Integral Metal Screw Dowel for Soft Substrate Fastening
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for attaching a panel to a soft surface, such as a metal sheet to an insulating board, are complex, expensive, and prone to errors due to the difficulty in drilling precise holes and the need for multiple assembly steps, often requiring two workers and resulting in incomplete fastening systems.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece prefabricated fastening element with a plug body and a feed tip of greater hardness than the plaster layer, allowing for self-drilling into the soft substrate without pre-drilling, combined with a hole punch for precise hole creation, simplifies the attachment process and improves accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a drill bit is used to create holes in metal sheets for fastening, then holes can be made, but the holes are irregularly shaped and do not completely fill the fastening system, leading to poor fastening performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional drill bit mechanical system with a punch tool that creates perfectly circular holes through a punching mechanism. The punch tool with its precisely fitted die produces holes that exactly match the outer shape of the fastening element, eliminating the irregularities caused by drill bit geometry and hand guidance issues.
2Reliability
If conventional two-part fastening systems (anchor body and sealing screw) are used, then fastening can be achieved, but the installation process is complex and requires two workers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the anchor body and sealing screw into a single integrated one-piece fastening element. The sealing screw is permanently attached to the anchor body, creating a unified component that simplifies handling and installation. This allows a single worker to perform the entire fastening operation without needing to coordinate between multiple parts or workers.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing screw is pre-attached to the anchor body during manufacturing, creating a ready-to-install one-piece unit. This preliminary assembly eliminates the need for on-site assembly of multiple components, reducing installation complexity and the risk of improper assembly.
3Quantity of substance
If conventional drilling methods are used for creating holes in metal sheets, then holes can be made, but the process is time-consuming and reduces productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the drilling process with a punching operation. The punch tool directly creates holes in the metal sheet through a pressing motion, which is significantly faster than the rotational drilling process. This substitution of the hole-creation mechanism dramatically increases installation speed and productivity.
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 method simplifies sheet metal work, reduces costs, and enhances the precision and watertightness of the fastening process, allowing a single worker to efficiently attach panels to soft surfaces with improved fastening properties.
Implementation Method 1
a feed tip with a first hardness greater than a second hardness of the topcoat at a second end of the anchor body opposite the first end, wherein the feed tip is designed for screwing into the topcoat
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The method involves providing one-component pre-fabricated attachment element having dowel portion having an external thread for screwing into the soft substrate. The attachment element is rotated, so that the advancing tip of dowel portion is screwed into top plaster layer formed in substrate. A hole is punched on the metal plate (150) by a hand-hole punch (100). The attachment element is inserted into the soft substrate, through the hole in the plate, so that advancing tip is screwed into the top plaster layer, and the dowel portion is screwed into the soft substrate. Independent claims are included for the following: (1) arrangement for fastening plate at soft substrate; (2) hollow punch for punching hole in plate; (3) one-component prefabricated attachment element for fastening plate at soft substrate; and (4) kit for fastening plate at soft substrate.