Patent Publication Number: US-2011067320-A1

Title: Wall-Mount Adjustment Systems And Methods

Description:
This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application 61/325,112, filed on Apr. 16, 2010. This application is also a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 12/555,534 filed Sep. 8, 2009. U.S. application Ser. No. 12/555,534 is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/427,591 filed Apr. 21, 2009 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/202,870 filed Sep. 2, 2008 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/954,667 filed Dec. 12, 2007, now Issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,461,483 which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/566,365 filed Dec. 4, 2006, now Issued U.S. Pat. No. 7,699,138 which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/548,381 filed Oct. 11, 2006 which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 60/825,162 filed Sep. 11, 2006 and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application 60/950,237 filed Jul. 17, 2007. U.S. application Ser. No. 11/566,365 is also a continuation-in-part of International Application PCT/US07/16404 filed Jul. 19, 2007 which claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 11/548,381 filed Oct. 11, 2006, U.S. Provisional Application 60/825,162 filed Sep. 11, 2006 and U.S. Provisional Application 60/950,237 filed Jul. 17, 2007. All prior applications are incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The field of the invention is installation of wall-mounted components. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Plasma screens, speakers, light switches, electrical outlets, recessed lighting, junction boxes, HVAC ducts and other wall components are typically mounted to holes formed in walls or ceilings. These components are generally placed behind a hole in a wallboard and are then pulled forward so as to be accessible through the hole. The component is then affixed to a nearby stud or beam to hold the component in place through the wall. After the component has been attached to the stud or beam, however, it becomes very difficult to adjust the depth of the front of the component relative to the front surface of the wallboard. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,778,609 to Liberman teaches a component bracket that slides along a plaster ring around the opening of the wallboard and adjusts a depth of the component with respect to the front surface of the wallboard. However, Liberman uses a flange to cover the gap between the hole in the wallboard and the ceiling. Use of the flange also helps to ensure that the front surface of the component is parallel with the front surface of the wall, since the front surface of the component is typically attached directly to the flange. Many installers wish to install wall components without using a flange, but would still appreciate a component bracket that allows depth adjustability. Liberman and all other extrinsic materials discussed herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,282 to Wynn teaches a wall component that mounts to a depth-adjustable screw that protrudes from a wall bracket. The depth-adjustable screw can be used to ensure that the wall component fits snugly against the wall, but since the depth-adjustable screw is only located on one side of the wall component. Wynn, however, also uses a flange to cover the gap between the wall component and the hole in the wall. 
     Thus, there is still a need in the art for improved adjustment mechanisms for wall components that are installed in a wall without a flange. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The inventive subject matter provides apparatus, systems, and methods in which a wall component is installed into a partition, where the front surface of the wall component could be adjusted angularly with respect to the front surface of the partition. As used herein, the term “partition” should be construed broadly to mean any sort of mechanical barrier that separates two areas of space. Contemplated partitions include, for example, a wallboard, a ceiling tile, a granite countertop, a vehicle wall, and a door. Partitions can be made of any suitable material, including for example, plywood, plaster, wood, wood pulp, gypsum, stone, concrete, brick, and so forth. One preferred material is Aquatough™, due to its strength and water-resistance. The partitions can be supporting or non-supporting, so that even acoustic tiles used in a ceiling would be considered partition as the term is used herein. Similarly, wooden logs that form a wall in a log house would also be considered a partition as the term is used herein. Subsets of partitions include ceiling/wall partitions (i.e., barriers used as ceilings and/or floors), and wall partitions (i.e., barriers used as walls). Preferably, the partition is planar and is largely flat. 
     As used herein, a “component” should be interpreted as generically representing all practical wall mounted components, including for example, electrical outlets, data connectors, controllers, light and other switches, lighting, HVAC vents, sprinkler systems, smoke detectors, speakers, touch screens, and so forth. The various electrical and data wires and other cables are not shown in the figures, but should be assumed, and could be those conventionally contemplated in the art The component is generally installed into the partition by coupling a bracket to an opening in the partition, and then by coupling the component to the bracket. The partition opening could be cut on or off site to accommodate the bracket, or the partition could be molded to have a hole sized and dimensioned to receive a component bracket. The bracket could be coupled to the partition in any suitable manner, for example by using a chemical adhesive, screws, or by clamping the bracket to both front and rear sides of the partition opening. Preferably, the bracket is coupled to only the rear side of the partition so that no part of either the component or the bracket substantially protrudes from the front surface of the partition. As used herein, a surface that “substantially protrudes” from a surface extends less than 1 mm past the surface plane. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the bracket comprises at least two sections, a front bracket and a rear bracket where the front bracket is coupled to the partition and the rear bracket is coupled to wall infrastructure systems, such as electrical wires or liquid/air conduits. This way, the front bracket could be provided to an installer who specializes in installing brackets to wall partitions while the rear bracket could be provided to an installer who specializes in installing wall infrastructure systems for wall components, and the two brackets could be coupled at a later time. Preferably, the wall infrastructure is installed to the rear bracket before the partition is installed over the rear bracket. In an exemplary embodiment, the rear bracket is configured to attach to the front bracket at a variety of depths, allowing for a variety of depths to hold the wall component. 
     Once the bracket is sufficiently coupled to the partition, the component could be coupled to the bracket, and is preferably slightly recessed from the front of the recess such that a component leveler could fit within the recess. In an exemplary embodiment, the component leveler is slightly recessed from the front of the partition such that the fascia plate could attach to the component leveler to provide a more attractive flush mount finish. The fasica plate and the component leveler are sized and dimensioned such that the front surface of the fascia plate or the component leveler is substantially flush with the front surface of the partition. The component leveler has at least one depth adjustment mechanism that allows an installer to adjust the depth of a part of the component leveler with respect to the front surface of the partition. 
     Preferably, the component leveler has two, three, four, or more depth adjustment mechanisms close to the edges of the component leveler to allow an installer to adjust the depth of the component leveler angularly with respect to the front surface of the partition. This is especially useful for partitions with irregular surfaces, such as stone partitions, where one edge of the partition hole could protrude further than another edge of the partition hole. The depth adjustment mechanisms are preferably located within 0.5 in, 0.25 in., or even ⅛ in. from an edge or a corner of the component leveler. Providing multiple depth adjustment mechanisms also increases tension on the depth adjustment mechanisms, preventing the mechanism from sliding out of place post-installation. In an exemplary embodiment, the depth adjustment mechanisms are threaded adjustment screws that comprise affixed washers. Preferably, each depth adjustment mechanism is lockable at a certain depth to prevent the component leveler from easily shifting between depths when subjected to a sharp impact or vibration. As used herein, adjusting an object “angularly” means the ability to set the depth of one adjustment mechanism at a different depth of another adjustment mechanism for the same planar object, in this case the component leveler. 
     Allowing the component leveler to be adjusted angularly allows each edge of the front portion of the component to be substantially flush with the front of the partition. As used herein, surfaces that are “substantially flush” to one another means surfaces that diverge from one another by at most 0.05 in. (1.27 mm). Preferably, substantially flush surfaces diverge from one another by at most 0.02 in. (0.0508 mm) or by at most 0.01 in. (0.254 mm). 
     In exemplary embodiments, a fascia plate is provided that fits over the component leveler to hide the adjustment mechanisms from view. In such an embodiment, the component leveler is preferably slightly recessed from the front surface of the partition such that when the fascia plate is placed within the recess, the front of the fascia plate is substantially flush with the front of the partition. Exemplary fascia plates hide the attachment means between the fascia plate and the component leveler, such as those disclosed in application Ser. No. 12/251,951, incorporated herein by reference. In a preferred embodiment, the fascia plate comprises magnets that couple to magnetically attractive portions of the component leveler. 
     Since the fascia plate generally covers the depth adjustment mechanisms, a separate leveling plate is preferably utilized by an installer during installation to help adjust the various depths of the depth adjustment mechanisms. A leveling plate generally has the same size and dimensions as the fascia plate, but allows an installer to access the depth adjustment mechanisms, usually by providing holes in front of the depth adjustment mechanism. An installer using a leveling plate would generally match the edges of the leveling plate with the edges of the partition hole during installation to achieve a substantially flush look and feel. After the component leveler has been adjusted appropriately, the installer could then remove the leveling plate and then attach the fascia plate to the front of the component leveler. Of course, where a component leveler is not used, the installer would simply match the edges of the component leveler with the edges of the partition hole during installation. 
     Where the wall component is to be installed into a wall comprising drywall, the partition is preferably a panel such as those taught in application Ser. No. 12/555,534, incorporated herein by reference. It is contemplated that the panel could be prefabricated with a hole sized and dimensioned to receive the mounting bracket to reduce the time and cost of installation. Such holes could be fabricated such that the components and covers are flush mounted with the finished wall, ceiling, floor or other surface. The hole in the panel preferably has a skirted recess to receive the mounting bracket, such that the gripping surface of the bracket is slightly recessed from the front of the panel and the surrounding wallboard while the front-most portion of the spackle rim projects at least 0.01 in (0.254 mm) from the front of the panel. In other embodiments, the front-most portion of the spackle rim projects at least 0.03 in. (0.762 mm) or at least 0.05 in. (1.27 mm) from the front of the panel. 
     The inventive subject matter also provides apparatus, systems and methods in which a sanding shield limits the sandable area about an in-wall component. As used herein, a “sandable area” about an in-wall component is an area that could be sanded by a sanding surface, for example sandpaper or a sandblaster. Typically, the sanding shield limits the sandable area about an in-wall component by covering the in-wall component in some way, thereby preventing the sanding surface from coming in direct contact with a surface of the component by getting in between the sanding surface and the in-wall component. 
     Preferred sanding shield systems include a spackle rim with a recessed opening that provides access to a component that is mounted to a bracket behind the spackle rim. As used herein, a “recessed opening” is a hole that is skirted (i.e. at least partially surrounded) by a recess. Such recesses could be advantageously configured such a sanding shield placed within the recessed opening sits on top of the skirted recess, preventing the sanding shield from falling into the hole. While the sanding shield could be shaped to only cover a part of the hole, the sanding shield is preferably sized and dimensioned to cover the entire hole to prevent particulate matter from entering the hole and is more preferably sized and dimensioned to cover the entire recess as well as the hole. Since at least a portion of the component is generally accessible via the hole in the recessed opening, the sanding shield thereby protects that portion component from being sanded when mounted within the recessed opening. As used herein, a sanding shield that is “mounted” within a recessed opening is coupled to the recessed opening in such a way that the sanding shield does not fall out of the recessed opening when force is removed, for example by using a latch or a magnetic attachment. Preferably, the sanding shield is sized and disposed to fit so snugly in the recess that friction forces prevent the sanding shield from falling out of the recessed opening. 
     Typically, the bracket has a front surface with the recessed opening and a mount that holds the component, which may all be molded from a single piece or may be constructed from separate pieces. For example, if the wall component is a heavy speaker embedded in drywall, the mount could be made of a sturdy metal frame to hold the heavy component while the front surface could be made from a less durable thermoplastic. 
     The bracket is typically attached to a partition before attaching the component to the bracket. Exemplary brackets are taught in co-pending application Ser. No. 12/555,534 and its related parent applications, which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     Where the wall component is to be installed into a wall comprising drywall, the partition is preferably a panel such as those taught in application Ser. No. 12/555,534, incorporated herein by reference. It is contemplated that the panel could be prefabricated with a hole sized and dimensioned to receive the mounting bracket to reduce the time and cost of installation. Such holes could be fabricated such that the components and covers are flush mounted with the finished wall, ceiling, floor or other surface. The hole in the panel preferably has a skirted recess to receive the mounting bracket similar to the skirted recess of the recessed opening. Preferably a front surface of the recessed opening is slightly recessed from the front surface of the partition to allow for spackle component to fill in the surrounding area and form a substantially flush surface after installation. 
     Flush mounting is generally achieved by installing the mounting bracket and recessed opening into the partition such that the front-most portion of the recessed opening is substantially flush with the front of the partition. Preferably, at least a portion of the perimeter of the recessed opening has a sloped spackle rim that is capable of being sanded down by more than a millimeter by applying at least 10 pounds per square inch across the surface for 100 cycles. An installer could then spread spackle component across a surface of the partition up to the spackle rim of the mounting bracket and then could sand excess spackle component from the front of the mounting bracket after the spackle component dries. The front surface of the bracket between the outer perimeters and the spackle rim are preferably non-planar to increase the surface area that receives the spackle component and “grip” the spackle component better. In an exemplary embodiment, the gripping surface is scored in multiple directions, for example a horizontal and a vertical direction, to prevent the mounting bracket from sliding in any direction after the spackle component has been applied. 
     Preferably, the front-most portion of the spackle rim projects at least 0.01 in (0.0254 mm) from the front-most portion of the panel so as to provide some tactile and/or visual feedback when the installer sands away a portion of the spackle rim around the sanding shield. In other embodiments, the front-most portion of the spackle rim projects at least 0.03 in. (0.762 mm) or at least 0.05 in. (1.27 mm) from the front of the panel. 
     The sanding shield is preferably made from a visually or tactily distinct material from standard spackle components so that an installer who sands the spackle component will know when to stop sanding. For example, the sanding shield could be made of a transparent or black material, so that an installer could sand the spackle component until the sanding shield is clearly visible through the dried spackle component. Preferably, the sanding shield is made from a colored (non-white) material, since most spackle components are white when they dry. In another embodiment, the sanding shield could comprise a rough material, so that the installer could sand the spackle component until the installer feels or hears the sound of a different material being sanded. Since the front-most portion of the spackle rim slightly projects from the front of the panel, any damage to the spackle rim by over-sanding would be negligible. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the tip of the spackle rim that projects past the front surface of the panel comprises a visually or tactily distinct material from the rest of the spackle rim that not only sends a signal to the installer when the tip of the spackle rim is being sanded away, but also sends a signal to the installer when the installer has sanded the spackle rim to be level with the front of the panel. For example, the tip of the spackle rim could comprise a granular material that easily wears away and sends a tactile signal up the arm of an installer that he should stop sanding, while the rest of the spackle rim is comprised of a tougher thermoplastic; or the tip of the spackle rim could comprise a first color, while the rest of the spackle rim comprises a second color visually distinct from the first color. Preferably, the tip of the spackle rim comprises a material with less mohs of hardness than the rest of the spackle rim, causing the tip to be easier to sand away. Preferably, the spackle rim protrudes from the front of the sanding shield by at least 0.005 in (0.0127 mm) or 0.01 in (0.0254 mm) and at most only 0.2 in (0.508 mm) or 0.1 in. (0.254 mm) of the tip is worn away while sanding. 
     Once the spackle component has been applied and sanded away, the front of the sanding shield should appear to be contiguous and flush with the panel. The installer could then remove the sanding shield and dispose a fascia plate in the recessed opening. The sanding shield could be removed by reaching behind the shield and popping it out of the recessed opening, or by pulling on a handle coupled to the sanding shield itself. In an exemplary embodiment, the handle comprises a hole with a width greater than 0.5 in (1.27 cm) or 0.75 in (1.905 cm) to allow an installer&#39;s finger to pull the spackle shield out. In another embodiment, the sanding shield has a recess that receives a handle that could be used to remove the sanding shield from the mount. 
     Preferably, the fascia plate and the sanding shield are interchangeably mountable within the recessed opening, such that a front surface of the fascia plate is at the same depth when mounted in the recessed opening as a front surface of the sanding shield when mounted in the recessed opening. In one embodiment, the fascia plate has substantially the same thickness as the sanding shield so that the front of the fascia plate is also substantially flush with the front of the panel. As used herein, thicknesses that are “substantially the same” as one another are within 0.01 in. (0.254 mm) from one another, and are preferably within 0.005 in. (0.127 mm) from one another. A plurality of different fascia plates could be provided that provide distinct looks from one another to the front of the wall component, and some fascia plates could reveal different portions of the wall component depending on design. For example, a fascia plate for a wall outlet could reveal the electrical connections for the plug while covering all other parts of the wall outlet and a fascia plate for a monitor could reveal the screen while covering everything else. 
     Exemplary fascia plates hide the attachment means between the fascia plate and the component cover, such as those disclosed in application Ser. No. 12/251,951, incorporated herein by reference. In a preferred embodiment, the fascia plate comprises magnets that couple to magnetically attractive portions of the component cover. 
     Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  is a side cross-sectional view of an exemplary mounting bracket and sanding shield 
         FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the mounting bracket and sanding shield of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the mounting bracket and sanding shield of  FIG. 2  with spackle component spread across a surface of the sanding shield. 
         FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the mounting bracket and sanding shield of  FIG. 3  after the spackle component has been sanded away. 
         FIG. 5  is a front perspective view of the mounting bracket of  FIG. 2  with an installed component and fascia plate. 
         FIG. 6  is a side cross-sectional view of the mounting bracket and fascia plate of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 7  shows alternative fascia plates in accordance with the subject matter of the invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a front perspective view of the exemplary apparatus exploded about a solid surface partition. 
         FIG. 9A  is a rear perspective view of the solid surface partition of  FIG. 8  with a chemical adhesive 
         FIG. 9B  is rear perspective view of the solid surface partition of  FIG. 8  with an attached bracket 
         FIG. 9C  is a front perspective view of the solid surface partition of  FIG. 8  with a component leveler attached to the component and the component bracket. 
         FIG. 9D  is a front perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 8  with an optional leveling plate used to fine-tune the adjustment mechanisms. 
         FIG. 9E  is a front perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 8  with an attached fascia plate being installed. 
         FIG. 9F  is a front perspective view of the apparatus of  FIG. 8  in its installed form. 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded view of an exemplary apparatus attached to a partition designed for a drywall mount. 
         FIG. 11  is an exploded view of an exemplary apparatus with a component leveler positioned behind the component. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the flush mounting apparatus  100  generally has a wall component  150  that is attached to mounting bracket  120  with threaded screws  152 , which in turn is attached to partition  140  using rear bracket  130  and threaded screw  132 . While screws are used as an attachment means, other attachment means are contemplated, for example clips, nails, and magnets. Using screws to attach the components is by no means meant to limit the scope of the claims. While wall component  150  is shown here as a wall outlet with electrical wires  154 , wall component  150  can be used euphemistically herein to represent any component that may be installed in a wall, whether electrical or non electrical. 
     Mounting bracket  120  generally comprises a spackle rim  122 , a gripping surface  126 , and a recessed opening  128 . Recessed opening  128  allows access to the front of component  150 , and recessed opening  128  is skirted with a projection  129  that serves as a “shelf” for sanding shield  110  to rest upon. While projection  129  is a single projection that extends along the entire perimeter of recessed opening  128 , projection  129  could instead comprise a plurality of projections that hug a perimeter of the recessed opening without departing from the scope of the invention. Gripping surface  126  is scored along lines  127  to increase the surface area of gripping surface  126  when a spackle component is spread along its surface. 
     Sanding shield  110  with thickness  118  comprises a transparent thermoplastic, but may be made of any suitable color of any sanding-resistant material without departing from the scope of the invention. Sanding shield  110  has a recess  112  with an upper cover  113  sized and dimensioned to mate with a handle  116  and a lower cover  114  that prevents much of the sanded spackle from falling into the mounting bracket and possibly contaminating wall component  150 . Sanding shield  110  is sized and dimensioned to cover all of entire recessed opening  128  including projection  129 . Preferably the fit between sanding shield  110  and recessed opening  128  produces enough friction forces to hold sanding shield  110  within recessed opening  128  when mounting bracket  120  or partition  140  is tilted in any direction, however other attachment mechanisms could be used to hold sanding shield  110  in place, for example suction cups or tabs. 
     Spackle rim  122  is sized and dimensioned such that the upper-most tip  124  of spackle rim  122  extends approximately 0.01 in. (0.254 mm) from the front of sanding shield  110  and from partition  140 . The upper-most tip  124  of spackle rim  122  is made of a granular material that is sanded away easier than the lower section  123  of spackle rim  122 , allowing for a tactile difference when all of the upper-most tip  124  is sanded away. Preferably, the granular material is also slightly colored so as to give a visual indicator to an installer when the installer is close to sanding away the entirety of upper-most tip  124 . When the installer sees and feels the granular tip sanding away, the installer could then slow the sanding process to ensure that the spackle is sanded exactly flush with the front of the sanding shield. 
     While the upper-most tip  124  of spackle rim  122  projects slightly from the front of sanding shield  110 , in alternative embodiments the upper-most tip of spackle rim  122  could be sized and dimensioned to be flush with the front surface of sanding shield  110 . In such an embodiment, the installer would simply sand away spackle until the installer sees the transparent or colored surface of sanding shield  110 , and would then stop before sanding away any significant portion (more than 0.01 in or 0.254 mm) of spackle rim  122 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , an installer could spread spackle component  310  over gripping surface  126 , completely covering portions of partition  140 , mounting bracket  120 , and wall component  150 . Once the spackle component is dry, the installer could then sand away spackle component  310  to ensure a perfectly flush surface, as shown in  FIG. 4 . When the installer sands away the upper-most tip  124  of spackle rim  122 , colored granular material  410  then provides a visual cue to the installer that he should slow down his sanding until all of sanding shield  110  is visible. Preferably, colored granular material is a material that can be easily cleaned or erased, such as graphite. Sanding shield  110  could then be removed using handle  116  by the installer to be replaced by a fascia plate (not shown). 
     In  FIGS. 5 and 6 , sanding shield  110  has been replaced with fascia plate  420  that fits over component  410 . Fascia plate  420  has substantially the same dimensions (length, width, and thickness) as sanding shield  110 , but has holes  422  that reveal electrical plugs  412  in component  410 . (note that the electrical plugs  412  and holes  422  are not drawn to scale in  FIG. 5 ) Fascia plate  420 &#39;s thickness  428  is substantially the same as sanding shield  110 &#39;s thickness  118 . Since fascia plate  420  has substantially the same thickness as sanding shield  110 , fascia plate  420  is also substantially flush with the front of bracket  120  and partition  140 . 
     While fascia plate  420 &#39;s dimensions also allow it to be mountable within recessed opening  128  via friction forces without needing additional attachment mechanisms, fascia plate  420  has magnetically attractable material  432  and  434  to help keep it in place. Magnetically attractable material  432  and  434  are attracted to magnetically attractable material  442 ,  444 ,  446 , and  448  in component  410  to hold fascia plate  420  against component  410 , respectively. As defined herein, “magnetically attractable material” is a material with a relative magnetic permeability greater or equal to one. Preferably, magnetically attractable materials  442 ,  444 ,  446 , and  448  are magnets, while magnetically attractable materials  432 ,  434 ,  436 , and  438  are merely ferrous, but the opposite could be true without departing from the scope of the invention. 
       FIG. 7  shows alternative fascia plates  730  and  740  that have similar sizes and dimensions to fascia plate  420 , such that that each of the fascia plates are substantially flush with the surrounding front surface of the bracket and the wallboard when mounted to recessed opening  128 . Alternative fascia plates if a installer wants to use the same bracket and spackle rim for different components, or if a user wants a different color or design for the same component. 
     In  FIG. 8 , an exemplary apparatus  800  comprises a drywall partition  810 , a solid surface partition  820 , a rear bracket  830 , a front bracket  840 , a component  850 , a component cover  860 , and a fascia plate  870 . As used herein, a “solid surface partition” is any partition that has a hardness that is higher than gypsum. Solid surface partitions generally require specialized installation techniques because the solid surface is tougher than drywall, spackle can&#39;t be used to easily fill in gaps and holes that are accidentally made during installation, and holes generally need to be cut with specialized table saws. In the current embodiment, the solid surface partition is a marble partition that is partially supported by the drywall partition, and requires a specialized saw to cut out the rectangular hole sized and dimensioned to accept front bracket  840 . 
     Rear bracket  830  is a metal back plate with two holes  832  that are used to thread electrical wires  834  which will provide power and/or network connectivity to component  850 . Electrical wires  834  are threaded through holes  832  and are held in place using banana clip  836 . By providing a rear bracket  830  which is separate from front bracket  840 , apparatus  800  allows an installer to install infrastructure systems and couple them directly to rear bracket  830  separate from the installation of front bracket  840 . While the infrastructure system coupled to rear bracket  830  is shown here as two wires coupled to holes in a back plate, contemplated infrastructure systems are more complex, for example UPS power supplies, HVAC vents, or computer networking infrastructure. Rear bracket  830  could be made from any suitable material that can support a wall infrastructure without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     Front bracket  840  is sandwiched between solid surface partition  820  and drywall partition  810  to provide additional support to component  850 . Drywall partition  810  is a standard drywall wall attached to support studs  812 . Stronger partitions could be used to strengthen or otherwise front bracket  840  or solid surface partition  820 , for example tile, wood, granite, or gypsum-made wall partitions such as Aquatough™. Holes  814  and  824  are sized and dimensioned to accept front bracket  840  to provide access between component  850  and electrical wires  834 . It is contemplated that solid surface partition  820  and drywall partition  810  could be molded with holes  814  and  824 , or the holes could be cut on-site. 
     Front bracket  840  is a metal bracket with wings  842  that help front bracket  840  couple to solid surface partition  820 . As shown in  FIGS. 9A and 9B , front bracket  840  is preferably coupled to solid surface partition  820  using chemical adhesive  822 , which provides a semi-permanent bond between front bracket  840  and solid surface partition  820 . Front bracket  840  could be attached to solid surface partition  820  in a variety of other suitable methods, for example by screwing the front bracket into the solid surface, by taping the wings to the solid surface, by using magnetic clamps, by using interlocking components, and by clamping solid surface partition  820  to drywall partition  810 , thereby creating a compressive force that holds front bracket  840  in place. 
     Front bracket  840  has rough adjustment mechanisms  844  that allow front bracket  840  to slide towards and away the front surface of solid surface partition  820 . Rough adjustment mechanisms  844  comprise slots  845  and screws  856  that allow an installer to roughly adjust the depth of the front bracket by the length of the slot after wings  842  have been semi-permanently bonded to the rear surface of solid surface partition  820 . Alternative rough adjustment mechanisms are contemplated, for example ratchet systems, holes with pegs, and screws orientated perpendicularly to the plane of the solid surface. 
     After front bracket  840  and solid surface partition  820  are coupled with one another, drywall partition  810  could then add support to the front bracket and solid surface with screws or other adhesives that couple the drywall partition to the solid surface partition, thereby sandwiching the front bracket between the two partitions. The partitions could also be sandwiched together by coupling rear bracket  830  to front bracket  840  using screws, bolts, chemical adhesive, or other suitable attachment means. Interlocking partitions are also contemplated. While drywall partition  810  is provided to provide additional support to solid surface partition  820 , front bracket  840  could be installed into solid surface partition  820  without the need of drywall partition  810 . 
     After front bracket  840  is coupled to solid surface partition  820 , component  850  could then be coupled to front bracket  840  and/or component leveler  860 . Component  850  is preferably positioned between component leveler  860  and front bracket  840  to provide additional support to component  850 , as wall components are generally rather expensive and troublesome to replace. Wall component  850  is a wall outlet that couples with wires  834  to provide electricity via an outlet box, but could be replaced with other suitable wall components if needed. 
     Component leveler  860  covers a portion of component  850 , namely the top and bottom wings  852 , and has four adjustment mechanisms  862 ,  864 ,  866 , and  868  located near the corners of component leveler  860  which allow fine-adjustment of the front surface of component  850  relative to the front surface of partition  820 . As shown in  FIG. 9C , his allows an installer to attach component leveler  860  to front bracket  840  via through holes  848 , and also allows the installer to adjust component leveler  860  angularly. By fine-adjusting the four adjustment mechanisms  862 ,  864 ,  866 , and  868 , an installer could ensure that the front surface of component  850  is perfectly flush with the front surface of solid surface partition  820 . 
     Since the current embodiment is designed to allow fascia plate  870  to fit over component  850 , an installer would preferably adjust the four adjustment mechanisms  862 ,  864 ,  866 , and  868  such that fascia plate  870  is flush with the front surface of solid surface partition  820 . The installer could be aided through the use of a leveling plate  910  as shown in  FIG. 9D . Here, leveling plate  910  is a plate with the same thickness as fascia plate  870 , but has access holes  912  that allow an installer to access the adjustment mechanisms  862 ,  864 ,  866 , and  868  through leveling plate  910 . By using leveling plate  910  in conjunction with the adjustment mechanisms  862 ,  864 ,  866 , and  868 , an installer could ensure that every outer edge of leveling plate  910  is flush with every inner edge of hole  824  of solid surface partition  820 . This therefore ensures that every outer edge of fascia plate  870  will then be flush with every inner edge of hole  824  of solid surface partition  820 , which in turn improves the flush-mount look and feel of fascia plate  870  when installed over component  850 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 9E and 9F , fascia plate  870  couples to component leveler  860  using magnet attractors  872 , and could be removed using suction cup  920 , functioning much in the same way that fascia plate  420 . Alternative fascia plate attachment mechanisms are contemplated, such as those taught in co-pending application Ser. No. 12/251,951, incorporated herein by reference. 
     Preferred installation instructions break down the installation into three component parts: (1) installation of the wall infrastructure, (2) installation of the component bracket, and (3) leveling of the component with respect to the solid surface partition. This is because different installation professionals typically install each segment separately. For example, in the present embodiment, typically an electrician would first install the electrical wiring to a back box and would either attach the back box to the rear bracket and leave the bracket hanging in the air, or would attach the back box to a wall stud. Then, an installer who specializes in installing marble tiles could then cut the solid surface and attach the bracket to the solid surface, and could attach the rear bracket to the front bracket. Lastly, a specialized installer could then install the component and the component leveler, could adjust the component leveler accordingly using the leveling plate, and then could couple the fascia plate to provide a substantially flush mount installation. By breaking down the installation into component parts, the apparatus can be installed without requiring marble wall installers to learn how to install electrical wiring, or wall infrastructure installers to learn how to cut marble. 
       FIG. 10  shows an alternative apparatus  1000  that is designed to install a component  1040  into a gypsum partition  1010 . Here, front and rear brackets are coupled to one another and are represented by bracket  1020 , and component  1040 , component leveler  1050 , and fascia plate  1060  all function in substantially the same manner as component  850 , component leveler  860 , and fasica plate  870  in  FIG. 8 . The major difference is that alternative apparatus  1000  now has a partition with a skirted recess, and has a mounting bracket  1030  that functions in substantially the same manner as mounting bracket  120  in  FIG. 1 . This allows an installer to utilize the sanding shield of  FIGS. 1-7  to install component  1040  while fine-adjusting component leveler  1050  angularly. 
       FIG. 11  shows an alternative apparatus  1100  that is designed to install a component in a wall in front of the component leveler. Alternative apparatus  1100  generally has component  1110 , partition  1120 , component leveler  1130 , and bracket  1140 . Bracket  1140  could be attached to the back of partition  1120  or to a wall stud which is attached to the back of partition  1120 , while component leveler  1130  could be attached to bracket  1140  using attachment mechanisms  1132 ,  1134 ,  1136 , and  1138 . This allows component  1110  to be freely removable from the wall mount assembly, which could be useful when component  1110  is a computer, such as a laptop, an iPod™, or an iPad™. In preferred embodiments, component  1110  is wrapped in a specialized case that magnetically mates with component leveler  1130  to allow for ease of mounting and dismounting from the partition  1120 . 
     It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. Where the specification claims refers to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C . . . and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc.