Fence Standard with Injection-Moulded Open-Ended Loop Wire Support

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional pigtail fencing standards face issues such as mechanical weakness, tangling, and increased manufacturing complexity due to their design, which affects their usability and durability in electrified fencing systems.

Innovation Solution

A self-supporting fence standard with an open-ended loop wire support made of electrically non-conductive materials like glass-filled nylon, injection moulded directly onto a shaft, featuring non-uniform thickness and sloped transition surfaces to reduce tangling and enhance structural integrity, along with a ground engaging member that includes a blade with a downwards facing recess for improved wire management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Weight of moving object

If a traditional pigtail coil design is used for wire support, then the standard is lightweight and simple to transport, but the wire wearing through the insulator creates mechanical weakness and may short the fence

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveweight of fence standardVSAvoiddurability of wire support
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses glass-filled nylon as a composite material for the wire support body. This composite provides both the necessary mechanical strength to prevent wear-through and electrical insulation properties, eliminating the need for a separate metal rod and plastic sheath combination while maintaining reliability and preventing shorting.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The wire support is designed with a segmented structure featuring an open-ended loop configuration. This segmentation allows the wire to be properly positioned and supported while distributing wear across multiple contact points, preventing the mechanical weakness that occurs when wire wears through a solid insulator.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of manufacture

If a traditional pigtail coil design is used, then manufacturing is simple, but the open end and bent sections cause tangling during storage and transportation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidstorage and transport convenience
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of creating a closed coil loop that must be opened and manipulated, the patent inverts the approach by using an open-ended loop design. This inversion eliminates the tangled closed-loop structure while maintaining the wire support function, making storage and transportation significantly easier without compromising manufacturing simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent incorporates smooth curved transitions and rounded edges in the wire support geometry. These curved features eliminate sharp angles and protruding bends that cause tangling, allowing the standards to be stacked and stored efficiently without becoming entangled during transport.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Stability of the object's composition

If the foot is separately manufactured and welded or crimped to the rod, then the foot can provide stabilization, but this adds complexity, time, and cost to the manufacturing process

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestabilization capabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the foot and shaft into a single integrated component made of glass-filled nylon. This consolidation eliminates the separate manufacturing, welding, or crimping operations required for traditional designs, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining the stabilization function through the integrated geometry.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Stability of the object's composition

If the foot is made in a traditional hooked shape, then it can serve as a footrest and stabilizer, but it creates additional points where standards may become tangled

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestabilization and footrest functionVSAvoidentanglement resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designs the foot with smooth, rounded contours and eliminates hooked protrusions that cause tangling. The curved geometry maintains the footrest and stabilization functions while preventing standards from becoming entangled during storage and transport, as there are no sharp angles or protruding elements to catch on other standards.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Data Source

PatentEP2850264B1A fence standard
Publication Date: 2018.12.19 GALLAGHER ELECTRONICS LTD CO
  • EP2850264B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2850264B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2850264B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3c

AI summary

The present invention relates to a fence standard. The fence standard includes a shaft, and a wire support including an open ended loop. The wire support is moulded onto the shaft.