Modular Floor Support Element Nested Stacking Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plane supporting elements for modular raised and ventilated floors are bulky when stacked and require excessive plastic material for production, limiting their vertical compactness and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A new modular supporting element with a plane base, concentric circular projections, and lateral extensions with male and female coupling elements, allowing for compact stacking and reduced plastic usage, while maintaining structural integrity and alignment of cylindrical elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If known plane supporting elements are stacked, then they can be stored and transported efficiently, but they form a pile with considerable overall vertical dimensions
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting element is designed with a cylindrical portion that can receive and accommodate another supporting element inside it, creating a nested configuration when stacked. This nesting principle allows multiple elements to be stored in a compact vertical space, significantly reducing the overall height of the stack compared to traditional side-by-side stacking methods.
2Reliability
If known plane supporting elements are designed to accommodate cylindrical elements, then structural stability is achieved, but a large amount of plastic material is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting element is divided into distinct functional segments: a base portion for ground contact, a cylindrical portion for accommodating columnar elements, and projection elements for positioning. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently, using material only where structurally necessary, thereby reducing overall plastic consumption while maintaining stability.
Solution Approach 2:
Material distribution is optimized by providing structural reinforcement only in specific locations where needed - such as the cylindrical portion for housing columnar elements and the projections for positioning - rather than uniformly throughout the entire component. This localized reinforcement approach minimizes plastic usage while ensuring structural integrity at critical points.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention is a new supporting element for cylindrical or column-shaped elements of modular elements for making raised and/or ventilated floors, comprising projections (R1, R2) arranged along two concentric circles centred on said plane base (B) and suited to define the seat in which the lower end of the cylindrical or column-shaped elements is inserted and housed. Holes (O1, O2) or openings are provided between each pair of consecutive projections (R1, R2), said holes (O1, O2) being suited to allow identical projections (R1, R2) of an identical supporting element to pass therethrough.