FASTENING DEVICE

Abstract: There is disclosed fastening device (2) for fastening a protruding item, e.g. a decorative item (28) in an aquarium, on a brick surface and shaped as an elongate body of revolution of which a rear end part (24) is preferably designed to be fastened by moulding into the protruding item, where an opposite free end part is designed or provided with, respectively, with fastening means (14) which are arranged to be fastened in a self-locking way by insertion of the free end part in a predominantly flush hole (18) which is drilled into the brick surface where the free end part is formed flush hole (18) drilled into the brick surface, where the free end part is provided with a blunt, preferably hemispherical, outer end (4) and spaced apart therefrom with the fastening means in the form of a number of annular recesses (6, 12) which at the front have radial, straight side walls (8) and which rearwards have increasing diameter (19), and that said fastening means comprise O-rings (14) located in the recesses (6, 12), preferably adjacent to the straight side walls (8).

Description: FASTENING DEVICE The present invention concerns a fastening device for fastening protruding items and of the kind indicated in claim 1. In connection with establishing and maintaining submarine decorations, e.g. in large aquaria where a very large number of decorative items are used, such a relatively natural corals moulded in rubber-like plastic are used and which are to be fastened individually to a basic construction usually consisting of a basic structure of concrete. The individual decoration items are normally provided with a bolt-like fastening member which is fastened in bored holes in the basic structure by means of very expensive, special glue, as the work with mounting decoration items of the said kind normally occurs after the aquarium has been filled with water. It is to be mentioned that die case is often a complicated decoration item, e.g. in the form of very natural, moulded corals that require even very secure fastening when they are to withstand large fish, even sharks, rubbing themselves against the decoration items. DE-A1-33 33 493 describes a self-tightening fastening device which on an end part is provided with a number of mutually separated bowl-shaped disc springs of steel which by pressing the end part into a bored hole, e.g. in a concrete wall, becomes squeezed in the hole. This self-tightening fastening device will not be suited for submarine constructions and it will be cumbersome or impossible to dismount. GB-A-2 212 581 describes an anchor bolt which is built up with an expansion bolt member with a number of bowl-shaped disc springs, the outer edges of which may be adapted to a bored hole by squeezing together the expansion bolt part so that the outer edges of the disc springs, by squeezing the anchor bolt in the hole, engages this internally. The invention has the purpose of indicating a fastening device of the kind mentioned in the introduction and which by means of simple measures enables achieving a very significant relief in the described mounting and maintenance work in connection with fastening submarine decoration items. The fastening device according to the invention is characterised in that the free end part is provided with a blunt, preferably hemispherical, outer end and spaced apart therefrom with the fastening means in the form of a number of annular recesses which at the front have radial, straight side walls and which rearwards have increasing diameter, and that said fastening means comprise O-rings located in the recesses, preferably adjacent to the straight side walls. Hereby is achieved a great relief in mounting and dismounting the mentioned decoration items in large aquariums, where the work is occurring for the greater part while there is water and fish, maybe even sharks, in the aquarium, which is particularly due to the fact that a flush hole may rapidly and easily be bored in the concrete structure after which the fastening device just may be inserted and pressed into place. Furthermore, it is regarded as a further advantage that the mentioned costly special glue may be avoided as this also may imply some adverse environmental consequences for the aquarium. In order to ensure escape of water when a fastening device according to the invention is inserted in a flush boring in a concrete structure, the devices is suitably provided with at least one longitudinal lateral slit which, except for the free end part, extends over the entire length of the device, i.e. the recesses being interconnected by the lateral slit. For achieving a good fastening between the actual decoration item and the rear end part of the fastening device it may be advantageous that the rear end part is designed with a number of mutually separate, annular recesses and with a longitudinal lateral slit connecting the recesses. Alternatively, the fastening device according to the invention may be thus designed that the rear and front end parts are both arranged to be fastened in a self-locking way in predominantly flushed holes drilled into the protruding item and the brick surface, respectively, as opposite free end parts are both formed with a blunt, preferably hemi- spherical outer end and spaced apart therefrom with the fastening means in the form of a number of annular recesses which in direction towards the free end parts have radial, straight side walls, and which in the opposite direction have increasing diameter, and that the fastening means comprise O-rings disposed in the recesses, preferably adja- cent to the straight side walls. In a simple way is hereby achieved an almost universal fastening device which is suited for both assembling and fastening large projecting items, e.g. imitated rock wall decorations consisting of several or many parts, on wall surfaces. Also, this alternative fastening device according to the invention may advantageously be designed so that it has at least one lateral slit which, except for the free end parts, extends over the entire length of the device, i.e. the recesses are interconnected by the lateral slit. The invention is explained in the following in connection with the drawing on which: Fig. 1 shows a side view of a preferred embodiment of a fastening device according to the invention, and Fig. 2 shows a part section for illustrating how the fastening device according to the invention is fastened in a flush hole in a concrete structure. The fastening device 2 shown in Fig. 1 has shape as an elongate body of revolution which is preferably made by injection moulding in a suitable plastic material, i.e. a plastic material having the necessary strength and which does not imply environ- mental strain for an aquarium. Alternatively, the fastening device 2 may be made of metal, e.g. aluminium. The fastemng device 2 has a front, blunt end part 4 which in practice has the shape of a hemisphere. With spacing from the end part 4, an annular recess 6 is formed, having forward a radial, straight side wall 8, and which rearwards has increasing diameter, i.e. the recess 6 has a rearward directed, annular wedge surface 10. Close behind the recess 6 there is formed an entirely corresponding recess 12. As shown in Fig. 1, each of the recesses 6 and 12 are fitted with O-rings 14 which, as shown in Fig. 2, are intended for being wedged between an outer wall 16 of the fastening device 2 and an inner wall 18 of the a flush hole 20 bored into e.g. a concrete structure 22 in the bottom of an aquarium. By inserting the front end part 4 of the fastening device 2 in the hole 20 having a diameter which e.g. is about 1 mm larger than the diameter of the fastening device 2, the O-rings 14 will be displaced outwards along the wedge surfaces 10 by frictional action of the inner side of the hole 20 until the O-rings 14, as shown and mentioned, are wedged between the outer wall 16 of the fastening device 2 and the inner wall 18 of the hole 20 so that there is achieved a surprisingly secure and stable fixation of the fastening device 2 in a simple flush hole 20. A rear end part 24 of the fastening device 2 is designed with a number of radial re- cesses 26 so that the end part 24 is easy to mould into a decoration item 28. The fastening device 2 is, except for the front end part 4, designed with an elongate lateral slit 30 also extending between the recesses 26 (and acting as counter-rotation means), and which otherwise has the purpose of draining the recesses 6 and 12 during pressing the fastening device 2 into a bored hole 20. Even though the fastening device 2, as mentioned, gives a secure and stable fixation in a flush hole 20, it is possible to dismount the fastening device 2 by pulling it out of the hole 20. By subsequent remounting it is recommended to use new O-rings 14. The fastening device according to the invention indicated alternatively may be shaped with completely identical, free end parts which are both arranged to be fastened in a self-locking way in mainly flush holes bored into a projecting item or a wall surface, respectively, as opposite free end parts are both designed with a blunt, preferably hemispherical, outer end and spaced apart therefrom with the fastening means in the form of a number of annular recesses which in direction towards the free end parts have radial, straight side walls, and which in the opposite direction have increasing diameter, and that the fastening means comprise O-rings disposed in the recesses, preferably adjacent to the straight side walls. Finally, it is to be mentioned that it will be within the frame of the invention to use the indicated fastening device for fastening purposes in general, particularly when the case is to fasten projecting items on a wall surface in which simple flush holes may be drilled relatively easily. For example, it will be most suitable to use the fastening device according to the invention for making faΘade signs where the single sign letters hereby may be provided with the fastening device which thereafter may be mounted by insertion and fixation in flush wall holes.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A fastening device (2) for fastening a protruding item, e.g. a decorative item (28) in an aquarium, on a brick surface and shaped as an elongate body of revolution of which a rear end part (24) is preferably designed to be fastened by moulding into the protruding item, where an opposite free end part is designed or provided with, respectively, with fastening means (14) which are arranged to be fastened in a self-locking way by insertion of the free end part in a predominantly flush hole (18) which is drilled into the brick surface where the free end part is formed flush hole (18) drilled into the brick surface, characterised in that the free end part is provided with a blunt, preferably hemispherical, outer end (4) and spaced apart therefrom with the fastening means in the form of a number of annular recesses (6,12) which at the front have radial, straight side walls (8) and which rearwards have increasing diameter (19), and that said fastening means comprise O-rings (14) located in the recesses (6,12), pref- erably adjacent to the straight side walls (8). 2. A fastening means (2) according to claim 1, characterised in that it is formed with at least one longitudinal lateral slit (30) which, except for the free end part (4), extends over the entire length of the device, i.e. the recesses (6,12) being in- terconnected by the lateral slit (30). 3. A fastening means (2) according to claim 1, characterised in that the rear end part is designed with a number of mutually separate, annular recesses (26) and with a longitudinal lateral slit (30) connecting the recesses (26). 4. A fastening means according to claim 1, characterised in that the rear and front end parts are both arranged to be fastened in a self-locking way in predominantly flushed holes drilled into the protruding item and the brick surface, respectively, as opposite free end parts are both formed with a blunt, preferably hemispherical outer end and spaced apart therefrom with the fastening means in the form of a number of annular recesses which in direction towards the free end parts have radial, straight side walls, and which in the opposite direction have increasing diameter, and that the fas- tening means comprise O-rings disposed in the recesses, preferably adjacent to the straight side walls. 5. A fastening means according to claim 4, characterised in that it is formed with at least one longitudinal lateral slit which, except for the free end parts, extends over the entire length of the device, i.e. the recesses are interconnected by the lateral slit.

Inventors: MOERCH ERLING, MOERCH, ERLING
Applicants: MOERCH ERLING, MOERCH, ERLING
Application year: 2001
Main classification: F16B13
IPC codes: F16B13