US20020166939A1 - Systems and methods for mounting frameless wall decor articles - Google Patents
Systems and methods for mounting frameless wall decor articles Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20020166939A1 US20020166939A1 US09/853,579 US85357901A US2002166939A1 US 20020166939 A1 US20020166939 A1 US 20020166939A1 US 85357901 A US85357901 A US 85357901A US 2002166939 A1 US2002166939 A1 US 2002166939A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- wall decor
- support surface
- frameless wall
- frameless
- decor article
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 16
- 125000006850 spacer group Chemical group 0.000 claims description 15
- 239000000853 adhesive Substances 0.000 claims description 14
- 230000001070 adhesive effect Effects 0.000 claims description 14
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 claims description 8
- 239000002390 adhesive tape Substances 0.000 description 5
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 4
- 230000013011 mating Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000000295 complement effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000007796 conventional method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 230000007547 defect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000001125 extrusion Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000003780 insertion Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000037431 insertion Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000013521 mastic Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000010079 rubber tapping Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229920001169 thermoplastic Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000004416 thermosoftening plastic Substances 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47G—HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT
- A47G1/00—Mirrors; Picture frames or the like, e.g. provided with heating, lighting or ventilating means
- A47G1/16—Devices for hanging or supporting pictures, mirrors, or the like
- A47G1/1606—Devices for hanging or supporting pictures, mirrors, or the like comprising a wall member cooperating with a corresponding picture member
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47G—HOUSEHOLD OR TABLE EQUIPMENT
- A47G1/00—Mirrors; Picture frames or the like, e.g. provided with heating, lighting or ventilating means
- A47G1/16—Devices for hanging or supporting pictures, mirrors, or the like
- A47G1/168—Pads or the like preventing displacement of hanging pictures, mirrors, or the like
Definitions
- the present invention relates to systems and methods for mounting frameless wall decor articles, in particular frameless mirrors, and more particularly, frameless mirrors having geometrical shapes, such as oval, round, rectangular, or any polygonal shape or shape including combinations of linear and curvilinear edges.
- a generally planar frameless wall decor article 10 such a mirror
- a generally vertical support surface 11 such as a wall
- multiple clips 12 that clamp the frameless mirror 10 to the support surface 11 .
- the process usually requires two people, a first person to hold the frameless mirror 10 in an intended mounting place and a second person to recommend position adjustments to align the frameless mirror 10 horizontally and vertically.
- a level cannot be used to align the frameless mirror 10 which results in a trial and error method of ensuring that the frameless mirror 10 is axially straight up and across.
- the second person places marks, for example with a pencil, on the support surface 11 where the clips 12 will be mounted, such as at the 2, 4, 8 and 10 o'clock positions around the frameless mirror 10 . Holes are then drilled in the support surface 11 and anchors 13 are installed in the holes. Screws 14 are then driven partially into the anchors 13 through the clips 12 to position the clips 12 .
- the frameless mirror 10 is then placed between the clips 12 and the support surface 11 by the first person and the screws 14 are fully tightened by the second person to clamp the frameless mirror 10 in place against the support surface 11 .
- the conventional method of mounting a frameless mirror to a support surface is time consuming and labor intensive as it requires two people and multiple clips to clamp the frameless mirror to the support surface.
- a hole must be drilled for each anchor and each screw must be initially partially driven to position each clip and then must be fully driven into each anchor to secure each clip and clamp the frameless mirror to the support surface.
- the number of clips increases, generally with an increase in the size of the frameless mirror, the number of holes that must be drilled for the anchors increases and the number of screws that must first be partially driven and then fully driven also increases. The possibility of misalignment also increases.
- the clips are visible after mounting of the frameless mirror, which may detract from the appearance of the frameless mirror.
- the size of the clips must vary so that the frameless mirror is firmly clamped against the support surface with no play between the support surface and the clips. This requires that the clips be checked prior to mounting to ensure that the clips are the correct size for the thickness of the particular frameless mirror.
- a method for mounting frameless wall decor articles to a generally vertical support surface wherein the frameless wall decor article has a mounting member attached thereto, the mounting member including a vertical engaging surface and a downward support surface that is perpendicular to a vertical centerline of the frameless wall decor article, the method including aligning a receiving member with the generally vertical support surface by leveling an upward support surface of the receiving member with the generally vertical support surface, attaching the receiving member to the generally vertical support surface with the upward support surface in a level position, and engaging the mounting member with the receiving member so that the vertical engaging surface of the mounting member is in abutting relationship with a vertical engaging surface of the receiving member and the downward support surface of the mounting member is parallel to the upward support surface of the receiving member and the frameless wall decor article and mounting member are horizontally adjustable with respect to the receiving member.
- a mounting system for frameless wall decor articles includes a frameless wall decor article configured to be mounted to a generally vertical support surface, a mounting member attached to the frameless wall decor article and a spacer attached to the frameless wall decor article, the mounting member including a vertical engaging surface and a downward support surface perpendicular to a vertical centerline of the frameless mirror, and a receiving member including a vertical engaging surface and an upward surface, the receiving member being attachable to the generally vertical support surface in a horizontally level position, whereupon engagement of the mounting member with the receiving member the vertical engaging surface of the mounting member is in abutting relationship with the vertical engaging surface of the receiving member and the downward support surface of the mounting member is parallel to the upward support surface of the receiving member and the frameless wall decor article and mounting member are horizontally adjustable with respect to the receiving member.
- a frameless wall decor article includes a mounting member attached to a surface of the frameless wall decor article, the mounting member including an attachment surface attached to a surface of the frameless mirror, a vertical engaging surface configured to engage a vertical engaging surface of a receiving member in abutting relation, and a downward support surface perpendicular to a vertical centerline of the frameless wall decor article.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a conventional frameless wall decor article mounting system
- FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a mounting member for a frameless wall decor article mounting system according to the present invention
- FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a receiving member for a frameless wall decor article mounting system according to the invention.
- FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the mounting member of FIG. 2 taken along line 4 - 4 ;
- FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the receiving member of FIG. 3 taken along line 5 - 5 ;
- FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the receiving member of FIGS. 3 and 5 mounted to a support structure and receiving the mounting member of FIGS. 2 and 4 mounted to a frameless wall decor article;
- FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of the mounting member of FIGS. 2 and 4 including adhesive for mounting of the mounting member to a frameless wall decor article;
- FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of the mounting member of FIGS. 2, 4 and 7 mounted to a frameless wall decor article;
- FIGS. 9 ( a )- 9 d ) are examples of various shapes of frameless wall decor articles mountable by the frameless wall decor article mounting system according to the present invention.
- FIGS. 10 - 13 are schematic illustrations of a frameless wall decor article mounting method according to the present invention.
- a mounting member 20 to be mounted to a frameless mirror 10 includes a vertical attachment surface 21 that is attached to the frameless mirror 10 .
- the attachment surface 21 may be serrated or grooved to improve an adhesive bond (described later with reference to FIG. 7) between the attachment surface 21 and the frameless mirror 10 .
- the mounting member 20 also includes a central portion 22 that defines a thickness of the mounting member 20 .
- the central portion 22 includes an engaging shoulder 23 that supports the mounting member 20 and the frameless mirror 10 when assembled with the receiving member 30 .
- a vertical engaging surface 25 extends from the central portion 22 and a downward surface 24 engages a shoulder 33 of a central portion 32 of the receiving member 30 when the mounting member 20 and the frameless mirror 10 are assembled to the receiving member 30 .
- the downward support surface 24 may be rounded or tapered to facilitate insertion of the mounting member 20 between the generally vertical support surface 11 and the receiving member 30 .
- the receiving member 30 includes a vertical attachment surface 31 for attachment to the generally vertical support surface 11 .
- Apertures 36 are provided in the attachment surface 31 for passage of fasteners, such as screws (described later with reference to FIG. 12), that fasten the receiving member 30 to the support surface 11 .
- the attachment surface 31 may also be serrated or grooved similarly to the attachment surface 21 of the mounting member 20 . The reason for the serrated or grooved attachment surface 31 of the receiving member 30 is described later.
- a central portion 32 defines a thickness of the receiving member 30 and includes an engaging shoulder 33 that engages the downward support surface 24 of the mounting member 20 when the mounting member 20 and the frameless mirror 10 are assembled with the receiving member 30 as shown in FIG. 6.
- a vertical engaging surface 35 extends from the central portion 32 and an upward support surface 34 engages the shoulder 23 of the central portion 22 of the mounting member 20 when the mounting member 20 and the frameless mirror 10 are assembled to the receiving member 30 as shown in FIG. 6.
- the upward support surface 34 may be rounded or tapered similarly to the downward support surface 24 of the mounting member 20 .
- the mounting member 20 and receiving member 30 have identical cross sections and size, i.e., the mounting member 20 and the receiving member 30 are mirror images of one another. This allows the mounting member 20 and the receiving member 30 to be formed from a single piece of stock by merely cutting the single piece of stock into a plurality of pieces.
- the mounting member 20 and the receiving member 30 may be formed from a single piece of stock having the cross section shown in FIGS. 4 - 6 .
- the single piece of stock may be formed of metal, for example aluminum, or thermoplastic and may be extruded, stamped, cast, or molded.
- the receiving member 30 is formed by forming the apertures 36 in the attachment surface 31 .
- the mounting member 20 and the receiving member 30 are formed from a single piece of stock, the cost of manufacturing the mounting apparatus according to the present invention can be reduced as it is unnecessary to have two different extrusion templates, or two different stamps, or two different molds or casts.
- the mounting member 20 and the receiving member 30 are formed from a single piece of stock having the cross section shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the central portions 22 and 32 and the engaging surfaces 25 and 35 are identical in size and ensure that the mounting member 20 and the receiving member 30 have perfectly complementary mating shapes as shown in FIG. 6. This eliminates the problem of intended complementary mating parts not correctly engaging due to factors such as excesses in manufacturing tolerances or other manufacturing defects.
- the mounting member 20 may be longer than the receiving member 30 . It should be appreciated, however, that the mounting member 20 and receiving member 30 may have equal lengths or the mounting member 20 may have a length shorter than the receiving member 30 . In a preferred embodiment, the length of the mounting member 20 is longer than the length of the receiving member 30 to allow the frameless mirror 10 attached to the mounting member 20 to be adjusted horizontally with respect to the receiving member 30 while still maintaining full contact between the mounting member 20 and the receiving member 30 and full support of the mounting member 20 and the frameless mirror 10 by the receiving member 30 .
- an exemplary method of mounting a frameless wall decor article to a generally vertical support surface 11 includes attaching the mounting member 20 to a frameless wall decor article 10 by adhesive.
- a semi-solid adhesive 40 such as mastic, is applied to the attachment surface 21 .
- Double-sided adhesive tape 41 is also applied to the attachment surface 21 to maintain the mounting member 20 in position while the semi-solid adhesive 40 cures.
- the mounting member 20 is attached to the back of the frameless mirror 10 so that the downward support surface 24 is perpendicular to a vertical centerline 50 of the frameless mirror 50 .
- the position of the downward support surface 24 perpendicular to the vertical center line 50 is maintained by the double-sided adhesive tape 41 while the semi-solid adhesive 40 cures.
- the double-sided adhesive tape 41 also allows the position of the mounting member 20 to be adjusted or readjusted before curing of the semi-solid adhesive 40 if the downward support surface 24 is not mounted perpendicularly to the vertical centerline 50 or is moved out of the perpendicular position.
- the serrated or grooved portion of the attachment surface 21 facilitates the bond between the mounting member 20 and the frameless wall decor article 10 as the semi-solid adhesive 40 fills the grooves or serrations and allows the attachment surface 21 to be bonded to the frameless wall decor article 10 while contacting the frameless mirror 10 .
- the frameless wall decor article 10 may be any geometrical shape, including oval, trapezoidal, round, or any polygonal shape or combination of linear and curvilinear shapes.
- the mounting member 20 is mounted perpendicularly the vertical centerline 50 of any frameless wall decor article 10 by the manufacturer and/or supplier of the frameless wall decor article by attaching the mounting member 20 to the frameless wall decor article 10 so that the horizontal engaging surface 24 of the mounting member 20 is perpendicular to the vertical centerline 50 of the frameless wall decor article 10 .
- the receiving member 30 is supplied with the frameless wall decor article 10 (with the mounting member 20 attached thereto) for mounting to the support surface 11 .
- the manufacturer and/or supplier of the frameless wall decor article 10 may supply both the mounting member 20 , unattached to the frameless wall decor article 10 , and the receiving member 30 .
- the manufacturer and/or supplier of the frameless wall decor article 10 may also provide the semi-solid adhesive 40 and the double-sided adhesive tape 41 .
- the mounting member 20 and the receiving member 30 may be separately supplied as a kit that may include the semi-solid adhesive 40 and the double sided adhesive tape 41 so that purchasers may remount frameless wall decor articles mounted by the conventional method.
- the mounting apparatus firmly secures the frameless wall decor article 10 to the support surface 11 regardless of the thickness of the frameless wall decor article 10 , the purchaser of the kit need not know the exact thickness of the frameless wall decor article 10 to be mounted when purchasing the kit.
- a first indicia point 65 corresponding to the desired position of the center 15 of the top edge of the frameless wall decor article 10 is made on the support surface 11 with a marking device 61 , such as a pencil.
- the vertical distance D between the shoulder 23 of the mounting member 20 and the center 15 of the top edge of the frameless wall decor article 10 is measured.
- the distance D is measured vertically down from the first indicia point 65 and a second indicia point 66 is made on the support surface 11 with the marking device 61 .
- a level 60 is placed on the second indicia point 66 and adjusted until horizontally level.
- a horizontal indicia line 62 is made on the support surface 11 with the marking device 61 .
- the desired position of the receiving member 30 is marked with third indicia points 67 using the marking device 61 through the apertures 36 of the receiving member 30 while the engaging surface 34 of the receiving member 30 is maintained in alignment with the horizontal indicia line 62 .
- the first indicia point 65 , the second indicia point 66 and the horizontal indicia line 62 may then be removed from the support surface 11 , such as by erasing.
- FIGS. 12 and 13 holes are drilled in the support surface 11 at the points indicated by the third indicia points 67 and anchors 13 are inserted in the drilled holes, for example, by tapping the anchors 13 into the holes with a hammer.
- the receiving member 30 is then secured to the support surface 11 by passing fasteners 14 , such as screws, through the apertures 36 into the anchors 13 .
- the receiving member 30 is firmly secured to the support surface 11 by fully driving or threading the fasteners 14 into the anchors 13 .
- the receiving member 30 is thus firmly secured to the support surface 11 by only two fasteners 14 and does not require a fastener for numerous clips, as required in conventional frameless wall decor article mounting apparatus shown in FIG. 1. It should b appreciated, however, that although two apertures 36 are shown in the receiving member 30 , more than two apertures may be provided in the receiving member 30 .
- the frameless wall decor article 10 is mounted to the support surface 11 by placing the engaging surface 25 into the space between the support surface 11 and the engaging surface 35 of the receiving member 30 as shown by arrow A.
- a spacer or spacers 70 such as tape squares, are attached to an area of the frameless wall decor article 10 below the mounting member 20 to fill the space between the attachment portion 31 of the receiving member 30 or the support surface 11 .
- each spacer 70 is two tape squares 70 a and 70 b (FIG. 6) adhered together back to back. The release tape of the tape square 70 b that contacts the support surface 11 is left on to prevent the frameless wall decor article 10 from adhering to the support surface 11 .
- any number of spacers may be provided to the frameless wall decor article 10 .
- the spacers 70 provide a reaction force against the frameless wall decor article 10 that counter the moment force of the weight of the frameless wall decor article 10 and ensure that the frameless wall decor article 10 is uniformly spaced from the support surface 11 .
- the spacers 70 prevent marring of the support surface 11 by the frameless wall decor article 10 during mounting of the frameless wall decor article 10 to the receiving member 30 .
- the spacers 70 , the anchors 13 , and the fasteners 14 may also be provided by the manufacturer and/or supplier of the frameless wall decor article 10 .
Landscapes
- Finishing Walls (AREA)
- Mirrors, Picture Frames, Photograph Stands, And Related Fastening Devices (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention relates to systems and methods for mounting frameless wall decor articles, in particular frameless mirrors, and more particularly, frameless mirrors having geometrical shapes, such as oval, round, rectangular, or any polygonal shape or shape including combinations of linear and curvilinear edges.
- 2. Description of the Related Art
- Referring to FIG. 1, a generally planar frameless
wall decor article 10, such a mirror, is mounted to a generallyvertical support surface 11, such as a wall, bymultiple clips 12 that clamp theframeless mirror 10 to thesupport surface 11. The process usually requires two people, a first person to hold theframeless mirror 10 in an intended mounting place and a second person to recommend position adjustments to align theframeless mirror 10 horizontally and vertically. For frameless oval mirrors, a level cannot be used to align theframeless mirror 10 which results in a trial and error method of ensuring that theframeless mirror 10 is axially straight up and across. Once theframeless mirror 10 is adjusted to the desired position by the first person, the second person places marks, for example with a pencil, on thesupport surface 11 where theclips 12 will be mounted, such as at the 2, 4, 8 and 10 o'clock positions around theframeless mirror 10. Holes are then drilled in thesupport surface 11 andanchors 13 are installed in the holes.Screws 14 are then driven partially into theanchors 13 through theclips 12 to position theclips 12. Theframeless mirror 10 is then placed between theclips 12 and thesupport surface 11 by the first person and thescrews 14 are fully tightened by the second person to clamp theframeless mirror 10 in place against thesupport surface 11. - The conventional method of mounting a frameless mirror to a support surface is time consuming and labor intensive as it requires two people and multiple clips to clamp the frameless mirror to the support surface. A hole must be drilled for each anchor and each screw must be initially partially driven to position each clip and then must be fully driven into each anchor to secure each clip and clamp the frameless mirror to the support surface. As the number of clips increases, generally with an increase in the size of the frameless mirror, the number of holes that must be drilled for the anchors increases and the number of screws that must first be partially driven and then fully driven also increases. The possibility of misalignment also increases. In addition, the clips are visible after mounting of the frameless mirror, which may detract from the appearance of the frameless mirror. As the thickness of frameless mirrors varies, the size of the clips must vary so that the frameless mirror is firmly clamped against the support surface with no play between the support surface and the clips. This requires that the clips be checked prior to mounting to ensure that the clips are the correct size for the thickness of the particular frameless mirror.
- There exists a need for a method for mounting frameless wall decor articles, such as frameless mirrors, to a generally vertical support surface that provides for proper horizontal and vertical positioning of the frameless wall decor article. There also exists a need for a system for mounting frameless wall decor articles that can be used by a single person to properly mount the frameless wall decor article in less time than conventional mounting apparatus. There also still exists a need for an apparatus for mounting frameless wall decor articles that does not require precise manufacturing of mating parts and that allows use of the mounting apparatus on frameless wall decor articles of any size and thickness.
- A method for mounting frameless wall decor articles to a generally vertical support surface according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention wherein the frameless wall decor article has a mounting member attached thereto, the mounting member including a vertical engaging surface and a downward support surface that is perpendicular to a vertical centerline of the frameless wall decor article, the method including aligning a receiving member with the generally vertical support surface by leveling an upward support surface of the receiving member with the generally vertical support surface, attaching the receiving member to the generally vertical support surface with the upward support surface in a level position, and engaging the mounting member with the receiving member so that the vertical engaging surface of the mounting member is in abutting relationship with a vertical engaging surface of the receiving member and the downward support surface of the mounting member is parallel to the upward support surface of the receiving member and the frameless wall decor article and mounting member are horizontally adjustable with respect to the receiving member.
- A mounting system for frameless wall decor articles according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a frameless wall decor article configured to be mounted to a generally vertical support surface, a mounting member attached to the frameless wall decor article and a spacer attached to the frameless wall decor article, the mounting member including a vertical engaging surface and a downward support surface perpendicular to a vertical centerline of the frameless mirror, and a receiving member including a vertical engaging surface and an upward surface, the receiving member being attachable to the generally vertical support surface in a horizontally level position, whereupon engagement of the mounting member with the receiving member the vertical engaging surface of the mounting member is in abutting relationship with the vertical engaging surface of the receiving member and the downward support surface of the mounting member is parallel to the upward support surface of the receiving member and the frameless wall decor article and mounting member are horizontally adjustable with respect to the receiving member.
- A frameless wall decor article according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a mounting member attached to a surface of the frameless wall decor article, the mounting member including an attachment surface attached to a surface of the frameless mirror, a vertical engaging surface configured to engage a vertical engaging surface of a receiving member in abutting relation, and a downward support surface perpendicular to a vertical centerline of the frameless wall decor article.
- Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail by reference to the following drawings, in which like reference characters represent like features, wherein:
- FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a conventional frameless wall decor article mounting system;
- FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a mounting member for a frameless wall decor article mounting system according to the present invention;
- FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a receiving member for a frameless wall decor article mounting system according to the invention;
- FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the mounting member of FIG. 2 taken along line4-4;
- FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the receiving member of FIG. 3 taken along line5-5;
- FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the receiving member of FIGS. 3 and 5 mounted to a support structure and receiving the mounting member of FIGS. 2 and 4 mounted to a frameless wall decor article;
- FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of the mounting member of FIGS. 2 and 4 including adhesive for mounting of the mounting member to a frameless wall decor article;
- FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of the mounting member of FIGS. 2, 4 and7 mounted to a frameless wall decor article;
- FIGS.9(a)-9 d) are examples of various shapes of frameless wall decor articles mountable by the frameless wall decor article mounting system according to the present invention; and
- FIGS.10-13 are schematic illustrations of a frameless wall decor article mounting method according to the present invention.
- As used throughout, the terms vertical, horizontal, upward and downward refer to the position of the various components of the invention in an attached, engaged, mating and/or assembled state.
- Referring to FIGS.2-6, a
mounting member 20 to be mounted to aframeless mirror 10 includes avertical attachment surface 21 that is attached to theframeless mirror 10. As shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 6, theattachment surface 21 may be serrated or grooved to improve an adhesive bond (described later with reference to FIG. 7) between theattachment surface 21 and theframeless mirror 10. Themounting member 20 also includes acentral portion 22 that defines a thickness of themounting member 20. Thecentral portion 22 includes anengaging shoulder 23 that supports themounting member 20 and theframeless mirror 10 when assembled with the receivingmember 30. A verticalengaging surface 25 extends from thecentral portion 22 and adownward surface 24 engages ashoulder 33 of acentral portion 32 of the receivingmember 30 when themounting member 20 and theframeless mirror 10 are assembled to the receivingmember 30. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, thedownward support surface 24 may be rounded or tapered to facilitate insertion of themounting member 20 between the generallyvertical support surface 11 and the receivingmember 30. - Referring to FIGS. 3, 5 and6, the receiving
member 30 includes avertical attachment surface 31 for attachment to the generallyvertical support surface 11.Apertures 36 are provided in theattachment surface 31 for passage of fasteners, such as screws (described later with reference to FIG. 12), that fasten the receivingmember 30 to thesupport surface 11. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, theattachment surface 31 may also be serrated or grooved similarly to theattachment surface 21 of themounting member 20. The reason for the serrated orgrooved attachment surface 31 of the receivingmember 30 is described later. - A
central portion 32 defines a thickness of the receivingmember 30 and includes anengaging shoulder 33 that engages thedownward support surface 24 of themounting member 20 when themounting member 20 and theframeless mirror 10 are assembled with thereceiving member 30 as shown in FIG. 6. A verticalengaging surface 35 extends from thecentral portion 32 and anupward support surface 34 engages theshoulder 23 of thecentral portion 22 of themounting member 20 when themounting member 20 and theframeless mirror 10 are assembled to the receivingmember 30 as shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, theupward support surface 34 may be rounded or tapered similarly to thedownward support surface 24 of themounting member 20. - As shown in FIGS.4-6, the
mounting member 20 and receivingmember 30 have identical cross sections and size, i.e., themounting member 20 and the receivingmember 30 are mirror images of one another. This allows themounting member 20 and the receivingmember 30 to be formed from a single piece of stock by merely cutting the single piece of stock into a plurality of pieces. Themounting member 20 and the receivingmember 30 may be formed from a single piece of stock having the cross section shown in FIGS. 4-6. The single piece of stock may be formed of metal, for example aluminum, or thermoplastic and may be extruded, stamped, cast, or molded. The receivingmember 30 is formed by forming theapertures 36 in theattachment surface 31. - As the
mounting member 20 and the receivingmember 30 are formed from a single piece of stock, the cost of manufacturing the mounting apparatus according to the present invention can be reduced as it is unnecessary to have two different extrusion templates, or two different stamps, or two different molds or casts. In addition, as themounting member 20 and the receivingmember 30 are formed from a single piece of stock having the cross section shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, thecentral portions engaging surfaces mounting member 20 and the receivingmember 30 have perfectly complementary mating shapes as shown in FIG. 6. This eliminates the problem of intended complementary mating parts not correctly engaging due to factors such as excesses in manufacturing tolerances or other manufacturing defects. It also allows mounting of frameless mirrors of any thickness with anysize mounting member 20 and receivingmember 30 as theengaging surfaces support surface 11 and theframeless mirror 10 with no gap or play between them. As theengaging surfaces downward support surface 24 and theupward support surface 34 are in parallel relation and abut theshoulders frameless mirror 10 cannot pivot relative to thesupport surface 11 and theframeless mirror 10 is prevented from skewing in the event that it is contacted or disturbed. - As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in a preferred embodiment of the mounting apparatus according to the present invention, the
mounting member 20 may be longer than the receivingmember 30. It should be appreciated, however, that the mountingmember 20 and receivingmember 30 may have equal lengths or the mountingmember 20 may have a length shorter than the receivingmember 30. In a preferred embodiment, the length of the mountingmember 20 is longer than the length of the receivingmember 30 to allow theframeless mirror 10 attached to the mountingmember 20 to be adjusted horizontally with respect to the receivingmember 30 while still maintaining full contact between the mountingmember 20 and the receivingmember 30 and full support of the mountingmember 20 and theframeless mirror 10 by the receivingmember 30. - Referring to FIGS.7-13, an exemplary method of mounting a frameless wall decor article to a generally
vertical support surface 11 according to the present invention includes attaching the mountingmember 20 to a framelesswall decor article 10 by adhesive. As shown in FIG. 7, asemi-solid adhesive 40, such as mastic, is applied to theattachment surface 21. Double-sidedadhesive tape 41 is also applied to theattachment surface 21 to maintain the mountingmember 20 in position while the semi-solid adhesive 40 cures. - Referring to FIG. 8, the mounting
member 20 is attached to the back of theframeless mirror 10 so that thedownward support surface 24 is perpendicular to avertical centerline 50 of theframeless mirror 50. The position of thedownward support surface 24 perpendicular to thevertical center line 50 is maintained by the double-sidedadhesive tape 41 while the semi-solid adhesive 40 cures. The double-sidedadhesive tape 41 also allows the position of the mountingmember 20 to be adjusted or readjusted before curing of the semi-solid adhesive 40 if thedownward support surface 24 is not mounted perpendicularly to thevertical centerline 50 or is moved out of the perpendicular position. The serrated or grooved portion of theattachment surface 21 facilitates the bond between the mountingmember 20 and the framelesswall decor article 10 as thesemi-solid adhesive 40 fills the grooves or serrations and allows theattachment surface 21 to be bonded to the framelesswall decor article 10 while contacting theframeless mirror 10. - As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9(a)-(d), the frameless
wall decor article 10 may be any geometrical shape, including oval, trapezoidal, round, or any polygonal shape or combination of linear and curvilinear shapes. The mountingmember 20 is mounted perpendicularly thevertical centerline 50 of any framelesswall decor article 10 by the manufacturer and/or supplier of the frameless wall decor article by attaching the mountingmember 20 to the framelesswall decor article 10 so that the horizontal engagingsurface 24 of the mountingmember 20 is perpendicular to thevertical centerline 50 of the framelesswall decor article 10. The receivingmember 30 is supplied with the frameless wall decor article 10 (with the mountingmember 20 attached thereto) for mounting to thesupport surface 11. It should be appreciated, however, that the manufacturer and/or supplier of the framelesswall decor article 10 may supply both the mountingmember 20, unattached to the framelesswall decor article 10, and the receivingmember 30. The manufacturer and/or supplier of the framelesswall decor article 10 may also provide thesemi-solid adhesive 40 and the double-sidedadhesive tape 41. It should also be appreciated that the mountingmember 20 and the receivingmember 30 may be separately supplied as a kit that may include thesemi-solid adhesive 40 and the double sidedadhesive tape 41 so that purchasers may remount frameless wall decor articles mounted by the conventional method. As the mounting apparatus according to the invention firmly secures the framelesswall decor article 10 to thesupport surface 11 regardless of the thickness of the framelesswall decor article 10, the purchaser of the kit need not know the exact thickness of the framelesswall decor article 10 to be mounted when purchasing the kit. - Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, a first indicia point65 corresponding to the desired position of the
center 15 of the top edge of the framelesswall decor article 10 is made on thesupport surface 11 with a markingdevice 61, such as a pencil. The vertical distance D between theshoulder 23 of the mountingmember 20 and thecenter 15 of the top edge of the framelesswall decor article 10 is measured. The distance D is measured vertically down from thefirst indicia point 65 and asecond indicia point 66 is made on thesupport surface 11 with the markingdevice 61. Alevel 60 is placed on thesecond indicia point 66 and adjusted until horizontally level. Upon leveling of thelevel 60, ahorizontal indicia line 62 is made on thesupport surface 11 with the markingdevice 61. Using the receivingmember 30 as a template, the desired position of the receivingmember 30 is marked with third indicia points 67 using the markingdevice 61 through theapertures 36 of the receivingmember 30 while the engagingsurface 34 of the receivingmember 30 is maintained in alignment with thehorizontal indicia line 62. Thefirst indicia point 65, thesecond indicia point 66 and thehorizontal indicia line 62 may then be removed from thesupport surface 11, such as by erasing. - Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, holes are drilled in the
support surface 11 at the points indicated by the third indicia points 67 and anchors 13 are inserted in the drilled holes, for example, by tapping theanchors 13 into the holes with a hammer. The receivingmember 30 is then secured to thesupport surface 11 by passingfasteners 14, such as screws, through theapertures 36 into theanchors 13. The receivingmember 30 is firmly secured to thesupport surface 11 by fully driving or threading thefasteners 14 into theanchors 13. The receivingmember 30 is thus firmly secured to thesupport surface 11 by only twofasteners 14 and does not require a fastener for numerous clips, as required in conventional frameless wall decor article mounting apparatus shown in FIG. 1. It should b appreciated, however, that although twoapertures 36 are shown in the receivingmember 30, more than two apertures may be provided in the receivingmember 30. - Referring to FIG. 13, the frameless
wall decor article 10 is mounted to thesupport surface 11 by placing the engagingsurface 25 into the space between thesupport surface 11 and the engagingsurface 35 of the receivingmember 30 as shown by arrow A. A spacer orspacers 70, such as tape squares, are attached to an area of the framelesswall decor article 10 below the mountingmember 20 to fill the space between theattachment portion 31 of the receivingmember 30 or thesupport surface 11. In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, eachspacer 70 is twotape squares 70 a and 70 b (FIG. 6) adhered together back to back. The release tape of thetape square 70 b that contacts thesupport surface 11 is left on to prevent the framelesswall decor article 10 from adhering to thesupport surface 11. It should be appreciated that any number of spacers may be provided to the framelesswall decor article 10. Thespacers 70 provide a reaction force against the framelesswall decor article 10 that counter the moment force of the weight of the framelesswall decor article 10 and ensure that the framelesswall decor article 10 is uniformly spaced from thesupport surface 11. In addition, thespacers 70 prevent marring of thesupport surface 11 by the framelesswall decor article 10 during mounting of the framelesswall decor article 10 to the receivingmember 30. Thespacers 70, theanchors 13, and thefasteners 14 may also be provided by the manufacturer and/or supplier of the framelesswall decor article 10. - Although the present invention has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments outlined above, it should be appreciated that numerous variations of the present invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
Claims (20)
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/853,579 US20020166939A1 (en) | 2001-05-14 | 2001-05-14 | Systems and methods for mounting frameless wall decor articles |
PCT/US2002/014943 WO2002091886A1 (en) | 2001-05-14 | 2002-05-13 | Systems and methods for mounting frameless wall decor articles |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/853,579 US20020166939A1 (en) | 2001-05-14 | 2001-05-14 | Systems and methods for mounting frameless wall decor articles |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20020166939A1 true US20020166939A1 (en) | 2002-11-14 |
Family
ID=25316410
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US09/853,579 Abandoned US20020166939A1 (en) | 2001-05-14 | 2001-05-14 | Systems and methods for mounting frameless wall decor articles |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20020166939A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2002091886A1 (en) |
Cited By (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6962016B1 (en) | 2003-10-02 | 2005-11-08 | Meyer James F | Picture frame and hanger |
US7897262B1 (en) * | 2007-01-12 | 2011-03-01 | Chambers James E | Wall decoration |
US20110147551A1 (en) * | 2009-12-23 | 2011-06-23 | Produits Forestiers Direct Inc. | Rail unit for mounting wall furniture |
GB2505011A (en) * | 2012-08-15 | 2014-02-19 | Alberto Dipierro | Device for mounting items on walls |
US20150204376A1 (en) * | 2014-01-22 | 2015-07-23 | Ccl Label, Inc. | Device for hanging items on a vertical surface and method for making and using same |
CN105342229A (en) * | 2015-12-13 | 2016-02-24 | 苏州市启扬商贸有限公司 | Mirror with adjustable installation position |
US20170184250A1 (en) * | 2015-12-29 | 2017-06-29 | Dony Dawson | Mounting bracket method and system |
US9976311B2 (en) * | 2015-02-10 | 2018-05-22 | James Reid Gulnick | Attachment brackets for panel mounting |
WO2021170192A1 (en) | 2020-02-24 | 2021-09-02 | Rønnau Development ApS | Modular facing for building constructions |
Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4282668A (en) * | 1979-11-20 | 1981-08-11 | Product Planning & Development, Inc. | Mounting system and method |
Family Cites Families (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4317555A (en) * | 1979-11-26 | 1982-03-02 | Anchor Wire Corporation | Non destructably removable adhesive backing strip and article securing device utilizing same |
FR2606844A1 (en) * | 1986-11-19 | 1988-05-20 | Richard Robert | Device making it possible to suspend objects from any support whatsoever without needing hooks or any other fixing means |
AU7926594A (en) * | 1993-10-01 | 1995-05-01 | Selfix, Inc. | Encapsulated adhesive system for a load-bearing support device |
DE19537323C2 (en) * | 1995-10-06 | 1997-12-04 | Beiersdorf Ag | Removable, self-adhesive fastening device |
GB9918475D0 (en) * | 1999-08-06 | 1999-10-06 | Vimalco Holdings Limited | Wall fixing |
-
2001
- 2001-05-14 US US09/853,579 patent/US20020166939A1/en not_active Abandoned
-
2002
- 2002-05-13 WO PCT/US2002/014943 patent/WO2002091886A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
Patent Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4282668A (en) * | 1979-11-20 | 1981-08-11 | Product Planning & Development, Inc. | Mounting system and method |
Cited By (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6962016B1 (en) | 2003-10-02 | 2005-11-08 | Meyer James F | Picture frame and hanger |
US7897262B1 (en) * | 2007-01-12 | 2011-03-01 | Chambers James E | Wall decoration |
US20110147551A1 (en) * | 2009-12-23 | 2011-06-23 | Produits Forestiers Direct Inc. | Rail unit for mounting wall furniture |
GB2505011A (en) * | 2012-08-15 | 2014-02-19 | Alberto Dipierro | Device for mounting items on walls |
US20150204376A1 (en) * | 2014-01-22 | 2015-07-23 | Ccl Label, Inc. | Device for hanging items on a vertical surface and method for making and using same |
US9976311B2 (en) * | 2015-02-10 | 2018-05-22 | James Reid Gulnick | Attachment brackets for panel mounting |
CN105342229A (en) * | 2015-12-13 | 2016-02-24 | 苏州市启扬商贸有限公司 | Mirror with adjustable installation position |
US20170184250A1 (en) * | 2015-12-29 | 2017-06-29 | Dony Dawson | Mounting bracket method and system |
WO2021170192A1 (en) | 2020-02-24 | 2021-09-02 | Rønnau Development ApS | Modular facing for building constructions |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2002091886A1 (en) | 2002-11-21 |
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Legal Events
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: STANLEY WORKS, THE, CONNECTICUT Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:PLEIN, WILLIAM J. II;VAN DEURSEN, GARY;REEL/FRAME:011982/0781;SIGNING DATES FROM 20010606 TO 20010607 |
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STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: ABLECO FINANCE LLC, NEW YORK Free format text: SECURITY AGREEMENT;ASSIGNORS:HOME DECOR HOLDING COMPANY;HOME DECOR COMPANY;REEL/FRAME:015732/0184 Effective date: 20041203 |
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Owner name: HOME DECOR COMPANY, NORTH CAROLINA Free format text: RELEASE BY SECURED PARTY;ASSIGNOR:ABLECO FINANCE LLC;REEL/FRAME:019991/0702 Effective date: 20071017 |
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Owner name: ABLECO FINANCE LLC, NEW YORK Free format text: CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ERRONEOUSLY LISTED HOME DECOR HOLDING COMPANY AS A PARTY TO THE SECURITY AGREEMENT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 015732 FRAME 0184;ASSIGNOR:HOME DECOR COMPANY;REEL/FRAME:020010/0092 Effective date: 20041203 |