Self-Drilling Anchor Fastener with Frangible Base for Drywall
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The installation of fixtures on drywall surfaces is cumbersome and prone to misalignment due to the need for pre-measuring and pre-drilling of drywall anchors, which can lead to safety hazards and inefficiencies, especially when handling multiple fasteners and tools while on a ladder.
Innovation Solution
An anchor fastener with a self-drilling tip and helical threads that can be pre-assembled with a fixture, eliminating the need for separate drywall anchors by allowing direct installation through a mounting surface without prior pilot holes, and featuring a frangible connection that breaks away during installation to secure itself without extending beyond the surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional drywall anchors are used requiring pre-measuring and pre-drilling, then secure attachment is achieved, but installation complexity and time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the drywall anchor and the mounting bracket into a single integrated fastener unit. The anchor is directly formed as part of the mounting bracket structure, eliminating the need for separate anchor installation steps. This merging of components resolves the technical contradiction by maintaining secure attachment while dramatically simplifying the installation process to require only drilling a single pilot hole and inserting the integrated fastener.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting bracket is pre-assembled with the anchor and screw components before installation. The bracket includes pre-configured anchor portions and screw portions that are already positioned and secured together. This preliminary assembly resolves the contradiction by ensuring proper alignment and secure attachment are built-in, while the installer only needs to perform the final action of inserting the pre-assembled unit into the wall.
2Reliability
If multiple separate fasteners and tools are handled during installation, then proper installation is achieved, but safety risks increase due to ladder work
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple installation components (anchor, bracket, screw) into a single pre-assembled unit that is inserted through one hole. This eliminates the need to handle multiple separate fasteners and tools while working on a ladder, thereby reducing safety risks. The integrated design ensures that all necessary components are contained within one manageable unit that can be safely handled during installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention segments the installation process into two simple steps: drilling one pilot hole and inserting the pre-assembled bracket unit. This segmentation reduces the number of discrete actions and component handling required during ladder work, thereby improving safety while maintaining installation quality through the pre-configured nature of the bracket assembly.
3Reliability
If drywall anchors extend beyond the mounting surface, then anchoring depth is achieved, but misalignment and incomplete installation occur when studs are present
Solution Approach 1:
The mounting bracket is designed with flexible or adjustable components that can adapt to varying wall conditions. The bracket structure includes elements that can deflect or adjust their position to accommodate the presence of studs or other obstacles behind the drywall. This dynamic design allows the bracket to achieve proper anchoring depth while automatically adjusting to maintain alignment, preventing incomplete installation even when studs are present.
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
This solution simplifies the installation process by eliminating the need for pre-measuring and pre-drilling, reduces misalignment issues, and enhances safety by minimizing the handling of multiple components while on a ladder, while providing secure attachment to the mounting surface.
Implementation Method 1
The shaft includes a helical thread on an outer surface and a self-drilling tip at its distal end adjacent the base
Implementation Method 2
The shaft includes a helical thread on an outer surface
Implementation Method 3
The base is frangibly connected to the distal end of the shaft by at least one web of frangible material separable from at least one of the base and the shaft under application of a force to the shaft
Data Source
AI summary
An anchor fastener includes a head, a generally cylindrical shaft extending from the head, and a base at a distal end of the shaft. The shaft includes a helical thread on an outer surface and a self-drilling tip at its distal end adjacent the base. The base is frangibly connected to the distal end of the shaft by at least one web of frangible material separable from at least one of the base and the shaft under application of a force to the shaft.