Post anchor

• US 9,004,439 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2006
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peak Innovations Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Peak Innovations Incorporated
• Inventors: Gross, John, Walker, Simon, Fan, Frank, Zhu, Wei Min
• Primary Examiner(s): MARSH, STEVEN M
• Application Number:
  US11/278,647
• Publication Number:
  US 20070235616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,297 Days
• Field of Search: 248/507, 248/500, 248/511, 248/519, 411/84, 411/372.5, 522/96, 527/361, 527/363, 527/364, 527/381, 256/65.14
• US Class Current: 248/507
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/2261 on a flat base E04H12/08, E04H12/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/2269 in a socket

Abstract

A post anchor for securing a support post for a structure comprises a base with four upstanding sidewalls forming a cavity into which a post is inserted, and means to secure the post inside the cavity. Interior ribs and exterior augmented corners resist deformation under pressure exerted by the post. Interior channels allow water to drain from inside the cavity toward a drain hole. The anchor post is slightly elevated relative to the ground, allowing air and water to circulate around the post and post anchor. The post anchor is made of a thermoplastic polymer which is given a textured surface, and may include an ultraviolet protection additive.

Claims

1. A post anchor comprising:

a base having an upper surface and an underside;

a plurality of upstanding sidewalls supported on said upper surface of said base;

each of said sidewalls abutting two other of said sidewalls to form two corners;

the sidewalls extending substantially straight upwardly from the upper surface of the base to define, together with the upper surface of the base, an upwardly opening concavity, a perimeter of an opening of the upwardly opening concavity defined by uppermost edges of the concavity-defining interior surfaces of the substantially straight upwardly extending sidewalls; and

wherein said sidewalls have an increased thickness about each of said corners, wherein the increased thickness about each of the corners comprises a lower region of increased thickness proximate the base and an upper region of increased thickness proximate the uppermost edges of the sidewalls and wherein the lower region extends further from the corner and along the abutting sidewalls that form the corner than the upper region wherein said increased thickness is exterior to said upwardly opening cavity; and

further comprising a plurality of first apertures defining first passageways through at least one of said side walls into said upwardly opening concavity, said first passageways configured to receive fasteners for securing said post anchor to a support post inserted into said upwardly opening concavity;

a plurality of second apertures defining second passageways from said underside of said base into said upwardly opening concavity, said second passageways configured to receive fasteners for securing said base to said support post; and

a plurality of third apertures defining third passageways outside said upwardly opening concavity from said upper surface of said base through said underside of said base, said third passageways configured to receive fasteners for securing said base to a flat surface;

wherein each of said sidewalls comprises one or more interior ribs, wherein, for each of the sidewalls, the one or more interior ribs extend from a concavity-defining interior surface of the sidewall into the concavity, and said ribs comprising front surfaces spaced further apart from the cavity-defining interior surface of said sidewall than any other part of said ribs and extending upwardly from the base in a direction perpendicular to the base.

4. The post anchor of claim 1 wherein said base and said sidewalls are made of a thermoplastic polymer comprising an ultraviolet resistant additive blended with polyethylene.

5. The post anchor of claim 1 wherein the base comprises multiple base corners, each of the base corners defined by a pair of peripheral edges of the base, and wherein the post anchor further comprises a plurality of support extensions, each support extension extending downwardly from said underside of said base at a corresponding one of the base corners and extending from the corresponding one of the base corners along both peripheral edges of the base that define the corresponding one of the base corners, said support extensions configured to abut said ground while permitting the circulation of air and water between said underside and said ground.

6. The post anchor of claim 5 further comprising at least one drain hole extending through said base at a location within the upwardly opening concavity.

7. The post anchor of claim 6 further comprising a plurality of channels on said upper surface of said base at locations within the upwardly opening concavity wherein said channels communicate with said drain hole.

10. A post anchor according to claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the lower region of increased thickness has a thickness greater than the upper region of increased thickness.

2. A post anchor comprising:

a base having an upper surface and an underside;

a plurality of upstanding sidewalls supported on said upper surface of said base and extending upwardly therefrom to define, together with the upper surface of the base, an upwardly opening concavity therebetween shaped for receiving a post; and

each of said sidewalls further comprising one or more interior ribs, wherein, for each of the sidewalls, the one or more interior ribs extend from a concavity-defining interior surface of the sidewall into the concavity wherein, for each of the sidewalls, the one or more interior ribs comprise two interior ribs spaced apart from one another along said sidewall, said ribs comprising front surfaces spaced further apart from the cavity-defining interior surface of said sidewall than any other part of said ribs and extending upwardly from the base in a direction perpendicular to said base, a spacing between the two interior ribs sufficient to provide expansion space in said upwardly opening concavity for a post inserted into said upwardly opening concavity to swell;

wherein, for each of the sidewalls, the spacing between the two interior ribs is greater than ⅓

of a corner-to-corner length of the corresponding sidewall.

3. A post anchor comprising:

a multiple-cornered base comprising a plurality of base corners, an upper surface and an underside;

a plurality of upstanding sidewalls supported on said upper surface of said base;

a plurality of support extensions, each support extension extending downwardly from said underside of said base at a corresponding one of the base corners and extending from the corresponding one of the base corners along both peripheral edges of the base that define the corresponding one of the base corners;

each of said sidewalls abutting two other of said sidewalls to form two corners;

the sidewalls extending substantially straight upwardly from the upper surface of the base to define, together with the upper surface of the base, an upwardly opening concavity, a perimeter of an opening of the upwardly opening concavity defined by the uppermost edges of the concavity-defining interior surface of the substantially straight upwardly extending sidewalls;

wherein said sidewalls have an increased thickness about each of said corners, wherein the increased thickness about each of the corners comprises a lower region of increased thickness proximate the base and an upper region of increased thickness proximate the uppermost edges of the sidewalls and wherein the lower region extends further from the corner and along the abutting sidewalls that form the corner than the upper region;

each of said sidewalls further comprising one or more interior ribs, wherein, for each of the sidewalls, the one or more interior ribs extend from a concavity-defining interior surface of the sidewall into the concavity;

at least one drain hole extending through said base at a location on the base within the upwardly opening concavity; and

a plurality of channels on said upper surface of said base at locations on the upper surface of the base within said upwardly opening concavity, wherein said channels communicate with said drain hole.

8. A post anchor according to claim 3 wherein, for each of the sidewalls, the spacing between the two interior ribs is greater than ⅓

of a corner-to-corner length of the corresponding sidewall.

9. A post anchor according to claim 3 wherein each of the support extensions is shaped to define a fastener-receiving aperture which extends therethrough.

11. A post anchor according to claim 3 wherein at least a portion of the lower region of increased thickness has a thickness greater than the upper region of increased thickness.