The present invention relates generally to rod brackets and more specifically to a rod bracket for hanging curtains and the like which is configured for easy install.
Current curtain rod brackets that are mounted to walls and window casings typically require mounting hardware and preparation of the mounting area before mounting. This usually involves pre-drilling the wall surface and installing screw anchors to provide enough support to support the curtain rod brackets, the curtain rod and the curtains that are associated with the curtain rods. This can be a time consuming and messy process. And in some cases, for the person who is not adept at or who is not used to installing this type of hardware, can damage the wall and/or window casing. One way that has been attempted to overcome this problem is to develop curtain rod brackets that can be installed simply by associating the curtain rod brackets to the wall or window casing via friction and thus, curtain rod bracket that do not require tools to install. Unfortunately however, there are situations where these “tool less” curtain rod brackets cannot be used and thus, must be installed by anchoring the curtain rod bracket to the wall using tools.
In general, curtain rods and such are hung on brackets. In a typical installation, a bracket is placed in a desired position against a wall, the bracket secured to the wall using nails and/or screws, and a curtain rod positioned and suspended securely across the bracket. At a minimum, the installation of the bracket requires a hammer and/or a screwdriver to fixate the nails and/or screws and reasonable manual dexterity to secure the bracket to the wall. More specifically, the bracket is positioned on the wall, nails and/or screws are tap and/or screwed into the wall, and curtain and rod are hung on the bracket. What is needed is a system that eases an installation of a curtain rod bracket to a wall structure.
The drapery hanging industry existed well before the ready availability of consumer feedback that is afforded by the social media and other consumer-direct communication channels made possible by the emergence of Internet. Yet even after the consumer access was available, innovation in the drapery industry generally focused on small changes for manufacturability, advances in related technology and the like. As consumer interest in and contribution to drapery hanging expanded on social media and other consumer information exchange channels, it became apparent that the widespread need for ease of installation of, for example wall mount drapery brackets was not being satisfied by existing and emerging products.
These needs for successful, easy, low-impact and reliable installation extended well beyond mere drapery rod brackets, extending into a wide array of wall-mount hangers, such as towel bars, towel rings, clothing hooks, hooks for kitchen use (e.g., pot hangers), hangers for use in workshops, closets, and the like.
Additionally, consumer input and feedback signaled a widespread need for more complete application-specific solutions that provide comparable ease of successful, low-impact and reliable installation benefits to address wall-hanging needs for kitchens, baths, dormitories, and the like. Such application-specific solutions are desired to not only ease the installation burden, but also ease the shopping and product evaluation burden. At best a consumer had to rely on potential solutions being highlighted by on-line shopping services that suggest, among other things what other consumers viewed and/or bought when a website user viewed or bought, for example a bathroom towel bar.
Yet further, consumer access to analytic capabilities, such as comparison shopping, consumer ratings, awareness of the rapid pace of technological advancement is creating emerging needs for drapery and related wall mount-type brackets and the like to solve multiple needs, from automation to connection through Internet-of-Things concepts to further integrate with home automation capabilities that save energy, increase home owner satisfaction, and promote general quality of health and well-being, among others.
The products, methods, systems and kits described in exemplary embodiments herein and depicted in the accompanying figures set out to address these longstanding, widespread needs.
The following presents a simplified summary of the innovation in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of the invention nor delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
A rod bracket is provided and includes a bracket base, wherein the bracket base defines a first bracket mounting cavity and a second bracket mounting cavity and includes a bracket front, a bracket rear, a bracket top and a bracket bottom. A bracket arm is also provided, wherein the bracket arm includes a first bracket arm end and a second bracket arm end and wherein the first bracket arm end is securely associated with the bracket front. Furthermore, a curtain rod cradle is provided and is securely associated with the second bracket arm end, wherein the bracket base further includes a first bracket side and a second bracket side and wherein the first bracket mounting cavity is located on the first bracket side and the second bracket mounting cavity is located on the second bracket side and wherein the first bracket mounting cavity and second bracket mounting cavity are configured at an angle between about 30° and about 60° relative to a horizontal plane.
A rod bracket is provided and includes a bracket base, wherein the bracket base defines a plurality of bracket mounting cavities and includes a bracket front, a bracket rear, a bracket top and a bracket bottom.
Additionally, a bracket arm and a curtain rod cradle securely associated with the bracket base via the bracket arm is also included, wherein the plurality of bracket mounting cavities communicate the bracket front with the bracket rear and are configured at an angle of about 45° relative to a horizontal plane.
A rod bracket is provided and includes a bracket base, wherein the bracket base defines a plurality of bracket mounting cavities and includes a base front, a base rear, a base top and a base bottom, a bracket arm having a bracket arm length and a curtain rod cradle securely associated with the bracket base via the bracket arm, wherein the plurality of bracket mounting cavities communicate the base front with the base rear and are configured at an angle of between about 30° and 60° relative to a horizontal plane, and wherein the bracket base defines a first bracket base rear opening, and wherein the ratio between the bracket arm length and the distance between the first bracket base rear opening and the base bottom is about 1:1.
In general, in one aspect, the invention features a system including a bracket, the bracket comprising a back plate, an arm and a curtain rod cradle, and a fastening plate, a rear of the back plate configured to slidably receive the fastening plate. In another aspect, the invention features a system including a bracket, the bracket comprising a back plate, an arm and a curtain rod cradle, and a fastening prong, fastening prong comprising a flat portion linked to a penetration portion, a rear of the back plate configured to slidably receive the flat portion.
In still another aspect, the invention features a method including providing a bracket system having a bracket and a prong, sliding a back of the bracket over an exposed portion of the prong, and manually pressing the bracket into a wall at a desired location without the use of additional tools, securing the bracket to the wall with a pointed end of the prong.
The invention may have one or more of the following advantages. The installation of a curtain rod bracket is accomplished by placing bracket having a fastening prong at a desired location, manually pressing it into a wall without accessory tools. The installation of a curtain rod bracket is effectuated without a need for tools.
A bracket and a prong are assembled prior to installation by sliding a flat portion of the prong into a channel on the back of the bracket. A customer then uses the bracket as leverage in securing the bracket to a wall with a pointed end of the prong. This makes installation easier.
Consumer needs present in the drapery hanging industry include ease of installation with high reliability and low impact are addressed through a range of products, product features, product mix (e.g., kits and the like), integration of technology and the like. These solutions embodied herein benefit a range of consumer and industrial markets that meet needs for wall mounted brackets for draperies, soft privacy coverings for windows and doors, shelving, decluttering (e.g., hanging pots, pans, hand-held appliances, tools, and the like), cleanliness (e.g., hand, bath, and kitchen towels), lighting, art/sports memorabilia display, and the like. These and other systems, methods, objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment and the drawings. These and other features and advantages will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description and a review of the associated drawings. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are explanatory only and are not restrictive of aspects as claimed.
All documents mentioned herein are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference. References to items in the singular should be understood to include items in the plural, and vice versa, unless explicitly stated otherwise or clear from the text. Grammatical conjunctions are intended to express any and all disjunctive and conjunctive combinations of conjoined clauses, sentences, words, and the like, unless otherwise stated or clear from the context.
The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like elements are numbered alike:
Referring to the
The bracket base 102 defines a first bracket base front opening 124, a second bracket base front opening 126, a first bracket base rear opening 128 and a second bracket base rear opening 130, wherein the first bracket base front opening 124 is communicated with the first bracket base rear opening 128 via the first base mount cavity 120 and wherein the second bracket base front opening 126 is communicated with the second bracket base rear opening 130 via the second base mount cavity 122. It should be appreciated that the first base mount cavity 120 and second base mount cavity 122 are configured to traverse the width of the bracket base 102 at an angle of about 45° relative to a horizontal plane Y. It should be appreciated that the bracket base 102 includes a base length BL which extends between the base top 108 and the base bottom 110. Additionally, the bracket base 102 includes a bracket clearance vertical length BCVL which extends from the first bracket base rear opening 128 and second bracket base rear opening 130 to the base bottom 110.
The bracket rod arm 104 includes an arm cradle end 132 and an arm base end 134 and is securely connected to (or integral with) the bracket base 102, wherein the bracket rod arm 104 is configured to extend out of and away from the base front 114. The bracket rod arm 104 also includes a bracket clearance horizontal length BCHL which extends between the arm cradle end 132 and the base rear 116. It is contemplated that in one embodiment there is a one-to-one (1:1) clearance ratio CR between the bracket clearance horizontal length BCHL and the bracket clearance vertical length BCVL. It should be appreciated that the clearance ratio CR may be increased by increasing the bracket clearance vertical length BCVL. This would advantageously allow for the rod bracket to support heavier loads than the 1:1 clearance ratio CR.
The curtain rod cradle 106 includes a cradle structure 136 which defines a rod cavity 138 and a cradle opening 140, wherein the cradle opening 140 is communicated with the rod cavity 138 and wherein the rod cavity is sized and shape to at least partially contain a curtain rod. The curtain rod cradle 106 is securely attached (or integral with) to the arm cradle end 132 of the bracket rod arm 104. The cradle structure 136 further defines a cradle mounting cavity 142 having a cradle mounting cavity first opening 141 and a cradle mounting cavity second opening 143, wherein the cradle mounting cavity first opening 141 is communicated with the cradle mounting cavity second opening 143 via the cradle mounting cavity 142. It should be appreciated that the cradle mounting cavity second opening 143 is located so as to be within the rod cavity 138. Additionally, the cradle mounting cavity 142 includes a threaded cavity surface 150 such that when a rod mounting screw 148 having a threaded screw surface 152 is inserted into the cradle mounting cavity first opening and rotated, the threaded screw surface 152 and the threaded cavity surface 150 engage each other. As such, the rod mounting screw 148 is securely contained within the cradle mounting cavity 142 such that a portion of the rod mounting screw 148 is protruding from the cradle mounting cavity second opening.
It should be appreciated that the bracket base 102 may be configured to have different shapes as desired, such as, for example, rectangular, triangular and square. Referring to
The bracket base 202 defines a first bracket base front opening 220, a second bracket base front opening 222, a first bracket base rear opening 224 and a second bracket base rear opening 226, wherein the first bracket base front opening 220 is communicated with the first bracket base rear opening 224 via the first base mount cavity 216 and wherein the second bracket base front opening 222 is communicated with the second bracket base rear opening 226 via the second base mount cavity 218. It should be appreciated that the first base mount cavity 216 and second base mount cavity 218 are configured to traverse the width of the bracket base 202 at an angle of about 45° relative to a horizontal plane Y. It should be appreciated that the bracket base 202 includes a base length BL which extends between the base top 204 and the base bottom 206. Additionally, the bracket base 202 includes a bracket clearance vertical length BCVL which extends from the first bracket base rear opening 224 and second bracket base rear opening 226 to the base bottom 206.
The rod bracket 200 further includes a bracket rod arm 228 and a curtain rod cradle 230, wherein the bracket rod arm 228 includes an arm cradle end 232 and an arm base end 234 and is securely connected to (or integral with) the bracket base 202. The bracket rod arm 228 is configured to extend out of and away from the base front 210. The bracket rod arm 228 also includes a bracket clearance horizontal length BCHL which extends between the arm cradle end 232 and the base rear 212. It is contemplated that in one embodiment there is a one-to-one (1:1) clearance ratio CR between the bracket clearance horizontal length BCHL and the bracket clearance vertical length BCVL. It should be appreciated that the clearance ratio CR may be increased by increasing the bracket clearance vertical length BCVL. This would advantageously allow for the rod bracket to support heavier loads than the 1:1 clearance ratio CR.
The curtain rod cradle 230 includes a cradle structure 236 which defines a rod cavity 238 and a cradle opening 240, wherein the cradle opening 240 is communicated with the rod cavity 238 and wherein the rod cavity 238 is sized and shape to at least partially contain a curtain rod. The curtain rod cradle 230 is securely attached to (or integral with) the arm cradle end 232 of the bracket rod arm 228. The cradle structure 236 further defines a cradle mounting cavity 242 having a cradle mounting cavity first opening 244 and a cradle mounting cavity second opening 246, wherein the cradle mounting cavity first opening 244 is communicated with the cradle mounting cavity second opening 246 via the cradle mounting cavity 242. It should be appreciated that the cradle mounting cavity second opening 246 is located so as to be within the rod cavity 238. Additionally, the cradle mounting cavity 242 includes a threaded cavity surface 248 such that when a rod mounting screw 250 having a threaded screw surface 252 is inserted into the cradle mounting cavity first opening 244 and rotated, the threaded screw surface 252 and the threaded cavity surface 248 engage each other. As such, the rod mounting screw 250 is securely contained within the cradle mounting cavity 242 such that a portion of the rod mounting screw 250 is protruding from the cradle mounting cavity second opening 246.
Referring to
The bracket rod arm 304 includes an arm cradle end 322, an arm base end 324, a first rod arm cavity 326 and a second rod arm cavity 328, wherein the first rod arm cavity 326 and second rod arm cavity 328 are located proximate the arm base end 324. It should be appreciated that the first base mount cavity 318 is aligned with the first rod arm cavity 326 such that when the bracket base 302 is placed against a surface and a nail or screw is passed through the first base mount cavity 318 and the first rod arm cavity 326, the nail or screw will enter the surface at an angle of about 45° relative to a horizontal plane Y. It should be appreciated that the rod bracket 300 includes a curtain rod cradle 330 located proximate the arm cradle end 322, wherein the curtain rod cradle 330 defines a rod cavity 332 and a cradle mounting cavity 334 having a cradle mounting cavity first opening 336 and a cradle mounting cavity second opening 338, wherein the cradle mounting cavity first opening 336 is communicated with the cradle mounting cavity second opening 338 via the cradle mounting cavity 334.
It should also be appreciated that the cradle mounting cavity second opening 338 is located so as to be within the rod cavity 332. Additionally, the cradle mounting cavity 334 includes a threaded cavity surface 340 such that when a rod mounting screw 250 having a threaded screw surface 252 is inserted into the cradle mounting cavity first opening 336 and rotated, the threaded screw surface 252 and the threaded cavity surface 340 engage each other. As such, the rod mounting screw 250 is securely contained within the cradle mounting cavity 334 such that a portion of the rod mounting screw 250 is protruding from the cradle mounting cavity second opening 338. It should be appreciated that the curtain rod cradle 330 may be angled at an angle 13 relative a horizontal plane Y, wherein 13 may range from about 90° to about 135°.
Furthermore, the bracket support arm 306 includes a support arm top 342 and a support arm bottom 344, wherein the support arm top 342 is associated with the bracket rod arm 304 and the support arm bottom 344 is connected to the base bottom 310 such that the bracket support arm 306 is angled at an angle SL relative to the bracket base 302, wherein SL may range from about 10° to about 45°. It should be appreciated that the support arm top 342 may be connected to the bracket rod arm 304 or the support arm top 342 may be associated with the bracket rod arm 304 such that a portion of the bracket rod arm 304 rest upon and may be partially supported by the bracket support arm 306 when a rod is located within the rod cavity 332.
Referring to
Referring to
The bracket rod arm 404 includes an arm cradle end 422 and an arm base end 424, wherein arm cradle end 422 is connected to the curtain rod cradle 406 and wherein the arm base end 424 is connected to the base bottom 410 such that the bracket rod arm 404 is angled at an angle F relative to the bracket base 402, wherein F may range from about 15° to about 60°. It should be appreciated that the curtain rod cradle 406 defines a rod cavity 426 and a cradle mounting cavity 428 having a cradle mounting cavity first opening 430 and a cradle mounting cavity second opening 432, wherein the cradle mounting cavity first opening 430 is communicated with the cradle mounting cavity second opening 432 via the cradle mounting cavity 428.
It should also be appreciated that the cradle mounting cavity second opening 432 is located to be within the rod cavity 426. Additionally, the cradle mounting cavity 428 includes a threaded cavity surface 434 such that when a rod mounting screw 250 having a threaded screw surface 252 is inserted into the cradle mounting cavity first opening 430 and rotated, the threaded screw surface 252 and the threaded cavity surface 434 engage each other. As such, the rod mounting screw 250 is securely contained within the cradle mounting cavity 428 such that a portion of the rod mounting screw 250 is protruding from the cradle mounting cavity second opening 432.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Furthermore, the bracket base 602 may further include a protrusion 624 (may include one or more protrusions 624) which extends out of and away from the base rear 614, wherein the protrusion 624 is located proximate the base bottom 608. The protrusion 624 (which may be a stabilizing spike) may include one or more sharp and/or pointed portion 626 which enters and engages the surface to which the rod bracket 600 is being mounted to provide stability. It should be appreciated that the protrusion 624 may be created from a portion of the bracket base 602 (such as by a ‘punch out’ or ‘cut out’) or the protrusion 624 may be connected to the base rear 614, via welding or other suitable connection device and/or method.
The bracket rod arm 604 includes a rod arm top 628, a rod arm bottom 630, a rod arm front 632, a rod arm rear 634 and rod arm sides 636. The rod arm rear 634 is connected to one of the base sides 610 such that the bracket rod arm 604 is configured to be at an angle 45 (which may be about 90°) relative to the base front 612, wherein the bracket rod arm 604 extends away from the base front 612. The bracket rod arm 604 includes rod support structure 637 which includes an engagement structure 638 which protrudes from the rod arm top 628 and is angled back toward the bracket base 602 at an angle tt, wherein t may range from about 15° to about 30° relative to the rod arm front 632. Additionally, the rod arm bottom 630 includes a protrusion 640 which extends out of and downward from the rod arm bottom 630. It should be appreciated that in at least one embodiment, the bracket rod arm 604 is disposed to be proximate the rod arm bottom 630 and/or the engagement structure 638 is located lower on the bracket base 602 than the base mounting cradle 620.
Referring again to
In accordance with embodiments of the invention and referring to the FIGS., the rod bracket 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 operates as follows. Referring to the FIGS., the rod bracket 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 is placed on a flat surface, for example a wall, such that the base rear 116, 212 of a first rod bracket 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 is flat against the flat surface. A first nail is inserted into the first bracket base front opening 124, 220 and hit with a hammer (or other hard item) until the first nail traverses the first base mount cavity 120, 216 and exits out of the first bracket base rear opening 128, 224 and enters the flat surface. The first nail is driven into the flat surface until a small portion of the first nail is protruding out of the first bracket base front opening 124, 220. A second nail is then inserted into the second bracket base front opening 126, 222 and hit with a hammer (or other hard item) until the second nail traverses the second base mount cavity 122, 218 and exits out of the second bracket base rear opening 130, 226 and enters the flat surface. The second nail is driven into the flat surface until a small portion of the first nail is protruding out of the second bracket base front opening 126, 222. This is then repeated for a second rod bracket 100, 200, 300, 400, 500.
A curtain rod is then positioned within the rod cavity 138, 238 of the first and second rod brackets 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and a rod mounting screw 148, 250 is inserted into the cradle mounting cavity first opening 141, 244 of the first rod bracket 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and rotated. The threaded screw surface 152,252 and the threaded cavity surface 150, 248 thereby engage each other securely containing the rod mounting screw 148, 250 within the cradle mounting cavity 142, 242 such that a portion of the rod mounting screw 148, 250 is protruding from the cradle mounting cavity second opening 143, 246. The portion of the rod mounting screw 148, 250 that is protruding from the cradle mounting cavity second opening 246 is pressing against the curtain rod that is contained within the rod cavity 138, 238, thereby securely containing the curtain rod within the rod cavity 138, 238. This is then repeated for the second rod bracket 100, 200, 300, 400, 500. It should be appreciated that in some embodiments, a resilient (i.e. spring biased) mounting pin may be used to hold the curtain rod within the rod cavity 138, 238. In such an embodiment, the mounting pin would be retracted until the curtain rod was located within the rod cavity 138, 238. When the curtain rod is located in the rod cavity 138, 238, the mounting pin would be released and the spring biasing would cause the mounting pin to compress against the curtain rod thereby securely containing the curtain rod within the rod cavity 138, 238. Moreover, in still yet another embodiment, protrusions may be located on the walls that define the rod cavity. Thus, when the curtain rod is located in the rod cavity 138, 238 the protrusions would frictionally contain the curtain rod within the rod cavity 138, 238.
It should be appreciated that the rod bracket 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 may be configured to have one or more base mount cavities 118, 214, 314, 414, 514, 622 as desired. It is also contemplated that the rod bracket 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 may be constructed from one piece or via multiple pieces connected together. Moreover, it should be appreciated that the rod bracket 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 may be constructed from any material and/or combination of materials as desired suitable to the desired end purpose, such as for example, plastic, composite, metal, wood, etc. Additionally, it should be appreciated that the rod bracket 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 may be sized as desired and as suitable to the desired end purpose.
In embodiments, one of the needs present in the industry is ease of installation. Solutions that involve use of multiple tools (e.g., drills, screw drivers, levels), in-wall anchors, and the like are the norm and have been assailed as difficult, at best when it comes to installation. An in-wall anchor does not work in all wall board type installations, such as if a structural element is located behind the wall board. A feature of the solutions exemplified herein is the universal approach to installation that is independent of the absence or presence of a conventional wood frame wall structure at the point of installation. This universal approach to installation merely involves use of intentionally placed and oriented mounting fasteners (e.g., prongs, nails, and the like) that, in embodiments can be driven into the mounting surface (e.g., a plaster wall board) with at most a hammer. In embodiments, fasteners generally used with a hammer may be wall-penetrating fasteners, such as nails (with various features, such as serrations, barbs, and with various shapes, such as straight, rounded, curved, compound shaped and the like), pins, barbs, prongs, and the like. For certain installations, even a hammer is not needed as the wall-penetrating fasteners can be pressed into the wall board. The placement of these wall-penetrating fasteners is derived from an analysis of the mechanics of the bracket in relation to the item that the bracket is to retain (e.g., a curtain rod and the like). This easy installation benefit can be achieved through use of wall-penetrating fasteners that pass through apertures in the bracket that are oriented to ensure the wall-penetrating fasteners penetrate the wall at an angle relative to the mounting surface (e.g., the back) of the bracket so that a downward force on the bracket (e.g., from draperies hanging on a curtain rod supported by the bracket) up to several inches away from the wall surface does not compromise the integrity of the bracket function. Other mounting elements may be used as well including captive hardware, hard-attached hardware (e.g., one or more wall-penetrating fasteners extending downward at a 30 to 60 degree angle relative to vertical that extend from the back of the bracket), two piece bracket and wall-mounting plate hardware, and the like. These and other embodiments will be described further herein.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
The fastening plates 1320, 1420 shown above, generally require use of a hammer or screwdriver in conjunction with nails or screws to secure the fastening plates 1320, 1420 to any wall structure. However, manual insertion may be used when the wall structure is standard wall board. But there are times in which a tool-less system would be preferred. Referring now to
In
Referring now to
In embodiments, the wall-penetrating fasteners may be positioned with an orientation that facilitates achieving a second need—reliability of installation. By providing properly oriented hardware for securing the bracket to a substantially vertical wall, needing nothing more than a hammer to drive home the wall-penetrating fasteners, the integrity of the installation is highly likely to be achieved. By placing the bracket with its back flush against the wall in the desired mounting location and orientation, the wall-penetrating fasteners that secure the bracket to the wall will be oriented properly as well. There will be no need for marking with the bracket or a template in place, followed by wall preparation steps, such as insertion of wall anchors that could, as a result of minor variation in this process result in an unreliable installation, or at least one that does not deliver the desired result, such as the bracket being offset or tilted relative to its desired position. The single-step installation process afforded by methods and systems exemplified herein contributes not only to ease but reliability as well.
In embodiments, the single-step installation process described here achieves meeting yet an additional need—low impact. Unlike conventional processes that involve substantive wall manipulation in preparation for mounting drapery hardware (and the like), the nail/prong-based methods and systems of wall bracket installation substantively reduce an impact on the wall on which the bracket is mounted. By positioning the bracket, especially with use of fixed or captive hardware versions of the bracket and driving the wall-penetrating fasteners into the wall, the impact is limited to the two wall-penetrating fasteners penetrating the wall board. Removal can be achieved through direct extraction of the bracket (optionally removing the wall-penetrating fasteners first), leaving only two small nail holes in the wall. This is substantively less impact that would result from using any type of wall anchor, and the like. A secondary benefit of low impact is ease of repositioning. If, after installation, the location of the bracket needs to be adjusted, the bracket/wall-penetrating fasteners can be removed as described herein and typically reused to reinstall the bracket. This secondary benefit is enhanced by the ability to make small scale adjustments in position, orientation and the like (e.g., move the bracket one quarter inch horizontally). Such small scale adjustments are essentially impossible when using wall anchors.
In embodiments, an anchorless-installed wall-mount bracket for hanging items such as curtains, towels and the like is described and depicted herein. Embodiments of such a curtain rod bracket, including various configurations and details of the structural aspects, such as placement and orientation of nail apertures, orientation and positioning of rod cradles, shape and materials, and the like may be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/018,979 filed Jun. 26, 2018 now published as of U.S. Pat. Appl. Publication No. 2018/0306219, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
In embodiments, an anchorless-installed wall-mount bracket for hanging items such as curtains, towels and the like that may include one or more of the features described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/018,979 filed Jun. 26, 2018 now published as of U.S. Pat. Appl. Publication No. 2018/0306219, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, may be configured with one, two, three or more apertures, captured fasteners (e.g., wall-penetrating fasteners), fixed-attached wall-penetrating fasteners and the like. A number of wall-penetrating fasteners may correspond to a maximum weight supportable by the bracket. One-nail configurations may be used in pairs for light weight applications, such as for hanging small café rods and curtains and the like. Two-nail configurations may be used individually or in sets (e.g., two or more) for medium weight applications, such as draperies that when combined with a rod and decorative finial may weigh up to approximately 50 pounds (for two-bracket applications), or approximately 25 pounds per bracket. Three and higher count nail configurations may be used individually or in sets (e.g., two or more) for higher weight applications, such as heavy weight draperies, solid rods and the like. Scalability of this fastening system may permit greater weight applications, such as through distributing the fasteners over a greater wall surface. In an example of scaling an anchorless-installed wall-mount bracket for heavier weight applications, fastener type may be adapted as well to include, for example, barbed, curved or self-expanding fasteners that distribute load hanging weight over a larger portion of a wall. When fastener type is combined with fastener count, it may be possible to support much greater weights and realize use in non-traditional applications, such as shelving, coat hangers, and the like.
Referring to
In embodiments, an overall size and optionally a shape of the bracket may further contribute to performance for various maximum weight uses. As an example, a bracket with a large wall-contact surface area may distribute its bearing weight over a greater area, thereby reducing the impact on small areas of the wall on which the bracket rests. A vertically elongated bracket may improve performance of at least heavy weight applications where a secondary cradle support arm is indicated. Other features of the overall shape, such as the sharpness of an edge of the bracket that contacts the wall may provide improved performance. For a performance object of minimizing potential wall damage, a smooth edge may cause less damage than a sharp edge.
In embodiments, vertical orientation of the nail apertures or captive hardware or fixed attached wall-penetrating fasteners relative to an attachment point of the cradle arm to the bracket mounting surface may impact reliability. By positioning the nail apertures, etc. above the cradle arm intersection point, downward forces due to hanging drapery and the like will cause the wall-mount surface of the bracket to be pressed against the wall, effectively attempting to close the gap between the wall-penetrating fasteners extending into the wall while forcing the wall-penetrating fasteners upward against wall board. Such nail aperture, etc positioning may also aid in installation and removal as only a pulling force aligned with axis of the wall-penetrating fasteners (e.g., approximately 45 degrees above horizontal) can cause the wall-penetrating fasteners to loosen in the wall board.
In embodiments, an anchorless-installed wall-mount bracket for hanging items such as curtains, towels and the like may be constructed from a range of materials, using a range of techniques including; casting of zinc and other castable metals; injection molding of plastic-type material, such as ABS plastic and the like; stamping from sheet or bar stock, such as aluminum bar stock and the like; bending/folding/forming from sheet or bar stock and the like. Features of an anchorless-installed wall-mount bracket for hanging items such as curtains, towels and the like, such as location and orientation of apertures, overall shape, rod set screws, and the like may be added during the primary construction operation, such as during injection molding or as a secondary operation, such as hole punching, drill/tap operations, and the like. In embodiments, a stamp produced bracket may have the integrated nail aperture added as a secondary operation.
In embodiments, an anchorless-installed wall-mount bracket for hanging items such as curtains, towels and the like may be finished with plating, painting, alternate material covers (e.g., shrouding, and the like). There may be many combinations of material type, finish, shape, and the like to address aesthetic, functional, cost and performance objectives, such as matching a bracket finish to a mating finial finish and/or to a curtain rod finish and the like. To achieve certain performance objectives, such as tarnish resistance, a non-tarnish plating may be selected. To achieve a cost objective, a plastic injection molded part may be textured in the molding process to provide an improved aesthetic without requiring secondary plating or painting operations.
The overall shape of the bracket and orientation of the nail apertures relative to a curtain rod cradle may be optimized to facilitate ease of installation. In embodiments, the wall-penetrating fasteners may be accessible for hammering without imposing substantive risk of the hammering operation damaging the cradle, such as by having the apertures disposed on a portion of the bracket that extends above the cradle arm.
In embodiments, a wall mount curtain rod bracket may be configured to facilitate protection of a wall on which the bracket is mounted when an over-weight condition is present, such as if drapery substantively heavier than the specified maximum weight (e.g., 25 pounds per bracket equivalent) is hanging on the brackets or when a person or pet pulls downward on the drapery or installed rod. These common situations may contribute to damage to the drapery, the rod, the bracket and/or the wall. In embodiments, an anchorless-installed wall-mount bracket for hanging items such as curtains, towels and the like or equivalent may be configured with a point of failure wall-safety feature that, during sufficient over-weight conditions, relieves the bracket of at least the load weight that is in excess of the specification. In embodiments, the wall-safety feature 2302 may comprise a portion of the arm, cradle, racket base, and the like that fails (e.g., breaks apart, separates, and the like) under an excess weight load condition. In embodiments, a wall-safety portion 2302 of a bracket arm that secures a rod cradle to the base may be designed to withstand at least 25 pounds of downward force proximal to the rod cradle. The wall-safety portion 2302 may fail (e.g., snap away and the like), when a downward pressure greater than a wall-safety breakaway threshold (e.g., 26 pounds for example) is present. In embodiments, the downward force (breakaway threshold) required to cause the wall-safety portion 2302 to fail may be substantively higher than 25 pounds, such as 30 pounds or more. In embodiments, the breakaway threshold may be determined based on the size and/or shape of the base portion of the bracket that contacts the wall surface. A bracket with a wide base portion may be configured with a higher breakaway threshold than, say a bracket with a narrow base portion. The wide base portion may facilitate distributing the over-weight condition over a larger surface area, effectively reducing the force per unit area when compared to the same over-weight condition being present on a narrow base portion. In embodiments, a breakaway wall-safety portion 2302 of such a bracket may be disposed proximal to a load point, such as a rod cradle. While an overweight load wall protection feature is described herein as a breakaway portion, there may be other techniques for facilitating protection of a wall, and/or indicating a root cause for wall damage due to an overweight condition. In embodiments, a visual indicator, such as a feature that is deformed under an over-weight condition may be configured into the bracket. When such an indicator is activated, product-related benefits, such as warrantees and the like may be affected. In embodiments, a result of activating such an indicator may be visual (e.g., as described above), audible, wireless communicated, and the like. In embodiments, a wall safety feature may be constructed of a material that is adapted to generate the overweight condition indicator and/or breakaway to protect the wall. This material may be different than the remainder of the bracket. In an example, a cast zinc bracket may include a plastic portion disposed proximal to the rod cradle that serves the wall safety function. A range of techniques for making the wall-safety portion effective may include reducing the strength/thickness/density and the like of the portion during production, resulting in the wall-safety portion being weaker than the remainder of the bracket. Other potential wall-safety features may include breakaway wall-penetrating fasteners, breakaway nail apertures, snap-off nail heads, and the like.
Embodiments of an anchorless-installed wall-mount bracket for hanging items such as curtains, towels and the like may include some form of visible heads of wall-penetrating fasteners disposed through the apertures. Additionally, when hammering is performed to install the bracket to the wall, minor damage to at least the portion of the bracket near the apertures may occur. Also, by requiring the apertures to be assessable for hammering, design options, such as size, shape, color, finish, and the like for the entirety of the bracket is affected. Additionally, while the function served by the wall-penetrating fasteners of attaching the bracket to the wall is universal for all brackets, the external portion of the bracket extending from the wall surface can vary highly in style, size, and function (e.g., number of rod cradles and the like). Therefore, embodiments of an anchorless-installed wall-mount bracket for hanging items such as curtains, towels and the like may include concealed hardware.
Referring to
In embodiments, concealed hardware embodiments may include two-piece bracket system that includes a concealable plate (e.g., a universal base suitable for use with a wide range of bracket bodies) and a visible bracket body to meet a wide range of style options, material options, and functionality, such as for hanging curtains, drapery, two or more curtain rods, towels, clothing, appliances, kitchen items, and the like. Exemplary embodiments may be described and depicted in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/358,204 filed Mar. 19, 2019 now published as U.S. Pat. Appl. Publication No. 2019/0282017, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. A universal concealable plate may include separate wall-penetrating fasteners (e.g., nails) that operate to fasten the plate to the wall surface; captive fasteners (e.g., nails); or integrated fasteners (e.g., barbs that extend away from a surface of the plate to be pressed into a wall board, and the like).
In embodiments, concealed hardware embodiments may include a single piece bracket with an optional removable element to cover a portion of the bracket proximal to the apertures so that the wall-penetrating fasteners and any co-located effect of hammering may be concealed. In embodiments, concealed hardware embodiments may include a single piece bracket with an attached cover that slides and/or rotates to expose and/conceal the portion of the bracket proximal to the apertures so that the wall-penetrating fasteners and any co-located effect of hammering may be concealed.
Referring to
Embodiments may include versions that facilitate fastening one or more finials directly to the bracket rather than requiring installation to an end of a curtain rod. This may reduce complexity of the rod while enabling use of a wide range of rod types independent of a choice of finial. Additionally, finials that attach (typically through screwing into an end of a rod) are generally symmetric in shape since it may be difficult to ensure which portion of the finial will be exposed. Therefore, providing finial attachment features to the bracket may facilitate use of alternative, non-symmetrical finials. Exemplary embodiments are depicted in
Referring to
Referring now to
In embodiments, an anchorless-installed wall-mount bracket may be configured with push-in wall-penetrating fastener(s) 1802 for use with hollow walls, such as plaster-board walls. A push-in bracket may be configured with a curved fastener that penetrates the wall at an angle 1804 and loops up and back 1806 toward the inner surface of the penetrated wall board. The push-in fastener may be a curved barb that is fixed to the bracket or to a concealed wall plate in a two-piece embodiment such that the back surface of the bracket/plate where the barb attaches can be pushed flush with the exterior wall surface. An exemplary embodiment is depicted in
The methods and systems of an anchorless-installed wall-mount bracket can be applied to a wide range of wall-hanging needs. These needs may be consolidated into functionally related kits to further provide access to the benefits of easy, reliable, low-impact installation for events, such as students moving into a dormitory, new home owners moving into a new home, setting up an apartment, and the like. In embodiments, medium and large scale activities, such as remodeling or newly constructing several apartments and the like may benefit from the such kits by providing a single line item that contractors can order to receive all the items needed for a project, such as a bathroom. Additionally, the ease of installation of items in such a kit can save substantively on labor costs and risks for needing to repair errors in installation. Several exemplary kits of an anchorless-installed wall-mount bracket for application specific use are depicted in
General features and benefits of the embodiment of an anchorless-installed wall-mount bracket described and depicted herein and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/358,204 filed Mar. 19, 2019 now published as U.S. Pat. Appl. Publication No. 2019/0282017 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/018,979 filed Jun. 26, 2018 now published as of U.S. Pat. Appl. Publication No. 2018/0306219, may include finials that are attachable to a curtain rod cradle arm of a bracket, brackets with integrated finials, internal window frame mount brackets, external wall/window frame mount brackets, combined internal/external mount brackets with fasteners on one or two mounting surfaces, window frame corner alignment features built into the bracket, window frame corner alignment features built into a reusable template, window frame corner alignment features built into a break-away portion of the bracket and/or into a template. Other features and benefits include supporting a wide range of bracket shapes including rounded (e.g., round, vertically elongated oval and the like), brackets with corners (e.g., vertically elongated rectangle, triangle, hexagon, octagon, and any other number of sides) and the like. Yet other benefits of an anchorless-installed wall-mount bracket include ease of installation, single tool installation, optional tool-less installation, reusability, no wall prep for installation, removable, low impact to the wall, no need for adhesive, no need for screws or wall anchors, and use on a plurality of wall types (wall board, wood frame-backed walls, solid wood walls, and the like). Features and benefits extend to the wall-penetrating fasteners and may include decorative fastener head, color matching fastener/head, extended shoulder fasteners to facilitate easy removal, concealed fasteners, integrated fasteners and the like. Features that may be found on products with an anchorless-installed wall-mount bracket may include adjustable displacement of a rod cradle or hanging element from the wall, such as through use of a sliding extension mechanism, and use of a lead screw that adjusts an offset of the hanging element from the wall. For multi-rod hanging configurations (e.g., multiple rod cradles), the relative location and offset of such cradles can be preconfigured set as a default and in-field adjustable and the like. In embodiments, two or more rod cradles may be vertically aligned, on a single cradle arm, on separate cradle arms and the like. The two or more rods may be offset from each other vertically and/or horizontally to provide a wide range of curtain visibility options.
For curtain rod embodiments, a range of rod types may be supported through adaptation of, for example, a shape or function of a rod cradle. Rods that may be supported by an anchorless-installed wall-mount bracket may include café rod, swivel sash rod, round sash rod, flat sash rod, traverse rod, and the like. In embodiments, a bracket may be adapted to provide rod-specific support, such as to accept and securely support a round sash rod and the like. In embodiments, a multi-rod type bracket may be configured with a feature that supports in-field adaptation of a rod cradle to support rod-specific support features, such as a socket into which a rod-specific cradle can be configured at time of installation of the bracket. Additionally, further embodiments might include a bracket arm that is adjustable in its pitch, or angle relative to the wall, enabling, for example the raising or lowering of the load that is suspended from the bracket arm. Another feature may be adjustability of the bracket arm to the left and right along the wall, or rotation of the bracket arm to better position or secure the load. Furthermore, additional embodiments might include a bracket arm which is positionable in a plurality of positions on the wall-mount base, enabling minor adjustments of position during or after installation.
In embodiments, an anchorless-installed wall-mount bracket may be configured with integrated technology elements to improve utility, integrate with automated home functionality, improve comfort and convenience and the like. Exemplary integrations may include light sensing with motorized automated open/closing of a curtain, such as a traverse rod curtain; heat sensing to open/close curtains to avoid excessive heating or cooling of an interior space; light and/or heat sensing combined with an alert function, such as a wireless transmitter for use with a smart-home or comparable system; a level (e.g., an integrated bubble level) to ease accurate installation; laser level compatibility, such as with an element that illuminates (e.g., sparkles, glows, diffuses and the like) when impacted by a laser light, thereby facilitating accurate vertical orientation of multiple brackets.
The anchorless-installed wall-mount bracket may use simple and standard fasteners that are affordable and easy to procure if they are not included, resulting in a product that has a lower cost compared to standard installations using twice as many parts with a combination of anchors and screws. Installation of an anchorless-installed wall-mount bracket requires fasteners (e.g., nails, and the like) that are approximately one-half the cost of traditional fasteners (e.g., screw and anchor). Therefore, by merely adjusting how the bracket attaches to the wall, material costs are reduced. Additionally, this anchor-less installation approach allows complete and safe installation without requiring purchase or use of expensive tools such as a power drill (e.g., to prepare a wall to accept a wall anchor). This type of tool is required for installations that rely on anchoring; additionally, this type of tool may not be readily available to all end use customers. Further, the use of this product results in minimal damage to the wall (e.g., a couple of small nail holes), minimizing the need for time consuming and expensive repairs or expenses that may be resultant from wall damage, such as the loss of a security deposit for a renter and the like.
It should be appreciated that while the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, omissions and/or additions may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Moreover, all of the information contained herein may be combined together (individually or wholly) or taken singly, as desired, to achieve varying embodiments of the invention and to add to the scope of the invention without limiting the invention to a particular embodiment. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims and/or information. Moreover, unless specifically stated any use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/358,204 filed Mar. 19, 2019 now published as U.S. Pat. Appl. Publication No. 2019/0282017 which application claims benefit from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/644,889, filed Mar. 19, 2018; and a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/018,979 filed Jun. 26, 2018 now published as of U.S. Pat. Appl. Publication No. 2018/0306219, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/488,781 filed Apr. 17, 2017, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/384,895 filed Sep. 8, 2016; and the contents all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
102945 | Judd et al. | May 1870 | A |
229873 | Day | Jul 1880 | A |
232644 | Judd | Sep 1880 | A |
374340 | Brass | Dec 1887 | A |
378087 | Field | Feb 1888 | A |
D23731 | Burgess | Oct 1894 | S |
762733 | Malmquist | Jun 1904 | A |
769859 | Fanning | Sep 1904 | A |
824067 | Dennis | Jun 1906 | A |
327627 | Graham | Jul 1906 | A |
827272 | Tait | Jul 1906 | A |
917601 | Heinrichs | Apr 1909 | A |
937457 | Moffat | Oct 1909 | A |
965658 | Reubel | Jul 1910 | A |
969051 | Garraway et al. | Aug 1910 | A |
1033440 | Moffat | Jul 1912 | A |
1049355 | Haller | Jan 1913 | A |
1057043 | Dohm | Mar 1913 | A |
1141757 | Bitting | Jun 1915 | A |
1147355 | Zevin | Jul 1915 | A |
1249955 | Hendrickson et al. | Dec 1917 | A |
1392405 | Dougherty | Oct 1921 | A |
D60744 | Weyman | Mar 1922 | S |
1475576 | Stephen | Nov 1923 | A |
1529335 | Winkler | Mar 1925 | A |
D70831 | Dlouhy | Aug 1926 | S |
D75598 | Priest | Jun 1928 | S |
D76096 | Vermillion | Aug 1928 | S |
D76097 | Vermillion | Aug 1928 | S |
D76109 | Vermillion | Aug 1928 | S |
D76546 | Madvig | Oct 1928 | S |
1794700 | Mccaskey | Mar 1931 | A |
2219075 | Le Veau | Oct 1940 | A |
2224008 | Auslander | Dec 1940 | A |
2261505 | Schlesinger | Nov 1941 | A |
2298380 | Hood | Oct 1942 | A |
2679373 | Henley | May 1954 | A |
2693927 | Gardner | Nov 1954 | A |
2859879 | Rogers | Nov 1958 | A |
2893676 | Connors et al. | Jul 1959 | A |
2908471 | Hollansworth | Oct 1959 | A |
2965339 | Denton | Dec 1960 | A |
3131251 | Ryan | Apr 1964 | A |
3506135 | Klingaman | Apr 1970 | A |
3596861 | Baldini | Aug 1971 | A |
3614045 | Cegielski, Jr. | Oct 1971 | A |
3669395 | Gehrke | Jun 1972 | A |
3733043 | Binns et al. | May 1973 | A |
3848843 | Levy | Nov 1974 | A |
3861631 | Shorin | Jan 1975 | A |
3889912 | Ray | Jun 1975 | A |
3912211 | Topf | Oct 1975 | A |
3928894 | Bury et al. | Dec 1975 | A |
3991963 | Solo | Nov 1976 | A |
D244668 | Tegner | Jun 1977 | S |
4140294 | Zwarts | Feb 1979 | A |
4162721 | Moriya | Jul 1979 | A |
D256864 | Nippel | Sep 1980 | S |
D259241 | Lynch et al. | May 1981 | S |
4322050 | Roach | Mar 1982 | A |
4325528 | Martin | Apr 1982 | A |
D265285 | Englert, Jr. | Jul 1982 | S |
4340199 | Brock | Jul 1982 | A |
4381578 | Glejf | May 1983 | A |
D279450 | Chap | Jul 1985 | S |
4555432 | Bossons | Nov 1985 | A |
D281575 | Chap | Dec 1985 | S |
4606526 | Rabinowitz | Aug 1986 | A |
D285410 | Webber | Sep 1986 | S |
4662593 | Shames et al. | May 1987 | A |
D290224 | Skinner | Jun 1987 | S |
D290931 | Powell | Jul 1987 | S |
4684095 | Athey | Aug 1987 | A |
4718625 | Boda | Jan 1988 | A |
4883247 | Crandall | Nov 1989 | A |
4898409 | Carter | Feb 1990 | A |
D307539 | Goodman et al. | May 1990 | S |
4979713 | Bell | Dec 1990 | A |
5000411 | Primeau | Mar 1991 | A |
D315862 | Specker, Jr. | Apr 1991 | S |
D316031 | Goodman et al. | Apr 1991 | S |
5011030 | Alaurent | Apr 1991 | A |
5018697 | Treanor et al. | May 1991 | A |
5069412 | Jacob | Dec 1991 | A |
D327642 | Foubister | Jul 1992 | S |
D329372 | Wilms | Sep 1992 | S |
5178355 | Herzig | Jan 1993 | A |
D334135 | Fraker | Mar 1993 | S |
5244186 | Chandler | Sep 1993 | A |
D346950 | Dunn et al. | May 1994 | S |
5351842 | Remmers | Oct 1994 | A |
5398900 | Schober | Mar 1995 | A |
5433416 | Johnson | Jul 1995 | A |
5480120 | Bruner | Jan 1996 | A |
5542641 | Donovan | Aug 1996 | A |
5549407 | Levi et al. | Aug 1996 | A |
D373719 | Lin | Sep 1996 | S |
5564666 | Pfeil | Oct 1996 | A |
5582303 | Sloan | Dec 1996 | A |
D389035 | Smiley et al. | Jan 1998 | S |
5876147 | Longo | Mar 1999 | A |
D411737 | Vogt | Jun 1999 | S |
5921518 | Bernardi | Jul 1999 | A |
6042078 | Donovan | Mar 2000 | A |
D433619 | Rowan | Nov 2000 | S |
6216889 | Chang | Apr 2001 | B1 |
6302614 | Tseng | Oct 2001 | B1 |
D455334 | Ivankovic | Apr 2002 | S |
D459978 | Hollinger | Jul 2002 | S |
6431510 | Lydecker | Aug 2002 | B1 |
6439520 | Johnson | Aug 2002 | B1 |
6520463 | Ouano | Feb 2003 | B1 |
6629680 | Week et al. | Oct 2003 | B2 |
6695276 | Skorka | Feb 2004 | B2 |
D495589 | Goodman | Sep 2004 | S |
D511088 | Chiu | Nov 2005 | S |
D516900 | Hoernig | Mar 2006 | S |
D517402 | Cairns | Mar 2006 | S |
7128124 | Bibby et al. | Oct 2006 | B2 |
7198088 | McMenamin et al. | Apr 2007 | B2 |
D552455 | Moore | Oct 2007 | S |
7287734 | Bell | Oct 2007 | B2 |
D554982 | Wenck | Nov 2007 | S |
D557595 | Ernst | Dec 2007 | S |
7370839 | Putman | May 2008 | B2 |
D572574 | Lee | Jul 2008 | S |
7431067 | Nien | Oct 2008 | B2 |
7497028 | Nevers et al. | Mar 2009 | B2 |
D591143 | Ernst et al. | Apr 2009 | S |
D605931 | Piersant | Dec 2009 | S |
D605932 | Piersant | Dec 2009 | S |
D608620 | Morgenroth | Jan 2010 | S |
7686273 | Christodoulou | Mar 2010 | B2 |
7699278 | Goldstein | Apr 2010 | B2 |
D622578 | Kollman | Aug 2010 | S |
7798463 | Morgenroth | Sep 2010 | B2 |
D632951 | McGreevy et al. | Feb 2011 | S |
7926127 | Barrese | Apr 2011 | B2 |
D649025 | Gingery | Nov 2011 | S |
8056873 | Hanley et al. | Nov 2011 | B1 |
8231093 | Tran | Jul 2012 | B2 |
D668136 | Nicholls et al. | Oct 2012 | S |
D678754 | Burr | Mar 2013 | S |
8418975 | Burr | Apr 2013 | B1 |
8469207 | Rowan et al. | Jun 2013 | B2 |
8500078 | Castellanos | Aug 2013 | B2 |
D700827 | Starck | Mar 2014 | S |
8672286 | Darre | Mar 2014 | B2 |
8678068 | Hobart et al. | Mar 2014 | B1 |
D707535 | Burr | Jun 2014 | S |
8740171 | Crescenzo | Jun 2014 | B2 |
8814114 | Baines | Aug 2014 | B2 |
8827587 | Didehvar | Sep 2014 | B2 |
D714622 | Pan | Oct 2014 | S |
D715133 | Pan | Oct 2014 | S |
D715625 | Pan | Oct 2014 | S |
D715626 | Pan | Oct 2014 | S |
8851435 | Bastien et al. | Oct 2014 | B1 |
8925747 | Hanley | Jan 2015 | B1 |
8960456 | Didehvar | Feb 2015 | B2 |
D742726 | Glass et al. | Nov 2015 | S |
D760068 | Sehl | Jun 2016 | S |
9388837 | Hanley | Jul 2016 | B1 |
9427102 | Weaver | Aug 2016 | B2 |
D767378 | Sehl | Sep 2016 | S |
9609974 | Mateer | Apr 2017 | B2 |
9687092 | Cabanes | Jun 2017 | B2 |
D808779 | Shoenhair et al. | Jan 2018 | S |
10047787 | Cheng | Aug 2018 | B2 |
10123647 | Mustafa | Nov 2018 | B1 |
10206526 | Blakeslee | Feb 2019 | B1 |
10228080 | Zvak | Mar 2019 | B2 |
10322690 | Wang | Jun 2019 | B2 |
D858259 | Hanley | Sep 2019 | S |
D858260 | Hanley | Sep 2019 | S |
10542835 | Suozzo | Jan 2020 | B1 |
10624474 | Taratuta | Apr 2020 | B2 |
10648492 | Hanley | May 2020 | B2 |
11092176 | Hanley | Aug 2021 | B2 |
20020162925 | Song | Nov 2002 | A1 |
20050000716 | Halbert | Jan 2005 | A1 |
20060021722 | Nien | Feb 2006 | A1 |
20060054288 | Bibby et al. | Mar 2006 | A1 |
20060060314 | Battista | Mar 2006 | A1 |
20070090244 | Goldstein | Apr 2007 | A1 |
20070125923 | Wong et al. | Jun 2007 | A1 |
20070186384 | Broehl et al. | Aug 2007 | A1 |
20080164393 | Hung | Jul 2008 | A1 |
20080210827 | Samelson | Sep 2008 | A1 |
20090032659 | Goldstein | Feb 2009 | A1 |
20100038329 | Pan | Feb 2010 | A1 |
20100059642 | McLeod | Mar 2010 | A1 |
20110174948 | Ward | Jul 2011 | A1 |
20110266404 | Hsu et al. | Nov 2011 | A1 |
20110315842 | Lin | Dec 2011 | A1 |
20120024809 | Rowan et al. | Feb 2012 | A1 |
20120067837 | He et al. | Mar 2012 | A1 |
20120119046 | Hsu et al. | May 2012 | A1 |
20120152872 | Didehvar | Jun 2012 | A1 |
20120217362 | Affonso | Aug 2012 | A1 |
20120228446 | Mikovich | Sep 2012 | A1 |
20120261371 | Baines | Oct 2012 | A1 |
20120284914 | Bauer | Nov 2012 | A1 |
20130043357 | Mcleod | Feb 2013 | A1 |
20130082017 | Tang | Apr 2013 | A1 |
20130099080 | Baines | Apr 2013 | A1 |
20130292349 | Bucklew et al. | Nov 2013 | A1 |
20130341474 | Baines | Dec 2013 | A1 |
20140103170 | Zvak | Apr 2014 | A1 |
20140150313 | Stevens | Jun 2014 | A1 |
20140166603 | Baines | Jun 2014 | A1 |
20140231606 | Sobb | Aug 2014 | A1 |
20140306079 | Kuo | Oct 2014 | A1 |
20140374367 | Morel | Dec 2014 | A1 |
20150265086 | Hanley et al. | Sep 2015 | A1 |
20160113428 | Weaver | Apr 2016 | A1 |
20160242586 | Mateer | Aug 2016 | A1 |
20170071390 | Moss et al. | Mar 2017 | A1 |
20170079457 | Baines | Mar 2017 | A1 |
20170188738 | Walker | Jul 2017 | A1 |
20170332818 | Jones | Nov 2017 | A1 |
20180064279 | Hanley | Mar 2018 | A1 |
20180098656 | Baines | Apr 2018 | A1 |
20180255952 | Sollers | Sep 2018 | A1 |
20180317672 | Taratuta | Nov 2018 | A1 |
20190374057 | Keith et al. | Dec 2019 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
1619397 | Jan 2006 | EP |
1748196 | Jan 2007 | EP |
2009039578 | Apr 2009 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20200200199 A1 | Jun 2020 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
62644889 | Mar 2018 | US | |
62384895 | Sep 2016 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 15488781 | Apr 2017 | US |
Child | 16018979 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 16358204 | Mar 2019 | US |
Child | 16798069 | US | |
Parent | 16018979 | Jun 2018 | US |
Child | 16358204 | US |