The invention relates to the field of building construction. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for fixing an object to a building structure.
In various cases, objects, such as plates or profiles of drywall construction, are fixed to building construction, such as to the ceiling, in a distance from the building construction.
The adjustment of the plate to the building construction typically applies two nuts, each at another side of the plate.
This fixing is disadvantaged in that one of the nuts is disposed behind the plate.
The method described above has not yet provided satisfactory solutions to the long felt need for convenient fixing of objects at a distance from the building structure.
In one aspect of the invention, a method and apparatus are provided for convenient fixing of objects at a distance from the building structure.
In one aspect of the invention, a nut is provided, including:
Other aspects of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.
Embodiments, features, and aspects of the invention are described herein in conjunction with the following drawings:
It should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.
The invention will be understood from the following detailed description of embodiments which are meant to be descriptive and not limiting. For the sake of brevity, some well-known features, methods, systems, procedures, components, circuits, and so on, are not described in detail.
The term “self-tapping thread” refers herein to a thread having a widening perimeter, for producing a thread in a substance by rotation of the thread in relation to the substance.
The term “self-tapping nut” refers herein to a nut having a self-tapping thread.
A prior art self-tapping nut includes a self-tapping thread, in which except for the external binding 44A, the widths 80 of all the bindings, including the internal binding 44D and the central bindings 44B are substantially equal; and the width 92 of each gap 86 between the bindings is substantially equal to the width 80 of the bindings.
The internal binding 44D reaches the surface 38 of head 52.
Upon insertion of the self-tapping thread into a pre-fitted hole 54 (shown in
Bending 88 inserts into gap 86 between the bindings (44A, 44B, 44D), and leads the threading, either to close the nut until the last binding 44D contacts surface 38 or a washer, or to open the thread.
The perimeter of external binding 44A of nut 10 is small, and increases towards internal binding 44C, similar to self-tapping threads.
In contrast to conventional self-tapping threads, the internal binding 44C of the self-tapping thread 36 of a nut 10 according to the invention, does not reach the surface 38 of head 52. There is no end to self-tapping thread 36, i.e., there is a space 48, along the entire width of the thread, between the internal binding 44C of self-tapping thread 36 and surface 38 of head 52.
Production of space 48 forms the internal binding 44C of nut 10 to be thinner than that of bindings 44B.
Upon insertion of self-tapping thread 36 into the pre-fitted hole 54 (shown in
Bending 88 of plate 18 inserts into gap 86 between the bindings (44A, 44B, 44C), and leads the threading, to provide linear motion of closing nut 10. Once bending 88 reaches space 48, the linear movement ceases.
Since the internal binding 44C is relatively thin, upon further closing of nut 10, bending 88 of plate 18 bends the end 90 of the internal binding 44C. Thus, the internal binding 44C no longer leads bending 88 of plate 18 within gap 86, even upon rotating nut 10 to be opened.
Thus, nut 10 is rotatable in relation to plate 18, even though nut 10 is not releasable from profile 18.
Nut 10 preferably includes an elastic washer 46, disposed in the space 48 between the internal binding 44C of self-tapping thread 36 and surface 38 of head 52. Elastic washer 46 is intended for limiting movement between the self-tapping thread 36 and plate/object 18 upon completing the threading therebetween. The limiting of the movement avoids vibrations.
Nut 10 includes a female thread 34 for threading thereinto a bolt 14 having a male thread 66 fitting thereto; head 52 including a plurality of surfaces 50, such as hex surfaces for rotating nut 10; and the self-tapping thread 36, for producing bending 88, depicted in
Self-tapping thread 36 is hollow and includes female thread 34 allowing inserting bolt 14 therethrough, as depicted in
At the first step, the installer fixes nut 10 to profile 18. As explained in
At the second step, the installer fixes a wall plug 16 to the ceiling 20 or wall or other building structure.
At the third step, the installer screws thread 66 (depicted in
At the end of the third step, bolt 14 does not allow changing the distance 40 between wall or ceiling 20 and profile 18, since bolt 14 is not any more rotatable.
At the fourth step, the installer rotates nut 10 in relation to bolt 14 (which is not any more rotatable), for adjusting the distance of profile 18 to ceiling 20.
At the fifth step, the installer may remove the screw driver from bolt 14, and may cut the remainder of bolt 14.
A one-directional rotating tool 60 may grip bolt 14, upon rotating bolt 14, through the one-directional rotating tool 60, towards the ceiling; and may release bolt 14 upon “attempting” to rotate bolt, through the one-directional rotating tool 60, to the opposite direction. An electric screw driver 78 may rotate the bottom element 28 of one-directional rotating tool 60 via a hex element 30 of bottom element 28.
A male thread 72 of hex element 30 is permanently fixed to a female thread 74 of the bottom element 28.
Upon rotating hex element 30 to the closing direction depicted by arrow 64, the male thread 66 of bolt 14 is inserted into a female thread 62 of the top element 22 of tool 60.
Male thread 66 of bolt 14 and female thread 62 of the top element 22 of gripping tool 60 are tightened one towards the other by a tightening element 32, being pressed by the bottom element 28.
Rotation of the bottom element 28 rotates a male thread 42 thereof into a female thread 68 of the top element 22.
This rotation of the bottom element 28 also presses the central element 32, named above the “tightening element”.
Central element 32 presses male thread 66 of bolt 14 outside from female thread 62 of the top element 22 of tool 60, thereby providing friction therebetween, thus making the separation between them difficult.
In addition to this difficulty, upon rotating hex element 30 opposite to arrow 64, male thread 42 opens in relation to female thread 68 thereof before male thread 66 of bolt 14 opens in relation to female thread 62 of top element 22; this, since the pace 70 of threads 42 and 68 is significantly larger than the pace of threads 66 and 62.
Thus, threads 68 and 42 have an easier opening extent, since threads 42 and 68 have smaller friction length and area therebetween than the friction length and area of threads 66 and 62. Thus, threads 42 and 68 open, one from the other, by a smaller pressure than any other thread in the system, and therefore it opens first.
The opening of thread 42 of the bottom element 28 from thread 68 of the top element 22 does not separate the bottom element 28 from the top element 22, due to a protrusion 24 of the bottom element 28 and a protrusion 26 of the top element 22, being blocked one by the other.
The opening of thread 42 of the bottom element 28 from thread 68 of the top element 22 releases the tightening of male thread 66 of bolt 14 towards female thread 62 of the top element 22 by central element 32, thus releasing bolt 14.
Thus, in one aspect, the invention is directed to a nut (10), including:
a) the first female thread (34) for threading the bolt (14) therethrough, thereby allowing connecting the nut (10) to the plate (18) and then moving the bolt (14) in relation to the plate (18) either by rotating the bolt (14) in relation to the nut (10), or by rotating the nut (10) in relation to the plate (18);
b) a space (48) disposed between the end (90) of the internal binding (44C) of the first male thread (36) and an adjacent surface (38) of the nut (10), the space (48) being substantially larger than the thickness (84) of the plate (18), for allowing the space (48) to rotate in relation to the plate (18) without linear pacing in relation to the plate (18) upon completing the threading therebetween; and
c) a perimeter being small at an external binding (44A) of the first male thread (36) and increasing towards the space (48) of the first male thread (36), thereby the internal binding (44E) and the space (48) having the increased perimeter, increase the peripheral pressure applied onto the plate (18) at the space (48) of the nut (10) at the rotation therebetween lacking the linear pacing,
thereby allowing fixing the plate (18) to a building structure (20) at an adjustable distance (40).
The nut (10) may further include:
In another aspect, the invention is directed to a tool (60)
for rotating a bolt (14) threaded into a nut (10) upon rotating to a closing direction (64), and
for releasing the bolt (14) therefrom upon rotating to an opening direction,
the tool (60) including:
thereby providing friction therebetween,
wherein the nut (10) includes:
wherein the first male thread (36) includes the first female thread (34) for threading the bolt (14) therethrough,
thereby allowing connecting the nut (10) to the plate (18) and then moving the bolt (14) in relation to the plate (18) either by rotating the bolt (14) in relation to the nut (10), or by rotating the nut (10) in relation to the plate (18).
The tool (60) may further include:
thereby opening the male thread (42) from the second female thread (68) for releasing the tightening element (32), before opening the bolt (14).
In the figures and/or description herein, the following reference numerals (Reference Signs List) have been mentioned:
In the description herein, the following references have been mentioned:
The foregoing description and illustrations of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the above description in any form.
Any term that has been defined above and used in the claims, should to be interpreted according to this definition.
The reference numbers in the claims are not a part of the claims, but rather used for facilitating the reading thereof. These reference numbers should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any form.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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231729 | Mar 2014 | IL | national |
This application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/125,168, filed Sep. 11, 2016, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
546903 | Ryan | Sep 1895 | A |
988743 | Stillwaggon | Apr 1911 | A |
1046536 | Bambeck | Dec 1912 | A |
1062635 | Clements | May 1913 | A |
2321378 | Green | Jun 1943 | A |
2324175 | Simms | Jul 1943 | A |
3650551 | Akers | Mar 1972 | A |
3711138 | Davis | Jan 1973 | A |
4361943 | Kobusch | Dec 1982 | A |
5788440 | Andronica | Aug 1998 | A |
5842894 | Mehlberg | Dec 1998 | A |
6042314 | Guelck | Mar 2000 | A |
20070009341 | Nagayama | Jan 2007 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
2002866 | Aug 1978 | GB |
WO 0112917 | Feb 2001 | WO |
Entry |
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Great Britain Office Action dated May 14, 2021, from Application No. 2102181.1, 3 pages. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20180274580 A1 | Sep 2018 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 15125168 | US | |
Child | 15990637 | US |