Removable Cover Joint Profile for Seamless Concrete Floors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing joint profiles for concrete floor coverings are labor-intensive to maintain and visually unappealing due to exposed metal components and visible transitions between the floor material and delimiting components, which can cause vibration and noise when driven over.
Innovation Solution
A joint profile with a removable cover element that can be detached after the concrete has solidified, allowing for a smooth and homogeneous surface fill with elastic joint material, and is designed to be non-destructively connected to delimiting components using screw connections and anchoring structures, ensuring the cover can be easily removed and reattached.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If conventional joint profiles with exposed metal boundary components are used, then the joint area is protected and edge limitation is provided, but the transition between flooring material and boundary component remains visible and noticeable, creating visual discontinuity
Solution Approach 1:
The joint profile is divided into multiple functional components: boundary components for structural support, a filling component for the joint gap, and a cover element for the top surface. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the boundary components provide structural function while the cover element provides aesthetic function, resolving the contradiction between structural protection and visual continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover element acts as an intermediary component that mediates between the structural boundary components and the flooring material. It covers the transition zone and joint area, creating a visually continuous surface while allowing the underlying boundary components to perform their structural function of protecting edge limitations and preventing chipping.
2Ease of repair
If joint profiles with exposed boundary components are used, then structural protection is provided, but regular maintenance is required and the joints require cleaning
Solution Approach 1:
The cover element is designed to be removable, transforming the joint profile from a static structure to a dynamic one. During normal operation, the cover element provides a clean, maintainable surface. During maintenance, it can be removed to access the joint area for cleaning or repair, thus reducing maintenance time while preserving structural protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover element is pre-installed to cover and protect the joint area from dirt and debris accumulation. This preliminary protective action reduces the frequency and intensity of maintenance required, as the cover prevents contamination rather than just providing access for cleaning.
3Strength
If metal boundary components are exposed at the joint area, then edge limitation and protection from chipping is provided, but vibration and noise occur when driving over the joint
Solution Approach 1:
The cover element serves as an intermediary layer between the metal boundary components and the external environment. It absorbs and dampens vibrations that would otherwise be generated when vehicles drive over the joint, significantly reducing noise while allowing the underlying metal boundary components to maintain their edge protection function.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover element changes the physical parameters of the joint surface - transforming it from a hard, metallic surface that generates vibration and noise to a more compliant surface that dampens these effects. The material properties of the cover element are specifically selected to reduce vibration transmission while maintaining structural integrity.
4Ease of manufacture
If the joint profile is designed as a single-piece structure, then manufacturing is simplified, but the cover cannot be removed for maintenance or cleaning of the joint area
Solution Approach 1:
The joint profile is segmented into modular components that can be manufactured separately using standard production processes, then assembled on-site. This segmentation enables both ease of manufacture (each component can be produced efficiently) and ease of operation (components can be disassembled for maintenance), resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and maintenance accessibility.
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 provides a visually seamless and vibration-reduced floor surface by eliminating visible metal components and simplifying maintenance, allowing for efficient production of large-area concrete floor coverings with reduced labor and improved aesthetics.
Implementation Method 1
the physical problem of shrinkage of the flooring material during drying arises
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a joint profile (10) for separating sections of a floor covering made of a flooring material that is at least partially flowable or creeping during processing and subsequently hardens, wherein the joint profile (10) comprises: a first limiting component (12.1) for limiting the edge of a first floor covering section (B1) and a second limiting component (12.2) for limiting the edge of a second floor covering section (B2) adjoining the first floor covering section (B1) in a joint area (15), wherein the first and the second limiting components (12.1, 12.2) are arranged opposite each other and are coupled to each other in a vertically immovable manner relative to each other, and wherein the joint profile (10) further comprises a cover (17) that is fixedly connected to, but removable from, the first and/or the second limiting component (12.1, 12.2) and is designed to, in the assembled state, To cover the joint area (15) upwards.Furthermore, the invention also relates to a method for producing a floor covering using such a joint profile, in which, after the floor material has solidified, the cover is removed before a jointing material is filled in.