Interlocking Floor Panels With Partial Edge Locking Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floor coverings made of tiles, particularly ceramic or natural stone, are labor-intensive to install and require professional expertise, and the use of adhesives complicates the installation process, making it costly and difficult to replace individual tiles without damaging adjacent ones.
Innovation Solution
A floor element with coupling elements featuring a tongue and groove design, where the locking surfaces are partially devoid to reduce sliding friction, allowing for easy angling and joining of panels without adhesive, and incorporating a support layer made of polymeric or mineral-based materials for improved maneuverability and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If adhesive compound is used to attach tiles to the surface, then the bond strength and sound attenuation are improved, but the installation becomes labor intensive and requires high professional competence
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the adhesive compound from the flooring system, replacing it with a mechanical coupling system consisting of tongues and grooves with locking surfaces. This allows the tiles to be attached to the surface and to each other through direct mechanical engagement rather than chemical bonding, thereby simplifying installation while maintaining strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a support layer as an intermediary element between the tiles and the surface. This support layer incorporates coupling elements (tongues and grooves) that facilitate mechanical connection, serving as a mediator that enables both strong bonding and easy installation without requiring professional adhesive application skills.
2Reliability
If adhesive is used to bond tiles to the subfloor, then sound attenuation is improved, but the removal and replacement of individual tiles becomes difficult and damaging
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the connection system into discrete mechanical coupling elements (tongues and grooves with locking surfaces) that can be independently engaged and disengaged. This allows individual tiles to be removed and replaced by simply releasing the mechanical lock without affecting adjacent tiles, unlike adhesive bonding where removal damages the entire assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical coupling system allows for easy discarding (removal) and recovering (reinstallation) of individual tiles. The locking surfaces can be disengaged without damage, enabling tile replacement while preserving both the removed tile and the surrounding flooring structure.
3Strength
If locking surfaces extend along the entire edge length, then the resistance to drifting apart is improved, but the sliding friction during installation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by providing locking surfaces only at specific locations (first and second locking surfaces at opposite ends) rather than along the entire edge length. This creates zones of high locking strength at the ends while maintaining low friction in the intermediate regions, enabling easy sliding during installation while preventing drifting when installed.
4Stability of the object's composition
If tongue and groove coupling elements are provided on all four sides, then the structural integrity is improved, but the installation complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces asymmetry in the coupling element configuration by providing locking surfaces only on opposite sides (first and third sides) rather than symmetrically on all four sides. This asymmetric design maintains sufficient structural integrity through the opposing locking pairs while simplifying the installation process by reducing the number of coupling interactions required.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies partial action by providing coupling elements with locking surfaces on only two opposite sides rather than all four sides. This partial configuration is sufficient to achieve the required structural integrity and stability while significantly reducing installation complexity and time compared to full-perimeter coupling.
Data Source
AI summary
A floor element for forming a floor covering. The floor element has a support layer which is provided with coupling elements on at least a first pair of opposite sides. The coupling elements on the first pair of opposite sides are in the form of a tongue extending along a length of the first edge and a groove extending along a length of the second edge. The tongue is provided with a first locking surface and the groove is provided with a second locking surface, the first and second surfaces being intended to prevent two joined elements from drifting apart in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the joined edge. The first locking surface extends along a portion of the first edge length and/or the second locking surface extends along only a portion of the second edge length.