Self-Drilling Wall Anchor With Expandable Wings for Hollow Walls

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing self-drilling anchor solutions for hollow walls, such as those made of friable materials, often require multiple components and complex assembly, making them costly and inefficient.

Innovation Solution

A self-drilling wall anchor assembly featuring a main body with a proximal end for rotation and a distal end for cutting, along with a deformable anchor member having expandable wings that transition from a collapsed to an expanded position upon screw rotation, securely engaging the wall without the need for separate drilling and toggle components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple separate components (drilling member and toggle member) are used to create a self-drilling anchor, then the anchor can effectively engage hollow walls, but the device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveanchor engagement effectivenessVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the drilling member and toggle member into a single integrated anchor component. The anchor features a body with an outer thread for drilling and engaging friable material, while also incorporating a toggle member with a threaded opening that can pivot from a retracted to an extended position. This merging eliminates the need for separate drilling and toggle components, reducing device complexity while maintaining the dual functionality of drilling through and anchoring in hollow walls.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a toggle member is provided with a drilling tip, then the drilling function is integrated, but the anchor still requires two distinct components that must be assembled

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrilling function integrationVSAvoidassembly requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent fully integrates the drilling tip and toggle member into a single monolithic anchor body. The outer thread extends to the centering tip and includes a drilling tip at its distal end, while the toggle member is formed as an integral part of the same body. This complete merging eliminates all assembly requirements between separate drilling and toggle components, reducing device complexity while maintaining full adaptability for self-drilling and anchoring operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If the anchor requires assembly of multiple components, then functional requirements are met, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefunctional performanceVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent consolidates multiple functional components into a single anchor body that can be manufactured as one piece. The integrated design includes the drilling tip, outer thread, toggle member with threaded opening, and centering tip all formed from a single material mass. This merging significantly simplifies manufacturing processes, reduces material waste, eliminates assembly operations, and lowers overall manufacturing cost while maintaining all necessary functional performance for hollow wall anchoring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3894642B1Wall anchor with deformable expandable part
Publication Date: 2024.12.04 COBRA FIXATIONS CIE LTEE COBRA ANCHORS CO LTD
  • EP3894642B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3894642B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3894642B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

An anchor for hollow wails comprises a main body and an anchor member. The main body includes a proximal end adapted to be engaged by a rotatable tool to rotate the anchor about a longitudinal axis thereof and to cause it to gradually engage a wall, a distal end adapted to cut through the wail as the anchor is rotated, and a shank between the proximal and distal ends. The anchor member includes expandable wings and a body defining a hole, the expandable wings being in registry with respective slots defined in the shank and being displaceable between collapsed and expanded positions, A threaded fastener introduced in the anchor engages the body of the anchor member such that upon sufficient rotation of the fastener, the body of the anchor member retracts towards the proximal end thereby causing the expandable wings to extend outwardly through the slots behind the wall.