Concrete Curing Blanket Intermittent Bonding Air Release

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional concrete curing methods often result in non-uniform coloration and discoloration due to trapped air pockets and incomplete contact between curing materials and the concrete surface, leading to issues like blotchiness and craze cracking.

Innovation Solution

A concrete curing blanket with a layer of absorbent material and a layer of impervious material bonded at intermittent locations, allowing the impervious layer to lift away from the absorbent layer in response to air bubbles, ensuring continuous face-to-face contact with the concrete surface and preventing air pockets from forming.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the impervious material layer is fully bonded to the absorbent material layer, then moisture retention is improved, but air pockets form causing surface blotchiness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemoisture retentionVSAvoidsurface uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The bonding between the impervious material layer and absorbent material layer is segmented into intermittent bonding locations rather than continuous bonding. This allows air bubbles to escape through unbonded regions while moisture is retained at bonded regions, resolving the contradiction between moisture retention and surface uniformity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the blanket have different bonding characteristics - some areas are bonded to retain moisture while other areas remain unbonded to allow air escape. This local differentiation of bonding quality enables simultaneous achievement of moisture retention and surface uniformity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If the curing blanket is placed immediately on the concrete surface, then curing efficiency is improved, but air pockets trap beneath causing discoloration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecuring efficiencyVSAvoidsurface uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The air bubbles that would normally cause harm by creating surface blotchiness are converted into a beneficial escape mechanism. The intermittent bonding design allows air bubbles to rise and escape through unbonded regions, transforming the harmful air entrapment into a controlled air release system that maintains surface uniformity while preserving curing efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Reliability

If the impervious layer is fully laminated to the absorbent layer, then moisture barrier effectiveness is improved, but contact with concrete surface becomes incomplete

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemoisture barrier effectivenessVSAvoidsurface contact uniformity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The lamination between impervious and absorbent layers is segmented into intermittent bonding locations, creating a pattern of bonded and unbonded regions. This segmentation allows the blanket to maintain moisture barrier effectiveness at bonded regions while achieving complete surface contact through the compliance provided by unbonded regions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The blanket transitions from a rigid fully-laminated structure to a dynamic structure where unbonded regions can deform and adapt to the concrete surface topography. This dynamic compliance enables complete surface contact while the bonded regions maintain moisture barrier effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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 solution promotes even curing, reduces concrete discoloration, and maintains uniform moisture levels, resulting in a cosmetically appealing and properly cured concrete surface.

Implementation Method 1

a layer of absorbent material and a layer of impervious material bonded to the absorbent material layer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCapillary action: Capillary Action

Implementation Method 2

the impervious material layer between the intermittent locations can lift away from the layer of absorbent material in response to air bubbles rising through the layer of absorbent material

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBuoyancy: Archimedes' Principle (Buoyancy)

Data Source

PatentUS7998564B2Concrete curing blankets that promote even concrete curing

Publication Date: 2011.08.16 PRECISION FABRICS GROUP INC

AI summary

A concrete curing blanket includes a layer of absorbent material and a layer of impervious material bonded to the absorbent material layer in face-to-face relationship at intermittent locations such that the impervious material layer between the intermittent locations can lift away from the layer of absorbent material in response to air bubbles rising through the layer of absorbent material. The intermittent bonding locations may take the form of a pattern or may have a random occurrence. The absorbent layer of material is a hydrophilic nonwoven fabric and the impervious material layer is a film.