U.S. patent application number 09/769991 was filed with the patent office on 2003-02-20 for system for mounting an object to a support.
Invention is credited to Rimback, Peter D., Vidmar, James F..
Application Number | 20030035683 09/769991 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 24441176 |
Filed Date | 2003-02-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030035683 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Vidmar, James F. ; et
al. |
February 20, 2003 |
SYSTEM FOR MOUNTING AN OBJECT TO A SUPPORT
Abstract
A system and method for mounting an object to a support utilizes
a push-pin that is adapted to be pushed or screwed into the support
(such as a wall), without necessitating the use of hammers,
screwdrivers, drills, etc. The push-pin has a novel head that
includes resilient "grippers" for providing a friction fit within a
hole or channel of the object (such as a shelf) to be mounted to
the support. In an exemplary embodiment, the grippers are a
plurality of resilient annular rings sized to be slightly larger in
diameter than the dimension of the mating hole or channel so that
when the mating hole or channel of the object engages with the
larger diameter rings, the rings are deformed slightly upon
entering the hole or channel, thereby, providing a friction fit
between the head of the pin and the object to be mounted to the
support.
Inventors: |
Vidmar, James F.;
(Willoughby, OH) ; Rimback, Peter D.; (S. Euclid,
OH) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Thompson Hine & Flory LLP
Attention: Theodore D. Lienesch
2000 Courthouse Plaza N.E.
P.O. Box 8801
Dayton
OH
45401-8801
US
|
Family ID: |
24441176 |
Appl. No.: |
09/769991 |
Filed: |
January 25, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09769991 |
Jan 25, 2001 |
|
|
|
09609528 |
Jul 3, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
403/188 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 403/4949 20150115;
Y10T 403/4941 20150115; F16B 21/084 20130101; F16B 35/06
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
403/188 |
International
Class: |
F16B 009/00; F16B
007/08; F16L 041/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A system for mounting an object to a support comprising: an
object having a substantially flat surface and one of a hole or a
channel extending to the substantially flat surface, the hole or
channel having upper and lower inner surfaces and a vertical
distance between the upper and lower vertical surfaces; and at
least one fastener, the fastener including, a head having a
resilient projection extending therefrom, the projection providing
the head with a vertical width that is slightly greater than the
vertical distance between the upper and lower vertical surfaces of
the hole or channel extending into the substantially flat surface
of the object, and a shaft rigidly affixed to and extending from
the head, the shaft being adapted to extend into a support and
securely attach the head to the support; whereby, the object is
mounted to the support by extending the shaft of the fastener into
the support, thereby securely attaching the head to the support,
and by pressing the hole or channel extending into the
substantially flat surface of the object against the head of the
fastener so that the resilient projection deforms to allow the head
to pass into the hole or channel and providing a friction fit
between the head and the hole or channel.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the shaft is a pointed shaft.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the shaft is a threaded
shaft.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the projection is an annular
projection.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the head includes a plurality of
the annular projections distributed axially along the head.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the head includes at least two
projections, a first one of the projections extending vertically
upwardly and a second one of the projections extending vertically
downwardly.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first and second projections
are axially aligned to provide a projection pair.
8. The system of claim 7, wherein the head includes a plurality of
the projection pairs distributed axially along the head.
9. The system of claim 1, comprising a plurality of the
fasteners.
10. The system of claim 9, wherein the object includes a channel
that is at least partially horizontal, extending into the
substantially flat surface, wherein the plurality of fasteners are
adapted to be distributed along the channel.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the object is a shelf.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein the shelf includes at least one
bracket extending downward from a lower surface thereof, adapted to
abut against the support and to prevent the shelf from pivoting
downward on the fasteners when the fasteners are secured to the
support and the heads of the fasteners are received within the
channel of the shelf.
13. The system of claim 1, wherein the head includes at least one
indentation positioned axially between the projection and an end of
the head from which the shaft extends, the indentation providing an
ergonomic gripping element to facilitate a user gripping the
fastener and manually inserting the shaft of the fastener into the
support.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the head is substantially
cylindrical, the projection is an annular projection and the
indentation is an annular indentation.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein the head includes a plurality
of the annular projections distributed axially between the annular
indentation and an end of the head opposite from which the shaft
extends.
16. The system of claim 15, wherein the head is formed from a
resilient material that is molded onto the shaft.
17. A fastener for mounting an object to a support comprising a
head rigidly affixed to a longitudinal end of a shaft, the head
including a resilient projection extending therefrom.
18. The fastener of claim 17, wherein the shaft is pointed.
19. The fastener of claim 18, wherein the projection is an annular
projection.
20. The fastener of claim 19, wherein the head includes a plurality
of the annular projections distributed axially along a portion of
the head.
21. The fastener of claim 20, wherein the shaft is threaded.
22. The fastener of claim 17, wherein the head includes at least
two projections, a first one of the projections extending
vertically upwardly and a second one of the projections extending
vertically downwardly.
23. The fastener of claim 22, wherein the first and second
projections are axially aligned to provide a projection pair.
24. The fastener of claim 23, wherein the head includes a plurality
of the projection pairs distributed axially along a portion of the
head.
25. The fastener of claim 24, wherein the shaft is threaded.
26. The fastener of claim 17, wherein the head includes at least
one indentation positioned axially between the projection and an
end of the head approximate the longitudinal end of the shaft, the
indentation providing an ergonomic gripping element to facilitate a
user gripping the fastener and manually inserting the shaft of the
fastener into a support.
27. The fastener of claim 26, wherein the head is substantially
cylindrical, the projection is an annular projection and the
indentation is an annular indentation.
28. The fastener of claim 27, wherein the head includes a plurality
of the annular projections distributed axially between the annular
indentation and the end of the head approximate the longitudinal
end of the shaft.
29. The fastener of claim 28, wherein the head is formed from a
resilient material that is molded onto the shaft.
30. A fastener for mounting an object to a support comprising: a
rigid shaft having a pointed leading end; and a substantially
cylindrical head of resilient material molded onto a trailing end
of the shaft, the head including an annular indentation approximate
a leading end of the head and a plurality of projections extending
generally circumferentially thereabout and distributed generally
uniformly along a portion of the head extending axially between the
annular indentation and a trailing end of the head.
31. A fastener for mounting an object to a support comprising: a
rigid shaft having a pointed leading end; and a head of resilient
material molded onto a trailing end of the shaft, the head having
an upper surface and a lower surface and including a pair of
indentations extending respectively into the upper and lower
surfaces, approximate a leading end of the head, and including a
first plurality of projections extending from the upper surface of
the head and distributed generally uniformly along a portion of the
head extending longitudinally between the indentations and a
trailing end of the head, and including a second plurality of
projections extending from the lower surface of the head and
distributed generally uniformly along a portion of the head
extending longitudinally between the indentations and a trailing
end of the head.
32. A method for mounting an object to a support comprising the
steps of: providing one of a hole and a channel in a substantially
flat surface of the object, the hole or channel having upper and
lower inner surfaces and a vertical distance between the upper and
lower surfaces; providing at least one fastener including a head
affixed onto a longitudinal end of a narrow shaft, the head having
a resilient projection extending therefrom, the projection
providing the head with a vertical width that is slightly greater
than the vertical distance between the upper and lower vertical
surfaces of the hole or channel extending into the substantially
flat surface of the object; securely attaching the head to a
support by penetrating the shaft into the support; pressing the
hole or channel extending into the substantially flat surface of
the object against the head of the fastener so that the resilient
projection deforms to allow the head to pass into the hole or
channel, providing a friction fit between the head and the hole or
channel.
33. The method of claim 32, wherein the shaft is a threaded shaft
and the penetrating step includes a step of turning the threaded
shaft.
34. The method of claim 32, wherein the object is provided with a
channel in the substantially flat surface, the channel being at
least partially horizontal, and the method includes the steps of:
providing a plurality of the fasteners; securely attaching the
heads of the fasteners to the support; and pressing the channel
extending into the substantially flat surface of the object against
the plurality of heads of the fasteners so that their resilient
projections deform to allow the heads to pass into the channel,
providing a friction fit between the plurality of heads and the
channel.
35. The method of claim 34, wherein the object is a shelf.
36. The method of claim 32, wherein the head include a plurality of
the projections distributed axially along a portion of the
head.
37. The method of claim 36, wherein the projections are annular
projections.
38. A system for mounting a planar shelf to a vertical wall
comprising: an planar shelf having a substantially flat edge
surface and a substantially horizontal channel extending to the
substantially flat edge surface, the channel having upper and lower
inner surfaces and a vertical distance between the upper and lower
vertical surfaces; and a plurality of fasteners, the fasteners
including, a head having a resilient projection extending
therefrom, the projection providing the head with a vertical width
that is slightly greater than the vertical distance between the
upper and lower vertical surfaces of the channel extending into the
substantially flat edge surface of the planar shelf, and a shaft
rigidly affixed to and extending from the head, the shaft being
adapted to extend into a vertical support and securely attach the
head to the vertical wall; whereby, the planar shelf is mounted to
the vertical wall by penetrating the shaft of each fastener into
the vertical wall to securely attach the head to the vertical wall,
distributing the fasteners substantially horizontally along the
vertical wall, and by pressing the hole or channel extending into
the substantially flat edge surface of the planar shelf against the
head of each fastener so that the resilient projections deform to
allow the heads to pass into the substantially horizontal channel
and providing a friction fit between the heads and the channel.
39. The system of claim 38, wherein the shaft is a threaded and
pointed shaft.
40. The system of claim 38, wherein the projection is an annular
projection.
41. The system of claim 40, wherein each head includes a plurality
of the annular projections distributed axially along a portion of
the head.
42. The system of claim 38, wherein each head includes at least two
projections, a first one of the projections extending vertically
upwardly and a second one of the projections extending vertically
downwardly.
43. The system of claim 42, wherein the first and second
projections are axially aligned to provide a projection pair.
44. The system of claim 43, wherein the head includes a plurality
of the projection pairs distributed axially along a portion of the
head.
45. The system of claim 38, wherein the planar shelf includes at
least one bracket extending downward from a lower surface thereof,
adapted to abut against the vertical wall and to prevent the planar
shelf from pivoting downward on the fasteners when the fasteners
are secured to the vertical wall and the heads of the fasteners are
received within the channel of the planar shelf.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a continuation-in-part
application from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/609,528, filed
Jul. 3, 2000.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present invention is directed to a system for mounting
an object (such as a shelf) to a support (such as a wall); and more
particularly, to such a mounting system that allows the object to
be mounted to the support, by hand, without necessitating the use
of any tools, such as hammers, screwdrivers, drills, etc.
SUMMARY
[0003] The system of the present invention utilizes an improved
push-pin that is adapted to be pushed or screwed into a support
(such as a wall), without necessitating the use of hammers,
screwdrivers, drills, etc. The improved push-pin includes a novel
head that includes resilient projections or "grippers" for
providing a friction fit within a hole or channel of the object
(such as a shelf) to be mounted to the support. In an exemplary
embodiment, the grippers are a plurality of resilient annular rings
sized to be slightly larger in diameter than the dimension of the
mating hole or channel so that when the mating hole or channel of
the object engages with the larger diameter rings, the rings are
deformed slightly upon entering the hole or channel, thereby,
providing a friction fit between the head of the pin and the object
to be mounted to the support.
[0004] Preferably, the resilient "gripper" head of the push-pin is
injection molded over the threaded shaft to provide a singular
device, where the "gripper" head and push pin are fixedly coupled
together. The push-pin of the present invention, therefore,
combines the substantially permanent mounting capabilities of a
screw or nail with the removable friction-fit mounting capabilities
of the "gripper" head in such a singular device.
[0005] In addition, the resilient material of the "gripper" head
combined with its ergonomic shape uniquely enables the push-pin of
the present invention to be mounted to the vertical support (wall)
by hand, without the use of tools. The ergonomic shape includes an
indentation between the annular "gripper" rings and the shaft,
allowing a user to comfortably and securely grip the "gripper" head
by placing his or her thumb and index finger in the indentation.
The grip also facilitates increased stability while the push-pin is
being thrust into the support.
[0006] Of course, while the exemplary embodiment of the push pin
has a substantially cylindrical head, it is within the scope of the
invention that the head of the push pin could have an alternate
shape, such as a rectangular shape. With this alternative shape,
gripper projections will extend from the upper and lower vertical
surfaces of the head to engage with the upper and lower walls of
the mating hole or channel of the object.
[0007] It is thereby an aspect of the invention to provide a system
for mounting an object to a support that comprises: (a) an object
having a substantially flat surface and a hole or a channel
extending into the substantially flat surface, where the hole or
channel has upper and lower inner surfaces and a vertical distance
between the upper and lower surfaces; and (b) at least one
fastener. The fastener includes: (1) a head having a resilient
projection extending therefrom, where the projection provides the
head with a vertical width that is slightly greater than the
vertical distance between the upper and lower vertical surfaces of
the hole or channel extending into the substantially flat surface
of the object, and (2) a shaft rigidly affixed to, and extending
from the head, which is adapted to penetrate the support and
securely attach the head to the support. Therefore, the object is
mounted to the support by driving the shaft of the fastener into
the support, so that the head is securely attached to the support,
and by pressing the hole or channel extending into the
substantially flat surface of the object against the exposed head
of the fastener so that the resilient projection deforms to allow
the head to pass into the hole or channel, providing a friction fit
between the head and the hole or channel.
[0008] The shaft is preferably pointed and threaded so that the
fastener can be either pushed or screwed by hand into the support
by a user, preferably using his or her thumb and index finger. In
one embodiment, the projection is an annular projection and the
head includes a plurality of the annular projections distributed
axially therealong. In another embodiment, the head includes at
least two projections, a first one of the projections extending
vertically upwardly and the second one of the projections extending
vertically downwardly, providing a projection pair, where the head
includes a plurality of the projection pairs distributed axially
therealong.
[0009] It is also preferred that the system includes a plurality of
the fasteners and the object includes a channel that is at least
partially horizontal, extending into the substantially flat surface
of the object, where the plurality of fasteners are adapted to be
distributed along the channel.
[0010] It is another aspect of the present invention to provide a
fastener for mounting an object (such as a shelf) to a support
(such as a wall) that comprises a head rigidly affixed to a shaft,
where the head includes a resilient projection extending therefrom.
Preferably, the shaft is metal, pointed and threaded so that it can
be driven into the support by a user applying pressure to the head
by using his or her thumb and index finger. In a preferred
embodiment of the fastener, the projection is an annular projection
and the head includes a plurality of the annular projections
distributed axially therealong. In another embodiment, the head
includes at least two projections, first one of the projections
extending vertically upwardly and the second one of the projections
extending vertically downwardly, providing a projection pair, where
the head includes a plurality of the projection pairs distributed
axially along the head.
[0011] Yet another aspect of the present invention provides a
method for mounting an object (such as a shelf) to a support (such
as a wall) that comprises the steps of: (a) providing a hole or a
channel in a substantially flat surface of the object; (b)
providing at least one fastener including a head affixed onto a
longitudinal end of a narrow shaft, where the head includes a
resilient projection extending therefrom, and where the projection
provides the head with a vertical width that is slightly greater
than the vertical distance between the upper and lower vertical
surfaces of the hole or channel extending into the substantially
flat surface of the object; (c) securely attaching the head to a
support by penetrating the shaft into the support; and (d) pressing
the hole or channel extending into the substantially flat surface
of the object against the head of the fastener so that the
resilient projection deforms to allow the head to pass into the
hole or channel, providing a friction fit between the head and the
hole or channel. In one embodiment, the shaft is a threaded shaft
and the penetrating step includes a step of turning the threaded
shaft.
[0012] In another embodiment of the above method, the object is
provided with a channel in its substantially flat surface, where
the channel is at least partially horizontal. In this embodiment,
the method includes the steps of: (i) providing a plurality of the
fasteners; (ii) securely attaching the heads of the fasteners to
the support; and (iii) pressing the channel extending into the
substantially flat surface of the object against the plurality of
heads of the fasteners so that their resilient projections deform,
allowing the heads to pass into the channel and providing a
friction fit between the plurality of heads and the channel.
[0013] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a system and method for mounting an object (such as a
shelf) to a support (such as a wall) that does not require the use
of tools, such as hammers, screwdrivers, drills, etc. It is another
object of the present invention to provide an improved push pin
having a novel head which is adapted to mate with and provide an
interference fit with a hole or channel extending into an object
that is to be hung from or mounted to the push pin. Despite the
above-stated objects and advantages of the present invention, it is
to be understood that it is not necessary to meet any or all of the
stated advantages or objects of the present invention disclosed
herein in order to fall within the scope of any claims, since the
invention is defined by the claims and since inherent and/or
unforseen advantages of the present invention may exist even though
they may not be explicitly discussed herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 provides an elevational side view of the fastener
according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 illustrates a step of mounting an object to a
fastener, which is, in turn, mounted to a vertical support;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a corner shelf for use with the
fasteners according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the corner shelf, taken
along lines 4-4 of FIG. 3;
[0018] FIG. 5 is a side view of the corner shelf of FIG. 3;
[0019] FIG. 6 illustrates a step of mounting the corner shelf of
FIG. 3 to a plurality of the fasteners shown in FIG. 1, which are
in turn mounted to a pair of walls meeting at a corner;
[0020] FIG. 7 illustrates another type of shelf that could be used
with the fasteners of the preferred embodiment; and
[0021] FIG. 8 provides a perspective view of a fastener according
to an alternate embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, a fastener 10 according to a preferred
embodiment of the present invention includes a substantially
cylindrical head 12 and a shaft 14, coaxial with the substantially
cylindrical head 12, and extending from a longitudinal end of the
head 12. The head 12 is preferably formed from a resilient material
that is preferably injection molded over the shaft 14. Of course,
it is within the scope of the invention to securely affix the head
12 to the shaft 14 using other known expedients, such as adhesives
or mechanical couplings.
[0023] The shaft 14 preferably has a pointed end 16 and a helical
thread 18 provided thereon so that the fastener 10 can be threaded
into a vertical support. The head 12 preferably includes an
ergonomic gripping element in the form of an annular indentation 19
approximate the shaft, allowing a user to comfortably and securely
grip the head 12 by placing his or her thumb and index finger in
the indentation 19. The resilient material of the head 12 combined
with its ergonomic shape uniquely enables the fastener 10 of the
present invention to be gripped and driven into a vertical support
(wall) by hand, without the use of tools. The grip also facilitates
increased stability while the push-pin is being thrust into the
support. While the use of the threads 18 is not necessary, the
threads 18 will make it easier for the fastener 10 to be driven
into the vertical support by the user (manually twisting the
fastener) and will also provide additional surface area to retain
the fastener 10 in the vertical support once installed.
[0024] The head 12 also includes a substantially flat longitudinal
end surface 20 adapted to abut a flat surface of a wall or a
vertical support and includes a plurality of resilient, annular
projections 22 axially distributed therealong from the opposite
longitudinal end 24 of the head.
[0025] As shown in FIG. 2, once the fastener 10 has been driven
into a support 26 the annular projections 22 are provided to mount
an object 28 to the support 26. The object 28 includes a hole or
channel 30 extending into a substantially flat end surface 32
thereof, where the hole or channel 30 includes upper and lower
walls 34, 36 and where the distance between the upper and lower
walls 34, 36 is slightly less than the diameter of the projections
22 of the fastener such than when the hole or channel 30 of the
object 28 is pressed against the head 12 of the fastener, 10 as
shown by arrows A, the resilient projections 22 will deform
somewhat allowing the head 12 to be received within the hole or
channel 30. When the head 12 is received within the hole or channel
30, the resilient projections 22 provide a friction fit between the
head 12 and the walls 34, 36 of the hole or channel 30, thereby
facilitating in mounting the object 28 to the support 26. Referring
back to FIG. 1, the circumferential leading edges 37 of the annular
projections 22 are preferably tapered to facilitate easy insertion
of the head 12 into the hole or channel 30.
[0026] Because of the unique design of the head 12, the object 28
may be easily mounted to the support 26, without necessitating the
use of hand tools, such as hammers, screwdrivers, drills, etc. Of
course, one may use such hand tools and still fall within the scope
of the invention as defined herein. The friction fit between the
head 12 and the object 28 also facilitates removal of the object 28
from the support 26 without necessitating the use of any hand tools
since the friction fit provided by the head does not necessarily
"lock" the object 28 to the fastener 10. Referring again to FIG. 2,
the longitudinal end surface 20 of the fastener abutting the
support 26 assures uniform distance from the surface of support 26
to the opposite longitudinal end 24 of the fastener; and when the
flat longitudinal end surface 20 hits the flat surface of the
support 26 as the user is manually pushing the fastener into the
support, the user will be assured that the fastener is successfully
and securely installed.
[0027] In an exemplary embodiment of the fastener 10, the head 12
is molded from a resilient plastic material such as Nylon 66; the
diameters of the annular projections are approximately 12 mm; the
axial length of the head is approximately 12 mm; and the shaft 14
is heat treated #1022 carbon steel and extends approximately 15 mm
from the longitudinal end 20 of the head. Of course, those of
ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other suitable
materials and dimensions for the fastener may be used, while still
falling within the scope of the invention as defined herein. With
such an exemplary embodiment, a hole or channel 30 will be
approximately 15 mm deep and have a spacing of approximately 10 to
approximately 11 mm between the upper and lower walls 34, 36.
Again, other suitable dimensions will be recognized by those of
ordinary skill in the art, while still falling within the scope of
the invention defined herein.
[0028] As shown in FIGS. 3-5, an example object to be mounted to a
vertical support according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention is a corner shelf 38. The corner shelf 38 is a triangular
shaped, planar board having a pair of substantially flat side edges
40, 42 meeting at a 90.degree. angle. Milled within each of these
edges 40, 42 is a substantially rectangular (in cross-section)
channel 44, providing an upper wall 46 and a lower wall 48 within
the channel 44. The remaining edge 50 of the triangular board may
include beveled surfaces for decorative purposes.
[0029] As shown in FIG. 6, the corner shelf 38 may be mounted to a
corner formed by two adjoining walls 52, 54 according to the
following steps. First, a straight edge is held against a first one
of the walls 52 at a desired height and a light pencil line 56 is
drawn along the top of the straight edge. This step is repeated for
the other wall 54 to provide line 58. Next, at least two of the
fasteners 10 are driven into each wall 52, 54 along the pencil
lines 56, 58. Preferably, one of the fasteners should be two inches
out from the corner and the other should be 1 inch in from the end
of the corner shelf's mounting slot 44. The remaining step is to
push the corner shelf 38 against the exposed heads of the fasteners
10 as shown by arrow B in FIG. 6, such that the mounting slot 44 is
pressed against each of the exposed heads of the fasteners 10 and
such that the projections on each of the exposed heads of the
fasteners 10 deform to allow the heads to be received within the
slot 44, thereby providing a friction fit between the exposed heads
of the fasteners 10 and the slot 44. This friction fit securely
mounts the corner shelf 38 to the corner formed by the two walls,
52, 54.
[0030] The fasteners 10 provide a friction fit with the corner
shelf 38 to prevent the shelf from easily pulling away from the
walls, 52, 54, while also providing a load bearing capability, so
that the corner shelf 38 may bear a substantial surface load (the
shelf 38 of the exemplary embodiment is rated at 25 lbs.). It will
be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the use of
more fasteners 10 will allow the corner shelf 38 to bear an even
greater load. The annular projections 22 of the fasteners 10
provide a sufficient amount of axial surface area for the friction
fit between the fasteners 10 and the slot 44 where it is not
necessary for the angle between the two walls 52, 54 to be
absolutely square (one will realize that many corners in homes or
offices are not absolutely square when using the exemplary
embodiment).
[0031] As shown in FIG. 7, an alternate object for mounting to a
vertical support is a straight shelf 60 having a horizontal channel
62 milled into the substantially flat longitudinal end surface 64
of the shelf. This channel 62 is adapted to receive a plurality of
the fasteners 10 previously secured into a vertical support. The
fasteners 10 provide a friction fit within the channel 62, thereby
securely mounting the shelf 60 to the vertical support. In this
embodiment, the shelf also includes a pair of brackets 66 extending
downward from a lower surface 68 of the shelf, where the brackets
66 are adapted to abut the vertical support when the shelf is
mounted to the vertical support using the fasteners 10, thereby
preventing the shelf 60 from pivoting downward on the fasteners
10.
[0032] The above two shelves 38, 60 are merely examples of objects
that can be mounted to a vertical support using the fasteners 10.
It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the
fasteners of the present invention may also be used to mount other
types of objects to other types of supports (even horizontal
supports such as ceilings), while still falling within the scope of
the present invention. For example, the system of the present
invention may be obviously adapted to mount picture frames, towel
hooks, wall accessories, and decorations.
[0033] It is not necessary for the head of the fastener to be
cylindrical. As shown in FIG. 8, one alternate embodiment of the
fastener 68 includes a head 70 that is substantially rectangular in
cross-section and a threaded shaft 72 affixed to, and extending
from the geometric center of the rectangle. The head 70 includes a
plurality of rib projections 74 extending from an upper surface
thereof and another plurality of rib projections 76 extending from
a lower surface thereof (although it is within the scope of the
invention to provide only one of such projections extending from
either the upper or lower surface of the head). The vertical height
of the head 70 provided by the projections 74, 76 is slightly
greater than the vertical distance between the upper and lower
walls 34, 36 of the channel (FIG. 2), thereby providing a friction
fit when the channel 30 is pressed over the head 70 of the
fastener. This head 70 would provide more gripping area than the
head 12 of FIG. 1, but may make mounting of the object to the
support slightly more difficult since the head 70 would have to be
horizontally aligned with the channel extending into the object.
The head may include indentations (not shown in this embodiment)
respectively extending into the upper and lower surfaces of the
head that provide ergonimic gripping areas on the head 70 to
facilitate secure and comfortable gripping of the head 70 between a
user's thumb and index finger (each of which are maintained within
one of the indentations).
[0034] While the apparatuses and processes herein described in the
above description and summaries constitute exemplary embodiments of
the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is
not limited to these precise apparatuses and processes, and that
changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the
invention as defined by the claims. Additionally, it is to be
understood that the invention is defined by the claims and it is
not intended that any limitations or elements describing the
exemplary embodiments herein are to be incorporated into the
meaning of the claims unless such limitations or elements are
specifically listed in the claims.
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