The invention relates to a device suitable for securing an object to a wall, which device comprises a wall element to be fixed to a wall and a support element to be connected to the object, which support element is provided with a first hook-shaped element on a first side thereof, which, in use, can be attached to a first receiving element provided in the wall element, which support element is provided with a second hook-shaped element on a second side remote from said first side, which second hook-shaped element can be moved in a direction towards the first hook-shaped element under spring force, and which, in use, is in spring-loaded engagement with a second receiving element provided in the wall element.
The invention also relates to a wall element and to a support element suitable for such a device.
In such a device, which is known from DE-U1-20.2006.011.519, the support element is a guitar support, to which an object such as a guitar can be detachably connected. When the guitar support is to be disconnected from the wall, the second hook-shaped element must be moved in a direction away from the first hook-shaped element against spring force. A user can do this with one hand. With the other hand, the user holds the relatively light guitar support. When the guitar support is being removed from the wall, the guitar is not connected to the guitar support, so that there is no risk of the guitar being damaged.
However, if the object connected to the support element does remain connected to the support element upon removal of the support element, and the object is relatively costly or relatively heavy, a user can only use one hand for holding the object and the support element in the case of the known device, because he or she needs the other hand for disconnecting the second hook-shaped element. This is made even more difficult if several second hook-shaped elements are used. Such a situation occurs, for example, if the device is used for hanging a display screen on a wall.
In a device known from U.S. Pat. No. 7,063,295, the wall element is provided with a plate to be fixed to a wall, to which two U-shaped sections. which are tiltable about a tilt axis, are attached. On a side remote from said tilt axis, each U-shaped section has an edge which functions as a first receiving element for a support element to be connected to the display screen. At the bottom side, each U-shaped section is provided with a slide provided with a recess, which can be moved against spring force in a direction away from the first receiving element. Near the slide, the U-shaped section is provided with an opening located opposite the recess in the slide.
The known device further comprises two support elements, which are each provided with a first hook-shaped element near an upper side, as well as with a second hook-shaped element located near the bottom side. After the support elements have been connected to the display screen, the first hook-shaped elements are brought into engagement with the edges at the upper side of the U-shaped sections, whereupon the second hook-shaped elements are pressed through the openings in the U-shaped sections into the recesses present in the slides. The slides are first pushed in downward direction against spring force, whereupon the slides are moved in a direction towards the first receiving elements under spring force after the hook-shaped elements have been moved sufficiently far through the recesses. As a result, the second hook-shaped elements of the support elements are interlocked with the U-shaped sections of the wall element.
A drawback of the device that is known from U.S. Pat. No. 7,063,295 is that the second hook-shaped elements need to be precisely aligned with the recesses in the slide in order to make it possible to bring the second hook-shaped elements into engagement with the slides. Consequently, the first hook-shaped elements must to that end also be precisely aligned with the first receiving elements. Moreover, the device is relatively complex on account of the presence of a slide as well as a second hook-shaped element.
The object of the invention is to provide a device for securing an object to a wall in a simple manner.
This object is accomplished with the device according to the invention in that the device comprises a locking element for locking the second hook-shaped element in a locking position in a position in which it is disconnected from the wall element.
When the support element is being disconnected from the wall element, the second hook-shaped element is moved against spring force in a direction away from the first hook-shaped element, as a result of which the engagement with the second receiving element is released. Placing the second hook-shaped element in the locking position makes it possible in a simple manner to prevent the second hook-shaped element from coming into engagement with the second receiving element again when the object, for example a display screen, is taken hold of in order to lift the first hook-shaped element off the first receiving element.
When the support element is being connected to the wall element (the device may comprise a number of support elements, if desired), the first hook-shaped element is brought into engagement with a first receiving element provided in the wall element. Said receiving element may be considerably wider than the first hook-shaped element, as a result of which the first hook-shaped element can be easily connected to the first receiving element. As a result, there is no need to position the support element precisely with respect to the wall element. The second hook-shaped element is then moved against spring force in a direction away from the first hook-shaped element, so that it can be brought into engagement with the second receiving element. Subsequently, the second hook-shaped element is moved against spring force in a direction towards the first hook-shaped element, thereby realising the engagement with the second receiving element. The second receiving element may be relatively wide as well, so that there is no need to align the second hook-shaped element relative to the second receiving element. Since the second hook-shaped element can be moved towards the first hook-shaped element under spring force, a separate movable slide accommodated in the wall element, as in the device known from U.S. Pat. No. 7,063,295, is not needed. This leads to a relatively simple construction of the device according to the invention.
One embodiment of the device according to the invention is characterised in that the hook-shaped element can be connected to a pull element for moving the second hook-shaped element against spring force in a direction away from the first hook-shaped element.
Using the pull element, the second hook-shaped element can be moved out of engagement with the second receiving element against spring force. Then the first hook-shaped element can be removed from the first receiving element. The support element can thus be disconnected from the wall element in a simple manner.
Yet another embodiment of the device according to the invention is characterised in that the first and/or the second receiving element comprise(s) an elongate edge, with which the hook-shaped element is in engagement in use, the length of said elongate edge being at least twice the width of the hook-shaped element.
The elongate edge makes it possible to place the object, for example a display screen, in a desired position relative to the wall element after the wall element has been fixed to the wall. The fixation of the wall element to the wall need not take place with a high degree of precision, as the position desired by the user is only realised when the object with the support element is being attached to the wall element. If desired, a user can subsequently change said position within the limits of the length of the elongate edge.
Yet another embodiment of the device according to the invention is characterised in that the second hook-shaped element comprises a slide which is mounted for sliding as well as tilting movement with respect to the support element, which slide is movable from a first position, in which it is disconnected from the wall element, to a second position, in which it is connected to the second receiving element, and vice versa, in which first position the slide is spaced from the first hook-shaped element and tilts towards the wall element under spring force, whilst in the second position the slide tilts away from the wall element and is positioned closer to the first hook-shaped element.
Such a hook-shaped element is of relatively simple design.
Yet another embodiment of the device according to the invention is characterised in that the slide is provided with a tilt pin which is slidably supported in a slot in the support element, which slot extends towards the first hook-shaped element, which slide is further provided with an L-shaped slot, in which a guide pin connected to the support element is accommodated, which slide is tiltable about said tilt pin from the first position, in which the guide pin is located near a first end of said L-shaped slot, to a second position, in which the guide pin is located near a second end of the L-shaped slot, and vice versa.
Because of the slots and the tilt pin and the guide pin accommodated therein, a clearly defined movement of the slide with respect to the support element is realised and ensured.
Another embodiment of the device according to the invention is characterised in that the guide pin is positioned closer to the first hook-shaped element than the tilt pin, whilst a tension spring extends between the tilt pin and the guide pin.
The tension spring that extends between the guide pin and the tilt pin exerts a pulling force on the slide in the direction of the first hook-shaped element.
Another embodiment of the device according to the invention is characterised in that the second hook-shaped element comprises a slide which is movable under spring force in a direction of movement towards the first hook-shaped element, which slide is provided with a run-on surface which includes an angle with the direction of movement, wherein contact between the run-on surface and the second receiving element in use causes the slide to be moved in a direction opposite the direction of movement until the run-on surface is located on a side of the second receiving element remote from the support element, whereupon the slide is moved towards the first hook-shaped element under spring force and brought into engagement with the second receiving element.
Since the run-on surface includes an angle with the direction of movement, a force will be exerted on the run-on surface in a direction away from the first hook-shaped element when the run-on surface is being moved and pressed against the second receiving element, as a result of which the run-on surface, and consequently the slide, will be moved away from the first hook-shaped element. By subsequently moving the run-on surface further in a direction towards the receiving element, the run-on surface will be positioned on a side of the second element remote from the support surface, after which the slide is brought into engagement with the second receiving element under spring force. Such a slide functions in the same manner as the slide of a doorhandle.
Yet another embodiment of the device according to the invention is characterised in that the second receiving element comprises an elongate strip, which is movably supported in the wall element, which strip is movable between a receiving position, in which the second hook-shaped element can be brought into engagement with the strip, to a releasing position, in which the second receiving element is out of engagement with the strip.
Such a strip makes it possible to release the connection between the second hook-shaped elements of a number of support elements and the wall element in a simple manner. The second receiving elements need not be moved against spring force in that case for disconnecting the second hook-shaped elements from the second receiving elements.
The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which:
Like parts are indicated by the same numerals in the figures.
The device 1 further comprises two support elements 8, which are each provided with a support 9 connected to the wall element 2, and a section 11, which is connected to the support 9 in such a manner as to be tiltable about a tilt pin 10. At a position spaced from the tilt pin 10, the supports 9 and the section 11 are connected by means of a connecting arm 12, by means of which the angle between the section 11 and the support can be adjusted.
Near the upper side, the support 9 is provided with a first hook-shaped element 13, which, as is shown more clearly in
On a side remote from the first hook-shaped element 13, the support 9 is provided with a slide 14 (see
After the support element 8 has been connected to the display screen and the wall element 2 has been fixed to the wall, a user will take hold of the display screen and position the first hook-shaped elements 13 around the first receiving element 4, so that the display screen will be suspended from the edge 4. Since the edge is elongate in shape, the first hook-shaped elements 13 of the two supports 9 can be connected to the wall element 2 over a large area. It is not necessary, therefore, to align the hook-shaped elements 13 precisely with respect to the wall element 2. Before connecting the hook-shaped elements 13 to the edge 4 takes place, each slide 14 has been moved to the position shown in
When a user wishes to remove the display screen from the wall element 2, the user will exert a force in the direction indicated by the arrow P3 on a pull element 27 connected to each slide 14, as a result of which the slide 14 is moved to the disconnected position shown in
To connect the support 9 to the wall element 2, the first hook-shaped element 13 is first moved into engagement with the surface 6 of the edge 4 in a position of the support 9 in which the support 9 is tilted relative to the wall element 2. The slide 32 now takes up a position near the first hook-shaped element 13, to which it has been moved by the tension spring 23. When subsequently the support 9 is tilted in the direction of the wall element 2, the run-on surfaces 41 come into contact with a side of the edge 5 remote from the surface 7. As a result of the run-on surfaces 41 being pushed against the edge 5, forces are exerted on the run-on surfaces 41 in the direction indicated by the arrow P5, as a result of which the slide 32 will be moved in the direction indicated by said arrow P5. Once the run-on surfaces 41 get beyond the bottom side of the surface 7 of the edge 5, the slide 32 will be moved in the opposite direction of the arrow P5 under the influence of the force exerted by the tension spring 23, during which movement the surfaces 42 come into contact with the surface 7 of the edge 5. The support 9 is now securely connected to the wall element 2 (see
The slide 32 is provided with a lip 44 extending transversely to the wall element 34, in which a recess 45 is present. To disconnect the support 9 from the wall element 2, a user will bring a detachable pull rod 46 (
To connect the support element 53 to the wall element 52, the first hook-shaped element 13 is brought into engagement with the edge 4 in a similar manner as described above. The support element 53 is then tilted in the direction of the wall element 52, causing the run-on surface 53 to come into contact with the underside of the strip 55, as a result of which a force is exerted on the run-on surface 61 in a direction indicated by the arrow P6, and consequently on the slide 58, as a consequence of which the slide 58 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow P6 against the spring force of the spring 57. Once the cam 60 has been moved beyond the strip 55 as a result of the support element 53 being tilted further towards the wall element 52, the slide 58 will be moved in the opposite direction of the arrow P6 to the connected position shown in
It is also possible to mount an object other than a display screen to a wall by means of the device, for example a painting, a loudspeaker, etc.
It is also possible to have the edges 4, 5 extend in vertical direction.
It is possible to provide the wall element with stops near ends thereof, which stops prevent the support element from being moved off the wall element when the support element is being moved in the longitudinal direction of the wall element.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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09000907.7 | Jan 2009 | EP | regional |