Modular Flooring Anchors for Concrete-Free Temporary Structures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing modular flooring systems for military vehicles and airplanes require a solid concrete base for stable anchoring, which is resource-intensive, time-consuming, and environmentally harmful, limiting rapid deployment and flexibility, especially on irregular terrain.
Innovation Solution
A flooring assembly with modular elements and anchoring devices that allow direct installation on various soil conditions, using anchoring elements like pins or screws to distribute loads over a larger area, eliminating the need for a concrete base.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a solid concrete base is used for anchoring modular flooring, then the stability and reliability of the flooring system is improved, but the installation time and resource requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the anchoring function from the concrete base requirement by introducing removable anchoring elements (such as ground anchors, screws, or pins) that can be directly inserted into the ground. This eliminates the need for concrete foundation construction while maintaining stable anchoring of the modular flooring elements, thereby reducing installation time and resource requirements while preserving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the anchoring parameter from permanent concrete embedding to removable mechanical anchoring. By using anchoring elements with specific geometric features (threads, flutes, or expansion mechanisms) that provide sufficient grip in various soil conditions, the system achieves reliable fixation without the time-consuming concrete pouring and curing process.
2Reliability
If a solid concrete base is constructed, then the anchoring stability is improved, but the environmental impact and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs reusable anchoring elements made from durable but environmentally friendly materials that can be inserted and removed without permanent ground modification. These anchoring devices serve their purpose during deployment and can be recovered and reused, avoiding the environmental damage associated with concrete production and disposal, thereby reducing harmful factors while maintaining anchoring stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical-mechanical concrete setting process with a purely mechanical anchoring system. The anchoring elements utilize friction, expansion, or interlocking mechanisms to achieve stable fixation in the ground, eliminating the need for cementitious materials and their associated environmental impacts while preserving anchoring reliability.
3Strength
If modular flooring elements are joined with rigid connections, then the structural strength is improved, but the adaptability to irregular terrain decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces adjustable and adaptable connection mechanisms between modular flooring elements that can accommodate variations in ground level and terrain irregularities. The connections allow for limited movement or adjustment in position and orientation, enabling the flooring system to conform to uneven surfaces while maintaining sufficient structural strength through progressive load distribution across multiple elements.
Data Source
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AI summary
A flooring assembly (1) is suitable for being arranged on the ground (G) to form, together with additional modular flooring elements (7), a temporary flooring (P) suitable for supporting a tensile structure (100) and vehicles, for example airplanes, helicopters, trucks and the like. The flooring assembly (1) comprises a first modular flooring element (2) and an adjacent second modular flooring element (2') joined to each other in a removable manner along a longitudinal direction (L) parallel to the ground (G) to form a part of the temporary flooring (P). An anchoring device (3) comprises a support base (31) fixed to the first and/or to the second modular flooring element (2, 2') and suitable for receiving an upright (4) or a strut (4') of a tensile structure (100) to distribute the load of the tensile structure (100) on the first and/or the second modular flooring element (2). Such anchoring device (3) comprises one or more anchoring elements (5), for example pins or nails or screws, suitable for anchoring the support base (31) in the ground (G). Temporary flooring and a tensile structure assembly that comprise multiple flooring assemblies (1).