Abstract:
A picture anchor may include a fastener such as a pin, nail or tack and a non-metallic bumper pad connected to the non-sharp end of the fastener. The anchor is adapted so a back surface of the bumper pad may be attached to a back surface of an object for hanging. A user may then press the object for hanging against the mounting surface, such as a drywall surface, to force the sharp end of the fastener to penetrate the surface thereby anchoring the object to the wall. The bumper pad(s) will provide a uniform space between the hanging object and the mounting surface and serve as a shock absorber to prevent the hanging object from vibrating or rattling.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C.§119(e) to U.S. Application Ser. No. 60/780,632 entitled, “Picture Perfect Wall Hanging Anchors,” which was filed by the instant inventor on Mar. 10, 2006. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present invention generally relates to a device for aligning and securing objects to a vertical wall. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention discloses embodiments for mounting picture frames and/or other objects to relatively penetrable wall surfaces such as those made of gypsum board or plasterboard, commonly referred to as “drywall” or “sheet rock,” although the inventive embodiments are not limited to any particular surface. 
     2. Background Art 
     Many different types of devices are known for hanging or mounting pictures or artwork to interior walls. Most of these devices focus on mechanisms which utilize a single primary anchor, e.g., a nail, screw or other hanger device located at one point on the wall. For example, pictures or wall hangings that are hung with a cable or single bracket. These type of mounting mechanisms may allow a picture to inadvertently move by virtue of a nail becoming dislodged, the slam of a door or window, by dusting, or even from airborne vibrations. 
     Thus while conventional hanging devices may work well for hanging an object on the wall, most of these devices leave the hanging object susceptible to becoming misaligned or out of position due to one or more of the previously-mentioned reasons. 
     While some bracket types and related mechanisms have been previously proposed to reduce the potential for incidental picture misalignment, many of them require precise measuring and often leave behind multiple or large screw/nail holes. Further, even some prior art anchor solutions which do not allow significant movement of a hanging are prone to rattling when vibrations occur and/or fail to provide uniform spacing between the picture and wall surface. There is an ongoing need for a simple, inexpensive mechanism to securely affix objects to walls or other surfaces, absorb vibrations, provide improved spacing, and which leaves little noticeable impact on the wall surface when removed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       Aspects, features and advantages of the inventive embodiments will become apparent from the following description of the invention in reference to the appended drawing in which like numerals denote like elements and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary picture anchor according to one aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the picture anchor in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the anchor of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a back view of the anchor of  FIGS. 1-3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a view of the anchor of  FIGS. 1-4  being used in an example environment; and 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a modified embodiment for a picture anchor according the various aspects of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , a picture anchor  100  according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a bumper pad  110  and a fastener  120  connected at one end to bumper pad  110 . 
     Bumper pad  110  serves as a base to support fastener  120  add for attaching fastener  120  to an object to be mounted. In preferred embodiments bumper pad  110  is formed of a nonmetallic, preferably, somewhat pliable material such as a soft plastic, cloth, rubber or silicone material and shaped to serve as guard, pad or disk to absorb vibrations and provide spacing between the object to be mounted and a corresponding wall surface. 
     Fastener  120  may have a form similar to a pin, tack or nail and may include a first pointed or sharp end  122  and a second, blunt, capped, or headed, opposite end  124 . Opposite end  124  of fastener  120  may be embedded within at least a part of bumper pad  110 , as best shown in the example embodiment of  FIG. 2 . In certain embodiments, fastener  120  may be formed of metal such as a stainless or galvanized steel or other metal having a rigidity and strength suitable for penetrating wall surfaces such as sheet rock and the like. 
     In various embodiments bumper pad  110  may be formed in a polygonal shape such as a square, rectangle, trapezoid or triangle. In other embodiments, bumper pad  110  may be formed in an oval or round disk shape. Bumper pad  110  includes a front (e.g., wall-facing) surface  112  and a rear (e.g., picture or other object-to-be-secured facing surface  116  ( FIG. 4 ). 
     Although not required, referring to  FIG. 4 , rear surface  116  of bumper pad  110  may including a fixing mechanism  116  to enable a user to attach anchor  100  to an object to be mounted. In one example implementation, fixing mechanism  116  may include a tacky bonding agent or quickset adhesive such as contact cement or other type of adhesive suitable for affixing anchor  100  to a desired object. In this embodiment, anchor  100  may thus also include a temporary backing  118  such as a wax or plastic-coated paper, or other type of non-stick disposable material. Accordingly, when a user is ready to attach anchor  100  to an object for mounting, they may simply peel away backing  118  and adhere anchor  100  where desired. 
     In alternate embodiments, fixing mechanism  116  may comprise other bonding mechanisms such as a segment of hook and loop material, double-sided tape, a magnet, putty, pin, hook or other materials which may be known to fasten one object to another. However, if included, preferably fixing mechanism  116  is selected to be a non-permanent or light-hold bonding agent so that anchor  100  may be used and removed from the back a picture frame (or other object) without causing damage to the object. In this manner, anchor may be repeatedly used on different picture frames as desired and may be refastened to new surfaces simply by applying contact cement or other agent, if necessary, to rear surface  116  and/or a corresponding surface of the picture frame. 
     In certain embodiments such as the example of  FIGS. 1-3 , a surface area of front surface  112  of bumper pad  110  is significantly less than a surface area of rear surface  116 . In the square-shaped example of  FIGS. 1-3 , this results in tapered square form which has two primary benefits. First, a reduced surface area of front surface  112 , which will touch the wall (or other surface) when the object is mounted, will be less likely to adversely impact the wall surface (via impressions or removal of wall coatings) if/when the object mounted with anchors  100  is ever removed. Second, an enlarged surface area of rear surface  116  (in proportion to the front surface) may facilitate a stronger adhesive bond between anchor  100  and the object to be mounted as it allows for a larger adhesion area. This is particularly advantageous when lower-hold or non-setting adhesive is used in order to be able to remove anchors  100  from the object at a later time. 
     A thickness of bumper pad  110 , for example, the distance between rear surface  116  and front surface  112 , may selected to be thick enough to capture and/or stabilize head  124 , if any, of fastener  120 . In preferred embodiments, the thickness of bumper pad  110  may be selected to also provide a substantially parallel space between the hanging (e.g., picture frame  500 ;  FIG. 5 ) and the wall surface when a hanger (e.g., bracket  510 ) is also mounted on the back of frame  500 . In one embodiment, bumper pad  110  may be comprises of a silicone material having a thickness of approximately 0.025 inches, with a maximum length of 0.5 inches, although the inventive embodiments are not limited to any particular size. In fact bumper pad  110  and associated fastener  122  may be made in various different sizes to accommodate securing of objects of various sizes and weights. Fastener  120  may be molded into the bumper pad  110  during manufacture, or may be driven in from rear surface  116  with the aid of a simple jig. 
     An example environment and method for use of picture anchor  100  will now be explained in reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 . As previously mentioned, when ready to use, a user will remove adhesive protective backing  118  ( FIG. 4 ). Exposed adhesive surface  116  is then pressed firmly to a location on the back side of picture frame  500  to affix anchor  100 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , more than one anchor  100  may be used, depending on the size of frame  500 . With the arrangement of bracket  510 , a preferred location for anchor(s)  100  is on a bottom edge or lower side(s) of frame  500 . 
     Frame  500  may then be hung on the wall by its accompanying cable or bracket (e.g., bracket  510 ) as would be conventionally performed. At this point, the user may vertically align frame  500 , by eye or with the potential aid of a level, on the wall. 
     Once the desired vertical alignment is determined, the front portion(s) of frame  500  (corresponding to the location of anchor(s)  100  on the reverse side) are pushed into the wall, thereby inserting the sharp ends of fastener  120  into the sheet rock or other surface material. The result is a mounted picture frame  500  which will not incidentally move due to external forces. Further, because of the shock absorbing properties of nonmetallic, relatively pliable, bumper pad  110 , vibrations may be absorbed which would not be by anchor devices which are made of rigid materials such as metal. Additionally, bumper pads  110  serve to provide a space between frame  500  and the wall surface. Accordingly, with embodiments of the present invention, rattling of pictures against the wall surface to which they are mounted can be significantly reduced, if not altogether prevented. 
     Because, in this example, anchors  100  are not used in a supporting fashion (which is accomplished in  FIG. 5  via bracket  510 ) but rather primarily to serve an alignment and anchoring function, fastener  120  can be made much more narrow than conventional nails or screws used to hang items. This allows for a relatively easy insertion into a sheetrock surface. An additional benefit of using relatively narrow fasteners  120  is that if frame  500  is removed from the wall surface, only one or two pin-sized holes are left in the wall. Accordingly, the impact of using anchors  100  is far less obvious than the nail(s) or screws which may be used to hang frame  100  via bracket  510 . Additionally, damage to the surface of the sheet rock, or removing surface paint or wall paper, as may happen with double sided adhesive, may be avoided. 
     Turning to  FIG. 6 , another example embodiment is shown for a picture anchor  600  according to the present invention. Anchor  600  is similar to that previously described and includes a shock absorbing bumper pad  610  and accompanying fastener  620 . This embodiment shows fastener  620  having an enlarged head  624  and bumper pad  610  having a reduced front (wall facing) surface area by virtue of its X-shape. Anchor  600  does not have any functional advantages over previously described anchor  100  ( FIGS. 1-5 ) but may, in certain cases, be easier and more cost efficient to manufacture. Accordingly, various sizes and shapes of wall anchors, not expressly discussed herein, could be used without departing from the scope of the inventive embodiments. 
     Unless contrary to physical possibility, the inventor envisions the components of respective embodiments may be combined in any manner. 
     Although there have been described preferred embodiments of this novel invention, many variations and modifications are possible and the embodiments described herein are not limited by the specific disclosure above, but rather should be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.