Wooden Post Support Plate with Angled Screw Guide Boreholes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing post supports for wooden posts are difficult to manufacture, install, and handle with commercially available tools, often requiring special preparation and tools, and do not provide optimal ventilation or a visually appealing solution without visible metal parts.
Innovation Solution
A multi-part carrier plate design with inclined guide bores and long screws inserted at an angle, allowing for secure attachment without visible metal on the post surface and ensuring ventilation through the design of ventilation slots and holes, using standard tools and materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a central hole is drilled in the post for reinforcement pins or threaded pins, then the attachment strength is improved, but special tools and machines are required which are not commercially available
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the attachment function into multiple screw connections distributed around the post perimeter rather than a single central pin. This segmentation allows using standard screwdrivers and drills instead of specialized equipment, while maintaining attachment strength through distributed fastening points.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of drilling holes in the post first and then inserting pins, the patent inverts the sequence by attaching the support plate first and then drilling through the plate into the post. This inversion allows using the support plate as a template, eliminating the need for complex positioning equipment.
2Ease of operation
If screws are inserted axially through the support plate, then the attachment is simplified, but the fastening strength is reduced due to screwing along the grain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses asymmetric screw insertion angles (oblique insertion) where screws are driven at an angle rather than axially. This asymmetric approach allows screws to cut across wood fibers more effectively, increasing fastening strength while still maintaining operational simplicity through the template-guided process.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the post is ventilated from below using nubs as spacers, then the ventilation function is improved, but the appearance is degraded and dirt accumulation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the ventilation function from visible nubs and relocates it to the support plate structure itself. Ventilation slots are integrated into the plate design, allowing air circulation while keeping the post base visually clean and free of protruding elements that would trap dirt.
Solution Approach 2:
The support plate incorporates porous or slot-based ventilation structures that allow air passage while maintaining a smooth, clean surface. The plate itself acts as a porous medium for air flow, eliminating the need for external nubs or protrusions.
4Stability of the object's composition
If metal attachment parts are used to secure the post, then the structural stability is improved, but the visual appeal is degraded due to visible metal on the wooden surface
Solution Approach 1:
The support plate acts as an intermediary element that conceals the metal screw heads and attachment hardware. The wooden post appears clean and natural from the front, while the plate on the underside provides the necessary structural connection, effectively mediating between aesthetic requirements and structural needs.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~9
AI summary
The support (1) has a support plate (5) on which a wooden post (8) rests and including guiding boreholes (13) for fixing the post by wooden screws (9). A support tube is centrically provided at a lower side of the plate and extended into a clamping tube (22) of a support base in a mounted condition. The plate has a lower base plate and upper mounting plates (3, 4) that lie on top of each other and form a sandwich-support plate. The boreholes are suitable for plumb lines and are provided in the lower base plate. The boreholes retrofit in the plates (3, 4) and form a common guiding length. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a method for manufacturing a post support (2) a method for fixing of a post on a post support (3) a method for positioning of a wooden post in/at ground.