Hidden Deck Fastener With Inclined Screws for Secure Butt Joints

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional fastening systems for decking boards, particularly at butt joints, suffer from structural integrity issues due to fastener degradation, material costs, and labor-intensive installation, especially when using hidden fasteners, which often fail to securely hold boards together under environmental stress and require excessive materials and labor.

Innovation Solution

A hidden fastener system with a constraining member and a base member, featuring inclined screw openings and leg portions that engage directly with the joist, providing secure attachment and reducing the need for additional joists or screws, while allowing for angled screw insertion for enhanced stability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If conventional nails or screws are used to fasten boards to structural members at butt joints, then the boards can be securely attached, but the fasteners weaken the boards and cause cracking or splitting due to rusting and environmental degradation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefastening strengthVSAvoidboard structural integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The harmful fastener elements are extracted and relocated from the board surface to a separate base member that attaches to the structural member below. The constraining member then holds the board ends without requiring fasteners to penetrate the board material, thus preventing board weakening while maintaining attachment strength.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

A base member with inclined openings serves as an intermediary component between the structural member and the board ends. This intermediary allows fasteners to attach to the structural member without directly fastening to the boards, eliminating the harmful effect of fasteners on board integrity while maintaining the fastening function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If hidden fasteners are used to anchor boards to substructure, then the appearance is improved and boards are protected from cracking, but a single fastener cannot contain enough force to hold boards together during expansion and contraction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveboard protection from crackingVSAvoidfastening force

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The fastening function is segmented into two separate components: a base member that attaches to the structural member and provides anchoring, and a constraining member that holds the board ends. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in its function, with the base member providing strong attachment and the constraining member providing board protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The fastening system transitions from a single-point attachment to a distributed attachment system. The base member with multiple inclined openings distributes the fastening force across multiple points, while the constraining member distributes the board holding function along the board ends, providing strength in multiple dimensions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Strength

If four hidden fasteners are installed on each joist for butt joints, then the boards can be securely fastened, but material costs and labor increase due to additional fasteners and screws

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebutt joint securityVSAvoidnumber of fasteners

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The base member combines multiple fastening functions into a single component. Instead of requiring four separate fasteners and additional screws, the base member with its pair of leg portions and inclined openings integrates the attachment to the structural member and the support for the board ends into one unified element, reducing both material quantity and installation complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The base member serves multiple functions simultaneously: it attaches to the structural member, provides spacing corresponding to joist dimensions, supports the constraining member, and enables the hidden fastening function. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components and reduces the overall number of parts required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Strength

If hidden fasteners are installed on the topside of joists, then the boards can be attached, but the fasteners pull out due to softness caused by age or moisture content

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveboard attachmentVSAvoidfastener hold strength

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of installing fasteners from the topside of the joist where the wood is soft and prone to pull-out, the base member inverts the attachment approach by engaging the structural member from below or at optimal structural points. The inclined openings allow fasteners to engage the joist in a direction that maximizes hold strength and minimizes pull-out risk.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS12612790B2Hidden fastener for abutting boards

Publication Date: 2026.04.28 TREX CO INC

AI summary

In an exemplary embodiment, a hidden fastener may include a constraining member configured to support a plurality of boards, and a base member extending below the constraining member. The base member includes a pair of leg portions, each leg portion includes an opening at an inclined angle for receiving a fastener at an inclined position. The pair of leg portions is attached to a structural member via a spacing formed between the pair of leg portions, the spacing corresponding to a size of a top surface of a structural element.