Tile Leveling Spacer With Slip-Preventing Element
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing leveling spacers for laying tiles face difficulties in easy and tool-free assembly and removal, often causing tile slippage and unwanted lateral thrust due to the need for manual screwing, which can lead to incorrect placement and damage.
Innovation Solution
A leveling spacer with a base, cross-like spacing protrusions, a threaded stem, and a slip preventing element that interposes between the knob and tiles to prevent slippage, allowing for easy screwing and unscrewing without tools, and featuring a disk-shaped slip preventing element with a perimetric centering shoulder and arc portions for secure placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the knob is screwed on to separate the threaded stem, then the grip of the spacer to the tiles is improved, but tile slippage occurs due to lateral thrust
Solution Approach 1:
A slip preventing element is introduced as an intermediary component between the knob and the tiles. This element has a bearing surface that contacts the tile and a perimetric centering shoulder that contacts the knob, mediating the interaction to prevent slippage while maintaining grip strength
Solution Approach 2:
The leveling spacer is divided into separate functional components: the base with spacing protrusions, the threaded stem, the slip preventing element, and the knob. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, with the slip preventing element specifically addressing the slippage issue
2Ease of operation
If manual screwing is used for assembly and removal, then tool-free operation is achieved, but tile slippage and incorrect placement occur
Solution Approach 1:
The slip preventing element acts as a mediator between the manual screwing operation and the tile placement, providing a stable bearing surface that prevents slippage during the manual assembly and removal process, thereby maintaining placement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The slip preventing element is pre-positioned on the threaded stem before the knob is screwed onto the tiles. This preliminary positioning ensures that the bearing surface is already in place to prevent slippage from the outset of the screwing operation
3Strength
If pressure is increased on the tiles during screwing, then the grip of the spacer is improved, but tile damage and slippage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The slip preventing element serves as a protective intermediary between the knob and the tile surface. It distributes the pressure applied during screwing across its bearing surface, preventing concentrated forces that could cause tile damage or slippage while maintaining adequate grip strength
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 solution enables intuitive and tool-free assembly and removal of tiles, preventing slippage and unwanted thrust, ensuring correct placement and protecting tiles from damage during the process.
Implementation Method 1
a threaded stem, which is fixed at right angles to the base in at least one preweakened point, a knob for gripping and removing the threaded stem, which comprises a female thread portion that is adapted to be screwed to said threaded stem
Implementation Method 2
a slip preventing element for protecting the tiles between which the spacer is arranged, which is adapted to be arranged substantially coaxially to said knob, for abutment against the knob on the side of said base in the configuration for use
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A leveling spacer (10) for laying tiles, floor tiles and the like with the interposition of gaps, comprising: - a base (11) with spacing protrusions (12) in order to define the width of the gaps, - a threaded stem (13) that is fixed at right angles to the base (11) by interposition of a stem supporting portion (20) that is connected to the base (11) by means of at least one preweakened point (14), - a knob (15) for gripping and removing by breaking the threaded stem (13), which comprises a female thread portion (16) adapted to be screwed to the threaded stem (13), the leveling spacer comprising a slip preventing element (17) for protecting the tiles between which the spacer is arranged, adapted to be arranged substantially coaxially to the knob (15), for abutment against the knob (15) on the side of the base (11) in the configuration for use.