Shell-Like Stone Step Body for Screw-Fastened Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Stone-based stair steps and furniture surfaces are difficult to assemble due to their weight and lack of easy screw-fastening options, as existing solutions either prevent screw attachment or are not practical for assembly.
Innovation Solution
A shell-like stone body design with an open underside, allowing for screw fastening, where the underside is covered by a thin, easily drillable cover part that protrudes to overlap the stone body's end face, and the interior stone slabs are coated with fabric for added stability and lightness, enabling assembly and appearance of a solid stone surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a completely closed stone body is used, then the stone appearance and durability are improved, but screw fastening becomes impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The stone body is divided into a shell-like outer structure and an inner filling body, creating a hybrid construction that combines the aesthetic and durable properties of stone with the functional properties of lighter materials for easy assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The shell-like stone body encloses the filling body, creating a nested structure where the lighter material is positioned inside the stone shell, achieving both visual authenticity and assembly ease
2Ease of operation
If a light material layer is added inside the stone body, then assembly ease is improved, but screw attachment capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The cover part is separated as a distinct component that can be drilled and screwed independently, while the filling body provides lightweight support, allowing screw attachment without compromising the light material's benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The cover part acts as an intermediary element between the screw-fastening requirement and the lightweight filling body, providing a drillable surface while the filling body remains intact
3Ease of operation
If a shell-like design with open underside is used, then screw fastening becomes possible, but the solid stone appearance may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The filling body is nested inside the shell-like stone body, creating a hybrid structure where the stone shell provides the solid appearance from the front while the open underside allows access for screw fastening
Solution Approach 2:
The stone shell is designed to provide solid appearance only where visible (front and sides), while the underside is opened for functionality, applying different properties to different locations of the same object
4Reliability
If the stone body is made solid and thick, then durability is improved, but weight and handling difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a composite structure combining stone shell material with a lighter filling body material, achieving durability through the stone outer layer while reducing overall weight through the lighter internal material
Solution Approach 2:
The stone body is segmented into a thin shell structure rather than a solid mass, with the shell providing protective and aesthetic functions while the filling body provides structural support with reduced weight
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 4
AI summary
The stone body (8) has plate parts (13, 15, 17) glued with each other by stone adhesive, where a step block (10) is externally covered by the stone body. A lower side of the step block remains accessible for screw fixing. The block is formed in cuboid-shape and/or is covered by a cover part (12) at its lower side. The cover part is glued with the step block that is glued with the stone body by expanded two-component-adhesive under intermediate application of a metal part e.g. metal bracket or hollow metal profile part. An independent claim is also included for a method for producing a screw-fixable part with a step block and an outer surface.