Tile Leveling Device with Snap-Action Blocking Tie-Rod
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tile-laying devices are time-consuming, require high skill, and often result in non-coplanar surfaces due to adhesive material solidification and complex adjustment mechanisms, with high costs and difficulty in detachment and recycling of components.
Innovation Solution
A leveling device with a tie-rod and a knob system, where the knob comprises a cap and sectioned half-shells that snap together to hold the tie-rod blocking element, allowing easy adjustment and detachment, and enabling pressure adjustment through threading, facilitating easy use, safe removal, and cost-effective recycling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional hammer striking method is used to level tiles, then operation simplicity is maintained, but productivity is low and manufacturing precision is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The leveling device is divided into modular components: a base with multiple positioning points, adjustable leveling elements, and a removable projecting element. This segmentation allows for quick assembly and disassembly, significantly improving tiling productivity while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The device introduces an intermediary mechanical structure (base with positioning points and leveling elements) between the tile and the supporting surface. This intermediary mechanism enables precise leveling without requiring skilled hammer striking, thereby improving both productivity and manufacturing precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple leveling devices with correct adjustment are used to ensure coplanarity, then manufacturing precision is improved, but loss of time increases due to complex adjustment operations
Solution Approach 1:
The base is pre-configured with multiple positioning points and the leveling elements are pre-adjusted to work together as a system. This preliminary preparation allows the device to maintain coplanarity automatically during tile placement and adhesive solidification, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual adjustments while ensuring manufacturing precision.
3Manufacturing precision
If a plate-like body with cracking and wedge is used as the projecting element, then manufacturing precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficult detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The projecting element is designed with dynamic characteristics - it can be firmly held during the leveling process to ensure manufacturing precision, but can be easily removed after use. The element features a gripping section that holds the tie-rod securely during operation, yet allows for simple detachment when the leveling function is complete.
4Ease of operation
If a threaded pivot with female thread knob is used for pressure adjustment, then ease of operation is improved, but loss of time increases due to difficult knob recovery
Solution Approach 1:
The knob assembly is segmented into separable components - the knob itself and the projecting element with threading. This segmentation allows the knob to remain on the base for reuse while only the projecting element needs to be removed and replaced. This resolves the time loss issue while maintaining easy pressure adjustment capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A leveling device for the laying of tiles or the like comprising: a tie-rod ( 2 ) having a support base ( 4 ) for the edge portions of one or more adjacent tiles and a projecting element ( 5 ) from the base ( 4 ) which can be arranged in the gaps between the adjacent tiles; a knob ( 3 ) coupleable to the projecting element ( 5 ) and having an outlet passing-through hole ( 6 ) for the free end ( 7 ) of the projecting element ( 5 ), the knob ( 3 ) being capable of forcing at least one edge portions of the adjacent tiles against the base ( 4 ) so as to leveling the adjacent tiles. The knob ( 3 ) comprises a cap ( 10 ) susceptible to receive and retain, by snap means ( 11 ), a blocking tie-rod ( 12 ) capable of hooking and retaining the projecting element ( 5 ) inside a through-passing channel ( 13 ) present in the blocking tie-rod ( 12 ). The blocking tie-rod ( 12 ) is sectioned into two half-shells ( 15 ) intended to reciprocally couple, to thereby embrace and constrain the projecting element ( 5 ) when the blocking tie-rod is inserted into the cap ( 10 ) and to separate and leave free the projecting element ( 5 ) when the blocking tie-rod is at least partially extracted from the cap ( 10 ).