Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
BUTTON HOOK PAD HANGER
PRIORITY CLAIM
[0001] This patent application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. Patent
Application
Serial No. 15/358,108, entitled ELEVATOR COVER ASSEMBLY, filed on
November 21, 2016, which is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. Patent Application
Serial No.
13/790,959 (now U.S. Patent No. 9,499,930), entitled ELEVATOR COVER ASSEMBLY,
filed on March 8, 2013. This application is also a Continuation-In-Part of
U.S. Patent
Application No. 14/964,447, entitled ELEVATOR PAD HANGING APPARATUS AND
METHOD, filed on December 9, 2015, which is a Divisional of U.S. Patent
Application No.
13/801,642, entitled ELEVATOR PAD HANGING APPARATUS AND METHOD, filed
March 13, 2013.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002]
The invention relates generally to hangers for cover assemblies to protect
a surface and, more particularly, yet not exclusively, to hangers in elevators
for cover
assemblies to protect interior walls of the elevators.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-17
BACKGROUND
[0003] Elevator pads are commonly used in elevators to protect the
interior
surfaces from scratching or other damage. The elevator pads can be attached to
the interior
walls of the elevator when a large or potentially damaging cargo is to be
carried by the
elevator, such as when a tenant in an apartment building moves in or out.
Conventionally,
these elevator pads are clipped to the walls of the elevator or otherwise
attached by a metal
hanger or by another type of hardware. The pads may include holes in the pad
itself, with the
holes being arranged at certain intervals along a top edge of the pad to
attach to a peg or post
in the elevator.
[0004] This arrangement has significant disadvantages. For example,
the spacing
of the holes may not match the spacing of the pegs in a given elevator
installation. Making
additional holes or other modifications to a pad can be a costly process and
may compromise
the strength of the pad. Making adjustments to the pegs in the elevator can be
even more
costly and difficult. Thus, it is with regard to these considerations and
others that the present
invention has been made.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present
innovations
are described with reference to the following drawings. In the drawings, like
reference
numerals refer to like parts throughout the various figures unless otherwise
specified. For a
better understanding of the described innovations, reference will be made to
the following
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Detailed Description of the Various Embodiments, which is to be read in
association with the
accompanying drawings, wherein:
[00061 Figure 1 illustrates a schematic isometric depiction of an
example
elevator cover assembly having a cover, a trim, and knobs;
[0007] Figure 2 shows a front view of the cover and trim of Figure 1
with one of
the knobs of Figure 1;
[0008] Figure 3 illustrates a schematic, isometric, exploded view of
the cover,
trim, and knob of Figure 2;
[0009] Figure 4 shows various example implementations of the knobs
of
Figure 1;
[0010] Figure 5A illustrates a side, exploded view of another
example
implementation of a cover and one of the knobs of Figure 1;
[0011] Figure 5B shows a side, non-exploded view of the cover and
knob of
Figure 5A;
[0012] Figure 6A illustrates a side, exploded view of a portion of
the knob of
Figure 5A;
[0013] Figure 6B shows a side, non-exploded view of the portion of
the knob of
Figure 6A;
[0014] Figure 7 illustrates an isometric view of the cover and knobs
of Figure 5B
in an example elevator;
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[0015] Figure 8A shows a front view of another example implementation
of one
of the knobs of Figure 1;
[0016] Figure 8B illustrates a side view of an example cover and the
knob of
Figure 8A;
[0017] Figure 9 shows a side view of an example implementation of the
knob of
Figure 5B;
[0018] Figure 10 illustrates a side view of another example
implementation of the
knob of Figure 5B; and
[0019] Figure 11 shows a front view of an example implementation of
the knob
of Figure 5B.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS
[0020] Figure 1 illustrates a schematic isometric depiction of an
elevator cover
assembly 100 having a cover 110 and a trim 120. The cover 110 is a sheet of
material with
sufficient resiliency and padding to protect a surface, such as an interior
surface of an
elevator. The embodiments of the invention disclosed herein may be
specifically tailored to
protect interior elevator walls. The cover 110 may include flexible fabric
with padding sewn
into the interior. The cover 110 can include rigid panels joined together with
flexible fabric
sections. The cover 110 is generally flexible enough to fit through the
elevator door. The trim
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120 is a strip of material positioned at an edge of the cover 110. The trim
120 may be
attached to the cover 110 by stitching or other suitable attachment means. The
trim 120 has a
plurality of openings 122 formed in the trim 120. In some embodiments, the
trim 120 is made
of a flexible material, such as a woven synthetic material like nylon, that is
attached to the
edge of the cover 110 with a portion of the trim 120 extending beyond the edge
of the cover
110.
[0021] The trim 120 may be formed as a separate piece from the cover
110 and
may be later attached to the cover 110. The trim 120 can be made in large
quantities separate
from the cover and can be cut to any length to fit any size of cover. The
openings 122 can
easily be formed in the trim 120 before the trim 120 is attached to the cover
110. In some
embodiments, the openings 122 are slits formed by passing a heated blade
through the trim
120 at desired intervals. The heated blade may also melt-fuse the cut
synthetic material ends
to bond them together such that they are unlikely to fray or tear. The
openings 122 can also
be holes, key-hole openings (for example, combination slit and hole), crescent
shape
openings, or the like. In other embodiments, the trim 120 can be initially
formed to include
the openings, such as by including a lower scalloped or jagged edge that will
engage a knob
to keep the cover in place.
[0022] The apparatus and methods of production of the present
invention may
provide economic benefits compared to conventional methods, such as cutting
and sewing
buttonholes in the cover itself. In some embodiments, the trim 120 can be
passed under a
wheel having appropriately shaped blades at desired intervals such that the
openings 122 are
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formed by simply moving a trim web under the blade wheel. As mentioned above,
the blades
can be heated to fuse the edges of the openings in the synthetic material that
forms the trim to
prevent fraying or tearing. In other embodiments, the openings 122 can be
formed using a
radio frequency weld, which may also be very cost-effective compared to
conventional
techniques.
[0023] The flexible nature of the trim 120 may allow the trim 120 to
be deformed
to spread the openings 122 to insert a knob 130 into the slits. The spacing of
the openings
122 may correspond to the spacing of the knobs 130 for hanging. For example,
the knobs 130
can be positioned in the interior of an elevator near the top of the elevator
walls. In some
embodiments, the trim material is chosen such that it can withstand openings
122 separated
by very short intervals, such as approximately one inch between openings 122.
Likely, this
spacing is more frequent than the knobs 130 will be, but the high frequency
may make the
assembly able to fit a variety of knob configurations.
[0024] In some embodiments, the trim 120 is oriented generally
horizontally and
is positioned at a top of the cover 110. In other embodiments, the trim 120
can be positioned
vertically along a side edge of the cover 110. The cover assembly 100 can have
multiple
trims 120 along multiple edges of the cover 110. For example, the cover 110
can have a trim
120 at the right and left-hand side of the cover 110 to engage with knobs 130
aligned
vertically at a deployment site, or the cover 110 can have a trim 120 at all
four edges of the
cover 110. In still further embodiments, the trim 120 is positioned at an
interior position on
the cover 110 to provide still further engagement points.
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[00251 The number, spacing, and layout of the knobs 130 can vary as
needed. For
example, for embodiments in which the cover assembly 100 is to be used with
very heavy-
duty equipment, where the cover 110 itself is relatively heavy, the trim 120
and
corresponding knobs 130 can be more numerous and placed closer together. In
other
circumstances in which the cover 110 is relatively light, the openings 122 and
corresponding
knobs 130 can be spaced further apart. The size of the individual openings 122
can also vary
according to expected load. Another variable that may influence the size of
the openings 122
is the aesthetic placement of the knobs 130 in the elevator or other location.
For example, the
openings 122 and knobs 130 may be aligned linearly at approximately the same
level such
that the load of the cover 100 when resting on the knobs 130 is distributed
evenly on the
openings 122. The openings 122 and knobs 130, however, may not always be
aligned in a
linear array, perhaps for functional or aesthetic reasons. The pattern of the
openings 122 can
match the pattern of the knobs 130. With enough openings 122 in the trim 120,
the alignment
to various knobs 130 that may not have the exact spacing of the openings 122
can still be
accommodated.
[0026] Figure 2 shows a front view of the cover 110 and the trim 120
with a
single knob 130 coupled to the trim 120. As shown in Figure 2, the cover 110
has a
herringbone stitching pattern 212 that may improve padding capabilities. The
trim 120 may
be a separate piece of material from the cover 110 that is then stitched to
the cover 110 with
two linear stitches 226. The trim 120 has a first side 224a, an upper edge 225
of the trim 120,
and a second side 224b (on reverse side of trim 120; not visible in Figure 2)
opposite the first
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side 224a. The trim 120 includes multiple openings 122 spaced throughout the
trim 120. The
openings 122 can be made using a heated blade that melts the edges of the
openings 122 to
prevent fraying. In other examples, the openings 122 can be cut or otherwise
formed in the
trim 120 and then heated later to seal the edges against fraying. When the
trim 120 is a
separate piece of material, the trim 120 can be made of a different material
than the cover
110, which may not withstand so many openings 122 at such small intervals
without
expensive reinforcement and or expensive cuts to make the openings 122. A
conventional
elevator pad is designed to withstand impacts but not necessarily to support
its own weight
when perforated by several slits at small intervals. This drawback may be
avoided by the
assembly 100.
[0027] A knob
130 is shown protruding through one of the openings 122. The
trim 120 may have more openings 122 than the expected number of knobs 130 to
provide
compatibility with a number of different knob layouts. The material of the
trim 120 and the
cover 110 can be such that having extra openings 122 does not substantially
weaken the
cover assembly 100 and may reduce the cost of manufacture by obviating the
need to match
certain opening configurations with various knob configurations. A building
proprietor or
service contractor, therefore, need not know the exact layout of the knobs in
the elevator and
potentially select a cover that does not fit the knobs. The high number and
small interval of
the openings 122 provides a one-size-fits-all approach that may reduce costs
of manufacture
and ownership.
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[0028] Figure 3 illustrates a schematic, isometric, exploded view of
the cover
110, trim, 120 and knob 130 of Figure 2. An edge 314 of the cover 110 can be
the top,
bottom, or side edge 314 of the cover 110. The edge 225 of the trim 120 can be
formed by a
fold between the first side 224a and the second side 224b of the trim 120. As
illustrated in
Figure 3, the first side 224a has a first trim edge 332a, and the second side
224b has a second
trim edge 332b. The first trim edge 232a, cover edge 114, and second trim edge
332b are
stitched together to join the trim 120 to the cover 110. The trim 120,
therefore, extends
beyond the cover edge 314 by a certain distance. The assembly also includes
openings 122
formed in this portion of the trim 120 for coupling with the knob 130 via the
openings 122 as
shown by arrow A. The openings 122 can pass through one side of the folded
trim 120 or
through both sides of the folded trim 120. In some embodiments, the openings
122 do not
pass through the cover 110. The amount of trim 120 protruding beyond the cover
edge 314
depends on the size and layout of the openings 122. In other embodiments, the
cover edge
314 can extend all the way to the fold 225, and the openings 122 can be formed
in the trim
120 as well as through the cover 110. In still further embodiments, the trim
120 can be a
single sheet of material stitched to the cover 110 on one side, having no fold
225, and having
openings 122 that engage the knobs 130. The trim 120 can be a long, continuous
strip of
material as shown in Figures 1-3, or it can be smaller, discrete fabric
sections having
openings 122 configured to engage knobs 130 to hold the cover assembly 100 in
place. In
still further embodiments, the openings 122 can be formed directly into the
cover 110 and the
trim 120 can be omitted partially or entirely.
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[0029] In one example, the first and second trim edges 332a and 332b
are
attached to an upper portion or area of the cover 110 such that the upper edge
314 extends
upwardly toward the fold 225 and beyond the trim edges. Thus, the upper edge
314 does not
necessary need to be attached to the trim edges 232a and 232b. Rather, the
upper edge 314
could extend up to the fold 225, whether inside or outside of the enclosure
formed by trim
120. In other examples, the openings 122 can be formed through the upper
portion or area of
the cover 110.
[0030] Figure 4 shows several knob configurations for use with the
elevator cover
assembly 100. The knob 130a has a base 434, a stem 436, and a head 438 at an
end of the
stem 436. As shown in Figure 4, the head 438 is integral to the stem 436, and
the stem 436 is
integral to the base 434. The head 438 can be slightly larger than the stem
436 to prevent the
cover assembly 100 from falling off the knob 130. Base 434 may include a quick-
cure
adhesive 435 on the backside thereof for easy application to a wall, including
glass. The
adhesive 435 can be a high-strength adhesive such as a 3M's VHB 4941 acrylic
adhesive
tape that provides excellent adhesion to a broad range of high and medium
surface energy
substrates including metals, glass, and a wide variety of plastics and
plasticized vinyl, even
with mismatched substrates. Suitable adhesive tapes may have very high tensile
strength
having a normal tensile strength of between 480-620 kPa, a 90 peel adhesion
strength of
between 245-385 N/100 mm, and a dynamic overlap sheer strength of between 450-
620 kPa.
Use of an adhesive 435 allows the knob 130a to be attached to the wall without
intrusive and
expensive penetration of the wall such as by drilling or puncturing. In other
embodiments,
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the base 434 includes another attachment mechanism, such as a threaded
fastener or the like.
Other than the adhesive layer 435, the knob 130a can be a unitary piece of
material or can be
a base 434 welded to a stem 436 and a head 438 welded to the stem 436. It may
be formed by
machining or otherwise forming from a single piece of material, preferably
metal.
[0031] Another embodiment is knob 130b, which has a base 434 and an
upwardly
angled stem 440. The upward slope keeps the cover assembly 100 from slipping
off the
knob 130b and therefore may obviate the desire for a head 440. The slope and
length of the
knob 130b can vary as needed for a particular installation. Another embodiment
is
knob 130c, which includes a base 434, a horizontally extending stem portion
442, and an
upwardly extending portion 444 that functions similarly to the head 438 to
prevent the cover
assembly 100 from slipping off the knob 130c. In any of these embodiments, the
base 434
can be omitted in favor of a simple stem 436, 440, 442 (optionally in
combination with a
head 438) extending from the wall of the elevator. In some embodiments, the
knob 130 can
include a base 434 having multiple projections extending therefrom. Any
suitable
configuration of the knob 136 can be used with the elevator cover assembly
100. As such, the
knob 130 is configured to receive an opening 122 of a wall cover 110.
[0032] The head 438 is configured (for example, sized and shaped) to
receive an
opening 122 of a wall cover 110 to hang the wall cover 100 to protect a wall.
In one example,
the head 438 has a cross-sectional area having a shape being one of a square,
a rectangle, an
oval, a circle, and a polygon. In one example, a perimeter edge (e.g., an
entire perimeter) of
the head 438 is formed at an angle relative to a central axis of the stem 436
(for example, an
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"angle" between 20 and 70 degrees). Similarly, a perimeter edge of the base
434 can be
formed at a similar angle relative to the central axis of the stem 436 as that
of the angled
edges of the head 438. Edge portions adjacent the perimeter edges can also be
chamfered (for
example, rounded, smoothed, angled, or the like) to minimize damage to objects
impacting
the knob 130.
[0033] In some examples, the knob 130 has a conically shaped body
extending
outwardly from the base 434 and the wall. Such a conically shaped body may
allow a wall
cover 100 to smoothly slide along the upper portion of the conical body when
an individual
disposes an opening 122 of the cover 110 over the knob 130. And, the outward
conical body
further vertically supports a wall cover 110 at the upper portion of the knob
130. In one
aspect, the knob 130 includes a solid conically shaped body that terminates at
a planar
surface that is parallel to the wall when installed.
[0034] Figure 5A illustrates a side, exploded view of another example
implementation of a cover 110 and one of the knobs 130 of Figure 1. As shown
in Figure 5A,
the base 434 of knob 130 forms a hook. For example, the base 434 may include a
hanging
portion 516 that engages a wall or panel of an elevator and a suspension
portion 518 that
engages an upper edge portion of the protective cover 110. As is apparent in
Figure 5B, the
hanging portion 516 include a horizontal portion 532 that is oriented
perpendicular to the
suspension portion 518 at a first edge of the horizontal portion 532 and that
secures a vertical
portion 534 at an opposing edge of the horizontal portion 532, such that both
the suspension
portion 518 and vertical portion 534 extend in the same direction and are
suitable for
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capturing a portion of a wall or wall panel of an elevator therebetween.
Accordingly, a
separation distance between the vertical portion 534 and the suspension
portion 518 may be
slightly larger than, for example, of a width of the panel with which the knob
130 is used (for
example, within five or ten percent). Other forms and shapes of hooks may also
be used.
[0035] The suspension portion 518, horizontal portion 532, and
vertical portion
534 may be formed of a monolithic piece of material or secured to one another
by means of
welds, bolts, or any other fastening means. Some or all of the suspension
portion 518,
horizontal portion 532, and vertical portion 534 may be covered with a
compliant or
cushioning material or coating in order to prevent damage to an elevator wall
or wall panel.
In some embodiments, the inner surfaces of the suspension portion 518 and
vertical portion
534 (those surfaces of the suspension portion 518 and vertical portion 534
facing one
another) and a lower surface of the horizontal portion 532 may be coated with
a compliant or
cushioning material or have a pad or cushion secured thereto.
[0036] With the protective cover 110 facing, engaging, or otherwise
adjacent, the
suspension portion 518, the protective cover 110 may be fastened to the
suspension portion
518. For example, the suspension portion 518 may include an aperture 520. A
fastener 522 of
the knob 130 is passed through the aperture 520 and the opening 122 in the
cover 110 and
captures the suspension portion 518 and protective pad 510 therebetween. In
one
embodiment, the fastener 522 is a snap rivet that includes a first portion
524a and a second
portion 524b that engage one another in a removable or non-removable fashion.
For example,
the first and second portions 524a, 524b may include heads 438a, 438b that are
sufficiently
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wide to capture a significant portion of the protective cover 110 and
suspension portion 518
therebetween, as shown in Figure 5B.
[0037] The manner in which the heads 436a, 536b secure to one another
through
the aperture 520 and opening 122 may include any manner known in the art of
plastic rivets.
For example, one of the heads 536a may have a receiving stem 436a secured
thereto, the
receiving stem 436a having a smaller diameter than the head 536a and defining
an aperture.
The other head 536ab may have an insertable stem 436b secured thereto. The
insertable stem
436b may be insertable into the receiving stem 436a and may be retained in the
receiving
stem 436a by some means. For example, the insertable stem 436b may have a barb
or lip that
engages a groove, tab, shoulder, or other structure within the receiving stem
436a to hinder
removal. In a like manner, the receiving stem 436a may have a barb or lip
within a central
aperture thereof that engages a groove, lip, or tab, encircling the insertable
stem 436b. Any
other means of securing the insertable stem 436b and receiving stem 436a
together that may
be suitable for plastic rivets may be used, including threaded engagement or
friction fit. As
another example, one or more of the stem 436b or the stem 436a may be integral
to the base
434 (for example, one or more of the stem 436b or the stem 436a may be formed
of a
monolithic piece of material with regard to the base 434).
[0038] Figure 6A illustrates a side, exploded view of an example
implementation
of the heads 438a, 438b and the stems 436a, 436b. Figure 6B shows a side, non-
exploded
view of the heads 438a, 438b and the stems 436a, 436b. As shown, the receiving
stem 436a
includes a plurality of internal circumferential grooves 636. The receiving
stem 436a may
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additionally include one or more slits 638 to facilitated compliant expansion
of the receiving
stem 436a. In other examples, the one or more slits 638 may instead be defined
in the
insertable stem 436b to facilitate compliant compression of the insertable
stem 436b during
insertion. In yet another example, one or both of the receiving stem 436a and
the insertable
stem 436b are sufficiently compliant to enable insertion without slits 638.
[0039] The insertable stem 436b may include a plurality of
circumferential ridges
640 or barbs 640 that are sized to fit within the grooves 636. The pitch of
the barbs 640 may
be the same as the pitch of the grooves 636 such that the insertable stem 436b
may be
engaged at a variety of axial positions depending on a desired separation
between the heads
438a, 438b. The circumferential barbs 640 may slope inward with distance
toward the
proximal end portion of the insertable stem 436b (the end portion of the stem
436b that is
opposite from the head 438b) such that the insertable stem 436b is more
readily insertable
than removable. The grooves 636 may be simple cylindrical grooves or may have
a taper or
slope corresponding to the barbs 640.
[0040] In use, the insertable stem 436b may be urged into the
receiving stem
436a. The barbs 640 may slightly deflect the walls of the receiving stem 436a,
facilitated by
the one or more slits 638. The barbs 640 may seat within the grooves 636, and
the
compliance of the receiving stem 436a may urge the grooves 636 against the
barbs 640. Due
to the slope and orientation of the barbs 640, removal of the insertable stem
436b may
require much more force than insertion and may even be impossible without
destroying the
barbs 640 or walls of the receiving stem 436a. In some example
implementations, the barbs
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640 and grooves 636 are helical in shape (for example, the barbs 640 or
grooves 636 define
threads), such that disengagement of the barbs 640 and grooves 636 may be
accomplished by
relative rotation of the barbs 640 and grooves 636.
[0041] Figure 7 illustrates an isometric view of the cover 110 and
the knobs 130
in an elevator 742. The elevator 742 may be protected by engaging a number of
knobs 130
with one or more wall panels 744a, 744b and hanging a protective cover 110
from the knobs
130. As illustrated, the horizontal portion 532 engages the upper edge 746 of
the wall panel
744a, 744b, with the upper edge 746 of the wall panel 744a, 744b being
captured between the
vertical portion 534 (not shown in Figure 7) and the suspension portion 518.
The cover 110
may be oriented to cover the entirety, or substantially the entirety, of the
wall panel 744a,
744b. As another example, the knobs 130 may engage a hanging ceiling grid in
the elevator
742, instead of the upper edge 746 of the wall panels 744a, 744b.
[0042] Figure 8A shows a front view of another example implementation
of one
of the knobs 130 of Figure 1. The suspension portion 518 may have a front
portion 818a and
a rear portion 818b secured thereto, such as at a lower end thereof. The front
and rear
portions 818a, 818b may define a gap 856 therebetween such that a protective
cover 110 is
insertable into the gap 856. For example, an upper end of the portions 818a,
818b may be
secured to a lower end portion of the suspension portion 518 and lower ends of
the portions
818a, 818b may be free to enable insertion of the protective cover 110 into
the gap 856.
[0043] The front and rear portions 818a, 818b may define apertures
820a, 820b,
respectively, for receiving a fastener 522. In use, the receiving stem 436a or
the insertable
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stem 436b may pass through the aperture 820a, the opening 122 in the
protective cover 110,
and the aperture 820b in order to secure the cover 110 to the knob 130. In the
example shown
in Figures 8A and 8B, a front surface of the front portion 818a and a rear
surface of the rear
portion 818b may define countersinks 858a, 858b around the apertures 820a,
820b,
respectively, to receive the heads 438a, 438b of the fastener 522. The depths
of the
countersinks 858a, 858b may be shaped and dimensioned to prevent the heads
438a, 438b
from protruding beyond the front and rear surfaces of the portions 818a, 818b,
respectively.
The front portion 818a may define a recess 860 for receiving a label, such as
an adhesive
label, to facilitate branding or labeling of the knob 130 with other
information.
[0044] As shown in Figure 8A, the front and rear portions 818a, 818b
may be
somewhat wider than the suspension portion 518 (for example, between 50 and
120 percent
wider). The increased width of the front and rear portions 818a, 818b may
provide area for
defining the apertures 820a, 820b and may provide sufficient material around
the apertures
820a, 820b to support stresses imposed by the fastener 522 when inserted
through the
apertures 820a, 820b. As illustrated in Figure 8B, the front portion 818a may
protrude
forwardly from the suspension portion 518, whereas the rear portion 818b may
have a rear
surface that is flush with the rear surface of the suspension portion 518,
thus permitting the
cover 110 to hang flat along a wall panel to which it is mounted.
[0045] In some example implementations, one of i) the combination of
the stem
436b and the head 438b or ii) the combination of the stem 436a and the head
438a may be
omitted. In some examples, employing a stem 436 and a head 438 on only a
single side of the
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base 434 may permit placing the other side of the base 434 flush against a
surface of an
elevator. Figure 9, for example, shows a side view of the knob 130 of Figure
5B, with the
knob 130 including the stem 436a and the head 438a on only the interior side
of the base 434
(only a single stem 436 and a single head 438 on the same side of the
suspension portion 518
as the horizontal and vertical portions 532, 534). Employing the stem 436a and
the head 438a
on the interior side of the base 434 may facilitate hanging a cover 110 from a
suspended
ceiling grid in an elevator. As also shown in Figure 9, one or more of the
horizontal portion
532 or the vertical portion 534 may be curved.
[0046] In either instance, with the stem on the interior or exterior
side of the
hanger, the elevator cover assembly 100 may be secured over the head 438a,
438b and onto
the stem 436a, 436b by separating the openings 122 on the trim 120 and
securing it over the
head. The head is sized to closely accommodate an opening and provide a secure
hanging
securement on the stem, retained by the head.
[0047] As another example, Figure 10 illustrates a side view of the
knob 130 of
Figure 5B, with the knob 130 including the stem 436b and the head 438b on only
the exterior
side of the base 434 (only a single stem 436 and a single head 438 on the
opposite side of the
suspension portion 518 from the horizontal and vertical portions 532, 534).
Employing the
stem 436b and the head 438b on the exterior side of the base 434 may
facilitate hanging a
cover 110 from a wall panel in an elevator. As also shown in Figure 10, one or
more of the
horizontal portion 532 or the vertical portion 534 may vary in thickness.
[0048] In some example implementations (for example, as shown in
Figures 1, 3,
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CA 2996240 2018-02-23
4, 9, and 10), the stem 436 is integral to the base 434 (for example, the face
1118 of the base
434). For example, as shown in Figures 1, 3, 4, 9, and 10 the stem 436 and the
base 434 are
formed of a monolithic piece of material. Employing an integral stem 436 may
reduce the
likelihood that the stem 436 unintentionally separates from the base 434 when
hanging or
unhanging the cover 110 on the knob 130. As another example, the proximal end
portion of
the stem 436 (the end portion of the stem 436 that is opposite from the head
438) may be
configured (for example, sized, dimensioned, positioned, oriented, or the
like) to secure the
stem 436 in the aperture 520 after being pushed into the aperture 520. For
example, the
proximal end portion of the stem 436 may have two radially enlarged
circumferential
portions that are configured (for example, sized, dimensioned, and spaced
apart from each
other) to receive and retain the inner face of the aperture 520 therebetween.
[0049] In some
example implementations, a face 1118 (for example, the front
portion 818a or the rear portion 818b, as seen in Figures 8A and 8B) disposed
at the lower
end of the suspension portion 518 may have the stem 436 and the head 438
attached thereto.
The face 1118 may be parallel to the suspension portion 518. In Figure 9, for
example, the
stem 436a extends from the face 1118 of the base 434 in the same direction
that the
horizontal portion 532 of the base 434 extends from the suspension portion 518
of the base
434. In contrast, in Figure 10, for example, the stem 436b extends from the
face 1118 of the
base 434 in the opposite direction from the direction in which the horizontal
portion 532 of
the base 434 extends from the suspension portion 518 of the base 434.
19
CA 2996240 2018-02-23
[0050] The face 1118 may have a variety of suitable shapes, such as
the shape of
the suspension portion 518 as shown in Figure 7, the shape of the front
portion 818a as
shown in Figure 8A, or the like. Figure 11 shows a view of another example
shape of the face
1118 of the knob 130. In this example, the width of the face 1118 varies from
the top of the
face 1118 to the bottom of the face 1118, increasing from the width of the
suspension portion
518 at the top portion of the face 1118 to a width that slightly exceeds the
width of the label
recess 860 at the middle portion of the face 1118 and decreasing to a width
that slightly
exceeds the diameter of the head 438 at the bottom portion of the face 1118.
[0051] In some example implementations, the knob 130 is configured
(for
example, sized and dimensioned) to hang from an upper edge of a wall panel or
suspended
ceiling grid in an elevator with the vertical portion 534 of the base 130
being disposed on one
side of the upper edge of the wall panel or suspended ceiling grid in the
elevator and the
suspension portion 518 of the base 130 being disposed on the opposite side of
the upper edge
of the wall panel or suspended ceiling grid in the elevator. The stem 436 of
the knob 130 may
be configured (for example, sized, dimensioned, positioned, oriented, or the
like) to receive
and suspend a portion of the cover 110 with the distal end portion of the stem
436 extending
through one of the openings 122 in the cover 110. The head 438 of the knob 130
may be
configured (for example, sized, dimensioned, positioned, oriented, or the
like) to fit through
one or more of the openings 122 in the cover 110 to removably retain the
portion of the cover
110 that hangs from the knob 130 with the head 438 being disposed on the
opposite side of
the cover 110 from the face 1118 of the base 434.
CA 2996240 2018-02-23
[0052] For example, the knob 130 may have any dimensions suitable for
hanging
a cover 110 in an elevator. In some example implementations, the knob 130 has
an overall
height of at least 2, 3, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, or 6 inches. The head 438 disposed at
the distal end
portion of the stem 436 may have a diameter of at least 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6,
0.7, or 0.8 inches.
The stem 436 may have a length of at least 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3,
0.35, 0.4, 0.45, or
0.5 inches (for example, the distance between the face 1118 and the head 438).
The
suspension portion 518 may have a width of at least 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, 0.35, 0.4,
0.45, or 0.5
inches. One or more portions of the base 434, such as one or more portions of
the vertical
portion 534, the horizontal portion 532, the suspension portion 518, or the
face 1118, may
have a thickness of 0.75, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, or 0.5 inches.
[0053] The various embodiments have been described above with
reference to the
accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show, by way of
illustration,
specific example embodiments by which the invention may be practiced. The
embodiments
may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed
as limited
to the examples set forth herein; rather, these examples are provided so that
this disclosure
will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the
embodiments to those
skilled in the art. Among other things, the various embodiments may be
methods, systems, or
devices. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in
a limiting sense.
[0054] Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms
take the
meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates
otherwise. The
phrase "in one embodiment," "in one example," or "in one implementation" as
used herein
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CA 2996240 2018-02-23
does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, example, or implementation,
though it
may. Furthermore, the phrase "in another embodiment," "in another example," or
"in another
implementation" as used herein does not necessarily refer to a different
embodiment,
example, or implementation, although it may. Thus, as described throughout,
various
embodiments may be readily combined, without departing from the scope or
spirit of the
invention.
[0055]
In addition, as used herein, the term "or" is an inclusive "or" operator, and
is equivalent to the term "and/or," unless the context clearly dictates
otherwise. The term
"based on" is not exclusive and allows for being based on additional factors
not described,
unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, the meaning of
"a," "an," and "the"
include plural references. Further, plural references should be interpreted as
also disclosing
singular references. The meaning of "in" includes "in" and "on." Also, the use
of "when" and
"responsive to" do not imply that associated resultant actions are required to
occur
immediately or within a particular time period. Instead, they are used herein
to indicate
actions that may occur or be performed in response to one or more conditions
being met,
unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Additionally, throughout the
specification, the
use of "exemplary" does not imply that other embodiments do not perform as
well or are not
as worthy of illustration. Instead, the term is used herein to emphasize that
each element or
function described by the term is an example element or function.
The foregoing examples should not be construed as limiting or exhaustive, yet
rather,
illustrative use cases to show implementations of at least one of the various
embodiments of
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-17
the invention. Accordingly, many changes can be made without departing from
the invention.
Any feature or element described herein may be implemented additionally or
alternatively to
any other feature or element described herein as suitable to, for example,
hang a cover 110 in
an elevator. For example, any of the example implementations of the base 434
may include
any of the example shapes of the vertical portion 534, horizontal portion 532,
the face 1118,
or the like. Thus, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure
of the examples.
In the foregoing description, exemplary modes for carrying out the invention
in terms of
examples have been described. However, the scope of the claims should not be
limited by
those examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent
with the
description as a whole. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be
regarded in an
illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-05-17
