Insulation Board Fastening Tool with Lateral Expansion Element Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for fastening insulating panels to structures using dowels are cumbersome, particularly in ensuring the dowel plates are flush with the panel surface, and often result in premature expansion of the dowel shank due to difficulty in setting the dowels correctly, leading to complex tool designs with moving parts.
Innovation Solution
A system and tool with a recess open laterally to receive the expansion element, allowing for easy insertion and a tool head that presses the dowel plate into the panel, ensuring it is flush, and separate hammering of the expansion element after tool removal, simplifying handling and reducing tool complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the tool is designed to press the dowel plate flush with the panel surface using a complex mechanism with moving parts, then the precision of dowel setting is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is divided into two separate functional components: a pressing tool for setting the dowel plate flush with the panel surface, and a separate expansion tool for spreading the dowel shank. This segmentation eliminates the need for complex moving parts that would combine both functions, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining setting precision through the dedicated pressing tool.
Solution Approach 2:
The expansion function is extracted from the pressing operation. The pressing tool is designed solely to press the dowel plate flush without incorporating expansion mechanisms, thereby simplifying its structure. The expansion function is handled by a separate tool applied afterward, eliminating the need for complex coordinated mechanisms.
2Device complexity
If the expansion element is inserted axially through a narrow opening, then the tool design is simplified, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in alignment and insertion
Solution Approach 1:
The expansion element is inserted laterally through a side opening in the pressing tool rather than axially through the front. This dimensional change from axial to lateral insertion provides better accessibility and visibility for the operator, significantly improving ease of operation while keeping the tool design simple without requiring complex axial alignment mechanisms.
3Reliability
If the dowel is hammered forcefully to ensure proper setting, then the reliability of attachment is improved, but the risk of premature expansion and damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment process is segmented into two distinct stages: first, gentle pressing to set the dowel plate flush with the panel surface using the pressing tool, and second, controlled expansion using the separate expansion tool. This segmentation prevents premature expansion by separating the setting operation from the expansion operation, ensuring reliable attachment without damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing tool is designed to apply controlled, gradual pressure to set the dowel plate flush without excessive force that could cause premature expansion. This beforehand cushioning approach prevents damage by avoiding sudden high-impact forces during the setting phase, reserving the expansion action for a controlled subsequent step.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system, a tool, and a method for fastening insulation boards to a building structure are proposed. The insulation boards are fastened using disc anchors. The disc anchors are inserted using the tool, which has an axial recess for an expansion element projecting outwards beyond the disc. The recess is open laterally to facilitate tool insertion. The expansion element is driven in separately after the tool is removed.