Integral Truss Plate Connector With Angled Nail Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing connectors for structural building components often require complex fastening methods that can lead to splitting of wood members and lack efficient angle guidance for fasteners, making precise installation challenging and prone to errors.
Innovation Solution
A connector with a main body and bendable end flange, featuring integral nail prongs and a nail guide with a guide way that allows for acute-angle fastening, embedded in the held member, and a fastener opening that can receive fasteners at various angles, reducing the risk of splitting and improving installation precision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If fasteners are driven through simple punched openings in the connector, then the fastening process is simple and quick, but the fasteners cannot be precisely positioned and directed at specific angles to avoid splitting the wood member
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces nail guides as intermediary elements between the fastener and the wood member. These guides are formed within the connector body and extend into the wood member, serving as mediators that direct the fastener along a predetermined path at a specific angle. The nail guides provide the necessary precision for fastener placement while maintaining a relatively simple connector structure.
2Productivity
If fasteners are driven directly into the wood member without guidance, then the installation is faster and easier, but the wood member is prone to splitting and the connection reliability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The nail guides are pre-formed within the connector body during manufacturing, before the fastening operation. This preliminary action establishes the correct fastener path and angle in advance, so that during installation, the fastener simply follows the pre-established guide rather than requiring complex real-time positioning. This maintains installation speed while ensuring reliable, split-free connections.
3Strength
If the connector uses only nail prongs pressed into the wood member, then the attachment is strong and compression reduces splitting tendency, but the fasteners cannot be precisely located and the installation requires special hydraulic tools
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple fastening mechanisms into a single connector design. The connector integrates both nail prongs (for strong attachment and compression) and nail guides with fastener openings (for precise fastener positioning). This merging of functions allows the connector to achieve both strong attachment and precise fastener placement without requiring separate components or specialized hydraulic tools for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
A connection is formed between a held member and a holding member with the use of a connector and one or more fasteners. In one aspect, the connector has a main body that has integral nail prong fasteners. In one aspect, the main body of the connector is attached to the held and holding members by means of double-shear fastening. In one aspect, the main body is formed with a bendable end flange to attach the connector to the holding member. In one aspect, the main body is formed with a nail guide for directing the fastener at an angle to the main body.