Insulated Brick Cavity Design with Standardized Insulating Elements

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing brick production methods face challenges in efficiently producing bricks of different lengths and widths with effective insulation properties, as they require varying amounts of insulating materials and often suffer from inadequate adhesion and durability issues, leading to suboptimal thermal and sound insulation.

Innovation Solution

The method involves creating bricks with cavities of identical width and varying lengths, allowing for the use of standardized insulating material elements that fit frictionally, ensuring consistent insulation across different brick sizes and enhancing adhesion through surface roughness and projections, thereby improving thermal and sound insulation performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If bricks of different lengths and widths are produced with varying cavity configurations, then insulation performance can be optimized for each size, but manufacturing complexity and material inventory requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinsulation performanceVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies universality by designing standardized insulating material elements with uniform cross-sectional dimensions that can be used across all brick sizes. The insulating elements have a standard width and thickness that match the standardized cavity dimensions, allowing the same element design to be inserted into cavities of different lengths depending on the brick size, thereby reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining insulation performance

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

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the insulation requirement into standardized modular insulating material elements that can be independently produced and inserted into cavities. These segmented elements with uniform cross-sections allow for simplified production while achieving the required insulation performance across various brick dimensions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of manufacture

If loose insulating material is used in cavities, then filling is simplified, but the material may fall out during cutting or construction, reducing reliability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefilling simplicityVSAvoidmaterial retention
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a shell-like structure by forming the insulating material into continuous or segmented elements that wrap around or fit within the cavity geometry. This shell-like configuration allows the insulating material to remain contained within the cavity even when bricks are cut or moved, preventing material loss while maintaining ease of installation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes curved or contoured surfaces on the insulating material elements that match the cavity geometry. The curved surfaces create friction and mechanical interlocking that prevent the insulating material from falling out during handling or cutting, while still allowing for relatively simple filling processes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Reliability

If additional projections or clamping elements are added to cavities to secure insulating material, then adhesion improves, but brick production complexity and potential damage during manufacturing increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadhesionVSAvoidbrick production complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by providing roughening or projections only in specific localized areas of the cavity where insulating material contact is needed, rather than complicating the entire brick structure. This localized treatment enhances adhesion while minimizing impact on brick production complexity and structural integrity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses surface roughening or projections that replicate natural friction and mechanical interlocking principles, creating a simplified geometric pattern that effectively secures the insulating material without requiring complex additional components or manufacturing steps

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

4Reliability

If different configurations of insulating materials are kept for different brick sizes, then insulation optimization is achieved, but inventory complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinsulation optimizationVSAvoidmaterial inventory variety
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent achieves universality by designing insulating material elements with standardized cross-sectional dimensions that can serve multiple brick sizes. The same insulating element design with uniform width and thickness can be used across different brick configurations by varying only the length or number of elements, thereby reducing inventory variety while maintaining insulation optimization

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

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

This approach enables the production of bricks with improved thermal conductivity (≤0.034 W/mK) and sound insulation, allowing for efficient, cost-effective, and durable insulation solutions without compromising fire resistance, even when cut or subjected to construction site conditions.

Implementation Method 1

the shaped body is inserted into the cavity with a friction fit

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP1752592B1Method of making bricks and brick system made by this method
Publication Date: 2016.08.17 DEUT ROCKWOOL MINERALWOLL GMBH
  • EP1752592B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1752592B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1752592B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing bricks of different lengths and widths, wherein each brick has a substantially cubic body having a height, length, and width, wherein the width of the cubic body corresponds to an integer fraction, in particular 1/1, 1/2, or 1/3, of the thickness of a wall made from a plurality of bricks, and wherein the cubic body has several, at least two, cavities separated from each other by webs, each having a length and a width, which at least partially serve to hold an insulating material, wherein each brick is manufactured from a starting material forming the cavities, and which is characterized in thatthat all cavities in the bricks of different widths are created by webs of a predetermined width between the cavities, which have an identical width and preferably a defined volume. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a brick manufactured according to the invention.