Modular Surface-Mountable Lamina for Gym Flooring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for applying graphic designs in physical activity environments, such as fitness gyms and rehabilitation centers, face challenges including labor-intensive and semi-permanent painting, significant material wastage, and difficulty in transporting and installing large laminas without distortion, due to limitations in style, shape, and form, as well as issues with air pockets and damage to flooring.
Innovation Solution
A method of producing and assembling a multi-part surface-mountable physical-activity lamina by segmenting graphic designs into smaller elements with positioning locators, allowing for compact arrangement and application to a lamina substrate, which can be easily assembled and aligned, reducing material wastage and simplifying installation, while providing durability through a user-facing layer with increased friction and UV resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If a large one-piece lamina is used for graphic design, then the graphic design can be applied to the surface, but material wastage increases significantly and transportation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The graphic design lamina is divided into multiple smaller modular elements that can be separately produced, transported, and installed. Each element contains a portion of the overall graphic design and can be assembled on-site to form the complete design, reducing material wastage and improving transportation ease.
2Manufacturing precision
If a large one-piece lamina is applied to the surface, then the graphic design is complete, but air pockets are trapped causing distortion
Solution Approach 1:
Dividing the large lamina into smaller modular elements allows for easier installation with reduced risk of trapping air pockets. The smaller elements can be individually positioned and adhered to the surface, maintaining graphic design accuracy while simplifying the installation process.
Solution Approach 2:
Positioning locators are pre-formed on the modular elements to guide their precise placement during installation. This preliminary positioning feature ensures that the modular elements align correctly to form the complete graphic design while facilitating easy and accurate installation.
3Ease of manufacture
If painting is used for graphic design, then the design can be applied to the surface, but the process is labor-intensive and errors are difficult to correct
Solution Approach 1:
The graphic design is pre-produced as modular elements with precise graphics already applied, eliminating the need for on-site painting. The modular elements are manufactured off-site with quality control, reducing installation time and allowing for easy correction or replacement if errors occur.
4Duration of action of stationary object
If embedding material into flooring is used, then the graphic design is permanent, but significant damage is caused to the flooring
Solution Approach 1:
The modular elements are designed to be surface-mounted rather than embedded into the flooring. This approach provides a permanent or semi-permanent graphic design while avoiding the significant damage to the flooring that would result from embedding processes such as water-jetting, laser cutting, or blade cutting.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is provided of producing and assembling a multi-part surface-mountable physical-activity lamina for use in aiding or supplementing a physical-activity in a physical-activity environment. There is a step a] of providing a first graphic design model of the lamina; and b] segmenting the first graphic design model into a plurality of graphic design model portions. A step c] follows of arranging the graphic design model portions into a more compact second graphic design defining a reduced surface area; and then d] the second graphic design being applied to a lamina substrate having another surface area. The lamina substrate is then separated into lamina elements corresponding to the graphic design model portions, followed by a step e] of assembling the lamina elements onto a mounting surface at a physical-activity environment to form the surface-mountable physical-activity lamina.