Flexible mounting bracket

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] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the flexible mounting bracket of the present invention;

[0015] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the flexible mounting bracket of the present invention;

[0016] FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of an alternative embodiment of the flexible mounting bracket of the present invention;

[0017] FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the embodiment of the flexible mounting bracket shown in FIG. 3; and

[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, &thgr;, 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 &thgr; 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.

Claims

1. A flexible mounting bracket adapted for attaching a panel to a structure, comprising:

a retaining member for interconnecting said bracket to the panel;

a mounting member for interconnecting said bracket to the structure; and

a biasing connector for flexibly interconnecting said retaining member to said mounting member.

2. The flexible mounting bracket as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retaining member is U-shaped.

3. The flexible mounting bracket as claimed in claim 1, wherein said biasing connector is a spring.

4. The flexible mounting bracket as claimed in claim 3, wherein said spring is about 0.5 inches in diameter.

5. The flexible mounting bracket as claimed in claim 1, wherein said biasing connector further comprises a nut.

6. The flexible mounting bracket as claimed in claim 1, wherein said biasing connector further comprises a bolt.

7. The flexible mounting bracket as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a restraint member, wherein said restraint member limits the movement of said retaining member relative to said mounting member.

8. The flexible mounting bracket as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a shim for maintaining a desired position of said restraining member relative to said mounting member.

9. The flexible mounting bracket as claimed in claim 1, wherein said retaining member is capable of movement relative to said mounting member in an angular displacement of between 0° and about 25°.

10. The flexible mounting bracket as claimed in claim 1, wherein said biasing connector is adjustable to selectively vary the force required to move said retaining member relative to said mounting member.

11. A mounting bracket adapted for flexibly securing a panel to a structure, comprising:

a retaining member including two opposing arms, a base, and at least one connecting aperture through said base;

a mounting member having at least one connector passage; and

a biasing connector including a bolt and a spring, wherein said bolt is disposed through said connecting aperture, said connector passage and said spring for flexibly interconnecting said retaining member to said mounting member.

12. The flexible mounting bracket as claimed in claim 11, wherein said retaining member is U-shaped.

13. The flexible mounting bracket as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a restraint member for limiting movement of said retaining member relative to said mounting member.

14. The flexible mounting bracket as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a shim for maintaining a desired position of said restraining member relative to said mounting member.

15. The flexible mounting bracket as claimed in claim 11, wherein said retaining member is capable of movement relative to said mounting member in an angular displacement of between 0° and about 25°.

16. The flexible mounting bracket as claimed in claim 11, wherein said biasing connector is adjustable to selectively vary the force required to move said retaining member relative to said mounting member.

17. A method of flexibly mounting a panel to a wall comprising:

providing a bracket having a retaining member, a mounting member, and a biasing connector, the biasing connector including a bolt, a spring and a nut, wherein a rear portion of the biasing connector extends beyond the back of the mounting member;

drilling a hole in a wall, the hole sized to accept the rear portion of the biasing connector;

feeding the rear portion of the biasing connector into the hole in the wall;

interconnecting the bracket to the wall; and

placing a panel in the bracket.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising the step of securing the panel to the retaining member of the bracket.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising the step of inserting a shim between the retaining member and the mounting member.

20. The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising the step of adjusting the tension of the bracket by tightening or loosening the nut of the biasing connector.