Adjustable Raised Floor Support with Buttress Threads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing post and pier foundation systems in raised floor structures face issues with soil settlement, corrosion, and the complexity of manual repair, requiring heavy and cumbersome concrete piers that are difficult to install and adjust.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable support system featuring a polymer-based base with a large diameter bottom plate and a post engagement structure with buttress threads, allowing for adjustable height and distribution of load without soil compaction, resistant to corrosion and easy to install.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If concrete piers are used to support raised floor structures, then the floor structure is supported, but the concrete piers compress the soil and cause settlement, leading to floor sagging
Solution Approach 1:
The support system is divided into separate components: a base plate that distributes load over a large area, a post engagement structure with threads for height adjustment, and a wooden post. This segmentation allows the base plate to prevent soil compression while the threaded structure enables precise height adjustment to compensate for any settlement.
Solution Approach 2:
The base plate distributes the load horizontally across a large surface area rather than concentrating it vertically at a single point. This dimensional change from point load to distributed load prevents soil compression and settlement, maintaining long-term stability.
2Strength
If concrete piers are used in crawl spaces exposed to corrosive elements, then the floor is supported, but the concrete piers deteriorate and require replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The support structure uses a composite of materials optimized for different functions: a polymer base plate for corrosion resistance and load distribution, a wooden post for structural support, and a threaded engagement structure for adjustment. This composite approach provides both support capacity and resistance to corrosive elements in crawl spaces.
3Reliability
If manual repair of failed piers is performed by excavating and pouring concrete footings, then the foundation is repaired, but the work is difficult, back-breaking, and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The threaded post engagement structure allows for dynamic adjustment of the support height. Workers can simply rotate the threaded structure to raise or lower the post engagement structure, bringing it into contact with the wooden post and adjusting the floor height without excavation or concrete pouring. This makes the repair process simple and adaptable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows easy change of the support height parameter by rotating the threaded post engagement structure. This parameter adjustment enables workers to compensate for settlement or achieve the correct floor height without complex construction procedures, significantly improving ease of operation.
4Manufacturing precision
If the post is cut precisely and the footing level is controlled to support the floor at the correct height, then the floor sagging is eliminated, but the complexity of the job increases
Solution Approach 1:
The threaded post engagement structure provides a dynamic adjustment mechanism that eliminates the need for precise pre-cutting of the post or precise control of footing level. Workers can install the components at standard dimensions and then adjust the height by rotating the threaded structure, achieving precise floor height support while simplifying the installation process.
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 provides a lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and easily adjustable solution that prevents soil compaction, simplifies the installation process, and maintains the correct floor height, reducing the complexity and labor intensity of repairs.
Implementation Method 1
a first thread with a first thread axis arranged substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface of the bottom plate... the second thread configured to selectively engage the first thread of the base to adjust a height of the post support
Implementation Method 2
The base generally includes a bottom plate with a bottom surface... the bottom surface of the bottom plate is configured to rest upon the ground surface... distributed on the ground surface through the bottom plate
Data Source
AI summary
An adjustable support for supporting a raised floor above a ground surface through a post is described herein. The adjustable support generally includes a base threadably engaged to a post engagement structure, where rotation of the post engagement structure relative to the base brings the post engagement structure into supportive contact with the bottom end of the post. The base includes a large diameter bottom plate that is able to distribute the load of the raised floor over a large ground area to prevent unacceptable compaction of the soil that would cause sinking. Buttress threads are configured to bear the load of the raised floor and enable the adjustable supports to be permanently installed. Because the adjustable support is made of a polymer material, it resists rotting and deterioration.