The invention is related to the field bathroom accessory devices. More particularly, the invention is related to the field of bathroom accessory attachment devices.
Existing accessory mounting systems typically use drywall anchors to mount the accessory device to a wall. Removal of the accessory devices requires a large force to remove the accessory hub from the wall mount. This removal process often causes drywall anchors to strip thereby leaving a stripped hole in the wall, which makes mounting another accessory to the wall difficult and leaves the subsequent installation loosely attached to the wall.
What is therefore needed is an accessory mounting device that is easily attached to a wall and also easily removed. Further, what is needed is an accessory attachment device that may be removed without significant force which is known to cause damage to plasterboard walls.
An accessory mounting device attaches an accessory hub to a wall. The mounting device includes an accessory hub with a plurality of sides and a rear portion. The rear portion of the accessory hub has an open and hollow recess with a first cleat portion. The first cleat portion provides a mount to secure the accessory hub to the wall. In order to attach the first cleat portion to a wall, a collet is first attached to the wall. The collet includes a first mounting tab and a second mounting tab, each with a hole. A fastener is placed through each hole to attach the collet to the wall. The collet may then be inserted into, or covered-up, by the open and hollow recess of the accessory hub. The tip of the first mounting tab also forms a second cleat portion that engages the first cleat portion of the accessory hub. Any downward motion of the accessory hub is therefore prevented once the first cleat portion and the second cleat portion are engaged.
A button is also included with the body of the collet. The button can slide along an internal bore within the body. The button is displaceable from a home position where it extends from the body of the collet to a displaced position where the button is displaced into the bore and body of the collet. The button may be displaced with a manual depression and automatically returned to the home position following termination of the manual depression by a spring within a bore of the body of the collet. A spring retainer threads into the bore and prevents both the spring and the button from falling out of the bore of the collet.
The accessory hub may include an optional hole in one of the plurality of sides of the accessory hub allowing the button to be at least partially accessible through the hole. The accessory hub may be removed from the collet by depressing the button and disengaging the first cleat portion from the second cleat portion. Similarly, the accessory hub may be retained by the collet when the button depressed to the displaced position and the first cleat portion is engaged with the second cleat portion and the button is released to the home position and into the hole through the side of the accessory hub, thereby protruding through the hole. The first cleat portion and the second cleat portion work in tandem to prevent the accessory hub from being detached from the collet, which is secured to the wall by a fastener.
The accessory hub receives a plurality of accessories including at least one of a towel bar, a towel ring, a soap tray, a tissue holder, a tumbler holder, and a robe hook. The accessory hub is interchangeable with any one of the accessories.
The present disclosure will be described hereafter with reference to the attached drawings which are given as non-limiting examples only, in which:
In the drawings, some structural or method features may be shown in specific arrangements and/or orderings. However, it should be appreciated that such specific arrangements and/or orderings may not be required. Rather, in some embodiments, such features may be arranged in a different manner and/or order than shown in the illustrative figures. Additionally, the inclusion of a structural or method feature in a particular figure is not meant to imply that such feature is required in all embodiments and, in some embodiments, may not be included or may be combined with other features.
Corresponding reference characters in the drawings indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplification set out herein illustrates embodiments of the invention, and such exemplification is not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.
The invention is best shown in
The button 36 may be depressed into the body 30 of the collet 18. A spring 32 within the body 30 maintains a force on the button 36 that returns it to a home position once it is depressed. During assembly of the collet, the spring is inserted into the body through a bore 43, best shown in
The button 36 is best shown installed in
To prevent the lower part of the accessory hub 10 from separating from the wall 21, the button 36 extends into a receiver 44. A ramp 40 displaces the button from the home position, which is extended, to the depressed position within the bore 43. This is done by first joining the first cleat portion 24 to the second cleat portion 38 and then pivoting the ramp 40 and receiver 44 towards the button 36, while maintaining the first cleat portion 24 and second cleat portion 38 in contact. Once the button contacts the ramp 40, the angle of the ramp 40 urges the button 36 into the bore 43 compressing the spring 32. Once the foundation 8 of the accessory hub 10 is flush against the wall 21, the button 36 extends back to the extended, home position and into the receiver 44. The button 36, receiver 44, first cleat portion 24, and second cleat portion 38 all work together to retain the foundation 8 of the accessory hub 10 against the wall 21.
When removal of the accessory hub 10 from the wall 21 is desired, the button 36 may be depressed into the bore 43 through an access hole 41. The accessory hub 10 may then be pivoted away from the wall 21 by separating the ramp 40 away from the wall 21. The second cleat portion 38 may then be lifted vertically away from the first cleat portion 24. It is also foreseen that the accessory hub 10 may be attached to the collet 18 and detached from the collet 18 without an access hole 41. In such a configuration, a sharp pivoting action of the accessory hub 10 pulling the accessory ramp 40 away from the wall 21 can cause the button 36 to automatically retract into the bore 43. Such a configuration would function much like a ball catch or a roller catch for a door latch. The spring retainer 34 may also be adjusted to increase or decrease the compression of the spring 32 to adjust the amount of force needed to seat the button 36 into the receiver 44 and to remove the button 36 from the receiver 44.
With respect to
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/480,829 filed Apr. 3, 2017, the entire contents of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.
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Entry |
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International Search Report and Written Opinion for Application No. PCT/US2018/025678 dated Jul. 6, 2018. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20180283604 A1 | Oct 2018 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62480829 | Apr 2017 | US |