Hidden Fastener for Deck Planks via Side Groove Engagement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for attaching deck planks to joists require high precision, are time-consuming, and can lead to flawed installations, with visible fasteners prone to weather damage and safety risks, and the variety of fasteners for different plank sizes complicates installation and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A concealed fastener system where a cross member with a clawed end engages the plank's groove and a press-fitted anchoring member forms a hidden attachment during installation, allowing for interchangeable use with various side-grooved planks, using a power driving tool to align and secure the fastener.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional nails or screws are driven through the top of planks into joists, then secure attachment is achieved, but the plank surface becomes pock-marked and prone to rot and weather damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves the fastener penetration point from the top surface (vertical dimension) to the side surface (horizontal dimension) of the plank. The L-shaped fastener engages the plank's side groove and attaches to the joist, eliminating top-surface penetration and its associated weather damage risks while maintaining secure attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the penetration action from the plank's top surface and relocates it to the side surface. By taking out the harmful penetration from the vulnerable top area and placing it on the more protected side area, the solution eliminates the pock-marking and rot susceptibility while preserving the fastening function.
2Manufacturing precision
If precise alignment and careful insertion are performed to achieve proper penetration, then optimal attachment is achieved, but installation time and skill requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The plank is pre-formed with grooves at specific locations before installation. These grooves serve as predetermined guides that automatically position the fastener correctly during installation, eliminating the need for precise manual alignment and insertion while ensuring proper attachment geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The groove acts as an intermediary element between the fastener and the joist. It mediates the positioning and alignment functions, allowing the fastener to be installed without requiring high precision manual operation while still achieving the desired attachment accuracy.
3Ease of operation
If hidden fasteners with tabs or flanges are used to engage side grooves, then uniform spacing and aesthetic appeal are improved, but the variety of fastener sizes and configurations increases complexity and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The L-shaped fastener is designed with a standardized configuration that can engage grooves of varying dimensions. The geometry allows a single fastener type to accommodate different plank sizes and groove configurations, providing universal applicability across multiple plank varieties while maintaining uniform spacing and hidden attachment aesthetics.
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener design incorporates adjustable or flexible parameters in its geometry that allow it to adapt to different groove sizes and plank dimensions. This parameter flexibility enables a single fastener model to serve multiple plank types without requiring a full range of specialized fastener variants.
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
Enables quick, secure, and aesthetically pleasing attachment of deck planks with reduced risk of weather damage and injury, while allowing a single fastener model to be used across different plank types and sizes, simplifying installation and reducing costs through bulk manufacturing.
Implementation Method 1
the anchoring member becomes press-fitted into the sleeve by being driven through the sleeve into the support member
Data Source
AI summary
A concealed fastener is formed in situ during attachment of a first grooved sheathing member to an underlying support member. The concealed fastener rigidly attaches the first sheathing member, and permits subsequent installation of an adjoining sheathing member while providing for proper spacing between adjacent sheathing members.