Supports: racks – Specially mounted – Wall or window
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-20
2003-12-30
Gibson, Jr., Robert W. (Department: 3634)
Supports: racks
Specially mounted
Wall or window
C211S123000, C248S151000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06669034
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to wardrobe rods.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The problem with wardrobe rods is that they sag, both from the influence of their own weight and from the influence of clothing hung on them. In a known wardrobe rod of the type disclosed in DE 197 36 565 A1, one attempts to compensate the bending of the wardrobe rod so that the entire wardrobe rod is tensioned by a threaded piece that operates in conjunction with a counter-threaded area along the longitudinal direction of the wardrobe rod. The tension created by rotating the thread and counter-thread must be transferred to the walls via the brackets. By tensioning the wardrobe rod, only a part of the bending caused by its own weight or load weight can be compensated because the tensioning forces at the end of the tensioning process increase without limit. The ability to be tensioned therefore depends on the stability of the anchoring of the brackets to the wall.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Based on this state of the art, it is the task of this invention to design a wardrobe rod with a tensioning device that allows mounting even without extremely strong forces that may no longer be controlled in that the wardrobe rod maintains as straight a line as possible in mounted and in loaded condition. The sag of the wardrobe rod must be practically completely capable of being compensated by means of the tensioning device.
In the wardrobe rod based on the invention, the tube is transfixed longitudinally by a tension member whose centerline beyond its ends extends displaced with respect to the centerline of the wardrobe rod in non-loaded condition. The tension member is positioned at least partially in the displaced area at the bearing surfaces of an insert that rests against the inner wall of the wardrobe rod at the end opposite the sliding member. Such an arrangement results in the situation that the sag may not only be compensated by tensioning the sliding member, but may also be over-compensated. A wardrobe rod formed in such manner and sagging from its own weight and/or load weight is displaced upwards by the tensioning of the tension member below in the central area. During this, the tension member may be tensioned to a degree beyond the previous bearable tension forces, so that the central area of the horizontally-installed wardrobe rod actually moves above the centerline between the two brackets.
The centerline of the tension member is preferably positioned in the direction opposite the centerline of the wardrobe rod through which the wardrobe rod sags under the influence of its own weight and/or load.
The tension member is formed to be suitably flexible. By virtue of the flexible form of the tension member, the wardrobe rod based on the invention may be simple, light, and nevertheless stable.
Other advantageous embodiments of the invention result from the sub-claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1500049 (1924-07-01), Brooks
patent: 2399001 (1946-04-01), Chilton
patent: 5011030 (1991-04-01), Alaurent
patent: 5110079 (1992-05-01), Evenson et al.
patent: 9101331 (1991-04-01), None
patent: 9736565 (1999-02-01), None
patent: 9900280 (1999-03-01), None
patent: 9922379 (2000-03-01), None
patent: 0000222 (2000-07-01), None
patent: 1024461 (1953-04-01), None
patent: 583740 (1944-11-01), None
patent: 38393 (1960-04-01), None
Bourque & Associates, P.A
Gibson , Jr. Robert W.
Manfred Diedrichsen & Co.
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