Patent Application
20060070344
The present disclosure relates generally to a method and apparatus for forming a through-hole in a building structure, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for forming a through-hole in a building structure while facilitating threading a wire through the through-hole.
In the telecommunications or electronics industry, it is common practice for a technician to route wires through partitions including walls, floors, and ceilings of a building structure, such as a home or business. Conventional practice provides several approaches that involve drilling holes through the walls, floors, and ceilings when provisioning new wiring. For example, the technician normally uses a drill with a long drill bit to penetrate both sides of the wall and then attempts to poke a wire through a pair of through-holes on either side defining the wall. If insulation is disposed intermediate opposing sides defining the wall, the technician commonly disposes a wire in a hole at one of the drill bit and pushes the drill bit through the wall and insulation to run the wire therethrough.
However, when drilling a through-hole in the wall using a drill bit, for example, there is a risk of nicking power wires, water lines, or gas lines disposed in the wall with the rotation of a sharp drill bit. Further, once a through-hole is successively drilled, several attempts are commonly required to poke the wire alone through both sides of the wall. For example, once the wire is poked through an entrance hole of the wall, the wire just curls up inside the wall when further attempting to poke the wire out of the wall through an exit hole opposite the entrance hole. Insulation within the wall exacerbates this problem, as the insulation interferes with poking the wire to the other side of the wall and obstructs the exit hole. Moreover, even when the wire is attached to the end of the drill bit for pull-through, threading and securing the wire with the drill bit may be involve timely wire preparation.
Thus, there is a need for a method and apparatus for forming a through-hole in a building structure that facilitates threading a wire through the through-hole and addresses the above described drawbacks.
According to exemplary embodiments, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for forming a through-hole in walls, floors, and ceilings defining a building structure in conjunction with simultaneously routing a wire therethrough.
According to exemplary embodiments, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for positively forming a through-hole in a building structure without a drill bit and facilitating the routing of a wire therethrough.
According to one aspect, an apparatus for creating a through-hole in a building structure includes an elongated member defined by a first end and an opposite second end. The first is end is defined by a penetrating point configured to form the through-hole in the building structure. The second end is defined by a receptacle device configured to releasably retain a wire extending from the second end.
Another aspect is an apparatus for creating a through-hole in a building structure including an elongated member defined by a first end and an opposite second end; a penetrating point defining the first end and configured to form the through-hole in the building structure. The second end includes a means for releasably retaining a wire extending from the second end.
Another aspect is a method for forming a through-hole in a building structure to run a wire therethrough. The method includes manually biasing an elongated member through the building structure from a first side defining the building structure. The elongated member is defined by a first end and an opposite second end. The first end is defined by a penetrating point configured to form the through-hole in the building structure while the second end is defined by a receptacle device releasably retaining the wire extending from the second end. The elongated member is pulled from an opposite second side defining the building structure when the penetrating point penetrates the second side. The wire is released from said second end once exposed on the second side.
Referring to the exemplary drawings wherein like elements are numbered alike in the several FIGURES:
A method and apparatus for forming a through-hole in a building structure according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention are used to facilitate running wire through a partition wall. The apparatus forms a through-hole on either side of the partition wall while threading a wire through the formed through-hole. The apparatus includes an elongated member having a first end and an opposite second end. The first end includes a penetrating point configured to penetrate both sides of the partition wall upon manual manipulation of the same while the second end is configured to releasably retain a wire extending therefrom. In this manner, a through-hole is manually formed in the partition wall while wire is simultaneously run through the formed through-hole.
Thus, the above apparatus and method allow running wire through a building structure, such as an interior partition wall, without using a drill that may nick a structure within the wall with a sharp rotating drill bit. Moreover, since the wire is releasably coupled to the second end opposite the penetrating point, attempting to thread a flimsy wire through the building structure to find an exit hole on an opposite side is eliminated.
First end 14 and second end 16 are separable and interface at joint 30. In an exemplary embodiment, first end 14 corresponding to penetrating point 20 includes female threads 32 to threadably engage male threads 34 extending from second end 16 corresponding to receptacle device 24, as best seen with reference to
In an exemplary embodiment as illustrated, penetrating point 20 would be fabricated of a metal to retain sharpness of the point for repeated penetrations through building structures. Alternatively, other materials may be employed, including hard plastic, for example, for limited use and lower cost. In exemplary embodiments, penetrating point is sharpened enough to penetrate the building structure material via manual effort, but not so sharp as to cause damage to structures within the building structure. For example, point 20 is not so sharp as to nick or cause damage to a gas line, water line, or power line within the building structure upon encounters with the same when point 20 penetrates through the building structure. It will be further recognized that although penetrating point has been described and illustrated as sharply tapered cone, point 20 may assume other configurations to facilitate penetration through the building structure material. For example, point 20 may be configured having a self-drill configuration such that manual turning and pushing of the elongated member 12 allows point 20 to drill through the building structure to form a through-hole as with when using a drill bit.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Although receptacle device 24 has been described with reference to a tapered splayed opening 26, it will be recognized by one skilled in the pertinent art that the tapered splayed opening 26 may be substituted or described as a plurality of staves, a collet, and a chuck each configured to releasably compress exterior surface 54 defining wire 56 extending therein. In each case, the receptacle device 24 is defined with an exterior surface receptive to slidable clamp ring 50. Slidable clamp ring 50 is configured to compress the second end 16 against exterior surface 54 defining wire 56 when sliding clamp ring 50.
Referring now to
Referring now to
First, a technician marks a location for entrance hole 102 on first surface 104 of drywall 112 that is selected to be a good location in conjunction with a location for exit hole 108 on second surface 106 of drywall 114.
In this example, it will be noted that the width of the partition wall is about 3.5 inches wide, therefore an elongated member 12 of about 6 inches long without any extension member 70 is sufficient for producing a through-hole on both surfaces 104 and 106 defining the partition wall.
After suitable hole locations 102 and 108 have been identified and wire 56 is inserted at end 16 and clamped with clamp ring 50, the technician manually grasps elongated member 12 and aligns penetrating point 20 with the mark on first surface 104 corresponding to the selected location for entrance hole 102. Elongated member is manually biased to penetrate drywall 112 and is maintained substantially normal to first surface 104 to properly align with the desired location of exit hole 108. After penetrating point 20 including a portion of elongated member penetrates second surface 106, the technician then goes to the other side of the partition wall corresponding to drywall 114 to pull the remaining portion of elongated member 12 and wire 56 extending therefrom. Wire 56, such as a telecommunications wire, is then able to pass through wall 100 via holes 102 and 108. It will be recognized by one skilled in the pertinent art that although the above discussed partition has been described with reference to a wall, a floor or ceiling partition is also contemplated, including exterior and interior partition walls.
According to the exemplary embodiments of the invention, using a wall piercing apparatus facilitates manual formation of a through-hole in a partition wall while simultaneously threading the wire therethrough. The wall piercing apparatus reduces a risk of damage to elements disposed within the partition wall. The wall piercing apparatus eliminates a separate step of manually threading a wire through a pre-formed through-hole. In addition, timely wire preparation of the prior art method is eliminated.
While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all exemplary embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another.
