Reusable Tile Leveling Tab with Detachable Spring Cap
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tile aligning and leveling systems generate waste and are time-consuming, as they require breaking away vertical shafts, which can disturb tiles and lead to unwanted dislocation.
Innovation Solution
A reusable connecting tab system with a detachable cap that applies variable pressure using a spring-like mechanism, reducing material consumption and waste, and maintaining lippage-reducing forces across tab elongation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If vertical shafts are broken away from the base at the conclusion of each job, then the tile aligning system can be reset for reuse, but material waste is generated and the process becomes time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into two separable components: a reusable base that remains on the substrate and a removable shaft that can be detached and reused. This segmentation allows the base to stay in place while only the shaft needs to be removed and reused, significantly reducing the time and effort required to reset the system for the next job.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft is extracted as a separate, removable component from the base. The shaft can be detached from the base after tile installation is complete, allowing the base to remain permanently mounted while the shaft is removed for reuse in the next project, eliminating the need to break away or discard any components.
2Reliability
If vertical shafts are broken away from the base, then the system can be reset, but tiles may be disturbed if not done properly or if tile adhesion is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the shaft from the base, the system allows removal of only the shaft component without affecting the base or the installed tiles. The base remains firmly anchored to the substrate, providing stable support while the shaft is safely removed for reuse, eliminating the risk of tile dislocation during system reset.
3Loss of substance
If reusable connecting tabs are used instead of disposable shafts, then material waste is decreased, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses segmented components (base and shaft) that can be separately reused. The base remains permanently installed while the shaft is removed and reused in subsequent projects, dramatically reducing material consumption without requiring complex mechanisms—only a simple detachable connection between the two components.
4Ease of operation
If a detachable cap system is used that remains attached to the base, then ease of use is improved and tile dislocation is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cap is pre-attached to the base component, so that when the shaft is inserted, the cap is already in position to apply pressure to the tile. This preliminary attachment simplifies the operation—users only need to insert the shaft into the pre-configured base-cap assembly, eliminating the need for separate cap installation steps and reducing the risk of tile dislocation.
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 system effectively reduces tile lippage, minimizes material waste, and simplifies the process by allowing easy detachment and re-use of components, while maintaining alignment and leveling without disturbing the tiles.
Implementation Method 1
a spring like cap which provides for variable forces between the cap and the tile without any change in the separation between base and the tile
Data Source
AI summary
A tile aligning and leveling system that uses an under tile base re-usable upright connecting tab, which is detachably connected to said under tile base, a re-usable flexible edge slotted cap configured to slip over the connecting tab and latch thereto as the cap is slid further down the connecting tab. The cap has an edge slot so that the connecting tab can be separated from the cap, by merely sliding the cap, so that the connecting tab passes through the slot. A flexible spring-like portion of the cap provides increased force on the tile even if undesired elongation of the connecting tab occurs.