WO2006099734A1

WO2006099734A1 - Bracket assembly for securing mirrors to walls

Info

Publication number: WO2006099734A1
Application number: PCT/CA2006/000429
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pierre Mcduff; Alexandre A. Pollak; Lang Nguyen; André Bouchard
Original assignee: Cobra Fixations Cie Ltee - Cobra Anchors Co. Ltd.
Priority date: 2005-03-21
Filing date: 2006-03-21
Publication date: 2006-09-28

Abstract

A bracket assembly for mounting mirrors to walls comprises a bracket and an anchor. The anchor includes a threaded stem for securing the anchor to the wall and a connector adapted to protrude outwardly of the wall when the anchor is mounted to the wall. The bracket includes a socket adapted to receive the connector and an arm for bearing against the mirror and holding the same against the wall. The socket and the connector include cooperating locking elements. Once the anchor has been installed to the wall via the threaded stem, the socket is engaged over the connector so as to secure the bracket to the anchor via the locking elements with the bracket concealing the anchor. The mirror is held between the arm and the wall. The connector defines knurls that engage a knurled skirt in the socket thereby providing a plurality of locking positions along an axis of the anchor, whereby a distance between the arm and the wall can be varied to accommodate mirrors of various thicknesses. The locking elements are also adapted to prevent the bracket from rotating relative to the anchor about the axis thereof.

Description

TITLE OF THE INVENTION

BRACKET ASSEMBLY FOR SECURING MIRRORS TO WALLS

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims priority on Canadian Patent Application No. 2,502,057 filed on March 21 , 2005 and on U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/685,500 filed on May 31 , 2005, which are herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to wall anchors and, more particularly, to a bracket for mounting mirrors and the like to walls.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Decorative brackets for securing mirrors against flat vertical surfaces, such as walls, are known. For instance, Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate a conventional mirror holder H that is L-shaped and includes a thick first section 100 and a thinner second section 102, which are integrally joined together. A hole 104 having a countersunk end 106 is defined through the first section 100 and is adapted to receive a screw S that is longer than the hole 104. The holder H defines a shoulder 108 at a junction of the first and second sections 100 and 102, which provides a load-bearing surface having a width 110 that corresponds to the thickness 112 of a mirror M intended to be held by the holder H against a wall W.

Therefore, to hold the mirror M against the wall W, one typically uses four holders H. More particularly, a first pair of holders H are secured first to the wall W, in a spaced apart manner, using two screws S at an elevation suitable for supporting the bottom edge of the mirror M. This first pair of holders H are thus oriented as shown in Fig. 6, that is with the thinner sections 102 thereof extending upwards, so as to support the mirror M at a bottom edge thereof. The bottom edge of the mirror M thus rests upon the shoulders 108 of the two holders H of this first pair. A second pair of holders H are installed thereafter with screws S₁ also in a spaced apart manner and with the thinner sections 102 thereof extending downwards, so as to hold the top edge of the mirror M against the wall W.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide an improved bracket assembly adapted to hold a panel-shaped unit, such as a mirror, against a vertical surface, such as a wall.

It is also an aim of the present invention to provide an improved bracket assembly adapted to hold a panel-shaped unit, such as a mirror, against a vertical surface, such as a wall, and while concealing a fastener of the bracket assembly.

It is a further aim of the present invention to provide an improved bracket assembly adapted to hold a panel-shaped unit, such as a mirror, against a vertical surface, such as a wall, and while being able to accommodate such units and mirrors of various thicknesses.

Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a bracket assembly for mounting panel-like units such as mirrors to vertical surfaces such as walls, comprising a bracket and an anchor, said anchor including an anchor member for securing said anchor to the vertical surface and a connector adapted to protrude outwardly of the vertical surface when said anchor is mounted to the vertical surface, said bracket including a socket adapted to receive said connector and a support for bearing against the panel-like unit and holding the same against the vertical surface, said socket and said connector including cooperating locking members, wherein after said anchor has been installed to the vertical surface via said anchor member thereof, said socket of said bracket is engaged over said connector of said anchor so as to secure said bracket to said anchor via said cooperating locking members with said bracket substantially concealing said anchor, the panel-like unit being held sandwich-like between said support and the vertical surface.

More specifically, said cooperating locking members define a plurality of locking positions along an axis of said anchor, such that a distance between said arm and the vertical surface can be varied with said bracket being locked to said anchor, whereby said anchor assembly can accommodate panel-like units of various thicknesses.

Typically, said cooperating locking members comprise means for substantially preventing said bracket from rotating relative to said anchor about an axis of said anchor when said bracket is engaged to said anchor via said locking members.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration a preferred embodiment thereof, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view of an anchor assembly in accordance with the present invention, shown in an installed position although a mirror being held thereby and a wall to which the bracket assembly is anchored are not herein shown;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the anchor assembly of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 is a right side view of a bracket of the bracket assembly of Fig. 1 , that is without an anchor thereof;

Fig. 4 is a left side view of the bracket assembly of Fig. 1 ;

Figs. 5a to 5e are successive partly cross-sectional schematic side views showing the installation of the bracket assembly of Figs. 1 to 4 to a wall; Fig. 6 is an exploded vertical cross-sectional view of a conventional mirror holder, wherein a mirror about to be held thereby and a wall to which the holder is mounted are also shown; and

Fig. 7 is a left side view of the conventional mirror holder of Fig. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Figs. 1 to 4 illustrate a bracket assembly A in accordance with the present invention, which includes a bracket 10 and an anchor 12. The bracket assembly A is adapted to secure a panel-like unit, such as a mirror, to a vertical surface, typically a wall.

The anchor 12 comprises a threaded stem 14, a flange 16, a hexagonal extension 18 and a connector head 20. The threaded stem 14, which is adapted to engage the wall to which the mirror is to be mounted, defines in the embodiment illustrated herein a pair of different threads and, more particularly, a first thread section 22 and a second thread section 24. Both the first and second thread sections 22 and 24 have substantially the same pitch in order to maintain constant the rate of advancement of the anchor 12, per rotation thereof, in the wall material even when both thread sections 22 and 24 are engaged therein.

The first and second thread sections 22 and 24 are of different configuration as follows. The first thread section 22 is large and thus well suited for securing the anchor 12 in a friable material, such as gypsum walls. The second thread section 24 and a pointed tip 26 thereof are capable of cutting a hole through the gypsum wall, with the first thread section 22 then compacting the gypsum material and firmly securing the anchor 12 to the gypsum wall. The second thread section 24 is also adapted to engage a harder material such as wood. As the threaded stem 14 is generally longer than the thickness of the wall, a distal, i.e. leading, portion of the threaded stem 14 protrudes from the gypsum board, inside the wall. If the anchor 12 is engaged in the gypsum wall opposite a stud thereof, such as a wooden structural 2" x 4" boards, the second thread section 24 will be capable, once it exits from the friable wall, of penetrating the stud without substantially altering the rate of translational advancement of the anchor 12 thereby preventing the threaded stem 14 from destroying the female thread formed thereby in the gypsum, and thus the anchor from becoming loose. Generally, the length of the first thread section 22 should be limited to the smallest thickness of gypsum panel that could be encountered, so as to prevent the first thread section 22 from protruding passed the gypsum panel and possibly becoming arrested by a wooden structural member.

The flange 16, provided at a proximal, i.e. trailing, end of the threaded stem 14, inhibits the anchor from over-penetrating the wall. The hexagonal extension 18, which is mounted to the flange 16, is provided for engaging the bracket 10 and prevent the same from rotating relative to the anchor 12 and thus to the wall once the bracket 10 has been engaged to the anchor 12.

The connector head 20, which is in the form of a short cylinder mounted to the hexagonal extension 18, includes on an outer surface thereof a series of parallel and consecutive knurls 28. The connector head 20 is of smaller transversal dimensions than the hexagonal extension 18. The connector head 20 also defines, at a free end 30 thereof, a cruciform recess 32 that is adapted to be engaged by a Phillips-type screwdriver or screwdriver bit. It is understood that other types of recesses engageable by suitable screwdriver bits could also be used.

The connector head 20 has two functions. First, when it is rotatably driven at its recess 32 by a screwdriver or other, it imparts rotation to the anchor 12 thereby engaging the same in the wall. Second, the knurls 28 are adapted to engage the bracket 10 so that, once the anchor 12 has been secured to the wall, the bracket 10 can be secured to the anchor 12 and hold the mirror in position against the wall. Now turning to the bracket 10, it includes a decorative visible surface 34. The bracket 10 also defines a socket 36 in an under surface (i.e. hidden surface) 38 thereof. The socket 36 has generally a hexagonal shape, although somewhat irregular, as seen in Fig. 3. The socket 36 further comprises a skirt 40 that is made of four arcuate walls arranged in a substantially circular configuration (see Fig. 3) and defining knurls 48 on their inner surfaces. The skirt 40 extends within the socket 36 while leaving a gap 42 between the skirt 40 and the walls defining the socket 36. A cavity 44 is defined within the skirt 40. The bracket has an elongated shape and the socket 36 is defined eccentrically in the bracket 10, thereby forming an elongated support or arm 46 that is adapted to bear against the mirror.

The connector head 20 is adapted to slide closely within the skirt 40 and into the cavity 44. In doing so, the knurls 28 are adapted to engage the knurls 48 defined in the inner surfaces of the skirt 40 in a tight snap fit, thereby securing the bracket 10 and the anchor 12 together. Furthermore, the hexagonal extension 18 is adapted to slide closely within the socket 36 and thereby prevent a relative rotation between the bracket 10 and the anchor 12.

Now referring to Figs. 5a to 5e, to mount a mirror M or the like to a wall W, one first engages the threaded stem 14 of the anchor 12 in the wall

W by using a rotation-imparting tool, such as screwdriver bit B, engaged in the cruciform recess 32 (see Figs. 5a to 5c). With the flange 16 abutting the visible side of the wall W and the threaded stem 14 extending into the wall W, the hexagonal extension 18 and the connector head 20 inwardly protrude from the visible side of the wall W. Generally, rotation of the anchor 12 is adjusted so that two of the six outside surfaces of the hexagonal extension 18 are substantially parallel to the ground, as this will permit the bracket 10 to be mounted to the anchor 12 in an upright position and to then bear against the mirror M, and will also permit the mirror M to bear on one of the six surfaces of the hexagonal extension 18 (see Fig. 5d). As seen in Figs. 5d and 5e, the bracket 10 can then be mounted to the anchor 12 by positioning the skirt 40 of the bracket 10 around the knurled connector head 20 of the anchor 12, and the socket 36 of the bracket 10 around the hexagonal extension 18 of the anchor 12, and by then firmly pushing the bracket 10 onto the anchor 12. This lodges the connector head 20 within the cavity 44. The knurled connector head 20 tightly engages the knurled skirt 40 which is allowed to resiliently deflect slightly outwardly into the gap 42, thereby resulting in the bracket 10 becoming secured to the anchor 12. The interaction between the hexagonal extension 18 and the hexagonal socket 36 prevents the bracket 10 from rotating relative to the anchor 12 and thus from displacing away from the mirror M and possibly causing the mirror M to fall off the wall W.

The undersurface, or rear surface, 38 of the bracket 10 bears against the mirror M along the arm 46 of the bracket 10. The thickness of the mirror M substantially corresponds to the distance between the undersurface 38 and the wall or flange 16. As there are a series of knurls 28 and 48, the present bracket assembly A can accommodate mirrors of different thicknesses (as the bracket 10 can be more or less pushed over the hexagonal extension 18 of the anchor 12).

An appropriate number of bracket assemblies A will be used to hold the mirror M to the wall W, with at two assemblies A being typically used along the bottom edge of the mirror M (with the arm 46 of the bracket 10 extending upwardly), and with two further assemblies A being provided along a top edge of the mirror M (with the arm 46 of the bracket 10 extending downwardly).

Although the present invention has been described hereinabove by way of specific embodiments thereof, it can be modified, without departing from the spirit and nature of the subject invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A bracket assembly for mounting panel-like units such as mirrors to vertical surfaces such as walls, comprising a bracket and an anchor, said anchor including an anchor member for securing said anchor to the vertical surface and a connector adapted to protrude outwardly of the vertical surface when said anchor is mounted to the vertical surface, said bracket including a socket adapted to receive said connector and a support for bearing against the panel-like unit and holding the same against the vertical surface, said socket and said connector including cooperating locking members, wherein after said anchor has been installed to the vertical surface via said anchor member thereof, said socket of said bracket is engaged over said connector of said anchor so as to secure said bracket to said anchor via said cooperating locking members with said bracket substantially concealing said anchor, the panel-like unit being held sandwich-like between said support and the vertical surface.

2. A bracket assembly as defined in Claim 1 , wherein said cooperating locking members define a plurality of locking positions along an axis of said anchor, such that a distance between said support and the vertical surface can be varied with said bracket being locked to said anchor, whereby said anchor assembly can accommodate panel-like units of various thicknesses.

3. A bracket assembly as defined in Claims 1 and 2, wherein said cooperating locking members comprise means for substantially preventing said bracket from rotating relative to said anchor about an axis of said anchor when said bracket is engaged to said anchor via said locking members.

4. A bracket assembly as defined in Claims 1 to 3, wherein said connector comprises, proximally of said anchor member, a non-circular extension, said socket at least distally including a chamber having a shape such that when said extension is therein, said bracket substantially cannot rotate relative to said anchor.

5. A bracket assembly as defined in Claims 1 to 4, wherein said connector comprises, proximally of said extension, a connector head, a retention skirt being provided, proximally of said chamber, in said socket, said cooperating locking members including said connector head and said skirt for securing said bracket to said anchor.

6. A bracket assembly as defined in Claims 1 to 5, wherein said connector head defines in a free proximal end thereof a recess adapted to be engaged by a rotary tool for installing said anchor in the vertical surface.

7. A bracket assembly as defined in Claim 4, wherein said extension and said chamber have substantially hexagonal shapes.

8. A bracket assembly as defined in Claim 5, wherein at least one of an inner surface of said skirt and an outer surface of said connector head defines a series of parallel knurls for securing said skirt to said connector head when said connector head is forceably inserted in said skirt.

9. A bracket assembly as defined in Claim 8, wherein said knurls are provided in cooperating relationship on both said inner surface of said skirt and said outer surface of said connector head.

10. A bracket assembly as defined in Claims 8 and 9, wherein said skirt includes a number of spaced arcuate skirt sections, with a gap being defined around said skirt in said socket, for allowing said skirt to deflect outwardly when said connector head in inserted in said skirt, with said skirt being biased inwardly into engagement with said connector head.

11. A bracket assembly as defined in Claims 1 to 10, wherein said anchor member includes a threaded stem.

12. A bracket assembly as defined in Claim 11 , wherein said threaded stem includes proximal and distal consecutive threads, said proximal thread being adapted for vertical surfaces made of friable material, said distal thread being adapted to extend distally beyond the vertical surface and to engage wood structures located behind the vertical surface.

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