BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a screw guard that is attached to a metal stud in order to prevent damage to wiring or plumbing running through the stud during the application of a sheet rock or other type of screw.

[0003] 2. Background of the Prior Art

[0004] Sheet rock is installed within a building by driving sheet rock screws or nails through the sheet rock into the studs to which the sheet rock is attached. This standard method assures a solid attachment between the sheet rock and the studs of the wall. One of the problems with this sheet rock attachment method is the possibility that the sheet rock screws or nails can pierce or otherwise penetrate wiring (including electrical wiring, telephone wiring, and cable) as well as plumbing that runs through the studs. As the wiring systems and plumbing systems are not checked for appropriate functionality until long after the installation of the sheet rock as well as the application of drywall or plaster and possibility paint, a piercing of the particular system can prove to be a costly mistake to fix.

[0005] In order to guard against wiring and plumbing compromise, various devices have been proposed that prevent such systems from being pierced or otherwise penetrated by sheet rock screws or nails. However, the prior art devices are either unduly complex in design or construction or are relatively difficult in design and are time-consuming to install, making the use of such devices less desirable relative to the gamble taken by many of avoiding the piercing of wiring or plumbing. Still other devices, while relatively simple, do not offer sufficient protect for stud embedded wiring or plumbing from modern air powered screw guns and nail guns, which guns, by the sheer force with which they drive the screw or nail into the sheet rock and the stud, tend to defeat the protection offered by such prior art devices.

[0006] Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a screw guard that attaches to a stud and protects wiring and plumbing that runs through the stud from damage that may be caused by sheet rock screws and nails as well as other types of screws and nails and other protrusions that pass through the sheet rock and embed within a stud. Such a device must be of relatively simple design and construction and must be relatively easy to install. Such a device must afford protection to the wiring and plumbing even from screws and nails that are driven by modern high-powered air guns.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The screw guard for metal studs of the present invention addresses the aforementioned needs in the art. The screw guard provides a device that is easily installable onto a stud, specifically but not limited to a metal stud, and provides protection to wiring and plumbing running through the stud from being pierced or otherwise penetrated by a sheet rock screw or nail or other type of screw or nail or other penetrating device. The screw guard is of relatively simple design and construction and provides protection against screws and nails that are driven into the sheet rock by modern high-powered air guns.

[0008] The screw guard for metal studs of the present invention is comprised of a generally flat stainless steel plate member that has a front surface and a back surface. An adhesive layer is attached to the back surface of the plate member, the adhesive layer being of any appropriate adhesive compound that has a relatively high peel strength and removability time. The plate member is positioned onto the stud with the back surface facing the stud and the plate member is affixed to the stud such that the adhesive layer fixedly attaches the plate member to the stud and holds the plate member thereto. The plate member is made from at least 18 gauge stainless steel. An opening passes between the front surface and the back surface for receiving a screw through the opening and into the stud for additional securement of the plate member to the stud. The stud may, but need not be, be a metal stud. The plate member has a length and a width such that the length is greater than the width and the width is about 1.5 inches and the length is dimensioned so as to cover the appropriate fixtures passing through the stud (wiring, in or not within a conduit, plumbing, or both).