Patent Publication Number: US-2022211194-A1

Title: Apparatus for suspending objects on a wall

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The application relates generally to devices operable to hang an object on a wall, more specifically but not by way of limitation an apparatus configured to suspend an open back canvas or art board either with or without a frame, wherein the apparatus includes a wall member and a frame member. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Homeowners regularly decorate the interior of the rooms of their homes. Paintings and pictures are typically framed works of art with the former many times being applied to a canvas or similar item having an open back design. Various types of hanging devices are known, including French cleats. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 9,521,915 describes on variation of a French cleat in the form of an apparatus operable to provide hanging of an object (e.g., an open back canvas) on a vertical wall. The apparatus includes a wall member and a frame member. The wall member includes a lower portion and an upper portion. The upper portion is configured to angularly extend away from a wall subsequent to mounting. The upper portion of the wall member includes a first leg member and a second leg member with an intermediate channel. The frame member includes an upper surface operable to support an object thereon. A lip is formed along the rear perimeter edge of the upper surface. The frame member includes an upper portion having an angular perimeter edge. Contiguously formed with the upper portion is an arm that is configured to extend downward therefrom. The arm is inserted into the channel. 
     Existing French cleats put notable loads on the wall bracket portion that attempt to pull it from the mounting surface if the object is warped away from the wall at center or if, in the case of a canvas covered frame, the canvas is folded in multiple layers at the corners. Moving the bottom of a mounted object away from the wall applies similar forces that can loosen or dislodge the wall bracket if the fasteners cannot withstand substantial loads. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for a French cleat type hanging apparatus that addresses one or more of the foregoing limitations. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, an apparatus for supporting an object on a wall includes a wall member including a rear side defining a wall mount plane to be held against a wall surface and a recess defined at least in part by a front wall portion that extends upwardly and forwardly from a support ledge, wherein the recess includes an open top section. A frame member includes a frame mount section for engaging a frame, and an arm extending downward from the frame mount section for positioning down into the recess of the wall member such that the frame member will be supported by the wall member. The front wall portion and the arm are configured such that an interaction of the arm and a rear surface of the front wall portion during a downward movement of the arm into the recess while the frame mount section is spaced away from the wall surface will cause at least one of the front wall portion or the arm to flex in order to enable a bottom end of the arm to continue downward toward a seated position. 
     In another aspect, an apparatus for supporting an object on a wall includes a wall member including a rear side defining a wall mount plane to be held against a wall surface and a recess defined at least in part by a front wall portion that extends upwardly and forwardly, wherein the recess includes an open top section. A frame member includes a frame mount section for engaging a frame, and an arm extending downward from the frame mount section for positioning down into the recess of the wall member such that the frame member will be supported by the wall member. The front wall portion and the arm are configured such that an interaction of the arm and a rear surface of the front wall portion during a downward movement of the arm into the recess while the frame mount section is spaced away from the wall surface will cause at least one of the front wall portion or the arm to move in order to enable a bottom end of the arm to continue downward toward a stop position. 
     In a further aspect, an apparatus for supporting an object on a wall includes a wall member including a rear side defining a wall mount plane to be held against a wall surface and a recess defined at least in part by a front wall portion that extends upwardly and forwardly, wherein the recess includes an open top section. A frame member includes a frame mount section for engaging a frame, and an arm extending downward from the frame mount section for positioning down into the recess of the wall member such that the frame member will be supported by the wall member. The recess includes end plates that prevent the arm from sliding laterally out of the recess. 
     The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a mount apparatus, 
         FIG. 2  is a rear perspective view of the apparatus; 
         FIG. 3  is a side profile view of the apparatus; 
         FIG. 4  is a side profile cross-section of the apparatus; 
         FIG. 5  is partial perspective view of the frame member; 
         FIGS. 6-7  are rear perspective views of the frame member mounted to an art frame; 
         FIG. 8  is a side profile cross-section of the frame member mounted to the art frame; 
         FIG. 9  is a side profile cross-section of the apparatus with wall member mounted to a wall and the frame member moving into engagement with the wall member; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective cross-section of the  FIG. 9  view; 
         FIG. 11  is a side profile cross-section of the apparatus with wall member mounted to a wall and the frame member moved into fully engaged position with the wall member, with mount arm flexed; and 
         FIG. 12  is a side profile cross-section of the apparatus with wall member mounted to a wall and the frame member moved into fully engaged position with the wall member, with mount arm not flexed. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , a hanging apparatus  10  includes a wall member or bracket  12  configured to be secured to a wall, such as but not limited to the interior surface of a wall within a home, and a frame member or bracket  80 . The wall member  12  includes a lower portion  14 , an upper portion  16 , opposite ends  18 ,  20 , a front side  22  and a back side  24 . A plurality of buttress projections  26  protrude at the front side of the wall member, each projection having a through aperture  28  formed therein for receiving a fastener (e.g., a nail or screw) to be used to secure the wall member  12  to the surface of a wall. The apertures extend angularly downward from the front side to the back side of the wall member  12 , per aperture axis  30 . A capture slot  32  for a bubble level unit is also located on the front side of the wall member, between a lower ledge  34  and an upper cover arm  36 . 
     The opposite ends  18 ,  20  of the wall member include end plates  40 ,  42  that have rear edges  44 ,  46  that are co-planar with each other along most of a height H 1  of the wall member  12 , and also co-planar with the rear edge  48  of a bottom ledge  50  extending across the width W 1  of the wall member  12  and a rear edge  52  of an upper ledge  54  extending across the width W 1 . The collective rear edges  44 ,  46 ,  48  and  52  therefore define or lie in a wall mount plane  56  of the wall member  12 . 
     At the front side of the wall member  12 , a lower front wall portion  60  runs substantially vertically (e.g., parallel to the wall mount plane  56 ), a middle or intermediate front wall portion  62  extends at an angle  01  (relative to wall portion  60 ) forward and upward from the lower front wall portion  60  to the upper ledge  54 , and an upper front wall portion  64  extends at an angle θ 2  (relative to wall portion  60 ) forward and upward from the upper ledge  54 , where angle θ 2  is greater than angle θ 1 . By way of example, angle θ 1  may be between 7 and 13 degrees, and angle θ 2  may be between 18 and 24 degrees, though other variations are possible. The surfaces may also be curved in some embodiments. Notably, each buttress projection  26  includes a portion on a front surface of the upper front wall portion  64  and a portion on a front surface of the intermediate front wall portion  62 . 
     A rear recess  70  at the back side of the wall member is bounded by the front wall portions  60  and  62 , the ledges  50  and  54  and the lower sections of the end plates  40  and  42 . Support struts  74  are also provided within the rear recess  70  and run between the ledges  50  and  54 . A rear recess  72  at the back side of the wall member is bounded by the front wall portion  64 , the upper ledge  54  and the upper sections of the end plates  40  and  42 . Unlike recess  70 , recess  72  is not bounded at the top, enabling the recess  72  to receive part of the frame member  80 . In this regard, a lip  76  extends upwardly from the top surface of the upper ledge  54  and is spaced from the front wall portion  64  to form a lower receiving slot  78  between the two. Thus, the lip  76  and front wall portion  64  may be considered spaced apart upwardly extending legs with an intermediate channel therebetween. 
     The frame member  80  includes a ledge  82  with a planar upper surface  84  and an upwardly extending lip  86  having a forward facing surface  88 . The surfaces  84  and  86  of the ledge  82  and lip  86  form a right angle that is well suited to receiving an object, such as a picture or art frame (e.g., a frame of an open back canvas), for mounting to the object. Thus, the ledge  82  and lip  86  together form a frame mount section of the wall member. The frame member  80  includes fastener apertures  90  for such purpose, with the apertures  90  oriented at an angle with respect to the surface  84 , per aperture axis  92 . The apertures  90  extend through the ledge  82  and through aperture bosses  94  located at, and projecting down from, the underside of the ledge  82 . As best seen in  FIG. 5 , each aperture boss  94  also include spaced apart structural ribs  96 , and a thickened region  85  of the ledge  82 , that connect the boss  94  to the rear side of the wall member  80 . 
     In one implementation, both the wall member  12  and the frame member  80  are formed of PVC or other plastics material (e.g., by molding all portions as a monolithic unit) with geometry and material properties that support deflection of the flexible member to provide elastic lateral movement of the end of the arm in relation to the upward wall of the wall bracket by at least 1/16″, individually or in combination. Alternative designs employing springs to facilitate elastic flexure of rigid members are also possible, as well as hinged connections without springs. This is different than the typical French cleats of the prior art, which are commonly made of metal (e.g., extruded aluminum) or wood. 
       FIGS. 6-8  show the frame member  80  mounted to the upper leg  102  of a frame  100  of artwork to be mounted using screws  106 . Here, a canvas-backed artwork frame is shown, and corner regions  104  in the corners represent overlapping, bunched canvas sections. The frame member  80  includes a downwardly extending arm  110 . The arm  110  is configured for placement in the recess  72  of the wall member  12 , by lowering the arm  110  down into the open top of the recess  72 . Notably, the arm  110  does not extend the full width of the frame member. Instead, the arm  110  is located between the aperture bosses  94 . At the upper end of the arm  110 , where the arm  110  joins the corner where the ledge  82  and the lip  86  intersect and abut, each side of the arm includes fillets  112  or other curved connections that aid in providing some flexibility in the arm  110 . In addition, the arm  110  includes a degree of forward curvature (in side profile), when moving downward, along a majority of the height of the arm  110 , and the bottom segment  114  of the arm includes a reverse or rearward curvature (in side profile), when moving downward. These features are also provided to facilitate some flexing of the arm  110  as may be needed in some installations, as further described below. 
     In this regard, reference is made to the cross-sections of  FIGS. 9 and 10 , which show initial positioning of the frame member  80 , with attached art frame, as the arm  110  moves down into the recess  72  of the wall member  12 , which is mounted to a wall  200  (e.g., drywall or other wallboard) by a plurality of fasteners  202  through the apertures  28 . As shown, the bunched corner regions  104  engage the front surface of the wall  200 , holding the frame member  80  slightly away from the wall  200  and causing the bottom segment  114  of the arm  110  to engage with the rear surface of the front wall portion  64  as the arm is moved down into the recess  72 . The rearward curvature of the bottom segment  114  of the arm presents a convex surface against the rear surface of the front wall portion  64 , which facilitates sliding of the bottom segment  114  downward along the rear surface. As continued downward progression of the arm and the sliding action occurs, forces on the arm cause the arm to flex in order to enable the frame member  80  to be fully seated in the recess  72 , with the bottom of the arm  110  resting on the top surface of the ledge  54 , per  FIG. 11 . Here, the flexing of the arm  110  occurs along a substantial majority of the overall height of the arm  110  (e.g., along at least sixty percent of the arm height, such as at least seventy percent of the arm height or at least eighty percent of the arm height). This type of flexing of the arm avoids placing an excessive amount of stress at any single location along the arm height, particularly at the upper end of the arm where the arm joins the ledge  82  and lip  86 . 
     The flexing feature of the described mounting apparatus makes the apparatus better suited to mounting of framed objects in which the frame is either warped away from the wall at center or has bunched corner regions which tend to hold the frame member away from the wall, thereby reducing the likelihood that the forces of the interacting frame member  80  and wall member  12  will tend to pull the wall member away from the wall. When the frame member  80  is subsequently removed from engagement with the wall member  12 , the arm  110  will, as a result of material/shape memory, revert back to its normal position, and thus is suited for use multiple times. Notably, the end plates  40  and  42  bound the sides of the recess  72 , to prevent the arm  110  from being able to slide laterally out of the recess. 
     As noted above, the flexing of the arm occurs in situations where the frame section of the frame member  80  are not able to contact the front surface of the wall  200  (e.g., when the rear side of the lip  86  is held away from the wall surface for some reason, which typically is due to the configuration of the frame or something attached to the frame, such as canvas. In situations in which the rear side of the lip  86  is able to contact the front surface of the wall  200 , the arm  100  does not need to flex in order for the bottom end of the arm  110  to reach and be supported by the ledge  54 , as reflected in  FIG. 12 . 
     It is to be clearly understood that the above description is intended by way of illustration and example only, is not intended to be taken by way of limitation, and that other changes and modifications are possible. For example, while the arm  110  in the illustrated embodiment is shown and described as curved along a majority of its height, the arm could include planar sections or could be majority planar. It is also possible to configure the components such that the upwardly extending front wall portion  64  of the wall member  82  flexes, rather than, or in combination with, the arm  110 . It is further possible to configure the components such that some or all flexing is achieved by other portions of either or both the wall member  12  and/or the frame member  80 . Moreover, although the fully seated position of the arm in the illustrated embodiment is with the bottom end of the arm atop the ledge  54 , in other variations the fully seated position or stop position could place the bottom end of the arm  110  above the ledge  54 , such as seating against some other structure of the bracket  12  (e.g., structure at or protruding from the back of the wall portion  64 ; structure protruding from the ends  18 ,  20 ; or structure protruding upward from the ledge). The seated or stop position could also be defined by interaction of the bottom end of the arm  110  with the back surface of wall portion  64  when a flex limit of the arm  110  is reached.