Keyed Honeycomb Slab Support for Lightweight Reinforcement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Delicate stone and porcelain slabs are prone to breaking during fabrication and transportation due to their fragility, requiring expensive machinery and posing safety risks, while existing reinforcement methods like plywood and concrete are heavy, difficult to handle, and prone to warping or cracking.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight, portable slab support system with interconnectable honeycomb panels made from high-durability aluminum, featuring a wave pattern for keyed engagement, provides structural reinforcement to delicate slabs, allowing manual handling and installation without complex equipment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If plywood sheets or concrete are applied to reinforce delicate slabs, then structural integrity is improved, but weight increases making manual manipulation impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement system is divided into multiple individual panels rather than a single large sheet. Each panel is sized and weighted for manual handling, yet collectively they provide full coverage reinforcement across the entire slab surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses thin, flexible reinforcement panels made from lightweight materials that can conform to the slab surface while providing necessary structural support. These thin panels maintain strength-to-weight ratio advantages over traditional plywood or concrete alternatives.
2Reliability
If foam boards are used to absorb vibration during fabrication, then breakage during formation is reduced, but post-fabrication stability deteriorates when pieces are removed
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement panels are applied to the slab before fabrication begins, establishing a stable support system that remains in place throughout the entire fabrication process. This eliminates the need to remove and reapply support materials, maintaining both vibration protection and post-fabrication stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The reinforcement panels serve as an intermediary support system between the fabrication equipment and the delicate slab. They provide a stable interface that protects the slab during cutting operations while also ensuring stability after fabrication is complete.
3Strength
If plywood is used for reinforcement, then structural support is provided, but water absorption causes warping, rotting, and mold over time
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material parameters of the reinforcement system by selecting materials with appropriate moisture resistance properties. The panels are made from materials that do not absorb water, preventing warping, rotting, and mold growth while maintaining structural support capabilities.
4Area of stationary object
If large sheets of reinforcement material are used, then complete slab coverage is achieved, but handling and installation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement system is divided into multiple individual panels rather than a single large sheet. Each panel is sized and weighted for manual handling, yet collectively they provide full coverage reinforcement across the entire slab surface.
Data Source
AI summary
The slab support includes a first panel sized to selectively attach to a relatively delicate slab, whereby at least one side of the first panel is non-linear. A second panel of the slab support is sized to selectively attach to the relatively delicate slab simultaneously with the first panel, whereby a non-linear side of the second panel is positionable relative to the non-linear side of the first panel for keyed engagement therewith when the first panel and the second panel selectively couple to the delicate slab to provide reinforcement thereto.