T-Shaped Trimmer Line Shield for Chain Link Fence Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mowing or trimming adjacent to chain link fences is challenging due to the difficulty in preventing trimmer lines from striking or becoming entangled with the fence, and vegetation growth occurs below and between the fence wires, causing damage and maintenance issues.
Innovation Solution
A trimmer line shield formed of an elongated stiff plastic extrusion with a T-shaped cross section, tapered bottom, and flat top portion is driven into the ground to secure the fence, preventing the trimmer line from striking and entangling with the fence while maintaining the fence above the ground to inhibit vegetation growth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If chain link fence is installed with bottom wire close to ground, then fence security and stability are improved, but trimmer line becomes entangled with fence wires and vegetation grows through open spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a bottom rail as an intermediary component between the ground and the chain link fence. This bottom rail serves as a mediator that prevents trimmer line from directly contacting and entangling with the fence wires, while also blocking vegetation growth through the open spaces at the fence bottom. The bottom rail is installed horizontally along the fence line, creating a physical barrier that resolves the conflict between maintaining fence security and preventing trimmer line entanglement.
2Stability of the object's composition
If chain link fence bottom is close to ground, then fence stability is improved, but vegetation grows below and between fence wires causing maintenance issues
Solution Approach 1:
The bottom rail acts as an intermediary barrier that blocks vegetation from growing through the open spaces between the bottom wire and the ground. By installing this horizontal rail along the fence line, the patent creates a physical obstruction that prevents plant roots and shoots from penetrating through the fence structure, thereby eliminating the maintenance problem of vegetation growth while preserving fence stability.
3Reliability
If bottom rail is installed to prevent trimmer line entanglement, then trimmer line protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the fence structure into distinct segments: the existing vertical chain link fence and the new horizontal bottom rail. This segmentation allows the bottom rail to be installed as a separate, modular component that can be easily attached to the existing fence structure. The bottom rail is available in standard lengths and can be joined using simple connectors, making the overall system less complex than a fully integrated design would be.
Solution Approach 2:
The bottom rail serves multiple functions simultaneously: it prevents trimmer line entanglement with the fence wires, blocks vegetation growth through the open spaces, and provides additional structural support to the fence. By combining these multiple functions into a single component, the patent reduces the need for multiple separate devices, thereby simplifying the overall system rather than increasing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A trimmer line shield for preventing the line of a grass trimmer from striking and becoming entangled in the bottom portion of a chain link fence is formed of an elongated stiff plastic extrusion having a longitudinally extending vertical main body of generally T-shaped transverse cross section, a tapered bottom end, a pair of longitudinally extending stop flanges disposed a distance above the tapered bottom end extending laterally outward beyond each side of the main body, and a longitudinally extending flat top portion that extends a distance laterally outward beyond each side of the main body for engaging the bottom of the fence. The shield is driven into the ground to extend between vertical fence posts and the fence is installed between the posts with its bottom end engaging the flat top portion a distance above the ground surface which also inhibits growth of vegetation into the open spaces between the wire members.