BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an apparatus including a hanger and guide cap in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2A shows a rear perspective view of the hanger of FIG. 1;
FIG. 2B shows a front perspective view of the hanger of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 shows a rear perspective view of the guide cap of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4A shows a front perspective view of two fasteners, and the hanger and guide cap of FIG. 1 assembled together with a cover and a foam covered with adhesives; and
FIG. 4B shows a front perspective view of the hanger, guide cap, cover, and foam covered with adhesives of FIG. 4A taken apart;
FIG. 5A shows a cross sectional view of the hanger, guide cap, and foam covered with adhesives of FIG. 4B;
FIG. 5B shows a rear perspective view of the guide cap of FIG. 1, with a fastener inserted below the guide cap of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 shows a cross sectional view of the hanger, the guide cap, the foam covered with adhesives, and the cover (or tape) of FIG. 4B, a wood frame, and a first fastener in a first state;
FIG. 7 shows a cross sectional view of the hanger, the guide cap, the wood frame, the foam covered with adhesives, and the first fastener in a second state, wherein the cover (tape) has been removed;
FIG. 8 shows a cross sectional view of the hanger, the guide cap, the foam covered with adhesives, the wood frame, the first fastener and a wall in a third state, wherein the foam covered with adhesives has been attached to the wall;
FIG. 9 shows a cross sectional view of the hanger, the guide cap, the foam covered with adhesives, the wood frame, a first fastener, and the wall in a fourth state, wherein the foam covered with adhesives has been attached to the wall, and the hanger has been removed from the guide cap;
FIG. 10 shows a cross sectional view of the guide cap, the foam covered with adhesives, a second fastener, and the wall in a fifth state, wherein the second fastener has been inserted through an opening in the guide cap and the foam covered with adhesives and into the wall;
FIG. 11 shows a cross sectional view of the second fastener, and the wall in a sixth state, wherein the second fastener has been inserted through into the wall, and the guide cap has been removed;
FIG. 12 shows a cross sectional view of the first fastener, the frame, the hanger, the second fastener, and the wall in a seventh state, wherein the first fastener is inserted into the frame, the second fastener is inserted into the wall, the hanger is attached to the frame and then hung on the second fastener on the wall.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an apparatus 1 including a hanger 20 and a guide cap 2 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A shows a rear perspective view of the hanger 20 and FIG. 2B shows a front perspective view of the hanger 20. The hanger 20 may include a plate 21 having a central circular protrusion 21a and teeth 20a. The hanger 20 may also include inclined plates 22 and 32 and plates 24 and 34. The plate 21 is connected at a first end to plate 22 and at a second opposite end to plate 32. The inclined plate 22 is connected at one end to plate 21 and at another end to plate 24. The inclined plate 32 is connected at one end to plate 21 and at another end to plate 34. The plates 24 and 34 have central circular openings 24a and 34a, respectively. The hanger 20 may be made of a rigid metal material.
FIG. 3 shows a rear perspective view of the guide cap 2. The guide cap 2 may include plate 4, which is connected to plate 10. Plate 4 may be parallel to plate 10. The guide cap 2 may also include section 6, which includes plates 6a, 6b, and 6c, which may be perpendicular to plate 10. The guide cap 2 may also include section 8, which includes plates 8a, 8b, and 8c, which may be perpendicular to plate 10. There may be a plate 12 which is perpendicular to plates 4 and 10 and which connects plates 4 and 10. Plate 10 includes a triangular opening 9f. Plate 10 also includes teeth 11, including a tooth 11a. The sections 6a, 6b, 6c, plate 12, sections 8a, 8b, and 8c, substantially define a partially enclosed area into which the hanger 20 can be inserted as shown in FIG. 1. The guide cap 2 may be made of plastic material. FIG. 3 also shows openings 10b, 10c, 10d, and 10e in the plate 10. FIG. 3 also shows protrusions 9b, 9c, 9d, and 9e.
FIG. 4A shows a front perspective view of an apparatus 200, including the hanger 20 and the guide cap 2 of FIG. 1 assembled together with a cover 100 (or tape) and a foam 110 covered with adhesives. FIG. 4B shows a front perspective view of the hanger 20, the guide cap 2, cover 100, and foam 110 covered with adhesives of FIG. 4A taken apart. The cover 100 may be U-shaped and may include sections 102, 104, and 106. The foam 110 may also be U-shaped and may include sections 112, 114, and 116. The cover 100 is designed to cover the surface 110a of the foam 110 and therefore has a rear surface 100a, which has the same area as surface 110a. The sections 102, 104, and 106 may align with and have the same area as the sections 112, 114, and 116. The cover 100 has a non-adhesive back surface 100b, shown by FIGS. 4A-B and FIG. 6.
FIG. 4B shows rear surfaces of the plates 4 and 10, which are integrated together. FIG. 4B also shows square openings 10b, 10c, 10d, and 10e of the plate 10. The square openings 10b-e are for tooling purposes. FIG. 4B also shows the triangular protrusion 9a, which is used as a mark to align the apparatus 1 of FIG. 1 with the center of a picture frame, such as picture frame 300 shown in FIGS. 6-8. In the view of FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, the triangular protrusion 9a protrudes outwards. FIG. 5B shows a triangular indentation 9f corresponding to the triangular protrusion 9a.
FIG. 5A shows a cross sectional view of the hanger 20, guide cap 2, and foam 110.
FIG. 5B shows a rear perspective view of the guide cap 2, with a fastener 402 inserted below the guide cap 2. between two teeth of teeth 11.
FIG. 6 shows a cross sectional view of the hanger 20, the guide cap 2, the foam 110, and the cover 100 (or tape), a wood frame 300, and a first fastener(s) 150 in a first state. The first fastener 150 may be a nail or screw. Fastener 152 may be located parallel to the fastener 150 as shown in FIG. 4A. In the first state, the first fastener 150 may have been screwed in or nailed through opening 34a and fastener 152 may be screwed in or nailed through opening 24a into frame 300.
FIG. 7 shows a cross sectional view of the hanger 20, the guide cap 2, the wood frame 300, the foam 110, and the first fastener 150 in a second state, wherein the cover 100 (tape) has been removed.
FIG. 8 shows a cross sectional view of the hanger 20, the guide cap 2, the foam 110, the wood frame 300, the first fastener 150 and a wall 400 in a third state, wherein the foam 110 has been attached to the wall 400.
FIG. 9 shows a cross sectional view of the hanger 20, the guide cap 2, the foam 110, the wood frame 300, the first fastener 150, and the wall 400 in a fourth state, wherein the foam 110 has been adhered to the wall 400, and the hanger 20 has been removed from the guide cap 2.
FIG. 10 shows a cross sectional view of the guide cap 2, the foam 110, a second fastener 402, and the wall 400 in a fifth state, wherein the second fastener 402 has been inserted preferably into a gap or notch, such as into gap or notch 10f, between two teeth of teeth 11 in the guide cap 2 (shown in FIG. 4B) and into the wall 400.
FIG. 11 shows a cross sectional view of the second fastener 402 and the wall 400 in a sixth state, wherein the second fastener 402 has been inserted through into the wall 400.
FIG. 12 shows a cross sectional view of the first fastener 150, the frame 300, the hanger 20, the second fastener 402, and the wall 400 in a seventh state, wherein the first fastener 150 is inserted into the frame 300, the second fastener 402 is inserted into the wall 400, the hanger 20 is attached to the frame 300, and then hung on the second fastener 402 on the wall 400.
In operation, the protrusions or portions 9b, 9c, 9d, and 9e, of the guide cap 2 control the release of the hanger 20.
In operation, the back surface 100b (shown in FIG. 4A) of the cover 100 is identified, when the apparatus 1 of FIG. 1 is in an assembled state. The backing or cover 100 is then taken off as shown by FIGS. 6-7, exposing an adhesive side of foam 110. The middle triangular opening 10a of the apparatus 1 (without the cover 100) is then aligned with a point on a vertical line which bisects the frame 300. Thus the vertical line will also bisect the guide cap 2. Fasteners 150 and 152 can then be inserted through openings 34a and 24a, respectively, and into frame 300. This secures (at least temporarily) the foam 110, guide cap 2, and the hanger 20 to the frame 300.
Next the frame 300 is pressed against the wall 400 so that the adhesive side of foam 110 presses against the wall 400. This results in the foam 110 adhering to the wall 400 and when the frame 300 is pulled away the foam 110 and the guide cap 2 remain adhered to the wall 400. The hanger 20 remains fixed to the frame 300. With the guide cap 2 adhered to the wall 400, a nail or other fastener, such as 402 in FIGS. 10-11, is inserted into the wall 400 under the middle V groove such as under notch 10f, between two teeth of teeth 11 of the guide cap 2 as shown in FIG. 5B. The fastener 402 is typically not inserted all the way into the wall, but rather a spacing of 2-3 millimeters from the wall is left. Next the guide cap 2 (and the foam 110) is removed from the wall 400. The picture frame 300 is then hung on the fastener 402 by putting the hanger 20 over the fastener 402 so that the fastener is beneath the plate 21 inside of a middle notch 20b between two teeth of teeth 20a.
Although the invention has been described by reference to particular illustrative embodiments thereof, many changes and modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to include within this patent all such changes and modifications as may reasonably and properly be included within the scope of the present invention's contribution to the art.
Patent Application
20080073476
