Wedge Base for Support Poles Resolving Stability and Setup Complexity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Shade and shelter structures, such as pavilions and umbrellas, face challenges in securing a stable base on the ground, ease of setup and teardown, resistance to wind forces, and maintaining structural rigidity, especially for large and unwieldy designs.
Innovation Solution
The use of wedge mechanisms in bases that increase the cross-sectional area to stabilize poles and tubular members through frictional engagement, combined with adjustable braces that enhance structural rigidity by pulling adjacent poles together.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a secure and firm base is provided for support poles, then the stability and reliability of the structure is improved, but the complexity of the base mechanism increases
Solution Approach 1:
The base mechanism employs dynamic wedges that can move between retracted and extended positions. When the pole is inserted, the wedges are forced to extend outward by the inclined surfaces, automatically increasing the cross-sectional area for engagement. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by providing enhanced stability only when needed during insertion, while maintaining simplicity during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The base is divided into separate functional components: a stationary base body with inclined surfaces, and movable wedges that can independently adjust. This segmentation allows the complex stabilizing function to be achieved through simple, modular elements that only engage when required, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliability.
2Ease of operation
If the structure is designed to be temporary or movable for ease of use, then the ease of operation is improved, but the stability and firmness of the base is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The movable wedge mechanism allows the base to dynamically adapt between a compact state for easy handling and an expanded state for firm grounding. During setup, the wedges are forced outward by the pole insertion, creating strong frictional engagement. During teardown, the wedges can be easily retracted, enabling quick removal. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between ease of operation and base firmness.
3Reliability
If the cross-sectional area of the base is increased to engage the inner surface of the pole, then the frictional engagement and stability are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than providing a permanently large cross-sectional area, the invention uses movable wedges that dynamically expand the engagement area only when the pole is inserted. The inclined surfaces convert the axial insertion force into radial outward force on the wedges, automatically increasing the cross-sectional area for frictional engagement. This dynamic approach achieves high reliability without permanent structural complexity.
4Strength
If braces are added to pull together adjacent poles to make the structure more rigid, then the structural integrity is improved, but the device complexity and number of components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The braces are designed to be pre-assembled units that connect to standardized connection points on the poles. The connection elements are prepared in advance with matching geometries, allowing quick assembly without complex field adjustments. This preliminary preparation reduces on-site complexity while achieving the desired structural rigidity through proper bracing geometry.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The wedge mechanisms provide a secure and quick connection to the ground, while the braces improve the structural integrity and stability of the shelter structures, enabling easier setup and teardown, and enhanced resistance to wind forces.
Implementation Method 1
connecting a hollow tubular member to a support surface by means of frictional engagement with an inner surface of the tubular member
Implementation Method 2
The base comprises an upwardly projecting portion having a cross section similar to that of a hollow end of such poles, so that the end of the pole(s) fits over the projection. A wedge mechanism increases in cross-sectional area as the pole travels over the projecting portion, so as to engage and hold the inner surface of the hollow end of the pole
Data Source
AI summary
Bases are disclosed that comprise a projecting portion designed to receive over it the hollow end of a pole or other elongate member, which may form part of a structure such as a pavilion or umbrella. The projecting portion of the base comprises wedges that move in response to the end of the pole moving over the projecting portion and in so moving, the wedges increase the effective cross section of the projecting portion to engage the inner surface of the end of the pole and to thereby stabilize the structure on a support surface, such as the ground. Braces are also disclosed that pull together adjacent poles of a pavilion to make the structure more rigid.