U.S. patent application number 11/347929 was filed with the patent office on 2006-09-28 for vertically adjustable picture and mirror wall hanger device.
Invention is credited to Henry de Keratry.
Application Number | 20060214080 11/347929 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37034274 |
Filed Date | 2006-09-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060214080 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
de Keratry; Henry |
September 28, 2006 |
Vertically adjustable picture and mirror wall hanger device
Abstract
An article such as a picture or mirror is hung on a wall with a
pair of spaced apart hanging devices. Each hanger device includes a
housing which is affixed to a wall, an adjustable knob, and a
threaded shaft so that the knob may be tightened or loosened
relative to the housing. An article support wire may be placed
between the rear of the knob and the housing in order to hang the
article. Typically, the bracket is mounted to a wall with the knob
approximately in the center of the channel, and then the knob may
be adjusted up or down in order to change the position of the
hanged article. The article may be simply aligned as desired by the
adjustment of either or both of the two vertical knobs.
Inventors: |
de Keratry; Henry; (Cedar
Park, TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Rick B. Yeager
10805 Mellow Lane
Austin
TX
78759
US
|
Family ID: |
37034274 |
Appl. No.: |
11/347929 |
Filed: |
February 6, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60650415 |
Feb 4, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
248/495 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 1/202 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
248/495 |
International
Class: |
A47G 1/24 20060101
A47G001/24 |
Claims
1. An article hanger device for hanging the article on a wall, the
device comprising a housing comprising a slide channel, an inside
surface which faces the wall when the device is installed on the
wall, and an outside surface which faces the article when the
device is installed on the wall; a hanger support comprising a
height-adjustable knob which may slide along the outside surface of
the housing, and a shaft having a first end affixed to the knob, a
middle section which may slide in the slide channel of the housing,
and a second threaded end; and a slider keeper such that the second
threaded end of the shaft may be threaded into the slider keeper,
thereby tightening the height-adjustable knob against the
housing.
2. The hanger device of claim 1 wherein the housing further
comprises at least one pair of holes for attaching the housing to
the wall with screws or nails.
3. The hanger device of claim 2 wherein the pair of holes is
provided at an angle of about 45 degrees with respect to the
housing.
4. The hanger device of claim 2 wherein a first pair of holes is
provided at an angle of about 45 degrees with respect to the
housing; and a second pair of holes is provided.
5. The hanger device of claim 1 wherein the housing further
comprises a ruled index to facilitate fine adjustments of the
height of the knob.
6. The hanger device of claim 1 wherein the housing further
comprises an upper projection on the inside surface; and a lower
projection on the inside surface, such that the upper projection
and the lower projection are thicker than the slider keeper.
7. The hanger device of claim 1 wherein the slider keeper further
comprises a keeper housing, and a nut embedded in the keeper
housing.
8. The hanger device of claim 1 wherein the housing and knob are
metal.
9. The hanger device of claim 1 wherein the housing and knob are
plastic.
10. A method for hanging an article on a wall, the method
comprising providing a first and a second article hanger device for
hanging the article on a wall, each device comprising a housing
comprising a slide channel, an inside surface which faces the wall
when the device is installed on the wall, and an outside surface
which faces the article when the device is installed on the wall; a
hanger support comprising a height-adjustable knob which may slide
along the outside surface of the housing, and a shaft having a
first end affixed to the knob, a middle section which may slide in
the slide channel of the housing, and a second threaded end; and a
slider keeper such that the second threaded end of the shaft may be
threaded into the slider keeper, thereby tightening the
height-adjustable knob against the housing; attaching the first
article hanger on the wall so that the height-adjustable knob is
located approximately midway with respect to the slide channel;
attaching the second article hanger on the wall so that the
height-adjustable knob is located approximately midway with respect
to the slide channel; and hanging the article on the first article
hanger and the second article hanger.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising observing the level
and orientation of the article; removing the article; adjusting the
vertical position of a height-adjustable knob for at least one of
the first article hanger and second article hanger; and hanging the
article on the first article hanger and the second article
hanger.
12. The method of claim 10 wherein hanging the article on the first
article hanger and the second article hanger further comprises
attaching a support wire to the article; and positioning a portion
of the wire between the housing and knob of the first article
hanger, and between the housing and knob of the second article
hanger.
Description
[0001] This patent application is related to Provisional Patent
Application No. 60/650,415 filed Feb. 4, 2005, and claims the
benefit of that filing date.
BACKGROUND
[0002] There is a need for a simple article-hanging device and
system which permits the hanging of an article in it an approximate
desired location on a wall, and which permits a fine adjustment of
the position of the article.
[0003] U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,411 to Murphy describes a picture hanger
which includes a two-piece, adjustable horizontal bar which is
secured by a screw assembly and two vertical bars. The assembly is
set to a desired size and attached to a wall so that it can support
two picture hanger brackets with screws which are attached to the
vertical bars.
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,507 to Rushing describes a wall stud
mounted base plate which supports an elongated picture hanging rod.
The rod is rotatably and longitudinally adjustable so that the rod
supports a wire at a single wire support location.
[0005] U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,507 to Rynearson describes an adjustable
hanger which includes a vertically adjustable sliding member which
is adjustable by a threaded bolt for tightening the picture wire
and adjusting the height of the picture hanger relative to the
hanger.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,625 to Orser describes an adjustable
bracket for a saw tooth picture hanger which includes a base
element which may be attached to a wall, and an adjustable element
having a ledge for supporting the hanger.
[0007] There is a need for a simple method of hanging an article by
attaching one or more vertically-adjustable hanger devices to a
support surface; hanging an article on the hanger device; observing
the position of the article; and adjusting the height of the hanger
device in order to adjust the height of the article.
SUMMARY
[0008] In one embodiment, a metal or plastic article hanger device
allows a user to hang various sized articles such as pictures or
mirrors on a wall, and to have the ability to adjust the height of
the picture or mirror. The hanger device includes a housing which
is affixed to a wall, an adjustable knob, and a threaded shaft so
that the knob may be tightened or loosened relative to the housing.
An article support wire may be placed between the rear of the knob
and the housing in order to hang the article. The height of the
knob may be adjusted by loosening the knob; raising or lowering the
knob to a desired position; and tightening the knob at its desired
position.
[0009] In the current invention, a vertically-adjustable wire
hanger is installed in an approximate desired location, the article
is hung on the wire hanger knob, and the position of the article is
observed. If necessary, the height of the hanger knob can be
adjusted so that the position of the article is changed. In one
embodiment, the hanger comprises a housing bracket which includes
screw and nailing holes to secure the bracket to a wall; a knob on
a threaded shaft which may be loosened or tightened relative to the
bracket, such that there is a gap between the knob and the housing
for receiving the hanging wire; a nut for receiving a threaded bolt
projection from the knob; and a vertical channel such that the
position of the nut and knob may be adjusted relative to the
housing. Typically, the bracket is mounted to a wall with the knob
approximately in the center of the channel, and then the knob may
be adjusted up or down in order to change the position of the
hanged article.
[0010] In another embodiment, a pair of hanger devices are used to
level an article such as a picture or mirror by placing one hanger
device on each side of the article. The leveling may be
accomplished by raising or lowering the adjustable knob on one or
both devices. The pair of wire hanger supports are installed on a
wall in a spread-apart manner. A wire-hung article, such as a
painting or mirror, is then supported by the wire hanger supports
so that the wire is hung over each of the supports. The supports
are independently vertically adjustable with respect to the wall.
In this example, the article is hung on the wall with the pair of
adjustable hangers, and then the article is observed to determine a
desired horizontal, vertical, and tilt correction.
[0011] An unexpected result of this embodiment of the current
invention is that an article, such as a picture, may be simply
aligned as desired by the adjustment of the two vertical knobs. A
horizontal offset may also be compensated by placing the corner of
the article slightly to the right or to the left to compensate for
the horizontal offset. Therefore, it is not necessary in the case
of a wire supported device to have an independent horizontal
adjustment on the wall hanger. A tilt of the article can be
compensated by moving one vertical support and leaving the other
support fixed. A vertical offset may be compensated by adjusting
both of the hangers by the same amount.
DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
[0012] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a single hanger device.
[0013] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a single assembled hanger
device.
[0014] FIG. 2B is a perspective view of a single assembled hanger
device.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a side view of a single hanger device.
[0016] FIG. 4 is a detailed illustration of the components of a
hanger device for relatively small articles.
[0017] FIG. 5A is a top perspective view of a plastic hanger
device.
[0018] FIG. 5B is a side view of the plastic hanger device of FIG.
5A.
[0019] FIG. 5C is an exploded top view of the plastic hanger device
of FIG. 5A.
[0020] FIG. 6A is a top view of a single piece of sheet metal than
is folded to form to a hanger housing.
[0021] FIG. 6B is a bottom view of a single piece of sheet metal of
FIG. 6A that is folded to form to a hanger housing.
[0022] FIG. 6C is a side view of a single piece of sheet metal of
FIG. 6A that is folded to form to a hanger housing.
[0023] FIG. 7A is an illustration of an article such as a picture
which is hung on the wall with a slight misalignment of tilt.
[0024] FIG. 7B is an illustration of an article of FIG. 7A hung in
a modified position.
[0025] FIG. 8 is a flow chart that describes the steps of hanging
and adjusting an article on a wall.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT--HANGER DEVICE
[0026] In one embodiment, a metal or plastic housing is provided in
various lengths such as 4 inches, 6 inches, or 8 inches in height.
The housings may be channels with a depth of about 3/8'' so that a
slotted front surface is provided. A threaded shaft of a
height-adjustable knob may be inserted through the slot and
tightened to a nut which is free to travel up or down behind the
slot. Once the knob is adjusted to the desired height, it is
tightened by turning the knob in a clockwise direction. The knob
may be loosened by turning it in a counter clockwise direction.
[0027] FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a single hanger device 100.
The device includes a housing 120, a hanger support 130 which
includes a threaded bolt section 132 and a knob 134, and a slider
keeper 140 with an embedded nut 142. The housing includes a slide
channel 122, such that the threaded bolt section 132 of the hanger
support 130 may slide in the channel. In this example, the housing
120 includes a pair of bolt or screw holes 124 which are typically
perpendicular to the housing. The housing also includes a pair of
nail holes 126, which are provided at an angle of 45 degrees with
respect to the housing in order to resist the inadvertent pulling
of nails from the wall. In this manner, the device may be attached
to a wall with screws, bolts, or nails. Nails and screws would
typically be packaged with the device for the convenience of the
customer.
[0028] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a single assembled hanger
device 100. In this illustration, the hanger support 130 is
positioned near the top of the channel 122. FIG. 2B is a
perspective view of a single assembled hanger device 100. In this
illustration, the hanger support 130 is positioned near the center
of the channel 122. The housing may include ruled indices to
facilitate fine adjustments of the height of the support knob. For
instance, if the knob is set at an initial reading of 1.5 inches,
and the desired adjustment is a one quarter of an inch, then the
knob can be adjusted to a reading of 1.25 inches.
[0029] FIG. 3 is a side view of a single hanger device 100. The
housing includes an upper projection 129 and a lower projection 128
which are typically slightly thicker than the nut 142, so that the
slider keeper with the embedded nut may freely slide along the
channel until the threaded bolt section 132 is tightened into the
nut. Once the threaded bolt section is tightened into place, the
position of the hanger support 130 is set. If desired, the threaded
bolt section may be loosened from the nut so that the hanger
support can be moved to another location with respect to the
housing. A support wire is hung between the knob 134 and the
housing. The vertical height of an article which is hung on the
hanger device may be adjusted by raising or lowering the knob.
[0030] FIG. 4 is a detailed illustration of the components in a
representative geometry for relatively small articles. In this
example, the housing 120 has a height of about 4 inches and a width
of about 1/2 inch. At the projections 129 and 128, the housing has
a thickness of about 1/4 inch and at the channel it has a thickness
of about 1/8 inch. The slider keeper has a width of about 1/2 inch
and a height of about 5/8 inch. A 1/8-inch nut is embedded in the
slider keeper to prevent the nut form rotating. The knurl knob 134
has a diameter of about 3/4 inch and has a 1/8-inch recess between
the knob and the knob base. The knob has a 1/8-inch screw for
engaging the nut 142 in the keeper 140. The base has a pair of
screw attachment holes 124 and angled nail attachment holes 126 as
indicated by the hidden lines.
[0031] The housings may be made of 24 gauge metal or a hard
plastic. The knob and slider keeper are preferably made of a strong
metal such as steel.
[0032] The size of the object to be hung should determine the size
of the hanger device to be used. The larger and heavier the object
is, the larger the hanger device should be used.
[0033] In order to hang an article with the hanger device, the
device is first attached to the wall or mounting surface at a
height that is approximately the desired hanging height of the
article. Typically, drywall anchor bolts should be used when
installing the hanger device on drywall. Nails may be provided with
smaller hanger devices, and may be inserted through the angled nail
holes in the housing to install a hanging device for smaller
pictures and mirrors. Wood screws may be provided for attaching the
hanger devices to a wood surface. The hanger device is installed by
nailing nails through the angled nail holes in the housing, by
screwing wood screws through the screw holes in the housing, or by
placing drywall anchor screws through the housing screw holes and
tightening the screws into drywall anchors. Self drilling drywall
anchors are recommended.
[0034] Once the hook is properly secured to the wall, the article
may be hung by using the hanging wire which is usually supplied
with a picture or mirror. The hanging wire is placed over the knob
so that the wire is positioned between the housing and the knob.
The position of the article on the wall may then be observed. If
the article should be raised by a distance, the article may be
removed and the knob may be raised by the desired distance. Rulings
may be provided on the housing to assist in determining the desired
adjustment. The article may be lowered in a similar manner.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT--PLASTIC HANGER DEVICE
[0035] Referring to FIGS. 5A-5C, in another embodiment, the housing
may be formed by a plastic such as by injection molding. The slider
keeper may include side flanges 144 for engaging the sides of the
housing as the keeper slides with respect to the channel. The
keeper may also include a center channel projection 146 such that
the channel projection is placed in the channel. The projection may
be threaded, or may be an unthreaded hole which provides access to
the embedded nut. The knob, threaded shaft, or nut may also be made
of a strong plastic.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT--FOLDED METAL HANGER DEVICE
[0036] In another embodiment, the housing may include side walls
180 and 182 which act to retain a nut so that the sliding keeper is
not required. An example of this embodiment is shown in FIGS.
6A-6C, where the device housing 120 is formed from a single piece
of bent metal.
[0037] In this manner, a single sheet of sheet metal may be
fabricated in the shape as shown in FIG. 6A and then folded into a
position such that the side walls are created to contain the
sliding nut, and such that the screw and nail holes align properly
for insertion of the device on a wall.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT--PAIRS OF HANGER DEVICES
[0038] For larger pictures or mirrors, it is typically desirable to
use two hanger devices. The width of the article is determined, and
the hanger devices are installed approximately 6 inches inside the
sides of the article to be hung. The article is then hung by
supporting hanging wire over the knobs of both hanging devices. The
hanging wire is typically screwed to the frame of the picture or
mirror at approximately one-third of the distance from the top of
the object to be hung. The height of the object may be raised or
lowered by adjusting the knobs up or down as described above.
[0039] If the article is level, but requires an up or down
adjustment of a distrance, both hanger devices may be adjusted by
the desired distance. If the article is tilted by a distance, the
hanger device on the lower end may be raised by a portion of the
distance.
[0040] The article may also be hung with special wire hook hangers
on the picture or mirror. In this example, the hanger devices are
placed at widths corresponding to the placement of the hook
hangers, and the article is hung by placing the hook hangers
directly on the object. The article may be adjusted up or down by
moving the knobs as described above.
[0041] FIG. 7A is an illustration of an article 50 such as a
picture which is hung by wire 52 on the wall with a slight
misalignment of position or tilt. FIG. 7B is an illustration of an
article of FIG. 7A hung in a modified position by adjusting the
position of the knobs on the hangers 100a and 100b.
[0042] FIG. 8 is a flow chart which describes the steps of hanging
and adjusting an article on a wall. At step 500, one or two hanger
devices are attached to a wall in an approximate location. At step
510, an article is hung on the hanger or hangers. At step 520, the
position and orientation of the hung article is observed, such as
by eye or with a level. At step 530, an estimate is made for the
adjustment of the hanger(s). At step 540, the hanger(s) position is
adjusted. At step 550, the article is hung on the hangers. At step
560, the position and orientation of the hung article is again
observed. If necessary, the adjustment process of steps 530-560 is
repeated.
[0043] These adjustable hanger devices are designed to permit the
hanging of the objects without the hassle of having to measure the
perfect height on each object. The hanger devices are simply
installed on a wall at approximate desired locations so that the
article may be hung on the hanger devices. Once the article is
hung, the difference between the actual hanging height and the
desired hanging height may be determined. Then, the support knob of
the hangers may be simply adjusted to improve the position of the
article one or both hang the object to the hook on the slide bolt,
then adjust to the desired height.
[0044] Leveling the article is also easy when using a pair of
hanging devices. A level may be used to determine the distance you
need to adjust the hook. Placing a level on the article will show
the user approximately how much to raise or lower the sliding
knob.
* * * * *