Mounting bracket for wall mounted accessory

• US 6,520,463 B1
• Filed: 08/02/2000
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Liberty Hardware Manufacturing Corp (Masco Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Bath Unlimited, Inc.
• Inventors: Ouano, Magno
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Anita
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAXTER, GWENDOLYN WRENN
• Application Number:
  US09/631,001
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 248/222.11, 248/222.12, 248/222.13, 248/223.41, 248/224.7, 248/221.11, 248/251, 248/220.22, 248/220.21, 211/16, 211/105, 211/123
• US Class Current: 248/222.13
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/061 Cantilever brackets

Abstract

An accessory mounting system for maintaining an accessory post on a wall. The system includes a bracket fastened to the wall and the accessory post secured to the wall-mounted bracket. The bracket has a plurality of flanges for engaging corresponding slots in the base cavity of the post. In addition, locking fingers prevent inadvertent release of the post from the bracket.

Claims

1. An accessory mounting system for securing an accessory to a wall, said mounting system comprising:

a bracket adapted to be secured to the wall, said bracket including retaining means;

an accessory post detachably secured to said bracket, said post having a base cavity receiving said bracket to conceal said bracket, said cavity including engagement means for cooperating with said retaining means to detachably secure said post to said bracket; and

means for lockingly connecting said post to said bracket including a pair of flexible locking fingers formed on said bracket, said locking fingers selectively engageable with corresponding locking teeth on said post to detachably connect said post to said bracket.

2. The mounting system as defined in claim 1 wherein said engagement means of said accessory post slidably engages said retaining means of said bracket to detachably secure said post to said bracket.

3. The mounting system as defined in claim 2 wherein said retaining means of said bracket including at least one raised flange and said engagement means of said post including at least one pocket whereby said at least one raised flange is received in a corresponding pocket of said post cavity to detachably secure said post to said bracket.

4. The mounting system as defined in claim 3 wherein said mounting bracket includes an upper raised flange and a pair of side flanges.

5. The mounting system as defined in claim 4 wherein said cavity of said post includes an upper pocket and a pair of side pockets.

6. The mounting system as defined in claim 2 wherein said post and said bracket include alignment means for maintaining proper orientation of said post relative to said bracket.

7. The mounting system as defined in claim 6 wherein said alignment means includes an axial rib within said cavity selectively received within an axial slot in said bracket.

8. The mounting system as defined in claim 6 wherein said alignment means includes a pair of parallel ribs within said cavity for engaging side edges of said bracket.

9. An accessory mounting system for securing an accessory to a wall, said mounting system comprising:

a bracket adapted to be secured to the wall, said bracket including retaining means and a pair of flexible locking fingers; and

an accessory post detachably secured to said bracket, said post having a base cavity receiving said bracket to conceal said bracket, said cavity including engagement means cooperating with said retaining means and a pair of locking teeth selectively engageable with said flexible locking fingers to detachably secure said post to said bracket.

10. The mounting system as defined in claim 9 wherein said engagement means of said accessory post slidably engages said retaining means of said bracket to detachably secure said post to said bracket.

11. The mounting system as defined in claim 10 wherein said retaining means of said bracket including at least one raised flange and said engagement means of said post including at least one pocket whereby said at least one raised flange is received in a corresponding pocket of said post cavity to detachably secure said post to said bracket.

14. The mounting system as defined in claim 10 wherein said post and said bracket include alignment means for maintaining proper orientation of said post relative to said bracket.

12. The mounting system as defined in claim wherein 11 said bracket includes an upper raised flange and a pair of side flanges.

13. The mounting system as defined in claim 12 wherein said post and includes an upper pocket and a pair of said pockets.

15. An accessory mounting system for securing an accessory to a wall, said mounting system comprising:

a bracket adapted to be secured to the wall, said bracket including retaining means; and

an accessory post detachably secured to said bracket, said post having a base cavity receiving said bracket to conceal said bracket, said cavity including engagement means selectively slidably engaging said retaining means of said bracket to detachably secure said post to said bracket;

said base cavity of said accessory post including an axial rib selectively received within an axial slot in said bracket to maintain proper orientation of said post relative to said bracket.

16. The mounting system as defined in claim 15 wherein said retaining means of said bracket including at least one raised flange and said engagement means of said post including at least one pocket whereby said at least one raised flange is received in a corresponding pocket of said post cavity to detachably secure said post to said bracket.

17. The mounting system as defined in claim 16 wherein said mounting bracket includes an upper raised flange and a pair of side flanges.

18. The mounting system as defined in claim 17 wherein said post includes an upper pocket and a pair of said pockets.

19. The mounting system as defined in claim 15 wherein a means for lockingly connecting includes a pair of flexible locking fingers formed on said mounting bracket and selectively engageable with a pair of locking teeth within said cavity of said post.