The present invention relates to a mounting device or catch, and specifically to an easily assembled mounting device with an internal support plate, for mounting objects such as mirrors, unframed pictures covered with a sheet of glass, or other generally flat objects on a flat surface. These devices can be used for mounting such objects, for example, on walls, doors, cabinets or the like, and also on boxes which are provided with hinged lids.
Mirrors and other glass sheets are heavy, hard, and frequently have sharp rectangular edges. There is much prior art regarding devices commonly used for hanging mirrors and other glass sheets to walls, doors, cabinets and other flat surfaces. In this family of devices, hangers are typically made from hard plastics, which are aesthetically pleasing, inexpensive to fabricate and soft and resilient enough to preclude damaging the mirror or glass sheet. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,651 teaches a plastic mirror mounting clip similar to the present invention, with a slidable mounting configuration. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,199 teaches a similar hanger having two pieces that are slidably connected.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,558 teaches a mounting device for mounting mirrors, glass plates or other generally flat objects to walls, doors, cabinets or other flat surfaces. This mounting device has a plastic shell that is engaged with a support plate to provide greater structural integrity to the mounting device. The shell and support plate are held together as an assembly when a mounting fastener secures the mounting plate between the shell and the mounting surface. While the support plate slidably engages with the plastic shell, no means are provided for retaining the support plate on the plastic shell prior to mounting on a surface. Individual pieces can be difficult to handle during installation, or can be misplaced apart from one another. A need therefor exists for a mounting device with a support plate that can be retained as an assembly before installation, thereby simplifying installation.
In-service failures of these types of mounting devices have been experienced whereby the vertical lip and/or horizontal flanges break, allowing the mirror, glass sheet or other flat object to fall with predictable catastrophic results. This failure mode is a result of the weight of the glass impacting the plastic mounting devices. The local forces on the plastic clips may be further magnified during installation by the speed of the vertical movement when placing the glass sheet on the lower clips, and by the relatively sharp edges of glass sheets, which may concentrate the forces on the clip. A need therefor exists to improve such mounting devices or catches so as to expand their usefulness and make their operation more secure, particularly by addressing the problem of a high in-service failure rate experienced for this type of mounting device.
Mirrors and other glass sheets are virtually ubiquitous in American homes, and the number of in-service mounting devices therefore number in the hundreds of millions. Therefore any reduction in the failure rate for these devices will have a significant aggregate economic impact. For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an inexpensive mounting clip with improved strength that will support heavy objects such as mirrors and glass plates without breaking.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mounting clip device for mounting mirrors, works of art and other similar objects on a wall or other flat surface that will better withstand the stresses of supporting heavy, hard objects, and will experience fewer in-service failures.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an easily assembled mounting clip having a support plate that is simply, effectively and releasably retained on the clip for holding the clip and support plate together as an assembly prior to installation, thereby providing ease of installation.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mounting clip that will provide a secondary support means such that damage to the supported object will be mitigated even in the event of certain modes of failure of the mounting device.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such mounting clips that retain the aesthetic characteristics of prior mounting devices.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such mounting clips that are reasonably inexpensive.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such mounting clips that are not significantly more difficult to install than prior mounting clips.
The present invention is intended to function as the lower, weight-supporting clips, in concert with conventional mounting clips on the upper end of the glass sheet. The present invention achieves its superior structural characteristics by the use of a metal insert designed to fit cooperatively with a plastic shell similar to existing, prior-art mounting devices.
These and such other objects of the invention as will become evident from the disclosure below are met by the invention disclosed herein. In addition to the explicitly claimed apparatus described herein, it is to be understood that all new and useful devices or components described herein are considered to constitute a part of the invention, claimable in their own right, whether such is stated with particularity herein or not.
The present invention describes an improved mounting device or catch intended for mounting mirrors, glass plates or other generally flat objects to walls, doors, cabinets or other similar surfaces. The present invention comprises a plastic shell element having a recessed means on its back side to accommodate a support plate. The support plate is a preferably metal, generally J-shaped plate that engages the plastic shell to provide much greater structural integrity to the mounting device. The present invention provides a retainer means by which the support plate is retained by and releasably engages the shell that is easily assembled and allows ease of installation. In addition to strengthening the basic support structure, the metal plate provides a secondary support means that can retain the supported object even in the event of a failure of the plastic shell, potentially preventing the destruction of the supported object. The improved structural features are accomplished while retaining the aesthetic features and resilient support features of prior-art plastic mounting devices.
Turning now to the drawings, the invention will be described in a preferred embodiment by reference to the numerals of the drawing figures.
In the preferred embodiment the mounting device provides a structurally improved two-piece supporting clip that is aesthetically very similar to existing mounting devices. The first piece, as shown in
As shown in
As can best be seen in
It will be obvious to one skilled in the art to provide any of several alternate embodiments for a retainer means by which the support plate 20 is retained by and releasably engages the shell 10. An alternate embodiment as shown in
The support plate 20 strengthens the hook portion 12 and integral lip 11 of the shell 10, which is a common point of failure for prior art mounting devices. In addition, the back portion 23 of the support plate 20 reinforces the mounting device at the location of attachment to the wall, door or other surface.
The intended application of the present invention is as follows: In the manufacturing process, the plastic shell with associated features described herein above is molded as with a vacuum molding process for plastic that is common in the prior art. The support plate is stamped or cut from sheet metal, the above-described apertures being drilled, stamped or cut, and then bent to form the required angle features. The shell and support plate may simply assembled together by hand or automated means and packaged as an assembled mounting device, or the shell and support plate may be packaged separately for later assembly by a consumer. Whether assembled during manufacturing or after sale to a consumer, the support plate is slidably inserted into the plastic shell by positioning the support plate below the shell with the lip portion of the support plate aligned with the rectangular channel in the lip portion of the shell and sliding the support plate vertically into the shell, bending the support plate outward slightly to positioning, align and engage the retainer means between the shell and the support plate. The spring tension of the support plate will ensure engagement of the retainer means following assembly. Disassembly is achieved by simply reversing the assembly process starting with a slight bending of the support plate as by inserting and pulling with a finger nail. The assembled mounting device is secured to a wall or other suitable flat surface by a common fastener such as a wood screw, a machine screw, or screw-type wall anchor. Mounting devices of the present invention will be ideally used in multiples to balance the load of an item to be supported, and to secure it, at minimum, at locations along top and bottom edges of the item.
It is particularly beneficial that the metal support plate 20 provides a secondary means of retaining the supported mirror, glass plate or other object even if the shell 10 experiences a failure. In prior art mounting devices a failure of the device will inevitably result in the supported object falling from its mounting position, with generally predictable catastrophic results to the supported object. In the present invention, if the shell 10 cracks or breaks into multiple pieces, the metal support plate 20 will continue to support the object with no damage, or minimal damage, until the supporting device can be repaired or replaced.
It is also noted that the aesthetic and resilient support features of prior-art plastic mounting devices are retained in the present invention. As can best be seen in
It will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that a wide range of alternative embodiments may be produced having many of the advantages of the preferred embodiment described above.
The present invention has applicability to the field of a mounting device or catch, and specifically to a mounting device with an internal support plate for objects such as mirrors, unframed pictures covered with a sheet of glass, or other generally flat objects.
In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to mounting devices or catches. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the specific means or features shown or described, since the means and features shown or described comprise preferred ways of putting the invention into effect.
Additionally, while this invention is described in terms of being used for a mounting device or catch, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can be adapted to other uses in industry and for other forms of device assembly, and therefore the invention should not be construed as being limited to mounting devices. The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims, appropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/652,066, entitled “MOUNTING DEVICE WITH SUPPORT PLATE,” filed Feb. 10, 2005.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
60652066 | Feb 2005 | US |