Supports – Brackets – Specially mounted or attached
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-18
2001-08-28
Braun, Leslie A. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Brackets
Specially mounted or attached
C248S216400, C248S218100, C248S220310, C248S489000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279862
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hanger devices, and more particularly concerns a hanger for suspending an article from a soft-core fabric-covered wall.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Soft-core partition walls or panels are commonly used to subdivide open spaces in offices or to provide decorative effects or noise reduction. Such walls are typically covered with a textile fabric or other soft, flexible covering material. Their cores may be formed of a soft plaster, bonded low density fiberglass, cellulose, plasterboard, or other equivalent material. It is thus not recommended to use nails, tacks or conventional picture hangers with such partition panels, because the nails or tacks are likely to damage the core and/or the fabric. When a single nail is used to hang an article, substantially the entire weight of the article is concentrated at the point where the nail pierces the fabric, making it likely that the fabric will be torn, or that the core will be damaged, or both.
There are many items that an office worker might wish to fasten to the walls of his or her office cubicle. A large portion of these, such as small digital clocks, framed pictures, and the like, cannot readily be fastened to such walls without causing damage to the wall.
Specialized hangers have earlier been disclosed for use on soft-core office partition walls. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,485 to Dwinell et. al. discloses a soft-wall hanger having two downwardly directed sharpened spikes adapted to penetrate the fabric layer of the wall. U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,788 to Hoskinson et. al. discloses a soft-wall hanger having a single strand of stiff wire bent to form clip, hook and prong portions. The prong penetrates the fabric and hangs therefrom.
The hangers of the aforesaid patents utilize only the fabric component of the soft wall to support the hanger and utilize only one or two points of support. In time, the weight of the hanger and objects supported thereby cause stretching and/or tearing of the fabric.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a hanger device for use on a soft-core wall having an outer fabric covering.
It is another object of this invention to provide a hanger device as in the foregoing object which will not damage said fabric covering.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a hanger device of the aforesaid nature which can be easily emplaced upon said soft-core wall and will provide stable support for relatively heavy objects.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a hanger of the aforesaid nature of durable, simple construction amenable to low cost manufacture.
These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above and other beneficial objects and advantages are accomplished in accordance with the present invention by a hanger for a soft-core wall having an outer fabric covering, said hanger comprising:
a) a rigid panel having a flat rear surface, opposed front surface and a perimeter edge having upper, lower and side portions,
b) a number of sharp prongs downwardly emergent from said rear surface, and
c) hook means extending forwardly of said front surface.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4333625 (1982-06-01), Haug
patent: 4422608 (1983-12-01), Hogg
patent: 4509713 (1985-04-01), Hogg
patent: 4871140 (1989-10-01), Hoskinson et al.
patent: 5029788 (1991-07-01), Hoskinson et al.
patent: 5267718 (1993-12-01), Sheehan
patent: 5269485 (1993-12-01), Dwinell et al.
patent: 5673803 (1997-10-01), Burback
Braun Leslie A.
Rainer Norman B.
Wujciak A. Joseph
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