Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02502057 2005-03-21
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
BRACKET ASSEMBLY FOR SECURING MIRRORS TO WALLS
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. 5 and 6 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
2 0 elevation suitable for supporting the bottom edge of the mirror M. This
first
pair of holders H are thus oriented as shown in Fig. 5, 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
2 5 H are installed thereafter with screws S, 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.
- 1 -
CA 02502057 2005-03-21
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
l0 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 an arm for bearing against the
panel-like unit and holding the same against the vertical surface, said socket
and said connector including cooperating locking means, 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 means with said bracket concealing said anchor, the panel-like unit
being held sandwich-like between said arm and the vertical surface.
More specifically, said cooperating locking means 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
- 2 -
CA 02502057 2005-03-21
being locked to said anchor, whereby said anchor assembly can
accommodate panel-like units of various thicknesses.
Typically, said cooperating locking means 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 means.
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;
Fig. 5 is an exploded vertical cross-sectional view of a
2 o 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. 6 is a left side view of the conventional mirror holder of Fig.
5.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
2 5 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
- 3 -
CA 02502057 2005-03-21
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
l0 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
2 0 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
2 5 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,
30 so as to prevent the first thread section 22 from protruding passed the
- 4 -
CA 02502057 2005-03-21
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
1 o 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
2 o 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). The skirt 40 extends within
the
socket 36 while leaving a gap 42 between the skirt 40 and the walls defining
3 o the socket 36. A cavity 44 is defined within the skirt 40. The bracket has
an
- 5 -
CA 02502057 2005-03-21
elongated shape and the socket 36 is defined eccentrically in the bracket 10,
thereby forming a long bracket portion 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 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.
Therefore, to mount a mirror or the like to a wall, one first
engages the threaded stem 14 of the anchor 12 in the wall by using a
rotation-imparting tool engaged in the cruciform recess 32. With the flange 16
abutting the visible side of the wall and the threaded stem 14 extending into
the wall, the hexagonal extension 18 and the connector head 20 inwardly
protrude from the visible side of the wall. 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, and will also permit the mirror to bear on one of the six surfaces
of
2 o the hexagonal extension 18.
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
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
2 5 bracket 10 onto the anchor 12. This lodges the connector head 20 within
the
cavity 44. The knurled connector head 20 tightly engages the 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. The interaction
between the hexagonal extension 18 and the hexagonal socket 36 prevents
3o the bracket 10 from rotating relative to the anchor 12 and thus from
displacing
away from the mirror and possibly causing the mirror to fall off the wall.
- 6 -
CA 02502057 2005-03-21
The undersurface 38 of the bracket 10 bears against the mirror
along the arm 46 of the bracket 10. The thickness of the mirror substantially
corresponds to the distance between the undersurface 38 and the wall or
flange 16. As there are a series of knurls 28, 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 to the wall, with at two assemblies A being typically used
along
the bottom edge of the mirror (with the arm 46 of the bracket 10 extending
l0 upwardly), and with two further assemblies A being provided along a top
edge
of the mirror (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.
