Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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PEGBOARD ATTACHMENT ADAPTER
[00011 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to wall-mounted storage systems,
and in particular, to a pegboard attachment adapter for attaching articles to
a
pegboard.
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
[0003] Pegboards generally comprise a sheet of resin-bonded wood
chips or other synthetic composition. Multiple holes are formed therein, the
holes generally being of 3/16-inch diameter. Hooks and various clamps are
hung therein to support objects that can be mounted thereon. The hooks are
usually formed of 1/4 inch steel wire.
[0004] A common fault of this type installation is that the hooks are
generally not designed to support a variety of objects that a user may desire
to store on a pegboard, such as encased utility boxes, compartmentalized
drawers, compartmentalized utility boxes, various types of workshop
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lighting, and other items that are typically designed for mounting directly
onto walls, wall studs or other supports.
[0005] Thus, a pegboard attachment adapter solving the
aforementioned problems is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The pegboard attachment adapter has a base plate that may be
welded to elongate pegboard attachment members having hooked ends to
attach the adapter to a pegboard. Alternatively, the base plate and pegboard
attachment members may be of unitary construction. Multiple holes, which
may be threaded, are formed in the base plate. The base plate holes allow
for custom placement of an item on the base plate even though the base
plate may be in a fixed location on the pegboard.
[0007] The base plate holes allow for precise centering of an item. Base
plate spacers are provided and may have appropriately sized external threads
to fit the base plate threaded holes, or some other attachment mechanism
for securing the spacers to the base plate, e.g., a self-tapping screw, spring-
biased legs that spread out after insertion through the pegboard similar to a
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wall anchor, etc. A hollow shank extending upward from the externally
threaded portion of the base plate spacer is internally threaded. A screw
matching the spacer's internal threads is used to securely fasten an object to
the base plate via the spacer. In additional embodiments a fastener is either
slidably or non-slidably engaged in a single orifice within the base plate.
[0008] These and other features of the present invention will become
readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Fig. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a pegboard
attachment adapter according to the present invention.
[0010] Fig. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the pegboard
attachment adapter according to the present invention.
[00111 Fig. 3 is a rear, perspective view of the pegboard attachment
adapter according to the present invention.
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[0012] Fig. 4 is an environmental, perspective view of an alternative
embodiment of a pegboard attachment adapter according to the present
invention.
[0013] Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the pegboard
attachment adapter of Fig. 4.
[0014] Fig 6 is a rear, perspective view of the pegboard attachment
adapter of Figs. 4 and 5.
[0015] Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of another alternative
embodiment of a pegboard attachment adapter according to the present
invention.
[0016] Fig. 8 is an exploded, perspective view of another alternative
embodiment of a pegboard attachment adapter according to the present
invention.
[0017] Fig. 9 is a rear perspective view of the pegboard attachment
adapter of Fig. 8.
[0018] Fig. 10 is an environmental perspective view of the pegboard
attachment adapter of Fig. 8, shown attached to a pegboard.
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[0019] Similar reference characters denote corresponding features
consistently throughout the attached drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0020] Referring to Figs. 1 -3, the present invention relates to a
pegboard attachment adapter 5 having a base plate 15, which may vary in
size and shape depending on a particular design. Pegboard attachment
members 10 are fixed to the rear surface of the base plate 15. Alternatively,
the base plate 15 and pegboard attachment members 10 may be of unitary
construction, being molded or forged in one piece. The attachment
members 10 are elongated rods having an offset shank or hook at their
upper end that can be inserted through holes in the pegboard PB and raised
to bear against the rear surface of the pegboard PB, and an elbow at the
lower end that can be inserted into another hole in the pegboard PB to
prevent the attachment member 10 from moving laterally.
[00211 Multiple holes 20, which may be threaded, are formed in the
base plate 15. The holes 20 may be varied in spacing and diameter,
depending upon a particular design. The plurality of holes 20 in base plate
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15 allows for custom placement of an item on the base plate 15, even though
the base plate 15 is in a fixed location on pegboard PB. The holes 20 on the
base plate 15 allow for precise centering of an item, as centering becomes
important when the item is indirectly fastened to a pegboard PB through the
base plate 1 S.
[0022] The base plate holes 20 may be threaded, but they need not be
threaded, depending on the design of base plate spacers 25. For a base
plate 15 designed with holes 20 that are threaded (as shown in Fig. 2), base
plate spacers 25 have externally threaded posts 27 extending from one end
for engaging the base plate threaded holes 20. An annular flange around the
base of the spacer 25 prevents inserting the spacer 25 too far into the hole
20. Base plate spacer 25 functions as an anchor for attachment of objects to
base plate 15. In lieu of dual threaded base plate spacer 25 an appropriately
sized threaded or non threaded fastener may be utilized to anchor an object
to base plate 15.
[0023] Base plate spacer 25 has a hollow shank 29 extending
therefrom, the hollow shank 29 being internally threaded. A threaded
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fastener 35 having matching threads to the internally threaded bore 33
defined by shank 29 can be used to fasten an object to the base plate 15 to
provide a secure mounting of the object to the pegboard PB.
[0024] In use, the attachment members are hooked into the pegboard
PB to position base plate 15 at a desired location. One or more spacers 25
are inserted into the holes 20 defined in the base plate 15 by threading posts
27 into holes 20 in any desired location or pattern. Finally, screw(s) 35 is
extended through mounting holes in the item to be stored on the pegboard
PB and secured in threaded bore 33 defined in the shank 29 of spacer 25,
providing a convenient method of attaching items for which no conventional
pegboard hook is available to the pegboard. Moreover, the object may be
easily detached without leaving a hole or mess in the pegboard PB or wall
behind the pegboard PB, thereby obviating the necessity of covering or
patching the pegboard PB or substrate.
[0025] Thus, a simple fastener is capable of securing an item to the
base plate 15. An item may be fastened to the base plate 15 either with the
base plate 15 already mounted on pegboard PB, or the item may be secured
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to the base-plate 15 in an unmounted configuration and then the entire
assembly can be mounted to the pegboard by aligning ends of attachment
members 10 with holes in pegboard PB.
[0026] Fig. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of a pegboard
attachment adapter 45 can be mounted on the pegboard PB. A base plate
150 has an elongate slot 159a through which a fastener 502 may be
disposed and adjusted laterally by sliding within the perimeter of the slot
1 59a. The fastener 502 may then be secured by a lock washer 505 and a
large thin nut 510 as it is threaded through hollow, internally threaded bolt
receiver 500 (shown in Fig. 5). With the aforementioned configuration, it
should be clearly understood that the fastener 502 can securely hold an
object in place on the pegboard PB.
[0027] As most clearly shown in Figs 5-6, the base plate 150 is adapted
for attachment of a slider assembly. The slider assembly is comprised of a
sliding plate 522 retained on the base plate 1 50 by a rear retaining plate
520
and a front retaining plate 524, the flanged retaining plates 520, 524, being
fixedly attached to the base plate 150. Holes 582 on retaining plate 520 and
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through holes 526 and 527 on retaining plate 524 are provided for fastening
the two metal flange plates together in alignment with base plate pins 22,
the metal slide plate 522 being slidably disposed between the retaining
plates 520 and 524.
[0028) Slider plate 522 has a central aperture 592 through which hollow
bolt receiver 500 is disposed. Bolt receiver comprises a stud or shank 501
extending from the center of a disk, the shank being internally threaded.
The internally threaded bolt receiver 500 has protrusions 563 on the disk
that fit in complementary dimples 565 disposed on the slider plate 522 to
keep the bolt receiver 500 from being rotated when bolt 502 is threaded into
the bolt receiver 500.
[0029] The internally threaded shank 501 of the bolt receiver 500 may
also be externally threaded to accommodate optionally internally threaded
slider aperture 592. When the bolt receiver 500 is disposed through the
slider plate 522 and elongate slot 599 of front retaining plate 524, plates
520 and 524 are secured to the base plate 150 via threaded fasteners S
extending through holes 580 and 525, and then engaging threaded bores
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66. Additionally, plate 524 has alignment holes 527 that receive alignment
pins 23 on base 1 50.
[0030] A plurality of elbow attachment members 100 extend from an
upper rear portion of base plate 150. A plurality of cylindrical attachment
members 105 extends from a lower rear portion of base plate 150.
[00311 As shown in Fig. 7, in yet another non-sliding embodiment, front
retaining plate 724 has a central aperture 799 through which bolt receiver
500 may be disposed. The base plate 750 has a base plate central aperture
1 59b that is aligned with bore 799 of plate 724 to accept the bolt receiver
500.
[0032] As shown in Fig. 8, yet another embodiment of a pegboard
attachment adapter, designated as 85, has a substantially unitary slider plate
8500 including a threaded stud 8501 that extends therefrom, the slider plate
8500 fitting inside a U shaped channel defined in elongate base plate. 8750
and the stud 8501 being slidable within the extent of an elongate slot 8159
defined in the base plate 8750.
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[0033] The rear portion of the slider plate 8500 has sidewalls 8502 that
extend perpendicularly away from the central planar portion of the slider
plate 8500. When the adapter 85 is attached to pegboard PB, the slider plate
sidewalls 8502 constrain movement of the slider plate 8500 along the axis of
the stud 8501.
[0034] As shown in Fig. 9, a plurality of L-shaped tabs 8100 (in the
example shown there are three such members) extend upward from the
upper elongate edge of the base plate 8750. Two attachment tabs 8105
extend outward from opposing end portions of the lower elongate edge of
base plate 8750.
[0035] As shown in Fig. 10, the interval space between the L-shaped
tabs 8100 is dimensioned so that they align properly with holes 6 of
pegboard PB. Similarly, the interval space between the outward extending
attachment tabs 8105 is dimensioned so that the tabs align properly with
holes 6 of pegboard PB.
[0036] As most clearly shown in Fig. 10 the upper L shaped tabs 8100
hook behind the pegboard holes 6 to keep the adapter base plate 8750 from
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pivoting away from the pegboard PB. The lower outwardly extending
attachment tabs 8105 fit in a lower set of pegboard holes 6 to constrain
lateral movement of the base plate 8750 while it is attached to the pegboard
PB. As shown in Figs 8 and 10, the slider plate 8500 can be adjusted within
aperture 8159 by aligning the shank 8501 with index markings 8900 on
front of the base plate 8750. The slider 85 is then secured in position by
placement of washer 505 on shank 8501 and tightly threading nut 510 onto
shank 8501. An L shaped tongue 8762 that extends from base plate 8750
further stabilizes attachment of base plate 8750 to pegboard PB by providing
more contact surface area with the pegboard PB.
[0037] It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to
the embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all
embodiments within the scope of the following claims.
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