EP-4739925-A1 - A FIXING DEVICE

Abstract

A fixing device (301) is disclosed which consists of an anchor assembly which comprises an integral anchor body (302), a retainable body (304), and a retention arm (303) in which there is an integral hinge like point (314) of articulation between anchor body and the retention arm. The anchor assembly may be used with an elastic coupling to form the fixing, which may be used in a single-handed operation to provide a plasterboard fixing for a load. The anchor assembly may have a point of articulation with an integral section of resilient material acing as a resilient spring section. The fixing is easily removed and reused and is able to carry exceptionally high loads.

Inventors

• HANRATTY, Christopher John

Assignees

• Exefix Limited

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20240708

Claims (20)

1. 1. A fixing device comprising: a) an anchor assembly which comprises an anchor body, a retainable body and a retention arm, the anchor body being connected to the retainable body via the retention arm.
2. 2. A fixing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device comprises a point of articulation of the anchor body relative to the retention arm.
3. 3. A fixing device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the anchor body is connected to the retention arm at the point of articulation.
4. 4. A fixing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retention arm connects the anchor body directly or indirectly to the retainable body.
5. 5. A fixing device as claimed on claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the point of articulation is a hinge.
6. 6. A fixing device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the hinge is an integral living hinge between the anchor body and retention arm.
7. 7. A fixing device as claimed on claim 2, wherein the point of articulation comprises a section of integral resilient material acting as a resilient spring section. A fixing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retainable body comprises an external sloping surface.
8. 8. A fixing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a hollow section is defined between the retainable body and the retention arm.
9. 9. A fixing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retainable body comprise an internal sloping surface.
10. 10. A fixing device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the internal sloping surface is within a hollow section defined between the retainable body and the retention arm retainable body.
11. 11. A fixing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retention arm comprises one or more notches.
12. 12. A fixing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anchor body comprises an elongated notch in its lower flange.
13. 13. A fixing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anchor body comprises two arcuate flanges attached to each other via an arcuate wall.
14. 14. A fixing device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the arcuate flanges have different radii.
15. 15. A fixing device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the arcuate flanges have the same radii.
16. 16. A fixing device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the top arcuate flange is narrower than bottom flange.
17. 17. A fixing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anchor body and retention arm have at least one co-planer surface.
18. 18. An anchor body comprising at least one aperture with vertically aligned undulations or spines on its internal surface.
19. 19. An anchor body comprising a wall and flange arrangement with end contact portions that together define at least one indentation on at least one side of the anchor body.
20. 20. A fixing kit comprising one or more anchor assemblies, one or more elastic couplings and optionally one or more attachment means.

Description

A FIXING DEVICE FIELD OF INVENTION [0001] This invention relates to a fixing device. More particularly the present invention relates to a fixing device for providing an anchor point on cavity walls, dry walls and ceilings to enable loads to be affixed thereto. BACKGROUND ART [0002] It is common practice in the building trade to construct walls and ceilings by attaching plasterboard panels or drywall panels or panels made of other materials to stud based or joist-based frameworks. When structures are attached to such walls or ceilings, they may be secured by fixings that pass through the panels and into the stud or joist framework. However, if it is desired to locate the structure at a different location on the panels, which is located away from load supporting studs or joists this is typically achieved by the use of mounting systems that are attached only to the panel and it is the panel alone which takes the load of the structure supported by the mounting system. There are a number of challenges associated with these mounting systems. One challenge is that they must be secured to the panels in such a fashion to minimise damage to the panel for aesthetic reasons; typically, this may mean use of as small a hole as possible in the panel for the mounting system. A further challenge is that they need to be able to take as large a load, both lateral and perpendicular, as possible without damaging the panel during use through failure of the panel (i.e., by the mounting system pulling through and damaging the panel under load). Generally, these challenges have been addressed by providing mountings that may, in part, be passed through a hole in the panel to form a weight bearing brace on the cavity side of the panel, which is secured in position by a part of the mounting system that is not passed through the hole in the panel but is retained on or at the surface of the panel. It has and continues to be a major technical challenge to provide mounting systems that can carry high loads with minimal damage to panel wall and ceiling systems and which are easy to use. It has also been a challenge to provide mounting systems that may be easily removed and replaced or reused with minimal damage to panels. [0003] Various mounting systems have been proposed in the art. One such mounting system is described in WO2016177993A1; this system uses a complex multiple chord arrangement and mechanism to try and retain and align an anchor body, once passed through a hole in the panel, with a retainable body. During assembly it is not uncommon for the anchor body to become detached and lost within the cavity rendering the mounting useless. Furthermore, this mounting system is very difficult to remove and replace. It typically fails at tensile loads of approximately 70 Kg. A further mounting system is described in US2016341233A1; this system uses a complex folding system in an attempt to provide a large surface area for the brace member component of the fixing. In various conceptual embodiments springs and/or elastic wires are used to align components of the system, which has flat brace members. Apart from a high level of complexity during use the strength of this mounting system is low. A further mounting system is described in US11473604B2; this system uses a sleeve and anchor that are secured to each other via means of an elastic member that has a circular coupling portion for securing the sleeve centrally to the anchor. This arrangement is difficult to mount through a hole in a panel. The size of the anchor is also limited, and the system has low load capacity. [0004] There is a continuing need for mounting systems that are easy to use, can accommodate high loads, are easy to remove/replace during use and low cost to manufacture. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [0005] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a fixing device according to claim 1, for securing into a hole in a board and providing an anchor point for affixing a load to the front surface of a board, the fixing device comprising: an anchor assembly which comprises an anchor body, a retainable body and a retention arm. [0006] The anchor body is configured to pass through the hole in a board and to contact the rear surface of the board in order to brace the fixing device in position during use. [0007] The retainable body is configured to be retained within a hole in the board and preferably configured to partly abut the front surface of the board. [0008] The retention arm may be configured to connect the anchor body either directly or indirectly to the retainable body. Indirect connection is understood to be an arrangement where the retention arm requires a mechanical means of fixing the arm to the anchor body e.g. by means of an additional separately attached mechanical hinge or spring. Directly connected means that the retention arm and anchor body are integral to each other as in, for example, being formed from the same piece of material or are hinged