Lay-Flat Screw Ground Anchor With Integrated Shackle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing screw-type ground anchors are complex to manufacture and use, requiring multiple components and attachment points, and the retention feature can be easily lost or misplaced.
Innovation Solution
A screw-type ground anchor design featuring a drive head with a transverse bore and a lay-flat shackle pivotably coupled to it, allowing the shackle to rotate between upright and lay-flat positions, reducing the number of components and attachment points, and enabling easy assembly and secure retention of items.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If multiple components (drive head, top plate, bolt, shackle) are used to create a screw-type ground anchor, then the anchor can withstand axial and lateral loads effectively, but the manufacturing complexity and number of attachment points increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the drive head, top plate, and shackle into a single integrated component. The drive head features a drive interface for rotational driving, a top plate surface for support, and an integrated shackle for retention, eliminating the need for separate components and reducing assembly complexity while maintaining load withstanding capability
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated drive head serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the drive interface for rotational insertion, provides a top plate surface for structural support, and incorporates a shackle for item retention. This multi-functionality reduces the overall number of components needed in the anchor system
2Ease of operation
If a low-profile top plate and bolt are removed during assembly to attach the drive head, then the anchor can be driven into the ground, but the risk of misplacing or losing these components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The top plate is integrated directly into the drive head structure, forming a single permanent component. This eliminates the need to remove and reattach separate top plate and bolt components, ensuring they cannot be lost while maintaining the ability to drive the anchor into the ground through the integrated drive interface
3Ease of operation
If the shackle is fixed in an upright position, then it is easily accessible for securing items, but it protrudes significantly from the ground when not in use
Solution Approach 1:
The shackle is designed to be rotatable relative to the drive head, allowing it to change position dynamically. When not in use, the shackle can be rotated to a lay-flat position that minimizes profile height and reduces tripping hazards, while remaining easily accessible when needed for securing items
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 design allows for a simpler manufacturing process and reduces the risk of losing components while providing secure anchoring with a reduced profile when embedded, enhancing usability and safety.
Implementation Method 1
a screw section configured to drive the shaft along the longitudinal axis into the ground when rotated about the longitudinal axis
Implementation Method 2
a screw section configured to drive the shaft along the longitudinal axis into the ground when rotated about the longitudinal axis
Implementation Method 3
A lay-flat shackle is rotatably coupled to the drive head with the pivot pin. The lay-flat shackle is operable to rotate about the pivot pin so as to enable the lay-flat shackle to pivot between an upright position extending generally along the longitudinal axis to a lay-flat position extending generally transverse to the longitudinal axis
Data Source
AI summary
Screw-type ground anchors that include a shaft extending along a longitudinal axis and having a screw section configured to drive the shaft along the longitudinal axis into the ground when rotated about the longitudinal axis. A drive head is disposed at an upper end of the shaft and is axially aligned with the longitudinal axis. The drive head is configured to receive a rotational drive for rotating the shaft, and has at least one bore therethrough that is transverse to the longitudinal axis. The bore(s) receives an upper end of the shaft and/or a pivot pin that rotatably couples a lay-flat shackle to the drive head. The lay-flat shackle is operable to pivot between an upright position extending generally along the longitudinal axis to a lay-flat position extending generally transverse to the longitudinal axis.