GB2321390A

GB2321390A - Wall-mounted plastics holder for household utensils

Info

Publication number: GB2321390A
Application number: GB9801028A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Messerer
Original assignee: Plastolen Kunststofftechn GmbH
Current assignee: Plastolen Kunststofftechn GmbH
Priority date: 1997-01-28
Filing date: 1998-01-20
Publication date: 1998-07-29
Also published as: FR2758707A1; FR2758707B3; GB9801028D0; DE29701344U1

Abstract

A holder for household utensils is formed by injection moulding and comprises a wall-mounted main body 1 having an upper wide depository 2 for an elongated cleaning utensil such as a broom or glass surface wiper and suspension hooks 3 on its lower surface for items such as cloths, brushes and dustpans. Two upwardly projecting pillars 6 detachably mounted in receivers 7 on the upper surface of the body form a support 4 for a vacuum cleaner hose which rests on receiving faces 5,8 of the pillars and body respectively. Handle-receiving recesses 15 and suspension lugs 14 are provided for holding other items. The hooks may be located on a separate plate (12, Fig 5,6) which slides into the main body.

Description

2321390 "Wall-mounted holder, produced as a plastics injection moulding,

for household cleaning utensils" This invention relates to a wall-mounted holder, produced as a plastics injection moulding, for household cleaning utensils, having a main body which is to be mounted on the wall and which has an upper, wide depository for an elongated cleaning utensil such as a broom or glass surface wiper, and which has suspension hooks disposed on its underside for suspended items such as cloths, dustpans and brushes.

The known wall-mounted holder comprises a trough-like main body which is mounted on the wall and in the depository of which there is space for a broom, the broom handle of which then hangs downwards. For this purpose, the depository has a central passageway opening for the broom handle. Suspension hooks, on which suspended items such as cloths, dustpans and brushes or the like can be suspended, are integrally formed on the underside of the depository.

This wall-mounted holder as a whole is produced as a one piece plastics injection moulding.

If more holding options for household cleaning utensils are provided on a wall-mounted holder such as this, the mould for manufacturing the plastic injection moulding becomes very complicated. Moreover, the one-piece plastics injection moulding becomes fairly bulky and necessitates a packaging unit of a considerable size.

Wall-mounted holders for household cleaning utensils are also known in practice which are produced as a bent wire component. These generally comprise one or two depositories, an arcuate wire grid support for a vacuum cleaner hose, which arches above the depositories, and wire suspension hooks under the depositories for all the possible suspended items. ne individual wires of this wall-mounted holder are soldered to each other, and the entire arrangement is subsequently coated with plastics. Compared with plastics injection mouldings, this is a completely different design.

A basic object of the present invention is to improve a wall-mounted holder for household cleaning utensils, which is constructed as a plastics injection moulding, as regards the type and number of cleaning utensils which it can hold, and to simplify the manufacture and transport thereof.

A wall-mounted holder in accordance with a first aspect of the invention is defined in claim 1. The upwardly projecting support creates the possibility of accommodating a vacuum cleaner hose or other elongated objects, for example electrical extension cables also.

The support can be of one-piece arcuate construction according to claim 2, but it is particularly advantageous if the support is formed from two separate, pillar-like bearers. The separate bearers jointly form the supporting line of the support, over which the vacuum cleaner hose or other elongated elements can be placed.

It is particularly advantageous as regards transport if, as provided according to claim 4, the support, namely the bearers in particular, are detachably joined to the main body. The bearers of 1 5 the support can then be detached for despatch in a package; they can easily be attached to the main body by the user when they are received for use. As regards plastics injection moulding technology, it is also advantageous if the support is produced as a separate plastics injection moulding or as separate plastics injection mouldings.

Good guidance of the vacuum cleaner hose resting on the support is achieved by hose contact faces which are formed on the side edges, near the wall mounting face.

In accordance with a further, independent teaching according to claim 6, the depository can be moulded into the main body as an open frame, so that firstly no water collects on this depository and secondly cloths can be hung over the edge of the depository.

A wall-mounted holder in accordance with a second aspect of the invention which is of independent significance, is def ined in claim 7, wherein a placement trough for cleaning materials or the like can be formed in the main body between the depository and the wall mounting face.

Other preferred embodiments form the subject matter of claims 8 and 9.

Forming the suspension hooks directly on the plastics injection moulding causes difficulties from time to time as regards production in the mould. In accordance with a preferred and independent teaching, provision is therefore made according to claim 10 for the suspension hooks to be included in a hook plate produced as a separate plastics injection moulding which can be mounted on the main body. The main body can easily be provided with passageway openings for the suspension hooks, so that the hook plate simply has to placed on the main body.

It is particularly advantageous as regards transport if the passageway openings are disposed in the base of the placement trough. For transport, the hook plate can then be placed in the placement trough in inverted alignment, namely with the hooks pointing upwards. Therefore, the hooks do not protrude downwards for transport, and the packaging can be kept small. The user simply has to insert the hook plate in the placement trough; it is fixed therein quite automatically.

Other suspension options are provided according to independent claim 13.

In the prior art which forms the starting point for the invention, only one broom can be suspended, with its broom head situated at the top. According to a further, independent teaching of the present invention, provision is made for outwardly open handle recesses, for receiving and clamping the handles of cleaning utensils, to be formed on the side edges, at the transition from the side edges to the front edge and/or on the front edge.

The limitations of plastics injection moulding as regards the material used are complied with in particular if the contact faces for the handles are formed from separate rubber inserts. A plastics material can then be selected for the wall-mounted holder which is relatively hard and smooth as a whole, whilst the rubber inserts provide a high degree of friction where this is necessary.

Modem composite production processes in which different plastics are injection moulded in one mould, namely soft plastics at the contact faces for example, are more costly.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings, which merely illustrate one example of an embodiment, and where:

Figure 1 is a perspective view, from the front left, of a particularly preferred embodiment of the wall-mounted holder according to the invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the main body of the wall-mounted holder shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section, along line III-III in Figure 2, through the wall-mounted holder shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a side view of a pillar-like bearer of the support of the wall-mounted holder shown in Figure 1; 1 5 Figure 5 is a front view of the hook plate of the wall-mounted holder shown in Figure 1; Figure 6 is a view from below of the hook plate; and Figure 7 is a plan view of the rubber insert for the handle recess of the wall- mounted holder shown in Figure 1.

It is first of all essential to the teaching of the present invention that the wall-mounted holder is produced as a plastics injection moulding. Said wall-mounted holder is employed for domestic cleaning utensils, namely for keeping them in a broom cupboard or the like. The wall-mounted holder firstly has a main body 1, which is produced as a plastics injection moulding and which is to be mounted on the wall, and which firstly comprises an upper, wide depository 2 for an elongated cleaning utensils such as a broom or glass surface wipers. The main body 1 also has suspension hooks 3 disposed on its underside for suspended items such as cloths, dustpans and brushes or the like.

It is known in the art that supports for a vacuum cleaner hose or the like can be provided on wallmounted holders, consisting of wire braiding, for domestic cleaning utensils. This has not hitherto been known for wallmounted holders made of plastics, because this has resulted in production problems which are too great.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, however, provision is now made for an upwardly projecting support 4 for a vacuum cleaner hose or the like to be disposed on the upper face of the main body 1, on the wall mounting face.

The support could be produced in the same form as that of wire braiding supports, namely in a one-piece, arcuate form. However, the embodiment illustrated is distinguished in particular in that the support 4 consists of two separate, pillar-like bearers 6 which are disposed side by side at a distance from each other and which are provided at their tips with a hose receiving face 5. These bearers jointly form the basis for the support of a hose, the intrinsic stiffness of which is 1 5 sufficient for it to rest on the bearers 6 in a stable manner.

It is particularly advantageous as regards packaging that in this embodiment the support 4, and therefore the bearers 6 in particular, are detachably joined to the main body 1, and in particular can be inserted in receivers 7 on the main body 1. The receivers 7 can be seen particularly clearly in Figure 2 and Figure 3, since the bearers 6 are not inserted here.

In addition, hose contact faces 8 are situated on the side edges of the main body 1, near the wall mounting face. These contact faces are the inwardly curved guide faces, which can clearly be seen in Figure 1, for the vacuum cleaner hose or the like, which prevent the latter from slipping forwards.

A feature which is also illustrated is that the depository 2 is moulded into the main body 1 as an open frame, over the edge of which a cleaning cloth can therefore be hung, for example.

Figure 4 shows an individual bearer 6, comprising the hose receiver face 5 situated at its upper end, and the base part 9 with which this bearer 6 is inserted in the receiver 7 on the main body 1. This bearer 6 can easily be placed flat on the upper face of the main body for transport, and thus takes up hardly any space.

It can be seen particularly clearly from Figure 1 and from Figure 2 that in the embodiment which is illustrated and which is preferred in this respect a placement trough 10 for cleaning materials or the like is formed in the main body 1 between the depository 2 and the wall mounting face.

Figure 1 shows the downwardly extending placement trough 10, which can provide space for cleaning materials or the like without these failing from the wall- mounted holder.

In the embodiment illustrated, further suspension hooks 11 are integrally formed externally at the edge of the placement trough 10; these can be seen particularly clearly in Figure 1 and in Figure 3. These suspension hooks 11 are wider than the suspension hooks 3 and can be employed for hanging up a floor wiping utensil, for example.

As regards the manufacturing technology employed, Figure 2 in combination with Figure 3 shows that the pillar-like bearers 6, together with the associated receivers 7 in the main body 1, form the free space in the main body 1 which enables the suspension hooks 11 to be formed without problems, namely provision is made for the integrally formed suspension hooks 11 to be disposed underneath the openings for receiving the bearers 6.

Figure 5 and Figure 6, in combination with Figure 1 and Figure 2, show a further special constructional feature of the wall-mounted holder according to the invention, which results firstly in manufacturing advantages and secondly in packaging and transport advantages. As can be seen in Figures 4 and 5 and in Figure 6, provision is made here according to a preferred teaching for the suspension hooks 3 to be included in a hook plate 12 which is produced as a separate plastics injection moulding which can be mounted on the main body 1. It can be seen from Figure 2 that the main body 1 is provided with passageway openings 13 for the suspension hooks 3, and that the hook plate 12 is placed on the main body 1 so that the suspension hooks 3 pass through the passageway openings 13. In Figure 2, the outline of the hook plate 12 is impressed on the base of the main body 1. Moreover, provision is made here for the passageway openings 13 to be disposed in the base of the placement trough 10.

It can be seen from a comparison of Figure 3 and Figure 5 that the hook plate 12, together with the suspension hooks 3, is about the same height as or is somewhat shorter than the depth of the placement trough 10. The hook plate 12 can therefore be inserted upside down, with the suspension hooks 3 pointing upwards, in the placement trough 10 for transport or packing, and thus takes up no additional space. The manufacture of the suspension hooks 3, which is complicated as regards the moulding technology employed, is thus effected advantageously as regards the mould technology employed, and at the same time the transport volume of the wall mounted holder, which is not yet assembled, is very small.

It can be seen from Figures 1 and 2 that suspension lugs 14 are also formed on the upper face of the main body 1, at the top of the front edge and optionally at the top of the side edges.

A design of the wall-mounted holder according to the invention which provides the option of suspending a plurality of broom-like cleaning utensils is of considerable importance. Broom holders comprising a plurality of holding recesses situated side by side are known in many forms of construction. However, it is difficult to integrate a broom holder such as this in an inclusive wall-mounted holder. In the embodiment illustrated, this has been achieved in that outwardly open handle recesses 15, for receiving and clamping the handles of cleaning utensils, are formed on the side edges, at the transition from the side edges to the front edge and/or on the front edge.

These handle recesses 15 have to receive and clamp the handles. They therefore have to enable the handles to be pushed in from the front without difficulty, but have to prevent the handles from slipping out downwards. For this purpose, it is proposed according to the invention that the handle recesses 15 are provided with rubber inserts 16 which form a non- slip surface. These rubber inserts 16 are not shown in the illustrations of Figure 1 and Figure 2. A rubber insert 16 such as this is shown schematically in Figure 7, however. In order to insert the rubber insert 16 in the handle recess 15, provision is made for the handle recesses 15 to have attachment pieces 17 which are integrally formed on their insides and to which the rubber inserts 16 can be attached. This is shown quite well in Figure 1, for example.

Rubber has a surface characteristic which results in a non-slip surface. Accordingly, the remaining plastics material of the wall-mounted holder can itself be relatively hard and can be produced with a smooth surface. This is very advantageous as regards the mould technology employed.

In principle, it would also be possible to produce the wall-mounted holder and the parts thereof by a composite injection moulding process, so that a soft plastics material which forms a non-slip surface is injection moulded on to the insides of the handle recesses 15.

As a whole, the wall-mounted holder according to the invention forms a construction which can be produced completely in plastics material, which nevertheless provides space for keeping a multiplicity of very different domestic cleaning utensils, which is advantageously fashioned as regards the manufacturing technology employed, and which can be broken down so that the optimum configuration is obtained as regards transport and packaging. Despite this, the user only has to perform a few manual operations on receipt of the consignment containing the wall mounted holder according to the invention, which require no mechanical skill in order to 1 5 assemble the wall-mounted holder. The user merely has to insert the hook plate 12 in the placement trough 10 so that the suspension hooks 3 project downwards, and has to insert the insertion parts 9 of the pillar-like bearers 6 into the receivers 7 on the main body 1 from above.

The object is then complete.

Moreover, Figure 3 shows suspension recesses 18 with which the main body 1 can be fixed to the wall. These regions are covered as soon as the bearers 6 have been inserted in the receiver 7.

Claims

1. A wall-mounted holder, produced as a plastics injection moulding, for household cleaning utensils, having a main body which is to be mounted on the wall and which has an upper, wide depository for an elongated cleaning utensil such as a broom or glass surface wiper, and which has suspension hooks disposed on its underside for suspended items such as cloths, dustpans and brushes, wherein an upwardly projecting support for a vacuum cleaner hose or the like is disposed on the upper face of the main body, on the wall mounting face.

is

2. A wall-mounted holder according to claim 1, wherein the support is of one-piece arcuate construction.

3. A wall-mounted holder according to claim 1, wherein the support consists of two separate, pillar-like bearers which are disposed side by side at a distance from each other and which are provided at their tips with a hose receiving face.

4. A wall-mounted holder according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the support, and particularly the bearers, is or are detachably joined to the main body, and in particular can be inserted in receivers on the main body.

5. A wall-mounted holder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein hose contact faces are formed on the side edges of the main body, near the wall mounting face.

6. A wall-mounted holder, produced as a plastics injection moulding, for household cleaning utensils, having a main body which is to be mounted on the wall and which has an upper, wide depository for an elongated cleaning utensil such as a broom or glass surface wiper, and which has suspension hooks disposed on its underside for suspended items such as cloths, dustpans and brushes, according to any one of claims 1 to 5 in particular, wherein the depository is moulded into the main body as an open frame.

7. A wall-mounted holder, produced as a plastics injection moulding, for household cleaning utensils, having a main body which is to be mounted on the wall and which has an upper, wide depository for an elongated cleaning utensil such as a broom or glass surface wiper, and which has suspension hooks disposed on its underside for suspended items such as cloths, dustpans and brushes, according to any one of claims 1 to 6 in particular, with a placement trough for cleaning materials or the like is formed in the main body between the depository and the wall mounting face.

8. A wall-mounted holder according to claim 7, wherein suspension hooks are integrally 1 0 formed externally at the edge of the placement trough.

9. A wall-mounted holder according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the integrally formed suspension hooks are disposed underneath the openings for receiving the bearers.

10. A wall-mounted holder, produced as a plastics injection moulding, for household cleaning utensils, having a main body which is to be mounted on the wall and which has an upper, wide depository for an elongated cleaning utensil such as a broom or glass surface wiper, and which has suspension hooks disposed on its underside for suspended items such as cloths, dustpans and brushes, according to any one of claims 1 to 9 in particular, wherein the suspension hooks are included in a hook plate produced as a separate plastics injection moulding which can be mounted on the main body.

11. A wall-mounted holder according to claim 10, wherein the main body is provided with passageway openings for the suspension hooks, and the hook plate is placed on the main body so that the suspension hooks pass through the passageway openings.

12. A wallmounted holder according to claim 11, wherein the passageway openings are disposed in the base of the placement trough.

13. A wall-mounted holder, produced as a plastics injection moulding, for household cleaning utensils, having a main body which is to be mounted on the wall and which has an upper, wide depository for an elongated cleaning utensil such as a broom or glass surface wiper, and which has suspension hooks disposed on its underside for suspended items such as cloths, dustpans and brushes, according to any one of claims 1 to 12 in particular, wherein suspension lugs are formed on the upper face of the main body, at the top of the front edge and optionally at the top of the side edges.

14. A wall-mounted holder, produced as a plastics injection moulding, for household cleaning utensils, having a main body which is to be mounted on the wall and which has an upper, wide depository for an elongated cleaning utensil such as a broom or glass surface wiper, and which has suspension hooks disposed on its underside for suspended items such as cloths, dustpans and brushes, according to any one of claims 1 to 13 in particular, wherein outwardly open handle recesses, for receiving and clamping the handles of cleaning utensils, are formed on the side edges, at the transition from the side edges to the front edge and/or on the front edge.

is

15. A wall-mounted holder according to claim 14, wherein the handle recesses are provided with rubber inserts which form a non-slip surface.

16. A wall-mounted holder according to claim 15, wherein the handle recesses have attachment pieces which are formed on their insides and to which the rubber inserts can be attached.

17. A wall-mounted holder according to claim 14, wherein a soft plastics material which forms a non-slip surface is injection moulded on to the insides of the handle recesses.

18. A wall-mounted holder, substantially as herein before described with reference to the accompanying drawing(s).

(Abstract follows)