Profiled Gutter Stones for Drainage and Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gutter stone systems face issues with water drainage, increased cleaning needs, and reduced sure-footedness, especially for disabled individuals, due to the formation of puddles and uneven surfaces.
Innovation Solution
A gutter stone system with complex gutter stones featuring dummy joints that create inclined surfaces, allowing for adjustable channel widths and profiles, enabling efficient water drainage and improved accessibility by varying the angle of inclination and channel width based on location and drainage requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a planar inclined gutter stone system is used, then water drainage is improved, but puddles form in the edge area and cleaning requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gutter stone surface is divided into different zones with different inclinations: a first partial surface with a steeper inclination for efficient water drainage, and a second partial surface with a flatter inclination to prevent puddle formation. This local differentiation of surface properties resolves the contradiction between drainage efficiency and puddle prevention.
2Productivity
If a large sloping surface is created for drainage, then water flows off efficiently, but sure-footedness deteriorates especially for disabled people
Solution Approach 1:
The inclined surface is segmented into two partial surfaces with different slope characteristics. The first partial surface provides sufficient inclination for water drainage, while the second partial surface has a reduced slope that ensures sure-footedness and accessibility for disabled individuals, thus resolving the contradiction between drainage efficiency and safety.
3Productivity
If the gutter channel width is reduced to improve drainage, then water flows more efficiently, but the channel becomes more susceptible to soiling
Solution Approach 1:
The gutter stone creates a defined channel with specific surface properties in different areas. The first partial surface maintains adequate channel width for efficient drainage, while the second partial surface has properties that reduce soiling accumulation, thus resolving the contradiction between drainage efficiency and soiling resistance.
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 system enhances water drainage efficiency, reduces puddle formation, and improves walking safety by creating a wide, flat drainage channel that adapts to different water management conditions, ensuring safe passage even in heavy rain and heavy soiling scenarios.
Implementation Method 1
at least one partial surface inclined from the side surface of the roadway to the side surface of the sidewalk/side gutter
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The gutter system comprises straight and curved gutter stones (30), which extend over a width to create a gutter between a roadway and road boundary or walkway, particularly curbstone. The walkway side (34) comprises a partial area profiling (38) assigned on the partial surface (28) of a dummy joint (26).