发明人：
BASTIAN, GEOFFREY WILLIAM | PYLE, MICHAEL LEE | KRESSIN, MATTHEW SCOTT | COYLE, ROBERT, TERRY JR.
摘要：
A wall hanging system by which a wall decor item such as a ledge, a frame, artwork, or the like may be mounted to and hung from a wall. The wall hanging system may include a first mounting assembly that is coupled to the wall and a second mounting assembly that is coupled to the wall decor item. The first and second mounting assemblies may be engaged to mount the wall decor item from the wall. One of the first and second mounting assemblies may include a post and the other of the first and second mounting assemblies may include a cavity. The post may be inserted into an insertion portion of the cavity and then slid to a nesting portion of the cavity to lock the first mounting assembly to the second mounting assembly.
权利要求：
CLAIMS
WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. A wall hanging system comprising: a first mounting assembly configured to be coupled to a wall, the first mounting assembly comprising at least one mounting element; a wall decor item; a second mounting assembly coupled to the wall decor item, the second mounting assembly comprising at least one mounting element that is configured to engage the at least one mounting element of the first mounting assembly to hang the wall decor item from the wall; wherein the at least one mounting element of one of the first and second mounting assemblies comprises a post having a longitudinal axis and the at least one mounting element of the other one of the first and second mounting assemblies comprises a cavity having an insertion portion and a nesting portion; and wherein the wall decor item is configured to be mounted to the wall by inserting the post axially into the cavity along the insertion portion of the cavity and then sliding the wall decor item relative to the first mounting assembly in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the at least one post until the at least one post nests within the nesting portion of the cavity.
2. The wall hanging system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one mounting element of the first mounting assembly comprises the cavity and wherein the at least one mounting element of the second mounting assembly comprises the post, the first mounting assembly comprising a plate portion having a rear surface that faces the wall when the first mounting assembly is coupled to the wall and a second surface opposite the first surface, the at least one mounting element of the first mounting assembly comprising a first mounting element and a second mounting element that are spaced apart along the front surface of the plate portion, each of the first and second mounting elements of the first mounting assembly comprising an annular wall that protrudes from the front surface of the plate portion and surrounds the cavity.
3. The wall hanging system according to claim 2 wherein the wall decor item comprises a rear surface that faces the wall when the wall decor item is mounted to the wall and a mounting recess formed into the rear surface, and wherein the first mounting assembly including the plate portion and the first and second mounting elements thereof nests within the mounting recess when the first mounting assembly is coupled to the second mounting assembly.
4. The wall hanging system according to claim 3 wherein the mounting recess comprises a floor that is recessed relative to the rear surface of the wall decor item, and wherein the at least one mounting element of the second mounting assembly comprises a first post and a second post, each of the first and second posts comprising a first portion that is embedded within the wall decor item and a second portion that protrudes from the floor of the mounting recess to a distal end that is flush with or recessed relative to the rear surface of the wall decor item, and wherein when the wall decor item is mounted to the wall the rear surface of the wall decor item abuts against the wall and the first and second posts nest within the cavities of the first and second mounting elements of the first mounting assembly, respectively.
5. The wall hanging system according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the post and the nesting portion of the cavity comprise corresponding shapes that prevents disengagement of the first and second mounting assemblies when the post is located along the nesting portion of the cavity without first sliding the post into the insertion portion of the cavity.
6. The wall hanging system according to claim 5 wherein the post and the nesting portion of the cavity have an hourglass shape.
7. The wall hanging system according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the first mounting assembly comprises a plate portion having a rear surface that faces the wall when the first mounting assembly is coupled to the wall and a front surface opposite the rear surface, the plate portion comprising a plurality of mounting holes that extend from the front surface to the rear surface, each of the mounting holes configured to receive a fastener for coupling the first mounting assembly to the wall.
8. The wall hanging system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the first mounting assembly comprises a plate portion that extends from a first side edge to a second side edge, the first side edge comprising a first coupling feature and the second side edge comprising a second coupling feature.
9. The wall hanging system according to claim 8 further comprising an extension bracket extending from a first side edge to a second side edge, the first side edge comprising a third coupling feature and the second side edge comprising a fourth coupling feature, and wherein the extension bracket is configured to be mounted on the wall between two of the first mounting assemblies such that the third coupling feature of the extension bracket mates with the second coupling feature of a first one of the first mounting assemblies and the fourth coupling feature of the extension bracket mates with the first coupling feature of a second one of the first mounting assemblies.
10. The wall hanging system according to claim 9 wherein the extension bracket is configured to be mounted on the wall solely due to the mating interaction between the third and fourth coupling features of the extension bracket and the first and second coupling features of the first and second ones of the first mounting assemblies.
11. The wall hanging system according to claim 9 or claim 10 further comprising a level component coupled to the extension bracket to facilitate level mounting of the wall decor item on the wall.
12. The wall hanging system according to any one of claims 1 to 11 further comprising: wherein the at least one mounting element of the first mounting assembly comprises a first mounting element comprising a first cavity and a second mounting element comprising a second cavity; and wherein the at least one mounting element of the second mounting assembly comprises a first post and a second post, each of the first and second posts comprising a first portion that is
embedded within the wall decor item to couple the post to the wall decor item and a second portion that protrudes from the wall decor item; and wherein the wall decor item is coupled to the first mounting assembly by simultaneously inserting the second portion of the first post into the insertion portion of the first cavity and the second portion of the second post into the insertion portion of the second cavity and then sliding the wall decor item relative to the first mounting assembly to slide the second portions of the first and second posts into the nesting portions of the first and second cavities, respectively.
13. The wall hanging system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one mounting element of the first mounting assembly comprises the post and the at least one mounting element of the second mounting assembly comprises the cavity.
14. The wall hanging system according to claim 13 wherein the at least one mounting element of the first mounting assembly comprises a first portion configured to be embedded within the wall and a second portion configured to protrude from the wall when the first portion is embedded within the wall, the second portion forming the post and having a first shape, and wherein the at least one mounting element of the second mounting assembly comprises an annular wall that defines the cavity, the annular wall either protruding from or embedded within the wall decor item, and wherein the nesting portion of the cavity has a second shape that corresponds to the first shape of the second portion of the at least one mounting element of the first mounting assembly.
15. The wall hanging system according to claim 14 wherein the first portion of the at least one mounting element of the first mounting assembly comprises screw threads to facilitate coupling the at least one mounting element of the first mounting assembly to the wall.
16. The wall hanging system according to claim 13 to 15 wherein the at least one mounting element of the second mounting assembly comprises a first portion that is embedded within the wall decor item and a second portion that protrudes from the wall decor item, the second portion defining the cavity.
17. The wall hanging system according to claim 13 to 15 wherein an entirety of the at least one mounting element of the second mounting assembly is embedded within the wall decor item so that the cavity is located within the wall decor item.
18. The wall hanging system according to any one of claims 1 to 17 wherein the post is configured to move axially into and out of the cavity along the insertion portion of the cavity and is prevented from moving axially into and out of the cavity along the nesting portion of the cavity due to the post and the nesting portion of the cavity having mating shapes that form an interlock between the post and a sidewall that defines the cavity when the post is located within the nesting portion of the cavity.
19. The wall hanging system according to any one of claims 1 to 18 wherein the wall decor item is a shelf comprising a rear surface that faces the wall, a front surface opposite the rear surface, and an upper surface that extends horizontally from the wall to form a support ledge.
20. A wall hanging system comprising: a mounting bracket configured to be coupled to a wall, the mounting bracket comprising at least one cavity having an insertion portion and a nesting portion; a wall decor item; at least one mounting element coupled to the wall decor item, the at least one mounting element comprising a first portion that is embedded within the wall decor item and a post portion protruding from the wall decor item along a longitudinal axis; and wherein the wall decor item is mounted to the wall by inserting the post portion of the at least one mounting element axially into the at least one cavity along the insertion portion of the at least one cavity and then sliding the wall decor item relative to the mounting bracket in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis until the at least one post portion nests within the nesting portion of the at least one cavity.
21. The wall hanging system according to claim 20 wherein the wall decor item comprises a rear surface that faces the wall and a mounting recess having a floor that is recessed relative to the
rear surface, and wherein the at least one mounting element is coupled to the wall decor item within the mounting recess so that a distal end of the post portion is flush with or recessed relative to the rear surface of the wall decor item.
22. The wall hanging system according to claim 21 wherein when the wall decor item is mounted on the wall, the rear surface of the wall decor item abuts against the wall and the mounting bracket is located within the mounting recess of the wall decor item and is hidden from view.
23. The wall hanging system according to any one of claims 20 to 22 wherein the nesting portion of the cavity and the post portion of the at least one mounting element have corresponding shapes so that the post portion cannot be inserted into the cavity along the nesting portion of the cavity and so that the post portion cannot be removed from the cavity when positioned along the nesting portion of the cavity without first sliding the post portion to the insertion portion of the cavity.
24. The wall hanging system according to any one of claims 20 to 23 wherein the mounting bracket comprises a rear surface that faces the wall, a front surface opposite the rear surface, and at least one annular wall protruding from the front surface and defining the at least one cavity.
25. A method of hanging a wall decor item from a wall, the method comprising: coupling a first mounting assembly to the wall, the first mounting assembly comprising a plate portion having a rear surface that faces the wall, a front surface opposite the rear surface, and an annular wall protruding from the front surface and defining a cavity having an insertion portion and a nesting portion; aligning a post protruding from a floor of a mounting recess of the wall decor item with the insertion portion of the cavity and moving the wall decor item towards the first mounting assembly until the post enters the insertion portion of the cavity; and sliding the wall decor item relative to the first mounting assembly in a direction that is transverse to a longitudinal axis of the post so that the post slides from the insertion portion of the cavity to the nesting portion of the cavity, an inner surface of the annular wall of the first
mounting assembly along the nesting portion of the cavity mating with an outer surface of the post to prevent the post from being removed from the cavity while the post is located within the nesting portion of the cavity.
26. A wall hanging system comprising: a wall decor item having at least one first type of mounting element; a first mounting bracket and a second mounting bracket, each of the first and second mounting brackets comprising at least one second type of mounting element, a first end having a first coupling feature, and a second end having a second coupling feature; an extension bracket comprising a first end having a third coupling feature and second end having a fourth coupling feature; wherein the first and second mounting brackets and the extension bracket are configured to be coupled to the wall so that the extension bracket extends between the first and second mounting brackets and the third coupling feature of the extension bracket mates with the second coupling feature of the first mounting bracket and the fourth coupling feature of the extension bracket mates with the first coupling feature of the second mounting bracket; and wherein the wall decor item is mounted to the wall via engagement between the at least one first type of mounting element of the wall decor item and the at least one second type of mounting element of the first and second mounting brackets.
27. The wall hanging system according to claim 26 wherein the at least one first type of mounting element comprises a first post and a second post, wherein the at least one second type of mounting element of the first mounting bracket comprises a first cavity, and wherein the at least one second type of mounting element of the second mounting bracket comprises a second cavity, each of the first and second cavities having an insertion portion and a nesting portion, and wherein the wall decor item is mounted to the wall by inserting the first second and posts into the insertion portions of the first and second cavities and then sliding the wall decor item so that the first and second posts slide from the insertion portions of the first and second cavities to the nesting portions of the first and second cavities.
28. The wall hanging system according to claim 26 or claim 27 wherein the first and second mounting brackets are coupled to the wall using fasteners, and wherein the extension bracket is maintained adjacent to the wall due solely to the mating between the third and fourth coupling features of the extension bracket and the first and second coupling features of the first and second mounting brackets.
29. The wall hanging system according to any one of claims 26 to 28 wherein the first and third coupling features are dovetail recesses and wherein the second and fourth coupling features are dovetail protrusions that fit within the dovetail recesses of the first and third coupling features.
30. The wall hanging system according to any one of claims 26 to 29 wherein the extension bracket comprises a level mount, and further comprising a level component snap-fit connected to the level mount to facilitate a level mounting of the first and second mounting brackets and the extension bracket on the wall.