Adjustable Ground Anchor with Slotted Base Plate and L-Shaped Brackets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ground anchors for securing elongated members like fence posts and poles are prone to strain when using a single bolt joint, leading to manufacturing and transport inefficiencies due to the need for different-sized sleeves for varying post sizes, resulting in a weak joint and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable ground anchor featuring a base plate with symmetric slots and L-shaped brackets that allow for relative movement and adjustment before tightening, enabling secure attachment of posts of different sizes and shapes using a through bolt, reducing manufacturing costs and enhancing versatility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single bolt joint is used to attach the sleeve to the connecting part, then the structure is simple, but the attachment is under severe strain and requires a massive bolt
Solution Approach 1:
The single bolt joint is divided into multiple bolt joints (first bolt joint and second bolt joint) distributed at different positions on the base plate. This segmentation distributes the strain across multiple connection points, reducing the load on each individual bolt while maintaining overall attachment strength.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple bolt joints are combined to work together in supporting the attachment load. The协同 effect of multiple bolts provides both the required strength and redundancy, while the overall structure remains relatively simple.
2Ease of operation
If the sleeve is made slightly larger than the post to allow installation, then the post can be easily installed inside the sleeve, but the post becomes loose from the sleeve which weakens the joint
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining portion of the bracket is designed with specific local features (retaining edges and slot configuration) that create a tight fit for the post. The slot in the bracket flange allows for adjustment while the retaining edges provide localized constraint that prevents loosening.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket slot and base plate slots allow for dynamic adjustment during installation. The system transitions from a loose fit (allowing installation) to a constrained fit (preventing loosening) through the interaction of the movable bracket with the post and base plate.
3Reliability
If different size sleeves are used for different size posts, then each post size can have a properly fitted sleeve, but manufacturing and transport costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The base plate with multiple slots and L-shaped brackets with slots is designed as a universal attachment mechanism that can accommodate posts of different sizes and shapes. The adjustable bracket position and orientation allow a single base plate design to serve multiple post configurations, eliminating the need for different sized sleeves.
Solution Approach 2:
The adjustable and movable components (slots in base plate, slots in bracket flange) enable the same bracket-base plate assembly to adapt to different post sizes dynamically, providing a one-size-fits-all solution that reduces manufacturing variants.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple adjustment features are added to make the ground anchor versatile for different post sizes, then adaptability increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustment capability is segmented into simple, discrete features: slots in the base plate and slots in the bracket flange. Each slot provides a degree of freedom for adjustment without requiring complex mechanisms. The L-shaped bracket design with retaining portion adds adaptability while maintaining structural simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable ground anchor comprises an anchoring post for securement in ground, base plate fixed on the top of the anchoring post, and L-shaped brackets on the base plate. Slots in the base plate reside symmetrically in relation to the center of the base plate and extend along a line passing through the center of the base plate. Two L-shaped brackets lay on the base plate, each having a slot in the flange abutting the base plate. A through bolt is mounted through the slot in the base plate and the slot in the flange of the bracket above, wherein the slots allow the bracket to freely move on the base plate prior to tightening the through bolt. The brackets form a retaining portion for a post that is fixed between the upward pointing flanges of the brackets.