Insulated Floor System with Grooved Base and Foam Rails
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional basement and slab on grade floor systems face issues such as cold floors, hardness, and difficulty in making changes after the concrete slab is poured, which can require jack-hammering and do not account for frost protection in cold climates.
Innovation Solution
An insulating floor system comprising a grooved base layer, transverse and parallel peripheral edge rails, and interior rails made from foam, which eliminates the need for a concrete slab by providing insulation and allowing for frost-protected concrete footings without extending below the frost line.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a concrete slab is poured for basement or grade floors, then the floor provides structural support and durability, but the floor becomes cold and hard, reducing comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines foam insulation material with a concrete topping layer to create a composite floor system. The foam provides thermal insulation and cushioning for comfort, while the concrete topping provides structural support and durability. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by integrating materials with complementary properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor system is divided into distinct layers: an underlying foam insulation layer and an upper concrete topping layer. This segmentation allows each layer to perform its specialized function - the foam for insulation and comfort, the concrete for structural support - thereby resolving the contradiction between comfort and strength.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a concrete slab is poured early in construction, then the floor structure is established, but making changes later requires jack-hammering the slab
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the structural support function (concrete topping) from the insulation function (foam layer), the patent enables easier modifications. The concrete topping can be locally removed and replaced without affecting the underlying foam insulation, allowing plumbing and other changes without jack-hammering through the entire slab.
Solution Approach 2:
The concrete topping layer can be selectively removed or extracted from specific areas to accommodate changes in plumbing or electrical systems, while the foam insulation layer remains intact. This extraction approach allows modifications without destabilizing the overall floor structure.
3Reliability
If concrete footings extend below the frost line, then frost protection is provided, but the construction requires deeper excavation and more extensive concrete
Solution Approach 1:
The foam insulation layer acts as an intermediary thermal barrier between the concrete footing and the frozen ground. This intermediary layer prevents heat transfer that would cause freezing, allowing the footing to remain above the frost line while still providing frost protection. This eliminates the need for deep excavation and reduces concrete volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical solution of extending concrete footings below the frost line with a thermal insulation approach using foam material. Instead of relying on depth for frost protection, the system uses thermal barriers to prevent freezing, thereby reducing the quantity of concrete required.
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 system provides a comfortable, insulated floor that prevents freezing of concrete footings, allows for easier modifications without damaging existing slabs, and reduces the need for extensive concrete, thus lowering construction costs and environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
the insulative properties of the foam components holds heat radiated from the ground, preventing freezing
Data Source
AI summary
Insulating floor system including (i) a grooved base layer formed from base layer grooved portions, (ii) a transverse peripheral edge rail formed from transverse peripheral edge rail portions, (iii) a parallel peripheral edge rail formed from parallel peripheral edge rail portions, and (iv) interior rails formed from interior rail portions. The base layer includes grooves in an upper surface. Each of the transverse peripheral edge rail portions include a plurality of downwardly projecting mating protrusions that mate within the base layer grooves. Each of the parallel peripheral edge rail portions include a downwardly projecting protrusion that mates within a peripheral groove of the base layer. At least one of the interior rails can be a locking rail, where locking rail portions defining the locking rail include a plurality of downwardly projecting mating protrusions that mate within terminal grooves of adjacent base layer grooved portions, locking such portions together.