Patent Application
20250160554
The present disclosure relates generally to hanging devices for vertical surfaces. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a wall hanging assembly using a single connection point to the wall and receives a portion of a bracket or another mechanism in a slot defined by the wall hanger. Many installations of drapery are intended for at least daily opening and closing for light control. This invention yields a mounting mechanism with improved durability for this action. Furthermore, this invention maintains the aesthetic requirements desired by consumers.
Curtain rod brackets or “hangers” typically require drilling two holes for the use of anchored screws in the wall for each hanger. Depending on the overall length of the curtain rod, additional hangers are often needed to support the weight of the combined rod and drapery. Installation requires a drill, drill bits, hammer, level, tape measure and screwdriver to install the backets. Upon removal, backing the screw anchors out of the wall results in large holes that require patching and filling.
Several products have tried to simplify the process required to hang curtain rods. Simpler products use a self-adhesive back plate with a claw-like rod cradle. This version does not allow for the desired distance from the wall that would allow the curtain to hang freely from the wall or window. Certain brand brackets use existing wood trim surrounding the window for the anchoring of prongs and a vertical bracket to provide leverage against the wall. Other do-it-yourselfers have tried using adhesive hanger strips for quick and temporary installation. While these solutions do install curtain rods, it is done in a manner that leads to wall damage, unappealing appearance, or the unreliable utility of the drapery. These other mounting devices show around the drapery in an unsightly way and prove unreliable against added loading as experienced through repeated opening and closing of drapes.
Prior art brackets require anchoring onto a window trim surround. Not all construction uses window trim, and damage to the wood caused by these hangers is troublesome to repair. Self-adhesive or 3M® brand options are not strong and can tear the sheetrock outer paper layer with force of just over ten pounds. Further, the adhesive options place the curtains so close to the wall that the drapery cannot glide across the curtain rod smoothly. These existing quick options have weaker anchoring to the wall and risk being pulled away versus conventional anchoring with screws and wall anchors.
Therefore, what is needed is a device that may efficiently and easily join a hanger bracket to a wall without the use of extensive connectors, resulting wall or trim damage, numerous tools and is still aesthetically pleasing.
The subject matter of this application may involve, in some cases, interrelated products, alternative solutions to a particular problem, and/or a plurality of different uses of a single system or article.
In one aspect, a bracket for connecting objects to a wall is provided. The bracket is formed of a body which defines a top portion having an aperture for receiving an anchor to connect the bracket to the wall. The body further defines a slot at a lower portion or “slot portion” of the body. The slot is spaced apart from the aperture, and when connected to the wall, the slot is positioned below the aperture. The slot is sized to receive a portion of a hanger, such as a traditional curtain hanger bracket, which can be slideably connected to the bracket by fitting into the slot.
In another aspect, a wall hanging assembly is provided. A bracket is connected to a wall by connecting an anchor through an aperture defined by a top portion of a body of the bracket to the wall. The body defines a slot at a portion of the body below the aperture. The slot is sized in an elongate shape to receive a portion of a hanger. The hanger is slideably received within the slot and thus is held to the wall by the bracket. An object such as a curtain rod, picture, frame, shelf, or the like may be connected or held by the hanger, and thus held to the wall.
The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of presently preferred embodiments of the invention and does not represent the only forms in which the present disclosure may be constructed and/or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the sequence of steps for constructing and operating the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments.
Generally, the present disclosure concerns a wall hanging bracket. The bracket has a body which defines a single top anchor point and a slot below the anchor point. A hanger slideably fits into the slot and is joined to the wall by the bracket. The hanger may be any hanger such as, but not limited to, a curtain hanger, or a customized hanger having an elongate vertical leg and a working end. The bracket uses a single anchor point which is above the slot when hung. This causes the bracket to self level to a vertical orientation, and limits wall damage by only putting a single hole into the wall, rather than the multiple holes and anchors required by the prior art. The bracket is structured to limit or eliminate a pulling force on the anchor, and the anchor primarily or only experiences a downward vertical force. As such, the bracket allows a simple nail or screw connection to hold a substantial amount of weight, and substantially more than the prior art connection systems allow.
To further improve operation, force balance, and secure connection of the hanger to the bracket, various embodiments of the bracket may include the following structural modifications. In one embodiment, instead of a straight up and down bracket, the slot wall may be forwardly angled relative to the front or rear wall such that the slot has a thicker front wall than at the bottom, as shown in the figures. This embodiment allows a hanger to sit flush against the angled wall and causes a bottom of the hanger to apply a slight and additional force to the bottom wall of the bracket which in turn urges the bottom of the bracket against the wall and balances against the force applied to the bracket by the top portion of the hanger on the top of the slot. In another embodiment, the slot may define a notch at a bottom of the slot to make a groove. The hanger may fit closely into this groove to ensure that the movement of the end portion of the hanger is limited for secure placement of the hanger. In yet another embodiment, the rear wall of the body may define a sharp protrusion such as a serration or serrations, teeth, conical or pyramid shape protrusion(s) and the like. These sharp protrusions increase the force per unit area applied by the rear of the bracket on the wall which secures the bracket in place to the wall and can carry some of the downward force applied to the bracket by the hanger and objects attached to the hanger. In still other embodiments, the bracket may define an angled ramp at a top of the slot and/or an open back of the slot. These features may allow for more easy insertion of the hanger which has an elongate leg. These embodiments may be combined in various combinations to form additional embodiments without straying from the scope of this invention.
Importantly, the anchor point connecting bracket to wall is positioned above the slot on the bracket. The bracket places the anchor point above the hanger which applies primarily a downward force on the anchor, and limits any outward horizontal force on the anchor to pull it outwardly from the wall. This allows the bracket to be connected, in many cases, with a single screw into drywall/plaster and no sheetrock anchor, and to hold substantially more weight compared to other prior art connection systems. The present disclosure allows use of a conventional curtain rod hanger kit by providing an interface to the wall with one anchor fastener. This idea uses one point of connection by placing the bracket into a pocket within the mount (solution) to rest against the wall for additional leverage. Stated another way, by having the anchor above and the hanger below in a slot, the load applied by the hanger and objects held by the hanger bears down onto the surface of the bracket slot, and translates forces to a vertical direction which the single anchor is well suited to bear.
The hangers contemplated herein are typically prior art curtain hangers, or hangers having a similar structure. Curtain hangers are known in the art to be formed in an L or right angle bracket, with a downward facing leg for connection to a wall, and a horizontal extending portion with a curved slot to receive a curtain rod. These curtain hangers require at least two or more anchors to hold them in place, and require sheetrock anchors, careful measurement and alignment, and the like. In some cases, these curtain hangers are two-piece assemblies with the leg part being separated from the horizontal curved slot part. The slot of the bracket contemplated herein is sized and configured to receive the leg part of these brackets. In further embodiments, a similarly shaped hanger may be used and instead of the curved slot for a curtain rod, may have a slot or hook for hanging a picture or painting, a notch for receiving a shelf, and any other structure for hanging or otherwise connecting objects on walls. Such hangers may be connectable to prior art two piece curtain hangers, such that the working end may be connected to the prior art leg of the bracket.
The single fastener utilized by the present disclosure reduces installation time by half or more when combined with self-tapping hardware. It also causes less damage to the wall by way of limiting holes for anchors. The bracket connection arrangement provides additional strength when coupled with conventional anchors or hardware. When using a self-tapping fastener or anchor the installation time is reduced while improving weight capability. For example, typical prior art hangers are able to hold approximately 10 pounds while the present disclosure is able to hold 30 pounds and even 40 pounds with a single screw connection to the wall. The solution of the present disclosure also requires far fewer tools, making installation easier and more accessible.
The anchors described herein which connect the bracket to the wall may be any connector capable of passing through the top aperture of the bracket and joining the bracket and wall. Typical anchors include, but are not limited to screws, bolts, nails, drywall anchors and screws, and the like.
Turning now to
While several variations of the present disclosure have been illustrated by way of example in preferred or particular embodiments, it is apparent that further embodiments could be developed within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, or the inventive concept thereof. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and adaptations are within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and are inclusive, but not limited to the following appended claims as set forth.
