Abstract:
The present invention is a toggle fastener for providing a means to attach a screw or bolt to a drywall wall. The toggle consists of an elongated flexible tube having open opposite first and second ends. The tube is dimensioned to receive the screw or bolt. A pair of wings extend perpendicularly from the first end of the tube. A cylindrical member is mounted to the tube, the cylindrical member having an internal passage, the internal passage dimensioned to permit the cylinder to slide snugly over the tube.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    The present application claims priority from provisional patent application serial No. 60/450,337, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The invention relates generally to toggles for facilitating the placement of mounting screws on drywall, wall boards, wall paneling or other similar building materials.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    When a picture or other heavy object is to be mounted onto a drywall wall, it is possible to simply drive a mounting screw into the wall. Unfortunately, simply driving a screw into a drywall wall is not desirable for several reasons. Firstly, the drywall wall will likely be damaged by the process of driving the screw into the wall. Secondly, the screw will not be strongly anchored to the wall and will fall out if any significant force is applied to the screw. In order to strongly anchor a mounting screw to a drywall wall, a toggle is generally required. One type of toggle consists of a plastic or soft metal tube which is inserted into a pre-drilled hole in the drywall. The screw is then driven into the tube. The tube is configured to expand when the screw is driven into the tube, causing the tube to grip the drywall. This type of toggle is only suitable for light applications since the tube is frictionally held within the pre-drilled hole. Another type of toggle employs a spring biased hinged wing and screw combination. This toggle consists of a spring biased wing which is hinged in its center such that the wing can fold up. The wing is treaded onto a mounting screw or bolt at the hinge. To use this toggle, a hole is first drilled into the drywall. The user then folds up the wing, threads it onto one end of the screw (or bolt) and then inserts the toggle (wing first) into the hole until the wing passes to the inside of the drywall wall. Once inside the wall, the spring biased wing unfolds, preventing it from being forced back out through the hole. This type of toggle enable the mounting screw (or bolt) to be very strongly anchored to the wall. Unfortunately, this type of toggle requires a fairly long mounting screw (or bolt). The longer the mounting bolt, the more awkward it is to use since a long portion of bolt will extend outside of the hole. Also, if the screw is removed from the wing by turning the screw, the wing falls into the wall and is lost. A new toggle will then have to be inserted into the wall.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a toggle fastener consisting of an elongated flexible tube having open opposite first and second ends. A pair of wings extend perpendicularly from the first end of the tube. A cylindrical member is mounted to the tube, the cylindrical member having an internal passage, the internal passage dimensioned to permit the cylinder to slide snugly over the tube.  
           [0005]    With the foregoing in view, and other advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, the invention is herein described by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, which includes a description of the preferred typical embodiment of the principles of the present invention.  
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1. is a perspective view of the present invention.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2. is a perspective view of the underside of the wing portion of the invention.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 3. is a perspective view of the present invention in its folded orientation being inserted into a wall.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 4. is a cross-sectional view of the present invention after being inserted into a wall.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 5. is a side view of the wing portion of an alternate embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 6. is a perspective view of the wind portion of an alternate embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 7. is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
       [0013]    In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]    Referring firstly to FIG. 1, the present toggle, shown generally as item  10 , consists of an elongated hollow straw (tube)  12 , a wing member  14  and a cylindrical washer-nut member  16 . Straw  12  is a hollow flexible plastic tube having opposite ends  18  and  20  and longitudinal axis  17 . Wing  14  is securely attached to end  18  of straw  12 . Wing  14  has an aperture  19  which is formed in the center of the wing. Aperture  19  is co-axial with axis  17  of straw  12 . Washer-nut  16  has a tubular nut portion  22  and a substantially flat washer portion  24 . Nut portion  22  has an internal passage  26  dimensioned to be slightly greater than the outside diameter of straw  12  such that the straw can be pressure fit into the passage. Washer-nut  16  is slipped onto straw  12  with nut portion  22  oriented towards wing  14 . Nut portion  22  has an outside diameter which is greater than the outside diameter of straw  12 .  
         [0015]    Referring now to FIG. 2, straw  12  is hollow and has an internal passage  31 . The inside diameter of passage  31  is dimensioned to permit a mounting screw (not shown) to pass through passage  31 . Wing  14  is made of a single piece of material and has hub  28  and arms  30  and  32 . Arms  30  and  32  have ends  61  and  33 , respectively. Wing  14  has a width  35  which is greater than the outside diameter of straw  12 . Wing  14  also has a length between ends  61  and  33  which is greater than the width. Arms  30  and  32  are curved to form concave surfaces  34  and  36  respectively. The inside diameters of concave surfaces  34  and  36  are slightly greater than the diameter of straw  12 . Concave surfaces  34  and  36  provide structural strength to wing  14 . Straw  12  is firmly attached to hub  28 . Aperture  19  passes through hub  28  such that central passage  31  of straw  12  and aperture  19  are continuous. Wing  14  is preferably made of a strong material such as metal or high strength plastic. End  18  of straw  12  is made flexible such that it can be easily bent without breaking. Preferably, straw  12  is made of a resilient yet strong plastic material. If wing  14  is to be made of metal, then straw  12  must then be mounted to hub  28  by means known generally in the art, such as bonding. It is also possible that wing  14  and straw  12  are formed as one continuous piece of injected plastic material.  
         [0016]    Referring now to FIG. 3, to use toggle  10 , a user first drills hole  38  in wall  40 . The diameter of hole  38  should be slightly greater than the diameter of wing  14 . Toggle  10  is then folded such that it will fit within hole  38 . To fold the toggle, end  18  of straw  12  is bent at an angle of approximately 90° such that arm  30  of wing  14  is drawn against straw  12  and the straw is located within concave surface  34 . Toggle  12  is then partially inserted into hole  38  by inserting the toggle starting with wing arm  32 . Since the diameter of hole  38  is greater than the diameter of wing  14 , the wing portion can be fully inserted into the hole. The toggle is further pushed into hole  38  such that nut portion  22  is inserted into the hole. The outside diameter of nut  22  is the same as the diameter of wing  14 , hence the nut portion of nut/washer  16  can be inserted into hole  38 . The washer portion  24  of nut-washer  16  has a greater diameter than hole  38 , so it cannot be inserted into the hole.  
         [0017]    It will be appreciated that since end  18  of straw  12  is made of a resilient material, wing  14  will be placed back into a perpendicular orientation relative to the straw when the wing is fully inserted through hole  38  and behind wall  40 . When wing  14  is located behind wall  40 , the user can then pull on portion  42  of straw  12  which is located past washer portion  24  in order to urge the wing and nut-washer  16  towards each other. The straw may then be trimmed off at portion  24 . When wing  14  is located behind wall  40  and nut-washer  16  is positioned in hole  38 , the toggle is then ready to receive mounting screw  44 . Screw  44  is inserted into straw  12  by passing screw tip  46  into passage  31  and feeding the screw all the way into the straw until tip  46  makes contact with wing  14 . It will be appreciated that screw  44  may be a wood screw or any other suitable screw or threaded machine bolt or screw. The very end of tip  46  will pass through aperture  19  of wing  14 . The screw may then be turned to thread onto wing  14 . The curved arms  30  and  32  provide resistence, allowing screw  44  to be tightened securely to wing  14 . Washer portion  24  is dimensioned to prevent screw head  48  from passing through passage  31 . Washer  24  also protects the surface of wall  40  from damage when screw  44  is driven into the toggle.  
         [0018]    Referring now to FIG. 4, when toggle  10  is positioned in wall  40 , wing  14  will be perpendicular to straw  12 . Since wing  14  is longer than it is wide, wing  14  cannot be pulled back through hole  38  when the wing is perpendicular to the straw. The user selects the diameter of hole  38  to be slightly greater than the width of wing  14 . Since the outside diameter of nut portion  22  is the same as the width of wing  14 , the nut portion will fit snugly into hole  38 . Nut portion  22  helps to support screw  44  and strengthens the portions of wall  40  adjacent hole  38 . Washer  24  not only prevents screw head  48  from passing into passage  31  of straw  12 , it also protects surface  52  of wall  40  from damage. Screw  44  can be tightly threaded onto wing  14  because the wing cannot be removed through hole  38  after it is returned to its perpendicular orientation. Since straw  12  still connects both wing  14  and nut-washer  16 , screw  44  may be unscrewed from wing  14  and then removed from the toggle without the wing falling. This permits the toggle to be reused after it has been inserted into the wall. The inside surface of nut portion  22  has barb portions  60 . Barb portions  60  help to keep straw  12  from accidentally sliding out of the nut portion. In addition, straw  12  is pressure fit within the nut portion to prevent the straw from accidentally sliding out.  
         [0019]    The wing portion of the present invention may be modified to make the toggle easier to assemble and easier to use. Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, an alternate embodiment of the present invention, shown generally as item  100 , consists of a modified wing  112  and a straw  114 . Wing  112  has sharp projecting spikes (fingers)  116  which are located on the ends of the wing and which are oriented back towards straw  114 . Spikes  116  are sharp and will permit the wing to bite into the surface of the wall board or other material the toggle is to be used with. Spikes  116  help prevent wing  112  from turning as the screw or fastener is inserted into straw  114 . Wing  112  also has a central protrusion  118  which is dimensioned to pressure fit in end  120  of straw  114 . Protrusion  118  makes mounting wing  112  to straw  114  relatively simple. A drop of glue (not shown) may be applied to protrusion  118  to maintain a tight bond between the protrusion and end  120  of straw  114 . Alternatively, straw  114  may be made of a heat shrinkable material and end  120  of the straw could be heat shrunk onto protrusion  118 . Several methods of heat shrinking are currently available, including heat guns and the like. Protrusion  118  is also internally threaded to better allow the screw or nut to be more easily received.  
         [0020]    Referring now to FIG. 7, an alternate embodiment of the present invention is shown generally as item  200  and comprises and elongated straw  202  mounted to wing  204  having opposite ends  206  and  208 . As in the previous embodiments, washer nut  210  is mounted onto straw  202 . Washer nut  210  has nut portion  214  and washer portion  212 . Locking portion  216  is mounted to washer portion  212  of washer nut  210  by flexible bridge  220 . Locking portion  216  is a short hollow tube having tapered end  217 . End  217  has an outside cross sectional diameter slightly smaller than the inside cross sectional diameter of straw  202 . Locking portion  216  has an internal passage  219  having an inside diameter sufficient to receive screw/bolt  222 . Locking portion  216  is tapered such that end  215  is slightly wider than end  217 . Preferably, end  215  is slightly wider than the internal cross sectional diameter of straw  202 . Preferably washer nut  110  is one piece construction made of injection molded plastic. Straw  202  has elongated cut out groove  218  extending from tip  226  to point  228  located about two or more centimeters from wing  204 .  
         [0021]    The present embodiment works substantially the same way as the previous embodiments. The wall to be tapped (not shown) is drilled to form a hole (not shown) and then wing  204  is passed through the drilled hole to the other side of the wall and allowed to spring back into shape. After wing  204  of toggle  200  is positioned behind the wall (not shown) nut portion  214  is inserted into the hole. Locking portion  216  is then grasped and end  217  is inserted into slot  218 . Bridge portion  220  is sufficiently long and flexible to permit the locking portion to be so manipulated. End  217  is then inserted through straw  202  and into washer nut  210 . Locking portion  216  is then forced further into washer nut  210  thereby trapping a portion of straw  202  between the washer nut and the locking portion. In this way, the straw is locked into place such that the washer nut cannot move relative to the straw. The excess straw may then be trimmed and screw/bolt  222  may be inserted into the washer nut by passing through passage  219 .