Tab-and-Wedge Lippage Control for Tile Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lippage control systems for tile installations face challenges such as pinching, binding, and difficult removal due to design features that require excessive force or special tools, leading to potential damage during the removal of lippage control devices from the grout joint, especially in thin grout lines and when mortar has cured.
Innovation Solution
The tile-setting lippage control system employs tab-and-wedge pairs with a footed tab and tensioning wedge, featuring a multi-tapered descending portion and reinforced upper edges, which apply constant compressive force, accommodate varying tile thicknesses, and facilitate easy removal by tearing away from cured mortar without pinching or blocking, using materials like HDPE for resistance to bonding with mortar.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If lippage control devices are used to force tile edges to align, then lippage control is improved, but the devices become pinched or bound in the grout joint making removal difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The lippage control device is divided into two separate components: a lower member that remains in the grout joint and an upper member that extends above the tile. This segmentation allows the upper member to be removed independently by lateral striking without affecting the lower member, which stays embedded in the cured mortar. The segmentation resolves the contradiction by enabling easy removal of the portion that causes lippage while leaving a stable anchor in place.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper member of the lippage control device is extracted or removed after the lower member has set in the mortar. This extraction allows the removed portion to be laterally struck and pulled out without damaging the tile or grout joint, while the lower member remains as a permanent anchor. This taking out approach resolves the removal difficulty by separating the temporary alignment function from the permanent anchoring function.
2Manufacturing precision
If lippage control devices extend through the grout joint, then lippage control is effective, but removal requires excessive force or special tools
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into an upper removable member and a lower permanent member. The upper member extends through the grout joint to provide effective lippage control during installation, but can be easily removed by lateral striking. The lower member remains in the grout joint as a simple anchor. This segmentation simplifies the removal procedure from requiring special tools to simply using lateral force.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper member is designed as a disposable component that serves its alignment function temporarily during installation and then is removed and discarded. This disposable approach eliminates the need for complex removal procedures or special tools, as the component is intended for single-use and simple removal. The lower member serves as a permanent, reusable anchor.
3Reliability
If mortar encapsulates the lower part of lippage control devices, then ANSI standard compliance is achieved, but the devices become blocked and interfere with clean removal
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented so that only the lower member becomes encapsulated by mortar, while the upper member remains accessible for removal. The lower member's encapsulation provides ANSI standard compliance and structural stability, while the upper member's separation allows it to be laterally struck and removed without interference from the cured mortar. This segmentation resolves the contradiction between compliance and removability.
Solution Approach 2:
The upper member is extracted or removed after the lower member has been encapsulated by cured mortar. This extraction timing allows the lower member to fulfill its anchoring function within the encapsulated structure while the upper member is pulled out through the grout joint opening before the mortar fully cures or through the path created by the grout joint. This taking out approach maintains compliance while enabling removal.
4Shape
If grout joints are made thinner to meet design requirements, then aesthetic quality is improved, but lippage control devices cannot be properly installed or removed
Solution Approach 1:
The lippage control device is segmented into a compact lower member that fits within thin grout joints and an upper member that provides the necessary leverage for installation and removal. The lower member's reduced size allows it to be accommodated in thin grout joints meeting aesthetic requirements, while the upper member extends above the tile to provide mechanical advantage for lateral striking and removal without requiring excessive grout joint thickness.
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 system ensures clean and simple removal of lippage control devices without damaging tiles, maintains a stable grout joint, and allows for the use of thinner grout lines, reducing the risk of damage and the need for costly remedial actions.
Implementation Method 1
apply constant compressive force
Implementation Method 2
using materials like HDPE for resistance to bonding with mortar
Data Source
AI summary
A tile-setting lippage control system and method for tiles set with mortar as floors or walls on prepared surfaces, providing tab-and-wedge pairs with a footed tab having a footplate, a wedge slot having a membrane, a multi-tapered descending portion having a thicker center, tapering base, and tapering sides, and a ridged upper portion having a reinforced upper edge, and with a tensioning wedge having a leading end, wedge bottom, tapered top edge, and wedge teeth. In use, the wedge bottom and the footplate apply a constant compressive force to two adjacent pieces of tile. The size, shape, and location of the wedge slot with the tapered top edge of the tensioning wedge accommodate a range of tile thicknesses by insertion of the tensioning wedge to different depths. Optionally, flap cuts in the ridged upper portion provide for formation of a top flap and side flaps which lock in engagement with the wedge teeth of the tensioning wedge. Optionally, a wedge void in the tensioning wedge provides for easier insertion and for accommodating excess pressure. The multi-tapered descending portion prevents pinching of the footed tab between tiles and prevents trapping of the footed tab by cured mortar. The straight sides of the reinforced upper edges adapt to being struck from a range of angles, and the tapering sides of the multi-tapered descending portion facilitate the tapering base tearing away from the footplate without being blocked by cured mortar around the footplate.