Releasable Adhesive Layer for Removable Ceramic Tile Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ceramic tiles are difficult to remove and replace on various floor substrates without damaging the underlying surfaces, as existing solutions either require permanent adhesion that can harm hardwood floors or do not provide sufficient ease of removal and installation.
Innovation Solution
A system using loosely laid vinyl tiles or sheets, which 'float' on the floor substrate, allowing ceramic tiles to be easily removed by lifting the vinyl tiles along with the tiles, and employing a flexible grouting system to prevent cracking, along with the use of releasable adhesives and pre-fabricated articles with pre-applied adhesives to simplify installation and removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ceramic tiles are permanently bonded to the floor substrate using conventional adhesives, then the tiles are securely attached and stable, but the tiles become difficult to remove and may damage the underlying floor surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a removable adhesive layer as an intermediary between the tile and the floor substrate. This adhesive layer can be easily peeled off, allowing the tile to be removed without damaging the floor. The adhesive layer serves as a mediator that provides necessary bonding during installation but allows clean removal afterward, resolving the contradiction between secure attachment and ease of removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a disposable adhesive layer that is designed to be used once and then removed. This adhesive layer is inexpensive and intended for temporary use during the tile installation period, after which it is peeled off and discarded. This approach allows the tile to be securely attached during its service life while enabling easy removal when replacement is needed, without permanently bonding to the floor substrate.
2Strength
If backer board is added to a wood floor to provide sufficient strength for ceramic tiles, then the floor can support the tiles without cracking, but the hardwood floor may be damaged during attachment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a removable adhesive layer as an intermediary that bonds to the wood floor without requiring additional backer board. This adhesive layer provides the necessary strength to support ceramic tiles while being designed to peel off cleanly, preventing damage to the hardwood floor. The adhesive layer acts as a mediator that delivers the required structural support without the harmful side effects of permanent bonding or additional structural modifications.
3Reliability
If conventional latex-modified thinset mortar is used to bond backer board to a wood floor, then the backer board is securely attached, but the process is time-consuming and requires extensive preparation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable adhesive layer that is pre-applied to the backer board or floor substrate, eliminating the need for time-consuming conventional mortar application. This adhesive layer is designed for quick application and immediate use, significantly reducing installation time while maintaining secure attachment. The disposable nature of the adhesive layer allows for rapid deployment without the extensive preparation required for traditional mortar-based systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Ceramic floors and methods of making thereof such that the ceramic tiles are quickly and easily removable from the floor substrate and replaceable at a future date.A ceramic tile floor is laid by releasably adhering a sheet to a floor substrate and bonding at least one ceramic tile to the sheet.A plurality of pre-fabricated articles each comprising a sheet and one or more ceramic tiles bonded to the sheet are laid onto the floor substrate with sheet edges abutting, and the sheets are releasably adhered to the floor substrate. The tile edges are set inwardly from the sheet edges so that a tile of one article is spaced from a tile of another article when the articles are laid. A non-Portland cement grout, preferably urethane grout, is provided between adjacent tiles.