Foldable Three-Prong Screw Insert for Stripped Door Screw Holes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing door frames and slabs often have stripped screw holes due to installation errors or wear, making it difficult to secure replacement door slabs.
Innovation Solution
A screw insert with three equiangularly spaced prongs that can be transformed from an open to a folded configuration, allowing secure attachment of replacement screws by expanding radially against the stripped screw hole.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a screw is installed directly into a stripped screw hole, then installation is simple, but the screw cannot be firmly secured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a screw insert as an intermediary component between the stripped screw hole and the replacement screw. The insert comprises three elongated prongs that are inserted into the stripped hole and then expanded to engage the wood fibers, providing a new gripping surface for the replacement screw without requiring removal of the original hole.
Solution Approach 2:
The screw insert is divided into three separate elongated prongs that are hingedly connected at their proximal ends. This segmentation allows each prong to independently expand and engage the wood fibers around the stripped hole, creating multiple anchoring points that collectively provide secure holding strength.
2Reliability
If the screw hole is drilled out and a new hole is created, then a secure screw connection can be achieved, but the installation process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The screw insert is pre-formed with three elongated prongs in a compact configuration that fits within the existing stripped screw hole. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need to drill out the existing hole or create new holes, as the insert is designed to be inserted and expanded in place, simplifying the installation process while ensuring secure attachment.
3Reliability
If a rigid insert is used to fill the stripped hole, then the hole can be filled, but the insert cannot adapt to the irregularities of the stripped hole
Solution Approach 1:
The screw insert employs dynamic prongs that can change their configuration from a compact inserted state to an expanded engaged state. The elongated prongs are designed to flex and expand radially outward when force is applied, allowing them to adapt to the irregularities and varying dimensions of stripped screw holes while maintaining secure engagement with the surrounding wood fibers.
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 screw insert effectively secures replacement screws in stripped screw holes without requiring drilling, facilitating easier installation of replacement doors.
Implementation Method 1
turning the screw, such as with a screwdriver, so as to force the prongs radially outwardly against the screw hole as the screw advances longitudinally into the insert
Data Source
AI summary
A screw insert configured for repairing a stripped screw hole. The screw insert comprises three elongated prongs each having a distal end and a proximal end. The three elongated prongs are hingedly connected to each other only at the proximal ends thereof. The three elongated prongs are equiangularly spaced from each other so that longitudinal axes thereof are spaced apart. Each of the prongs has an outer surface and an inner surface. The screw insert is transformable from an open configuration to a folded configuration. The longitudinal axes of the prongs are coplanar in the open configuration. The longitudinal axes of the prongs define an acute angle therebetween in the folded configuration.