Fiber-Reinforced Thin Brick Sheets for Lightweight Installation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing prefabricated thin brick sheets are unsatisfactory due to insufficient strength, excessive weight, complex installation, and high labor costs, making them impractical for widespread commercial use.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight thin brick sheet composed of pre-assembled thin bricks on a fiber-enforced backing layer, sealed with grout, which can be easily handled and installed using conventional adhesives, reducing the need for on-site assembly and specialized tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a core part (steel, plastic, foam) or thick backing layer is used to provide structural strength and rigidity to prefabricated thin brick sheets, then the sheets gain sufficient strength for installation, but the thickness of the sheets increases substantially, necessitating special mounting hardware
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a thin fiber-reinforced cementitious backing layer instead of thick rigid cores or foam. The fiber reinforcement (glass fibers, steel fibers, or synthetic fibers) embedded in the cementitious matrix provides tensile strength and crack resistance, enabling the backing layer to achieve sufficient structural strength while maintaining a thin profile that does not require special mounting hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system by combining thin bricks with a fiber-reinforced cementitious backing layer. The cementitious matrix provides compressive strength and rigidity, while the embedded fibers provide tensile strength and fracture resistance. This composite structure achieves high structural strength without the thickness penalty of traditional core materials like steel or foam.
2Strength
If conventional thin brick installation methods are used with metal lath, scratch coat, and mortar bed, then the thin brick wall achieves proper structural integrity and leveling, but the installation process becomes time-consuming and requires skilled labor at high wages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the structurally critical functions of metal lath installation, scratch coat application, and mortar bed leveling in advance during manufacturing. The thin bricks are pre-assembled in precise patterns on a fiber-reinforced cementitious backing layer that is factory-applied with proper thickness, flatness, and strength. This preliminary action eliminates the need for on-site scratch coating and leveling, reducing installation time while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple separate installation steps (metal lath installation, scratch coat application, mortar bed preparation, and brick setting) into a single prefabricated unit. The fiber-reinforced cementitious backing layer combines the functions of metal lath (reinforcement), scratch coat (bonding layer), and mortar bed (leveling and support), while thin bricks are pre-set in their final positions. This consolidation eliminates sequential steps and reduces on-site labor requirements.
3Reliability
If thin bricks are set one by one with adhesive and grouted between bricks, then proper spacing and moisture sealing are achieved, but the installation process becomes complex and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the grouting function into the manufacturing process by applying a grout layer between thin bricks during assembly. This factory-applied grout provides consistent spacing and reliable moisture sealing without requiring on-site grouting operations. The grout is properly cured and sealed before the sheet leaves the factory, eliminating a complex on-site step.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs grout application and spacing adjustment in advance during manufacturing. Thin bricks are positioned with precise spacing and grouted between them while still in the factory environment, where controlled conditions allow for proper grout curing and sealing. This preliminary grouting action eliminates the need for on-site grouting, which is typically a complex and messy process requiring skilled labor.
4Adaptability or versatility
If individual thin bricks are cut using special equipment and tools to fit spaces, then proper fitting around fixtures and in small spaces is achieved, but the installation process requires specialized tools and increases labor cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the thin brick wall into modular prefabricated sheets that can be easily cut and adapted on-site. Each sheet is a self-contained unit with thin bricks pre-assembled in standard patterns, but the sheets themselves can be easily trimmed using conventional tools to fit around fixtures or in irregular spaces. This segmentation allows for simple on-site adaptation without requiring specialized brick-cutting equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of cutting individual thin bricks to fit spaces (which requires special equipment), the patent inverts the approach by cutting the entire prefabricated sheet as a single unit using conventional tools. The fiber-reinforced cementitious backing layer can be easily trimmed with standard saws or knives, and the thin bricks remain intact since they are already set in their final positions. This inversion simplifies the cutting process from requiring specialized brick-cutting tools to using common construction tools.
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 solution provides a cost-effective, easy-to-install thin brick solution with enhanced structural integrity, allowing for flexible handling and minimal damage during installation, while meeting building codes for moisture resistance and durability.
Implementation Method 1
a fiber enforced backing layer (7) comprising a fiber reinforced cementitious material
Implementation Method 2
The fiber enforced sheet may be made of a variety of materials... woven fiberglass fabric is an especially preferred component of the backing sheets
Implementation Method 3
The thin bricks are preferably thinner and lighter than common bricks... The light weight of the thin bricks makes it possible for relatively large sheets of such thin bricks to be assembled and handled with comparative ease
Implementation Method 4
The spaces between the thin bricks are filled with grout to seal these spaces against moisture, etc.
Implementation Method 5
The term 'grout' should be understood to include both the conventional thin, cementitious mortar used for filling joints in masonry as well as chemicals that solidify, such as polyurethanes, room temperature vulcanizing silicones, other elastomers, plastics, and the like
Data Source
AI summary
A fiber enforced sheet for use as a wall or floor covering which comprises of adhered thin bricks bonded to a fiber-reinforced, backing layer. Thin brick is adhered to the fiber enforced sheet. The fiber enforced backing increases strength and rigidity to the thin brick during handling, and installation permits the thin bricks to be adhered to proper specification and spacing to be cut using ordinary tile or thin brick tools.