Patent Publication Number: US-6712226-B1

Title: Wall or ceiling mountable brackets for storing and displaying board-based recreational equipment

Description:
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/805,080 filed Mar. 13, 2001, now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention generally relates to a device for mounting and storing recreational equipment on walls and, more particularly, is concerned with wall or ceiling mountable brackets for storing and displaying board-based recreational equipment, such as snowboards and skis. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Board-based recreational equipment, such as snowboards and skis, are stored by owners during periods of nonuse in a variety of different ways. Some owners merely lean the equipment up against a wall or at a corner of a room or lie the equipment on the floor along a wall. Others place the equipment in large bags especially designed to accommodate snowboards and skis and then store the bagged equipment in an attic, basement, crawlspace or garage. Still others have attached various mechanical devices to a wall for standing snowboards and skis either upright or horizontally along the wall. Frequently, the storage of board-based recreational equipment in a substandard manner or inadequate location leads to damage, such as scratches, dents or cracks, to equipment and injury to persons when such equipment is bumped and falls down. 
     It is widely appreciated by recreational equipment manufacturers that substantially all owners of board-based recreational equipment, such as snowboards and skis, gain enormous pleasure from riding their equipment during use on the slopes. It is not so widely appreciated by such equipment manufacturers that many owners also derive much satisfaction during periods of nonuse by just admiring their equipment either while alone or with their friends. The aforementioned different ways and mechanical devices that are used to store board-based recreational equipment during offseason or periods of nonuse during season do not cater to equipment owners being able to readily store and, at the same time, display their equipment in a protected manner so that they, along with their friends, can gain further enjoyment of their board-based equipment during nonuse. 
     Consequently, a need exists for a device which will allow readily accessible and protected storage and display of board-based recreational equipment during periods of nonuse of the equipment. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides wall or ceiling mountable brackets for storing and displaying board-based recreational equipment, such as snowboards and skis, which brackets are designed to satisfy the aforementioned need. The brackets of the present invention provide a proper means for storing and displaying board-based recreational equipment, such as a snowboard, skis, a skateboard or a surfboard, either on a wall or a ceiling so that they can be enjoyed year around while still being positioned out of the way. Boarders receive the satisfaction of displaying their individualistic artsmanship and having their sticker-laden boards properly displayed and protected for all to see. 
     Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a mountable bracket for storing and displaying board-based recreational equipment wherein the bracket comprises: (a) a generally U-shaped body having an elongated front portion, an elongated rear portion and a spacer portion extending between and rigidly interconnecting the front and rear portions so as to hold the front and rear portions in a spaced apart relationship which forms an elongated channel therebetween being open at one end and along opposite sides and closed at an opposite end for receiving board-based recreational equipment in the channel between the front and rear portions and adjacent to the spacer portion; and (b) means on the body for providing access through the body to facilitate fastening the body to a support structure with the rear portion thereof located against the support structure, the access providing means being defined at least through the rear portion and through the spacer portion and segments of the front and rear portions aligned with and connected to the spacer portion. 
     The present invention also is directed to a mountable bracket for storing and displaying board-based recreational equipment wherein the bracket comprises: (a) a generally U-shaped body having an elongated front portion, an elongated rear portion and a spacer portion extending between and rigidly interconnecting the front and rear portions so as to hold the front and rear portions in a spaced apart relationship which forms an elongated channel therebetween being open at one end and along opposite sides and closed at an opposite end for receiving board-based recreational equipment in the channel between the front and rear portions and adjacent to the spacer portion, each of the front and rear portions having a pair of recesses formed therein which extend longitudinally between opposite ends of the front and rear portions and open at opposite longitudinal sides of the front and rear portions, each of the front and rear portions further having bracing structures disposed in the recesses for strengthening the front and rear portions; and (b) means on the body for providing access through the body to facilitate fastening the body to a support structure with the rear portion thereof located against the support structure. 
    
    
     These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the following detailed description, reference will be made to the attached drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a back perspective view of a bracket of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the bracket of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the bracket. 
     FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the bracket as seen along line  4 — 4  of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the bracket as seen along line  5 — 5  of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 6 is an end elevational view of the bracket as seen along line  6 — 6  of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a pair of the brackets mounted on a wall and storing a snowboard. 
     FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a pair of the brackets mounted on a ceiling and storing a snowboard. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated one of a plurality, preferably a pair, of wall or ceiling mountable brackets, generally designated  10 , of the present invention. In an exemplary application, the brackets  10  are useful in storing and displaying board-based recreational equipment, such as a snowboard B as seen in FIGS. 7 and 8. 
     Each bracket  10  basically includes a generally U-shaped body  12  having an elongated front portion  14 , an elongated rear portion  16  and a bight, intermediate or spacer portion  18  extending between and rigidly interconnecting the front and rear portions  14 ,  16 . The rigid interconnection between first ends  14 A,  16 A of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16  provided by the spacer portion  18  holds the front and rear portions  14 ,  16  in a fixed spaced apart relationship with one another so as to form an elongated channel  20  between the front and rear portions  14 ,  16 . The channel  20  is open at one end  20 A located between opposite second ends  14 B,  16 B of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16 , open along and adjacent to opposite sides  14 C,  16 C of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16 , and is closed at an opposite end  20 B by the spacer portion  18  which integrally interconnects the first ends  14 A,  16 A of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16 . 
     As seen in FIG. 7, the snowboard B can be received in the channel  20  between the front and rear portions  14 ,  16  through the open one end  20 A and rest upon and above the spacer portion  18  when each bracket  10  is mounted on a wall W. As also seen in FIG. 8, the snowboard B can be received in the channel  20  and rest upon the front portion  14  when each bracket  10  is mounted on a ceiling C. 
     Each bracket  10  further includes means  22  on the body  12  for providing access through the body  12  to facilitate fastening the body  12  to a support structure, such as the wall W as seen in FIG. 7 or the ceiling C as seen in FIG. 8, with the rear portion  16  of the body  12  located against the wall W or ceiling C. Conventional fasteners (not shown), such as two-inch sheetrock screws, can be used to fasten the brackets  10  to the wall W or ceiling C. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 to  6 , each of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16  of the body  12  has a pair of recesses  24 ,  26  formed therein which extend longitudinally between the opposite first and second ends  14 A,  14 B and  16 A,  16 B of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16  and open at the opposite longitudinal sides  14 C,  16 C of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16 . Each of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16  of the body  12  further has a pair of bracing structures  28 ,  30  disposed in the corresponding recesses  24 ,  26  for reinforcing and thus strengthening the front and rear portions  14 ,  16 . 
     More particularly, each of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16  of the body  12  includes outer and inner walls  32 ,  34  and  36 ,  38  which each has longitudinally-extending opposite side edges  32 A,  34 A and  36 A,  38 A, an intermediate wall  40  and  42  having opposite sides  40 A,  40 B,  42 A and  42 B and being disposed between and spacing apart the outer and inner walls  32 ,  34  and  36 ,  38 , and end walls  44 ,  46  and  48 ,  50 . The end walls  44 ,  46  and  48 ,  50  rigidly interconnect the outer and inner walls  32 ,  34  and  36 ,  38 . The intermediate walls  40  and  42  are rigidly connected with and extend in a transverse relationship to the outer and inner walls  32 ,  34  and  36 ,  38  and end walls  44 ,  46  and  48 ,  50  at intermediate locations that extend between opposite ends  14 A,  14 B and  16 A,  16 B of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16  and are spaced from the opposite side edges  32 A,  34 A and  36 A,  38 A of the outer and inner walls  32 ,  34  and  36 ,  38  and from opposite side edges  44 A,  46 A and  48 A,  50 A of the end walls  44 ,  46  and  48 ,  50 . The pairs of recesses  24 ,  26  in the front and rear portions  14 ,  16  of the body  12  are defined between the outer and inner walls  32 ,  34  and  36 ,  38  and end walls  44 ,  46  and  48 ,  50  thereof at the opposite sides  40 A and  42 A of the intermediate walls  40  and  42  thereof. 
     The bracing structures  28 ,  30  of the bracket  10  disposed in the corresponding recesses  24 ,  26  of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16  of the body  12  extend along the respective opposite sides  40 A,  40 B,  42 A and  42 B of the intermediate walls  40 ,  42  of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16  and between the outer and inner walls  32 ,  34  and  36 ,  38  and end walls  44 ,  46  and  48 ,  50  thereof. Further, the bracing structures  28 ,  30  are rigidly attached to the outer, inner, intermediate and end walls  32 ,  34 ,  40 ,  44 ,  46  and  36 ,  38 ,  42 ,  48 ,  50  of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16 . Each bracing structure  28 ,  30  has an undulating configuration such that the given bracing structure  28 ,  30  is rigidly attached to the outer and inner walls  32 ,  34  and  36 ,  38  of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16  at locations spaced apart longitudinally along the outer and inner walls  32 ,  34  and  36 ,  38 . 
     Also, the spacer portion  18  of the body  12  has an intermediate wall  52  extending between and rigidly connected with the inner walls  34 ,  38  of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16  of the body  12  and opposite end walls  54 ,  56  extending between and rigidly connected with the end walls  44 ,  48  of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16  and inner walls  34 ,  38  of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16 . The intermediate wall  52  of the spacer portion  18  of the body  12  is aligned with the intermediate walls  40 ,  42  of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16  of the body  12 . 
     The access providing means  22  includes a first structure  58  having an annular shape which is formed through the spacer portion  18  and segments  14 D,  16 D of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16  adjacent the first ends  14 A,  16 A thereof. The segments  14 D,  16 D of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16  are aligned with and rigidly connected to the spacer portion  18  of the body  12 . The first structure  58  defines a first bore  60  which is adapted to receive a fastener therethrough. The first bore  60  extends transversely to and through the segments  14 D,  16 D of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16  and through the spacer portion  18  of the body  12 . More specifically, the first structure  58  is integrally connected with the outer and inner walls  32 ,  34  and  36 ,  38  of the front and rear portions  14 ,  16  and with the intermediate walls  40 ,  42 ,  52  of the front, rear and spacer portions  14 ,  16 ,  18  of the body  12  and by being so formed augments the strength of the bracket  10  in this region thereof. The first bore  60  preferably has first and second portions  60 A,  60 B of different diameters so as to form an annular shoulder  62  therein against which the head of a fastener, such as a screw, will abut in order to tighten and thereby fasten the body  12  against the support structure. 
     The access providing means  22  also includes a second structure  64  having an annular shape which is formed through another segment  16 E of the rear portion  16  of the body  12  adjacent the second end  16 B thereof. The segment  16 E of the rear portion  16  of the body  12  extends beyond the second end  14 B of the front portion  14  of the body  12  and beyond the open one end  20 A of the channel  20 . The second structure  64  defines a second bore  66  adapted to receive a fastener therethrough. The second bore  66  extends through the segment  16 E of the rear portion  16  of the body  12  and is spaced from the first bore  62 . More specifically, the second structure  64  is integrally connected with the outer, inner and intermediate wall  36 ,  38 ,  42  of the rear portion  16  of the body  12 . 
     The brackets  10  can be of any desired size, made of any suitable conventional material, such as wood, plastic or metal, and made by using any suitable conventional manufacturing techniques, such as by injection molding in the case of plastic material. For the sake of simplicity, the brackets  10  are shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 without the recesses and bracing structures. When each bracket  10  is mounted vertically on the wall W, the brackets  10  are preferably placed generally parallel to one another and spaced horizontally from one another, as seen in FIG. 7, and the open end  20 A of the channel  20  of each bracket  10  is preferably spaced vertically above the closed end  20 B of the channel  20 . When each bracket  10  is mounted horizontally on the ceiling C, the brackets  10  are preferably placed generally parallel to one another and spaced horizontally from one another, as seen in FIG.  8 . Because the width of the channel  20  can be just slightly larger than the thickness of the snowboard B, there is little, if any, possibility that the snowboard B will become dislodged from the channel  20  by itself and without being bumped by someone. The long narrow configuration of the body  12  of each bracket  10  ensures that only a minimal amount of area of the surface of the snowboard B is covered, as can be seen in FIGS. 7 and 8. It should be noted that the snowboard B can be installed into the brackets  10  by using only one hand, if desired, and that there are no moving parts on the brackets  10  which have to be manipulated when either installing or removing the snowboard B into or from the brackets  10 . 
     It is thought that the present invention and its advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it will be apparent that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely preferred or exemplary embodiment thereof.