Abstract:
A flexible mounting bracket for attaching partitions to a mounting surface is provided. The flexible mounting bracket has a retaining member for securing the partition, a mounting member for securing the bracket to a mounting surface, and a biasing connector for flexibly attaching the mounting member to the retaining member. The flexible mounting bracket of the present invention absorbs forces applied to the partition without transferring these forces to the mounting surface, thereby preventing or significantly limiting damage to the mounting surface. The flexible mounting bracket of the present invention may also be used in conjunction with a shim to allow adjustment of the retaining member relative to the mounting member.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    Priority is claimed from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/279,807 filed Mar. 28, 2001 entitled “Flexible Mounting Bracket,” which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to devices for attaching panels and partitions to walls, and more particularly, to a flexible mounting bracket for connecting a panel or partition to a wall in a biased manner which allows travel and movement.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Prefabricated panels are commonly used in building construction to partition off selected areas of a building to form restroom stalls, dressing rooms and the like. It is often necessary or desirable to secure these panels to a wall or other solid structure.  
           [0004]    One known attachment device comprises a U-shaped bracket with attached tabs for securement to a wall or other solid formation. The tabs are typically attached to the wall by screws, or similar mechanical connection devices known in the art. This one-piece bracket has several drawbacks.  
           [0005]    First, the one-piece, solid bracket provides a rigid connection to the partition and the wall. Jarring of the partition, or other force applied to the partition, may cause structural damage to the wall. For example, if the wall is comprised of gypsum board, the force may cause the screws to be torn from the wall. In many bathroom stall installations, the bracket is attached to ceramic tile. A force on the partition may cause the ceramic tile to crack. In either case, the secure connection between the partition and the wall may be compromised. This damage, in turn, may cause misalignment of any hinged door in the partition system or cause the partition to become dislocated.  
           [0006]    Additionally, the one-piece solid bracket does not allow for post-installation adjustment. Often walls are not constructed in a square manner. Thus, opposing walls may not be parallel to one another. Therefore, partitions which span the distance between opposing walls may be necessarily connected by brackets which cannot be properly aligned and, consequently, partitions may be subject to undesirable forces. The undesirable forces may cause the structural damage and door alignment problems mentioned above.  
           [0007]    In view of the above, there is a long felt but unsolved need for a partition connection device that avoids the above-mentioned deficiencies of the prior art and that provides an effective system that absorbs undesirable forces acting on a partition wall and which may provide for adjustment of the connection device during or after the partition wall is installed.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a partition mounting bracket which will prevent undesirable forces acting on the partition from being transmitted to the connection, wall or other adjacent structure. To this end, the present invention provides a multiple piece, biased bracket which allows movement between the partition wall and adjacent structural wall.  
           [0009]    Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a certain type of biasing means between the multiple bracket pieces such that when an undesirable force is removed, the bracket pieces return to their original orientation.  
           [0010]    Yet another aspect of the present invention is to provide an adjustable bracket to account for non-uniformity in the mounting surface. The present invention maybe used with a shim or other object, thereby creating a desired displacement between the multiple pieces of the bracket, and resulting in a desired relationship between the pieces of the bracket that allows the bracket and partition to be properly interconnected to the mounting surface.  
           [0011]    Still another aspect of the present invention is to provide an adjustable bracket with a biasing means which has an adjustable tension. The tension of the biasing means of the present invention may be adjusted by selectively compressing the adjustment.  
           [0012]    These and other aspects of the present invention are fulfilled by providing a flexible mounting bracket having a retaining member for attaching said bracket to a panel; a mounting member for attaching said bracket to a structure, a biasing connector for flexibly connecting said retaining member to said mounting member, and one or more shims to selectively adjust the orientation between the partition wall and adjacent structural wall.  
           [0013]    Additional advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following discussion, particularly when taken together with the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the flexible mounting bracket of the present invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the flexible mounting bracket of the present invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of an alternative embodiment of the flexible mounting bracket of the present invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the embodiment of the flexible mounting bracket shown in FIG. 3; and  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is a top plan view of another alternative embodiment of the flexible mounting bracket of the present invention shown with a shim.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0019]    A flexible mounting bracket includes a retaining member to engage a partition. The bracket also includes a mounting member for attaching the bracket to an adjacent structural wall surface. The bracket further includes a biasing connector for attaching the retaining member to the mounting member while allowing some movement between the two members. The biasing connector, and thus the relative movement between the retaining member and the mounting member, prevents damage to the mounting surface when an undesirable force is applied to the partition.  
         [0020]    With reference to FIG. 1, one embodiment of the flexible mounting bracket is shown. The flexible mounting bracket  10  is comprised of a retaining member  12 , a mounting member  14 , and a biasing connector  16 . In this embodiment, the retaining member  12  is a U-shaped member having a base  18  and opposing arms  20 . A connecting aperture  22  is provided in the base  18  for connection of the retaining member  12  to the mounting member  14  by the biasing connector  16 . Panel attachment apertures  24  are provided in the arms  20  for connecting retaining member  12 , and thus the bracket  10 , to a panel.  
         [0021]    The mounting member  14  is shown in the figures as a generally rectangular bracket. It is noted, however, that other shapes or geometries of the mounting member could be employed. The mounting member  14  has, in the embodiment of FIG. 1, two bolt or screw holes  26  for attaching the mounting member  14  to a surface. The mounting member  14  also has a biasing connector passage  28  for connecting the retaining member  12  to the mounting member  14  by the biasing connector  16 . When assembled, the biasing connector passage  28  of the mounting member  14  and the connecting aperture  22  of the retaining member  12  must be substantially in alignment.  
         [0022]    The biasing connector  16 , as described above, holds the retaining member  12  and the mounting member  14  in a biased relationship. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the biasing connector  16  is constructed of a bolt  30 , a spring  32  and a nut  34 . Spring  32  is preferably about a 0.5 inch diameter spring, although various sizes of springs may be used. Furthermore, spring  32  may be replaced with a substitute resilient material, such as a plastic or rubber tube or bushing (not shown). The bolt  30  is inserted through the connecting aperture  22  of the retaining member  12  and the biasing connector passage  28  of the mounting member  14 . The connecting aperture  22  and the biasing connector passage  28  preferably have a diameter that is larger than the diameter of the shaft of bolt  30  such that neither the retaining member  12  nor the mounting member  14  interfere with the movement of the bolt  30  unless the bolt  30  is severely deflected. Preferably, a nut  34  is employed to secure the bolt  30  to the retaining member  12 , mounting member  14 , and spring  32 . Preferably, nut  34  is a self-locking type nut. Flat washers and lock washers (not shown) may be used in conjunction with bolt  30  and/or nut  34 , but are not required. Additionally, although not required, as shown in FIG. 2 a spring cup  38  may be used on one or both ends of the spring  32 . A spring cup  38  has a recess to receive a portion of the spring  32  to prevent its movement relative to the spring cup  38 .  
         [0023]    With further reference again to FIG. 1, the biasing force of the screw  32  may be adjusted by selectively compressing the spring  32  to a desired length. The screw  32  can be compressed by threading the nut  34  farther onto the bolt  30 , that is, toward the head of the bolt  30 . The opposite effect, i.e., decompressing the spring  32 , can be accomplished by threading the nut  34  farther away from the head of the bolt  30 . An increase in the compression of the spring  32  creates the requirement of a greater force to move the retaining member  12  relative to the mounting member  14 . Different materials of construction of the mounting surface may have different mechanical properties. Thus, the adjustable biasing force of the present invention may allow the use of a standard flexible mounting bracket with virtually any construction material.  
         [0024]    Referring now to FIG. 2, the flexible mounting bracket  10  of FIG. 1 is shown in a perspective view. In this embodiment, the opposing ends of mounting member  14  preferably have equivalent lengths which extend beyond the opposing arms  20  of the retaining member  12 . While this symmetry is desirable in many cases, it is understood that various geometries are possible with the flexible mounting bracket  10  of the present invention.  
         [0025]    Referring now to FIG. 3, an alternative embodiment of the flexible mounting bracket  10  is shown in a bottom plan view. In this embodiment, mounting member  14  includes a restraint member  40 . The restraint member  40  extends beyond the surface of the mounting member  14  and adjacent to at least one surface of the retaining member  12 . The restraint member  40  of mounting member  14  may be used to prevent movement of the retaining member  12  relative to the mounting member  14  in at least one direction. In this embodiment, the retaining member  12  is prevented from moving downward relative to the mounting member  14 . The restraint member  40  should be of an appropriate size to prevent the displacement of the retaining member  12  relative to the mounting member in that direction. Preferably, restraint member  40  is comprised of stainless steel, steel or a steel alloy, but may also be comprised of other metals or metal alloys, wood, plastic, or other suitable material.  
         [0026]    Referring now to FIG. 4, the embodiment of the flexible mounting bracket  10  of FIG. 3 is shown in a side view. The restraint member  40  in this position would prevent the retaining member  12  from being displaced downward relative to mounting member  14 , provided mounting member  14  is securely attached to a structure. The restraint member  40 , however, does not prevent relative movement between the retaining member  12  and mounting member  14  in either side-to-side or in an upward direction. It is understood that the restraint member  40  could be placed in different positions to prevent motion in a specific direction. It is also understood that multiple restraint members  40  could be used to prevent motion in more than one direction.  
         [0027]    Referring now to FIG. 5, an alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the position of the retaining member  12  relative to the mounting member  14  is selected to be at an angle, θ, other than substantially parallel. Preferably, the biasing connector  16  is designed to allow movement between the retaining member  12  and the mounting member  14  such that the angle θ may be between 0° and about 25°. In this embodiment, a shim  42  or other displacement mechanism is used to maintain the position between the retaining member  12  and the mounting member  14 . The shim  42  allows an installer to change the relative position between the retaining member  12  and the mounting member  14  during installation to account for non-parallel or non-square walls and ceilings. FIG. 5 also shows how the flexible mounting bracket can prevent damage to the mounting surface by absorbing force through the spring  32  and the bolt  30  deflection “d” without transferring all of the force to the mounting member  14 . The mounting member  14  remains substantially stationary while the retaining member  12  and the biasing connector  16  absorb the force. In this way, damage to the gypsum board or tile mounting surface may be prevented.  
         [0028]    The shim  42  may be inserted between the mounting member  14  and the retaining member  12  either during or after the installation of a partition wall. After the flexible mounting bracket  10  is attached to a structural wall, an installer may insert a shim  42  between retaining member  12  and the mounting member  14  by applying a force to the retaining member  12  to overcome the force of the biasing connector  16 , inserting the shim  42  between the retaining member  12  and the mounting member  14 , and removing the applied force to allow the force of the biasing connector  16  to maintain the retaining member  12  and mounting member  14  in contact with the shim  42 . The installer may apply the necessary force by hand, or may employ a tool to increase leverage. If a partition wall is already connected to the retaining member  12 , the installer may use the length of the partition wall to gain additional leverage, if necessary, to overcome the biasing connector  16  by hand. If a known angular position of the retaining member  12  relative to the mounting member  14  is available, a pre-selected shim  42  may be inserted between the retaining member  12  and the mounting member  14  prior to connection of a structural wall. The pre-installation adjustment could even be done prior to delivery of the flexible mounting bracket  10  to a job site.  
         [0029]    Typically, the shim  42  is a tapered article, i.e., having a varying cross-section, although shims  42  of a constant cross-section could be used. With a tapered shim  42 , only one shim is required to provide a variety of selected relative positions between the retaining member  12  and the mounting member  14 . With a tapered shim  42 , an installer could incrementally advance the shim  42  between the retaining member  12  and the mounting member  14 , while measuring or otherwise verifying the displacement after incremental advancements, to obtain the desired relative position. The shim  42  should be constructed of a material strong enough to resist significant deformation by the biasing force supplied by the biasing connector  16  when placed between the retaining member  12  and mounting member  14 . Preferably, shim  42  is constructed of steel, aluminum, or other metal or metal alloys, wood, or a plastic or plastic composite.  
         [0030]    In a preferred method of use, the flexible mounting bracket is preassembled prior to installation; thus, retaining member  12  is interconnected to mounting member  14  using biasing connector  16  that includes bolt  30 , spring  32  and nut  34 . A hole having a diameter of about 0.5 inches is drilled into a wall to receive the panel. The rear surface  44  of mounting member  14  is placed against the wall while feeding the rear portion  46  (shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and  4  using a bracket) of biasing connector  16  into the pre-drilled approximately 0.5 inch diameter hole in the wall. Mounting member  14  is then screwed or bolted onto the wall surface by placing screws through screw holes  26 . Finally, a panel is placed into retaining member  12 . Screws or bolts may then be placed through panel attachment apertures  24  to secure the panel to retaining member  12 . Additional steps may include inserting a shim  42  between retaining member  12  and mounting member  14  to adjust the bracket  10  for angular distortion of the wall. In addition, the tension of spring  32  may be adjusted during the installation process by tightening or loosening nut  34  which compresses spring  32 .  
         [0031]    While various embodiment of the present invention have been described in detail, it is apparent that modifications and abdications of those embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications abdications are within the scope and spirit of the present invention, as set forth in the following claims.