One-Piece Drywall Hanger With Back-Face Piercing Support
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wall hangers for drywall walls are difficult to install and costly due to their two-piece design, with limited weight-bearing capacity, requiring nails to secure the plate to the front face of the wall for adequate support.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece wall hanger with a shoulder extending horizontally through a hole in the wall, featuring a sharp pointed arm that pierces the back face, providing sufficient holding force for loads up to 220 pounds without needing nails, and optional nails for increased loads, eliminating the need for a separate plate and simplifying installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a two-piece design (clip and plate) is used, then the hanger can be secured to the wall with nails through the plate, but the installation becomes difficult and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the clip and plate into a single integrated hanger component. The hanger includes a shoulder that extends through the wall opening, an arm that engages the interior face of the wall, and a leg with a hook that extends in front of the exterior face. This merging eliminates the need for separate clip and plate parts, simplifying installation while maintaining the structural integrity and holding capacity through the integrated design.
2Reliability
If a two-piece design with separate plate is used, then adequate support can be provided, but installation difficulty increases due to handling the dangling clip and plate
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the clip and plate functions into one piece, the hanger eliminates the installation difficulty of coordinating separate parts. The single-component design allows the installer to simply insert the hanger through the wall opening and secure it with nails through the leg, without the complexity of assembling and coordinating a dangling clip and plate.
Solution Approach 2:
The hanger's geometry is designed so that the shoulder automatically positions itself against the wall opening and the arm engages the interior face upon insertion. This self-positioning feature reduces the skill and effort required for installation, allowing even inexperienced installers to successfully install the hanger without specialized training.
3Strength
If the maximum weight capacity is increased to 280 pounds with nails, then greater holding force is achieved, but the complexity of requiring nails increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hanger is designed with the option to use nails for maximum weight capacity applications. For lighter loads, the hanger can be installed without nails by simply inserting it through the wall opening and allowing the shoulder and arm to provide support. The nail holes in the leg provide enhanced holding capacity when needed, but do not complicate the basic installation process for lighter applications.
Data Source
AI summary
A wallboard wall carries a picture or shelf hanger in a hole between front and back faces of the wall. The hanger includes: a one-piece member having (a) a shoulder having a bottom portion bearing against a bottom portion of the hole and extending horizontally through the hole, (b) an arm extending upwardly from the shoulder, (c) a leg (i) extending downwardly from the shoulder, and (ii) located outside the front face of the wall and (d) a load bearing surface for receiving the object. The arm has a sharp pointed end piercing the back face of the wall and extending into the wall via the back face of the wall.