Picture hanger

Abstract

The present invention resides in a picture hanger for hanging picture frames, mirrors and other objects that are too heavy for normal hanging devices. The picture hanger comprises a wall mount unit and a picture mount unit which removably engage each other, resulting in a properly aligned picture frame or other object on a wall.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention resides in a hanging device for hanging picture frames, mirrors and the like to walls. In particular, an improved picture hanger is disclosed for readily and easily hanging and removing picture frames, mirrors and other similar articles to be supported on walls.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] In the past, many different types of devices have been used to hang picture frame and similar objects from walls such as nails, J-hooks or the like that facilitates the ease of hanging and adjusting a picture on the wall. These type devices suffer from the disadvantages of not being able to support the weight of heavy objects or the resulting problem of keeping the picture frame or similar object properly aligned on the wall.

[0005] More recently, picture hangers have been designed to address these problems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,247 to Crandall discloses a picture hanger and method of using the same. The picture hanger has a T-shaped wall member for fastening to a wall and a picture mount member for fastening to a picture frame or the like. The T-shaped wall mount contains a pendulum member for determining the horizontal level of the T-shaped wall mount member is mounted on a wall and leveled at a desired location. The picture mount member is attached to a picture frame and connecting said picture frame mount to the T-shaped wall mount.

[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,238 to Mitchell relates to a picture hanging system using a flexible sheet material device in a T-shaped form having an opening adjacent to the outer end of a center leg and a head which includes spaced legs at opposite ends, extending paralleled to the leg, wherein the leg is threadable through die cut slits in a backing member. The backing member is attachable to a picture frame or a similar object.

[0007] U.S. Pat. Des. No. 341,538 to Paul shows a picture hanging bracket that has a rectangular shaped support base containing a centered, elongated shaft on one end, wherein the elongated shaft contains a hole at the other end thereof.

[0008] U.S. Pat. Des. No. 386,067 to Hammerski et al. shows a picture hanger consisting of a front and back two-layered unit containing a round knob at one end. The back layer is an elongated, rectangular shaped unit that is square at one end and contains a semi-circular configuration at the other end. The top layer unit is an elongated rectangular configuration that is flush on one end with the square shaped end of the back layer unit. The top layer unit is approximately {fraction (3/4)} the length of the back layer unit. The round knob is adapted to receive a wire or similar object attached to a picture frame.

[0009] U.S. Pat. Des. No. 393,414 to Bries et al. Shows a picture hanger consisting of an elongated mounting unit having an elongated, rectangular configuration that is slightly curved at both ends. A raised triangular shape configuration containing a trough or similar structure for receiving a wire, for example attached to a picture frame, is located near the top of the mounting unit.

[0010] As can be seen from the foregoing, there is an ongoing research effort to produce newer and more efficient picture hangers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present invention resides in a new and improved picture hanger which is suitable for hanging picture frames and similar objects from walls. The picture hanger comprises a wall mount unit and a picture mount unit which removably connect to each other. The wall mount unit comprises a bottom support section which is attached to an upwardly angled middle section, which is in turn attached to a top section. The bottom support section is rectangular in configuration and contains a back wall and a front wall in addition to right and left side walls. The back wall is longer than the front wall and contains a plurality of parallel grooves extending from one side to the other side thereof. The bottom section contains a plurality of parallel holes for receiving screws or the like. The middle section is rectangular in configuration and extends outwardly and upwardly from the bottom support section. The middle section contains a top wall and bottom wall, as well as, right and left side walls. The top section is rectangular in configuration with a front wall and a back wall, wherein the back wall is shorter than the front wall, creating a top wall that is angled upwardly from the back wall to the front wall. The picture mount unit is the same as the wall mount unit except it is rotated 180 degrees horizontally and 180 degrees vertically relative to the wall mount unit. In an alternative mode, the wall mount unit is attached to a wall and removably engages a groove cut into the top section of the back of a picture frame.

[0012] In use the picture frame mount unit is substantially the same as the wall mount unit except that it is rotated 180 degrees horizontally and 180 degrees vertically and attached to a picture frame using the wall mount unit as a reference. In this position the top section becomes the bottom section and the bottom section becomes the top section as compared to the wall mount unit. The bottom section of the picture mount unit removably engages the top section of the wall mount unit to secure a picture frame to a wall.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The invention is further described by reference to the appended drawings taken in conjunction with the following description where:

[0014] FIG. 1 is a side view of the wall mount unit of the picture hanger.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a front view of the wall mount of the picture hanger shown in FIG. 1.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the wall mount unit of the picture hanger shown in FIG. 1.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the picture hanger showing a wall mount unit and a picture frame mount unit in a pre-engaged mode.

[0018] FIG. 5 is a side view of the picture hanger showing the wall mount unit attached to a wall and the picture frame mount unit attached to a picture frame in a removably engaged mode.

[0019] FIG. 6 is a side view of the picture hanger showing the wall mount unit attached to a wall and removably engaging a groove cut into a picture frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The present invention resides in a picture hanger that is especially suitable for hanging heavy picture frames and the like on a wall or similar object. Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, wherein FIG. 1 is a side view of wall mount unit 2 which contains a bottom section 3 having an elongated rectangular shaped structure that has a vertical orientation when attached to a wall. Bottom section 3 has a bottom wall 18, a front wall 16, a side wall 4 and a back wall 20. Back wall 20 of bottom section 3 has a plurality of parallel grooves (22A to 22E) which extend from left side wall 4 to the right side wall (not shown). Preferably, bottom section 3 contains from 2 to 10 grooves.

[0021] The bottom of middle section 11 is attached to the top of bottom section 3 and is angled at an outwardly and upwardly direction. Middle section 11 has a top wall 24, a bottom wall 6, right side wall 12 and a left side wall (not shown). The top of middle section 11 is attached to the bottom of top section 9.

[0022] Top section 9 has a front wall 8, a back wall 7 and a top wall 10, wherein the front wall 8 is longer than the back wall 7 which results in top wall 10 slanting in an upward and outwardly direction from back wall 7 to front wall 8.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a front view of FIG. 1 showing a plurality of spaced apart, parallel holes 26A and 26B which pass through bottom section 3. Otherwise, the numbers refer to corresponding numbers of the view shown in FIG. 1. It should be noted that holes herein comprise form 2 to 20 holes.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the views shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. It should be noted that the length of wall mount unit 2 can be extended to accommodate larger picture frames or other similar objects.

[0025] FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of wall mount unit 2 and picture mount unit 15 in an exploded relationship with each other. The numbered elements of the wall mount unit correspond to the numbered elements of FIGS. 1 to 3. The picture mount unit 5 is identical to the wall mount unit 2 with the following exceptions: in use picture mount unit 5 is rotated 180 degrees from a horizontal plane and 180 degrees from a vertical plane in relationship to the wall mount unit, as such, the bottom section and top section of the picture frame mount 5 are in the reverse order as compared to the wall mount unit 2. It is to be noted that top section 9 of wall mount unit 2 becomes bottom section 9 of picture frame unit 5, and bottom section 3 of wall mount unit 2 becomes top section 3 of picture mount unit 5. When wall mount unit 3 is attached to a wall and picture mount unit 5 is attached to a picture frame, top section 9 of wall mount 2 and bottom section 9 of picture frame mount 5 removably engage each other to secure a picture frame to a wall.

[0026] FIG. 5 is a side view of FIG. 4 showing the wall mount unit 2 attached to wall 34 utilizing screw 36 and picture mount unit 5 attached to picture frame 35 utilizing screw 37. Both mounts are securely attached to each other by lowering the bottom section 9 of picture mount unit 5 into the top section 9 of the wall mount unit. The two mounts are disengaged by pulling picture mount unit 5 up and away from wall mount unit 2.

[0027] FIG. 6 shows a side view of the wall mount unit of FIG. 1 attached to wall 34 by screw 36. Picture frame 35 has a groove 38 cut into the back side of the top section 40 thereof. The upper section 9 of wall mount unit 2 slides up into groove 30 to secure picture frame 35 to wall 34.

[0028] It should be noted that many modification and variation to this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore only such limitations should be made as indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A picture hanger which comprises a wall mount unit removably connected with a picture frame mount unit which comprises a wall unit containing a bottom section having an elongated rectangular configuration, a middle section connected to the bottom section wherein the middle section extends in an outwardly and upwardly direction from the bottom section, a top section connected to the middle section having a top wall, front wall and back wall and right and left side walls wherein the front wall is longer than the back wall resulting in a top wall which is slanted upwardly and outwardly from the back wall to the front wall; wherein the picture frame mount has a top section having an elongated rectangular configuration, a middle section wherein the middle section is connected to the top section and extends in an outwardly and downwardly direction from the top section, a bottom section connected to the middle section having a bottom wall, front wall and back wall wherein the front wall is longer than the back wall resulting in a bottom wall which slants downwardly and outwardly from the back wall to the front wall.

2. The picture hanger of claim 1, wherein the bottom section of the wall mount unit has a front wall and a bottom wall, a back wall, a right side wall and a left side wall.

3. The picture hanger of claim 2 wherein the bottom section of the wall mount unit has a plurality of grooves that are parallel to each other and extend from the right side wall to the left side wall on the back wall of the bottom section of said wall mount unit.

4. The picture hanger of claim 3 wherein the plurality of grooves comprise from 2 to 10.

5. The picture hanger of claim 1, wherein the bottom section of the wall mount unit has a plurality of parallel holes passing through it.

6. The picture hanger of claim 5, wherein the bottom section of the wall mount unit contains from 2 to 20 parallel holes passing through it.

7. The picture hanger of claim 1, wherein the top section of the picture frame mount unit has a front wall, a top wall, a back wall, a right side wall and a left side wall.

8. The picture hanger of claim 7, wherein the top section of the picture frame mount has a plurality of grooves on the back side wall that are parallel to each other and extend from the right side wall to the left side wall of said picture frame mount.

9. The picture hanger of claim 8, wherein the top section of the picture frame mount has from 2 to 10 grooves.

10. The picture hanger of claim 1, wherein the top section of the picture frame mount unit has a plurality of parallel holes passing through it.

11. The picture hanger of claim 10, wherein the top section of the picture mount unit contains from 2 to 20 parallel holes passing through it.

12. A picture hanger which comprises a wall mount unit removably connected with a picture frame which comprises a wall mount unit containing a bottom section having an elongated rectangular configuration, a middle section connected to the bottom section wherein the middle section extends in an outwardly and upwardly direction from the bottom section, a top section connected to the middle section having a top wall, front wall and back wall wherein the front wall is longer than the back wall resulting in a top wall that is slanted upwardly and outwardly from the back wall to the front wall.

13. The picture hanger of claim 12, wherein the bottom section of the wall mount unit has a front wall and a bottom wall, a back wall, a right side wall and a left side wall.

14. The picture hanger of claim 13 wherein the bottom section of the wall mount unit has a plurality of grooves that are parallel to each other and extend from the right side wall to the left side wall on the back wall of the bottom section of said wall mount unit.

15. The picture hanger of claim 13 wherein the plurality of grooves comprise from 2 to 10.

16. The picture hanger of claim 12, wherein the bottom section of the wall mount unit has a plurality of parallel holes passing through it.

17. The picture hanger of claim 16, wherein the bottom section of the wall mount unit contains from 2 to 20 parallel holes passing through it.

18. The picture hanger of claim 12 wherein the picture frame has a top section, bottom section, right side section and left side section.

19. The picture hanger of claim 18 wherein the top section of the back of the picture frame has a groove cut in it for removably receiving the top section of the wall mount unit.