Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Connector Plate With Variable Leg Geometry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional metal connector plates have limitations in leg orientation, thickness uniformity, and material efficiency, restricting their adaptability and strength in joining wooden components.
Innovation Solution
A fibre reinforced polymer connector plate with variable leg sizes, orientations, and shapes, manufactured via injection moulding, allowing independent leg dimensions and orientations, and incorporating apertures for material savings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional metal connector plates are made from continuous strip material with punched and bent legs, then the manufacturing process is simple and cost-effective, but the leg orientation is restricted to facing each other or opposite directions and cannot face left or right
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the manufacturing method from traditional punching and bending of metal strips to injection molding of polymer material. This parameter change enables legs to be formed in any orientation (facing each other, opposite, left, or right) directly during molding, eliminating the orientation restrictions of traditional methods while maintaining manufacturing efficiency through automated injection molding processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses polymer material as an alternative to traditional metal strip material. This material substitution enables new manufacturing capabilities through injection molding, allowing legs to be formed with greater orientation flexibility and design freedom without compromising structural integrity or connection strength.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the plate legs are made from the same continuous strip material as the base, then the manufacturing process is straightforward, but the leg thickness is always the same as the base thickness with no independent variation
Solution Approach 1:
The injection molding process enables independent control of leg thickness as a separate parameter from base thickness. The mold design allows different wall thicknesses to be specified for legs versus the base plate, providing manufacturing flexibility to optimize leg thickness for specific connection requirements while maintaining ease of production through automated molding.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different parts of the connector plate (legs versus base) to have different thickness characteristics. The injection molding process enables the legs to be formed with optimized local thickness independent of the base plate thickness, allowing each component to be tailored for its specific functional requirements.
3Loss of substance
If the plate width is made the same as the gang nail width to ensure no additional scrap, then material usage is efficient, but the design is restricted and cannot accommodate variable leg configurations
Solution Approach 1:
By switching from metal strip material to polymer material for injection molding, the patent eliminates the constraint of using the entire strip width. The injection molding process allows material to be placed only where needed (apertures, varying leg configurations) without requiring a continuous strip of uniform width, reducing material waste while enabling greater design flexibility for leg arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates apertures (holes) in the plate structure, creating a porous or perforated design. This allows material to be removed or not deposited in specific areas, reducing overall material usage and eliminating scrap issues while providing design flexibility for variable leg configurations and weight reduction.
Data Source
AI summary
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a polymer connector plate, and in particular a fibre reinforced polymer connector plate, the connector plate comprising a polymer connector plate base; and a plurality of polymer legs extending from the plate base. According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a polymer connector plate, the method comprising extruding raw plastic polymer material, typically comprising fibre reinforced polymer pellets, to define the polymer connector plate defined above. According to a third aspect of the first embodiment of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for manufacturing a polymer connector plate, and in particular a fibre reinforced polymer connector plate, the apparatus comprising an injection moulding apparatus.