Gradient Mineral Component With Interconnected Cavities for Weight Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional solid structural components made of materials like concrete, mortar, or clay have homogeneous compositions, leading to inefficient weight reduction and resource consumption, with limited cavity creation and recycling challenges due to fixed hollow body arrangements and reinforcement methods.

Innovation Solution

A component with a gradient structure featuring interconnected cavities formed by hollow bodies, allowing for adjustable cavity sizes and densities, integrated reinforcement, and functionalization for temperature control and ventilation, using mineral materials like concrete, reinforced concrete, or clay, with fluidic connections and adjustable openings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a gradient component is designed as a single continuous structure, then manufacturing is simpler, but it cannot provide independent control of different flow paths and lacks flexibility for customized blood flow patterns

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflexibility for customized blood flow patternsVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The gradient component is divided into multiple separate cavities (first cavity, second cavity, third cavity) that are fluidly interconnected through channels. Each cavity can be independently designed and optimized for specific flow patterns, allowing customized blood flow management while maintaining overall structural coherence through the interconnecting channels.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple separate components are used to create different flow paths, then flow control flexibility is improved, but manufacturing complexity and assembly difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveindependent control of different flow pathsVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple cavities that could be separate components are merged into a single integrated structure with fluid connections. The first, second, and third cavities are connected through channels formed within the same continuous material body, allowing independent flow control in each cavity while being manufactured as one piece, thereby reducing assembly complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Adaptability or versatility

If a single homogeneous structure is used, then manufacturing is easier, but it cannot provide zone-specific properties for different blood flow regions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvezone-specific properties for different blood flow regionsVSAvoidstructural heterogeneity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The gradient component exhibits different properties in different zones: the first cavity has properties optimized for initial blood flow, the second cavity for intermediate flow, and the third cavity for final flow distribution. These zones are separated by walls and connected through channels, allowing each region to have customized properties tailored to its specific blood flow requirements while being part of a unified structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4162119B1Component, in particular gradient component, comprising fluidically interconnected cavities
Publication Date: 2026.04.29 STUDIO WERNER SOBEK GMBH
  • EP4162119B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4162119B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4162119B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a component (10), preferably a gradient component, made of mineral material, said component comprising at least one reinforcement (202, 204, 205, 903) and a plurality of cavities (1) which are formed by a plurality of hollow articles (100) integrated into the component (10). The component (10) is characterised in particular in that the individual hollow articles (100) have at least one cavity opening (2), and the cavities (1) are fluidically connected to one another via the cavity openings (2), preferably in order to allow a fluid to flow through the cavities (1).