Floor Panel Element with High-Melting-Point Fiber Barrier

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing floor panel systems, particularly those used in storage facilities, face challenges in ensuring both fire retardancy and mechanical stress resistance due to the addition of flame retardants, which compromise the interlocking of chips and reduce load capacity, and additional fire-resistant layers that diminish the particle board's load-accommodating capabilities.

Innovation Solution

A floor panel element comprising a particle board with a barrier layer of high-melting-point fibers, such as glass fibers, embedded in a meltable resin, applied on the bottom side, which forms an intimate connection with the particle board and decorative paper, enhancing flame retardancy and mechanical properties while maintaining a low thickness and high load capacity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If flame retardants are scattered into the particle board to achieve fire-retarding quality, then fire protection is improved, but stress capacity and load capacity deteriorate due to impaired interlocking of chips

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefire protectionVSAvoidstress capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The fire protection function is segmented from the particle board structure itself and placed into a separate barrier layer. This layer contains high-melting-point fibers (900-1150°C) embedded in a meltable resin matrix, creating a distinct fire-protection component that does not interfere with the particle board's internal chip interlocking and mechanical strength.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The barrier layer employs a composite material structure combining inorganic high-melting-point fibers with an organic meltable resin. This composite provides fire protection through the high-melting-point fibers while the resin matrix allows for intimate bonding to the particle board and decorative paper, achieving both fire safety and mechanical integrity without compromising the particle board's load capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Object-affected harmful factors

If additional layers of fire-resistant material are added to achieve flame retardancy, then fire protection is improved, but load capacity deteriorates due to reduced particle board layer thickness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflame retardancyVSAvoidload capacity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The barrier layer is designed as a thin film structure (200-300 g/m² grammage) that provides effective fire protection without requiring substantial thickness. The high-melting-point fiber network within this thin layer creates an effective thermal barrier, allowing the particle board to maintain its full thickness and load-accommodating capabilities while still achieving fire-retardant performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the key parameter of fire protection from requiring thick layers of fire-resistant material to using a thin barrier layer with high-melting-point fibers. This parameter change enables the barrier layer to be applied on the bottom side of the particle board without reducing the particle board thickness, thereby preserving load capacity while achieving flame retardancy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Object-affected harmful factors

If a metal foil barrier layer is used for flame retardancy, then fire protection is achieved, but thermal conductivity increases compared to fiber-based barriers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefire protectionVSAvoidthermal conductivity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The barrier layer utilizes a porous, fibrous structure with high-melting-point fibers embedded in a resin matrix. This porous fiber network creates numerous air pockets and tortuous heat paths, significantly reducing thermal conductivity compared to dense metal foils. The random-laid fabric structure of glass fibers specifically provides effective thermal insulation while maintaining fire protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces expensive metal foils with more economical high-melting-point fiber materials such as glass fibers or ceramic fibers. These fiber-based barriers provide equivalent or superior fire protection with lower thermal conductivity, making them a more energy-efficient and cost-effective solution for flame-retardant floor panel elements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

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 achieves improved fire protection and mechanical stability, allowing for safe evacuation in case of fire, with a high elasticity modulus and flexural strength, meeting stringent fire protection standards and ensuring static stress resistance, while maintaining a standard thickness and reducing thermal conductivity.

Implementation Method 1

the barrier layer has a lower thermal conductivity than a metal foil... The fibres may more particularly be glass fibres, ceramic fibres or other non-metallic fibres of low thermal conductivity

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal insulation: Thermal Insulation

Implementation Method 2

a random-laid fabric composed of glass fibres embedded in a meltable/fusible substance, for example a resin... by exposure to pressure and temperature in a press, the barrier layer is able to form an intimate connection

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMelting: Melting

Data Source

PatentEP4389412A1Floor panel element for a storage platform
Publication Date: 2024.06.26 UNILIN BV
  • EP4389412A1 patent drawingFigure 1A~2
  • EP4389412A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4389412A1 patent drawing

AI summary

The invention relates to a floor panel element (1) for a storage platform, with following features: - a particle board (2), - a barrier layer (3) for flame retardancy, disposed on the bottom side of the particle board (2) and comprising fibres (3.1) having a melting point of more than 500°C.