Floor Element Components with Entity-Forming Means for Random Bond Patterns

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing floor elements, particularly those used for floating floor coverings, face challenges in installation comfort and aesthetic appeal due to their large size requirements, which contradict the desire for smaller, more decorative elements. Smaller elements are costly and prone to warping, making installation difficult, and current solutions like rectangular multi-plank elements lack a random bond pattern and are difficult to package.

Innovation Solution

The development of floor elements with components that can adopt multiple positions, allowing for a random bond pattern and easier installation, featuring entity-forming means that enable components to shift and angle relative to each other, providing increased installation flexibility and aesthetic options while maintaining stability and ease of handling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If floor elements are made large to increase installation comfort and reduce installation time, then installation productivity is improved, but aesthetic appeal deteriorates due to inability to achieve random bond pattern

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinstallation productivityVSAvoidaesthetic appeal

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The floor element is divided into multiple components (first component and second component) that can be positioned independently. This segmentation allows the components to form random bond patterns while maintaining the overall large size of the floor element for efficient installation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The components are designed to adopt multiple positions relative to each other, transforming the static floor element into a dynamic system. This enables the components to be arranged in random bond patterns during installation while maintaining structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If floor elements are made small to achieve better aesthetic appearance and random bond pattern, then aesthetic appeal is improved, but installation cost increases due to higher installation time and difficulty

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaesthetic appealVSAvoidinstallation productivity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple components are merged into a single floor element unit that is handled and installed as one piece. This combining approach maintains the aesthetic benefits of multiple components while achieving the installation efficiency of large floor elements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The floor element design provides multiple functions: it maintains large size for easy handling and efficient installation, while simultaneously enabling random bond patterns through multiple positionable components, thus serving both installation efficiency and aesthetic requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If floor elements are made small to achieve decorative effect, then aesthetic appeal is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to warping around perpendicular axis

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaesthetic appealVSAvoiddimensional stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The solution moves from considering only the planar arrangement of small components to utilizing the vertical dimension by allowing components to adopt different positions and orientations. This dimensional change enables random bond patterns without requiring uniformly small components that are prone to warping.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

4Adaptability or versatility

If rectangular multi-plank elements are used to provide multiple decorative portions, then aesthetic appeal is improved, but device complexity increases due to inability to achieve random bond pattern

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaesthetic appealVSAvoidstructural complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The floor element design introduces asymmetry by allowing components to adopt multiple different positions relative to each other, breaking the symmetry of traditional rectangular multi-plank elements. This asymmetry enables random bond patterns while maintaining structural simplicity through standardized coupling means.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentUS10100532B2Floor element, locking system for floor elements, floor covering and method for composing such floor elements to a floor covering

Publication Date: 2018.10.16 UNILIN BV

AI summary

Floor element of the type which, at least at two opposite edges, comprises coupling means enabling two of such floor elements to cooperate with each other at the respective edges, wherein the floor element comprises at least two components, as well as entity-forming means, which, starting from the aforementioned components, can form an entity including the components, wherein said components can adopt at least two mutual positions, whether or not by means of the disruption of the entity formed by said entity-forming means.