Shower Base Wedge Structure for Accurate Tiling and Wall Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shower floor components with sloping wedges face challenges in stability, accuracy, and durability during tiling, and do not allow for easy installation of a shower wall without additional effort.
Innovation Solution
A shower floor component with a gradient wedge featuring an undercut abutment surface and a filling space, where the tile adhesive connects the wedge to the tiles, increasing stability, and a horizontal visible surface for easy integration of a shower wall, formed from a non-rusting material like stainless steel sheet metal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a sloping wedge is used to create the gradient for the tiled floor, then the installation of floor-level shower is facilitated, but the stability and accuracy of the tiling in the region of the sloping wedge deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The gradient wedge is divided into two distinct surfaces: a first abutment surface for supporting tiles on the horizontal floor level, and a second abutment surface for supporting tiles on the sloped shower area. This segmentation allows each surface to be optimized independently - the first surface maintains standard tiling accuracy while the second surface provides the required gradient, resolving the contradiction between ease of installation and tiling precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a dimensional transition by creating a sloped surface that bridges the horizontal bathroom floor and the vertical shower wall. The gradient wedge transforms the two-dimensional horizontal tiling plane into a three-dimensional sloped surface, allowing tiles to be laid accurately on both the horizontal and inclined surfaces while maintaining proper drainage gradient.
2Ease of manufacture
If a sloping wedge is used to create the gradient for the tiled floor, then the installation of floor-level shower is facilitated, but the stability of the wedge deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The gradient wedge is pre-formed with the correct gradient and dimensions before installation. The wedge includes pre-integrated features such as the first and second abutment surfaces, the visible surface for shower wall placement, and drainage channel integration. This preliminary preparation ensures that the wedge maintains its structural stability during and after installation, eliminating the need for on-site modifications that could compromise stability.
3Ease of manufacture
If a sloping wedge is used to create the gradient for the tiled floor, then the installation of floor-level shower is facilitated, but the ability to add a shower wall without additional effort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The gradient wedge is designed as a multi-functional component that serves multiple purposes: it creates the drainage gradient, provides a stable base for tiling on both horizontal and sloped surfaces, and includes an integrated visible surface that serves as a mounting platform for the shower wall. This universal design allows the shower wall to be installed directly on the visible surface of the wedge without requiring additional support structures or complex integration steps.
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4a~4k
AI summary
The base component has a slope wedge (10) whose amount in the longitudinal direction (X) is increased. The longitudinal side (11) is provided with an abutment surface (20) for mounting the floor tiles. The longitudinal side (12) is provided with a stop surface (21) for application of the tiles of the base region with a slope. The abutment surface (20) is formed on a lower rim (22), for forming an undercut and a filling space for the applied tiles of the floor tiles.