Collated Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Fasteners for Threaded Nail Strips
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional manufacturing processes for collated nails, whether steel or polymer, are inefficient due to multiple sequential steps, material limitations, and inability to be used in traditional nail guns, limiting their application to softer woods and lacking threading capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A single integrated process for manufacturing fibre reinforced polymer nails with high compression and withholding strength, allowing for threading and collation, enabling use in traditional nail guns and various applications including metal and wood.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional manufacturing processes are used for steel or polymer nails, then the nails can be produced, but multiple sequential steps are required including wire drawing, nail making, polishing, threading, galvanizing, and collating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sequential manufacturing steps (extrusion, nail formation, threading, and collation) into a single integrated extrusion process. The collating threads and nails are formed simultaneously from the same polymer material in one continuous operation, eliminating the need for separate wire drawing, nail making, threading, and collating steps required in conventional processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The polymer material serves multiple functions: it forms the nail body, provides threading capability, and creates the collating structure all in one process. The single polymer compound performs the roles that in conventional processes would require separate steel wire, threading operations, and collating materials.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional polymer nails are manufactured, then they can be produced, but they lack threading capabilities and can only be used in softer woods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a fibre-reinforced polymer compound that combines polymer matrix with reinforcing fibres to achieve high compression strength (at least 30,000 psi) and flexural modulus. This composite material provides both the strength needed for hard wood and metal applications and the threading capability, overcoming the limitations of conventional polymer nails.
3Productivity
If conventional collated polymer nails are manufactured, then they can be produced, but they require separate heating and collating steps after nail formation
Solution Approach 1:
The collating threads are formed simultaneously with the nails during the extrusion process itself, rather than being added in a subsequent step. The threads are pre-formed as part of the nail structure, allowing immediate collation without separate heating and assembly operations.
4Reliability
If steel nails are used, then high strength and threading capability are achieved, but corrosion protection is required through galvanizing or hop dipping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses polymer material that inherently resists corrosion without requiring galvanizing or other protective coatings. The polymer itself provides the corrosion resistance that would otherwise require additional processing steps for steel nails, eliminating the need for galvanizing baths or protective paint applications.
Data Source
AI summary
A collated strip of polymer fasteners is provided, the collated strip comprising a plurality of spaced apart polymer fasteners, each made from a polymer material, each polymer fastener comprising a head and a shank extending therefrom, the shank terminating at an end; and a connector integrally formed with, and extending transversely across, the shanks of each polymer fastener, the connector being arranged to separate the fasteners, including the heads of each fastener, from each other. In an embodiment, a portion of the shank is threaded, the threaded portion of the shank being either screw-threaded or ring-threaded. The connector comprises a pair of spaced apart collating threads to integrally connect the shanks of the polymer fasteners together, to define the collated strip of polymer fasteners. In one version, the connector is made from the same polymer material as the polymer fasteners.