Tile Strengthening Profile for Drain Cut-Outs
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Solution Overview
Problem
In sanitary spaces, large tiles around drains require cutting, leading to weakened tiles, increased breakage risk, and unsightly joints, with potential for leakage and cracking due to expansion coefficient differences.
Innovation Solution
A tile with a cut-out opening is reinforced with a strengthening profile, such as an L-shaped or U-shaped cross-section, which maintains tile strength, allows for easier handling and adhesion, and reduces the need for additional sealing, while enabling the tile to be shifted relative to the drain, thereby minimizing cracking and joint visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a tile is provided with a cut-out opening to fit around a drain, then the tile can be installed around the drain opening, but the tile strength is reduced and breakage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines a breakable material tile with a strengthening profile made of different material (such as metal or plastic) to create a composite structure. The strengthening profile is integrated with the tile, forming a composite element that maintains tile strength while accommodating the cut-out opening for drain fitting.
2Adaptability or versatility
If tiles are cut into pieces to fit around the drain opening, then the tiles can be installed, but additional joints are created which are unsightly and increase leakage risk
Solution Approach 1:
The invention separates the tile from the strengthening profile, creating two distinct components that are later integrated. The tile remains intact without cut-outs, while the strengthening profile accommodates the drain opening, eliminating the need for additional joints in the tile surface.
3Adaptability or versatility
If tiles are cut into pieces to fit around the drain, then the tiles can be installed, but more sealant edges are required which increase cracking risk due to contraction differences
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the function of accommodating the drain opening from the tile itself and transfers it to a separate strengthening profile. This allows the tile to remain as a complete, uncut piece, eliminating the need for multiple sealant edges and reducing cracking risk from contraction differences.
4Strength
If a tile is pressed down evenly during adhesion to prevent breakage, then the tile can be installed safely, but this is exceedingly difficult particularly for large weakened tiles
Solution Approach 1:
The strengthening profile is pre-integrated with the tile during manufacturing, before installation. This preliminary action ensures the tile has sufficient strength from the start, eliminating the need for complex pressing operations during installation and making the process straightforward for installers.
5Ease of manufacture
If a tile is provided with a cut-out opening in the factory, then the tile can be prepared for installation, but transport becomes difficult due to increased breakage risk
Solution Approach 1:
The invention separates the tile manufacturing from the drain opening creation. The tile is manufactured complete without cut-outs, ensuring transport safety. The opening for the drain is then created in the strengthening profile, not the tile itself, maintaining tile integrity throughout transport and installation.
6Length of stationary object
If a thin tile is used to avoid protruding into the drain, then the tile can be installed, but the tile is more prone to breakage due to load
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite structure where a thin tile is combined with a strengthening profile that provides the necessary load-bearing capacity. The strengthening profile compensates for the reduced thickness of the tile, allowing the use of thin aesthetic tiles without compromising structural strength or load-bearing ability.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a combination of a sheet of breakable material and/or deformable material, such as a tile, a thin sheet of metal or sheet of glass, provided with a cut-out opening and strengthening means arranged under the tile and with a drain arranged under the cut-out opening. The strengthening means can here comprise a strengthening profile arranged along the cut-out opening. The invention further comprises a method for arranging a combination according to the invention, the method comprising the steps of: - arranging a drain in a floor, wherein the upper edge of the drain lies substantially flush with the surface of the floor; - applying an adhesive layer to the floor surface; - pressing the tile into the adhesive such that the cut-out opening is arranged above the drain.