Adjustable wreath hanger

• US 6,857,608 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2001
• Issued: 02/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dyno Seasonal Solutions LLC (Dyno LLC)
• Original Assignee: Emerald Innovations LLC
• Inventors: Avinger, Andrew G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Korie
• Application Number:
  US09/779,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20020104937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 248/215, 248/222.11, 248/224.7, 248/295.11, 248/297.31, 248/301, 248/304, 248/307, 248/322, 248/339, 248/496, 211/113, 211/117, 211/119.004
• US Class Current: 248/215
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 5/04 Mountings for wreaths, or the like; Racks or holders for flowers

Abstract

An adjustable wreath hanger, preferably made of molded plastic, is disclosed herein that preferably comprises a hanger strip attachable to the top of a door or other object and a hook strip that slidably engages the hanger strip to permit selective variation of the distance between a rearwardly facing door hook and a forwardly facing wreath hook. The hanger strip preferably comprises a plurality of forwardly facing detent members into which a tooth projecting rearwardly from an engagement tab on the hook strip can be selectively engaged or disengaged to vary the relative positions of the two strips, thereby effectively elongating the length of the wreath hanger.

Claims

1. An adjustable wreath hanger comprising:

an elongated hanger strip comprising an upper end and a downwardly extending end, said upper end comprising a rearwardly facing, resilient door hook, and said downwardly extending end comprising a plurality of vertically separated, forwardly facing detent members; and

an elongated hook strip comprising a lower end and an upper end, said lower end comprising a forwardly facing hook member, and said upper end comprising a resilient engagement tab having a rearwardly facing projection, a slide member attached to and cooperating with the upper end of the hook strip to define an aperture through which the downwardly extending end of the hanger strip is insertable to create an interfering fit between the rearwardly facing projection of the hook strip and the detent members of the hanger strip, the slide member further comprising an upwardly extending, resilient backing tab spaced apart from the rearwardly facing projection, the resilient backing tab biasing one of said forwardly facing detent members aligned therewith of the hanger strip into engagement with the rearwardly facing projection of the hook strip to maintain a predetermined vertical separation between the door hook and the forwardly facing hook member during use.

2. The adjustable wreath hanger of claim 1 wherein the rearwardly facing projection and the detent members are shaped so as to enable the rearwardly facing projection to override the detent members whenever the hook strip slides upwardly relative to the hanger strip.

3. The adjustable wreath hanger of claim 1 wherein the backing tab has a top end with a forwardly extending projection that biases the detent member of the hanger strip against the rearwardly facing projection to prevent the hook strip from sliding downwardly in relation to the hanger strip.

4. The adjustable wreath hanger of claim 3 wherein the rearwardly facing projection is selectively disengageable from the detent members of the hanger strip by the application of a rearwardly directed force to the hanger strip at a point above the top of the backing tab.

5. The adjustable wreath hanger of claim 1 wherein the rearwardly facing projection is a molded plastic tooth.

6. The adjustable wreath hanger of claim 1 wherein the hanger strip and the hook strip are molded from polycarbonate resin.

7. The adjustable wreath hanger of claim 1 wherein the rearwardly facing projection is selectively disengageable from the detent members of the hanger strip by the simultaneous application of a forwardly directed force to the resilient engagement tab and a rearwardly directed force to the backing tab, thereby enabling the free movement of the hook strip in an upward or downward direction.

8. An adjustable wreath hanger comprising:

an elongated hanger strip comprising an upper end and a downwardly extending end, said upper end comprising a rearwardly facing, resilient door hanger, and said downwardly extending end comprising a series of vertically separated recesses diaposed on the forward surface of the hanger strip; and

an elongated hook strip comprising a lower hook end and an upper engagement end, said lower hook end comprising a forwardly facing hook member, and said upper engagement end comprising a slide member comprising a resilient backing tab, and a resilient engagement tab comprising a rearwardly facing projection, and

wherein the slide member defines an aperture through which the downwardly extending end of the hanger strip is insertable to align the hanger strip with the hook strip, and

wherein the resilient backing tab of the slide member opposes the rearwardly facing projection of the resilient engagement tab such that when the downwardly extending portion of the hanger strip is inserted into the aperture defined by the slide member the resilient backing tab biases one of said vertically separated recesses aligned therewith of the hanger strip into engagement with the rearwardly facing projection of the hook strip to maintain a predetermined vertical separation between the door hook and the forwardly facing hook member during use, and

wherein the rearwardly facing projection is selectively disengageable from the vertically separated recesses of the hanger strip by the simultaneous application of a forwardly directed force to the resilient engagement tab and a rearwardly corrected force to the backing tab, thereby enabling the free movement of the hook strip in an upward or downward direction.

9. An adjustable wreath hanger comprising:

a hanger strip comprising a top portion, an elongated first downwardly-extending portion having a first end and a second end and attached at its first end to a first end of the top portion and arranged at a right angle relative to the top portion, the first downwardly extending portion having at its second end a plurality of vertically separated, detent members disposed on the forward-facing surface of the hanger strip, and a second downwardly-extending, rearwardly-facing portion having a first end and a second end and opposing the first downwardly extending portion, and said second downwardly-extending, rearwardly-facing portion being a resilient member attached at its first end to a second end of the top portion, and arranged at an acute angle relative to the top portion; and

an elongated hook strip having a lower end comprising a forwardly facing hook member, and an upper portion comprising a resilient engagement tab having a rearwardly facing projection, and further comprising a slide member that defines an aperture through which the downwardly extending portion of the hanger strip is insertable to align the hanger strip with the hook strip and to create an interfering fit between the rearwardly facing projection and the detent members, the slide member further comprising a resilient backing tab opposing the rearwardly facing projection, the backing tab biasing one of said forwardly facing detent members aligned therewith of the hanger strip into engagement with the rearwardly facing projection of the hook strip to maintain a predetermined vertical separation between the door hook and the forwardly facing hook member during use.

10. An adjustable wreath hanger comprising:

an elongated hanger strip having an upper end comprising a rearwardly facing, resilient door hanger and a downwardly extending portion having a plurality of vertically separated, detent members disposed on the forward surface of the hanger strip; and

an elongated hook strip having a lower end comprising a forwardly facing hook member, and upper portion comprising a resilient engagement tab having a rearwardly facing projection, and further comprising a slide member that defines an aperture through which the downwardly extending portion of the hanger strip is insertable to create an interfering fit between the rearwardly facing projection and the detent members, the slide member further comprising a resilient backing tab opposing the rearwardly facing projection, wherein the rearwardly facing projection is selectively disengageable from the detent members of the hanger strip by the simultaneous application of a forwardly directed force to the resilient engagement tab and a rearwardly directed force to the backing tab, thereby enabling the free movement of the hook strip in an upward or downward direction, the backing tab having a projection that biases the detent member of the hanger strip against the rearwardly facing projection to keep the hook strip and the hanger strip cooperatively aligned when the hook is under load, and biasing one of said forwardly facing detent members aligned therewith of the hanger strip into engagement with the rearwardly facing projection of the hook strip to maintain a predetermined vertical separation between the door hook and the forwardly facing hook member during use.

11. An adjustable wreath hanger comprising:

a hanger strip comprising;

a top portion having a first and second end,

an elongated first downwardly-extending portion having a first and a second end and attached at its first end to the first end of the top portion and arranged at a right angle relative to the top portion, the first downwardly extending portion having at its second end a plurality of vertically separated recesses disposed on the second end of the first downwardly-extending portion, and

a second downwardly-extending portion comprising a first and a second end which is attached at its first end to the second end of the top portion, and is arranged at an acute angle relative to the top portion such that the second downwardly-extending portion opposes the first downwardly extending portion; and

a hook strip comprising;

a lower end comprising a forwardly facing hook member, and

an upper end comprising a resilient engagement tab

wherein said engagement tab comprises a rearwardly facing projection, a slide member that defines an aperture through which the first downwardly extending portion of the hanger strip is insertable to align the hanger strip with the hook strip to create an interfering fit between the rearwardly facing projection and the vertically separated recesses of the first downwardly extending portion of the hanger strip, the slide member comprising a resilient backing tab opposing the rearwardly facing projection, the backing tab biasing one of said vertically separated recesses aligned therewith of the first downwardly extending portion of the hanger strip into engagement with the rearwardly facing projection of the hook strip to maintain a predetermined vertical separation between the door hook and the forwardly facing hook member during use.

12. The adjustable wreath hanger of claim 11, wherein said hanger strip can be mounted over a door such that the top portion rests on the top of the door, the first downwardly extending portion rests substantially flat on one face of the door, and the second downwardly extending portion opposes said first downwardly extending portion on an opposite face of the door, and adjustably flexes to accommodate doors of various thicknesses.

13. The adjustable wreath hanger of claim 11, wherein the second end of the second downwardly-extending portion comprises a rearwardly-facing hook member.

14. An adjustable wreath hanger comprising:

an elongated hanger strip having an upper end comprising a rearwardly facing, resilient door hook and a downwardly extending portion having a plurality of vertically separated, forwardly facing detent members; and

an elongated hook strip having a lower end comprising a forwardly facing hook member, and upper portion comprising a resilient engagement tab having a rearwardly facing projection, a slide member attached to and cooperating with the upper portion of the hook strip to define an aperture through which the downwardly extending portion of the hanger strip is insertable to create an interfering fit between the rearwardly facing projection and the detent members, the slide member further comprising an upwardly extending, resilient backing tab spaced apart from the rearwardly facing projection, the backing tab biasing one of said forwardly facing detent members aligned therewith of the hanger strip into engagement with the rearwardly facing projection of the hook strip to maintain a predetermined vertical separation between the door hook and the forwardly facing hook member during use, and wherein the backing tab has a top end with a forwardly extending projection that biases the detent member of the hanger strip against the rearwardly facing projection to prevent the hook strip from sliding downwardly in relation to the hanger strip, and wherein the rearwardly facing projection is selectively disengageable from the detent members of the hanger strip by the application of a rearwardly directed force to the hanger strip at a point above the top of the backing tab.