Patent ID: 7144212
Filing Date: 2006-12-05
Classification: F16B

Abstract:
1. A self drilling hollow wall anchor for deployment into a hollow wall, said anchor comprising an elongated plastic body having two ends on a central longitudinal axis, and a longitudinal bore adapted for threadingly receiving a screw therein, with the anchor comprising a head member at a first end of the plastic body and a drilling member with a drilling tip at the other end of the plastic body, the plastic body having an axial flange concentrically positioned relative to the plastic body at the first end adjacent the head member; wherein the head member, adjacent the flange, comprises longitudinally positioned and axially outwardly extending external threads adapted for screwing deployment into the hollow wall; wherein the anchor further comprises anchoring means adapted to be distal to the wall when the anchor is deployed in the wall, with the anchoring means comprising connected but separable elements of the drilling member, said separable elements being connected to each other at said drilling tip and at at least a portion of the threaded head member, with the separable elements being separated by a slot which interrupts at least one flight of the threads and wherein the slot is non-linear whereby at least two cam elements extend inwardly across the longitudinal axis adjacent to the portion of the threaded head member where said separable elements are connected; and wherein a central aperture is formed in the flange for engagement with a rotating driver for threadingly driving the anchor into a hollow wall and wherein the flange comprises means for preventing overtightening of the anchor in the hollow wall and the anchor comprises means for preventing the anchor from being threadingly backed out of the wall prior to removal of the screw from the anchor; said cam elements being positioned relative to said separable elements whereby threading insertion of the screw causes the connected separable elements to separate at said drilling tip into the anchoring means with the screw engaging the cam elements adjacent said portion of the head member and wherein the screw remains in said engagement with the cam elements to thereby lock the separated separable elements into an anchoring position with at least one flight of the threads thereby engaging a distal portion of the wall.