Single component speeds flat pack fastening

. The Lock Fast, invented by Dafydd Evans, consists of three elements: a screw-in pin with a stubby padded head; a keyhole-shaped cut-out or tee shaped slot in panels; and a plastic moulded block to cover the hole. Seen at the British Inventions Show, Evans – a former civil engineer who now sells flat pack furniture – said: “My colleague and I thought there must be a simpler way of assembling it.” The pins are screwed or pressed into one panel while the keyhole shapes and slots, which are undercut, are machined in the panel to be attached. At first sight, it looks as if constructions might come loose, but by ingenious design of the overall construction – which becomes rigid when all parts are locked together – Evans was able to show how a piece of furniture could be assembled in a few seconds, taken apart again, then re-assembled with no loss of integrity. While the system has been developed purely for the assembly of chipboard panels, it could be equally applicable to the assembly of plastic parts. The development is protected by patent applications and is backed by the Wales Innovators Network, more information from www.win4wales.com and win@wales.gsi.gov.uk