GB2100124A - System for hanging an item such as a mirror or the like - Google Patents

Abstract

A system for enabling an item 2 such as a mirror, wall, plaque, etc, from a support element 3 comprises a plurality of holders 4 slideable along a connecting medium 5 which may be a wire, cord, chain etc. Each holder has a through hole through which the connecting medium passes and, parallel thereto, a reentrant or slot (not referenced) which accommodates an edge portion of the item 2. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION l System for hanging an item such as a mirror or the like The present invention relates to a system for hanging an item such as a mirror, picture, plaque or the like.

According to the present invention there is provided a system for hanging an item such as mirror, picture, plaque or the like comprising a length, in use forming a closed loop, of a flexible connecting medium such as a cord, wire, string or the like and a number of holders secured to the connecting medium and each having a reentrant formation for holding an edge portion of the item to be hung.

Preferably, there are at least three, holders, each slideable along the length of the medium. Although the system will, in some circumstances and with some types of item, work with only one or two holders, for more general application and to make it easier to achieve stable support of the item, it is preferable that there are three or more holders.

Having the holders slideable along the length of the connecting medium makes it simple to accommodate items of different shapes and to arrange the holders to produce an effect pleasing on the eye.

The item may be regular or irregular in shape, as desired.

In use, the holders are simply fitted around the edge of the item and the connecting medium is then hung over a suitable support such as a hook, nail or the like.

Preferably, each holder has a through-hole through which the medium passes substantially parallel to the eentrnnt. This hole can be drilled or otherwise formed through the holder so that a number of holders can be threaded onto the connecting medium.

Each holder can be a simple geometric shape such as a right cylinder with the reentrant formed by a slot in its surface. In other forms, holders of more unusual appearance, for example each in the shape of a hand could be provided.

The invention also provides a holder for use in a system according to the present invention.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front elevation of one embodiment of the present invention being used to support an item; Figure 2 shows one of the holders used in the system of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view from the rear of Fig. 1; Figure 4 is a side elevation from the right in Fig. 1; Figures 5 and 6 shows a further form of holder; Figure 7 shows another embodiment of the present invention incorporating a number of holders as in Fig. 5; and Fig. 1 shows one embodiment'of the present invention in which the system, generally designated 1 is used to support a rectangular item 2, such as, for example, a mirror from a support element such as a hook or nail 3. The system comprises three holders for which are threaded onto a flexible, preferably inextensible, connecting medium 5.The connecting medium 5 may, for example, be a wire, string, cord, chain or any other suitable item.

Each holder 4 has a reentrant in the form of a slot 7 by means of which it holds an edge portion of the supported item 2 and is slideable along the length of the medium 5 so that its position along the edge portion can be adjusted, both to provide adequate support for the item 2 and to enable the holders to be arranged in a manner pleasing to the eye.

As can be seen from Fig. 4, the holders are each threaded onto the medium 5 so that their slots 7 lie to the same side of the plane of medium 5.

The holders 4 may be hollow or solid and made of any suitable materials such as wood, plastics or metal and be coloured or otherwise finished to produce a desired visual effect.

One form of the holder 4 is shown in Fig. 2 where it will be seen that the holder is in the form of a right cylinder formed with a through-hole 6 for the connecting medium 5 and a slot 7 to accomodate an edge portion of the item 2, the hole 6 and slot 7 being parallel to one another and to the flat end faces 8 and 9 of the cylinder.

The slot 7 has a floor 10 parallel to the axis of the cylinder and which in use accommodates the edge surface of the item to be supported and disposed to either side of this floor are two surfaces 11 and 1 2 parallel to the end faces of the holder and which in use face the opposed major surfaces of the item 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the item 2 supported by the system 1, the connecting medium 5 of which is hung over a support element 3 fixed to a wall 1 3. Fig. 4 shows how the end faces 9 of the holders act as "feet" against the wall 1 3 and hold the item 2 in parallel relation thereto.

It will be appreciated that provided they provide adequate support, the positions of the holders 4 relative to the item 2 may be varied as desired; they need not be symmetrically disposed with respect to the item 2.

Fig. 5 shows a further form of the holder which is in the form of a parallelipiped of triangular cross-section with the slot 7 formed at one of the apices and having its floor 10 parallel to the opposite side 15 of the triangular shape.

Fig. 7 shows a number of these triangular holders may be used.

Fig. 6 shows a further form of the holder which is overall of rectangular parallelipiped shape, and is of square cross-section.

In each of the above described embodiments, when the system 1 and item 2 are hung from the support 3, this increases the tension in the connecting medium 5 which in turn serves to increase the force of engagement between the holders 4 and the item 2.

Numerous other modifications within the scope of the invention will be apparent. For example, the slot 7 need not be rectangular in elevation as in the above illustrated embodiments. It may have one or both side walls inclined or curved so as to accommodate items to be hung of different thicknesses.

Claims (11)

1. A system for hanging an item such as a mirror, picture, plaque or the like comprising a length, in use forming a closed loop, of a flexible connecting medium such as a cord, wire, string or the like and secured to the connecting medium and each having a reentrant formation for holding an edge portion of the item to be hung.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein there are at least three, holders, each slideable along the length of the medium.

3. A system according to claim 1 or wherein each holder has a through-hole through which the medium passes.

4. A system according to claim 3 wherein the through-hole is substantially parallel to the reentrant.

5. A system according to claim 3 wherein the reentrance of the respective holders are, in use, displaced in the same direction from the plane of the medium.

6. A system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each holder is a solid or hollow body with the reentrant thereof formed by a slot in its surface.

7. A system according to claim 6 wherein each holder has a cross section of a simple geometrical shape such as cylindrical, triangular or square.

8. A system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein each holder has a flat end face for resting against a surface on which the item is to be hung.

9. A system for hanging an item, such system being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated to Figs. 1 to 4, or Figs 5 and 7 or Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings.

10. A,holder for use in a system according to any one of the preceding claims and being in the form of a body having a reentrant in the surface thereof for holding said edge portion of the item to be hung and a throughhole, through which, in use, the connecting medium is to pass, the through-hole being parallel to the floor of the reentrant.

11. A holder for use in a system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, such holder being substantially as herein described with reference to and is illustrated in Fig. 2, Fig. 5 or Fig. 6 of the accompanying drawings.