Composite Flooring Insert for Trailer Traction and Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional wood planks used as flooring in applications like automobile trailers lack improved traction, wear resistance, and structural support, especially when exposed to heavy cargo and outdoor environments.
Innovation Solution
A flooring apparatus featuring an elongated member with a cutout portion and an insert, where the insert is secured within the cutout, providing improved traction, wear resistance, and structural support, with options for materials like polymer or recycled rubber, and attachment mechanisms such as adhesives and mechanical fasteners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional wood planks are used as flooring, then the flooring is lightweight and replaceable, but the flooring lacks improved traction, wear resistance, and structural support
Solution Approach 1:
The flooring apparatus combines a wood plank base with an insert made of different material (polymer, recycled rubber, or metal) to create a composite structure. This composite material approach provides improved traction, wear resistance, and structural support while maintaining the lightweight and replaceable nature of the original wood plank system.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of making the entire flooring structure more complex, the insert is positioned only in specific areas where improved traction and wear resistance are needed. The insert can be placed in cutout portions or attached to specific zones of the wood plank, providing localized enhancement without requiring complete structural redesign.
2Reliability
If the insert is secured within the cutout portion using attachment mechanisms, then the flooring provides improved traction and wear resistance, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The cutout portion is pre-formed in the wood plank before the insert is installed. This preliminary action allows the insert to be securely attached using adhesives or mechanical fasteners without requiring complex on-site manufacturing processes. The pre-formed cutout ensures proper fit and alignment, simplifying the overall manufacturing and installation process.
3Strength
If the flooring is designed to support heavy cargo, then the structural support is improved, but the weight of the flooring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The combination of wood plank and insert creates a composite flooring system that leverages the high strength-to-weight ratio of both materials. The wood provides baseline structural support while the insert (particularly if made of polymer or recycled rubber) adds reinforcement without proportionally increasing overall weight, thereby improving load bearing capacity efficiently.
Data Source
AI summary
A flooring apparatus and method of making the same are provided. The apparatus and method, in one embodiment, may include providing an elongated member having a top surface. A first adhesive is deposited about a perimeter of the top surface of the elongated member. A second adhesive is deposited within the perimeter of the top surface of the elongated member, with the second adhesive having a lower viscosity than the first adhesive and being retained within the perimeter by the first adhesive. A friction-increasing member is then heated to a pre-heat temperature. The friction-increasing member is disposed on the first and second adhesive to form the flooring apparatus. The flooring apparatus is then cured at a curing temperature, in one embodiment, that is greater than the pre-heat temperature.