Floor Tile Laying Aid With Projections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laying flooring tiles is physically demanding and can lead to back and limb injuries due to uncomfortable postures and heavy lifting, pushing, and pulling, which causes physical discomfort and potential damage to the adhesive bed.
Innovation Solution
A support aid with handle ends and detachable supporting surfaces featuring projections that distribute force efficiently, allowing the tiler to work on the floor without disturbing the adhesive bed, minimizing discomfort and injury risk, and enabling easy adaptation to different adhesive bed configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a tiler works close to the ground without support, then the tiler can access the floor surface directly, but the tiler experiences heavy physical strain on back and limbs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a support aid as an intermediary device between the tiler and the floor surface. This aid includes a support surface with projections that contact the adhesive bed and a handle that extends upward to provide ergonomic support for the tiler, thereby mediating the interaction and reducing direct physical strain on the tiler's body
2Ease of operation
If a solid support surface is used to support the tiler, then physical support is provided, but the adhesive bed is disturbed or damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The support surface is segmented into multiple discrete projections rather than a continuous solid surface. These projections are spaced apart to contact only specific points on the adhesive bed (such as the ridges formed by the notched trowel), distributing the support load while leaving the adhesive material between projections undisturbed and intact
3Stability of the object's composition
If projections are placed close together on the supporting surface, then stable support is provided, but the adhesive bed is disturbed
Solution Approach 1:
The spacing parameter between projections is specifically designed and adjusted to match the ridge spacing of the adhesive bed. By changing this spatial parameter, the projections align with and contact only the ridges, providing stable support through multiple contact points while maintaining the integrity of the adhesive material between ridges
4Device complexity
If the supporting surface is fixed to the handle, then the structure is simple, but repairs and adaptations are difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The support aid is divided into separable components: the support surface with projections and the handle. This segmentation allows the support surface to be detached from the handle, enabling easy repair of damaged projections or support surfaces and facilitating adaptation to different adhesive bed configurations without replacing the entire device
Data Source
AI summary
An aid for laying floor tiles on an adhesive bed applied to a floor surface including a support handle having a first and second end, as well as a supporting surface provided at each end, wherein each supporting surface can be supported on the floor surface and wherein each supporting surface is provided with several projections spaced apart such that a support is realized by means of which the tiler can be supported on the floor surface while carrying out work, so that the occurrence of injuries and other physical discomfort can be reduced as much as possible, and wherein furthermore undesirable disturbance of or damage to the adhesive bed on which the flooring tiles are to be placed is prevented.