Ground Anchor Sign Frame for Wind-Stable Lawn Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lawn signs are prone to being displaced by environmental factors, such as high winds, and securing them for extended periods often damages the ground, requiring significant labor for reinstallation.
Innovation Solution
A frame with an anchor and fastener system that allows for easy and secure installation, using a fastener that rotates about an axis to penetrate the ground, maintaining the frame's position without significant readjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If conventional lawn signs are placed in open areas, then visibility is maximized, but they are easily displaced by environmental factors such as high winds
Solution Approach 1:
The anchoring system is divided into separate components: a ground anchor with vertical shaft, a frame with horizontal members, and fasteners. This segmentation allows the sign structure to be stabilized without requiring the entire assembly to be buried or heavily weighted, maintaining visibility while improving stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from surface-level sign placement to subsurface anchoring by driving vertical shafts into the ground. This dimensional change from surface to subsurface provides significantly improved stability against wind forces while keeping the sign face visible at surface level.
2Reliability
If signs are secured for extended periods using traditional methods, then stability is improved, but ground damage occurs requiring significant labor for reinstallation
Solution Approach 1:
The anchoring system is designed to be removable and reusable. The fasteners can be extracted from the ground along with the anchors, allowing the entire sign assembly to be reinstalled at a new location without permanent ground damage or concrete removal, significantly reducing reinstallation effort.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the anchoring components from the ground after use, rather than leaving permanent structures like concrete footings. The anchors and fasteners are removed intact, minimizing ground disturbance and enabling easy reinstallation elsewhere.
3Reliability
If wooden frames with concrete are used for long-term sign placement, then stability is greatly improved, but excessive ground damage is caused
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses metal anchors and fasteners that can be repeatedly installed and removed without degrading performance, replacing the need for permanent concrete structures. These components are designed for multiple reuse cycles, contrasting with the single-use nature of concrete footings that cause permanent ground damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the potential harm of ground disturbance into a beneficial temporary installation process. By using removable anchors instead of permanent concrete, the ground disturbance is minimized and reversible, turning what would be harmful permanent damage into a temporary, recoverable installation effect.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively secures signs in place for extended periods, minimizing ground damage and reducing the need for frequent reinstallation, while maintaining visibility.
Implementation Method 1
The fastener is rotatable about an axis that extends centrally through a shaft of the fastener. The anchor receives the fastener, and the fastener translates linearly in a vertical manner between a first and a second position in response about the axis of the fastener.
Data Source
AI summary
A support mechanism for securing a sign having an anchor and a fastener with a threaded tip. The frame has a display secured thereto. The anchor engaged a frame of the sign. The fastener is rotatable about an axis that extends centrally through a shaft of the fastener. The anchor receives the fastener, and the fastener translates linearly in a vertical manner between a first and a second position in response about the axis of the fastener. The frame remains stationary as the fastener rotates. The fastener has an enlarged head adapted to engage a tool. The shaft extends downwardly from the enlarged head and the threaded tip extends downwardly from the shaft.