Vibration Damping Floor System with Offset Resilient Pads

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing flooring systems fail to effectively absorb impact forces and vibrations from activities like sports and dance, leading to discomfort, potential injury, and unnecessary maintenance due to inadequate damping and load absorption.

Innovation Solution

A vibration damping and shock absorption flooring system is designed with pre-compressed resilient pads and force transfer members that regulate compression and distribute loads, using a combination of upper and lower resilient pads and strategically placed force transfer members to absorb and isolate vibrations and forces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If a hard floor is used, then the flooring surface maintains essential characteristics (ball-bounce, ability to jump and move quickly), but repeated impact causes discomfort or injury and vibrations negatively affect performance and construction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflooring surface characteristicsVSAvoidimpact forces and vibrations

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces resilient pads as intermediary elements positioned between the hard flooring surface and the supporting construction. These pads serve as mediators that absorb impact forces and dampen vibrations while allowing the hard floor surface to maintain its essential characteristics for sports activities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The resilient pads are pre-installed within recesses of the supporting construction before the hard flooring surface is laid. This beforehand cushioning approach ensures that impact absorption and vibration damping are already in place to protect against future impact forces and vibrations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If vibration damping is increased to reduce harmful effects, then discomfort and construction damage are reduced, but the ability to maintain flooring performance and absorb loads may be compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevibrations and impact forcesVSAvoidflooring system performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The resilient pads are strategically positioned in specific locations within the flooring system, particularly in recesses of the supporting construction. This local quality approach provides vibration damping and impact absorption precisely where needed, while maintaining flooring performance in other areas.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The flooring system is segmented into distinct components: the hard flooring surface, the resilient pads, and the supporting construction. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function - the hard surface maintains performance characteristics while the resilient pads handle vibration damping and impact absorption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Object-affected harmful factors

If load absorption is increased to protect the construction, then damage is reduced, but the flooring system complexity and maintenance requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimpact loadsVSAvoidflooring system structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The resilient pads are integrated within the supporting construction structure, merging the load absorption function with the existing flooring system. This combination approach adds vibration damping and impact absorption capabilities without significantly increasing overall system complexity or requiring separate maintenance procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

The system effectively absorbs shock and isolates vibrations, reducing the risk of injury and maintaining flooring performance while minimizing maintenance needs by distributing loads and compressing pads in a controlled manner, even under heavy loads.

Implementation Method 1

resilient pads and force transfer members that regulate compression and distribute loads

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

vibration damping and shock absorption flooring system

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVibration damping: Damping

Data Source

PatentUS9803379B2Vibration damping floor system

Publication Date: 2017.10.31 CONNOR SPORTS FLOORING CORP

AI summary

A floor is disclosed having an upper contact surface disposed atop an upper subfloor, the upper subfloor having a void with a height that is defined by opposing sidewalls of the first subfloor, a top that is defined by a bottom surface of the upper contact surface, a bottom that is defined by a top surface of a lower subfloor, a width, and a length. A first resilient pad is disposed under compression within the void of the upper subfloor. The lower subfloor is disposed beneath and in contact with the upper subfloor. The lower subfloor has a void that is laterally offset from the void of the upper subfloor and a second resilient pad disposed within the void. A plurality of removable force transfer members are disposed within the void of the lower subfloor and above the second resilient pad for transferring vibrational forces and downward vertical forces to the second resilient pad.