Patent Publication Number: US-6904729-B1

Title: System for facilitating the temporary hanging of objects from vinyl or aluminum siding without damaging the siding

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention relates generally to hanging systems and the removal thereof, and more particularly to a system that facilitates the temporary hanging of objects from vinyl or aluminum siding without damaging the siding during and after the use thereof. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   More and more, homes and other buildings have their exteriors clad in either aluminum or vinyl siding. The advantages of such sidings include their attractive looks, low maintenance, weathertight integrity, low cost, and the fact that no routine exterior painting is required. Unfortunately, there are several disadvantages associated with vinyl or aluminum siding. Most notably, it is difficult to affix various fixtures and decorations to a building clad with such siding without piercing the siding (e.g., using screws, nails, etc.) or attaching something directly to the siding using an attachment material (e.g., adhesive, epoxy, tape, etc.). However, piercing the siding compromises the weathertight integrity of the siding so that the elements can reach the building&#39;s underlying structure, leaves unsightly holes in the siding should it be necessary to move or remove the external fixture, and leaves holes that are not easily repaired. Accordingly, the usual repair for pierced siding is to replace the pierced section with new siding even though it may be difficult or impossible to procure the exact replacement for the pierced siding or to match the color of the siding which has faded due to exposure to the elements. 
   While the use of attachment materials such as adhesives, epoxies, tape, etc., protects the integrity of the underlying building structure, these forms of attachment are prone to failure in outdoor environments. Furthermore, there is typically a residue left on the siding when the attachment material is removed. The residue can be difficult to remove and the removal process can aesthetically damage the siding. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system that facilitates the hanging of object(s) from vinyl or aluminum siding while maintaining the siding&#39;s appearance and integrity both during and after the use thereof. 
   Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious hereinafter in the specification and drawings. 
   In accordance with the present invention, a system is provided for facilitating the temporary hanging of at least one object from vinyl or aluminum siding while maintaining the integrity of the siding during and after the use thereof. The system comprises a hanger and a removal tool. The hanger has an upper portion and a lower portion with the upper portion being defined by a substantially planar portion with a lip formed along a first edge thereof. The lower portion is coupled to a second edge of the substantially planar portion where the second edge opposes the first edge. The lower portion also including means for supporting the hanging of at least one object therefrom. The removal tool is designed for cooperation with the upper portion of the hanger when the hanger is installed between two panels or rows of vinyl or aluminum siding. The removal tool has (i) a hand grip, (ii) a stop block coupled to the hand grip and with the stop block terminating in a planar region, and (iii) a wedge having a base coupled to the stop block along a portion of the planar region. The remainder of the planar region adjacent the wedge&#39;s base is exposed and forms a stop that engages the siding when the removal tool is used to disengage the hanger from it&#39;s installation between two rows of vinyl or aluminum siding. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reference to the following description of the preferred embodiments and to the drawings, wherein corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings and wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is a side schematic view of the interface between two panels or rows of conventional vinyl or aluminum siding attached to a wall structure; 
       FIG. 2  is a side schematic view of the interface between two panels or rows of Dutch-lap vinyl or aluminum siding attached to a wall structure; 
       FIG. 3  is a plan view of one embodiment of a hanger used in the system for facilitating the hanging of object(s) from vinyl or aluminum siding in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the hanger taken along line  4 — 4  in  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a plan view of another embodiment of a hanger for use in the system of the present invention where the hanger includes keyholes; 
       FIG. 6  is a side view of a hook having posts configured for cooperation with two of the keyholes in the hanger shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a hanger in which bracket arms are integral therewith; 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a hanger in which a mounting region can be offset with respect to the siding; 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a hanger configurable to define a hanging loop; 
       FIG. 10  is a side view of conventional siding with a hanger installed in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 11  is a side view of Dutch-lap siding with a hanger installed in accordance with the present invention; 
       FIG. 12  is a plan view of an embodiment of a removal tool used in the system of the present invention; 
       FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view of the removal tool taken along line  13 — 13  in  FIG. 12 ; and 
       FIGS. 14A–14C  depict the sequence of steps used to remove the hanger from its installation at the interface between two panels or rows of siding using the removal tool portion of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the interface between two individual panels or rows (as they will be referred to hereinafter) of conventional vinyl or aluminum siding ( FIG. 1 ) and Dutch-lap vinyl or aluminum siding ( FIG. 2 ) are illustrated. It is to be understood that although the types of siding configured as shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  are generally made from vinyl or aluminum, this is not a limitation of the present invention. That is, the material used to construct the siding could be another manufactured material or composite without impacting the effectiveness of the present invention. The system of the present invention can be used in conjunction with either of the  FIG. 1  or  FIG. 2  siding configurations as will be explained further below. It is to be further understood that the present invention can also be used with custom or beaded types of siding and insulated foam-backed types of siding as their row interfaces are similar to that described above. 
   As is known in the art, the conventional siding configuration shown in  FIG. 1  has an upper row  10  of siding and a lower row  20  attached to a wall structure  30 . Upper row  10  includes a face  12  and an L-shaped return leg  14  that extends toward wall structure  30  from the lower portion of face  12 . Lower row  20  includes a face  22  that extends below return leg  14 , and a nail strip loop  24  that engages return leg  14  and provides a surface through which a nail  40  (or other similar fastener) is driven to couple lower row  20  to wall structure  30 . This structure is repeated throughout a siding installation. 
   The Dutch-lap configuration illustrated in  FIG. 2  is similar to the conventional siding shown in  FIG. 1  with the exception that the face of each of upper row  10  and lower row  20  has an upper face  26  and a lower face  28  (with only lower face  28  of upper row  10  being visible in the drawing). Upper face  26  angles away from wall structure  30  more sharply than face  22  ( FIG. 1 ) and lower face  28  extends substantially vertically downward from upper face  26 . 
   In general, the structure of the present invention includes a hanger (e.g., several embodiments of which are depicted in  FIGS. 3–5  and  7 – 9 ) and a removal tool (e.g.,  FIGS. 12–13 ). Each of the hangers and removal tool can be made from a variety of well-known materials such as plastics or composites that will not mar the siding with which it will come in contact. Each hanger is designed to be securely attachable to the siding without the use of any fasteners and without damaging the siding. Once in place, each of the hangers serves as a point of hanging or attachment for a variety of fixtures, decorations, etc. Further, removal of each of the hangers is facilitated by using the removal tool whereby such removal is accomplished without any damage or alteration of the siding. Thus, the present invention provides the means to hang object(s) from siding while maintaining the structural and finish integrity of the siding both during and after use of the system of the present invention. 
   Referring simultaneously now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a first embodiment of a hanger is shown and referenced generally by numeral  100 . Hanger  100  is a one-piece hanger having an upper portion  110  and a lower portion  120 . Upper portion  110  provides hanger  100  the means to be inserted between and supported by the interface between two rows of siding. Lower portion  120  provides hanger  100  the means to support the hanging of one or more objects therefrom. 
   Upper portion  110  is defined by a flat or planar region  112  and a lip  114 . More specifically, lip  114  extends along and protrudes from one edge (indicated by dashed line  112 A) of planar region  112 . Lip  114  is typically shaped (e.g., rounded, tapered, etc.) along its top  114 A to facilitate insertion thereof between a return leg and nail strip loop of two interfacing rows of siding as will be explained further below. Lip  114  can also be beveled at either end  114 B towards the front portion of upper portion  110  as shown to facilitate the insertion (leading with either end  114 B) of hanger  100  between two rows of siding. 
   Lower portion  120  has a number of holes formed therethrough that can be used to support the hanging of object(s) therefrom. For example, holes  122  in the central region of lower portion  120  can be used individually or in combination to hang an object using string, wires, etc. Holes  124  in the edge regions of lower portion  120  can be used in a similar fashion. In addition, lower portion  120  can have areas (e.g., lines  126 ) of structural weakness that lead from the edge of lower portion  120  to one of holes  124 . One or more of the structurally weak lines  126  can be manipulated to failure or cut so that a path is defined to the corresponding one of holes  124 . In this way, lower portion  120  can be used to dress wires (e.g., television, telephone, etc.), or ropes (e.g., flag pole lines, sign hanging ropes, etc.) that must be run on the exterior of a house or building. The areas or lines  126  of structural weakness can be formed by scoring lower portion  120 . If hanger  100  is made from plastic, lines  126  can be configured as what is known in the art of plastics manufacturing as a “living hinge”. 
   Upper portion  110  and lower portion  120  can be aligned with one another in the same general plane or can be angularly disposed with respect to one another as shown. By angularly disposing the two portions with respect to one another, hanger  100  can securely engage either the conventional siding ( FIG. 1 ) or Dutch-lap siding ( FIG. 2 ) as will be explained further below. To achieve such versatility, it has been found that the angle α between upper portion  110  and lower portion  120  should be in the approximate range of 165–175°. 
   Another embodiment of a suitable hanger for use in the system of the present invention is illustrated in  FIG. 5  and is referenced generally by numeral  200  with common reference numerals being used for those elements that are identical to that of hanger  100 . The difference in hanger  200  is a lower portion  220 . Specifically, a raised central region  222  has a plurality of keyholes  224  formed therethrough. Keyholes  224  serve as the mounting point for a dependent support such as hook  230  illustrated in  FIG. 6 . Hook  230  has at least one post  232  (e.g., two are shown) designed to cooperate with corresponding one (or more) of keyholes  224  as is well understood in the art. It is to be further understood that other dependencies (e.g., rod, eye, etc.) could be supported using one or more of keyholes  224  without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
   Still another embodiment of a suitable hanger is illustrated in  FIG. 7  and is referenced generally by numeral  300 . Lower portion  320  of hanger  300  is configured with bracket arms  322  and  324 . Bracket arms  322  and  324  are typically integrally formed as part of lower portion  320 . Bracket arms  322  and  324  have respective tops  322 A and  324 A aligned and shaped to cradle an object (e.g., a rod) thereon. 
   The hanger used in the system of the present invention could also be configured as shown in  FIG. 8 . Hanger  400  has its lower portion  420  formed with integral support arms  422  and  424  and an offset mounting region  426  spanning arms  422  and  424 . Mounting region  426  would thus be offset from the siding to which hanger  400  would be secured. 
   In  FIG. 9 , hanger  500  has a lower portion  520  configured to be assembled into a hanging loop. For example, a T-portion  522  can be shaped so that a top  522 A thereof is fitted into and then locked within a T-slot  524 . Such locking is secured when an object would be hung in the resulting loop. Other types of loop-forming constructions could be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
   As is evident from the above descriptions of the various hanger embodiments, the upper portion of each hanger is identical. Accordingly, an installation description for one hanger embodiment (e.g., hanger  100 ) will suffice for all hanger embodiments. Referring now to  FIGS. 10 and 11 , hanger  100  is shown installed between two rows of conventional and Dutch-lap siding, respectively. For each type of installation, upper portion  110  of hanger  100  is pushed up between return leg  14  and nail strip loop  24  until lip  114  engages the top edge  14 A of return leg  14 . The existing fit and flex of the siding keeps lip  114  engaged with return leg  14 . If configured with an angular relationship between upper portion  110  and  120 , this angular relationship allows lip  114  to remain engaged with return leg  14  in the Dutch-lap siding configuration ( FIG. 11 ). Specifically, lower portion  120  can follow the sharper angle of face  26  while upper portion  110  remains substantially vertical thereby keeping lip  114  engaged with return leg  14 . In either installation, hanger  100  is securely held in place without damaging the siding and while providing a platform i.e., lower portion  120 ) for the hanging of object(s) therefrom. 
   As mentioned above, the system of the present invention includes a tool that facilitates the removal of each of the above-described hangers from between two rows of siding while maintaining (i) the structural integrity of the siding, (ii) the appearance of the siding, and (iii) the integrity of the interface between the two rows of siding from which the hanger is being removed. In this way, the present invention maintains the siding&#39;s structure and appearance both during and after the use thereof. 
   One embodiment of such a removal tool is shown in  FIGS. 12 and 13  and is referenced generally by numeral  600 . By way of illustrative example, removal tool  600  is a one-piece tool (e.g., molded plastic or composite) that defines a hand grip  602 , a block  604  extending from hand grip  602 , and a wedge  606  extending from block  604 . Hand grip  602  can be shaped in any suitable manner well known to those in the art of hand tools. Block  604  forms a planar region (referenced by dashed line  604 A) having one side thereof that serves as the region of coupling with the base  606 A of wedge  606 . The other side of planar region  604 A remains exposed and forms a stop during the use of removal tool  600 . The apex  606 B of wedge  606  can be positioned centrally over block  604  and along the length thereof. Note that when removal tool  600  is to be used with hanger designs such as those shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the width W of block  604  and wedge  606  should be less than that of the hanger in order to fit between the arms that extend therefrom. However, in general, the width of block  604  and wedge  606  are not limitations of the present invention. 
   To explain the use and advantages of removal tool  600 , continued reference will be made to  FIG. 10  as well as the sequence of illustrations in  FIGS. 14A–14C . With hanger  100  installed as shown in  FIG. 10 , removal tool  600  is placed against hanger  100  with wedge  606  thereagainst. Removal tool  600  is then pushed upwards as indicated by arrow  610  in  FIG. 14A . In doing this, wedge  606  is driven up under the return leg (not shown in  FIG. 14A ) of upper row  10  until the stop defined by the exposed portion of planar region  604 A contacts the return leg. At this point, the thickness of wedge  606  drives the return leg of upper row  10  outward from wall structure  30  just enough to disengage from lip  114 . With lip  114  disengaged from the return leg of upper row  10 , removal tool  600  and hanger  100  can be pulled/rotated downward as indicated by arrow  612  as shown in  FIG. 14B  until hanger  100  can be pulled straight downward as indicated by arrow  614  in  FIG. 14C . Since the relationships between upper row  10  and lower row  20  are left essentially undisturbed during the removal process, the siding remains “zipped” together during the removal of hanger  100 . 
   The advantages of the present invention are numerous. The system of hanger and removal tool provide the means to hang or support a wide variety of objects from a building clad in vinyl or aluminum siding. Installation, use and removal of the system will not damage the structure or appearance of the siding thereby protecting the siding as well as the underlying building structure. 
   Although the invention has been described relative to a specific embodiment thereof, there are numerous variations and modifications that will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described.