Patent Publication Number: US-2007108364-A1

Title: Assembly for deck accessories

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION  
      This application is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/273,394, filed Nov. 14, 2005, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      Decks on residential homes, cottages and cabins are popular in many parts of the country. Accessories for the decks are also popular, such as umbrella stands, tiki torches, flag poles, canopies, solar lights, grills, and even satellite dishes. Many of these accessories include a pole which is mounted to the floor of the deck or to the deck railing. Various forms of brackets have been used for securing the accessory pole to the deck rail, and usually require clamps, screws or other hardware to secure the bracket to the deck rail. Once mounted, the brackets are fixed and not movable, without leaving unsightly marks and blemishes on the rail from the hardware.  
      Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved bracket assembly for mounting a pole to a deck rail.  
      Another objective of the present invention is a provision of a bracket assembly which mounts to a deck rail without the use of hardware, so as to support a pole of a deck accessory.  
      A further objective of the present invention is a provision of a bracket assembly which is slidable along a deck for supporting an accessory pole adjacent the deck rail.  
      A further objective of the present invention is a provision of a bracket assembly which can be quickly and easily mounted to a deck rail without the use of tools.  
      Yet another objective of the present invention is a provision of a bracket assembly for a deck rail which accommodates poles having different diameters.  
      Still another objective of the present invention is a provision of deck rail bracket assembly having interchangeable inserts with varying diameters to hold poles having different diameters.  
      Another objective of the present invention is a provision of a bracket assembly for a deck rail to hold accessories, wherein the assembly is economical to manufacturer, and durable and safe in use.  
      One or more of these and/or other objectives that will become apparent from the following description of the invention.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The bracket assembly of the present invention is intended to hold a pole of a deck accessory such as a tiki torch, umbrella, flag pole, and the like. The assembly includes a first bracket having a channel for slidably receiving the deck rail and being mounted thereto without the use of hardware or tools. The first bracket includes a collar with a hole. One or more inserts are provided for insertion into the collar hole, with each insert having a hole with different diameters. Thus, the pole of a deck accessory can be inserted through the collar, or through a selected insert placed within the collar. The assembly includes a second lower bracket which also has a collar with one or more inserts with varying diameters, so as to accommodate poles having different diameters. The lower bracket is mounted to a block which engages at least one upright post of the deck so as to align the second bracket with the first bracket without the use of hardware or tools.  
      According to one aspect of the present invention, an assembly for a deck rail supported on a plurality of vertical posts extending upwardly from a deck floor is provided. The assembly includes a plate mountable to the railing without the use of hardware or tools, a collar extending outwardly from the plate, a hole disposed within the collar. The plate has an upper lip adapted for placement on a top of the deck rail. The plate has a lower ledge for placement on a bottom of the deck rail. A support member is adapted to be pressed in place against one of the vertical posts to secure the assembly in place. The accessory may include a handle adapted for pressing the support member in place against the one of the vertical posts. An accessory item having a pole for placement within the hole disposed within the collar may also be used. A stop member may be positioned on the pole to retain the pole in position within the collar. The accessory item may be, for example, a flag pole holder, a shepherd&#39;s hook, a beverage holder, a solar light, a sundial, a decorative item, a tikki torch, and an umbrella.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is partial perspective view of a deck having a tiki torch mounted to the deck rail using the bracket assembly of the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is a view similar to  FIG. 1  showing an umbrella mounted to the deck rail using the bracket assembly of the present invention.  
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the upper bracket of the bracket assembly.  
       FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the upper bracket of the bracket assembly.  
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the upper bracket.  
       FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the alternative bracket shown if  FIG. 5 .  
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the lower bracket of the bracket assembly.  
       FIG. 8  is an exploded view of the lower bracket.  
       FIG. 9  is a view of the lower bracket with an alternative insert positioned therein.  
       FIG. 10  is an exploded view of the lower bracket shown in  FIG. 9 .  
       FIG. 11  is an elevation view of a deck having a canopy connected to the deck rail using the bracket assembly of the present invention.  
       FIG. 12  is a perspective view of another embodiment of a bracket of the present invention.  
       FIG. 13  is an end view of the bracket of  FIG. 12  being positioned onto a deck rail.  
       FIG. 14  is an end view of the bracket of  FIG. 12  being secured to the deck rail.  
       FIG. 15  is an end view of the bracket of  FIG. 12  secured in place on the deck rail.  
       FIG. 16  is a perspective view illustrating some of the many accessories which may be used with the assembly of the present invention.  
       FIG. 17  illustrates some of the many decorative accessories which may be used with the assembly of the present invention, including holiday-themed accessories. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       FIGS. 1 and 2  show a deck  10  having a floor  12 , a plurality of vertical posts  14  secured to the floor  10  and extending upwardly, with a deck rail  16  connected to the posts  14 . The rail  16  includes a facia board  18  and an upper board or sill  20 . The construction of the deck  10  is conventional and does not constitute a part of the present invention.  
      The present invention is directed towards a bracket assembly having an upper bracket  22  and a lower bracket  24 , as seen in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The bracket assembly is adapt to receive a pole  26  of a deck accessory, such as a tiki torch  28  ( FIG. 1 ) or an umbrella  30  ( FIG. 2 ). It is understood that poles for other accessories may also be mounted to the deck rail  16  using the bracket assembly of the present invention, such as a flag pole, solar lights, a satellite dish, a grill, and a canopy  32  ( FIG. 11 ). It is also to be understood that a cross-section of the pole  26  need not be round, but can be square, have rounded corners.  
      As seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the upper bracket  22  has a front plate  34  having an inwardly turned upper lip  36 , and inwardly turned lower ledge  38  terminating in an upwardly turned lip  40  which define a rearwardly-open channel for the upper bracket  22 . The lower ledge  38  has a width corresponding to the thickness of the facia board  18 . The height of the front plate  34  corresponds to the height of the facia board  18  and the thickness of the sill  20 . For example,  FIGS. 3 and 5  show brackets  22  having different heights. The upper bracket  22  is mounted onto the deck rail  16  by engaging the ledge  38  with the bottom of the facia board  18  and rotating or pivoting the upper lip  36  over the front edge of the sill  20 , as seen  FIG. 3 . Thus, the channel of the upper bracket  22  receives the deck rail  16  so as to mount the bracket  22  on the rail  16  without the use of hardware or tools. The bracket  22  can be slid laterally along the rail  16  to a desired position. Since no screws, clamps, or other hardware is used to mount the upper bracket  22  to the deck rail  16 , movement of the bracket  22  along the rail  16 , or removal of the bracket  22  from the rail  16 , does not leave any holes, indentations, or other blemishes which otherwise would be present from clamps and screws.  
      The upper bracket  22  also includes a collar  42  which is welded or otherwise secured to the plate  34 . The collar  42  has a vertically oriented hole, as best seen in  FIG. 4 . A first insert  44  and second insert  46  may selectively be inserted into the collar  42  of the upper bracket. Each insert  44 ,  46  has a vertically oriented hole  48 ,  50  respectively. The holes in the collar  42 , first insert  44  and second insert  46  have progressively smaller diameters so as to accommodate various deck accessories having poles with different diameters. For example, a large diameter pole, such as for the umbrella  30  may be inserted into the hole of the collar  42 , without the inserts  44 ,  46 . A smaller diameter pole, such as that on the tiki torch  28  may require either the first insert  44  or the second insert  46  for a snug fit in the collar  42  of the upper bracket  22 . The second insert  46  may include an upwardly extending spacer extension  52  which resides between the hole  50  and the front plate  34  so as to provide further stability for the hole  26 .  
      The lower bracket  24  includes a tube or collar  54  with a vertically oriented hole having a diameter matching the diameter of the hole in the collar  42  of the upper bracket  22 . Third and fourth inserts  56 ,  58  may be provided for the lower collar  54 , with each insert  56 ,  58  having a vertically oriented hole  60 ,  62  respectively, having diameters corresponding to the diameters of the holes  48 ,  50  of the first and second inserts  44 ,  46 . The lower end of the pole  26  extends through the collar  54  and either of inserts  56 ,  58  which may be selectively placed in the collar  54 , so as to provide enhanced stability for the pole  26 . One way of describing the illustrated embodiment is as a double bind. The double binding action of the upper bracket  22  and the lower bracket  24  provide a double binding action on the pole  26  to maintain the pole in a secured position.  
      Preferably, the inserts  44 ,  46 ,  56 ,  58  each include an upper flange  45 ,  47 ,  57 , and  59 , respectively. The flanges  45 ,  47 ,  57 ,  59  engage the upper ends of the respective collars  42 ,  54  to keep the inserts  44 ,  46 ,  56 ,  58  from falling through the collars. Alternatively, the inserts can be pressed fit into the collars.  
      The collar  54  is mounted to a block  64 . Preferably, the collar  54  includes a pair of front holes  66  and pair of rear holes  68  on opposite sides of the collar. The rear holes  68  are adapted to receive a screw for mounting the collar  54  to the block  64 . The front holes  66  allow a screwdriver to extend through the collar  54  for turning the mounting screws  70 .  
      The block  64  has a thickness corresponding to the thickness of the facia board  18  and is adapted to engage one or more of the vertical deck posts  14 . Thus, the lower bracket  24  is aligned with the upper bracket  22 , without being fixed to the posts  14 .  
      In use, a person simply mounts the upper bracket  22  onto the deck rail  16  with a quick and easy rotational or pivotal action. No hardware or tools are required. The bracket position can be adjusted by sliding the bracket  22  along the rail  16 . Then the pole  26  can be inserted into the collar  42  of the bracket  22 , with or without one of the inserts  44 ,  46 . The lower end of the pole  26  can then be slid into the lower bracket  24 , with or without the inserts  56 ,  58 , as needed. It is understood that the lower bracket  24  is not required for smaller deck accessories having short poles which do not extend to the floor  12  of the deck  10 . Rather, such smaller accessories can be supported solely by the upper bracket  22 .  
      The invention contemplates numerous other embodiments. Another embodiment for an upper bracket is shown in  FIG. 12 . Here, the upper bracket  100  includes a plate  102  having an inwardly turned upper lip  104 , and an inwardly turned lower ledge which terminates in fingers  108 ,  110 . The upper bracket is placed on a deck rail such the deck rail is secured between the upper lip  104 , the inwardly turned lower ledge and the fingers  108 ,  110 . Of course, instead of fingers  108 ,  110 , a continuous piece could be used, more or fewer fingers could be used, or other variations in structure may be used. A collar  42  is shown which has a vertically oriented hole  118 . The hole  118  is adapted for receiving a pole or similar structure.  
      The upper bracket  100  has a base portion  102 . A first support member  114  and a second support member traverse the upper bracket  100 . A handle  116  is also shown. In operation, a user presses the handle  116  to clamp the upper bracket more tightly in place, pressing in the handle brings the support member  114  against a post. Although a handle  116  is shown for convenience, the handle  116  need not be preset or alternative forms of a handle may be used. It should also be apparent that, where a long object (such as a long pole) is not being used, it is not necessary to also require a lower bracket. Accessories may be supported merely through use of the upper bracket  100 .  
       FIGS. 13-15  illustrate use of the upper bracket  100  in combination with a deck. A deck rail  120  is shown with a post  124  extending up to the deck rail  120 . The deck rail shown is configured with a piece  122  extending downwardly from the rail and against the post  124 . The present invention, however, contemplates that the deck may have different configurations, that which is shown is merely exemplary. As shown in  FIG. 13 , the upper bracket  100  is placed against the railing.  FIG. 14  shows it being snuggly fit in place.  FIG. 15  illustrates the upper bracket in a secured position.  
       FIG. 16  illustrates some of the many different types of accessories which may be used. As shown in  FIG. 16 , a flag pole holder  140  may be used having a first piece  142  and a second piece  144  extending at an angle from the first piece  144 . The flag pole holder  140  may be used to support a flag. A shepherd&#39;s hook  170  is shown having a base portion  172  which may be placed in the upper bracket. Note that with items such as the flag pole holder  140  and the shepherd&#39;s hook  170 , no lower bracket needs to be used.  FIG. 15  also illustrates a beverage holder  130  which includes multiple places to place cups. Apertures  136  provide an area in which to rest each cup, can, bottle, or other beverage containers. Legs  132  and  134  extend downwardly for placement in upper brackets. A stop member  138  is also provided on each leg. Also shown in  FIG. 16  is a solar light  150  and a sun dial  160 . The present invention allows for any number of deck accessories to be positioned in place using the present invention.  
      According to another embodiment of the present invention, ornamental deck accessories are provided.  FIG. 17  illustrates examples of ornamental deck accessories. A Christmas tree  180  is shown with a tree portion  184  and a leg  182  which is placed in the upper bracket. A snowflake  190  is also shown with an arm  192  and a stop member  194  which prevents the arm from slipping down the upper bracket. A snowman  200  is also shown with an arm  202  and a stop member  204 . Thus, it should be apparent that the present invention contemplates numerous types of ornamental deck accessories may be used. The deck accessories may be holiday themed with Christmas trees, snowflakes, snowman, reindeer, nativity seasons for Christmas, menorahs for Hanukah, Easter eggs or Easter bunnies for Easter; hearts for Valentine&#39;s Day; birthday cakes for birthdays; pumpkins, ghosts, or monsters for Halloween; turkeys or cornucopia&#39;s for Thanksgiving Day. Of course, these are merely representative examples. The present invention contemplates any number of variations in the specific objects, which the present invention provides a convenient manner of hanging, thereby enabling one to hang such decorations conveniently form their deck when celebrating the holidays. It should be further understood that the present invention contemplates numerous variations. For example, where various holiday themed shapes are used, these may be plain, outlined with lights so as to be visible at night. In addition, such decorations may be solar powered or corded like Christmas tree lights. The decorations may be modular so that multiple decorations may be hung on the deck railing (using multiple assemblies) and plugged together. Alternatively, instead of lights, the decorations may be luminescent outlined so as to glow in the dark. The present invention contemplates these and other types of decorative accessories.  
      The invention has been shown and described above with the preferred embodiments, and it is understood that many modifications, substitutions, and additions may be made which are within the intended spirit and scope of the invention. For example the present invention contemplates that different structures may be used, the structures may be formed form metal, plastic, or other materials, different types of handles may be used if a handle is used, different type of accessory items may be used, different types of deck configurations may be accommodated, and numerous other variations are within the spirit and scope of the invention.