Twist-Lock Wall Anchor with Penetrating Lance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fastening systems for hollow walls, such as drywall, often require pre-drilled holes, lead to unsightly damage, and concentrate load forces, causing crumbling and reduced load-bearing capacity, especially in friable materials like drywall.
Innovation Solution
A twist-lock anchor system comprising a hook, shaft, and radially-symmetrical lance formed from a single piece of material, allowing direct insertion without pre-drilling, with the lance penetrating the wall and the hook rotating to secure the anchor, distributing force effectively across the wall surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a pre-drilled hole is required for fastener installation, then the fastener can be securely installed, but the wall material is damaged and weakened
Solution Approach 1:
The lance is pre-sharpened to facilitate direct penetration of the wall material without requiring a pre-drilled hole. The sharp tip allows the fastener to be inserted directly into the wall, eliminating the damaging pre-drilling step while still achieving secure installation
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the penetration function from the installation process by incorporating a sharpened lance that can penetrate the wall material directly. This separates the penetration action from the need for pre-drilling, allowing the fastener to create its own insertion path without compromising wall integrity
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the fastener is inserted directly without pre-drilling, then wall damage is minimized, but installation force and insertion difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The lance is designed with a sharpened tip that changes the physical parameters of the insertion interface. The sharp edge reduces the force required for penetration by concentrating the applied force on a small area, making direct insertion feasible without excessive installation force
Solution Approach 2:
The fastener is divided into distinct functional components: a sharpened lance for penetration, a shaft for structural support, and a hook for load-bearing. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, with the lance specifically designed to minimize insertion resistance
3Reliability
If the hook is rotated to the final position after insertion, then the lance is captured and the fastener is locked, but the rotation process may damage the wall
Solution Approach 1:
The fastener utilizes a dynamic rotation mechanism where the hook rotates from an insertion position to a final locked position. During rotation, the lance is captured by the wall material, and the hook engages with the lance to create a locked configuration that prevents removal while minimizing wall damage
4Device complexity
If the load force is concentrated at a single point, then the anchoring is simple, but the wall material crumbles and load-bearing capacity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The hook is designed with a specific geometry that distributes the load force over a larger area of the lance and wall material. The curved shape of the hook and its engagement with the lance creates multiple contact points, transforming the concentrated load into a distributed stress pattern that prevents wall material crumbling
Data Source
AI summary
A twist-lock anchoring fastener comprises a head (700), a shaft (715), and a lance (720). The foot is adapted to penetrate through wallboard (105). The shaft length is approximately equal to the thickness of the wallboard so that when the foot lies on the back side (107) of the wallboard and the shaft is rotated, the foot is captured behind the wallboard, completing installation of the fastener. An optional footer (725) for the head contains raised lines (726) or bumps (727) or both to aid in seating the fastener on the wall. An optional wall plate assembly (1700) further strengthens the installation of the fastener by locally reducing pressure within the wallboard. In an alternative embodiment, the fastener comprises a wall anchor that accepts a pin (3200). In another alternative embodiment, the fastener is designed for installation in our prior-art wall anchor (100).