Glazed Engineered Stone Slabs With Continuous Edge Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current high-density solid surface materials are prone to UV degradation, staining, and require periodic sealing, limiting their use to interior applications and lacking design continuity over edges, while existing exterior materials have limited color palettes and require on-site cutting for fitting.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a high-density quartz-based material mixed with Al2O3 and ZrO2, extruded, densified, and fired to create a monolithic slab that is UV-resistant, stain-resistant, and can be pre-glazed for artistic designs, allowing for custom, pre-cut installation with minimal on-site work and design continuity over edges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If natural granite is used for its hardness and beautiful appearance, then aesthetic quality and durability are improved, but the material becomes porous and prone to staining and mold growth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials by combining crushed crystalline quartz (93-98% by weight) with polymer binders (2-7% by weight) to create an engineered stone composite. This composite structure achieves the hardness and aesthetic quality of natural granite while the polymer matrix fills pores and creates a non-porous surface that resists staining and mold growth, thus resolving the contradiction between natural beauty and porosity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the particle size distribution of quartz (mixing different mesh sizes from -50 to +20 USS mesh) and the polymer binder content (2-7% by weight) to optimize both hardness and porosity. The specific parameter range of 93-98% quartz content ensures sufficient hardness while the controlled polymer content (2-7%) creates a dense matrix that eliminates porosity, resolving the contradiction between strength and staining resistance.
2Ease of manufacture
If polymer matrix bonded engineered materials are used for ease of manufacture and design flexibility, then manufacturing ease and design versatility are improved, but UV resistance and long-term durability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the polymer binder content within 2-7% by weight and using specific polymer types (acrylic, polyester, or polyurethane) to achieve a balance between manufacturing flexibility and UV resistance. This optimized parameter range maintains ease of manufacture while significantly improving UV stability compared to conventional formulations with higher polymer content.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by creating a quartz-polymer composite where the high quartz content (93-98%) provides UV stability and durability, while the minor polymer component (2-7%) provides manufacturing flexibility and design versatility. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by making the polymer content sufficient for processing but limited enough to prevent UV degradation.
3Reliability
If high temperature firing is used to create exterior-grade materials, then UV resistance and durability are improved, but color palette and design flexibility are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the firing temperature range (1000-1500°C) and residence time to achieve partial vitrification without complete melting. This optimized parameter range allows the material to develop UV resistance through surface glassification while preserving the colorants and design features, resolving the contradiction between durability and design flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating a surface layer with different properties than the bulk material. The surface undergoes partial vitrification during firing to provide UV resistance and durability, while the underlying bulk material retains its full color palette and design features. This localized property differentiation resolves the contradiction between exterior-grade durability and design versatility.
4Manufacturing precision
If pre-cutting is performed before glazing to enable custom installation, then installation precision is improved, but design continuity over edges is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing all cutting, shaping, and edge profiling operations before the glazing process. This sequence allows precise custom installation preparation while ensuring that the subsequent glaze application creates continuous design coverage over all edges and surfaces, resolving the contradiction between installation precision and design continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies continuity of useful action by ensuring the glaze application process covers all surfaces including cut edges and profiled areas in a continuous manner. The glaze is applied to wrap around edges and maintain design continuity across all visible surfaces, regardless of where cuts or profiles were made, thus resolving the contradiction between precision cutting and design continuity.
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 resulting product is dimensionally stable, resistant to UV fading, staining, and culinary acids, with artistic design capabilities, suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, offering a wide range of colors and textures without the need for on-site cutting or sealing.
Implementation Method 1
A method involving a high-density quartz-based material mixed with Al2O3 and ZrO2, extruded, densified, and fired
Implementation Method 2
A method involving a high-density quartz-based material mixed with Al2O3 and ZrO2, extruded, densified, and fired
Implementation Method 3
high temperature-fired engineered materials involving vitrification, sintering, semi-sintering, or some degree of surface softening of component particulates
Implementation Method 4
high temperature-fired engineered materials involving vitrification, sintering, semi-sintering, or some degree of surface softening of component particulates
Data Source
AI summary
Pre-fabricated, custom pre-designed, high-density engineered solid surface products, including countertops and other architectural surfaces such as vertical wall surfaces and decorative panels and a method of manufacture of unitary custom-fit interior and exterior engineered solid surface products that are stain resistant, moisture impervious, UV resistant, acid resistant, dimensionally stable, abrasion and impact resistant, and are glazed to produce unique decorative and utilitarian surfaces in a wide range of colors and textures, including artistic, one-of-a-kind works. The glaze surface includes exterior vertical edges on countertops and back-splashes that are continuous with the top surface color and design. Optional flaming (open flame treatment or “flame painting”) or texturing of the post-glazed surface produces in a wide range of finishes, including a leather-look finish for crazed glazes. The invention includes custom-glazed monolithic engineered solid surface products that do not require site cutting, as a result of the inventive process.