NL2006231C2

NL2006231C2 - Wall mount socket.

Info

Publication number: NL2006231C2
Application number: NL2006231A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Paulus Cornelius Gerardus Johannes Weytens
Original assignee: Amt Metaaltechniek B V
Priority date: 2011-02-17
Filing date: 2011-02-17
Publication date: 2012-08-20

Description

Title: Wall mount socket

The invention relates to a wall mount socket and in particular to a wall mount socket that provides a stabilised insertion hole in a bore hole of structural building wall.

For displaying articles of merchandise in showrooms of retail shops, 5 product display systems have been used that comprise vertical panels and a plurality of different product supporting elements for cooperation with these vertical panels. Commonly such vertical panels are provided with an array of horizontal slots, or a grid of apertures, to which the product supporting elements can be selectively and removably attached. While such systems 10 have successfully met a majority of requirements of the retail business, it has been felt as a drawback that the vertical panel base of such systems has to be separately attached to a structural building wall. Also it has sometimes been considered as a disadvantage to interior stylists that the conventional panel bases interrupt the structural building wall surface.

15 Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to propose an improved wall mount socket that can be directly connected to a structural building wall. In a more general sense it is thus an object of the invention to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art. It is also an object of the present invention to provide alternative structures 20 which are less cumbersome in assembly and operation and which moreover can be made relatively inexpensively. Alternatively it is an object of the invention to at least provide the public with a useful choice.

To this end the invention provides for a wall mount socket and merchandise display system as defined in one or more of the appended 25 claims. With such a wall mount socket is has become possible to support at least one of a variety of supporting elements, such as rods, hangers, tablets, shelves and/or racks, directly from a structural building wall.

P91303NL00 2

Further advantageous aspects of the invention will become clear from the appended description of preferred embodiments. The invention will now be described in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded view of a first embodiment of the invention; 5 Figure 2 is a partial cross section in elevation of an outer sleeve pertaining to a second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 3 is a partial cross section of an inner sleeve pertaining to the second embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 4 shows an implementation of the invention exemplifying 10 possible uses of the first or second embodiments.

Shown in Figure 1 are an outer sleeve 1, an inner sleeve 3 and a supporting rod 5 in an exploded arrangement with respect to one another. The outer sleeve 1 has a generally tubular shank 7 and a radially extending flange 9 on one axial end thereof. The tubular shank 7 has elongate slots 11 15 extending axially inwardly from its axial end opposite of the radial flange 9.

The inner sleeve 3 has an insertion hole 13, of a preferable noncircular cross section, and in the example of Figure 1 the insertion hole 13 has a square cross-section. The inner sleeve 3 further has a tapered shank 15 that defines a large diameter end 17 and a small diameter end 19. On an axial 20 portion adjacent to the small diameter end 19 of the tapered shank 15, the inner sleeve 3 is provided with a male screw threaded section 21.

The inner sleeve 3 is adapted to be received concentrically within the tubular shank 7 of the outer sleeve 1. The outer sleeve 1 is provided with a female screw thread 23 inwardly of the tubular shank 7 and axially between 25 ends of the elongate slots 11 and the radially extending flange 9. The female screw thread 23 is adapted to engage the male screw thread 21 of the inner sleeve 3 once this has been inserted into the tubular shank 7 of the outer sleeve 1 as indicated by arrow 25. The tapered shank 15 of the inner sleeve 3 is configured in such a way that the small diameter end 19 is equal to , or 30 slightly smaller than, an inner diameter of the tubular shank 7 of the outer 3 sleeve 1, and the large diameter end 17 being at least equal to, but preferably substantially larger than the inner diameter of the tubular shank 7. By screwing the inner sleeve 3 into the outer sleeve 1 to a lesser or greater extend, the tapered shank 15 is effective to spread outwardly sections of the tubular 5 shank 7 between adjacent slots 11, which sections thereby act as radially expanding tongues.

Rotating the inner sleeve 3 can be accomplished by engaging the noncircular insertion hole 13 with a suitable tool. As will be explained in more detail further on, the purpose of this assembly is that the outer sleeve 1 and 10 the yet not fully screwed in inner sleeve 3 can be inserted into a bore hole that has been drilled into a structural building wall. The radially extending flange 9 thereby can abut the surface of the structural wall and the tubular shank 7, preferably snugly fits the inner diameter of the drilled bore hole. The inner sleeve 3 upon insertion of the asseblyinto the bore hole in the building wall can 15 then be relatively rotated with respect to the outer sleeve 1, by inserting a suitable tool through a central opening in the flange 9 (not visible in Figure 1, but to be explained further on). The tool inserted through the central opening of the flanged end of outer sleeve 1, can engage the non-circular insertion hole 13, which is executed as a through bore. Rotation of the suitable tool will then 20 expand the tubular sleeve 7 against the inner surface of the bore hole by the axial movement of the tapered shank 15 further into the inner diameter of the tubular shank 7. After removal of the tool, the insertion hole 13 can be used to removably receive the supporting rod 5.

The supporting rod 5 has an insertion end 27, which has a square 25 cross-section corresponding with the insertion hole 13 that thereby acts as a socket for the supporting rods. The supporting rod 5 may have a tubular extension 29, such as partly shown in Figure 1, suitable to suspend merchandise, such as clothing, therefrom. As will be explained in reference to Figure 4 other supporting elements having a similar insertion end 27 may be 30 provided to cooperate with one or more of the socket assemblies provided by 4 inner and outer sleeves 1, 3 mounted in a structural building wall. The insertion end 27 is also provided with a cylindrical root portion 31 with which it can seat in the central bore of the flanged end 9 of the outer sleeve 1. To retain the insertion end 27 against accidental removal from its wall socket a 5 flexible annular element 33, such as a standard elastomeric O-ring, is provided to engage a cavity in the wall mount socket. Insertion of the insertion end 27 into the wall mount socket, composed of outer sleeve 1 and inner sleeve 3, is in accordance with the arrow 35 indicated in Figure 1.

In Figures 2 and 3 a slightly modified system of cooperating outer and 10 inner sleeves 1, 3 is disclosed. The outer sleeve 1, as shown in Figure 2 has a tubular shank 7 and radial flange 9 similar to the embodiment of Figure 1. The tubular shank 7 is also provided with elongate slots 11 extending inwardly from the end opposite to the flange 9 and in a direction towards that flange. The section, in which the tubular shank 7 is formed with tongues separated by 15 the slots 11, differs from that of Figure 1 by having a number of annular detents 37 formed thereon. These annular detents 37 assist in establishing a firm grip on the inner surface of a drilled hole in a structural building wall. Furthermore Figure 2 shows the central opening 39 that is also present in the embodiment of Figure 1, but not visible in that figure. In the cross-sectioned 20 upper half of Figure 2 it is further seen that an annular cavity 41 may be formed between the central opening 39 in the flange 9 and the female screw thread 23 for receiving the O-ring or resilient annular element 33 and allow it to expand therein.

The inner sleeve 3, as shown in Figure 3, is basically similar to that 25 shown in Figure 1. It has a similar tapered shank 15 with a large diameter end 17 and a small diameter end 19. The small diameter end 19 is extended by a male screw threaded portion 21. A central insertion hole 13A, differs from the insertion hole 13 of Figure 1, by having a hexagonally contoured cross section. This makes it possible to use as a suitable tool, a regular Allen wrench.

5

Reverting now to Figure 4 there is shown a use of wall mount sockets 51 according to the invention on a structural building wall 53. Each of the wall mount sockets 51 is composed of outer and inner sleeves 1, 3 as described in reference to Figures 1-3. The structural building wall 53 can be an 5 interior wall of a shop for selling merchandise. A variety of supporting elements, such as rods 129, inclined hangers 155, tablets 157 or racks 159 for supporting merchandise may be inserted into selected ones of the sockets 51. Each of the supporting elements 129, 155, 157, 159 has an insertion end 27 as shown in Figure 1, or an adapted form such a hexagonal end, for cooperation 10 with the relevant type of socket 51 employed on the wall 53. As shown in Figure 4 the sockets 51 can be arranged on the wall 53 in a regular pattern, but also may be placed only at the location where these are required.

Accordingly the invention provides a wall mount socket 51 for forming a stabilised insertion hole 13, 13A in a bore hole of structural building 15 wall 53. The wall mount socket 51 includes a generally cylindrical outer sleeve 1, for engaging the bore hole, having first and second axial ends. The wall mount socket 51 further has a generally cylindrical inner sleeve 3 that defines the stabilised insertion hole 13, 13A. The inner sleeve has a tapered shank 15 and defines a small diameter axial end 19 and a large diameter axial end 17.

20 The inner sleeve 3 is at least partly arranged to be concentrically accommodated within the outer sleeve 1. The outer sleeve 1 has a flange 9 extending radially from its first axial end a plurality elongate slots 11 extending axially inwardly from its second axial end. The outer sleeve 1 further has a female screw thread 23 on an inner portion, axially between ends 25 of the elongate slots 11 and the radially extending flange 9. The inner sleeve 3, at its small diameter axial end 19, has a male screw thread 21 that engages the female screw thread 23 of the outer sleeve 1. A merchandise display system, may include a plurality of such wall mount sockets 51, mounted in a structural building wall 53, and at least one supporting element 5, 29, 129, 30 155, 157, 159 mounted in at least one of the wall mount sockets 51.

6

It is thus believed that the operation and construction of the present invention will be apparent from the foregoing description. To the skilled person in this field of the art it will be clear that the invention is not limited to the embodiment represented and described here, but that within the framework of 5 the appended claims a large number of variants are possible. Also kinematic inversions are considered inherently disclosed and to be within the scope of the present invention. The terms comprising and including when used in this description or the appended claims should not be construed in an exclusive or exhaustive sense hut rather in an inclusive sense. Expressions such as: "means 10 for ...” should be read as: "component configured for ..." or "member constructed to ..." and should be construed to include equivalents for the structures disclosed. The use of expressions like: "critical", "preferred", "especially preferred" etc. is not intended to limit the invention. Features which are not specifically or explicitly described or claimed may be additionally included in 15 the structure according to the present invention without deviating from its scope.

Claims

A wall mounting holder for providing a stable insertion opening in a borehole of a structural building wall, the holder comprising: a generally cylindrical outer sleeve, for engaging the borehole, with first and second axial ends; and a generally cylindrical inner tube, which defines the stable insertion opening, with a tapered stem and thereby determining an axial end with a small diameter and an axial end with a large diameter, in which the inner sleeve is arranged at least partially concentrically within the outer sleeve, the outer sleeve having a flange extending radially from its first axial end and having a plurality of elongated slots extending inwardly axially from its second axial end, the outer sleeve on an inner portion thereof axially located between ends of the elongate and the radially extending flange has a female thread, and wherein the inner sleeve has, at its small diameter axial end, a male thread for engagement with the female thread.

2. Wall mounting holder according to claim 1, wherein the stable insertion opening in the inner tube has an unround cross-section.

3. Wall mounting holder as claimed in claim 2, wherein the stable insert opening has a triangular cross section.

4. Wall mounting holder as claimed in claim 2, wherein the stable insert opening has a square cross section.

5. Wall mounting holder as claimed in claim 2, wherein the stable insert opening has a hexagonal cross-section.

6. Wall mounting holder as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the surface portions of the outer sleeve which extend between the elongated slots have at least one rib extending substantially in the circumferential direction.

7. Wall mounting holder as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least some ridge extending substantially in circumferential direction is a male screw thread. 15

Wall mounting holder according to claim 6, wherein the at least a few ribs extending substantially in the circumferential direction form part of a plurality of ribs extending in the circumferential direction.

A wall mounting holder according to any of claims 6 to 8, wherein the at least some backs extending substantially in the circumferential direction have a first surface that is inclined towards the second axial end of the outer sleeve and a second surface opposite the first axial end, that is substantially perpendicular to the surface portion from which it extends.

10. Merchandise presentation system, which is provided with a plurality of wall mounting holders according to any one of the preceding claims and at least one supporting element mounted in at least one of the plurality of wall mounting holders.

The merchandise presentation system of claim 10, wherein the at least some supporting element is selected from a group comprising a bar, an inclined hanger, a tablet, a shelf, and a rack.