Deck Bracket with Elliptical Blade for Flush Board Connection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods of affixing deck flooring boards to underlying floor joists using nails or screws often damage the boards and lead to uneven surfaces over time, as existing metal connectors are complex and fail to maintain a smooth appearance.
Innovation Solution
A simple, three-component bracket comprising a flat mounting plate with a perpendicularly attached elliptically shaped blade and a parallel shelf member, which connects the ends of deck boards to the joist without visible fasteners by using slots and indentations in the boards to secure the blade, ensuring flush and abutting ends.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional nails or screws are used to affix deck flooring boards to floor joists, then the boards are securely connected, but the board ends are damaged and the deck surface becomes uneven over time
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the traditional nail or screw fasteners from the connection process. Instead of using penetrating fasteners that damage board ends, the patent employs a hidden bracket system where the mounting plate is attached to the floor joist and the blade engages with the board end through a slot, avoiding direct fastener contact with the board end grain and preventing damage and protrusion issues
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an intermediary component - the hidden bracket comprising a mounting plate and blade - that mediates the connection between the deck board and floor joist. This intermediary system allows secure attachment without the harmful effects of traditional fasteners, as the blade engages through a slot mechanism rather than penetrating the board end with nails or screws
2Reliability
If complex metal connectors are used to replace screws and nails, then connection security is improved, but the device complexity increases and the smooth appearance is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The hidden bracket is segmented into two functional components: a mounting plate for attachment to the floor joist and a blade for engagement with the board end through the slot. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while keeping the overall design simple and avoiding the complex multi-part configurations of prior art connectors
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies local quality by designing the blade with a specific engagement geometry that fits precisely within the slot cut in the board end. The blade's shape and the slot's configuration are locally optimized to provide secure engagement while maintaining a clean, flush appearance at the board end, avoiding the need for complex overall connector designs
3Strength
If traditional fasteners are used to secure deck boards, then the boards are firmly attached, but visible fasteners create an uneven and aesthetically displeasing surface
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the visible fastener element from the connection system. The hidden bracket uses a slot and blade mechanism where the blade engages within the slot and is not visible from the deck surface, eliminating the visual disruption caused by traditional nails or screws while maintaining secure attachment
Solution Approach 2:
The hidden bracket acts as an intermediary that provides structural connection without visual presence. The mounting plate attaches to the floor joist while the blade engages the board end through the slot, creating a hidden connection mechanism that preserves the smooth appearance of the deck surface while ensuring firm attachment
Data Source
AI summary
A bracket for interconnecting the ends of deck flooring boards having a flat mounting plate for attachment to an underlying floor joist with a flat elliptically shaped blade attached perpendicularly along its center line to one end of the mounting plate and a flat shelf member attached to one side of the mounting plate mutually parallel with the blade and spaced therefrom a distance equal to one-half the thickness of the flooring boards to be interconnected.