Substrate-Backed Porcelain Structure for Thin, Fracture-Resistant Sheets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Porcelain sheets are prone to fracturing during transportation, installation, and use due to their heavy and brittle nature, leading to safety risks and increased costs, and are difficult to resize or cut on-site without causing fractures.
Innovation Solution
A sheet of substrate is secured to the backside of a porcelain sheet using adhesive, with a compressive force applied to adhere them, allowing for improved resistance to fracture and easier handling and installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If porcelain sheets are made thinner to reduce weight, then weight is reduced, but fracture resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by bonding a substrate (such as fiber cement board, gypsum board, or foam core) to the backside of the porcelain sheet. This creates a composite structure where the substrate provides structural support and fracture resistance, while the porcelain maintains its thin profile and aesthetic properties. The composite construction allows the porcelain to be thinner and lighter while the substrate compensates for the reduced fracture resistance.
2Productivity
If porcelain sheets are made larger to cover surfaces in fewer pieces, then installation efficiency is improved, but fracture risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate bonded to the porcelain backside creates a composite panel with enhanced structural integrity, allowing larger sheet sizes without proportionally increasing fracture risk. The substrate acts as a reinforcing backbone that distributes stresses across the entire panel, enabling manufacturers to produce larger format porcelain tiles that can be installed more efficiently while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention segments the functional requirements of the porcelain sheet: the porcelain layer provides the aesthetic surface and water resistance, while the substrate provides structural support and fracture resistance. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized for its specific function, enabling larger sheet sizes where the substrate's structural role becomes increasingly important.
3Strength
If thicker porcelain sheets are used to improve fracture resistance, then fracture resistance is improved, but weight and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing porcelain thickness to improve fracture resistance, the patent uses a composite construction where a substrate is bonded to the porcelain backside. This approach achieves enhanced fracture resistance without increasing the weight of the porcelain itself. The substrate provides the additional structural strength needed, while the porcelain remains thin and lightweight.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the structural support function from the porcelain material itself and transfers it to a separate substrate layer. By taking out the structural reinforcement requirement from the porcelain composition, the porcelain can remain thin and lightweight while the substrate provides the necessary fracture resistance.
4Ease of manufacture
If porcelain sheets are made thinner to reduce cost, then material cost is reduced, but handling and installation difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate bonded to the porcelain backside creates a composite panel that is easier to handle and install than thin porcelain alone. The substrate provides rigidity and structural support that makes the thin porcelain panel more manageable during transportation and installation, reducing the risk of breakage and simplifying handling operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate acts as a protective cushion bonded to the backside of the thin porcelain, providing structural support before the installation process begins. This beforehand reinforcement protects the thin porcelain from damage during handling and installation, making the overall process easier and safer despite the reduced porcelain thickness.
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 addition of a substrate to porcelain sheets enhances their resistance to fracture, enabling larger sizes and thinner cross-sections, reducing weight and cost, and facilitates easier resizing and cutting on-site without fracturing, thus improving usability and adoption in construction.
Implementation Method 1
coating a surface of the porcelain with adhesive, coating a surface of the substrate with adhesive
Implementation Method 2
applying compression across both surfaces to adhere the sheet of substrate to the sheet of porcelain
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus is disclosed for substrate-backed porcelain. A sheet of substrate is secured to a sheet of porcelain. A surface of the substrate is coated with adhesive. A surface of the porcelain is coated with adhesive. The surfaces are joined together by the adhesive. A force is applied across the surfaces to improve adhesion.