Wall Anchor With Pivotable Shaft And Living Hinge
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fastening systems for hollow walls and ceilings, such as toggle and expansion fasteners, suffer from issues like the need for drilling, difficulty in tightening, damage to the wall, and unsightly holes, and are not optimal in terms of robustness and removability.
Innovation Solution
A wall anchor with a pivotable section and a 'living' hinge that allows the anchor to be seated without pre-drilling, using a screw or pin to pivot and secure against the wall surface, minimizing damage and providing a robust hold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If expansion fasteners are used to secure objects to hollow walls, then the fastener can be installed without drilling, but the fastener crushes the friable drywall material, limiting the grip and leaving an unsightly hole
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener is divided into a head portion and a shaft portion with distinct functions. The shaft portion penetrates the wallboard while the head portion remains outside, allowing the wallboard to rest on the head and distribute loads without crushing the material.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of expanding within the wall cavity like traditional expansion fasteners, this fastener inverts the expansion mechanism by having the shaft portion pivot outward after penetration, causing the tip to rest against the inner surface and secure the fastener from the inside out.
2Productivity
If fasteners are hammered into the wall to achieve secure attachment, then the fastener can be installed quickly, but local fracturing or blow-out occurs, limiting grip and leaving unsightly holes
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft portion is designed with a tip geometry and material properties that allow it to self-penetrate the wallboard without requiring hammering or pre-drilling, eliminating the blow-out effect while maintaining quick installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft portion is made of a resilient material that can elastically deform during penetration and then recover, allowing it to pivot and rest against the inner surface without causing fracturing or blow-out of the wallboard.
3Reliability
If toggle fasteners with spreading arms are used, then the fastener can provide strong holding force, but drilling is required and the fastener is difficult to remove without leaving large holes
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft portion is designed to be pivotable relative to the head portion, transitioning from a linear insertion path to an angled resting position against the inner surface. This dynamic movement allows the fastener to secure itself without drilling while maintaining strong holding force.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex spreading arm mechanism of traditional toggle fasteners is replaced by a simpler pivotable shaft design that achieves the same securing function through a different mechanical principle, reducing installation complexity while maintaining holding force.
4Reliability
If over-torquing is applied to tighten fasteners properly, then the fastener can be securely attached, but damage occurs to the wall and the hole becomes unsightly
Solution Approach 1:
The head portion is designed with a bearing surface that distributes the securing force over a larger area of the wallboard, cushioning against localized stress concentrations that would cause damage or unsightly holes during tightening.
Solution Approach 2:
The shaft portion is designed as a disposable penetration element that is replaced with each installation, eliminating the need for repeated tightening and potential damage accumulation in the wallboard.
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 solution reduces blow-out and damage to the wall, allows for easy installation and removal without large holes, and provides superior holding force, accommodating various wallboard thicknesses.
Implementation Method 1
The two sections are joined by an integral or 'living' hinge or bending member. After the wall anchor section is seated, the pivotable section is forced to pivot at a bisecting line by a screw or pin, thereby causing the pivotable section to rest against the inside surface of the wall and securing the fastener.
Data Source
AI summary
An anchoring fastener comprises a shaft (100) with straight and tapered portions, a tip (105) at the front, cam follower surfaces (110, 111) at the rear, a body (120) with a bore, a head (125) with a hole, and fins (115). There is a bendable region by the fins. The anchor is inserted into a wallboard (600) until the head contacts the wallboard. The fins slice into the wallboard, thereby preventing rotation during and after insertion. An activating member (900), a screw or a pin, is inserted into the hole and urged against the cam follower surfaces, thereby forcing the shaft to rotate until it comes into contact with the inner surface (615) of the wallboard. An object-holding washer (905), restrained by the activating member, is secured to the anchor which in turn is secured to the wallboard.