Pivotable Jaw-Type Wall Anchor Assembly to Reduce Drywall Damage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wall anchors are difficult to install, provide insufficient support strength, and cause significant damage to drywall, making them impractical for securing a wide variety of objects, especially in drywall or friable wallboards, and do not allow for minor position adjustments without tools or extensive rework.
Innovation Solution
A dual-component anchor assembly with pivotable retainers forming a jaw-type configuration, allowing staged installation without requiring tools, minimizing wall penetration, and enabling secure mounting of objects with high support strength and ease of adjustment, while avoiding damage to the wall.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional nails and screws are used to hang objects on drywall, then installation is simple, but support strength is insufficient and wall damage is significant
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor assembly is divided into multiple components: a base component with first retainers, a second component with second retainers, and a mounting component. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function - the retainers penetrate and grip the wallboard while the base provides mounting surface, distributing the load and minimizing overall wall damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The second component is nested within or alongside the base component, with both components having retainers that work together. The mounting component is then attached to the base component, creating a nested structure that consolidates multiple functions into a compact assembly, reducing the overall penetration depth and wall damage.
2Adaptability or versatility
If anchors with simple hooks are used, then installation is easy, but they cannot securely mount a wide variety of objects
Solution Approach 1:
The base component is designed with a flat mounting surface and multiple retainer configurations that can accommodate various mounting components (hooks, shelves, brackets, etc.). This universal design allows the same anchor assembly to securely mount different types of objects with varying loading requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The retainers are designed with curved configurations that allow them to flex and adapt to different wallboard conditions and object weights. The mounting component can be attached at different orientations and positions on the base component, providing dynamic adaptability to various mounting scenarios.
3Ease of operation
If traditional anchors are installed in locations near the original hole for position adjustments, then minor position adjustments are needed, but it is impractical to reposition without tools and extensive rework
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor assembly is designed with a mounting component that can be attached to the base component before final installation. This allows the user to pre-position and adjust the mounting component on the base component, then install the entire assembly as one unit, eliminating the need for tool-assisted repositioning later.
Solution Approach 2:
The retainers are designed to be manually inserted into the wallboard without tools, and the mounting component can be easily attached and detached from the base component. This self-service design allows users to reposition the mounting component by simply detaching and reattaching it to a different location on the base component.
4Strength
If anchors with large wall penetration are used, then support strength is improved, but the surrounding wall media is weakened and large holes are left that are not easily repaired
Solution Approach 1:
The retainers are designed with curved configurations that concentrate the gripping force at specific points along the retainer length, rather than requiring uniform penetration depth throughout. This allows the retainers to achieve sufficient support strength with minimal overall penetration, preserving more wallboard material.
Solution Approach 2:
The retainers feature curved configurations that allow them to bend and conform to the wallboard structure, distributing the gripping force along the curve rather than requiring deep straight penetration. This curved design achieves adequate support strength with shallower penetration, leaving smaller holes that are easier to repair.
Data Source
AI summary
An anchor assembly for hanging an object on a wall includes a first anchor component and a second anchor component. The second anchor component is pivotably associated with the first anchor component for movement between an anchoring orientation and a non-anchoring orientation to enable staged installation of the anchor assembly into a wall. At least one wall penetrating retainer extends from each of the first and second anchor components. When the second anchor component is in the anchoring orientation a curved configuration of the wall penetrating extent of the retainer of the second anchor component opposes a curved configuration of the wall penetrating extent of the retainer of the first anchor component to form a jaw-type arrangement.