US20060038100A1

US20060038100A1 - Decorative hanger

Info

Publication number: US20060038100A1
Application number: US11/208,568
Authority: US
Inventors: Daniel Grieszmer; Amanda Vargo
Original assignee: Hillman Group Inc
Current assignee: Hillman Group Inc
Priority date: 2004-08-23
Filing date: 2005-08-22
Publication date: 2006-02-23

Abstract

A decorative support to hold a picture, or the like, on a wall includes a base and a head portion. The base is formed from a polyresin and includes an embedded bolt with a threaded portion extending from one end of the base. The head includes an embedded nut and is also formed from polyresin. The head can take the shape of any decorative feature, such as a baseball, football, star, or the like. The base can be fastened to the wall and the head attached to the base to provide a decorative support.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pictures, posters, and other wall hangings, can be supported from a wall using a variety of different types of hangers, and the like. Certain ones are designed to be concealed behind the object, others are intended to have a decorative appearance and support the object from above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a decorative support designed to attach to a wall and support a wall hanging, such as a picture, poster, or the like. The present invention is intended to provide an ornamental support that is easy to install and relatively inexpensive.
More particularly, the present invention comprises an ornamental hanger which includes a base adapted to attach to the wall. The base includes a bolt encased in a plastic matrix or poly resin with the threaded tip of the bolt exposed from a neck portion of the base. The head is an ornamental piece which is a nut embedded in the plastic matrix material and adapted to screw onto the threaded portion of the bolt in the base portion. Because the head portion is molded with the embedded nut, it can take any ornamental shape. Thus, it can be in the shape of a baseball, basketball, soccer ball, or the like, as well as other ornamental items such as butterflies, automobiles, stars, fruit, animals, and so on. These can be molded with a pigmented resin, or can be painted subsequent to manufacture.
Because the head portion is separable from the base portion, the hanger is very easy to install by first installing the base portion and subsequently affixing the head portion to the base portion to provide the wall hanger.
The present invention will be further appreciated in light of the following detailed description and drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the wall hanger of the present invention in its use environment;
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the base portion of the present invention; and
FIG. 3 is an assembly view of the hanger of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a decorative hanger used, for example, to hang pictures or mirrors on a wall. The decorative hanger 10 has two pieces, a base portion 11 and a head portion 12. The base portion 11 has a base disk 13, a stem 14, and an outermost threaded portion 15. Preferably the threaded portion 15 is a metal bolt 16 having a head 16 a and a threaded portion 16 b, which is embedded in a plastic matrix 17. The plastic (poly resin) matrix 17 forms the base disk 13 and the outer portion 19 of the stem 14.
Three holes 20 extend through the base disk and allow the hanger to be screwed into a wall 22 as shown in FIG. 2.
The head portion 12 includes a nut 23 adapted to thread onto the exposed threaded portion 15 of the base 11. The nut 23 is encased in a plastic matrix (poly resin) 24 that forms an ornamental structure such as a baseball (as shown), a basketball, a football, butterfly, smiley face, or any other ornamental design.
The hanger 10 can be formed from any resinous material, or other setable material, such as clay, or the like. Preferably the material is made from a poly resin such as unsaturated polyester resin. This product is mixed into a slurry and poured into a mold. The nut is simply placed into the material used to form the head portion 12, and the bolt is positioned into the mold used to form the base 11. The slurry is baked to set the poly resin mix. The solidified product can be painted, if desired, and is ready for use. The poly resin itself is a mixture of resin, and ceramic and glass filler, which provides a strong, rigid product. The molding process firmly embeds the nut and bolt into the respective head and base portions without the use of an adhesive.
To install the device 10, the head 12 is separated from the base 11 and screws 25 are inserted through the holes 20 into the wall 22. Screw 25 can extend into a wall stud or into an anchoring device. The head portion 12 is then screwed onto the threaded portion 15, and the device is ready to support a picture 26, poster, or any other wall hanging with the wire 27 which supports the picture 26 hanging on stem 14. The head 12 prevents the wire 27 from slipping off the hanger 10.
The hanger 10 is easy to assemble. It can have a variety of different ornamental appearances. Further, it is easy to install.
This has been a description of the invention along with the preferred method of practicing the invention. However, the invention itself should only be defined by the appended claims,

Claims

1. A hanger device adapted to be attached to a wall said hanger device comprising a base portion and a head portion, said base portion comprising a bolt encased in a plastic matrix, said plastic matrix forming a neck portion and a base disk portion, said base disk portion having a plurality of holes, said head portion comprising a nut encased in a plastic matrix, said plastic matrix forming a decorative outer portion, said nut having a size adapted to engage a threaded exposed portion of said bolt.

2. The hanger device claimed in claim 1 wherein said bolt and nut are metal.

3. The hanger claimed in claim 1 attached to a wall and supporting a wall hanging, below said hanger.