Floating Tile Flooring with Perimeter Coping Constraint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional tile flooring methods require specialized skills and tools, making it difficult for carpenters and framers to efficiently install floating tile systems on exterior decks and staircases, as they lack the necessary knowledge and equipment for porcelain tile installations, and existing solutions for finishing edges do not align well with floating tile installations.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising floating field tiles with a mat separating them from the structural base, a coping system with brackets and tiles to inhibit lateral movement, and a skirting system with brackets and clips for secure installation, allowing for efficient and aesthetically pleasing coverage of structural bases and staircases without the need for specialized tools or skills.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional adhesive mortar and grout methods are used to install tile floors, then the tiles are securely bonded to the structural base, but the installation process becomes technically difficult, slow, and expensive requiring specialized skills
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the flooring into modular floating tiles that can be independently installed without requiring adhesive bonding between each tile and the substrate, enabling faster installation while maintaining structural integrity through the interlocking tile design
Solution Approach 2:
The patent removes the adhesive mortar and grout components from the installation process entirely, extracting the bonding function and replacing it with a mechanical floating tile system that achieves security through friction and perimeter constraints rather than chemical adhesion
2Productivity
If floating tiles are used on an elevated structural base, then installation becomes faster and easier, but the exposed edges allow the tiles to slide laterally on the structural base
Solution Approach 1:
The coping system provides localized constraint at the perimeter edges of the floating tile field, allowing the center tiles to float freely for easy installation while preventing lateral movement at the boundaries where stability is needed
Solution Approach 2:
The coping tiles and brackets act as an intermediary element between the floating tiles and the structural base, providing a mechanical constraint that prevents lateral sliding while maintaining the floating nature of the tile installation
3Strength
If traditional coping or skirting materials like wood or plastic are used to finish structural base edges, then the edges are robust and aesthetically pleasing, but these materials do not meet the quality requirements of porcelain tile flooring systems
Solution Approach 1:
The coping tiles are made from the same porcelain or mineral material as the floating field tiles, creating a homogeneous appearance and quality level throughout the entire flooring system, eliminating the visual and quality discontinuity between different materials
4Reliability
If conventional adhesive mortar and grout installation methods are used, then tiles can be securely installed, but the process requires specialized tools and skills beyond the ability of most installers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex chemical adhesive and grout system with a simplified mechanical floating tile system that uses friction, gravity, and perimeter constraints to achieve secure installation without requiring specialized knowledge of adhesive application or grout setting
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods of covering structural bases are described herein. The systems include a plurality of floating field tiles arranged to cover a top surface of the structural base, a mat positioned between a bottom surface of at least one of the floating field tiles and a top surface of the structural base and a coping system secured to the top surface of the structural base. The coping system has an upper edge that is level with or below a top surface of the floating field tiles and forms a fixed perimeter around the plurality of floating field tiles to inhibit lateral movement of the plurality of floating field tiles.