Monolithic Flooring Members With Integrated Drainage and Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems and methods for forming building structures, such as poured flooring slabs and GFRC, fail to incorporate integral drainage features and enhanced sealing or waterproofing, leading to installation challenges and potential moisture retention issues.
Innovation Solution
Flooring members made from materials like GFRC, with integrated drains and drainage features formed during molding, and perimeter structures that enhance sealing and waterproofing, allowing for faster, easier installation and improved moisture management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional poured flooring slabs or GFRC are used, then structural strength is achieved, but installation complexity increases and moisture management becomes problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions (flooring structure, drainage system, waterproofing layer, and perimeter sealing) into a single integrated flooring member. The drainage channels are molded directly into the flooring member, eliminating the need for separate drainage installations and reducing overall system complexity while improving installation ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The flooring member serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, incorporates drainage channels for moisture management, includes integrated waterproofing layers, and features perimeter sealing mechanisms. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed and simplifies the overall system.
2Reliability
If drainage features are added to flooring members, then moisture management improves, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage channels, waterproofing layers, and sealing features are all incorporated into the flooring member during the initial molding process. This preliminary integration ensures that moisture management features are built-in from the start, eliminating the need for complex post-manufacturing assembly steps while maintaining manufacturing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the drainage system, waterproofing layer, and flooring structure into a single molded component. By combining these elements during the molding process rather than assembling them separately, the patent improves moisture management reliability without significantly increasing manufacturing complexity.
3Loss of time
If integral drainage features are incorporated during molding, then installation time is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
All drainage features, channels, and sealing elements are pre-formed during the molding process. This preliminary action ensures that no additional field installation steps are needed for these components, significantly reducing installation time. The molding process itself is optimized to achieve the required precision for proper drainage function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes molding parameters such as temperature, pressure, and material viscosity to achieve precise formation of drainage channels and sealing features. By optimizing these manufacturing parameters, the patent achieves high precision in the molded features without requiring excessively complex manufacturing processes, thus reducing installation time while maintaining manufacturability.
4Reliability
If perimeter structures for sealing are added, then waterproofing improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The perimeter sealing structures are integrated directly into the flooring member during molding, combining the sealing function with the main flooring structure. This integration improves waterproofing reliability without adding separate sealing components, thereby avoiding increased structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The perimeter structures serve dual functions: they provide structural support for the flooring member and simultaneously create sealing barriers for waterproofing. This multi-functionality achieves improved waterproofing without requiring additional dedicated sealing components, maintaining structural simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for forming and providing flooring members and substrates are provided. Flooring members are provided that are monolithic members operable to be provided in combination with, for example, modular building structures such as preformed bathroom pods. Methods are provided that allow for enhanced production efficiencies and waterproofing of building components.