Panel Locking System With Extended Tongues For Shower Wall Sealing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tongue and groove panels used in shower wall installations are prone to water leakage due to gaps at the corners and sides, especially when installed by non-professionals or on uneven surfaces.
Innovation Solution
The panels are designed with extended tongues and back legs that overlap at the corners, creating a watertight seal even when the panels are not perfectly aligned, thus minimizing water penetration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional tongue and groove panels are used with tongues shorter than or equal to panel sides, then manufacturing is simpler and tongues do not interfere with adjacent panels, but water can penetrate through gaps at corners and sides especially when panels are not perfectly aligned
Solution Approach 1:
The extended tongues and back legs are pre-configured on each panel to overlap with adjacent panels, creating a watertight seal before installation. This preliminary structural arrangement ensures that even if panels are not perfectly aligned during installation, the overlapping extensions prevent water penetration through gaps at corners and sides.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extends the tongue and back leg dimensions beyond the traditional boundaries of panel sides, adding dimensional coverage in the lateral direction. This dimensional extension creates overlapping regions that block water pathways, transforming the traditional tongue-and-groove interface into a multi-layered barrier system.
2Reliability
If perfect installation without gaps is achieved, then water leakage is prevented, but this requires professional installation skill and is impractical for large installations on uneven surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The watertight sealing function is built into the panel structure itself through extended tongues and back legs that overlap adjacent panels. This preliminary design eliminates the need for installers to achieve perfect alignment, as the overlapping geometry automatically prevents water penetration even with minor installation variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The panel system self-compensates for installation imperfections through its geometric design. The extended tongues and back legs create inherent overlap zones that automatically seal gaps, allowing the system to function effectively without requiring professional installation skill or additional sealing materials.
3Adaptability or versatility
If unequal tongue width and groove depth dimensions are used to allow for manufacturing tolerances, then imperfect tolerances are accommodated, but conduits are created that communicate water behind panels leading to water damage
Solution Approach 1:
The extended tongues and back legs are pre-configured to create overlapping regions that block water pathways before water can penetrate behind panels. This preliminary geometric arrangement prevents the formation of continuous conduits, even when accommodating manufacturing tolerances and installation variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the traditional clearance gaps needed for manufacturing tolerances into beneficial overlapping regions. Instead of creating water conduits, the extended dimensions convert the tolerance accommodation requirement into a watertight sealing mechanism, where the same dimensional variations that previously created gaps now create overlapping barriers.
Data Source
AI summary
A panel can have a face surface having a length and a width. The panel can include a first tongue that extends along the length and a second tongue that extends along the width. The pane can further include first front and back legs that extend along the length of the panel and define a first groove therebetween and second front and back legs that extends along the width of the panel and define a second groove. At least one of the first tongue or the first back leg can a longitudinal dimension that is greater than the length of the face surface; or at least one of the second tongue or the second back leg can have a longitudinal dimension that is greater than the width of the face surface.