GB2411447A

GB2411447A - Mounting for a towel rail

Info

Publication number: GB2411447A
Application number: GB0404185A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dermot Francis Lennon
Original assignee: Basic Holdings
Current assignee: Basic Holdings
Priority date: 2004-02-25
Filing date: 2004-02-25
Publication date: 2005-08-31
Anticipated expiration: 2024-02-25
Also published as: GB2411447B; GB0404185D0

Abstract

Mounting means for a towel rail (24) comprises a mounting body (12) which is attachable to a supporting surface. An attachment member (14) has a first portion (14a) adjustably mounted on the rail (24) and a second portion (14b) receivable in the mounting body (12) . A locking pin (16) retains the second portion (14b) in the mounting body (12).

Description

Fastening Devices The present invention relates to means for fastening

structures or apparatus to a fixing point, member or surface, more especially to means for fixing a tubular or like member, and in particular to means for attaching a towel rail to a wall.

Towel rails are well known in the art and generally comprise a series of metal tubes formed into a frame and either carrying one or more heating elements, which may be in communication with a heat transfer fluid such an oil, or providing a through flow path for a heated fluid medium such as water in a central heating system.

Conventionally, towel rails are mounted on a wall by fixing suitable brackets to the tubular members of the towel rail at appropriate locations, offering the towel rail with the attached brackets to the wall and securing the brackets to the wall by suitable means such as screws. This construction is disadvantageous in that considerable precision is required in preparing holes in the wall to accommodate the mounting screws of the brackets, since the position of the brackets on the towel rail is fixed before the towel rail is offered up to the wall. The present invention seeks to alleviate this problem.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a mounting means for a towel rail comprising a mounting body including means for attaching the body to a supporting structure; an attachment member having a first portion adjustably mountable on the towel rail and a second portion adapted in use to be received in the mounting body; means co-operating with the second portion for fixing the location of the.

...DTD: attachment member on the towel rail; . locking means cooperating with the second portion and the mounting body for retaining the second portion within the body. .. Hi

In one preferred embodiment, the attachment member comprises a strap wherein said first portion is a portion of the strap which is adapted to encompass a portion of the towel rail and said second portion comprises juxtaposed end portions of the strap.

In a preferred variation the means for fixing the location of the attachment member comprise a captive nut mounted on a said end portion of the strap and a cooperating bolt effective to draw the respective strap end portions towards one another, to tighten the strap onto the towel rail.

In another preferred embodiment, the means for fixing the location of the attachment member are disposed in use within the mounting body, such that they are not visible to a user.

Preferably the mounting body includes a lateral through bore and the second portion of the attachment means includes a through hole and wherein the locking means comprises a pin adapted to be retained in the lateral bore and to pass through the said through hole, thereby to prevent withdrawal of the second portion from the mounting body. In a preferred variation, the pin is rotatable from an insertion position in which it can pass through the through bore to a locking position in which the pin engages and is retained by a part of the mounting body.

A mounting means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any of Figures to 7.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a towel rail structure comprising a towel rail and at least one mounting means as defined above. :::;: According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a method of mounting a towel rail on a supporting surface comprising: ...

i) providing at least one mounting means according to the first aspect. . of the invention; ë :& ii) determining a desired location for the, or each, mounting means on the mounting surface, in relation to the desired location of the towel rail on the surface; Act) mounting the, or each, mounting body to the mounting surface in the said desired location; v) attaching the first portion of the, or each, attachment member to an appropriate location on the towel rail; v) if necessary, adjusting the position of the said first portion on the towel rail and fixing the location of the attachment member with the means for fixing; vat) offering the towel rail to the supporting surface and inserting the, or each second portion of the attachment member into a mounting member; and via) inserting a locking pin through the lateral bore of the, or each, mounting body.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect reference will be made, by way of example only to the following drawings in which: Figure is an exploded perspective view of a mounting means according to the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the mounting means of Figure when attached to a towel rail member, prior to insertion of the locking pin; a,.ecc Figure 3 is another perspective view of the mounting means of Figure 1 when fully assembled and attached to a towel rail member; Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view, similar to Figure 1, of a mounting means.' . . according to another embodiment of the invention;

I

Figure 5 is an exploded view of the mounting means of Figure 4, in the absence of I' the towel rail member; .. :.

Figure 6 is a partly exploded view of the mounting means of Figure 4, prior to insertion of the locking member; and Figure 7 is another perspective view of the mounting means of Figure 4 when fully assembled and attached to a towel rail member.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 3, the mounting means 10 according to the invention comprises a mounting body 12, an attachment member 14 and a locking pin 16.

The mounting body 12 can be formed from any suitable material and will typically be a plastic such as ABS. For improved appearance of the mounted towel rail, the mounting body is preferably coloured to match the towel rail, such as a white, brass or chrome finish. The mounting member 12 includes spars 18 defining a mounting bore 20. A screw or other suitable fixing means can be passed through the mounting bore 20 to attach the mounting means 12 to a supporting surface, such as a wall, with the head of the screw retained (and concealed) within the mounting means 12. The mounting means 12 also comprises a lateral through bore 22 for accommodating the locking pin 16.

The attachment member 14 in the illustrated embodiment comprises a strap, suitably of metal, including a first portion 14a which encompasses in use a member 24 of the towel rail. A second portion of the strap comprises leading ends 14b, 14b' which project approximately radially in use with respect to the member 24 of the towel rail and are accommodated in the mounting body 12 when the towel rail is fastened to a supporting surface. In this way, the leading ends 14b, 14b' are not normally visible to a user of the towel rail. The attachment member 14 is secured to the towel rail member 24, in order to retain it in a desired location and, in use, to support the towel rail, by tightening the portion 14a around the towel rail member 24. To this end, one or both of the .'.: portions 14b, 14b' is provided with a through hole 26 and one of the portions 14b, ....

14b' is provided with a nut 28 fixed thereto (a "captive nut'] which receives a bolt. . 30. The nut 28 and bolt 30 have mating threads so that tightening of the bolt 30 in the captive nut 28 draws the leading ends 14b, 14b' together, so tightening the attachment member 14 around the towel rail member 24.

When the attachment member 14 has been secured to the towel rail member 24, the leading ends 14b, 14b' can be inserted into the mounting body 12 so that the leading ends 14b, 14b', the through hole 26, the captive nut 28 and the bolt 30 are not visible to a user. Preferably, the end face 32 of the mounting body 12 is shaped to conform to the outer surface of the towel rail member 24 so that the two parts fit flush together.

In order to secure the attachment member 14 (and hence the towel rail) to the mounting body 12, the mounting body 12 is provided with a lateral through bore 22. The leading ends 14b, 14b' are each provided with through holes 34 which, when the leading ends 14b, 14b' are fully inserted into the mounting body 12, align with the through bore 22. The locking pin 16 can then be inserted into the lateral bore 22 and through the through holes 34 to prevent withdrawal of the leading ends 14b, 14b'from the mounting body 12. Although the bore 22 has been described as a through bore, this is not essential. For example, the wall of the mounting body 12 can be provided on its internal surface with a feature which co operates with a feature of the leading end of the locking pin 16 so that the locking pin 16 can engage the formation to prevent its unintended withdrawal. For example, the co-operating features could be a screw thread or a bayonet- like construction.

Preferably, the end 22a of the through bore 22 includes one or more formations which co-operate with corresponding formations provided on the leading end 16a of .

the locking pin 16 to prevent withdrawal of the locking pin 16. In the illustrated.. a. :.

example, the locking pin 16 is provided with diametrically opposed protrusions 16b which are directed generally radially outwardly with respect to the axis of the pin 16. The inner surface 22b of the end 22a of the bore 22 is so shaped that the leading end 16a of the pin 16 can pass through only in a given orientation. When....

the pin is fully inserted, it can be rotated about its axis, for example by means of a. . coin or screwdriver blade co-operating with a slot 16c, to a position in which the local diameter of the bore as defined by the inner surface 22b is less than the maximum dimension of the leading end 16a (i.e. as measured across the opposed protrusions 16b), so that the protrusions 16b prevent withdrawal of the pin 16 in its axial direction. The surface of the end 22a of the bore 22 may also be so shaped as to provide a resistance to the rotation of the locking pin 16 into its locking position and, correspondingly, resistance to rotation of the pin in the reverse sense from the locking position to the free position in which the pin 16 can be withdrawn. For example, the surface may be provided with small relatively raised areas which require a slight distortion of the protrusions 16b as they are rotated.

Figures 4 to 7 illustrate a fixing according to the invention which is functionally the same as that of the remaining Figures, and like components have been given like reference numerals. The fixing illustrated in Figures 4 to 7 is adapted for use with a towel rail member 24 which is of relatively greater diameter. Hence, the portion 14a of the attachment member is sized to accommodate the greater diameter of the towel rail member 24, and the axial length of the mounting body 12 is made relatively shorter. Also in the embodiment illustrated in these figures, the spars 18 are replaced by a cross-member 18a defining a through hole 20a for the screw or the like by which the fixing means 10 is attached to the supporting surface.

In use of the fixing means according to the invention, the desired location of each mounting body 12 on a supporting surface is determined. Typically, four mounting bodies are used for each towel rail. The desired position of each mounting body is determined in relation to its desired point of attachment on the towel rail. The supporting surface is then prepared, preferably by providing appropriate holes to receive a screw passing in use through hole 20 and the mounting bodies 12 are .

attached to the supporting surface by means of such a screw. The attachment :.

members 14 are then mounted to appropriate parts of the towel rail and their position adjusted until final positions are achieved corresponding to the positions of the fixed mounting bodies 12. The attachment members 14 are then secured in .

their positions on the towel rail members 24 by tightening the bolt 30 in nut 28. At....

this stage, the towel rail with fixed attachment members 14 is offered up to the. . mounting bodies 12 so that the leading ends 14b, 14b' enter the mounting bodies 12. The leading ends are inserted until the towel rail members meet the end surfaces 32 of the mounting bodies 12. The locking pins 16 are then inserted into the bores 22 of the mounting bodies 12 and secured in their locking positions, preferably by rotating the pins 16 about their longitudinal axis, as illustrated. The S towel rail is then secured to the supporting surface.

The present invention provides a fixing which is both aesthetically pleasing and simple to use. A significant advantage of the fixing according to the invention lies in the freedom which a user has in adjusting the position of the attachment means on the towel rail to accommodate variations in the positions of the mounting means. This contrast with the prior art fixings where precise drilling of holes in the supporting surface was essential because of the inability to easily adjust the position of the fixing on the towel rail.

Although the fixing of the invention has been described in connection with towel rail members of circular cross-section, this is not an essential requirement. For example, towel rail members of oval, polygonal or even square cross-section are not excluded. Also, although the fixing of the invention has been described primarily in relation to towel rails, application of the fixing to other apparatus having similar members requiring a fixing location is not excluded. ëe.. - .. - .. e.

Claims

Claims: 1. A mounting means for a towel rail comprising a mounting body

including means for attaching the body to a supporting structure; an attachment member having a first portion adjustably mountable on the towel rail and a second portion adapted in use to be received in the mounting body; means co-operating with the second portion for fixing the location of the attachment member on the towel rail; locking means cooperating with the second portion and the mounting body for retaining the second portion within the body.
2. A mounting means as claimed in claim 1 wherein the attachment member comprises a strap wherein said first portion is a portion of the strap which is adapted to encompass a portion of the towel rail and said second portion comprises juxtaposed end portions of the strap.
3. A mounting means as claimed in claim 2 wherein the means for fixing the location of the attachment member comprise a captive nut mounted on a said end portion of the strap and a cooperating bolt effective to draw the respective strap end portions towards one another, to tighten the strap onto the towel rail.
4. A mounting means as claimed in i, 2 or 3 wherein the means for fixing the location of the attachment member are disposed in use within the mounting body, such that they are not visible to a user.

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5. A mounting means as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the mounting body includes a lateral through bore and the second portion of the attachment means includes a through hole and wherein the locking means comprises a pin adapted to be retained in the lateral bore and to pass through the said through hole, thereby to prevent withdrawal of the second portion from the mounting.... -

body. : ë
6. A mounting means as claimed in claim 5 wherein the pin is rotatable from an insertion position in which it can pass through the through bore to a locking position in which the pin engages and is retained by a part of the mounting body.
7. A mounting means substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any of Figures 1 to 7.
8. A towel rail structure comprising a towel rail and at least one mounting means as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7.
9. A method of mounting a towel rail on a supporting surface comprising: i) providing at least one mounting means as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7; it) determining a desired location for the, or each, mounting means on the mounting surface, in relation to the desired location of the towel rail on the surface; Act) mounting the, or each, mounting body to the mounting surface in the said desired location; iv) attaching the first portion of the, or each, attachment member to an appropriate location on the towel rail; v) if necessary, adjusting the position of the said first portion on the towel rail and fixing the location of the attachment member with the means for fixing; vat) offering the towel rail to the supporting surface and inserting the, or each second portion of the attachment member into a mounting:.

member; and I. vii) inserting a locking pin through the lateral bore of the, or each, . .

mounting body. .. . .: - :