Retractable Anchoring Stake With Spring-Locked Hinge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable anchoring devices are bulky, difficult to operate, and pose a safety risk due to exposed sharpened tips, which can cause injury or damage.
Innovation Solution
A compact, unitary anchoring stake with a hingedly connected spike that can be stored within the hammer handle, featuring a spring-loaded hinge assembly to lock the spike in a deployed position and a tubular enclosure for safe handling and storage, eliminating exposed sharp components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the spike is permanently exposed for anchoring function, then the anchoring function is reliable, but the device becomes dangerous and difficult to store
Solution Approach 1:
The spike is made movable rather than fixed, allowing it to transition between deployed and retracted positions. The hinge assembly enables the spike to rotate between a deployed position for anchoring and a retracted position for safe storage, resolving the contradiction between reliability and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The spike is stored within the handle when not in use, with the handle acting as an enclosure that contains the sharp component. This nesting arrangement eliminates exposed sharp edges during storage and transport while maintaining full functionality when deployed.
2Reliability
If the spike is permanently exposed for anchoring function, then the anchoring function is reliable, but the device becomes bulky and difficult to store
Solution Approach 1:
The spike transitions from a permanently extended configuration to a movable, retractable component. When retracted, the spike folds against the shaft and stores within the handle, significantly reducing the overall device volume for storage and transport while maintaining full anchoring capability when deployed.
Solution Approach 2:
The spike nests within the handle enclosure when retracted, creating a compact integrated unit. This nesting arrangement eliminates the need for separate storage containers and reduces the device's stored volume while preserving complete functionality.
3Reliability
If the spike is permanently exposed for anchoring function, then the anchoring function is reliable, but the device becomes difficult to operate safely
Solution Approach 1:
The spike's position is dynamically controlled through the hinge assembly, allowing the user to deploy or retract the spike as needed. This dynamic control enables safe handling during storage and transport while ensuring reliable anchoring function when the spike is deployed and locked in position.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded hinge assembly automatically locks the spike in the deployed position once opened, preparing the device for immediate use. Conversely, the spring automatically returns the spike to the retracted position when released, eliminating the need for manual manipulation of the sharp component and enhancing safety.
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 solution provides a safe, compact, and easy-to-use anchoring device that prevents injuries from sharp edges and facilitates efficient deployment and retrieval of the stake, enhancing user safety and convenience.
Implementation Method 1
the hinge assembly is spring-loaded to lock the spike in a deployed position
Data Source
AI summary
A stake to be inserted into the ground or other soft medium and used to moor a watercraft, tether an animal, support an umbrella or secure a tent includes a slide hammer having a central shaft, an enlarged tubular striking handle, and a spike hingedly mounted at a distal end of the shaft; whereby the spike can be folded against the shaft and stowed within the handle for safe handling. The spike can be spring-loadedly angularly locked in the deployed orientation.