Plaster Strip with Soft Connecting Bridge for Easy Film Removal

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing plaster strips face challenges in easily and safely removing protective films at construction sites across varying temperatures, leading to high reject rates and injury risks due to the material properties of break-off bridges made from the same material as the strip, which can be too thin or too thick, causing premature detachment or excessive force requirements.

Innovation Solution

A plaster strip design featuring a soft connecting bridge made of plastic material softer than the base body, allowing for easy separation of the protective tab from the base body, using materials like thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), soft PVC, or polyurethane, which provides sufficient rigidity during assembly and easy removal without sharp edges, and can be produced with cheaper recycled plastics.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a break-off bridge made from the same material as the plaster strip is used, then the protective tab can be removed, but the bridge may be too thin causing premature detachment or too thick requiring excessive force, and may create sharp edges causing injury risks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of protective tab removalVSAvoidreliable removal without premature detachment or excessive force
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The connecting bridge is made from a material that is softer than the base body material, creating a local difference in material properties. This softer material allows the bridge to be easily cut or torn away while leaving a rounded, non-sharp edge on the base body, thus enabling easy removal without injury risks while maintaining reliability across temperature variations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the material parameter (hardness/softness) of the connecting bridge relative to the base body. By selecting a softer material for the bridge, the patent ensures that the bridge can be easily removed without requiring excessive force, while the softer material also prevents sharp edge formation, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of removal and reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Ease of manufacture

If a break-off bridge made from the same material as the plaster strip is used, then the protective tab can be attached, but production waste increases due to premature detachment or excessive force requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction reliabilityVSAvoidproduction waste rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The connecting bridge uses a softer material than the base body, creating a controlled weak point that is designed to fail cleanly. This local material difference ensures predictable breakage behavior during production and use, reducing premature detachment and excessive force requirements, thus lowering production waste while maintaining manufacturing reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

By changing the material hardness parameter of the connecting bridge to be softer than the base body, the patent creates a controlled failure mode that is easy to achieve during production. This parameter change ensures consistent, reliable detachment without excessive force, reducing production waste and improving overall manufacturing efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If a break-off bridge made from the same material as the plaster strip is used, then the protective tab can be removed, but sharp edges may remain causing injury risks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprotective tab removalVSAvoidinjury risk from sharp edges
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The connecting bridge is made from a softer material than the base body, which ensures that when the bridge is cut or torn away, the softer material deforms to create a rounded, non-sharp edge on the base body. This local material difference allows easy removal of the protective tab while eliminating the harmful sharp edges that would otherwise cause injury risks

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The invention converts the potential harm of sharp edges into a benefit by using a softer material for the connecting bridge. The softer material, when removed, naturally creates a rounded edge that is safe to touch. Thus, the material softness that might seem like a weakness actually becomes a safety feature, converting the potential harm of sharp edges into a beneficial rounded edge

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

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

The solution enables reliable, low-waste production with reduced reject rates and improved safety by ensuring easy, clean, and injury-free removal of the protective film across all temperature conditions, maintaining structural integrity and cost-effectiveness.

Implementation Method 1

The strip-shaped protective flap is connected to the base body via a flexible connecting bridge made of a plastic material that is softer than the material of the base body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

The strip-shaped protective flap is connected to the base body via a flexible connecting bridge made of a plastic material that is softer than the material of the base body

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectViscoelasticity: Viscoelasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2492428B3Staff angle and building corner with staff angle
Publication Date: 2020.11.25 BRAUN AUGUST
  • EP2492428B3 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2492428B3 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The strip (2) has a base body (4) provided with sections (14, 16) for embedding in a plaster layer. A strip-shaped protective flap (26) is fastened to a protective film for a component e.g. window or door frame, of a building. The protective flap is connected with the base body via a connecting bridge (30), which includes a softer plastic material opposite to a material of the base body. The base body is provided with a third section (6) that is fastened to the component of the building. Each section of the base body is formed as a projecting plastering leg (10) and a base wall.