Adjustable Support Stake with Rotatable Tension Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stake systems for supporting plants and objects above ground are limited by their stationary nature, requiring detachment from the object to adjust, which can lead to plant damage or growth deformations as the plant outgrows the stake.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable support stake system featuring a substantially tapered stake with a rotatable member within a housing, allowing users to adjust tension in an attached support cable without detaching it from the stake or the object, using a tension release member and access points for rotation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a stationary stake is used to support a plant, then the stake provides stable support, but the plant cannot grow vertically without outgrowing the stake or requiring detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The stake incorporates a rotatable member that allows dynamic adjustment of the support cable tension and effective support height. This dynamic element enables the stake to adapt to plant growth without requiring complete disassembly or complex telescoping mechanisms, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and structural simplicity.
2Ease of operation
If the stake is tied directly to the plant, then support is provided, but the plant may be damaged or growth deformed as it outgrows the stake
Solution Approach 1:
A support cable acts as an intermediary between the stake and the plant, allowing adjustment of support height and tension without direct attachment to the plant. The rotatable member on the stake enables easy adjustment of this intermediary system, facilitating plant growth while maintaining support and preventing damage.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the stake structure is made more complex to allow height adjustment, then adaptability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The stake uses a simple rotatable member mechanism rather than complex telescoping or segmented structures. This dynamic element provides height and tension adjustment capabilities while maintaining structural simplicity, effectively resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable support stake for securing and supporting items above the ground including a substantially tapered stake at a first end and a housing formed around a rotatable member that can be rotated about a longitudinal axis from an access point on the housing at a second end. The rotatable member being capable of attaching to a cable that is also attached to the item to be secured or supported so that when the rotatable member is rotated the tension in the cable is increased. A tension release member further allows for adjustability by reducing cable tension when decoupled from the rotational member. The adjustable support stake can be used by inserting the stake into the ground, attaching a cable to both the rotatable member and the item to be supported, and rotating the rotatable member to create tension in the cable.