IP Library Granted Patent US 12,161,240
Granted Patent B2
US 12,161,240 · App. 17/553,042 · Granted Dec 10, 2024

Apparatus for suspending objects on a wall

Inventors: Dale G. Malott (Chandler, AZ); Gaith Alawwad (Mesa, AZ)
Assignee: THE HILLMAN GROUP, INC.
A47G1/1606
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,161,240
App. No.
17/553,042
Granted
Dec 10, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus for supporting an object on a wall includes a wall member including a rear side defining a wall mount plane to be held against a wall surface and a recess defined at least in part by a front wall portion. A frame member includes a frame mount section and an arm extending downward from the frame mount section for positioning down into the recess of the wall member for support. The front wall portion and the arm are configured such that an interaction of the arm and a rear surface of the front wall portion during a downward movement of the arm into the recess, while the frame mount section is spaced away from the wall surface, will cause at least one of the front wall portion or the arm to move.

Claims (36)

1. An apparatus for supporting an object on a wall, comprising:

a wall member including a rear side defining a wall mount plane to be held against a wall surface and a recess defined at least in part by a front wall portion that extends upwardly and forwardly from a support, wherein the recess includes an open top section;

a frame member including a frame mount section for engaging a frame, and an arm extending downward from the frame mount section for positioning down into the recess of the wall member such that the frame member will be supported by the wall member;

wherein the front wall portion and the arm are configured such that an interaction of the arm and a rear surface of the front wall portion during a downward movement of the arm into the recess while the frame mount section is spaced away from the wall surface will cause at least one of the front wall portion or the arm to flex in order to enable a bottom end of the arm to continue downward toward a seated position;

wherein the arm extends downwardly and forwardly away from a wall facing rear surface of the frame mount section, along a majority of a height of the arm, when moving downwardly along the arm from the frame mount section.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the front wall portion remains fixed as the arm member flexes in order to enable the bottom end of the arm to reach the seated position.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the support is a support ledge, and wherein, in the seated position, the bottom end of the arm sits atop the support ledge.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the arm includes a curvature along the majority of the height of the arm.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the arm includes a forward curvature, along an upper portion of the height of the arm, when extending downward from the frame mount section.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a bottom section of the arm includes a rearward curvature.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the rearward curvature of the bottom section presents a convex forward facing surface that facilitates sliding against the rear surface of the front wall portion.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the arm includes side edges, where a top of the arm joins the frame mount section, the side edges extend upwardly away from the bottom end of the arm and then curve outwardly, forming curved segments, to join the frame mount section.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the recess includes end plates that prevent the arm from sliding laterally out of the recess.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the front wall portion is an upper front wall portion of the wall member, and the wall member further includes a lower front wall portion and an intermediate front wall portion, wherein the lower front wall portion runs substantially parallel to the wall mount plane, wherein the intermediate front wall portion extends upwardly and forwardly from the lower front wall portion.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the arm flexes rearwardly toward the wall mount plane as the bottom end of the arm moves downward toward the seated position.

12. An apparatus for supporting an object on a wall, comprising:

a wall member including a rear side defining a wall mount plane to be held against a wall surface and a recess defined at least in part by a front wall portion that extends upwardly and forwardly from a support, wherein the recess includes an open top section;

a frame member including a frame mount section for engaging a frame, and an arm extending downward from the frame mount section for positioning down into the recess of the wall member such that the frame member will be supported by the wall member;

wherein the front wall portion and the arm are configured such that an interaction of the arm and a rear surface of the front wall portion during a downward movement of the arm into the recess while the frame mount section is spaced away from the wall surface will cause at least one of the front wall portion or the arm to flex in order to enable a bottom end of the arm to continue downward toward a seated position;

wherein the front wall portion is an upper front wall portion of the wall member, and the wall member further includes a lower front wall portion and an intermediate front wall portion, wherein the lower front wall portion runs substantially parallel to the wall mount plane, wherein the intermediate front wall portion extends upwardly and forwardly from the lower front wall portion;

wherein the upper front wall portion is offset from the wall mount plane by a first angle, the intermediate front wall portion is offset from the wall mount plane by a second angle, and the first angle is greater than the second angle;

a plurality of aperture projections located along a front side of the wall member, each aperture projection including a mount aperture therethrough;

wherein each aperture projection is formed as a buttress projection that includes a portion on a front surface of the upper front wall portion and a portion on a front surface of the intermediate front wall portion.

13. An apparatus for supporting an object on a wall, comprising:

a wall member including a rear side defining a wall mount plane to be held against a wall surface and a recess defined at least in part by a front wall portion that extends upwardly and forwardly, wherein the recess includes an open top section;

a frame member including a frame mount section for engaging a frame, and an arm extending downward from the frame mount section for positioning down into the recess of the wall member such that the frame member will be supported by the wall member;

wherein the front wall portion and the arm are configured such that an interaction of the arm and a rear surface of the front wall portion during a downward movement of the arm into the recess while the frame mount section is spaced away from the wall surface will cause at least one of the front wall portion or the arm to move in order to enable a bottom end of the arm to continue downward toward a stop position;

wherein the front wall portion extends forwardly, away from the rear wall mount plane, when moving upward along the front wall portion;

wherein the arm extends forwardly, away from the wall mount plane, when moving downwardly along the arm, as the arm moves into the recess.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the arm flexes in order to enable the bottom end of the arm to continue downward toward the stop position.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein a material of the arm bends to achieve flex of the arm.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein at least one spring member is provided to allow the arm to move relative to the front wall portion.

17. An apparatus for supporting an object on a wall, comprising:

a wall member including a rear side defining a wall mount plane to be held against a wall surface and a recess defined at least in part by a front wall portion that extends upwardly and forwardly, wherein the recess includes an open top section;

a frame member including a frame mount section for engaging a frame, and an arm extending downward from the frame mount section for positioning down into the recess of the wall member such that the frame member will be supported by the wall member;

wherein the recess includes end plates that prevent the arm from sliding laterally along a width of the wall member and out of the recess.

Assignments (3)
TERM PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT SUPPLEMENT Recorded Aug 23, 2022
From: THE HILLMAN GROUP, INC.
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 061303/0529 →
ABL PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT SUPPLEMENT Recorded Aug 15, 2022
From: THE HILLMAN GROUP, INC.
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 061176/0829 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2021
From: MALOTT, DALE G.; ALAWWAD, GAITH
To: THE HILLMAN GROUP, INC.
Reel/Frame 058409/0594 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63134619 · Jan 7, 2021
Related Publication 20220211194A1 · Jul 7, 2022