Shower Element Fleece Bonding for Stable Floor Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shower elements and drain devices face challenges in achieving strong adhesion to the floor structure, leading to potential vibrational issues and instability, especially when using materials with low mechanical strength.
Innovation Solution
The shower element incorporates a fleece that is injected into its surfaces, forming a material bond with the floor structure, and features a load distribution layer, along with connecting means on various surfaces to ensure a firm connection, including with the drain body, enhancing stability and resistance to deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a shower element is made from materials with low mechanical strength, then sustainability and ease of manufacture are improved, but adhesion to the floor structure deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The shower element combines a base body made from sustainable material (e.g., foam or wood fiber) with a fleece layer made from different material (e.g., polypropylene or polyester). This composite structure allows each layer to contribute its optimal properties: the base body provides sustainability and ease of manufacture, while the fleece provides enhanced adhesion through injection into the floor structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The fleece is not uniformly distributed but rather injected locally into specific surfaces of the shower element, particularly at critical connection points. This localized application of the fleece provides enhanced adhesion exactly where needed for structural stability, while maintaining the overall simplicity and sustainability of the shower element design.
2Reliability
If connecting means are added to improve adhesion, then stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fleece itself serves dual functions: it acts as both the connecting means for adhesion to the floor structure and as an integral part of the shower element's layered structure. By merging these functions into a single component, the design achieves enhanced stability without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fleece is injected directly into the shower element during the manufacturing process, becoming an intrinsic part of the product. This self-integrated approach eliminates the need for separate attachment steps or additional connecting components, thereby maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving reliable adhesion.
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
This solution provides improved adhesion and stability to the shower element, reducing vibrational excitation and deformation, while allowing for the use of sustainable materials, ensuring effective load distribution and efficient water routing to the drain body.
Implementation Method 1
the fleece is injected at least in sections into the at least one surface of the shower element... the fleece is designed in such a way that it can form a material bond with one or more layers of the floor structure
Data Source
AI summary
The shower element (1) has a surface portion that is contacted with the main layers of a floor structure (2), in the inserted state of the shower portion. A connecting portion (5) is arranged on the surface portion and connected with the main layers of the floor structure. The connecting portion is designed as flocking portion made of polyamide fiber, polyester fiber or natural fiber.