Surface Anchor Automatic Cover Flush Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for securing parasols in hard surfaces, such as terraces and hotel premises, face challenges including heavy bases that are difficult to move and drilled holes that pose tripping hazards, leading to municipal regulations prohibiting their use on public highways.
Innovation Solution
A surface anchor with automatic cover that secures parasols without additional bases or feet, using a tubular structure cemented into the ground, featuring a coupling device with a female thread and a threaded anchor rod for easy assembly and disassembly, and an automatic cover that lies flush with the surface when the parasol is removed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If drilled holes are made on the surface to secure parasols, then the parasol can be firmly fixed without heavy bases, but the holes cause tripping hazards and safety accidents when the parasol is not installed
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is designed to automatically close and cover the drilled hole when the parasol is removed, preventing tripping hazards before they can occur. This preliminary protective action eliminates the safety hazard while maintaining the fixing strength when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover mechanism is self-actuating through spring-loaded or gravity-assisted automatic closing when the parasol is removed, without requiring manual intervention. The system serves itself by automatically transitioning between open (for installation) and closed (for safety) states.
2Strength
If heavy bases are used to secure parasols in hard surfaces, then the parasol can be firmly fixed without drilled holes, but the bases are difficult to move and transfer due to their heavy weight
Solution Approach 1:
The heavy base is completely removed from the system. Instead, a lightweight anchor is inserted into a small drilled hole and secured with cement, providing firm fixation without the need for heavy weights. This extraction of the base function while maintaining fixation strength enables easy transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical weight-based fixation system is replaced with a chemical bonding system (cement) that provides strong fixation without heavy mass. This substitution allows the anchor to be firmly fixed in the ground while remaining lightweight and easy to relocate by simply removing the cement bond.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If an automatic cover is integrated into the surface anchor, then the anchor remains flush with the surface when the parasol is removed preventing tripping hazards, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cover function is merged with the anchor structure itself, creating an integrated unit where the cover is an inherent part of the anchor body. This consolidation provides automatic safety coverage while minimizing additional complexity by combining multiple functions into a single unified device.
Solution Approach 2:
The cover operates automatically through spring-loaded or gravity-assisted mechanisms that require no external control or complex actuation systems. The self-service nature of the cover mechanism maintains safety functionality while keeping the device complexity low through simple, reliable automatic operation.
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Surface anchor with automatic cover, for firmly and securely fixing a functional surface element, which includes a surface anchoring device (1) to be cemented in a perforation in the ground, with a tubular surface anchoring structure (3) inside which is attached a coupling device on which is screwed, using a simple quick locking screw, a support device (2) for a parasol or other functional surface device, with an automatic covering device (31) that plugs the device when not in use, preventing tripping accidents, and the ingress of external bodies.