Bent Blade Screw Ground Anchor for Soil Penetration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ground anchors face challenges in efficiently penetrating hard and soft soils without the need for modifying drilling apparatus or replacing tips, and they often struggle to stabilize in various soil conditions.
Innovation Solution
A screw ground anchor with a ground engaging blade oriented at an incline, featuring spiral side faces that converge to a blunt axial face, directs loosened soil towards a helical plate for effective penetration and stabilization, allowing use in both hard and soft soils without requiring tip replacement or apparatus modification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a conventional ground anchor with a straight blade is used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the anchor cannot efficiently penetrate hard soils and requires frequent tip replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is designed with a curved longitudinal axis that follows an arc, and the side faces are spiral in configuration. This curvature allows the blade to more effectively penetrate and engage with soil particles, improving penetration efficiency in both hard and soft soils without requiring frequent tip replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The blade is divided into multiple functional zones including a leading edge for initial penetration, spiral side faces for soil engagement and loosening, and a trailing edge for load bearing. This segmentation allows each portion to perform its specific function optimally, enhancing overall penetration efficiency.
2Productivity
If a ground anchor with a bent and spiral blade is used, then penetration efficiency in various soils is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blade features an asymmetric design where the longitudinal axis is offset from the central axis of the ground anchor, and the side faces are spiral rather than planar. This asymmetry creates the desired penetration efficiency while the offset angle (e.g., 15-30 degrees) can be controlled within standard manufacturing tolerances using conventional forming processes.
3Reliability
If a ground anchor with a blunt axial face is used, then the anchor can stabilize in various soil conditions, but the blade cannot cut through hard soils effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The blade incorporates different local qualities: the leading edge has a sharp, pointed configuration for effective cutting and penetration of hard soils, while the axial face has a broader, blunter configuration that provides stabilization and load distribution once the anchor is installed. This local differentiation allows the single blade structure to perform both penetration and stabilization functions effectively.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a ground anchor requires tip replacement for different soil conditions, then the anchor can be optimized for specific soils, but the operation time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The blade is designed as a multi-functional element that can effectively penetrate and stabilize in both hard and soft soils without requiring replacement. The curved longitudinal axis and spiral side faces create a universal design that adapts to various soil conditions through its geometry alone, eliminating the need for multiple specialized tips and simplifying the installation process.
Data Source
AI summary
A ground anchor is provided for driving into the ground for anchoring or supporting a structure. The ground anchor includes a hub with a helical load bearing plate and a pointed ground engaging end having a body with a spade point blade extending axially from the body and the hub. The blade has first and second opposing spiral major faces and first and second transverse minor spiral faces that converge at a flat axial face to form the blade with a spiral configuration. The blade has a longitudinal dimension extending at an inclined angle with respect to a longitudinal center axis of the ground anchor so that the axial face of the blade is spaced outwardly from the center axis of the ground anchor. The leading edge of the spiral blade directs the soil to the leading edge of the helical plate of the ground anchor.