Perforated Gypsum Boards With Angle-Shaped Spacer Elements

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing perforated gypsum boards for suspended ceilings and walls face challenges in alignment efficiency, damage susceptibility during handling and transport, and high manufacturing costs, particularly due to the need for dimensionally stable boards and complex rabbeting processes.

Innovation Solution

The use of prefabricated spacer elements on perforated boards, arranged to form a gap that maintains an optically uniform appearance and provides corner protection, with the ability to adjust joint width and enhance adhesive base for filling material, using materials like metal or biodegradable materials for durability and ease of handling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If perforated boards are laid closely adjacent to one another with slim joints, then the laying process is easier and time-consuming alignment is reduced, but the edges are exposed to increased risk of damage and adaptation to varying thicknesses is not possible

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelaying speedVSAvoidedge damage risk
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Corner protection elements are attached to the perforated boards before the laying process begins. This preliminary action ensures that edges are protected from damage during handling, transport, and installation, while allowing the boards to be laid closely adjacent to one another for improved productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Corner protection elements serve as intermediary components between the vulnerable board edges and the external environment. These elements absorb mechanical impacts and protect the edges during handling and installation, enabling closer joint spacing without increasing damage risk.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If rabbet edges are formed over the entire length of the edge, then alignment is facilitated and joint durability is improved, but production complexity and costs increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealignment easeVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The alignment and edge protection functions are extracted from the board manufacturing process itself and implemented through separate, attachable corner protection elements. This eliminates the need for complex rabbet edge formation during board production, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining alignment ease during installation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of forming continuous rabbet edges along the entire board perimeter, the solution segments the protection function into discrete corner protection elements attached only at the corners. This reduces manufacturing complexity while providing sufficient alignment reference points for accurate board installation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Shape

If fine joints are used between boards, then a uniform appearance is achieved, but joint resistance is limited and filler material leakage occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveappearance uniformityVSAvoidjoint resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Corner protection elements are installed before filling the joints, creating a preliminary barrier that prevents filler material from leaking out of the joint ends. This allows fine joints to be used for uniform appearance while maintaining adequate joint resistance through the protective barrier.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2978908B1Perforated boards based on gypsum and methods used for laying
Publication Date: 2018.07.18 SAINT GOBAIN PLACO SAS
  • EP2978908B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2978908B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2978908B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Perforated boards based on gypsum, in particular perforated gypsum plasterboards or perforated gypsum fibreboards, are provided with angle-shaped spacer elements that allow the boards to be formed easily into a ceiling or wall, through the creation of a fixed predetermined gap width between adjacent perforated boards.