Adjustable Joist Bracket for Irregular Pool Wall Framing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional deck framing systems face challenges when dealing with irregularly shaped pool perimeters, as commercially available brackets are limited to standard angles, making it difficult to create secure and accurate connections, and the need for custom-cutting leads to inefficiencies and potential damage to the deck.
Innovation Solution
A bracket system with a thin, rigid body featuring a brace, ear, flange, and boom, where the ear and flange are independently poseable, allowing for flexible angular adjustment and secure attachment to irregular surfaces, including pool walls, with living hinges enabling on-site bending for precise installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional brackets with standard angles are used, then manufacturing and availability are improved, but adaptability to irregular pool perimeters deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket incorporates a living hinge that allows the brace to be bent to various angles after manufacturing. This dynamic adjustment capability enables the bracket to adapt to irregular pool perimeters while maintaining standard manufacturing processes for the base component.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket design allows changing the angular parameter of the brace relative to the flange by bending the living hinge to different degrees. This parameter adjustment enables the same bracket to fit multiple angle requirements without custom manufacturing.
2Measurement precision
If custom-cutting of frame members is performed on-site, then measurement accuracy is improved, but installation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket is pre-manufactured with standard dimensions and features, including pre-drilled holes and standardized connection points. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for on-site cutting and drilling, allowing installers to simply assemble components for accurate fitting.
Solution Approach 2:
The bracket is divided into separable components (flange, living hinge, brace) that can be independently manufactured and then assembled. This segmentation allows standardization of parts while providing flexibility in configuration during installation.
3Strength
If anchors are drilled close to the deck surface, then structural support is improved, but risk of deck cracking increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bracket acts as an intermediary component between the deck structure and the joist. By positioning the anchoring flange away from the deck edge and using the living hinge to create angular offset, the bracket transfers loads through a longer lever arm, reducing stress concentration at the deck surface while maintaining joist support strength.
Data Source
AI summary
A bracket for hanging a joist with respect to a vertical surface includes a brace having a top, an opposed bottom, a front, and an opposed back. An extends from the back of the brace, proximate the top. A boom, proximate the bottom, extends from the back of the brace to a flange, and a gap is defined between the ear and the flange. The ear and the flange are independently poseable with respect to the brace.