Decking Clip With Segmented Anchor And Intermediary Body
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing deck board fastening devices lack efficient and secure methods to align and anchor deck boards to support joists, particularly in maintaining spaced alignment and providing adequate stability and protection against damage.
Innovation Solution
The development of deck board fastening devices featuring a body with a transverse planar upper member and perpendicularly positioned lower member, equipped with a central aperture and clip anchors, which can be secured to a joist using an anchoring device, and optionally include a guide member to optimize the anchoring process, allowing for various material combinations and shapes such as oval, biscuit, or rectangular configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional fastening methods are used to attach deck boards to joists, then the anchoring process is simple, but the alignment precision and stability of deck boards are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening system is divided into separate functional components: a clip with anchors for attachment to the joist, a body portion with aperture for board reception, and a fastening device. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall system precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The clip acts as an intermediary element between the joist and the deck board, providing a precise mounting interface. The body portion serves as another intermediary that receives the board and secures it through the aperture, enabling accurate alignment without direct fastening between board and joist.
2Reliability
If simple anchoring methods are used, then the installation process is quick, but the stability and damage protection of deck boards are inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The clip is pre-attached to the joist with anchors positioned to receive the body portion, and the aperture is pre-formed to guide the fastening device. This preliminary preparation ensures stable anchoring while streamlining the final installation step, maintaining both reliability and productivity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple material options are provided for the fastening device, then the adaptability and durability are enhanced, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Different material options are provided for different components of the fastening system. The clip may be made from one material suitable for joist attachment, while the body portion may use a different material optimized for board reception, allowing each component to have locally optimized properties without requiring the entire system to be manufactured with complex multi-material processes.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C~1E
Figure 1F~1I
AI summary
A clip for attaching decking. The clip includes a bottom and a removable top insert. The bottom is made of a first material. The top is made of a second material. The first material of the bottom is different than the second material of the top. The clip has a generally T shape in a side view with a central bore passing through the top member and the bottom member to receive a screw or other fastening member, and a plurality of apertures through the top surface of the bottom member that engage the top member. The body of the bottom member has a transverse planar upper member and at least one perpendicularly positioned planar lower member or keel. The deck board fastener can also have a lip that projects upward from the upper surface of the transverse planar member. The lip can be positioned about an exterior edge of the transverse planar member or along the upper surface.