ARTICLE SUPPORT DEVICE COMPRISING A ROTATABLE CONNECTION

• US 20120153102A1
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Thompson, Craig D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,814,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/205.3
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/175 Stretch releasing adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49815 Disassembling

Abstract

Herein is disclosed an article support device capable of being attached to a mounting surface using a stretch-releasable adhesive tape, the device comprising a base and a support body that is rotatably and non-detachably connected to the base, wherein the support body is rotatable relative to the base, between a first position in which the base and the stretch-releasable adhesive tape are hidden, and at least one second position in which at least a portion of a pull tab of the stretch-releasable adhesive tape is visible.

Claims

1. An article support device capable of being mounted onto a mounting surface using a stretch-releasable adhesive tape, comprising:

a base comprising first and second major sides,

the first major side comprising a first major surface that is configured to be attached to a stretch-releasable adhesive tape;

and,

a support body comprising first and second major sides and that is rotatably and non-detachably connected to the second major side of the base;

wherein the support body is rotatable relative to the base, between a first position in which the base and the stretch-releasable adhesive tape are hidden, and at least one second position in which at least a portion of a pull tab of the stretch-releasable adhesive tape is visible.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the support body comprises a first major side comprising an article support member, and a second major side comprising a rotatable and non-detachable connection to the second major side of the base.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein when the device is mounted onto a mounting surface and at least when the support body is in the second position, the support body is outwardly offset from the mounting surface a distance that is greater than a combined thickness of the base and the adhesive tape.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein the article support member comprises an outwardly-protruding hook.

5. The device of claim 2 wherein the first major side of the support body does not comprise any visible abutment lines.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the support body comprises a perimeter that circumferentially bounds the base when the support body is in the first position.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the support body has an elongated axis and the base has an elongated axis, and wherein when the support body is in the first position the elongated axis of the support body is aligned with the elongated axis of the base.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the support body comprises at least one first support body complementary detent structure and the base comprises at least one first base complementary detent structure, the first complementary detent structures combining to allow the support body to be maintained at the first position with respect to the base, and further combining to allow, upon the application of a predetermined amount of rotation force to the support body in a direction away from the first position and toward the second position, the support body to be rotated away from the first position and toward the second position.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the first complementary detent structures collectively comprise at least one protruding member that protrudes from the second major side of the base or the second major side of the support body, and at least one receptacle in the second major side of the base or the second major side of the support body, that is configured to receive at least a terminal portion of the protruding member when the support body is in the first position.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the device is configured so that the terminal portion of the protruding member sweeps out an arcuate path upon rotation of the support body away from the first position and toward the second position, and wherein the at least one receptacle is bordered by, and at least partially defined by, at least one first protrusion that is adjacent the receptacle along the arcuate path of the terminal portion of the protruding member in a first direction, and at least one second protrusion that is adjacent the receptacle along the arcuate path of the terminal portion of the protruding member in a second direction generally opposite to the first direction.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is configured so that the support body is rotatable away from the first position, in a clockwise and a counterclockwise direction.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the second position is located at a rotation angle away from the first position of from about 30 degrees to about 80 degrees, clockwise or counterclockwise.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the support body is rotatable relative to the base in one direction only, and wherein a first major surface of the first major side of the support body comprises at least one visible indicia indicative of the direction of rotation from the first position to the second position.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein the second major side of the base and the second major side of the support body each comprise at least one complementary rotation-limiting structure, the rotation-limiting structure of the support body interacting with the rotation-limiting structure of the base to physically limit the rotation of the support body relative to the base so that the support body cannot be rotated beyond the second position.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the rotation-limiting structures of the support body and base comprise, respectively, a second support body complementary detent structure and a second base complementary detent structure, the second complementary detent structures combining to allow the support body to be maintained at the second position, and further combining to allow, upon the application of a predetermined rotation force to the support body in a direction toward the first position, the support body to be rotated away from the second position and toward the first position.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein the support body and the base each comprise a molded body comprised of an injection moldable organic polymeric material and wherein the support body and the base are connected to each other by a snap-fitted connection that serves as a rotatable, non-detachable connection between the support body and the base.

17. The device of claim 1 further comprising a stretch-releasable adhesive tape comprising a portion that is adhesively bonded to the first major surface of the first major side of the base and further comprising a pull tab that is not in overlapping relation with, and is not adhesively bonded to, the first surface of the first major side of the base.

18. The device of claim 1 wherein the support body comprises at least one support body force-transferring structure that is generally arcuately shaped and wherein the base comprises at least one base force-transferring structure that is generally arcuately shaped and that is generally congruent with the shape of the force-transferring structure of the support body, wherein the force-transferring structures are configured so that, when the support body is in the first position and the device is under load, at least a portion of the force-transferring structure of the support body is in contact with at least a portion of the force-transferring structure of the base.

19. The device of claim 1 wherein the support body comprises at least one force-transmitting structure that is not in overlapping relation with any portion of the base or the adhesive tape when the support body is in the first position or in the second position and that is configured so that, when the support body is in the first position and the device is under load, at least a terminal portion of the force-transmitting structure of the support body is in contact with at least a portion of the mounting surface.

20. A method of detaching an article support device from a mounting surface, the article support device comprising a support body and the method comprising:

manually rotating the entirety of the support body relative to a base to which the support body is rotatably and non-detachably connected, from a first position to a second position,

wherein when the support body is rotated to the second position at least a graspable portion of a pull tab of a stretch-releasable adhesive tape that bonds the base to the mounting surface and that was hidden by the support body when the support body was in the first position is thereby exposed; and

,

while the support body is in the second position, grasping and pulling on the pull tab to stretch and release the stretch-release adhesive at least from the mounting surface, thereby detaching the article support device from the mounting surface.