Pivotable Cutting Blade for Flexible Floor Tiles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cutting devices for laminate floorboards and other tough or elastic materials face challenges in achieving high cutting quality due to large gap distances between the cutting blade and support beams, which are not suitable for materials like plastic, rubber, or slate, and often result in unwanted sticking and horizontal forces that can cause warping.

Innovation Solution

A cutting device with a pivotably mounted cutting blade featuring a non-stick coating and teeth with a specific tooth ridge configuration, allowing for a reduced gap distance of approximately 0.7 mm, and a control mechanism that shifts the pivot axis horizontally to minimize horizontal forces during cutting, preventing warping and sticking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the gap distance between the cutting blade and support beam is reduced to improve cutting quality, then cutting precision improves, but horizontal forces increase causing warping

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting qualityVSAvoidhorizontal forces
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting blade is made pivotable about a vertical axis, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position and orientation during the cutting process. This dynamic capability enables the blade to accommodate material deformation without generating excessive horizontal forces, resolving the contradiction between achieving tight gap spacing for quality cuts and avoiding warping-causing forces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the operational parameters by allowing the cutting blade to pivot and shift position during cutting. This parameter change enables the system to maintain optimal gap spacing (improving cutting quality) while adapting to material resistance, thereby preventing the buildup of harmful horizontal forces that would cause warping.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Object-generated harmful factors

If the gap distance is reduced to 0.7 mm to prevent sticking, then adhesion decreases, but the device complexity increases due to pivot mechanism

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadhesionVSAvoidblade mounting mechanism
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The pivotable blade mechanism introduces dynamic adjustment capability that simplifies the overall system by eliminating the need for extremely precise static positioning. The blade can naturally adapt to the cutting conditions, reducing sticking through motion rather than requiring complex anti-adhesion systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The cutting blade serves itself by automatically adjusting its position through pivoting during the cutting process. This self-adjustment capability reduces sticking and maintains optimal gap spacing without requiring external control systems or complex mechanisms, thereby reducing overall device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Manufacturing precision

If a long handle is added to the cutting blade to reduce gap distance, then cutting precision improves, but ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecutting precisionVSAvoidhandling difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using a long handle to achieve precise positioning, the invention employs a pivotable blade that dynamically adjusts during cutting. This dynamic mechanism maintains cutting precision while keeping the handle length reasonable, preserving ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces the mechanical solution of a long handle with a pivotable blade mechanism. This substitution achieves the same precision goal through rotational movement rather than extended leverage, maintaining operator comfort and ease of use.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables high-quality cutting of various materials, including thin sheets and adhesive-coated tiles, with reduced adhesion and horizontal forces, making it suitable for cutting materials like slate and vinyl floor panels without causing warping.

Implementation Method 1

The wide side of the cutting blade has a non-stick coating

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectNon-stick coating: Coatings

Implementation Method 2

The slot walls in particular are provided with an adhesive coating

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdhesive coating: Adhesive

Data Source

PatentEP2714344B1Cutting device for floor tiles made of plastic, rubber or another flexible material
Publication Date: 2016.10.12 WOLFCRAFT GMBH
  • EP2714344B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2714344B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2714344B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a cutting device, as well as to the use of a cutting device, comprising a cutting blade (10) which is pivotably fixed to a stand (1), the cutting edge (12) of said cutting blade (10) descending into an entry slot (6) between two supporting members (2) during the cutting process in order to press out a strip of material (91) from a panel-shaped workpiece (9) placed on the supporting members (2). The width of the entry slot (6) is adjusted to the material thickness of the cutting blade (10) in such a way that, when the cutting blade (10) is positioned in the centre of the entry slot (6), a gap remains, at least in the region of the cutting edge (12), between each of the two supporting member edges (4') or slot walls (4) and the broad faces (11) of the cutting blade (10), said broad faces (11) lying opposite the supporting member edges (4') or slot walls (4). In order for panels or tiles, in particular floor coverings or roof shingles consisting of synthetic material, rubber or of another tough or elastic material to be cut with sufficiently high cutting quality on the cutting device, it is proposed that the gap (11, 4') measure no more than 0.7 mm for cutting panels or tiles between 1mm and 5mm thick, in particular floor coverings or roof shingles consisting of synthetic material, rubber or of another tough or elastic material.