Grooved Tile S-Shaped Rib for Four-Tile Corner Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing interlocking tiles face challenges in achieving high tightness, especially in four-tile meeting corners, with existing designs not effectively preventing water and snow penetration even at low inclinations.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of an edge rib flanking the plateau, merging into an S-shaped rib that connects to the inner head fold rib, creates a sealed connection and allows water to drain from the head area to the middle tile, while the S-shaped rib on the top deck rebate corner provides additional sealing and turbulence space for horizontal inflow.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the inner area of the head interlocking is lowered to enable drainage via the side interlocking, then water drainage capability is improved, but the seal tightness in the head area deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater drainage capabilityVSAvoidwater penetration in head area
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The S-shaped rib introduces a curved geometry that creates a sealed connection between the plateau and the inner head fold rib. This curved configuration prevents water from easily penetrating the head rabbet while still allowing drainage through the lowered inner area, resolving the contradiction between drainage capability and seal tightness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention adds a vertical dimension to the sealing mechanism by creating a three-dimensional sealed connection with the S-shaped rib that spans from the plateau down to the lowered inner head interlocking area. This multi-level sealing approach maintains tightness even as the inner area is lowered for drainage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of manufacture

If the tile is designed with a low covering inclination to simplify installation, then ease of installation is improved, but water and snow penetration resistance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of installationVSAvoidwater and snow penetration
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The S-shaped rib creates a curved sealed connection that effectively prevents water and snow penetration even on low inclination surfaces. The curved geometry maintains sealing effectiveness regardless of the tile's inclination angle, allowing for easier installation while preserving weather resistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the four-tile meeting corner is sealed to prevent water penetration, then seal tightness is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewater penetration in four-tile cornerVSAvoidsealing structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The S-shaped rib serves multiple functions simultaneously: it creates a sealed connection, defines the plateau boundary, and provides a turbulence space for water management. This multi-functional design achieves effective sealing in the four-tile meeting corner without requiring additional separate sealing components, thus avoiding increased complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP1854934B1Grooved tile
Publication Date: 2013.06.05 CS -COELHO SILVA
  • EP1854934B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1854934B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1854934B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The tile has an outer head grooving rib passing from a side interlocking joint to a cover grooving part (3) and a plateau (2113) present upstream to a width of the grooving part and a length of a head interlocking joint. The plateau is delimited opposite to the edge section with an L-shaped elongation rib of an outer head notch rib. The plateau is flanked by an edge rib, which is passed into an extension rib (2112) and arranged in an outer cover grooving edge (311) of the grooving part. An S-shaped rib (2114) runs over the plateau to an inner head grooving rib based on the edge rib.