Decking Connector Wedging Grooves Expansion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing decking systems face limitations in securely fixing decking boards to joists, particularly due to expansion and contraction caused by temperature and humidity changes, leading to rattling and flexing issues, and require accurate cutting of boards to fit, resulting in increased installation time and material wastage.
Innovation Solution
A decking system utilizing connectors with convergent side edges and adjustable bridging members that engage grooves and recesses in decking boards, allowing for secure wedging and accommodating expansion, with options for various widths and thicknesses, and can be easily installed without precise cutting of boards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If decking boards are fixed to joists using traditional fasteners (nails, screws), then the boards can be securely attached, but the fasteners are visible on the upper surface and require precise cutting of boards to fit
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component (the connector with concealed fastening mechanism) that mediates between the decking board and joist. The connector includes a hidden fastener that attaches to the joist from below, eliminating the need for visible surface fasteners while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastening mechanism is moved from the horizontal plane (visible on surface) to the vertical plane (concealed below). The connector extends downward from the board edge to engage with the joist, transferring the fastening action to a different spatial dimension where it remains hidden.
2Manufacturing precision
If decking boards are cut to precise lengths to fit between joists, then accurate fitting is achieved, but installation time increases and material wastage occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The connector design changes the dimensional parameters of the fastening system. Instead of requiring boards to be cut to exact dimensions, the connector accommodates a range of board lengths through its adjustable or flexible bridging member, allowing tolerance in manufacturing and installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridging member of the connector is designed to be flexible or adjustable in length, allowing it to adapt dynamically to varying board lengths. This dynamic characteristic eliminates the need for precise pre-cutting, as the connector can be adjusted during installation to fit any board within a specified range.
3Stability of the object's composition
If decking boards are rigidly fixed to prevent movement, then structural stability is improved, but expansion and contraction due to temperature and humidity cause rattling and drumming
Solution Approach 1:
The connector incorporates a flexible or movable bridging member that can dynamically adjust to the expansion and contraction of decking boards. This dynamic element allows the board to move within controlled limits while maintaining attachment, preventing the rigid constraints that cause rattling.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector design changes the mechanical parameters of the connection, introducing flexibility and movement capacity. The bridging member can change its effective length or position in response to environmental conditions, allowing the system to accommodate thermal and humidity-induced dimensional changes without generating harmful stresses.
Data Source
AI summary
A connector for a pair of decking boards, having grooves or recesses in their side walls, laid end-to end, has at least one connector member with parallel side edges arranged for “wedging-type” engagement with the grooves or recesses across the joint between the adjacent ends of a pair of the decking boards. A bridging member extends substantially from the connector member, optionally interconnects a pair of the connector members, and is received in rebates in the adjacent ends of the pair of decking boards at the joint. The bridging member is relatively rigid in the vertical plane; but may be telescopic, or may flex, in the horizontal plane; when in use. The decking boards are laid on a support structure, with respective connector members overlapping the joint between the ends of a pair of the decking boards, so that the connector members of the connector at the joint engage the respective grooves or recesses of the adjacent overlapping decking boards, and the bridging member(s) engage in respective rebates.