Abstract:
A fastener assembly includes a body, a cup and a faceplate. The fastener assembly is a long thin shape for insertion into an opening in a substrate prior to actuation. Once inserted in the substrate, the fastener assembly may be actuated by the insertion of a bolt into a central aperture in the assembly and the tightening of the bolt against the cup. The actuation of the assembly causes the body of the assembly to fold at four points and to thereby secure the assembly to the substrate.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     This application claims priority to provisional patent application No. 61/617,349, filed on Mar. 29, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a fastener assembly that may be inserted into a hollow substrate and be secured to the substrate by expanding in a manner that efficiently distributes forces to the substrate. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Applying fasteners to hollow walls or substrate has always been a challenge because of the structural limitations of the substrate and the concentration of forces on the opening in the substrate that the fastener engages. This challenge is increased when there is no access to the opposite side of the substrate. 
     In particular, because of the limited contact between the fastener and the substrate, the fastener has limited ability to support directional, vibratory, or torque forces. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A fastener assembly includes a body, a cup and a faceplate. The body further includes three adjustable sections, a wing section, a middle section and a lower section. The lower section further includes a solid portion and a vertical subsection. 
     The fastener assembly is a long thin shape for insertion into an opening in a substrate prior to actuation. Once inserted in the substrate, the fastener assembly may be actuated by the insertion of a bolt into a central aperture in the assembly and the tightening of the bolt against the cup. The actuation of the assembly causes the body of the assembly to fold at four points. 
     Once actuated, the cup applies a force on the body in the direction of the faceplate and substrate. The force causes the body to fold outward where the solid portion folds substantially 90° to lock against the substrate. Further, the middle section folds inward against the solid portion with one end of the wing positioned against an intermediary point of the solid portion. This configuration causes a distributed force against the fastener to the substrate by pinning the substrate between the faceplate and the outer surface of the solid portion. 
     This locking configuration is repeated by a plurality of substantially identical columns that make up the fastener assembly. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  is a front elevation view of the first example of a cantilever fastener assembly of the present invention, shown prior to assembly; 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of the first example of a cantilever fastener assembly of the present invention, shown after assembly and prior to actuation; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view thereof; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view thereof, with a bolt engaged to the fastener; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross section view thereof; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the first example of a cantilever fastener assembly of the present invention, shown with a bolt engaged to the fastener and at an intermediary point in the actuation process; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross section view thereof; 
         FIG. 8  perspective view of the first example of a cantilever fastener assembly of the present invention, shown at an intermediary point in the actuation process; 
         FIG. 9  is a side elevation view thereof; 
         FIG. 10  is a cross section view thereof; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of a first example of a cantilever fastener assembly of the present invention, shown after actuation; 
         FIG. 12  is a side elevation view thereof; 
         FIG. 13  is a cross section view thereof; 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of first example of a cantilever fastener assembly of the present invention, shown engaged to a bolt after actuation; 
         FIG. 15  is a cross section view thereof; and 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view of a second example of a cantilever fastener assembly of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 through 15 , there is shown a first example of a cantilever fastener assembly  100  of the present invention. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the assembly is initially formed of an extruded or injection molded sheet having plurality (preferably four) substantially identical columns  210 ,  212 ,  214 ,  216 . The columns  210 ,  212 ,  214 ,  216  are wrapped around a central axis to form the pre-installation version of the fastener assembly  100 , as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . After being installed in a wall or substrate S, the fastener assembly  100  is actuated to lock into place in a substrate as shown in  FIGS. 14 and 15 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the fastener assembly  100  includes a body  200 , a faceplate  300 , and a cup  400 . The body includes a proximate end  202  and a distal end  204 . The fastener also includes a central aperture  102  for receiving a bolt. The body further includes four substantially identical columns  210 ,  212 ,  214 ,  216 , each column including a top section  220 , a wing section  230 , a middle section  240 , and a lower section  250 . The top section  220  is connected to the wing section  230  by a first connector  232 ; the wing section  230  is connected to the middle section  240  by a second connector  242 ; and the middle section  240  is connected to the lower section  250  by a third connector  252 . The lower section  250  further includes a solid portion  256  and a modified portion  260 . The lower section  250  of the body  200  connects to the faceplate  300 . 
     The first connector  232 , the second connector  242 , and the third connector  252  are areas of the four columns  210 ,  212 ,  214 ,  216  that are thinner and more capable of bending. As best shown in  FIG. 2 , each connector  232 ,  242 ,  252  includes a respective cutout  234 ,  244 ,  254  that allows the column  210 ,  212 ,  214 ,  216  to bend at the connectors  232 ,  242 ,  252 . The cutout  234  of the first connector  232  is on the outside of the assembly  100  allowing the wing section  230  to bend outwardly toward the top section  220 . The cutout  244  of the second connector  242  is similarly positioned on the outside of the assembly  100  allowing the wing section  230  and the middle section  240  to bend outward toward each other. The cutout  254  of the third connector  252  is positioned on the inside of the assembly  100  causing the middle section  240  and the lower section  250  to bend inwardly towards each other. 
     In alternative examples, other practices, such as thinning of the material or prestressing the material, may be used to provide for the connectors  232 ,  242 ,  252 . Also, the middle section  240  may be shorter or longer than the examples shown. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 15 , the lower section  250  includes two portions, a solid portion  256  and a modified portion  260 . In the examples shown the modified portion  260  includes a plurality of slots. Other examples may include different configurations of the modified portion  260 , including a two sub-column example, a prestressed example, or a thinned material example. At the distal end  204  of the lower section  250 , adjacent the faceplate  300 , the modified portion  260  ends and there is a second solid portion  270 . 
     Further shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the assembly  100  is wrapped into a cylinder having a central aperture  102 , where the central aperture  102  is adapted to receive a bolt B. At the proximate end  202  of the assembly  100  is the cup  400  and at the distal end  204  of the assembly is the faceplate  300 . In the first example shown in  FIGS. 2-15 , the cup  400  further includes cup threads  402 . In other examples, the cup may include a wire tire, a snap lock, a magnetic, or varying other mechanisms that enable the cup to be pulled towards the faceplate. 
     In one example of the wire tire, a wire is connected to the cup  400  and extends through the central aperture  102  of the assembly  100  and extends out the faceplate  300 . The wire tire may be pulled to generate the force F on the cup  400 . In a second example, the wire is pulled from within the fastener by a needle nose (or similar) pliers. 
     In use, the fastener  100  is inserted, cup  400  first, into an opening S 1  in a hollow wall or substrate S. The faceplate  300 , which is positioned opposite the cup  400 , is wider than the opening S 1  and thus does not pass into the opening S 1 . Prior to actuation, the body  200  is linear as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . In particular, prior to actuation, the cross section area of the body  200  is limited to approximately the cross section area of the cup  400 , allowing the body  200  to pass through an opening S 1  having a substantially similar area. 
     With the fastener  100  inserted into the substrate S, the cup  400  and the body  200  of the assembly  100  are positioned within the substrate S and only the faceplate  300  is left on the outer side of the substrate S, adjacent the substrate opening S 1 . A threaded bolt B is inserted into the central aperture  102  of the assembly  100 , through the space between the four columns  210 ,  212 ,  214 ,  216 . The bolt B engages the cup  400  at the cup threads  402  as illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . 
       FIGS. 6 through 10  show the fastener assembly  100 ′ in the process of securing to a substrate S. As the bolt B is tightened, it applies a force F on the cup  400  in the direction of the faceplate  300 . This force F actuates the body  200  causing the body  200  to fold as shown in  FIGS. 6 through 10 . In particular the body  200  folds at four points—the first connector  232 , the second connector  242 , the third connector  252 , and at a bend point  262  in the modified portion  260  of the lower section  250 . While the three connectors  232 ,  242 ,  252  are all in fixed positions, the bend point  262  has a variable position that is determined by the thickness of the substrate S. 
     When the bolt B is tightened against the cup  400 , the head B 1  of the bolt B will be blocked from insertion by the faceplate  300  and further tightening of the bolt B against the threads  402  will create a force F on the cup  400  in the direction of the substrate S. The force F will cause the body  200  of the fastener assembly to fold at the connectors  232 ,  242 ,  252  and the bend point  262 . As discussed above and as shown by the arrows in  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the wing section  230  will fold outward towards the top section  220 ; the middle section  240  will fold outward toward the wing section  230 ; and the middle section  240  and the lower section  250  will fold inward upon each other. 
     The lower section  250  will additionally bend outward at the bend point  262 , which is a variable location on the modified portion  260 . The modified portion  260  is relatively weaker against a sheering force such as the one that will occur when the cup  400  is forced towards the substrate S. As the tightening of the cup  400  forces the modified portion  260  outward, a vertical subsection  264  of the modified portion  260  is held in place by the opening S 1  of the substrate S, as seen in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . A lateral subsection  266  of the modified portion  260  that extends beyond the substrate opening S 1  flexes at the bend point  262  and rotates towards the inner surface S 2  of the substrate S. As shown in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , the modified portion  260  wraps around the substrate S at a substantially 90° angle. In another example, the modified portion  260  wraps around the substrate S in an arc and contacts the inside surface of the substrate a point at or near the third connector  252 . 
       FIGS. 14 and 15  show the fastening assembly  100 ″ in a fully actuated position secured to a substrate S. The faceplate  300  is positioned on the outside S 3  of the substrate S; and the cup  400 , top section  220 , wing section  230 , middle section  240 , and solid portion  256  are all positioned inside of the substrate S. The vertical subsection  264  of the modified portion  260  that did not bend is positioned within the opening S 1  of the substrate S. 
     The actuated fastener  100 ″ of  FIGS. 14 and 15  creates a solidification of the substrate opening S 1  through the mechanical biasing of the fastener body  200 . The fastener  100 ″ is held in place by pinning the substrate S between the faceplate  300  and the outer surface  258  of solid portion  256  of the lower section  250 . The actuated fastener  100 ″ provides stable resistance to compression forces, tension forces, and shear forces. 
     The fastener  100 ″ provides a diffuse surface (solid portion  256 ) to support the pressure from the wing section  230  caused when a shear force is applied to the fastener  100 ″. In particular, the bolt B exerts an inward force F on the cup  400 , which exerts an inward force on the top section  220 . The top section  220  exerts an inward force on the wing section  230  which exerts a downward force on the solid portion  256 . Because the downward force on the solid portion  256  is centered at an intermediary point  246 , the force is distributed more evenly to the surface area of the solid portion  256 . The improved distribution of this force creates a better attachment to the substrate S and allows the fastener assembly  100 ″ to withstand greater strain than otherwise. 
     The attachment of the fastener assembly  100  to the substrate S by pinning the substrate between the outer surface  258  of the solid portion  256  and the faceplate  300  is repeated for each of the substantially identical columns  210 ,  212 ,  214 ,  216 . Since the plurality of columns  210 ,  212 ,  214 ,  216  are equally spaced around the circumference of the assembly  100 , the assembly provides strength against tension in the bolt B at any angle. 
     The accompanying drawings only illustrate one embodiment of a cantilever fastener assembly and its respective constituent parts, however, other types and styles are possible, and the drawings are not intended to be limiting in that regard. Thus, although the description above and accompanying drawings contain much specificity, the details provided should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments but merely as providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments. The drawings and the description are not to be taken as restrictive on the scope of the embodiments and are understood as broad and general teachings in accordance with the present invention. While the present embodiments of the invention have been described using specific terms, such description is for present illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that modifications and variations to such embodiments, including but not limited to the substitutions of equivalent features, materials, or parts, and the reversal of various features thereof, may be practiced by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.