Perforated Shim for Thin Mosaic Tile Installation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for installing thin mosaic tiles are inefficient, often requiring overnight drying of mortar or excessive mortar use, leading to wasted time and potential unevenness or shifting of tiles.
Innovation Solution
A wide-format, perforated shim is used to provide a rigid base for thin mosaic tiles, allowing them to be installed level with surrounding large format tiles by snapping it to fit the gap and bedding it into a thin layer of mortar, reducing mortar usage and preventing shifting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If thin mosaic tiles are installed over a thick wet mortar base to avoid overnight drying, then installation time is reduced, but the tiles shift around or have mortar squeezed out through grout lines resulting in uneven installation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a rigid support device as an intermediary element between the mortar bed and the thin mosaic tile. This device provides immediate structural support to the tile, preventing it from shifting or becoming uneven while the mortar cures, thus enabling faster installation without sacrificing precision
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid support device is installed in advance before placing the thin mosaic tile. By pre-establishing a stable foundation, the tile can be immediately positioned and held in the correct position without requiring the mortar to cure first, resolving the contradiction between speed and precision
2Reliability
If thin mosaic tiles are installed by waiting overnight for mortar to dry, then proper adhesion is achieved, but valuable installation time is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid support device is installed beforehand to provide immediate structural support, allowing the tile to be positioned correctly while the mortar cures. This preliminary action eliminates the need to wait for drying before proceeding with installation
Solution Approach 2:
The support device acts as a mediator that takes over the load-bearing function during the curing period, allowing mortar adhesion to occur without time delay. The device maintains tile position and support while the chemical bonding process occurs in the background
3Productivity
If large format tiles are placed over fresh mosaic tile installation, then installation continuity is maintained, but the mosaic tiles may shift or become uneven before drying
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid support device serves as a protective intermediary between the vulnerable fresh mosaic tile installation and the weight of subsequent large format tiles. It distributes the load and prevents the underlying mosaic tiles from shifting, enabling continuous installation
Solution Approach 2:
The support device is installed in advance to cushion and protect the fresh mosaic tile installation from the stress of subsequent tile placements. This beforehand protection allows workers to immediately continue with large format tile installation without waiting for curing
Data Source
AI summary
A wide-format tile shim includes a shim body, a plurality of length grooves, a plurality of width grooves, and a plurality of openings. The plurality of length grooves is evenly distributed along the shim body and traverses into the shim body. The plurality of width grooves is evenly distributed across the shim body and traverses into the shim body. Each of the plurality of length grooves is positioned perpendicular to each of the plurality of width grooves as the plurality of openings traverses from a front surface of the shim body to a rear surface of the shim body. Each of the plurality of opening is positioned adjacent to an intersecting length groove from the plurality of length grooves and an intersecting width groove from the plurality of width grooves thus evenly spacing the plurality of opening within the shim body.