Expandable Hollow-Wall Anchor for Secure Fixation With Fewer Parts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing self-drilling anchors for hollow walls, such as those made of friable materials like plasterboard or gypsum, often require multiple components and are costly due to their complex assembly, and there is a need for a more efficient and cost-effective solution.
Innovation Solution
A self-drilling wall anchor assembly comprising a main body with a proximal end for rotation, a distal end for cutting, and a shank with at least one slot, featuring an expandable wing that collapses during installation and expands once mounted, allowing secure engagement with a threaded fastener.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If multiple components are used to create a secure anchor, then the anchoring strength is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single integrated anchor body that includes both the self-drilling capability and the expandable anchoring mechanism. The anchor body integrates the drilling tip, external threads for wall engagement, and internal cavity for the expandable member, eliminating the need for separate drilling and anchoring components.
Solution Approach 2:
The single anchor component performs multiple functions: it drills into the wall through its distal tip, threads into the wall material through external threads, expands within the wall cavity through the expandable member, and provides a secure anchoring point. This multi-functional design replaces what would traditionally require multiple separate components.
2Reliability
If a complex assembly is used to achieve secure fixation, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of manufacture decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor is designed with distinct functional segments within a single body: a distal self-drilling tip for penetration, external threads along the body for engagement with wall material, a central cavity for the expandable member, and an expandable mechanism for secure fixation. This segmentation of functions within a unified structure simplifies manufacturing compared to assembling multiple separate components.
3Reliability
If additional components are added to improve anchoring, then the anchoring reliability is improved, but the loss of substance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the anchor body and expandable member into a single integrated component, eliminating the need for separate drilling bits, anchor bodies, and expansion mechanisms. This reduces material consumption while maintaining the secure anchoring function that would traditionally require multiple discrete parts.
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 anchor assembly provides a secure, cost-effective, and efficient means of mounting to hollow walls by expanding wings to engage the hidden side, preventing pull-out, and requiring fewer components than traditional designs.
Implementation Method 1
an expandable wing that expands outwardly upon rotation of a threaded fastener
Data Source
AI summary
An anchor for hollow walls comprises a main body and an anchor member. The main body includes a proximal end adapted to be engaged by a rotatable tool to rotate the anchor about a longitudinal axis thereof and to cause it to gradually engage a wall, a distal end adapted to cut through the wall as the anchor is rotated, and a shank between the proximal and distal ends. The anchor member includes expandable wings and a body defining a hole, the expandable wings being in registry with respective slots defined in the shank and being displaceable between collapsed and expanded positions, A threaded fastener introduced in the anchor engages the body of the anchor member such that upon sufficient rotation of the fastener, the body of the anchor member retracts towards the proximal end thereby causing the expandable wings to extend outwardly through the slots behind the wall.