Flexible Soil Erosion Barrier with Contoured Edges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional landscaping solutions, such as bricks and edging products, are ineffective in preventing soil erosion on sloped terrain due to space requirements, cost, and inability to extend beneath the surface, and they do not effectively manage water retention.
Innovation Solution
A flexible, planar soil erosion barrier with a contoured lower edge, neck-like portions, connection wings, and notches that can be stacked and secured without tools, made from lightweight materials, designed to inhibit soil erosion by extending beneath the surface and facilitating water management on sloped terrain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional landscaping bricks are used, then soil erosion control is provided, but the amount of space required for installation increases and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a flexible erosion control blanket that can be conformably installed over sloped terrain without requiring the rigid, space-consuming structure of conventional bricks. This thin film approach provides erosion control while minimizing the space occupied by the installation itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a two-dimensional surface-level brick structure to a three-dimensional flexible blanket that can be wrapped and secured around terrain features, providing erosion control through volumetric containment rather than surface area occupation.
2Reliability
If conventional landscaping bricks are used, then soil erosion control is provided, but installation cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The erosion control blanket is divided into multiple panels with gusseted corners that can be independently installed and connected. This segmentation allows for simpler, tool-free installation compared to conventional bricks, reducing both labor cost and installation complexity while maintaining effective erosion control across the entire slope.
Solution Approach 2:
The blanket features self-aligning gusseted corners and flexible material properties that allow it to conform to terrain and secure itself without requiring specialized installation tools or complex assembly procedures, thereby reducing installation cost and complexity.
3Shape
If conventional landscaping edging products are used, then linear boundary definition is provided, but soil erosion control and water management effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs gusseted corners with curved, flexible edges that can conform to the natural contours of sloped terrain, providing effective soil erosion control and water management by following the terrain's curvature rather than imposing rigid linear boundaries that fail to address the sloped surface effectively.
Data Source
AI summary
A soil erosion barrier that is configured to inhibit the erosion of soil on a sloped terrain. The soil erosion barrier includes a body that is planar in manner and manufactured from a flexible material. The body includes an upper edge and a lower edge wherein the lower edge is contoured towards opposing ends of the body with the greatest width of the body being at the midpoint thereof. A first connection member is integrally formed on one end of the body and a second connection member is integrally formed on the opposing end of the body. An aperture is formed through the body proximate the second end wherein the aperture further includes opposing slots that are parallel to the upper edge of the body. A slot is formed in the body proximate the midpoint and is further proximate the lower edge.