Textured Shower Tray Composite Structure for Low Weight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional shower trays are excessively heavy due to their composition, making them difficult to handle, transport, and install, and increasing the final product cost for consumers and installation requirements.
Innovation Solution
Producing shower trays using high density expanded polystyrene with a textured glass fiber fabric and special resin, reducing weight while maintaining structural integrity through a vacuum-imprinting process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional shower trays are made of resin and marble load to provide strength and texture, then the structural integrity and slip-resistant texture are improved, but the weight increases to over 60 kg making handling and transport difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from traditional resin-marble composite to high density expanded polystyrene, fundamentally altering the density and weight characteristics while maintaining structural adequacy through the unique properties of this foam material
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure combining high density expanded polystyrene with glass fiber fabrics and resin, where the glass fiber fabric provides reinforcement and the resin acts as bonding agent, achieving strength without the weight of traditional marble loads
2Weight of moving object
If high density expanded polystyrene is used to reduce weight to about 4 kg, then the ease of handling and transport is improved, but the structural resistance to withstand shower forces was initially considered insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining high density expanded polystyrene with glass fiber fabrics and resin, creating a hybrid structure where the foam provides lightweight core structure while the glass fiber-reinforced resin layers provide tensile strength and structural resistance to shower forces
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by using glass fiber fabrics specifically in strategic locations where structural reinforcement is needed, such as the bottom and high-stress areas, while maintaining the lightweight polystyrene in other areas, optimizing the strength-to-weight ratio
3Manufacturing precision
If glass fiber fabrics are laminated with resin and vacuum applied to imprint texture, then the texture quality and adhesion are improved, but the manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses vacuum pressure (pneumatics) to achieve two functions simultaneously: imprinting the texture from the mold onto the glass fiber fabric and removing air bubbles from the resin, ensuring complete adhesion between layers while maintaining texture fidelity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple manufacturing functions into a single vacuum application step: texture transfer, air bubble removal, and adhesive bonding all occur simultaneously during the vacuum lamination process, reducing the number of separate operations needed
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 method results in a lightweight shower tray that is easier to handle and transport, lowers installation requirements to a single person, and reduces production costs, while maintaining the slip-resistant texture and strength.
Implementation Method 1
Applying vacuum to the mold, the glass fiber fabrics and the high density expanded polystyrene plate for imprinting the texture onto the glass fiber fabrics and sticking said glass fiber fabrics onto the high density expanded polystyrene plate
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for producing a lightweight textured shower tray, said method comprising: introducing fibreglass fabrics (2) into a textured shower tray mould (3); laminating the fabrics (2) with a resin; placing a sheet (4) of high-density expanded polystyrene in the form of a shower plate inside the mould (3), on top of the laminated fabrics (2); and applying a vacuum to the mould (3), the fiberglass fabrics (2) and the sheet of high-density expanded polystyrene, in order to imprint the texture of said mould (3) onto de fabrics (2) and to stick said fabrics (2) to the sheet(4) of high-density expanded polystyrene. The invention also relates to a lightweight shower tray (1) produced according to said method.