Rigid Insulation Hanger with Spikes and Notches
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing support structures for insulation, such as wire hangers and nail-wire setups, often fail to securely fasten to joist or stud structures, leading to sagging and reduced insulation effectiveness due to deformation or dislodgment, which compromises energy efficiency and requires costly reinstallation.
Innovation Solution
A hanger made of rigid material with a stepped design featuring a planar shoulder, spikes, notches, and barbs that securely attach to studs and prevent sagging by engaging insulation or wire, ensuring stable and reliable support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If wire hangers or nail-wire supports are used to hold insulation, then installation is simple and quick, but the supported material sags or the wire becomes unseated, creating uninsulated air pockets
Solution Approach 1:
The hanger is divided into distinct functional segments: a first planar portion for wire attachment, a perpendicular shoulder for structural support, and a second planar portion with notches and barbs for insulation engagement. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function optimally while maintaining overall reliability and ease of installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The hanger employs asymmetric design elements including one-way barbs that engage insulation in one direction but allow installation from the other, and notches positioned at specific asymmetric locations on the second planar portion. This asymmetry prevents sagging while maintaining simple installation procedures.
2Ease of manufacture
If pointed ends or prongs of wire hangers are used to anchor in studs, then attachment is straightforward, but the prongs become unseated allowing material to sag and lose function
Solution Approach 1:
The hanger is pre-formed with spikes protruding from the first planar portion at predetermined angles and locations. These spikes are already positioned and oriented correctly during manufacturing, eliminating the need for field adjustment and ensuring proper engagement with studs during installation, thereby preventing later dislodgment.
Solution Approach 2:
The spikes are designed with curved or angled geometries rather than simple straight points, allowing them to follow the contour of stud surfaces and maintain engagement under varying load conditions. This curved geometry prevents the spikes from becoming unseated while maintaining ease of attachment.
3Productivity
If wire is strung between two nails, then the support is quickly installed, but the wire does not always hold material preventing sagging or becomes undone from the nail
Solution Approach 1:
The hanger combines multiple support functions into a single integrated component: wire attachment capability, structural support through the perpendicular shoulder, and insulation engagement through notches and barbs. This merging eliminates the need for separate nails and wire, maintaining quick installation while ensuring consistent material support without sagging.
Solution Approach 2:
The notches and barbs on the second planar portion are designed to automatically engage and hold insulation material in place once the hanger is installed. The one-way barb mechanism allows the insulation to be pushed onto the hanger during installation but prevents it from sliding off, providing self-servicing support without requiring additional fastening steps.
Data Source
AI summary
An article for supporting a material that includes a hanger of rigid material, with the hanger including a first planar portion connected to an offset but parallel second planar portion by a planar shoulder disposed perpendicularly to both the first and second planar portions and further including at least one spike disposed upon a front surface of the first planar portion and at least one notch disposed upon a side surface of the second planer portion. A pair of hangers may be used to form a shelf-like support through connecting the pair of hangers with a wire or filament engaged within a notch, a barb, or both.