Patio support bracket

• US 10,641,002 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kaz Szmyr
• Original Assignee: Kaz Szmyr
• Inventors: Szmyr, Kaz
• Primary Examiner(s): Marsh, Steven M
• Application Number:
  US15/428,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20180224061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• Field of Search: 248519, 248523, 248500, 248507, 248508
• CPC Class Codes: A45B 2023/0012 Ground supported umbrellas or sunshades on a single post, e.g. resting in or on a surface there below
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 12/2269 in a socket

Abstract

Herein is disclosed a patio support for securely supporting an object to a patio deck. The patio support includes a base member for sitting on the patio deck, a mounting member for mounting the object to the base member, and an elongated member extending downwardly from the base member. The elongated member passes through the gap separating adjacent patio deck members and is sufficiently long that a hook formed on a lower end of the elongated member can be positioned below a lower edge of the joist supporting the deck members. The elongated member is movable between a lowered position wherein the hook is positioned below the lower edge of the joists and a raised position wherein the hook securely engages the lower edge of the joists. The patio support is further configured to lock the elongated member in its raised position.

Claims

1. A patio support for securely supporting an object to a patio, the patio having a plurality of parallel deck members supported by a plurality of joist members transversely oriented relative to the deck members, the deck members being separated from each other by elongated gaps, the elongated gaps having a width, the joist members having a height defined by opposite upper and lower edges, the patio support comprising:

a base member having a first portion, the base member being flat and dimensioned to lay on top of two adjacent deck members and above the joist member supporting said two adjacent deck members, the base member dimensioned so as to span the elongated gap between the adjacent deck members and position the first portion directly above said elongated gap;

a mounting member mounted to a top portion of the base member, the mounting member configured to releasably mount to the object;

a hook member mounted to the base member such that the hook member depends downward from the first portion of the base member;

the hook member having a top end coupled to the base member, a lower end opposite the top end, opposite side edges and opposite side faces and a hook formed at the lower end;

the hook member having a length extending between the hook member'"'"'s top and bottom ends;

the hook member having a thickness between the opposite side faces and a width between the opposite side edges, the thickness of the hook member being less than the width of the elongated gap and the width of the hook member being greater than the width of the elongated gap;

the length of the hook member being greater than the height of the joist members, the length of the hook member being further selected so as to position the hook below the lower edge of the joist;

the hook member being retractably mounted to the base member such that the hook at the bottom end of the hook member can be secured between a lowered position wherein the hook is positioned below the lower edge of the joist and a raised position wherein the hook securely engages the lower edge of the joist, the patio support being configured to lock the hook member in its raised position, and

wherein the hook member has a cylindrical threaded portion and a planar flat portion, the cylindrical threaded extending downward from the top end and the planar flat portion extending upward from the bottom end, the planar flat portion being dimensioned to fit within the gap separating the parallel deck members, the central portion of the base member having an opening for receiving the cylindrical threaded portion of the hook member, the patio support further comprising a threaded collar for locking the hook member in its raised position by threading onto the cylindrical threaded portion of the hook member.

2. The patio support of claim 1 wherein the mounting member comprises a cylindrical tube mounted to the first portion of the base member, the cylindrical tube having an adjustable clamp for securing the object to the cylindrical tube.

3. The patio support of claim 2 wherein the cylindrical tube, base member and cylindrical threaded portion are all coaxially aligned and wherein the threaded collar is formed within the cylindrical tube.

4. The patio support of claim 3 wherein the cylindrical tube has opposite first and second ends with a flange projecting transversely from said first end, the base member having a flat surface upon which the flange is set, a flat annular washer being coaxially aligned with the cylindrical tube and interposed between the flange and flat surface of the base member, base member and flange being made of a strong metal, the flat annular washer being made of a non-metal material configured to prevent metal on metal frictional contact between the flange and the flat surface of the base member.

5. The patio support of claim 4 wherein a pair of handles project transversely from the second end of the cylindrical tube.

6. The patio support of claim 5 wherein a tubular collar is coaxially formed on the first portion of the base member at a centre of the flat surface, the flat washer being concentric with the tubular collar, the tubular collar having a top edge, the first end of the cylindrical tube being coaxially and rotatably mounted to the tubular collar.

7. The patio support of claim 6 wherein the centre of the flat surface has a keyhole aperture dimensioned to permit the cylindrical threaded portion of the hook member and a segment of the planar flat portion adjacent the cylindrical threaded portion of the hook member to pass through, the keyhole aperture formed as a wider circular hole with narrower projecting slots extending there from.

8. The patio support of claim 6 further comprising a jam nut dimensioned to thread onto the cylindrical threaded portion of the hook member, the jam nut being dimensioned to fit within the tubular collar, the jam nut being further dimensioned to not pass through the keyhole aperture.

9. A patio support for securely supporting an object to a patio, the patio having a plurality of parallel deck members supported by a plurality of joist members perpendicularly oriented relative to the deck members, the deck members being separated from each other by elongated gaps, the elongated gaps having a width, the joist members having a height defined by opposite upper and lower edges, the patio support comprising:

a base member configured to rest on top of the deck members;

a mounting member mounted to a top portion of the base member, the mounting member configured to releasably mount to the object;

an elongated member having opposite top and bottom ends, the bottom end extending downward from the base member, a hook portion formed on the bottom end, the elongated member being sufficiently long such that the bottom end can extend below the lower edge of the joists, the elongated member being further dimensioned to pass through the elongated gaps;

the elongated member being movably mounted to the base member between a lowered position wherein the hook is positioned below the lower edge of the joists and a raised position wherein the hook securely engages the lower edge of the joists, the patio support being configured to lock the elongated member in its raised position;

wherein the elongated member has a thickness less than the width of the gaps, the elongated member also having a width greater than the width of the gaps;

wherein the patio support is adapted to bias the hook towards the base member when the elongated member is locked in its raised position thereby pressing the base member securely onto the deck members when the patio support is mounted to the patio, and

wherein the base member has a flat portion with an aperture formed thereon, the elongated member having a threaded portion extending from the top end, the threaded portion passing through the aperture, the patio support further comprising a threaded collar threaded onto the threaded portion with the flat portion of the base member interposed between the bottom end and the threaded collar, the threaded portion of the elongated member and the threaded collar configured such that rotating the threaded collar moves the elongated member between its lowered and raised positions.

10. The patio support member of claim 9 further comprising a cylindrical tube having opposite first and second ends, the first end being rotatably mounted to a tubular collar formed on the flat portion of the base member, the threaded collar being mounted within the cylindrical tube, the cylindrical tube, tubular collar, threaded collar, aperture and threaded portion of the elongated member all being coaxially aligned, the cylindrical tube being coupled to at least one handle for providing a mechanical advantage when rotating the cylindrical tube.

11. The patio support member of claim 10 wherein the cylindrical tube has a flat flange radiating from the first end, the flat flange being parallel with the flat portion of the base member, a washer concentrically interposed between the flat flange and the flat portion of the base member, the washer made of a nonmetallic material and is dimensioned and configured to prevent contact between the flat flange and the flat portion of the base member.

12. The patio support member of claim 10 wherein the threaded portion of the elongated member is cylindrical and wherein the elongated member further comprises a flat portion extending between the threaded portion of the elongated member and the lower end of the elongated member, the flat portion of the elongated member having a wider diameter than a diameter of the threaded portion of the elongated member, the aperture comprising an elongated slot having a central circular portion, the central circular portion of the aperture dimensioned to permit the threaded portion of the elongated member to pass there through, the elongated slot of the aperture dimensioned to permit the flat portion of the elongated member to pass there through.

13. The patio support member of claim 10 further comprising a jam nut threaded onto the threaded portion of the elongated member between the threaded collar and the flat portion of the base member, the jam nut dimensioned to not pass through the aperture in the flat portion of the base member.