Threaded Rod Quick Locking with Tapered Plungers for Ceiling Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Installers face challenges in assembling pre-fabricated sub-assemblies on ceilings and structures without rotating threaded rods, as conventional beam clamps, anchor bolts, and strut nuts require threading into internal parts, which is inefficient and labor-intensive.
Innovation Solution
A quick threaded rod locking device that automatically locks external threads with internal threads on mating parts, allowing for secure assembly without rotating the threaded rod, and enabling height adjustment by rotating the rod, using a mechanism with plunger pieces, a tapered bore, and a shoulder taper spring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional beam clamps, anchor bolts, and strut nuts are used to assemble pre-fabricated sub-assemblies, then the threaded rod can be securely locked, but the assembly process requires rotating the threaded rod into internal threads which is labor-intensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The internal threads are pre-formed on the plunger pieces before assembly. When the threaded rod is inserted, the plunger pieces are already positioned to engage the threads automatically, eliminating the need for manual threading operations during assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism automatically engages the threaded rod through spring-biased plunger pieces that self-align and self-lock with the rod's external threads upon insertion, without requiring manual rotation or adjustment by the installer.
2Loss of time
If the threaded rod is inserted without rotation into the quick locking device, then assembly time is reduced, but the locking mechanism must automatically engage the threads without manual threading
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is divided into two separate plunger pieces, each with its own set of internal threads. This segmentation allows each plunger to independently engage the threaded rod's external threads, simplifying the automatic locking process while reducing the complexity of any single component.
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger pieces are designed to be movable within the housing, biased by springs to automatically engage and disengage from the threaded rod. This dynamic design enables quick insertion and removal without manual threading, reducing installation time while maintaining reliable locking.
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
Enables efficient assembly and adjustment of threaded rods without disassembling pre-fabricated sub-assemblies, providing labor savings and versatility for both electrical and mechanical applications while maintaining load ratings comparable to conventional systems.
Implementation Method 1
a spring within the tapered bore providing a spring force biasing the plunger pieces toward the narrow end of the tapered bore
Implementation Method 2
a housing having a tapered bore therein, wherein the tapered bore has a wide end and a narrow end... Contact between the outer surfaces of the plunger pieces and a bore surface at the narrow end of the tapered bore drives the plunger pieces toward one another and toward an axis of the tapered bore
Data Source
AI summary
A threaded rod hanger has quick lock plunger mechanism that includes plunger pieces within a tapered bore in a housing. The plunger pieces have tapered outer surfaces. A spring within the housing presses the plunger pieces toward the narrow end of the bore, with the spring located between the plunger pieces and a back plate that closes off part of a wide end of the tapered bore. The plunger pieces have internally threaded surfaces that engage threads on a threaded rod that is inserted into the bore, between the plunger pieces. Once the threaded rod has been inserted between the plunger pieces and released, the plunger pieces are pushed toward the narrow bore end. This causes the plunger pieces to press inward, automatically causing the internal plunger half threads to engage the external threads on the threaded rod.