Patent Application
20180291947
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for supporting articles, and more specifically to an apparatus for supporting articles that is removably secured to a surface using an adhesive tape.
The use of hooks and the like to support articles from a vertical surface such as a wall is known. Such hooks are often secured to the wall via hardware such as anchors and screws. However, it is common for a homeowner or renter to later want to remove such hooks from the wall either to change up the décor or for other reasons. In such instances, removal of the hook leaves a hole in the wall that must be repaired. Thus, a need exists for a hook-like member that can be secured to a wall and later removed from the wall without leaving any markings on the wall that require repair. Furthermore, a need exists for such a hook-like member that has a clean look and is easy to both secure to the wall and remove from the wall.
The present invention is directed to an apparatus for supporting articles. The apparatus may include a stretch-release adhesive tape, a support member having a hook member extending therefrom, and an access member coupled to the support member. The support member may be secured to the wall via the stretch-release adhesive tape. Furthermore, the access member may be pivotably coupled to the support member so that in a closed state the access member covers the adhesive tape from view and in an open state the adhesive tape is visible and can be gripped by a user to remove the adhesive tape and the support member from the wall.
In one aspect, the invention may be an apparatus for supporting articles comprising: a stretch-release adhesive tape member having an adhesive portion and a gripping portion; a support member comprising: a rear surface configured to be mounted to a surface with the stretch-release adhesive tape member; a front surface opposite the rear surface; an upper end and a lower end, the support member extending between the upper and lower ends along a longitudinal axis; a hook member extending outward from the front surface of the support member and upward toward the upper end of the support member; an access member pivotably coupled to the support member so as to be pivotable, relative to the support member, about a first pivot axis between: (1) a closed-state; and (2) an open-state; wherein the first pivot axis is fixed relative to the support member and oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
In another aspect, the invention may be an apparatus for supporting articles comprising: a support member comprising: a rear surface; a front surface opposite the rear surface; an upper end and a lower end, the support member extending between the upper and lower ends along a longitudinal axis; an access member pivotably coupled to the support member so as to be pivotable, relative to the support member, about a first pivot axis between: (1) a closed-state; and (2) an open-state; and a hook member extending from the front surface of the support member, the hook member pivotably coupled to the support member so as to be pivotable, relative to the support member, about a second pivot axis between: (1) a receiving-state; and (2) a retracted-state.
In yet another aspect, the invention may be an apparatus for supporting articles, the apparatus comprising: a front surface; a rear surface; a first side surface extending between the front surface and the rear surface; a second side surface extending between the front surface and the rear surface; a support member comprising an upper end and a lower end, the support member extending between the upper and lower ends along a longitudinal axis; an access member pivotably coupled to the support member so as to be pivotable, relative to the support member, about a first pivot axis between: (1) a closed-state; and (2) an open-state; a hook member extending from the front surface; and a first depression formed into the first side surface and a second depression formed into the second side surface that collectively define a narrowed waist section, a first flared section located on the support member, and a second flared section located on the access member.
In a further aspect, the invention may be an apparatus for supporting articles, the apparatus comprising: a stretch-release adhesive tape member having an adhesive portion and a gripping portion; a support member comprising: a rear surface configured to be mounted to a surface with the stretch-release adhesive tape member; a front surface opposite the rear surface; an upper end and a lower end, the support member extending between the upper and lower ends along a longitudinal axis; a transversely widened portion that facilitates gripping of the support member during stretching of the stretch-release adhesive tape member to release the support member from the surface; and a hook member extending outward from the front surface of the support member and upward toward the upper end of the support member.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
The features of the preferred embodiments will be described with reference to the following drawings where like elements are labeled similarly, and in which:
The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.
The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles of the present invention is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated as such. Terms such as “attached,” “affixed,” “connected,” “coupled,” “interconnected,” and similar refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise. Moreover, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated by reference to the exemplified embodiments. Accordingly, the invention expressly should not be limited to such exemplary embodiments illustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that may exist alone or in other combinations of features; the scope of the invention being defined by the claims appended hereto.
Referring to
The apparatus 1000 generally comprises a support member 100, a hook member 200, an access member 300, and a stretch-release adhesive tape member 400. The invention may be directed to the features of individual ones of the components and does not require all of these components in all embodiments. Thus, for example the invention may be directed to features of the support member 100 in some embodiments without also requiring features of the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400. In certain embodiments, the support member 100 and the hook member 200 may form an integral or monolithic (i.e., one-piece) structure, and in other embodiments the support member 100 and the hook member 200 may be separate structures that are coupled together. As discussed in greater detail below, the access member 300 is pivotably coupled to the support member 100. In the exemplified embodiment the access member 300 is a separate component from the support member 100, but they may also be integrally formed in some embodiments so long as the function described herein remains intact.
The stretch-release adhesive tape member 400 comprises a gripping portion 401 and an adhesive portion 402. Furthermore, the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400 has a front surface 403 and an opposite rear surface 404. The gripping portion 401 is free of adhesive on both the front and rear surfaces 403, 404 whereas the adhesive portion 402 is coated or covered (partially or completely) with an adhesive material 405 on both the front and rear surfaces 403, 404. A sufficient amount of the adhesive material 405 is coated onto the front and rear surfaces 403, 404 of the adhesive portion 402 of the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400 to ensure that it can remain mounted to a desired surface (such as a wall) and support a desired amount of weight (i.e., support an article) until removal by a user. Thus, the adhesive portion 402 of the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400 can be mounted to a surface with the rear surface 403 of the stretch-release adhesive member 400 in contact with the surface/wall and then the apparatus 100 may be mounted to the front surface of the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400. The stretch-release adhesive tape member 400 may be detached from the surface that it is adhered/mounted to by stretching the stretch-release adhesive member 400 along its longitudinal axis as described in greater detail below with reference to
The apparatus 1000 may be formed of a hard plastic material in some embodiments. For example, the apparatus 1000, and particularly the support member 100, the hook member 200, and the access member 300 thereof, may be formed of plastic, which may be transparent in some embodiments and opaque in others. Furthermore, in some embodiments (such as the embodiment described herein below with reference to
The support member 100 comprises a front surface 101, a rear surface 102 opposite the front surface 101, an upper end 103, and a lower end 104 opposite the upper end 103. The support member 100 extends between the upper and lower ends 103, 104 along a longitudinal axis A-A. The rear surface 102 is the surface of the support member 100 that is configured to be mounted to a surface (such as a wall or the like) via the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400. Thus, during use as discussed in more detail herein below, the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400 is secured to a surface such as a wall, and then the rear surface 102 of the support member 100 is mounted to the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400 (or vice versa, meaning the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400 may first be secured to the rear surface 102 of the support member 100, and then the apparatus 1000 may be mounted to the desired surface/wall). The stretch-release adhesive tape member 400 is concealed by the access member 300 during normal use, but it can be accessed via pivoting of the access member 300 without moving the support member 100 so that the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400 and the support member 100 can be collectively removed from the surface as desired.
The support member 100 also comprises a first side surface 105 and a second side surface 106 opposite the first side surface 105. Each of the first and second side surfaces 105, 106 extend between the upper and lower ends 103, 104 and between the front and rear surfaces 101, 102 of the support member 100. As best seen in
As illustrated in the figures, the support member 100 comprises a first gripping feature 107 located on the first side surface 105 and a second gripping feature 108 located on the second side surface 106. In the exemplified embodiment, the first gripping feature 107 is located on the first side surface 105 adjacent to the upper end 103 of the support member 100 and the second gripping feature 108 is located on the second side surface 106 adjacent to the upper end 103 of the support member 100. In the exemplified embodiment, each of the first and second gripping features 107, 108 comprises a plurality of protuberances. More specifically, each of the first and second gripping features 107, 108 comprises a plurality of arcuate ridges arranged concentrically in series. Each of the arcuate ridges is elongated in a direction of the longitudinal axis A-A and has a convex side facing towards the front surface 101 of the support member 100 and a concave side facing towards the rear surface 102 of the support member 100. The arcuate ridges are in a nesting arrangement and they are closely spaced apart from one another. Thus, the arcuate ridges provide surfaces to enhance a user's grip on the support member 100. Specifically, the concave shape of the first and second side surfaces 105, 106 in combination with the gripping features 107, 108 work in tandem to facilitate ready and easy gripping of the support member 100 by a user.
Although illustrated as arcuate ridge members in the exemplified embodiment, the first and second gripping features 107, 108 may take on other structural arrangements in other embodiments. Specifically, the first and second gripping features 107, 108 may comprise a plurality of spaced apart protuberances, elongated but non-arcuate ridges, ridges extending transversely along the first and second side surfaces 105, 106 between and perpendicular to the front and rear surfaces 101, 102, or the like. Thus, the invention is not to be limited by the particular structural configuration shown for the first and second gripping features 107, 108 in all embodiments.
The support member 100 further comprises a back plate 120 coupled to a main body of the support member 100. In the exemplified embodiment, the back plate 120 comprises flexible protrusions 121 that act as mechanical fasteners to secure the back plate 120 to the remainder of the support member 100. Specifically, as the back plate 120 is pressed against the support member 100, the flexible protrusions 121 contact projections 115 extending from the support member 100 (see
Referring briefly to
Referring again to
As noted previously, the hook member 200 may be integrally formed with the support member 100 or a portion thereof in some embodiments. However, whether the hook member 200 is integrally formed with the support member 100 or not, in certain embodiments the hook member 200 is fixed relative to the support member 100 such that the hook member 200 is non-movable relative to the support member 100 (with the exception of slight bending of the hook member 200 relative to the support member 100 which is likely to be permissible depending on the material from which the hook member 200 is made and its thickness). By fixed and non-movable, it is meant that the hook member 200 is not coupled to the support member 100 so as to be movable, but rather any movement of the hook member 200 relative to the support member 100 that might occur would be incidental and minimal.
The hook member 200 also comprises a retaining portion 210 extending upward from a distal end 203 of the base portion 201 towards the upper end 103 of the support member 100. Specifically, the retaining portion 210 extends from the base portion 201 upwardly to a distal end 211 of the retaining portion 210. In other embodiments, the hook member 200 may be more knob-shaped rather than being an L-shaped member as shown in the exemplified embodiment. In fact, the hook member 200, and specifically the retaining portion 210 thereof, can take on any shape or configuration so long as the hook member 200 remains configured to support an article such as those described above therefrom. Thus, the hook member 200 can take on any shape as long as the function of the retaining portion 210, which is to retain articles thereon, is achieved. In the exemplified embodiment, the retaining portion 210 is spaced apart from the front surface 101 of the support member 100 by a gap 212 along the entirety of its length. Thus, an article or a portion thereof (i.e., a hood of a coat, a loop on an article of clothing, a portion of a hat, etc.) may be inserted into the gap 212 and then slid downwardly to rest atop the uppermost surface 204 of the base portion 201 of the hook member 200 to be retained by the support member 100.
In the exemplified embodiment, the hook member 200 has a curved shape such that an outer facing surface 215 of the hook member 200 is contoured rather than flat. Specifically, the outer facing surface 215 of the hook member 200 is concave in the exemplified embodiment. The invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments and the shape of the hook member 200 may be modified so long as the hook member 200 remains configured to retain an article thereon as described herein.
The apparatus 1000 also comprises the access member 300, which is pivotably coupled to the support member 100. The access member 300 generally comprises a cover portion 310 comprising a lower edge 311 and an upper edge 312 and first and second arm members 313, 314 extending from the upper edge 312 in a spaced-apart manner. The lower edge 311 of the access member 300 is convex and the upper edge 312 of the access member 300 is concave. Thus, the access member 300 forms a generally U-shaped structure whereby the cover portion 310 forms the bight of the U and the first and second arm members 313, 314 form the arms of the U. The access member 300, and more specifically the cover portion 310 thereof, is configured to cover a gripping portion 401 of the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400 when the apparatus 1000 is properly mounted to a surface such as a wall via the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400. This will be discussed in greater detail below with reference to
The first arm member 313 comprises an inner surface 315 and an outer surface 316. Similarly, the second arm member 314 comprises an inner surface 317 and an outer surface 318. A protuberance 319 extends from the inner surface 315 of the first arm member 313 in a direction towards the second arm member 314. Similarly, a protuberance 320 extends from the inner surface 317 of the second arm member 314 in a direction towards the first arm member 313.
The access member 300 is pivotably coupled to the support member 100 by inserting the protuberances 319, 320 of the access member 300 into the first and second apertures 131, 132 of the support member 100. Specifically, the access member 300 can be slid upwardly along the lower sidewall 130 of the support member 100. As the access member 300 is slid in this manner, the first and second arm members 313, 314 will flex slightly outwardly as the protuberances 319, 320 slide in direct contact with the lower sidewall 130. The access member 300 can be slid relative to the support member 100 until the protuberances 319, 320 enter into the first and second apertures 131, 132. At this point, the access member 300 is pivotably coupled to the support member 100. Thus, when the access member 300 is coupled to the support member 100, the first and second arm members 313, 314 are pivotably coupled to the support member 100 at an axial location.
Due to the manner in which the access member 300 is coupled to the support member 100, the access member 300 is freely pivotable relative to the support member 100. Specifically, the only thing connecting the access member 300 to the support member 100 is the protuberances 319, 320 and the apertures 131, 132. The apertures 131, 132 have a diameter that is slightly larger than the diameter of the protuberances 319, 320 to enable the access member 300 to pivot relative to the support member 100 while also ensuring that the access member 300 remains coupled to the support member 100. Thus, the access member 300 can be pivoted relative to the support member 100 about a first pivot axis B-B. The first pivot axis B-B intersects the first and second apertures 131, 132 and the protuberances 319, 320. Furthermore, the first pivot axis B-B is fixed relative to the support member 100 and is oriented substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A-A of the support member 100. Specifically, the first pivot axis B-B is at a fixed position relative to the support member 100 and the location of the first pivot axis B-B relative to the support member 100 cannot be changed.
The access member 300 can be pivoted relative to the support member 100 between a closed state, as illustrated in
The outer surface 316 of the first arm member 313 forms a first side surface 321 of the access member 300 while the outer surface 318 of the second arm member 314 forms a second side surface 322 of the access member 300. In the exemplified embodiment, each of the first and second side surfaces 321, 322 of the access member 300 are concave in the axial direction. In the closed state, as best seen in
The first and second depressions 140, 141 collectively define a narrowed waist section 143 of the apparatus 1000. Furthermore, due to the concave shapes of the first and second side surfaces 105, 106 of the support member 100, the first and second side surfaces 105, 106 of the support member 100 form a first flared section 144 of the apparatus 1000. Moreover, due to the concave shapes of the first and second side surfaces 321, 322 of the access member 300, the first and second side surfaces 321, 322 of the access member 300 form a second flared section 145 of the apparatus 1000. The first and second flared sections 144, 145 are transversely widened relative to the waist section 143. Specifically, the first flared section 142 is a transversely widened portion of the apparatus 1000 (relative to the waist section 143) that facilitates gripping of the support member 100 during stretching of the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400 to release the support member 100 from the surface upon which it is mounted as discussed in more detail below with reference to
Moreover, in the exemplified embodiment the first and second gripping features 107, 108 are located within the first flared section 144. Specifically, the first and second gripping features 107, 108 are located between the waist section 143 and the upper end 103 of the support member 100 on the first and second side surfaces 105, 106 of the support member 100, respectively. Thus, the increased width of the first flared section 144 in combination with the first and second gripping features 107, 108 located thereon results in increased ability of a user to maintain a grip on the support member 100 while disengaging the stretch-release adhesive tape 400 from the surface on which it is mounted as discussed in more detail below.
As best seen in
Referring briefly to
Referring now to
The support member 100 is mounted to the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400 at a location so as to ensure that at least a portion of the gripping portion 401 of the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400 extends longitudinally beyond the lower end 104 of the support member 100. Preferably, the length of the portion of the gripping portion 401 of the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400 that extends beyond the lower end 104 of the support member 100 is less than the axial length of the cover portion 310 of the access member 310. As a result, when the access member 300 is closed, it conceals the portion of the gripping portion 401 of the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400 that extends beyond the lower end 104 of the support member 100. It is preferable that no portion of the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400 extends axially beyond the upper end 103 of the support member 100.
When mounting the support member 100 to the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400 it should be ensured that the access member 300 is not in direct contact with the adhesive material 300 so as not to prevent pivoting movement of the access member 300 as described herein. Rather, the access member 300, and more specifically the cover portion 310 thereof, is in contact with or at least covers/conceals at least a portion of the gripping portion 401 of the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400. Thus, when the support member 100 is mounted to the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400, the entirety of the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400 is concealed from view (the adhesive portion 402 is concealed by the support member 100 and the gripping portion 401 is concealed by the access member 300). This enhances the aesthetic appeal of using the apparatus 1000 because only the support member 100, the hook member 200, and the access member 300 are exposed to view while the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400 is hidden from view.
Referring to
In both of the embodiments illustrated above in
Referring to
As noted above, while a user is pulling on the gripping portion 401 of the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400, it may be beneficial for the user to also grip the first flared section 144 formed by the curved/concave side walls 105, 106 of the support member 100 to support the apparatus 1000 during this removal procedure. The curved nature of the flared section 144 along with the first and second gripping features 107, 108 thereon enhances a user's ability to maintain a grip on the support member 100 while the user is pulling/stretching the stretch-release adhesive tape member 400 during removal. Specifically, the flaring shape of the side surfaces will make it more difficult for the support member 100 to slip out of a user's grip when it eventually releases from the surface 500. The benefits of enhancing the user's grip on the support member 100 during removal as described herein should be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art.
Referring to
The apparatus 2000 generally comprises a support member 2100, a hook member 2200 extending from the support member 2100, an access member 2300 pivotably coupled to the support member 2100, and a stretch-release adhesive tape member 2400 having a gripping portion 2401 and an adhesive portion 2402. The access member 2300 is pivotably coupled to the support member 2100 in much the same manner as the access member 300 is coupled to the support member 100 of the apparatus 1000.
The differences between the apparatus 2000 and the apparatus 1000 are as follows. The support member 2100 comprises a first side surface 2105 and an opposite second side surface 2106. In this embodiment, the first side surface 2105 comprises a first elongated extension 2150 and the second side surface 2106 comprises a second elongated extension 2151. Each of the first and second elongated extensions 2150, 2151 is concave in the axial direction (similar to the first and second side surfaces 105, 106 of the support member 100). Furthermore, in this embodiment the access member 2300 comprises a first side surface 2321 and an opposite second side surface 2322. The first side surface 2321 comprises a first elongated extension 2323 and the second side surface 2322 comprises a second elongated extension 2324. Each of the first and second elongated extensions 2323, 2324 is concave in the axial direction.
When the access member 2300 is in the closed state as illustrated in
Another difference is that in this embodiment there is an elongated protrusion 2216 extending from the outer facing surface 2215 of the retaining portion 2210 of the hook member 2200. The elongated protrusion 2216 operates as a stop mechanism in that it contacts the access member 2300 during pivoting of the access member 2300 to prevent over-rotation thereof.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
The apparatus 3000 generally comprises a support member 3100, a hook member 3200, an access member 3300, and a stretch-release adhesive tape member 3400 (shown in
One of the main differences in this embodiment is that the hook member 3200 is not fixedly coupled to the support member 3100. Rather, in this embodiment the hook member 3200 is pivotably coupled to the support member 3100 about a second pivot axis D-D that is substantially parallel to the first pivot axis C-C. The hook member 3200 is pivotably coupled to the support member 3100 about the second pivot axis D-D between a receiving state (illustrated in
In the exemplified embodiment, the hook member 3200 is a wire hook, although the invention is not to be so limited and the hook member 3200 may be plastic or the like. Furthermore, in the exemplified embodiment the hook member 3200 comprises a receiving portion 3210, a bight portion 3220, and a connecting portion 3230. The receiving portion 3210 and the bight portion 3220 collectively support or hold an article thereon while the connecting portion 3230 serves to couple the hook member 3200 to the support member 3100. The connecting portion 3230 comprises first and second inwardly extending posts 3231, 3232 that couple to the support member 3100 as described herein below.
In this embodiment, the support member 3100 comprises a front surface 3101 and an opposite rear surface 3102 and an upper end 3103 and an opposite lower end 3104. The support member 3100 extends along a longitudinal axis E-E between the upper and lower ends 3103, 3104. Each of the first and second pivot axes C-C, D-D is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis E-E of the support member 3100.
The front surface 3101 of the support member 3100 comprises a raised portion 3160 that is circumscribed by a lowered portion 3161. Thus, the raised portion 3160 forms an island-like extension on the front surface 3101 of the support member 3100. The raised portion 3160 is defined by an upstanding wall 3162 that protrudes form the lowered portion 3161 of the front surface 3160. The upstanding wall 3162 terminates in a terminal surface 3163 that forms a front surface 3164 of the raised portion 3160. Furthermore, there are first and second apertures 3165, 3166 formed into the upstanding wall 3162 for coupling the book member 3200 thereto. Specifically, distal ends of the inwardly extending posts 3231, 3232 of the hook member 3200 are inserted into the first and second apertures 3165, 3166 to pivotably couple the hook member 3200 to the support member 3100. When pivotably coupled to the support member 3100 the hook member 3200 is freely pivotable about the second pivot axis D-D.
Referring to
In
When the access member 3300 is in the closed state and the hook member 3200 is in the receiving state as illustrated in
When it is desired to gain access to the gripping portion 3401 of the stretch-release adhesive tape member 3400 for any purpose, including detaching the apparatus 3000 from the surface 3500, a user will pivot the access member 3300 relative to the support member 3100 about the first pivot axis C-C.
Referring now to
Thus, for the apparatus 3000, pivoting of the access member 3300 about the first pivot axis C-C automatically results in pivoting of the hook member 3200 about the second pivot axis D-D due to contact between the access member 3300 and the hook member 3200 during such pivoting of the access member 3300. When the access member 3300 is pivoted into the open state as illustrated in
While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thus, the spirit and scope of the invention should be construed broadly as set forth in the appended claims.
