Decking Gap Tie-Down Anchor With Rotating Lock Geometry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing deck tie-down devices fail to securely fasten objects to decking boards using the gap between adjacent boards effectively, as they often rely on biasing means that are not robust or reusable.
Innovation Solution
A continuously formed tie-down anchor with a lower leg, vertical section, and loop, made from a single rod with a square cross-section, that can be inserted between decking boards and locked in place by rotating the loop to trap the anchor, allowing for secure attachment of objects using a rope or padlock.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing deck tie-down devices use biasing means to hold the device in position, then the device can be maintained relative to the boards, but the biasing means are not robust or reusable
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the biasing means from the tie-down device, extracting the problematic component that limited reusability and robustness. The device now relies on the structural geometry of the legs and the deck board gap itself to maintain position, eliminating the need for separate biasing mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The tie-down device uses the deck board gap and the perpendicular orientation of its legs to automatically maintain its position without requiring external biasing means. The structure serves itself by using the environment (gap between boards) and its own geometry to provide the positioning function.
2Reliability
If the anchor is inserted within the gap between adjacent decking boards and the loop is turned to trap the anchor, then the anchor is securely fastened to the decks, but the installation process requires rotation and trapping action
Solution Approach 1:
The tie-down device incorporates a dynamic installation process where the loop is rotated from a parallel orientation to a perpendicular orientation relative to the gap. This dynamic action transforms the device from an insertable state to a trapped, secured state, allowing secure fastening while maintaining operational simplicity.
3Reliability
If the continuously formed anchor is integrally formed from a single rod, then the anchor is reusable and structurally sound, but the manufacturing process requires integral forming from a mold
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the entire tie-down device into a single continuously formed structure from one rod, combining multiple functional elements (legs, loop, vertical section) into one integral component. This merging provides structural integrity and reusability while the molding process efficiently produces the complex geometry in a single manufacturing step.
Solution Approach 2:
The single rod is formed into a multi-functional structure where different portions serve different purposes: the lower and upper legs provide anchoring, the vertical section provides spacing, and the loop provides the trapping mechanism. This universal design achieves multiple functions from a single manufactured component.
Data Source
AI summary
A tie-down anchor for use with decking boards, or the like, having a gap with a longitudinal axis located between adjacent decking boards. The tie-down anchor includes a continuously formed anchor having a lower leg extending in a first direction in a first horizontal plane, a vertical section connected to the lower leg and perpendicular to the first horizontal plane, an upper leg that is parallel to the lower leg and lies in a second horizontal plane spaced above the first horizontal plane by the length of vertical section, and a loop above the vertical section and the upper leg. Wherein the lower leg can be inserted within the gap between adjacent decking boards and the loop turned to trap the anchor between the decking boards such that the upper leg and lower leg are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the gap.