Tile Drainage Mandrel Reduces Surface Tension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drainage devices fail to efficiently drain liquid from the upper side of tiles with joints, leading to accumulation and slipping hazards, especially with ceramic tiles, as water does not flow into the joints effectively, and residues remain after evaporation, causing visual impairment and contamination.
Innovation Solution
A drainage device with a joint anchoring shaft and laterally projecting drainage mandrels that reduce water surface tension by contacting the liquid on the tile's bevel or upper side, allowing water to flow into the joint, featuring tapered, elastic, and curved mandrels with varying surface finishes and retaining elements for secure seating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If water is allowed to drain into joints between tiles, then drainage function is improved, but water accumulates on tile surfaces due to high surface tension, creating slipping hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the physical parameter of surface tension by introducing a surfactant composition that reduces water's surface tension. This allows water to overcome the energy barrier and flow into the joints between tiles, eliminating accumulation on the tile surface and the associated slipping hazard while maintaining effective drainage
Solution Approach 2:
The surfactant acts as an intermediary substance between water and the tile joint interface. It mediates the interaction by reducing surface tension and enabling water to penetrate the joint space more effectively, thereby resolving the contradiction between drainage efficiency and surface water accumulation
2Object-affected harmful factors
If manual removal of water accumulation is performed, then slipping hazard is reduced, but time and labor are required for maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The surfactant composition enables the drainage system to be self-service by automatically preventing water accumulation on tile surfaces. The reduced surface tension causes water to flow into joints without manual intervention, eliminating the need for scrapers, scrubbers, or absorbent materials and freeing up time and labor resources
3Quantity of substance
If water is allowed to evaporate naturally, then liquid accumulation is removed, but residues remain causing visual impairment and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses hydraulic principles by facilitating active water flow into the joints through reduced surface tension. This hydraulic action efficiently transports water away from the tile surface and into the drainage pathway, preventing evaporation and the formation of unsightly residues while maintaining clean visual appearance
4Object-affected harmful factors
If freeze protection is implemented, then safety is improved, but additional measures are required for winter maintenance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces mechanical winter maintenance measures (such as heating systems or physical removal methods) with a chemical solution - the surfactant composition. By reducing surface tension, the formulation prevents water accumulation that would otherwise freeze, thereby eliminating the need for complex freeze protection systems and simplifying winter maintenance
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 device efficiently drains liquid from the upper side of tiles by reducing surface tension and promoting flow into the joint, preventing slipping hazards and residue formation, while being adaptable to different tile configurations and surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
the dewatering mandrel comes into contact with the liquid, which reduces the surface tension of the water due to the adhesive forces between the water accumulation and the protruding dewatering mandrel and the water that occur during the interfacial tension between the solid and the liquid
Implementation Method 2
the adhesive forces between the water accumulation and the protruding dewatering mandrel and the water that occur during the interfacial tension between the solid and the liquid
Implementation Method 3
The at least one drainage mandrel tapers from the joint anchor stem of the drainage device towards its free end portion, thereby increasing its structural resilience and promoting the drainage of liquid from the top of the tile
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
Drainage device (4) for draining liquid from the top of a tile (5) laid in a laying plane with joints, wherein at least one drainage spike (1A,1B) projecting laterally from an upper end of a joint anchoring shaft (2) is provided for bearing on the top of the tile or its chamfer (9).