Insulation Anchor Structure for Strong Hold in Soft Insulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing insulation anchors face challenges in securely fastening attachments to insulation materials like foamed boards or fiber mats without pre-drilling, especially in materials with low mechanical strength, and in maintaining a strong hold against pull-out forces.
Innovation Solution
The insulation anchor features a tubular hollow shaft with a large-area external thread and a tapered tip for easy penetration, along with windows for introducing a hardening mass that expands and hardens within the insulation material, enhancing the anchor's hold by compacting the material and providing additional support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the insulation anchor uses a conventional thread design, then the manufacturing is simpler, but the hold in low mechanical strength materials is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the thread by providing at least one thread section that extends over less than 360 degrees of the circumference. This partial threading approach reduces the amount of material displacement required while maintaining adequate anchoring strength in low mechanical strength insulation materials, thus resolving the contradiction between hold strength and manufacturing simplicity.
2Ease of operation
If the hollow shaft is open at both ends, then the introduction of hardening mass is easier, but the hardening mass may escape axially and generate unwanted forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the hollow shaft into different functional zones: one end remains open for introducing the hardening mass, while the other end is closed or restricted. This segmentation allows the hardening mass to be easily introduced through the open end while preventing unwanted axial escape through the closed end, thereby maintaining axial force stability during the hardening process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hardening mass as an intermediary substance that fills the hollow shaft and hardens in place. This hardening mass acts as a mediator that provides internal support to the insulation anchor, preventing axial deformation and force generation during the anchoring process, while still allowing for easy introduction through the open end of the hollow shaft.
3Ease of operation
If pre-drilling is performed before inserting the insulation anchor, then the insertion is easier, but the insulation material loses structural integrity
Solution Approach 1:
The insulation anchor is designed with a self-service capability where the tapered tip automatically creates its own insertion path through the insulation material without requiring pre-drilling. The tapered geometry concentrates force at the leading edge, enabling the anchor to penetrate and compact the material in front of it, thus maintaining material integrity while achieving easy insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates a tapered tip design that performs preliminary compaction of the insulation material ahead of the anchor body during insertion. This preliminary action of compacting the material in advance creates a denser path for the anchor to follow, reducing insertion resistance and eliminating the need for pre-drilling while preserving the overall structural integrity of the insulation material.
4Strength
If the thread extends over the full circumference, then the anchoring surface is maximized, but the insulation material is excessively displaced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the angular parameter of the thread sections by extending them over less than 360 degrees of the circumference. This partial circumferential extension reduces the volume of insulation material that needs to be displaced during anchoring, while the increased thread pitch compensates for the reduced angular coverage, maintaining adequate anchoring surface area without excessive material displacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent compensates for the reduced circumferential extent of thread sections by increasing the axial dimension through a larger thread pitch. This dimensional transition from circumferential coverage to axial spacing maintains the effective anchoring surface area while reducing the harmful lateral displacement of insulation material, as the threads engage the material over a longer axial distance rather than a wider circumferential arc.
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
This design allows for secure fastening of attachments without pre-drilling, improves load-bearing capacity, and enhances the anchor's resistance to pull-out forces by locally compacting the insulation material and utilizing a hardening mass to reinforce the anchor's hold.
Implementation Method 1
The mass hardens in the insulation material and improves the hold of the insulation anchor against being pulled out of the insulation material
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention proposes to attach windows (16, 17, 18) in a circumferential wall (15) of a hollow shaft (2) of an insulation anchor (1) to an insulation thread (8) of the insulation anchor (1), through which a hardening mass (19) emerges into an insulation material (7) into which the insulation anchor (1) is screwed and improves the anchoring of the insulation anchor (1) in the insulation material (7).