interconnecting effect to be maintained through vertical engagement while horizontal joint space remains sufficient for flexibility and water seepage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS12173457B2Cobblestone with peripheral structuring and a pavement laid therewith

Publication Date: 2024.12.24 SCHRODER DETLEF

AI summary

A cobblestone comprises a bottom side, a top side, and at least one side surface substantially perpendicular to the top side and the bottom side. The at least one side surface defines a plurality of surface features. The plurality of surface features comprise alternating projecting portions and receding portions.