Pivoting Blade Wall Anchor for Blowout-Free Clamping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wallboard anchors lack effective mechanisms to securely attach to substrates without causing 'blowout' or damage, especially when inserted without pre-drilled pilot holes, and struggle to maintain a strong clamping force across varying substrate thicknesses.
Innovation Solution
The development of metallic clamping anchors with a pivoting blade section and a moment arm projection that bends or rotates up to 90 degrees when a screw or pin is driven through, utilizing a concave cam surface and pilot projections to distribute force and resist deflection, allowing secure attachment without pre-drilling and accommodating different substrate thicknesses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional wallboard anchor is inserted without pre-drilled pilot holes, then installation speed and ease of operation are improved, but the anchor causes blowout or damage to the substrate
Solution Approach 1:
The anchor body includes a pilot hole formation mechanism that creates the pilot hole during the insertion process itself, before the fastening action occurs. This preliminary action of hole formation integrated into insertion allows the anchor to be installed without pre-drilling while preventing blowout by controlling the material displacement
Solution Approach 2:
The anchor is divided into distinct functional sections: a base section for insertion and pilot hole formation, a blade section for clamping, and a moment arm for force amplification. This segmentation allows each section to perform its specific function optimally - the base section creates the pilot hole while the blade section provides secure clamping without causing substrate damage
2Adaptability or versatility
If the blade section is designed to bend or rotate significantly to accommodate varying substrate thicknesses, then adaptability is improved, but the structural strength and stability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The blade section is designed to be flexible and capable of bending or rotating relative to the base section, allowing the anchor to adapt to varying substrate thicknesses. This dynamic capability enables the blade to achieve the clamping position regardless of substrate thickness variations while maintaining structural integrity through the moment arm mechanism
Solution Approach 2:
The moment arm extends perpendicular to the blade section, creating a lever arm that amplifies the clamping force. This dimensional extension provides mechanical advantage, allowing the flexible blade section to maintain sufficient clamping force despite its ability to bend and rotate for accommodating different substrate thicknesses
3Device complexity
If the anchor uses a simple insertion mechanism without a moment arm, then device complexity is reduced, but the clamping force and holding strength are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The moment arm includes a cam surface with a specific curvature profile that converts the linear insertion motion of the screw into rotational motion of the blade section. This curved geometry provides a progressive mechanical advantage, amplifying the clamping force while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure that can be manufactured from a single piece of metal
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 provides a secure attachment to substrates without causing 'blowout' and maintains a strong clamping force across various substrate thicknesses, ensuring reliable anchoring and reduced material disruption during installation.
Implementation Method 1
The base section defines a channel through which a screw and/or pin (e.g., nail) can be advanced to apply a force to a moment arm projection of the blade section to bend or rotate the blade section
Implementation Method 2
The moment arm can be straight, or curved, or angled to define a concave cam surface configured to maintain sufficient bending moment to bend or rotate the blade section up to 90 degrees or more relative to the longitudinal axis of the screw or pin
Data Source
AI summary
Clamping anchors, kits, and related methods. The present anchors comprise a body with proximal base and distal blade configured to rotate relative to the base. The base defines a channel through which a screw or pin is advanced to apply force to a moment arm projection to rotate the blade and can also include a secondary moment arm offset longitudinally from the transverse line toward the distal end of blade. The moment arm(s) can be straight, curved, or angled surfaces that apply sufficient bending moment to rotate the blade up to 90 degrees or more relative to longitudinal axis. Kits comprise one or more anchors and a screw. The methods comprise inserting an anchor through substrate, advancing a screw through the channel so the distal end pushes the moment arm toward the distal end of anchor causing the blade to bend, at the transverse line, away from the longitudinal axis.