Tree Fastener Collar Geometry for Strength With Minimal Trunk Damage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fixing or anchoring elements for structures in trees face challenges in balancing safety, structural strength, and minimization of damage to the tree, while also allowing for tree growth, which existing solutions fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A fixing element comprising a threaded portion, a collar, and a nut, designed to be partially inserted into a tree trunk, with a unique thread and collar geometry that minimizes damage and allows for tree growth, including a thread with triangular shape and a conical collar to enhance mechanical strength and shear resistance, and a modular system with a ring and extension to accommodate tree growth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If existing fixing elements are installed in trees to support structures, then structural stability and safety are achieved, but the tree is damaged and its growth is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing element is divided into distinct functional segments: a threaded portion for anchoring in the tree trunk, a collar for structural support, and a nut for securing the connecting element. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function optimally while minimizing overall impact on the tree.
Solution Approach 2:
The collar is designed with a diameter significantly larger than the threaded portion (D32 > 1.3 D1), creating a local expansion that distributes mechanical stresses over a larger area of the tree trunk. This local quality enhancement reduces stress concentration and minimizes damage to the tree while maintaining structural stability.
2Reliability
If existing fixing elements are installed in trees, then safety requirements are met, but tree growth is not allowed
Solution Approach 1:
The fixing element design accommodates dynamic changes in tree growth. The collar's enlarged diameter provides clearance that allows the tree to grow around the fixed portions, while the modular design with connecting elements enables adjustment as the tree develops, maintaining both safety and growth capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The threaded portion is inserted into a pre-drilled hole in the tree trunk, with the collar extending outward. This nested configuration allows the fixing element to be contained within the tree's structure while permitting radial growth around the collar, balancing safety requirements with growth accommodation.
3Strength
If a robust fixing system is used to ensure structural integrity, then safety is improved, but the complexity of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple functions are merged into a single integrated fixing element: the threaded portion provides anchoring, the collar provides structural support and stress distribution, and the nut secures the connecting element. This merging reduces the number of separate components needed while maintaining robust structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The fixing element is designed as a multi-functional component that can be used in various tree-supported structure applications. The standardized collar and nut design allow the same basic element to serve different purposes while maintaining structural integrity, reducing overall system complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
Fastening element (100) adapted to be partially inserted into a tree, comprising a body extending along a longitudinal direction defined by a longitudinal axis (XX), said body comprising successively, from a proximal end (102) to a distal end (104) along the longitudinal direction: a threaded portion (120), adapted to be inserted into a tree trunk, a collar (130) and a nut (140), the fastening element (100) comprising a thread extending from the distal end (104) into an internal volume of the nut (140) and into an internal volume of the collar (130), the fastening element (100) being formed in one piece.