An underlayment membrane and a conditioning element
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing underlayment membranes in the building industry are limited in accommodating conditioning elements of different cross-sections, leading to increased production and storage costs, and restrict the installer's flexibility in using various heating and electromagnetic elements simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
An underlayment membrane design featuring protrusions with varying spacings and shapes, including straight and corrugated portions, allowing for frictionless retention of conditioning elements with different cross-sections through mechanical contrast, enabling the use of multiple types of elements on a single membrane.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple membranes with different protrusion spacings are produced to accommodate different heating element cross-sections, then adaptability to different conditioning elements is improved, but device complexity and storage management complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane is designed with multiple types of protrusions (first protrusions with smaller spacing and second protrusions with larger spacing) on the same base layer, enabling a single membrane to universally accommodate conditioning elements of different cross-sections. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for multiple specialized membranes, reducing storage and management complexity while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane surface is segmented into different regions with different protrusion configurations. First protrusions are arranged with smaller spacing for smaller conditioning elements, while second protrusions are arranged with larger spacing for larger conditioning elements. This segmentation allows the membrane to handle multiple sizes of conditioning elements simultaneously on a single unified structure.
2Ease of manufacture
If friction-based retention is used to hold conditioning elements, then ease of manufacture is improved, but adaptability to conditioning elements of different cross-sections deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the membrane are provided with different protrusion spacing configurations tailored to specific conditioning element sizes. First protrusions with smaller spacing are optimized for smaller elements, while second protrusions with larger spacing are optimized for larger elements. Each local region has quality characteristics (protrusion spacing) specifically adapted to the conditioning elements it will retain, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized friction-based retention while achieving adaptability across different cross-sections.
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
This design enables the simultaneous use of conditioning elements with different cross-sections, reduces production and storage costs, and provides greater installer flexibility, while protecting the mechanical seal of elements by allowing smoother bending angles.
Implementation Method 1
the known membranes comprise multiple protrusions emerging from the membrane to define suitable spaces between them for receiving the heating elements and to hold them typically by friction with their side walls
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a~3
AI summary
An underlayment membrane (1) between a base surface and an outer coating of a wall, a ceiling or a floor of a building, the membrane (1) comprising: a base layer (2); multiple protrusions (3) which rise from the base layer (2) to retain conditioning elements. The protrusions (3) define between their side walls (15) a plurality of paths (16, 17) for the conditioning elements, such paths (16, 17) comprising: first straight portions (18) defined by pairs of protrusions (3) positioned side by side and spaced apart by a predefined distance at most equal to the thickness of the conditioning elements to hold them by friction; one or more second corrugated portions (25) defined by two or more protrusions (3) spaced apart by a predefined distance greater than the thickness of the conditioning elements and arranged in pairs aligned along lines (26) which obliquely intersect the path (16, 17) in such a way that the conditioning element is retained by elastic- mechanical contrast with the side walls (15) of the protrusions (3), the first (18) and second (25) portions of the path (16, 17) being aligned between each other.