hook
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hooks for hanging items from walls, especially suspended plasterboard walls, are inadequate for supporting heavy loads as they lack sufficient surface area contact with the wall and are prone to being ripped out due to stress on the fastener and wire.
Innovation Solution
A hook design featuring an arc-shaped edge with a groove and a raised portion on the rear face that increases the surface area contact with the wall, reducing stress on the wire and fastener, allowing for heavier loads to be hung securely. The hook includes a cylindrical body with a central aperture for a screw or bolt and a recess for the fastener head, ensuring even load distribution and enhanced friction for stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a conventional hook with screw thread is used to attach to a suspended plasterboard wall, then the hook can be easily installed, but it cannot support heavy loads as it lacks sufficient surface area contact with the wall
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from a conventional hook that contacts the wall only at the screw thread location to a hook that contacts the wall across an extended surface area. The body portion of the hook is designed with a shape that allows it to abut against the wall over a larger area, effectively adding dimensional contact from a point contact to a surface contact, thereby increasing load-bearing capacity without complicating the installation process
2Strength
If a conventional hook design is used, then the structure is simple, but the wire supporting the item is subject to high stress and may fail under heavy loads
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces a curved or arc-shaped edge portion on the body of the hook, replacing a straight or angular design. This curvature allows the wire to follow a more natural bending path and distributes the stress more evenly along the wire and across the hook structure. The curved geometry reduces stress concentration points while maintaining overall structural simplicity and ease of manufacturing
3Strength
If the fastener is subjected to downward force from the hanging item, then the tension in the fastener increases, but this also increases friction between the hook and wall which resists the force
Solution Approach 1:
The invention recognizes that the increased friction force, which initially appears as a resistive force opposing the hanging load, actually serves as a beneficial stabilizing mechanism. The friction between the extended surface area of the hook body and the wall prevents the hook from rotating or pulling away from the wall under load. This converts the potentially harmful effect of high friction (which could indicate excessive stress) into a useful stabilizing force that enhances the overall reliability of the hanging system
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 hook effectively supports heavier loads by distributing the weight across a larger surface area, reducing wire stress, and increasing friction, making it suitable for hanging items on suspended plasterboard walls without risking the hook being pulled out.
Implementation Method 1
the force acting downwards on the hook acts to try to angle the fastener downwards, which increases the tension in the fastener. However, this increases the friction of the rear face of the body portion against the wall, thus resisting the action of the force on the fastener
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
A hook (36) for attaching to a hole in a wall for hanging an item on the wall. The hook includes a body portion having a front face, a rear face (104) for abutting the wall and an arc shaped edge (106) between at least part of the perimeter of the front face and least part of the perimeter of the rear face. A groove (116) is formed in, and extends around, the arc shaped edge and receives a wire for attaching to an item to be hung from the hook. A raised portion (1 14) projects from the rear face of the body portion to locate the hook in the hole in the wall. An aperture (38) extends from the front face to the rear face through the body portion to receive a fastener for attaching the hook to the hole in the wall.