Scalloped Hub Pole Support for Unbalanced Load Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pole systems implanted in the ground are fragile and unable to support large or unbalanced weights, prone to leaning or falling due to applied forces.
Innovation Solution
A pole system with transversely extending apertures and pins, featuring a hub member with a scalloped bottom surface that resists rotational forces by allowing the pin to move into adjacent scallops, providing additional support through multiple apertures for hub and supporting members.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a simple pole structure is used, then the device complexity is low, but the strength and rigidity are insufficient to support unbalanced weights
Solution Approach 1:
The pole system is divided into distinct functional components: the pole, hub members, pins, and scalloped walls. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall structural integrity and resistance to unbalanced loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The scalloped wall introduces a radial dimension to the hub member, creating multiple arcuate recesses arranged circumferentially. This dimensional arrangement allows the pin to engage with multiple scallops, providing resistance to rotational forces and enhancing overall strength without significantly increasing complexity.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a single aperture and pin configuration is used, then the device complexity is low, but the stability against rotational forces is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The single pin is replaced with multiple pins, each engaged with separate arcuate recesses in the scalloped wall. This segmentation of the support mechanism distributes rotational forces across multiple engagement points, significantly enhancing stability against rotational and unbalanced loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The arcuate recesses in the scalloped wall provide curved engagement surfaces that naturally resist rotational forces. The curved geometry allows the pin to ride along the arc during rotation, converting rotational motion into radial movement along the scallop, thereby enhancing stability.
3Reliability
If the pole is implanted in the ground without additional support structures, then the device complexity is low, but the reliability under unbalanced loads is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The hub member integrates multiple functions: it provides structural support, accommodates multiple pins for rotational resistance, and serves as a mounting platform for additional structures. This merging of functions into a single component enhances reliability while controlling overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The scalloped wall with its pre-formed arcuate recesses is designed in advance to anticipate and resist rotational forces before they occur. The geometry is pre-configured to engage with pins in a way that automatically resists unbalanced and rotational loads, enhancing reliability proactively.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a pole system suitable for supporting other objects such as bird feeders, plants and the like, the pole system having a pole with at least one transversely extending aperture formed therein, a pin mounted in the aperture and extending exteriorly of the pole on opposite sides thereof, and a hub member having a bottom surface, the bottom surface including a scalloped wall which is arranged to receive the pin such that the hub member is supported, the scalloped wall permitting rotation of the hub when sufficient rotational force is applied thereto.