HANGER BRACKET FOR USE WITH PICTURE FRAMES

• US 20170055730A1
• Filed: 06/17/2016
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Under The Roof Decorating Inc.
• Original Assignee: Under The Roof Decorating Inc.
• Inventors: Krake, Kelly R., Tousignant, Liette, Kurtz, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,098,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/1606 comprising a wall member cooperating with a corresponding picture member
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/162 Picture members for connection to a conventional wall hook or nail
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/1633 Wall members for connection to a conventional picture
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/22 Pin plates
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2001/0677 having means for fixing the picture or backing to the frame, e.g. clips, nails or the like

Abstract

A bracket for hanging a picture frame on a supporting structure. The bracket is a one-piece member formed of plastic having a pair of legs projecting perpendicularly from a bottom surface of a base and extending at right angles with respect to each other. The legs are spaced from a peripheral edge of the base forming a V-shaped planar portion between the edge and legs. A reinforcing member extends between the pair of legs and an attachment pin mounted in the reinforcing member extends outwardly beyond a top surface of the base. A pair of attachment pins is pressed into the supporting structure to suspend the frame therefrom after two of the brackets are secured in upper right hand corners of the frame.

Claims

1. A bracket for mounting an object on a support structure wherein said object has a channel formed in an inner surface of said object, said bracket comprising:

a body having an end surface and a projection extending outwardly from said end surface for engagement with the channel of said object; and

an attachment pin mounted in the body and extending outwardly beyond a top surface of the body for attaching the object to the support structure.

2. The bracket as defined in claim 1 wherein the body is formed with an opening;

in which the attachment pin is embedded in and extends outwardly from a shaft; and

in which the shaft is retained in the opening of the body.

3. The bracket as defined in claim 1 wherein the body has spaced upper and lower members forming a passage therebetween.

4. The bracket as defined in claim 3 wherein the upper member has a generally triangular shape;

and in which the lower member has a flat planar trapezoidal configuration forming a shelf-like member extending between ends of the first and second legs and beyond the upper member.

5. The bracket as defined in claim 3 wherein the upper member is formed with a generally semicircular opening;

in which the attachment pin is embedded in and extends outwardly from a shaft; and

in which the shaft is removably mounted in the semicircular opening of the upper member.

6. The bracket as defined in claim 1 wherein the body has first and second legs extending at right angles with respect to each other;

and in which the projection is formed on each of the legs and extend perpendicularly outwardly therefrom.

7. The bracket as defined in claim 6 wherein the first and second legs each have a generally rectangular portion which form a right angle with respect to each other, and a generally triangular portion extending from said rectangular portion.

8. The bracket as defined in claim 1 wherein the projection has an arcuate configuration.

9. In combination, a frame and a bracket for hanging said frame on a support structure;

said frame having an inner surface and a channel formed in said inner surface;

said bracket comprising;

a body having an end surface and a projection extending outwardly from said end surface for engagement with the channel; and

an attachment pin extending outwardly beyond a top surface of the body for attaching the object to the support structure.

10. The combination defined in claim 9 wherein the frame has four frame members forming a rectangular frame;

wherein each of two side frame members and a top frame member is formed with a channel extending generally throughout its length; and

in which each of the channels has a three-sided rectangular configuration complementary in shape and size to the projection extending from the body.

11. The combination defined in claim 9 wherein the body has an upper member formed with a generally semicircular opening;

in which the attachment pin is embedded in and extends outwardly from a shaft; and

in which the shaft is removably mounted in the semicircular opening of the upper member.

12. The combination defined in claim 9 wherein the body includes spaced upper and lower members forming a passage therebetween.

13. The combination defined in claim 9 wherein the projection and channel have complementary arcuate configurations.

14. The combination defined in claim 9 including at least a pane of glass, a sheet of material having indicia thereon and a backing plate placed in juxtaposition to each other and supported on a ledge extending inwardly from the frame member;

and in which the bracket retains said pane of glass, sheet of material and backing plate on the ledge when the projection is engaged with the channel.

15. The combination defined in claim 11 wherein the body has first and second legs extending at right angles with respect to each other;

wherein one of the projections extends perpendicularly from each of the first and second legs; and

in which the body has upper and lower portions forming a passage therebetween.

16. The combination defined in claim 9 wherein the end surface of the body and projection are convexly curved with similar arcuate lengths of curvature.

17. A method of installing a bracket on a frame for hanging the frame on a support structure, including the steps of:

providing a frame formed with a channel in an inner surface of the frame;

providing a bracket having a body and a projection extending outwardly from the body and an attachment pin extending from the reinforcing member;

slidably inserting the projection of the body into the channel of the frame to secure the bracket in the frame free of any additional attachments; and

pressing the attachment pin of the bracket into a support structure to suspend the frame on the support structure free of any additional supporting hardware.

18. The method defined in claim 17 including the step of forming the body of the bracket and projection as a one-piece member of molded plastic.

19. The method defined in claim 17 including the step of fitting a shaft containing the attachment pin into an opening formed in the body of the bracket before the step of pressing the attachment pin into the support structure.

20. The method defined in claim 17 including the steps of providing the frame with at least three frame members forming a pair of right angle corners;

providing each of the frame members with a channel in an inner surface;

providing the body of the bracket with a pair of legs forming a right angle corner with each of the legs having an outwardly extending projection; and

pressing the right angle corner of each of the brackets into a respective right angle corner of the frame when slidably inserting the projections into channels of adjacent frame members.