Vibration-Cured Dowel Anchoring for Hollow Bricks and Concrete
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing anchoring methods for objects with low density and/or low mechanical strength, such as hollow bricks or dense materials like concrete, face limitations in anchoring strength and reliability due to limited expansion and require time-consuming curing processes, often compromised by drill dust.
Innovation Solution
A method involving mechanical vibration energy to impinge on a hardenable composition between an insert portion and the object, causing chemical hardening and forming connections, which includes simultaneous or sequential insertion, using a sonotrode for efficient energy transfer and incorporating resilient elements to control vibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If special dowels are pushed into pre-drilled holes and allowed to spread to anchor screws in hollow bricks, then anchoring is achieved despite hollow spaces, but anchoring strength is limited due to limited expansion space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical expansion system with a chemical hardening system. Instead of relying on mechanical spreading of the dowel to achieve anchoring, the invention uses chemical reactions (curable resin hardening) to create a strong bond between the insert portion, hollow spaces, and surrounding material, eliminating the need for mechanical expansion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the state of the resin from liquid/pasty to solid through chemical hardening. This parameter change allows the resin to fill hollow spaces effectively in liquid state, then provides strong anchoring strength after hardening, resolving the contradiction between limited space and required anchoring strength.
2Strength
If curable resins are used to fasten objects in dense materials like concrete, then very strong connections are achieved, but curing takes a lot of time making processes more complicated and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies mechanical vibration during the hardening process to accelerate the chemical reaction of the curable resin. The vibration energy impinges on the resin between the insert portion and the opening wall, speeding up curing time while maintaining the strong connection strength provided by the chemical hardening.
3Strength
If curable resins are used for anchoring in dense materials, then strong connections are achieved, but drill dust or debris at the interface may cause the connection to become unreliable and fail
Solution Approach 1:
The mechanical vibration applied during the process serves dual purposes: it accelerates the hardening reaction and simultaneously removes drill dust and debris from the interface between the resin and the opening wall. This ensures a clean bonding surface and reliable connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of drill dust into a beneficial process. The mechanical vibration that could potentially disturb the interface instead effectively removes debris and contaminants, transforming a risk factor into a cleaning mechanism that improves connection reliability.
4Productivity
If mechanical vibration energy is applied to accelerate hardening, then curing time is reduced and process efficiency is improved, but additional equipment and process complexity are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the insert portion multi-functional by integrating it with the vibration generation system. The insert portion serves both as the anchoring element and as the medium for transmitting vibration energy to the resin, eliminating the need for separate vibration generation equipment and reducing overall system complexity.
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
Enhances anchoring strength, reduces curing time, integrates debris, and ensures reliable connections by improving the hardening process efficiency and stability, suitable for a variety of materials including dense and low ductility objects.
Implementation Method 1
causing mechanical vibration energy to impinge to cause the hardenable composition to undergo a chemical hardening process
Implementation Method 2
the hardenable composition undergoes a chemical hardening process to yield a hardened composition
Implementation Method 3
The first object is mechanically coupled to a sonotrode, which vibrates during the step of causing the mechanical vibration energy to impinge on the hardenable composition
Implementation Method 4
The mechanical vibration energy also causes the hardenable composition to interpenetrate structures of the second object
Implementation Method 5
A resilient element may be placed between a distal end of the insert portion and a bottom of the opening
Data Source
Figure 1~6
Figure 7~10
Figure 11~15
AI summary
A method of anchoring a first object (1) in a second object (2) is provided. The second object (2) comprises an opening (21). Such opening (21) may for example by provided by drilling into the second object. The first object (1) has an insert (11) portion that defines an insertion axis (30) and has an outer shape that may form an undercut with respect to axial directions. The method comprises inserting the insert portion (11) in the opening, with a hardenable composition (prepolymer; mortar; 5) between a wall of the opening and the insert portion (11), and causing mechanical vibration energy to impinge to cause the hardenable composition (5) to undergo a chemical hardening process to yield a hardened composition, so that a first connection between the first object and the hardened composition and a second connection between the hardened composition and the second object results, whereby the first object (1) is anchored in the second object (2). The first connection and/or the second connection may comprise an adhesive connection and/or a positive-fit connection.