Laminated Foam Composite Backer Board for Waterproof Tile Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional backer boards for wet space construction are permeable to moisture, heavy, difficult to install, and lack the necessary flexural strength and stiffness, requiring additional waterproofing membranes and skilled labor, while polymer foam boards need reliable laminating methods to support tile applications.
Innovation Solution
A laminated foam composite backer board with polymeric film facers and a fibrous fabric layer between the film and foam core, using extrusion lamination to create a robust adhesive bond, ensuring high strength, stiffness, and waterproofness, eliminating the need for additional waterproofing and skilled labor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional backer boards are used, then they provide rigidity and flexural strength for tile application, but they are permeable to moisture requiring additional waterproofing membranes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite structure combining rigid foam core with fabric layers and adhesive coatings. The foam provides lightweight moisture resistance while the fabric-adhesive composite provides the necessary flexural strength and mortar bondability, eliminating the need for separate waterproofing membranes.
2Stability of the object's composition
If conventional backer boards are used, then they provide necessary rigidity, but they are heavy and difficult to cut and install
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite material system where the rigid foam core provides lightweight properties and moisture resistance, while the fabric layers with adhesive coatings provide the necessary rigidity and structural stability. This composite approach achieves the required rigidity with significantly reduced weight compared to conventional cement-based backer boards.
3Weight of moving object
If polymer foam backer boards are used, then they are lightweight and intrinsically waterproof, but they lack the necessary flexural strength and stiffness to support tile application
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite structure where the rigid foam core provides lightweight and waterproof properties, while the added fabric layers with adhesive coatings provide the necessary flexural strength and stiffness. The fabric acts as a reinforcement layer that bridges the foam core, significantly increasing the composite board's flexural strength to support tile applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies fabric layers and adhesive coatings specifically at the surfaces of the foam core where strength and mortar bondability are needed, while the interior foam core maintains its lightweight and waterproof properties. This local quality approach optimizes each layer's function without compromising the overall lightweight characteristic.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional backer boards are used, then they provide mortar-bondable surfaces, but they require highly skilled workers and significant installation time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates fabric layers with adhesive coatings that provide inherent mortar bondability. The fabric structure with its surface characteristics creates excellent mechanical interlocking with thin-set mortar, eliminating the need for additional waterproofing membranes and reducing installation complexity and time.
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 laminated foam composite backer board provides lightweight, easy-to-install, waterproof, and mortar-bondable surfaces, suitable for tile applications without additional membranes, reducing installation time and costs, and preventing mold growth.
Implementation Method 1
a first fabric layer fixed to the face of the rigid foam core with a polymeric adhesive
Implementation Method 2
using extrusion lamination to create a robust adhesive bond
Data Source
AI summary
A composite backer board for wet space construction is disclosed, along with a method of producing the backer board. The board includes a rigid foam core of a suitable thickness for wet space construction. A first fabric layer is fixed to at least one face of the rigid foam core with a polymeric adhesive. A first polymer layer is on the first fabric layer in which the polymer layer is dimensionally stable parallel to the face of the rigid foam core. A second fabric layer is on the first polymer layer opposite the first fabric layer and forms a first face that is amenable to thin set mortar and related compositions in wet space construction.