Vertically adjustable picture and mirror wall hanger device

Abstract

An article such as a picture or mirror is hung on a wall with a pair of spaced apart hanging devices. Each hanger device includes a housing which is affixed to a wall, an adjustable knob, and a threaded shaft so that the knob may be tightened or loosened relative to the housing. An article support wire may be placed between the rear of the knob and the housing in order to hang the article. Typically, the bracket is mounted to a wall with the knob approximately in the center of the channel, and then the knob may be adjusted up or down in order to change the position of the hanged article. The article may be simply aligned as desired by the adjustment of either or both of the two vertical knobs.

Description

This patent application is related to Provisional Patent Application No. 60/650,415 filed Feb. 4, 2005, and claims the benefit of that filing date.

BACKGROUND

There is a need for a simple article-hanging device and system which permits the hanging of an article in it an approximate desired location on a wall, and which permits a fine adjustment of the position of the article.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,411 to Murphy describes a picture hanger which includes a two-piece, adjustable horizontal bar which is secured by a screw assembly and two vertical bars. The assembly is set to a desired size and attached to a wall so that it can support two picture hanger brackets with screws which are attached to the vertical bars.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,507 to Rushing describes a wall stud mounted base plate which supports an elongated picture hanging rod. The rod is rotatably and longitudinally adjustable so that the rod supports a wire at a single wire support location.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,507 to Rynearson describes an adjustable hanger which includes a vertically adjustable sliding member which is adjustable by a threaded bolt for tightening the picture wire and adjusting the height of the picture hanger relative to the hanger.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,625 to Orser describes an adjustable bracket for a saw tooth picture hanger which includes a base element which may be attached to a wall, and an adjustable element having a ledge for supporting the hanger.

There is a need for a simple method of hanging an article by attaching one or more vertically-adjustable hanger devices to a support surface; hanging an article on the hanger device; observing the position of the article; and adjusting the height of the hanger device in order to adjust the height of the article.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a metal or plastic article hanger device allows a user to hang various sized articles such as pictures or mirrors on a wall, and to have the ability to adjust the height of the picture or mirror. The hanger device includes a housing which is affixed to a wall, an adjustable knob, and a threaded shaft so that the knob may be tightened or loosened relative to the housing. An article support wire may be placed between the rear of the knob and the housing in order to hang the article. The height of the knob may be adjusted by loosening the knob; raising or lowering the knob to a desired position; and tightening the knob at its desired position.

In the current invention, a vertically-adjustable wire hanger is installed in an approximate desired location, the article is hung on the wire hanger knob, and the position of the article is observed. If necessary, the height of the hanger knob can be adjusted so that the position of the article is changed. In one embodiment, the hanger comprises a housing bracket which includes screw and nailing holes to secure the bracket to a wall; a knob on a threaded shaft which may be loosened or tightened relative to the bracket, such that there is a gap between the knob and the housing for receiving the hanging wire; a nut for receiving a threaded bolt projection from the knob; and a vertical channel such that the position of the nut and knob may be adjusted relative to the housing. Typically, the bracket is mounted to a wall with the knob approximately in the center of the channel, and then the knob may be adjusted up or down in order to change the position of the hanged article.

In another embodiment, a pair of hanger devices are used to level an article such as a picture or mirror by placing one hanger device on each side of the article. The leveling may be accomplished by raising or lowering the adjustable knob on one or both devices. The pair of wire hanger supports are installed on a wall in a spread-apart manner. A wire-hung article, such as a painting or mirror, is then supported by the wire hanger supports so that the wire is hung over each of the supports. The supports are independently vertically adjustable with respect to the wall. In this example, the article is hung on the wall with the pair of adjustable hangers, and then the article is observed to determine a desired horizontal, vertical, and tilt correction.

An unexpected result of this embodiment of the current invention is that an article, such as a picture, may be simply aligned as desired by the adjustment of the two vertical knobs. A horizontal offset may also be compensated by placing the corner of the article slightly to the right or to the left to compensate for the horizontal offset. Therefore, it is not necessary in the case of a wire supported device to have an independent horizontal adjustment on the wall hanger. A tilt of the article can be compensated by moving one vertical support and leaving the other support fixed. A vertical offset may be compensated by adjusting both of the hangers by the same amount.

DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a single hanger device.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a single assembled hanger device.

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of a single assembled hanger device.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a single hanger device.

FIG. 4 is a detailed illustration of the components of a hanger device for relatively small articles.

FIG. 5A is a top perspective view of a plastic hanger device.

FIG. 5B is a side view of the plastic hanger device of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5C is an exploded top view of the plastic hanger device of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6A is a top view of a single piece of sheet metal than is folded to form to a hanger housing.

FIG. 6B is a bottom view of a single piece of sheet metal of FIG. 6A that is folded to form to a hanger housing.

FIG. 6C is a side view of a single piece of sheet metal of FIG. 6A that is folded to form to a hanger housing.

FIG. 7A is an illustration of an article such as a picture which is hung on the wall with a slight misalignment of tilt.

FIG. 7B is an illustration of an article of FIG. 7A hung in a modified position.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart that describes the steps of hanging and adjusting an article on a wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT—HANGER DEVICE

In one embodiment, a metal or plastic housing is provided in various lengths such as 4 inches, 6 inches, or 8 inches in height. The housings may be channels with a depth of about ⅜″ so that a slotted front surface is provided. A threaded shaft of a height-adjustable knob may be inserted through the slot and tightened to a nut which is free to travel up or down behind the slot. Once the knob is adjusted to the desired height, it is tightened by turning the knob in a clockwise direction. The knob may be loosened by turning it in a counter clockwise direction.

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a single hanger device 100. The device includes a housing 120, a hanger support 130 which includes a threaded bolt section 132 and a knob 134, and a slider keeper 140 with an embedded nut 142. The housing includes a slide channel 122, such that the threaded bolt section 132 of the hanger support 130 may slide in the channel. In this example, the housing 120 includes a pair of bolt or screw holes 124 which are typically perpendicular to the housing. The housing also includes a pair of nail holes 126, which are provided at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the housing in order to resist the inadvertent pulling of nails from the wall. In this manner, the device may be attached to a wall with screws, bolts, or nails. Nails and screws would typically be packaged with the device for the convenience of the customer.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a single assembled hanger device 100. In this illustration, the hanger support 130 is positioned near the top of the channel 122. FIG. 2B is a perspective view of a single assembled hanger device 100. In this illustration, the hanger support 130 is positioned near the center of the channel 122. The housing may include ruled indices to facilitate fine adjustments of the height of the support knob. For instance, if the knob is set at an initial reading of 1.5 inches, and the desired adjustment is a one quarter of an inch, then the knob can be adjusted to a reading of 1.25 inches.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a single hanger device 100. The housing includes an upper projection 129 and a lower projection 128 which are typically slightly thicker than the nut 142, so that the slider keeper with the embedded nut may freely slide along the channel until the threaded bolt section 132 is tightened into the nut. Once the threaded bolt section is tightened into place, the position of the hanger support 130 is set. If desired, the threaded bolt section may be loosened from the nut so that the hanger support can be moved to another location with respect to the housing. A support wire is hung between the knob 134 and the housing. The vertical height of an article which is hung on the hanger device may be adjusted by raising or lowering the knob.

FIG. 4 is a detailed illustration of the components in a representative geometry for relatively small articles. In this example, the housing 120 has a height of about 4 inches and a width of about ½ inch. At the projections 129 and 128, the housing has a thickness of about ¼ inch and at the channel it has a thickness of about ⅛ inch. The slider keeper has a width of about ½ inch and a height of about ⅝ inch. A ⅛-inch nut is embedded in the slider keeper to prevent the nut form rotating. The knurl knob 134 has a diameter of about ¾ inch and has a ⅛-inch recess between the knob and the knob base. The knob has a ⅛-inch screw for engaging the nut 142 in the keeper 140. The base has a pair of screw attachment holes 124 and angled nail attachment holes 126 as indicated by the hidden lines.

The housings may be made of 24 gauge metal or a hard plastic. The knob and slider keeper are preferably made of a strong metal such as steel.

The size of the object to be hung should determine the size of the hanger device to be used. The larger and heavier the object is, the larger the hanger device should be used.

In order to hang an article with the hanger device, the device is first attached to the wall or mounting surface at a height that is approximately the desired hanging height of the article. Typically, drywall anchor bolts should be used when installing the hanger device on drywall. Nails may be provided with smaller hanger devices, and may be inserted through the angled nail holes in the housing to install a hanging device for smaller pictures and mirrors. Wood screws may be provided for attaching the hanger devices to a wood surface. The hanger device is installed by nailing nails through the angled nail holes in the housing, by screwing wood screws through the screw holes in the housing, or by placing drywall anchor screws through the housing screw holes and tightening the screws into drywall anchors. Self drilling drywall anchors are recommended.

Once the hook is properly secured to the wall, the article may be hung by using the hanging wire which is usually supplied with a picture or mirror. The hanging wire is placed over the knob so that the wire is positioned between the housing and the knob. The position of the article on the wall may then be observed. If the article should be raised by a distance, the article may be removed and the knob may be raised by the desired distance. Rulings may be provided on the housing to assist in determining the desired adjustment. The article may be lowered in a similar manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT—PLASTIC HANGER DEVICE

Referring to FIGS. 5A-5C, in another embodiment, the housing may be formed by a plastic such as by injection molding. The slider keeper may include side flanges 144 for engaging the sides of the housing as the keeper slides with respect to the channel. The keeper may also include a center channel projection 146 such that the channel projection is placed in the channel. The projection may be threaded, or may be an unthreaded hole which provides access to the embedded nut. The knob, threaded shaft, or nut may also be made of a strong plastic.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT—FOLDED METAL HANGER DEVICE

In another embodiment, the housing may include side walls 180 and 182 which act to retain a nut so that the sliding keeper is not required. An example of this embodiment is shown in FIGS. 6A-6C, where the device housing 120 is formed from a single piece of bent metal.

In this manner, a single sheet of sheet metal may be fabricated in the shape as shown in FIG. 6A and then folded into a position such that the side walls are created to contain the sliding nut, and such that the screw and nail holes align properly for insertion of the device on a wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT—PAIRS OF HANGER DEVICES

For larger pictures or mirrors, it is typically desirable to use two hanger devices. The width of the article is determined, and the hanger devices are installed approximately 6 inches inside the sides of the article to be hung. The article is then hung by supporting hanging wire over the knobs of both hanging devices. The hanging wire is typically screwed to the frame of the picture or mirror at approximately one-third of the distance from the top of the object to be hung. The height of the object may be raised or lowered by adjusting the knobs up or down as described above.

If the article is level, but requires an up or down adjustment of a distrance, both hanger devices may be adjusted by the desired distance. If the article is tilted by a distance, the hanger device on the lower end may be raised by a portion of the distance.

The article may also be hung with special wire hook hangers on the picture or mirror. In this example, the hanger devices are placed at widths corresponding to the placement of the hook hangers, and the article is hung by placing the hook hangers directly on the object. The article may be adjusted up or down by moving the knobs as described above.

FIG. 7A is an illustration of an article 50 such as a picture which is hung by wire 52 on the wall with a slight misalignment of position or tilt. FIG. 7B is an illustration of an article of FIG. 7A hung in a modified position by adjusting the position of the knobs on the hangers 100a and 100b.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart which describes the steps of hanging and adjusting an article on a wall. At step 500, one or two hanger devices are attached to a wall in an approximate location. At step 510, an article is hung on the hanger or hangers. At step 520, the position and orientation of the hung article is observed, such as by eye or with a level. At step 530, an estimate is made for the adjustment of the hanger(s). At step 540, the hanger(s) position is adjusted. At step 550, the article is hung on the hangers. At step 560, the position and orientation of the hung article is again observed. If necessary, the adjustment process of steps 530-560 is repeated.

These adjustable hanger devices are designed to permit the hanging of the objects without the hassle of having to measure the perfect height on each object. The hanger devices are simply installed on a wall at approximate desired locations so that the article may be hung on the hanger devices. Once the article is hung, the difference between the actual hanging height and the desired hanging height may be determined. Then, the support knob of the hangers may be simply adjusted to improve the position of the article one or both hang the object to the hook on the slide bolt, then adjust to the desired height.

Leveling the article is also easy when using a pair of hanging devices. A level may be used to determine the distance you need to adjust the hook. Placing a level on the article will show the user approximately how much to raise or lower the sliding knob.

Claims

1. An article hanger device for hanging the article on a wall, the device comprising

a housing comprising a slide channel, an inside surface which faces the wall when the device is installed on the wall, and an outside surface which faces the article when the device is installed on the wall;

a hanger support comprising a height-adjustable knob which may slide along the outside surface of the housing, and a shaft having a first end affixed to the knob, a middle section which may slide in the slide channel of the housing, and a second threaded end; and

a slider keeper such that the second threaded end of the shaft may be threaded into the slider keeper, thereby tightening the height-adjustable knob against the housing.

2. The hanger device of claim 1 wherein the housing further comprises

at least one pair of holes for attaching the housing to the wall with screws or nails.

3. The hanger device of claim 2 wherein

the pair of holes is provided at an angle of about 45 degrees with respect to the housing.

4. The hanger device of claim 2 wherein

a first pair of holes is provided at an angle of about 45 degrees with respect to the housing; and

a second pair of holes is provided.

5. The hanger device of claim 1 wherein the housing further comprises

a ruled index to facilitate fine adjustments of the height of the knob.

6. The hanger device of claim 1 wherein the housing further comprises

an upper projection on the inside surface; and

a lower projection on the inside surface, such that the upper projection and the lower projection are thicker than the slider keeper.

7. The hanger device of claim 1 wherein the slider keeper further comprises

a keeper housing, and

a nut embedded in the keeper housing.

8. The hanger device of claim 1 wherein

the housing and knob are metal.

9. The hanger device of claim 1 wherein

the housing and knob are plastic.

10. A method for hanging an article on a wall, the method comprising

providing a first and a second article hanger device for hanging the article on a wall, each device comprising a housing comprising a slide channel, an inside surface which faces the wall when the device is installed on the wall, and an outside surface which faces the article when the device is installed on the wall; a hanger support comprising a height-adjustable knob which may slide along the outside surface of the housing, and a shaft having a first end affixed to the knob, a middle section which may slide in the slide channel of the housing, and a second threaded end; and a slider keeper such that the second threaded end of the shaft may be threaded into the slider keeper, thereby tightening the height-adjustable knob against the housing;

attaching the first article hanger on the wall so that the height-adjustable knob is located approximately midway with respect to the slide channel;

attaching the second article hanger on the wall so that the height-adjustable knob is located approximately midway with respect to the slide channel; and

hanging the article on the first article hanger and the second article hanger.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising

observing the level and orientation of the article;

removing the article;

adjusting the vertical position of a height-adjustable knob for at least one of the first article hanger and second article hanger; and

hanging the article on the first article hanger and the second article hanger.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein hanging the article on the first article hanger and the second article hanger further comprises

attaching a support wire to the article; and

positioning a portion of the wire between the housing and knob of the first article hanger, and between the housing and knob of the second article hanger.