Veneer Underlayment with Void-Forming Supports
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern tile and stone installations face challenges with rigid bonds between materials, leading to cracking under tensile stresses, especially with large format tiles, and traditional uncoupling methods like sand strata are no longer viable due to space constraints.
Innovation Solution
An underlayment system with a base layer and individual supports that create voids in the bonding material, allowing for a forgiving shear plane and differential expansion, using a liner material for enhanced bonding and incorporating features like conic cavities and protrusions to distribute loads and accommodate heating elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid direct bond is used between tile and substrate, then structural strength is improved, but cracking occurs under tensile stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an uncoupling membrane as an intermediary layer between the tile and substrate. This membrane includes a grid of cavities that create a forgiving shear plane, allowing the tile to remain bonded while accommodating substrate movement without cracking. The intermediary layer decouples the rigid bond from the rigid tile, resolving the contradiction between bond strength and crack prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The uncoupling membrane is a flexible thin film that can deform to accommodate substrate movement. The flexible nature of the membrane allows it to absorb tensile stresses and differential expansion/contraction between tile and substrate, preventing crack propagation while maintaining the bonding interface.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional sand strata method is used for uncoupling, then cracking prevention is improved, but space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the thick sand strata uncoupling layer with a thin flexible membrane. This membrane maintains the uncoupling function by providing a forgiving shear plane through its cavity grid structure, while reducing the vertical space requirement significantly. The thin film approach achieves the same crack prevention benefit as sand strata without the bulk.
Solution Approach 2:
The uncoupling membrane incorporates a grid of cavities throughout its structure, creating a porous-like configuration that allows for movement and stress distribution. This cavity grid provides the uncoupling action traditionally achieved only through thick sand layers, but in a space-efficient thin film format.
3Area of stationary object
If large format tiles are used, then aesthetic appearance is improved, but susceptibility to cracking increases
Solution Approach 1:
The uncoupling membrane acts as a mediator between large format tiles and the substrate, providing the necessary movement accommodation for big tiles that are more prone to cracking. The grid cavity structure creates a forgiving interface that allows large tiles to expand and contract with the substrate without developing cracks, enabling the use of larger formats while maintaining crack-free surfaces.
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 underlayment system provides a flexible interface that prevents cracking in tiles and grout joints, supports large format tiles, and allows for differential expansion and contraction, while maintaining structural integrity and enabling the integration of heating elements.
Implementation Method 1
A layer of bonding material can be adhered to an undersurface of the veneer material and to a surface of the internal wall of each of the individual supports
Implementation Method 2
This system also allows differential expansion and contraction between the tile and the substrate
Data Source
AI summary
An underlayment for use between a veneer material and a foundation surface. The underlayment includes a base layer and a series of individual supports extending upwardly from the base layer and being configured to create voids in a layer of bonding material used to adhere the veneer material to the underlayment. Each of the individual supports includes at least one outer wall extending upwardly from the base layer, the outer wall extending at least partially around a perimeter of each of the supports. An internal wall is spaced from the outer wall and extends downwardly toward the base layer. A protrusion forms an overhang beneath which a heating element can be fitted. A liner material is bonded to an undersurface of the base layer and extends beneath the internal wall. A space is defined between the at least one outer wall, the internal wall and the liner material.