Heated Floor Support Structure With Integrated Cable Cavities
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional flooring systems with separate heating structures for heated floors are costly, time-consuming to install, and can result in uneven surfaces due to additional layers, customization requirements, and difficulties in modifying designs without voiding warranties.
Innovation Solution
A combined support structure that integrates floor decoupling functionality with heating cable support, featuring protrusions, cavities, and slots to accommodate heating cables, eliminating the need for separate heating structures and allowing for flexible installation and adaptation to various floor shapes and layouts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate heating structure (mat or panel) is added between the subfloor and main floor, then heating cable support is provided, but the device complexity increases and installation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the support structure and heating structure into a single integrated unit. The support structure includes protrusions that form cavities for receiving heating cables, eliminating the need for separate heating mats or panels. This merging reduces the number of layers from multiple separate components to one unified structure, directly resolving the technical contradiction between providing heating cable support and reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The support structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical support for the main floor, decouples the subfloor from the main floor to prevent cracking, and incorporates cavities to hold heating cables. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate heating structures, reducing both device complexity and installation time while maintaining reliable heating cable support.
2Reliability
If a separate heating structure (mat or panel) is added between the subfloor and main floor, then heating cable support is provided, but the loss of time increases due to additional installation steps
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the support structure and heating structure into one integrated component, the installation process is simplified. Instead of installing separate support plates and then adding heating mats or panels on top, the heating cables are directly placed into the cavities of the support structure during the same installation step, significantly reducing installation time.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating cable cavities are pre-formed as part of the support structure during manufacturing. This preliminary action eliminates the need for on-site installation of separate heating structures, allowing installers to simply place the heating cables into the pre-formed cavities, thereby reducing installation time and labor requirements.
3Device complexity
If heating cable cavities are added to the support structure, then the heating structure is simplified, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure is divided into multiple standardized units, each with cavities positioned at regular intervals. This segmentation allows for modular manufacturing, where each unit can be produced with consistent cavity positioning using automated molding processes. The standardized geometry of the cavities simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces the impact of precision requirements compared to custom-formed cavities.
Solution Approach 2:
The cavities are designed with standardized dimensions and positions that can be easily formed during the molding process. By optimizing the cavity geometry and positioning parameters, the manufacturing precision requirements are minimized while still providing adequate support for the heating cables. The cavities are designed to accommodate typical heating cable diameters with sufficient tolerance.
Data Source
AI summary
A floor support structure is disclosed. According to an example of the disclosure, the support structure may include a surface, protrusions extending from the surface to form cavities between the protrusions, and openings adjacent to the protrusions to form pathways to the cavities. The support structure provides the openings and cavities to lay a cable in any desired configuration, in addition to the structure's established function to prevent a main floor from fracture or failure when an underlying subfloor shifts or settles. As such, the need for separate heating and support structures is eliminated.