T-Slot Rail Quilt, Textile and Media Hanger

Abstract

A T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger has a generally flat mounting rail that attaches to a wall via one or more T-slotted grooves on its rear surface. The apparatus incorporates a second T-slotted groove on its front surface to which a plurality of suspension units can be attached. The suspension units utilize a screw, knob, arm and jaw to securely hold the quilt, textile, or other media to the rail without damaging the item and can be quickly loosened to reposition or remove the hanging item. Permanent contact point stresses on the item are minimized. Additionally, a third T-slotted groove can be added to the top surface of the rail to provide attachment points for a shelf or other items.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/626,018 entitled T-SLOT RAIL QUILT, TEXTILE, AND MEDIA HANGER and filed on Sep. 19, 2011 which is specifically incorporated by reference herein for all that it discloses and teaches.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates generally to the field of interior decorating and wall hangings, and more particularly to a T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger apparatus.

BACKGROUND

The production of textiles, fabrics and fibers has a long and storied history. The need for body coverings that could be produced without the direct conversion of animal skins drove many early developments as did the need for bedding. One particular type of bedding is the quilt, which is traditionally composed of three layers of fibers. A woven cloth top layer and a woven back layer together containing a layer of wadding or batting define a conventional quilt. The process of combining these layers is called quilting. Often, a number of individual fabric pieces are combined into a patchwork of blocks that form a decorative top layer.

Although traditionally designed as bedding, the often complex and artistic nature of the quilt has led to the displaying of quilts as works of art in their own right. And because of their size, one common display method is to hang quilts vertically from a wall surface so that the entire quilt can be seen and appreciated. This has led to a need for a quilt hanging apparatus that allows a quilt to be easily hung without damaging the quilt. Additionally, because of their utility for bedding purposes—and for other reasons—quilts often need to be removed from the wall hanging and then replaced or substituted with other quilts, textiles, or media. Current methods of hanging quilts include: tacking or otherwise piercing the quilt, incorporating a sleeve or other attachment onto the back of the quilt, or otherwise damaging or modifying the quilt to allow for easy display on the wall. Tacking or otherwise piercing the quilt can cause damage to the quilt and modifying the quilt by the addition of a sleeve can similarly compromise the usefulness and appearance of a quilt. In answer to these problems, a number of current quilt hanging products have been introduced, but such items can be difficult and time-consuming to use, can put undo strain on contact points on the quilt, and can otherwise compromise or damage the quilt.

Therefore, what is needed is an apparatus that provides for the vertical displaying of a quilt as a wall hanging without piercing or otherwise modifying the quilt. Such an apparatus should allow the quilt to hang naturally without creating permanent contact point stresses in a quilt and should allow for the easy removal of the quilt and replacement with another quilt, textile, or wall-display media. Furthermore, because the resulting wall display is meant to be appealing to the eye, the apparatus should be unobtrusive and should not detract from the artistic presentation of the quilt, textiles or wall-display media that it supports.

SUMMARY

One embodiment of the present invention comprises an apparatus having a generally flat mounting rail that securely attaches to a wall or other vertical surface via one or more T-slotted grooves on its rear (or wall-facing) surface. The apparatus also incorporates a second T-slotted groove on its front (or room-facing) surface to which a plurality of suspension units can be attached. The suspension units securely hold the quilt, textile, or other media to the rail and can be quickly loosened to reposition or remove the quilt as needed. Because the suspension units provide for quick and easy repositioning of the quilt, permanent contact point stresses on the quilt are minimized without excessive user effort. The suspension units allows the user to adjust the amount of pressure that is placed on the quilt at each contact point, unlike any spring-loaded, or fixed attachment devices. Furthermore, supplementary suspension units can be added to reduce the load on each quilt contact point, accommodate heavier or larger quilts or textiles, etc. as needed. Additionally, a third T-slotted groove can be added to the top (or ceiling-facing) surface of the rail to provide attachment points for a shelf, valance, lighting or other items.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The aforementioned and other features and objects of the present invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be best understood by reference to the following descriptions of a preferred embodiment and other embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger with a sample quilt in place;

FIG. 3 illustrates a side elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of a suspension unit for a T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger;

FIG. 4 illustrates a close-up, perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a suspension unit for a T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger holding a sample quilt in place;

FIG. 5 illustrates a side elevation cross-section view of an exemplary embodiment of a T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger;

FIG. 6 illustrates a side elevation cross-section view of another exemplary embodiment of a T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger having an additional, top-mounting T-slot; and

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of an alternative exemplary embodiment of a mounting rail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger 100. The embodiment of the rail hanger apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a mounting rail 110, a rear T-slot 120, a front T-slot 130, and a plurality of suspension units 160, 170 and 180. The mounting rail 110 is shown in FIG. 1 as having a generally rectangular body that attaches relatively snugly to the wall 198 or other generally vertical surface. The rail 110 extends generally horizontally along the surface of the wall 198 and has a first end 112 and a second end 114 defining the length of the rail 110. In other embodiments, the rail 110 can be stylized, have rounded-off corners, etc.

In one embodiment, the rear T-slot 120 can be utilized to removably attach the rail hanger 100 to the wall 198. In a preferred embodiment, the rear T-slot 120 runs generally along the length of the rail 110 from its first end 112 to its second end 114. The rear T-slot 120 is generally centered vertically on the rear surface of the rail 110. In another embodiment, two or more rear T-slots 120 can be utilized. In yet another embodiment, the rear T-slots 120 do not run the full length of the rail 110. See FIG. 7 for another alternate embodiment of rear T-slots 120 (there, 720 and 721).

As can be seen more clearly in FIG. 5, the rear T-slot 120 (FIG. 5, item 520) has a cross-sectional shape resembling a letter “T”. This shape allows a screw head to move back and forth along the horizontal length of the rear T-slot 120. However, because the head of the screw is larger than the vertical portion of the “T”, it can not slide through the rear-facing opening of the T-slot (see FIG. 5). It is preferred that periodic access points be added to the rear T-slot 120 to allow the wall mounting screw heads to enter the rear T-slot 120 at points along its length rather than only at either end of the rear T-slot 120. In such a configuration, wall mounting screws can be attached to the wall 198 at a set interval, say every sixteen inches on each standard wall stud, and the rail hanger 100 can then be placed over the protruding screw heads and slid left or right to lock the screw heads into the rear T-slot 120. If the gap between the bottom of the wall mounting screw heads and the wall surface is approximately equal to the distance between the ends of the horizontal portion of the T and the rear surface of the rail hanger 100, then the wall mounting screw heads will fit snugly into the rear T-slot 120 and will securely hold the rail hanger 100 snugly against the wall surface 198. Alternatively, a plurality of attachment ports 155 can be employed. Such attachment ports 155 can be placed on the front, or room-facing, portion of the mounting rail 110 directly over the rear T-slot 120. The attachment ports 155 can be generally elongated ovals, rectangles, or any shape that allows access to the screw heads in the rear T-slot 120. The attachment ports 155 can be placed every four, eight, or sixteen inches and allow access to the wall mounting screw heads, allowing a user to place the mounting rail 120, adjust it to the exact position they'd like it to rest, and then tighten the wall mounting screws directly. Once a quilt, textile, or other media is inserted into the rail hanger apparatus 100, the plurality of attachment ports 155 are no longer visible.

In another embodiment, the rear T-slot 120 is not used for securing the rail hanger 100 to the wall 198. Instead, a number of screws or other attachments are utilized to simply screw or otherwise affix the rail hanger apparatus 100 directly to the wall 198. Other attachments can include, but are not limited to: glue, nails, hook and loop material, magnets, bolts, etc. Additionally, the rear T-slots can still be used without screws, bolts, nails, and other similar wall attachment devices can be employed that are themselves secured to the wall and have a head or similar protrusion extending outwards from the wall that can be engaged and held by the T-slot.

The front T-slot 130 can be shaped and sized approximately similar to the rear T-slot 120. However, it is preferred that the front T-slot 130 not be positioned in the vertical center of the rail 110, but instead be placed generally in the upper third of the rail 110. Such placement not only serves to allow room for the plurality of suspension units 160, 170 and 180 to function properly, but also ensures that the rail 110 isn't unduly weakened by the close proximity of the rear T-slot 120 and the front T-slot 130. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the suspension units 160, 170 and 180 and the front T-slot 130 can be configured such that the units 160, 170 and 180 are vertically centered; i.e., the portion of the mounting rail 110 that is visible above and below the suspension units 160, 170 and 180 is approximately equal. As an example, one-half inch of the mounting rail 110 can be visible above the suspension units 160, 170 and 180 and one-half inch of the mounting rail 110 can be visible below the suspension units 160, 170 and 180. In other embodiments, the suspension units 160, 170 and 180 are not centered vertically on the mounting rail 110.

The plurality of suspension units 160, 170 and 180 are removably attached to the front T-slot 130 by a sliding screw head that can be loosened or tightened by turning the knurl knobs 162, 172 and 182 on the suspension units 160, 170 and 180 (for additional detail, see FIGS. 3, 5 and 6). In other embodiments, the knurl knobs 162, 172, and 182 can be wing-nuts, regular nuts, artistic knobs, or any other device that attaches to the underlying screw and can be tightened thereto, thereby squeezing the quilt, textile or media between the suspension units 160, 170 and 180 and the mounting rail 110. As with the rear T-slot 120, the front T-slot 130 can extend from the first end 112 of the rail 110 to the second end 114, or it can run for a distance that is less than the length of the rail 110. Furthermore, both the rear T-slot 120 and the front T-slot 130 can, in other embodiments, comprise a plurality of T-slots, they do not have to be continuous. Furthermore, if access ports are utilized (on either or both of the T-slots), the T-slots are not required to extend all the way to either end 112 and 114 of the rail 110. Just as on the rear T-slot 120, the front T-slot 130 can have one or more access ports added so that the attachment screw head extending from the rear of a suspension unit can be placed into the front T-slot 130 at various points along its length and slid left or right. A knurl knob 162, 172 or 182 can then be tightened to lock the suspension unit in place on the rail 110.

Before tightening the knurl knobs 162, 172 and 182 fully, the upper edge of a quilt, textile, or wall-display media should be inserted between the jaw of the suspension unit 160, 170 and 180 and the rail 110 (for more detail, see additional FIGs.). Because many quilts, textiles and wall-display media have an edge that is large and bulky, the suspension units 160, 170 and 180 incorporate an edge spacer that ensures extra space to accommodate this bulk between a portion of each of the suspension units 160, 170 and 180 and the rail 110 (again, for more detail see additional FIGs.).

Although the embodiment of FIG. 1 shows three suspension units 160, 170 and 180, other embodiments can have one, two, four, or more. Furthermore, the length of the individual suspension units 160, 170 and 180 is illustrated in FIG. 1 as being relatively short in comparison to the length of the rail 110. In other embodiments, the dimensions of the suspension units 160, 170 and 180 can vary.

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger 200 with a sample quilt 202 in place. The embodiment of the rail hanger apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 2 comprises a rail 210, a front T-slot 230, and a plurality of suspension units 260, 270, 280, 290 and 291. The rail 210 is shown in FIG. 2 as having a generally rectangular body that attaches relatively snugly to the wall 298. The rail 210 extends generally horizontally along the surface of the wall 298 and has a first end 212 and a second end 214.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, the plurality of suspension units 260, 270, 280, 290 and 291 can vary in number from the three units shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, five units are illustrated. The suspension units 260, 270, 280, 290 and 291 grasp the quilt 202 and hold it gently but securely against the rail 210. Because the rail hanger 200 is oriented generally horizontally, the quilt 202 hangs approximately vertically and is displayed to full effect on the wall 298. Although the scale in FIG. 2, causes them to be difficult to see, the knurl knobs can be replaced with decorative items such as butterflies, color-coordinated objects, etc. (see FIG. 4 for more an example with more detail).

FIG. 3 illustrates a side elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of a suspension unit 360 for a T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger. The suspension unit 360 shown in FIG. 3 comprises: a mounting base 366, an extension arm 367, a jaw 364, an edge spacer 365, a knurl knob 362, and a rail attachment screw 363.

The mounting base 366 provides a solid base that can be tightened against the mounting rail of the rail hanger. The suspension unit 360 can be made from wood, metal, plastic, and/or any other suitable materials. Similarly, the rail is illustrated in various FIGs. as being made from wood, but other suitable materials can be used.

Attached to the mounting base 366 is an extension arm 367. The extension arm 367 connects the mounting base 366 and the jaw 364 and serves to transmit the clamping force to the jaw 364 so that when the mounting base 366 is tightened against the mounting rail, the jaw 364 is also clamped against the mounting rail.

The shape of the extension arm 367 also provides space between the arm 367 and the rail in the form of an edge spacer 365. The edge spacer 365 is illustrated in FIG. 3 as having a generally half-circle or elliptical shape; in other embodiments, other shapes may be utilized to accommodate the extra bulk often found at the edge of quilts, textiles, etc. It is significant to note that, once the jaw 364 is tightened against the rail, the bulky edge of the quilt, textile, etc. can no longer slip between the jaw 364 and the rail, ensuring that the quilt, textile, etc. remains suspended.

In order to tighten the suspension unit 360 against the mounting rail, the T-slot system described in FIG. 1 is utilized. The rail attachment screw 363 has a head which fits into the front T-slot on the rail. The screw extends through the mounting base 366 so that the knurl knob 362 can engage it on the other side of the suspension unit 360. As the knurl knob 362 is turned, the head of the rail attachment screw 363 is pulled towards the mounting base 366, tightening snugly against the inside of the front T-slot in the rail. As the knurl knob 362 is loosened, the head of the rail attachment screw 363 releases its contact with the front T-slot and the entire suspension unit 360 can then slide back and forth along the front T-slot. As discussed above, access ports can also be placed on the front T-slot so that the head of the rail attachment screw 363 can be inserted into the front T-slot at various points along its length rather than just at either end.

Although the knurl knob 362 is illustrated in FIG. 3 as a decorative brass knob, other types of tightening devices are contemplated. Such devices can include, but are not limited to: wing nuts, standard nuts, decorative handles, knobs of any kind, etc. Furthermore, although the screw head of the rail attachment screw 363 is illustrated in FIG. 3 as resembling a generally round-headed screw, other types of screws, bolts, etc. can be used. For example, a square, rectangular, or hexagonal bolt head can be utilized; such a bolt head can be sized to fit to close tolerances within the T-slot so that it can not rotate when the knurl knob 362 is tightened or loosened as the corners of the bolt head impact the T-slot and prohibit rotation of the rail attachment screw 363.

FIG. 4 illustrates a close-up, perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a suspension unit 460 for a T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger 400 holding a sample quilt 402 in place. The front T-slot 430 and the rear T-slot 420 can be clearly seen at the end of the rail 410; in other embodiments, the front T-slot 430 and/or the rear T-slot 420 do not extend to the ends of the rail 410.

A decorative butterfly-shaped knurl knob 462 is illustrated in FIG. 4 and can be compared to the brass knurl knob 362 of FIG. 3. As discussed above, other types, shapes, and sizes of knurl knobs can be utilized without departing from the scope of the invention. Also shown in FIG. 4 is the bulky edge 403 of the quilt 402. Note how the bulky edge 403 is contained within the edge spacer 465 of the suspension unit 460.

FIG. 5 illustrates a side elevation cross-section view of an exemplary embodiment of a T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger 500. The rail 510 and suspension unit 560 are the two main vertical components. The knurl knob 562 and rail attachment screw 563 are illustrated and it should be clear that as the knurl knob 562 is turned it draws the rail attachment screw 563 head tight into the front T-slot 530. As the head draws tight, the suspension unit 560 is similarly tightened against the rail 510, causing the extension arm 567 to exert pressure against the jaw 564, and thereby securing the quilt, textile, or media between the jaw 564 and the rail 510.

The wall attachment device 522 (here, a screw) was discussed in the detailed description of FIG. 1 but was not visible in that FIG. As mentioned previously, the wall attachment device 522 can be a bolt, screw, etc. and the head of the wall attachment device 522 can selectively slide through the rear T-slot 520 or engage therewith. Alternatively, other mounting means as discussed above are contemplated.

FIG. 6 illustrates a side elevation cross-section view of another exemplary embodiment of a T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger 600 having an additional, top-mounting T-slot 640. The top-mounting T-slot 640 can be T-shaped and can run the length of the top of the mounting rail 610. Alternatively, in other embodiments, other shapes and locations are contemplated. The purpose of the top-mounting T-slot 640 is to provide an attachment point to allow the mounting of a shelf, valance, lighting or other items. Since the user of the rail hanger 600 is already familiar with the T-slot attachment system, he or she will readily be able to utilize another T-slot at the top of the rail to attach additional items to the rail hanger 600. Note that “T-slots” as used herein include slots that are variations of the T, for example, they can be shaped as an inverted “V”, “U”, trapezoid, pyramid, etc.

The rail 610 and suspension unit 660 are the two main vertical components shown in FIG. 6. The knurl knob 662 and rail attachment screw 663 are illustrated and it should be clear that as the knurl knob 662 is turned it draws the rail attachment screw 663 head tight into the front T-slot 630. A similar mounting system can be employed in the top-mounting T-slot 640.

As the suspension unit 660 is tightened against the rail 610, it causes the extension arm 667 to exert pressure against the jaw 664, and thereby securing the quilt, textile, or media between the jaw 664 and the rail 610. The wall attachment device 622 can be a bolt, screw, etc. and the head of the wall attachment device 622 can selectively slide through the rear T-slot 620 or engage therewith. Alternatively, other mounting means as discussed above are contemplated

FIG. 7 illustrates a perspective view of an alternative exemplary embodiment of a mounting rail 710. The rear face (wall-facing portion) of the mounting rail 710 is shown. Also illustrated is one end of the front T-slot 730.

In this embodiment, the plurality of rear T-slots 720 is illustrated in a vertical configuration instead of the horizontally configured rear T-slots in earlier FIGs. The number of rear T-slots 720 shown is two, in other embodiments fewer or more rear T-slots 720 can be employed. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the wall mounting screws would be placed in the wall, leaving the head of the screws exposed just enough to slide into the rear T-slots 720 as the rail 710 is slid downwards over them while being held against the wall. In this mounting scenario, the screws would have to be properly located in the wall so that the spacing between them matched the spacing between the rear T-slots 720.

While particular embodiments of the invention have been described and disclosed in the present application, it should be understood that any number of permutations, modifications, or embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. Accordingly, it is not the intention of this application to limit this invention in any way except as by the appended claims.

Particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Description section explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention encompasses not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention.

The above detailed description of the embodiments of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise embodiment or form disclosed herein or to the particular field of usage mentioned in this disclosure. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. Also, the teachings of the invention provided herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments.

In light of the above “Detailed Description,” the Inventor may make changes to the invention. While the detailed description outlines possible embodiments of the invention and discloses the best mode contemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears in text, the invention may be practiced in a myriad of ways. Thus, implementation details may vary considerably while still being encompassed by the spirit of the invention as disclosed by the inventor. As discussed herein, specific terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated.

While certain aspects of the invention are presented below in certain claim forms, the inventor contemplates the various aspects of the invention in an number of claim forms. Accordingly, the inventor reserves the right to add additional claims after filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects of the invention.

The above specification, examples and data provide a description of the structure and use of exemplary implementations of the described articles of manufacture and methods. It is important to note that many implementations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger, comprising:

an elongated mounting rail having a first end and a second end and defining a length therebetween, wherein the rail has a front surface, a rear surface, a top edge, and a bottom edge;

a front T-slot positioned in the front surface of the rail and extending longitudinally along at least a portion of the length of the rail;

a suspension unit having a mounting base;

the mounting base having an attachment screw therein, the attachment screw being secured to the mounting base via a knob;

the attachment screw having a head which can be placed in the front T-slot to removably and slidably attach the suspension unit to the rail;

the mounting base connected to a jaw by an extension arm, the extension arm defining an edge spacer;

the edge spacer providing expansion room between the suspension unit and the rail to provide a space for a bulky edge of a quilt, textile or media to fit between the suspension unit and the rail;

the jaw pressing near the edge of the quilt, textile or media and holding it between the jaw and the rail;

the knob configured to interact with the attachment screw such that when the knob is tightened the suspension unit is pressed against the rail causing the jaw to securely hold the quilt, textile or media against the rail.

2. The T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of rear T-slots positioned in the rear surface of the rail and extending longitudinally along at least a portion of the length of the rail.

3. The T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of rear T-slots positioned in the rear surface of the rail and extending vertically.

4. The T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger of claim 1, further comprising:

a top-mounting T-slot positioned in the top surface of the rail and extending longitudinally along at least a portion of the length of the rail.

5. The T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger of claim 2, further comprising:

a top-mounting T-slot positioned in the top surface of the rail and extending longitudinally along at least a portion of the length of the rail.

6. The T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger of claim 3, further comprising:

a top-mounting T-slot positioned in the top surface of the rail and extending longitudinally along at least a portion of the length of the rail.

7. The T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger of claim 2, further comprising:

a plurality of attachment ports configured on the front surface of the rail over top of the plurality of rear T-slots and positioned so as to provide access to a plurality of wall attachment devices within the plurality of rear T-slots.

8. The T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger of claim 3, further comprising:

a plurality of attachment ports configured on the front surface of the rail over top of the plurality of rear T-slots and positioned so as to provide access to a plurality of wall attachment devices within the plurality of rear T-slots.

9. The T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger of claim 5, further comprising:

a plurality of attachment ports configured on the front surface of the rail over top of the plurality of rear T-slots and positioned so as to provide access to a plurality of wall attachment devices within the plurality of rear T-slots.

10. The T-slot rail quilt, textile and media hanger of claim 6, further comprising:

a plurality of attachment ports configured on the front surface of the rail over top of the plurality of rear T-slots and positioned so as to provide access to a plurality of wall attachment devices within the plurality of rear T-slots.