Thermal Break with Breakable Profile for Insulating Floor Adaptability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing solutions for insulating floors with interjoists and thermal breaks are cumbersome and inefficient, particularly when dealing with false spans, as they require precise cutting and complex reconfiguration, leading to fragile and aesthetically unsatisfactory results, and do not effectively adapt to both normal and reduced center distance configurations.

Innovation Solution

The edge thermal breaker and insulating interjoist designs feature breakable parts with inclined faces and transverse ribs, allowing for adaptable fitting on both central parts and inclined longitudinal wings, enabling easy modification of the thermal breaker's profile to suit various span configurations without additional fasteners or connectors, ensuring precise positioning and mechanical retention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If precise cutting and complex reconfiguration are performed to adapt interjoists to false spans, then the interjoist can fit the reduced center distance configuration, but the results become fragile and aesthetically unsatisfactory

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to false spansVSAvoidstructural integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The thermal breaker is divided into breakable parts that can be selectively removed. This segmentation allows the thermal breaker to adapt to different span configurations (normal or false spans) without requiring cutting or reconfiguration of the interjoist itself, thereby maintaining structural integrity while providing adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The breakable parts are designed to be easily extracted from the thermal breaker structure. By removing these specific portions, the thermal breaker adapts to reduced center distance configurations without compromising the interjoist's structural integrity, avoiding the fragility issues associated with traditional cutting methods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Ease of operation

If traditional thermal breakers are used on false spans, then installation is simplified, but the thermal breaker cannot be properly positioned on the inclined longitudinal wings

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation simplicityVSAvoidcompatibility with span configurations
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The thermal breaker is designed with dynamic characteristics through its breakable parts, allowing it to change its configuration from a complete structure to a modified structure. This dynamic adaptability enables proper positioning on inclined longitudinal wings in false spans while maintaining ease of installation through a standardized base design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The physical parameters of the thermal breaker are changed by removing breakable parts, transforming it from a standard configuration to a modified configuration. This parameter change allows the thermal breaker to accommodate different span types without complicating the installation process, as the removal mechanism is designed to be simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If the thermal breaker profile is modified to fit false spans, then adaptability improves, but additional fasteners or connectors are required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to different spansVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The thermal breaker's breakable parts are designed to be self-contained within the original structure, eliminating the need for external fasteners or connectors. The adaptation to different span configurations is achieved through internal modification of the thermal breaker itself, not by adding external components, thus avoiding increased device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

4Manufacturing precision

If complex cuts are performed on interjoists, then precise fitting is achieved, but the number of operations increases and implementation becomes tedious

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefitting precisionVSAvoidinstallation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The breakable parts are pre-configured in the thermal breaker during manufacturing, with predetermined removal points and geometries. This preliminary preparation ensures that when installation occurs, the adaptation to different span configurations requires minimal on-site operations, thereby maintaining high fitting precision while improving installation efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3400345B1Thermal break, associated insulating case bay element, and insulating floor obtained therewith
Publication Date: 2020.04.22 LESAGE DEVEMENT SAS
  • EP3400345B1 patent drawingFigure 1~6
  • EP3400345B1 patent drawingFigure 7~10
  • EP3400345B1 patent drawingFigure 11~14b

AI summary

The present invention concerns a thermal break (10), the lower face (12) of which is at least delimited by a horizontal plane and comprises at least one face (162) inclined relative to said horizontal plane and configured to rest on an inclined longitudinal wing (212) of a case bay element (20) and engagement means (121, 122) arranged to mechanically link said thermal break (10) to said case bay element (20) provided with complementary engagement means (213, 214). Said inclined face (162) is provided on at least one breakable portion (16) formed in the thickness of the thermal break (10), making it possible to modify the profile of the lower face (12) of said thermal break in a simple and swift manner, such that it is suitable both for a normal case bay element arranged in a span with normal axial spacing and for a cut case bay element arranged in a span having areduced axial spacing or false axial spacing.