Patent Publication Number: US-2016230926-A1

Title: System for wall-mounting of objects

Description:
RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER APPLICATIONS AND PATENTS 
     This application is a Continuation-In-Part from a pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/694,947, filed Jan. 22, 2013, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to systems for mounting objects on walls; and more particularly, to a system comprising a wall-mountable component and an object assembly component matable with the wall-mountable component. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In numerous applications in the arts of displaying objects, it is desired to mount an object for view or use on a vertical surface. (For simplicity, a “vertical surface” is herein referred to also as a “wall”, and the term “object” wherever used herein should be taken to mean any object, e.g., a preformed frame, a mirror, signage, art work, picture, painting, print, sculpture, cabinet, shelves, or the like, that is intended to be mounted via the present invention on a vertical surface.) 
     In any non-adhesive strategy for mounting an object to a wall, the weight of the object must be carried on at least one attachment device that penetrates into the wall. 
     A simple method and apparatus for mounting an object to a wall is simply to drive attachment devices such as nails or screws through the object into the wall. However, this approach can be unsatisfactory for at least the following reasons:
         1. the attachment devices can cause damage to the object;   2. the attachment devices are readily accessible, so the object can be readily removed, and hence stolen; and   3. the attachment devices can be unsightly and therefore detract from the aesthetic appeal of the object.       

     What is needed in the art is a wall-mounting system wherein a first element comprising a utilitarian wall hanger serves to secure the system to a wall via one or more attachment devices and a second element comprising the object to be wall-mounted is secured to and covers the first element. 
     It is a principal object of the present invention to mount an object on a wall without damaging the object. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to mount an object on a wall such that the attachment devices are neither accessible nor visible at completion of mounting. 
     It is a still further object of the present invention to mount on a wall an object selected from the group consisting of a pre-formed frame, signage, art work, picture, painting, print, sculpture, cabinet, and shelves. 
     It is a still further object of the present invention to mount on a wall an object such that the object cannot readily be stolen or accidentally dislodged. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Briefly described, a system in accordance with the present invention for wall-mounting an object comprises a wall-mountable wall hanger and an object assembly. The present invention provides a simple, fast wall-mounting system of an object that is easy to install, theft resistant, and covers the attachment devices. 
     In a first exemplary embodiment of a wall hanger, a preferably rectangular structure, formed of sheet metal and having a wall-proximal side and a wall-distal side, includes a flat-head semi-tubular shoulder rivet (herein referred to as a “rivet”) protruding outward from the wall-distal side near each of the four corners of the rectangle. The rivets are deformed by compression during assembly of the structure to be substantially flush with the wall-proximal side. 
     In a first exemplary embodiment of an object assembly to be mated with a wall hanger, a frame formed of wood, plastic, glass, rubber, metal, or combinations thereof is first provided as a starting element of the assembly. Such a frame may be formed in accordance with any prior art. The frame has an opening on the front side for display of the object surrounded by three or more side elements, preferably four. Each of the side elements, preferably although not necessarily, is relieved at its rear side to provide a relief for receiving from the rear the object and optionally a pane of glass and a back plate attached to the frame by any conventional apparatus. Where the back plate is not fitted within the relief but extends outboard thereof, the frame may be further relieved locally via a plurality of cavities to obviate interference of the frame with the rivets extending through the back plate. 
     In a second exemplary embodiment of an object assembly, an object to be wall mounted without a frame, such as a small cabinet or shelving, is relieved locally via cavities as in the first embodiment, and the back plate is attached directly to the object as by screws, bolts, or adhesive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded side assembly view of a system in accordance with the present invention for wall-mounting an object, showing a wall hanger component matable with an object assembly component; 
         FIG. 2  is a plan view of the wall hanger component shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is an elevational cross-sectional view of a currently-preferred rivet prepared for installation into a wall hanger frame between an anvil and a hammer of a high-impact mechanical press; 
         FIG. 4  is an elevational cross-sectional view of the rivet shown in  FIG. 3  after installation into a wall hanger structure; 
         FIG. 5  is a plan view of a currently preferred embodiment of a one-piece back plate for use in the object assembly component shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a complete object assembly component of wall-mounting system in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a complete object assembly component of a wall-mounting system in accordance with the present invention; and 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a complete object assembly component of a wall-mounting system in accordance with the present invention. 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate currently preferred embodiments of the invention, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 8 , a theft-proof wall-mounting system  10  comprises a wall-mountable component such as wall hanger  12  and an object assembly component  14 . 
     Wall hanger  12  comprises a preferably rectangular structure  13  formed of sheet metal having a wall-proximal side  16  and a wall-distal side  18 . Headed rods  20 , preferably deformed headed rivets, protrude from side  18  near each of the four corners of structure  13 . Adjacent each headed rod  20  is a precision-punched hole  21  in structure  13  for mounting the wall hanger to a wall via screws (not shown). 
     In a currently preferred embodiment, each headed rod  20  is a flat-head semi-tubular shoulder rivet (also referred to herein as a “headed rivet”) having a flat head  22  and a shank having a solid-rod shouldered portion  24 , a shoulder  26 , and a semi-tubular deformable portion  28 . 
     In a method for forming wall hanger  12 , four precision-punched holes  30  are formed in structure  13  adjacent holes  22 , respectively, each hole  30  having a diameter preferably about 0.002″ larger than the diameter of rivet portion  28 . A headed rivet  20  is installed into each hole  30  between an anvil  32  and hammer  34  of a high-impact mechanical press, as shown in  FIG. 3 . Actuation of the press serves to roll and deform the open end of portion  28  outward, thereby firmly securing the headed rivet in structure  13  between shoulder  26  and rolled end  36 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     It has been found that forming protruding elements  20  of solid rod is an important element of the invention. To withstand the downward force exerted by gravity on a mounted object assembly, these protruding elements incorporate metallic deformation of the element as by riveting or welding on the wall-proximal side of structure  13 . The just-described flat-head semi-tubular shoulder rivet, formed from solid rod stock in known fashion, has been found to be a simple and convenient solution, preferable to welding of rod. 
     A threaded fastener screwed into hole  30  rather than using a welded rod or semi-tubular shoulder rivet is an inferior and unacceptable arrangement, and is not within the comprehension of the present invention, because it does not provide adequate lateral stability or strength and is prone to sagging or pulling out of the hole under load. It appears that having a portion of the rod stock, e.g., rolled end  36 , deformed on the wall-proximal side  16  of structure  13  serves to direct the load imposed by a mounted object assembly downward within structure  13 , minimizing the torque imposed on rod portion  24 . Such deformation cannot be obtained with a non-deformed threaded fastener. 
     During mounting of object assembly  14  onto wall hanger  12 , deformed headed rivets  20  mate with keyhole openings  38  formed in back plate  40  of object assembly  14 . It is a vital element of the present invention that each rivet  20  be deformed and thereby fixedly attached to metal structure  13  of wall hanger  12 . 
     In operation, wall hanger  12  is easily and quickly leveled and mounted in known fashion, which leveling guarantees that object assembly  14  will be level. Object assembly  14  is hung on wall hanger  12  by a) positioning object assembly  14  with rivets  20  extending through respective keyhole openings  38  and b) sliding object assembly  14  downwards to capture rivet heads  22  at the narrow ends  42  of keyhole openings  38 . A locking tab  44  having a slot  46  is pivotably mounted on back plate  40  and is provided with a string  48  extending beyond the edge of back plate  40 . After object assembly  14  is mounted on wall hanger  12 , c) string  48  is pulled by an installer to pivot locking tab  44  and thereby engage slot  46  with an adjacent rivet  20  under its rivet head  22 , thereby preventing object assembly  14  from being raised and removed from wall hanger  12 . String  48  is then cut flush with the edge of object assembly  14  and discarded. Preferably, string  48  is provided as a loop such that the entire string may be removed from locking tab  44  after the loop has been severed. 
     Object assembly  14  may be removed from wall hanger  12  by insertion of any thin tool, e.g., a plumber&#39;s tool, plaster blade, or scraper, (not shown) between back plate  40  and wall hanger  12 , pivoting locking tab  44  out of locking engagement, raising object assembly  14 , and pulling object assembly  14  away from the wall to clear rivet heads  22 . 
     Note that the spacing  50 a between the left and right keyhole openings  38  is controlled and precisely set to be identical to the spacing  50 b between the left and right rivets  20  on matable wall hanger  12  which is manufactured specifically for the dimensions of object assembly  14 . Thus, in the present invention, wall hanger  12  and back plate  40  are manufactured as a matable set having identical and fixed spacing between left and right rivets and left and right keyhole openings, so that a matable set may be applied to the hanging of a wide range of objects having differing width and height dimensions, as described below. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , a first embodiment  114  of an object assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises optionally a glass window  116 , an object  118  such as a picture for display, a backing sheet  120 , at least one back plate  122 , and a pre-formed frame  124 . 
     Frame  124  may be formed in accordance with any prior art and has an opening  126  on the front side to permit viewing of object  118  surrounded by three or more sides (not shown), preferably four. Each side is relieved at its rear  128  to provide a relief  130  for receiving object  118 , optional glass window  116 , backing sheet  120 , and back plate  122 . Back plate  122  is attached to frame  124  by any conventional apparatus  132 , e.g., bead of silicone, adhesive, tape, glazier points, brads, screws, or the like. When mounted to a matable wall hanger  12 , keyhole openings  38  open onto adjacent backing sheet  120  which may be compressible (e.g., expanded polystyrene) to accommodate rivet heads  22  during mounting of object assembly  114  onto a wall hanger  12 . Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 6 , one or more cavities  134  in backing sheet  120  may be provided to accommodate one or more rivet heads  22 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , a second embodiment  214  of an object assembly is similar to first embodiment  114  except that preformed frame  224  is wide enough that keyhole openings  38  are adjacent frame  224  rather than backing sheet  220 . Thus, a separate cavity  260  is provided in the rear surface  262  of frame  224  to accommodate a rivet head  22  during mounting of object assembly  214  onto a wall hanger  12 . As in first embodiment  114 , one-piece back plate  222  is attached to frame  224  by any conventional apparatus  232 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 8 , in a third embodiment  314  an object  318  to be wall-hung, e.g., shelving or a cabinet, does not require any framing but rather is mounted directly onto one-piece back plate  322  as by screws  324  or other conventional attachment means. As in embodiment  214 , a cavity  360  is provided in the rear surface  362  of object  318  to accommodate a rivet head  22  during mounting of object assembly  314  onto wall hanger  12 . 
     In embodiments  114 ,  214 , and  314 , each back plate  122 ,  222 ,  322  further comprises a pivotable locking tab  44 , as described above and shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     While the invention has been described by reference to various specific embodiments, it should be understood that numerous changes may be made within the spirit and scope of the inventive concepts described. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the described embodiments, but will have full scope defined by the language of the following claims.