Wall anchor assemblies

• US 10,724,677 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2019
• Issued: 07/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hillman Group Incorporated (Hillman Solutions Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Hillman Group Incorporated (Hillman Solutions Corp.)
• Inventors: Will, Gary E., Grice, Byron K., Malott, Dale G., Hamblin, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tefera, Hiwot E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Morris, Taylor L
• Application Number:
  US16/263,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20190162361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 2482161, 2482171, 2482173, 24822021, 248301, 52363
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/16 Devices for hanging or supporting pictures, mirrors, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/1633 Wall members for connection to a conventional picture
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/20 Picture hooks; X-hooks plugs or hooks for general use F16B13/00, F16B45/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/205 Devices for positioning picture hooks on a wall
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/22 Pin plates
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 15/00 Nails; Staples surgical staples A61B17/064; manufacture of nails or staples B21G ; drawing-pins, thumb-tacks B43M15/00; railway spikes E01B9/06
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 15/02 with specially-shaped heads, e.g. with enlarged surfaces ornaments for furniture A47B95/04; removable ornamental heads for nails A47G3/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 45/00 Hooks; Eyes if the attaching parts or means are concerned, groups F16B13/00, F16B15/00, F16B19/00, F16B25/00, F16B35/00, F16B47/00 take precedence; for hanging pictures or the like A47G1/16; towing hooks for ships B63B21/58; for hoisting or hauling purposes B66C; hooks or eyes with integral parts designed to facilitate quick attachment to cables or ropes at any point F16G11/14
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/02 for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle

Abstract

An anchor assembly for hanging an object on a wall includes a first anchor component and a second anchor component. The first anchor component includes a base having front, back, top, bottom, left and right sides, and at least one wall penetrating retainer extending from the base and having a wall penetrating extent that protrudes rearwardly of the base and has a downwardly curved configuration. The second anchor component includes a base having front, back, top, bottom, left and right sides, at least one wall penetrating retainer extending from the base of the second anchor component and having a wall penetrating extent that protrudes rearwardly of the base of the second anchor component and has a curved configuration. The second anchor component is pivotably associated with the first anchor component for movement between an anchoring orientation and a non-anchoring orientation.

Claims

1. A method of installing an anchor assembly on a wall, comprising:

(a) utilizing an anchor assembly with a first anchor component and a second anchor component, where the second anchor component is pivotably connected to the first anchor component, and each anchor component includes a respective base and at least one wall penetrating retainer extending from the base;

(b) placing the anchor assembly against a wall with the base of the first anchor component in contact with the wall and a distal end of the wall penetrating retainer of the first anchor component in contact with the wall;

(c) manually applying force against the base of the first anchor component to rotate the wall penetrating retainer of the first anchor component into the wall;

(d) thereafter pivoting the second anchor component toward the first anchor component until a distal end of the wall penetrating retainer of the second anchor component contacts the wall; and

(e) manually applying force against the base of the second anchor component to rotate the wall penetrating retainer of the second anchor component into the wall;

wherein the base and the wall penetrating retainer of the first anchor component are formed as a unit such that one or more portions of the base of the first component define a wall mount plane of the anchor assembly and the wall penetrating retainer of the first anchor component does not move relative to the wall mount plane;

wherein a back side of the base of the second anchor component moves into contact with a front side of the base of the first anchor component in step (e);

wherein the retainer of the first anchor component includes a curved wall penetrating extent, wherein the retainer of the second anchor component includes a curved wall penetrating extent, wherein, following step (e), the wall penetrating extent of the retainer of the first anchor component curves in a same direction as the wall penetrating extent of the retainer of the second anchor component.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein, in step (d), at least part of the wall penetrating retainer of the second anchor component is moved over a top side of the base of the first anchor component.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the wall penetrating extent of the wall penetrating retainer of the second anchor component has a curvature that is more aggressive than a curvature of the wall penetrating extent of the wall penetrating retainer of the first anchor component.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second anchor component is held to the first anchor component by a hinge connection that is formed in part by a hinge loop on the first anchor component.

5. A method of installing an anchor assembly on a wall, comprising:

(a) utilizing an anchor assembly with a first anchor component and a second anchor component, where the second anchor component is pivotably connected to the first anchor component, and each anchor component includes a respective base and at least one wall penetrating retainer extending from the base;

(b) placing the anchor assembly against a wall with the base of the first anchor component in contact with the wall and a distal end of the wall penetrating retainer of the first anchor component in contact with the wall;

(c) manually applying force against the base of the first anchor component to rotate the wall penetrating retainer of the first anchor component into the wall;

(d) thereafter pivoting the second anchor component toward the first anchor component until a distal end of the wall penetrating retainer of the second anchor component contacts the wall; and

(e) manually applying force against the base of the second anchor component to rotate the wall penetrating retainer of the second anchor component into the wall;

wherein the first anchor component is laterally elongated, the anchor assembly includes a third anchor component that is pivotably connected to the first anchor component and spaced laterally from the second anchor component, the third anchor component includes a base and at least one wall penetrating retainer extending therefrom, the method further involves, subsequent to rotation of the wall penetrating retainer of the second anchor component into the wall;

pivoting the third anchor component toward the first anchor component until a distal end of the wall penetrating retainer of the third anchor component contacts the wall; and

manually applying force against the base of the third anchor component to rotate the wall penetrating retainer of the third anchor component into the wall.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first anchor component includes a level element mounted thereon, and step (b) includes utilizing the level element to orient the first anchor component on the wall.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the steps of pivoting the third anchor component and manually applying force against the third anchor component are carried out only after the wall penetrating retainer of the second anchor component has been rotated into the wall in step (e).

8. A method of installing an anchor assembly on a wall, comprising:

(a) utilizing an anchor assembly with a first anchor component and a second anchor component, where the second anchor component is pivotably connected to the first anchor component, and each anchor component includes a respective base and at least one wall penetrating retainer extending from the base;

(b) placing the anchor assembly against a wall with the base of the first anchor component in contact with the wall and a distal end of the wall penetrating retainer of the first anchor component in contact with the wall;

(c) manually applying force against the base of the first anchor component to rotate the wall penetrating retainer of the first anchor component into the wall;

(d) thereafter pivoting the second anchor component toward the first anchor component until a distal end of the wall penetrating retainer of the second anchor component contacts the wall; and

(e) manually applying force against the base of the second anchor component to rotate the wall penetrating retainer of the second anchor component into the wall;

wherein, after step (e), the wall penetrating retainer of the second anchor component has an entry point into the wall that is at substantially the same height as an entry point of the wall penetrating retainer of the first anchor component.

9. A method of installing an anchor assembly on a wall, the method comprising:

(a) utilizing an anchor assembly with a first anchor component and a second anchor component, where the second anchor component is pivotably connected to the first anchor component, and each anchor component includes a respective base and at least one wall penetrating retainer extending from the base;

(b) placing a bottom side of the base of the first anchor component adjacent to a front surface of the wall with a distal end of the wall penetrating retainer of the first anchor component in contact with the front surface and with the second anchor component hanging downward from the first anchor component;

(c) applying pressure to the base of the first anchor component to rotate a wall penetrating extent of the wall penetrating retainer first anchor component into the wall until a back side of the base of the first anchor component seats against the front surface of the wall;

after steps (b) and (c),

(d) pivoting the base of the second anchor component upward and toward the base of the first anchor component until a distal end of the wall penetrating retainer of the second anchor component comes into contact with the front surface of the wall; and

(e) applying pressure to the base of the second anchor component to rotate a wall penetrating extent of the wall penetrating retainer of the second anchor component into the wall;

wherein the base of the first anchor component is formed by a base plate, wherein the base of the second anchor component is formed by an outer plate, and, in step (e), the outer plate is moved until a back surface portion of the outer plate seats against a front surface portion of the base plate.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first anchor component includes a level element mounted thereon, and step (b) includes utilizing the level element to orient the first anchor component on the wall.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein, in step (d), at least part of the wall penetrating retainer of the second anchor component is moved over a top side of the base of the first anchor component.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the second anchor component is held to the first anchor component by a hinge connection that is formed in part by a hinge loop on the first anchor component.

13. A method of installing an anchor assembly on a wall, the method comprising:

(a) utilizing an anchor assembly with a first anchor component and a second anchor component, where the second anchor component is pivotably connected to the first anchor component, and each anchor component includes a respective base and at least one wall penetrating retainer extending from the base;

(b) placing a bottom side of the base of the first anchor component adjacent to a front surface of the wall with a distal end of the wall penetrating retainer of the first anchor component in contact with the front surface and with the second anchor component hanging downward from the first anchor component;

(c) applying pressure to the base of the first anchor component to rotate a wall penetrating extent of the wall penetrating retainer first anchor component into the wall until a back side of the base of the first anchor component seats against the front surface of the wall;

after steps (b) and (c),

(d) pivoting the base of the second anchor component upward and toward the base of the first anchor component until a distal end of the wall penetrating retainer of the second anchor component comes into contact with the front surface of the wall; and

(e) applying pressure to the base of the second anchor component to rotate a wall penetrating extent of the wall penetrating retainer of the second anchor component into the wall;

wherein, after step (e), the wall penetrating retainer of the second anchor component has an entry point into the wall that is at substantially the same height as an entry point of the wall penetrating retainer of the first anchor component.

14. A method of installing an anchor assembly on a wall, the method comprising:

(a) utilizing an anchor assembly with a first anchor component and a second anchor component, where the second anchor component is pivotably connected to the first anchor component, and each anchor component includes a respective base and at least one wall penetrating retainer extending from the base;

(b) placing a bottom side of the base of the first anchor component adjacent to a front surface of the wall with a distal end of the wall penetrating retainer of the first anchor component in contact with the front surface and with the second anchor component hanging downward from the first anchor component;

(c) applying pressure to the base of the first anchor component to rotate a wall penetrating extent of the wall penetrating retainer first anchor component into the wall until a back side of the base of the first anchor component seats against the front surface of the wall;

after steps (b) and (c),

(d) pivoting the base of the second anchor component upward and toward the base of the first anchor component until a distal end of the wall penetrating retainer of the second anchor component comes into contact with the front surface of the wall; and

(e) applying pressure to the base of the second anchor component to rotate a wall penetrating extent of the wall penetrating retainer of the second anchor component into the wall;

wherein the wall penetrating extent of the wall penetrating retainer of the second anchor component has a curvature that is more aggressive than a curvature of the wall penetrating extent of the wall penetrating retainer of the first anchor component.