Toggle Anchor Fastener for One-Sided High Pull-Out Fixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for attaching substrates, such as deck beams to house structures, face challenges with pull-out resistance and accessibility limitations, particularly when only one side of the substrate is accessible, leading to deck collapses due to inadequate anchoring systems.
Innovation Solution
A fastening device utilizing an internally threaded shoulder bolt with deployable stop bars and a slide collar, which can be driven through substrates without pre-drilling, providing high pull-out resistance and simplicity of use, with embodiments featuring a conical spring and toggle mechanism to secure the substrates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a bolt and nut assembly is used to attach substrates, then pull-out resistance is improved, but accessibility to the backside of substrates is required which limits ease of operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional bolt-and-nut assembly by placing the nut on the accessible front side of the substrate and the bolt extending through to the inaccessible back side. This allows the fastening mechanism to function from the accessible side only, eliminating the need for backside access while maintaining high pull-out resistance through the inverted configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a nested structure where the bolt passes through the substrate and is received by the nut, with washers nested between the nut and substrate surface. This nested arrangement consolidates multiple fastening components into a compact assembly that can be installed from a single side, resolving the contradiction between strength and accessibility.
2Ease of operation
If nails are used to attach substrates, then ease of operation is improved, but pull-out resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the simple mechanical nail system with a threaded fastening system comprising a bolt and nut. The threading mechanism provides superior mechanical engagement and resistance to pull-out forces compared to smooth-shafted nails, while the inverted configuration maintains ease of installation from the accessible side.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite fastening system combining the bolt (providing structural engagement), the nut (providing adjustable fastening), and washers (providing load distribution). This composite approach achieves both high pull-out resistance and ease of operation, overcoming the limitations of single-component fasteners like nails.
3Strength
If screws are used to attach substrates, then lateral strength is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to localized rot or decay
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates washers as preliminary protective elements between the nut and substrate surface. These washers distribute the clamping load over a larger area, preventing stress concentration that could accelerate rot or decay. This preliminary protective action enhances reliability by mitigating the harmful effects of localized deterioration.
Solution Approach 2:
The washers serve as cushioning elements that absorb and distribute mechanical stresses before they can concentrate on vulnerable substrate areas. This beforehand cushioning protects against the progression of rot or decay, maintaining reliability even when localized deterioration occurs in the substrate material.
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 solution effectively secures substrates with high pull-out resistance and ease of deployment, even when only one side is accessible, enhancing safety by preventing deck collapses and accommodating various substrate materials.
Implementation Method 1
A conical spring is disposed over the threaded shaft of the bolt with the narrow end of the conical spring adjacent to the head of the bolt and the wide end of the conical spring adjacent to the first end of the slide body.
Implementation Method 2
A bolt engages with the slide body. The bolt has a head and a threaded shaft. The threaded shaft is engageable within the tapped opening of the slide body.
Data Source
AI summary
A fastener for attaching together layers of a substrate. The fastener includes a slide body, a bolt, a conical spring, and a toggle having a pivot coupled with one end of the slide body. The conical spring is disposed over a shaft of the bolt and the shaft is engaged within the slide body. The slide body and toggle are inserted into an aperture through the layers of substrate in a first configuration until the conical spring contacts a front face of the layers of substrate. Compression of the conical spring against the front face advances the toggle a clearance length out of the aperture on a back face of the layers of a substrate such that the toggle can switch to a second configuration that prevents retraction through the aperture. Extension of the conical spring automatically engages the toggle with the back face of the substrate to prevent rotation of the slide body within the aperture.