ELEMENT FOR FIXING ITEMS TO A WALL ₅ AND METHOD FOR FIXING SAID ELEMENT TO A WALL

Field of the invention The present invention relates to an element for fixing items to a wall, or wall- attachment element, which element can be for instance a towel holder, a toilet-paper holder or another sanitary and furnishing accessory.

The present invention also relates to a method of fixing said wall-attachment element to a wall. State of the art

Articles such as towel holders or toilet-paper holders, including an attachment base and an item holding portion are currently known. The towel holding portion can be shaped as a rail, a hook or a frame. It is known fixing the attachment base to the wall of a room not only by means of screws, but also by sticking it through adhesive or double-adhesive films. Sticking the element to a wall is often preferable to fixing it by screws, since drilling the wall is not required.

Yet, a frequent drawback of known stuck towel holders or toilet-paper holders is that after a certain time they come off the wall they have been fixed on.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a wall-attachment element, such as a towel holder or a toilet-paper holder, which is less prone to come undesirably off the wall it is fixed on, than known towel holders or toilet-paper holders. Summary of the invention

Such object is achieved, according to a first aspect of the present invention, by a wall-attachment element having the features as claimed in claim 1. Since the attachment base is prearranged for getting deformed, due to the effect of the forces applied thereto by the adhesive member when the wall-attachment element is fixed onto the fixing wall, so that the base adapts itself to possible irregularities and lack of planarity of the fixing wall, the overall stresses and the concentrations of detachment forces the adhesive is submitted to are reduced, and hence also the likelihood of detachment from the wall is reduced.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, such object is achieved by a wall-attachment element having the features as claimed in claim 16.

In this manner, the adhesion forces between the adhesive and the wall the attachment element is stuck on have a greater resulting arm and therefore they ensure a

better adhesion.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, such object is achieved by a wall-attachment element having the features as claimed in claim 17.

The jointed connection between the item holding rail and the base reduces the internal stresses arising in the wall-attachment element when the latter is stuck onto a fixing wall, especially when the wall-attachment element has more than one attachment base. Consequently, the possibility of unwanted detachment from the wall is reduced.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, such object is achieved by a method of fixing a wall-attachment element as defined above to a fixing wall, which method has the features as claimed in claim 25. The preformed adhesive enables immediately fixing the wall-attachment element, by means of a sort of "tacking sticking", whereas the adhesive applied in fluid condition subsequently ensures a better and more durable adhesion.

Further advantages afforded by the present invention will become apparent to the skilled in the art from the following detailed description of some particular and non limiting exemplary embodiments, given with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings. List of the Figures

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a first embodiment of a wall-attachment element according to the present invention, with two attachment bases;

Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional side view of an attachment base and the relevant spacing arm of the wall-attachment element shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 shows a side view of an attachment base and the relevant spacing arm of a prior art wall-attachment element; Fig. 4 shows a plan view of the rear face of the attachment base shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 shows a view, partly in cross-section, of the connection region between a spacing ami and the item holding rail in the wall-attachment element shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a wall-attachment element according to the present invention, with two attachment bases; Fig. 7 shows a side view, partly in cross-section, of a third embodiment of a wall- attachment element according to the present invention;

Fig. 8 shows a perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a wall-attachment element according to the present invention, with one attachment base;

Fig. 9 shows a perspective view of a fifth embodiment of a wall-attachment element

according to the present invention, with one attachment base;

Fig. 10 shows a front view of an attachment base of a sixth embodiment of a wall- attachment element according to the present invention;

Fig. 11 shows a front view of an attachment base of a seventh embodiment of a wall-attachment element according to the present invention;

Fig. 12 shows a cross-sectional side view, taken along section plane A - A, of the attachment base shown in Fig. 11. Detailed description

Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5 refer to a first embodiment of a wall-attachment element according to the present invention, generally denoted by reference numeral 1. Wall- attachment element 1, which is a towel holder, has two attachment bases 3 and an item holding portion 5, in turn comprising an item holding rail 7 and two spacing arms 9, intended to mechanically connect rail 7 to bases 3 while keeping rail 7 spaced apart from fixing wall PF (Fig. 2). In the present exemplary embodiment, spacing arms 9 are made as two cylindrical pins, and item holding rail 7 consists of a substantially cylindrical or prismatic rod.

Each base 3 is equipped, at its rear portion, with an adhesive member 11 allowing the same base to be stuck to a wall PF attachment element 1 is to be fixed on.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in Fig. 1, attachment bases 3 include a flange 4, arranged to be fixed to the wall onto which wall-attachment element 1 is to be fixed, wherein the thickness of at least a major part of flange 4, that is at least 50% of the surface thereof, is substantially 1 mm or less.

Preferably the thickness of flange 4, or at least of a major part of it, is substantially 0.7 mm or less. More preferably the thickness of flange 4, or at least of a major part of it, is substantially 0.5 mm or less.

More preferably, flange 4, or at least a major part of it, is made of metal plate, e.g. of stainless steel, steel or brass, possibly chrome-plated.

Each said feature contributes to making attachment base 3 relatively flexible and deformable, thereby enabling flange 4, as well as base 3 itself, to adapt itself to the shape of wall PF it is fixed on, by matching the irregularities thereof.

Examples of such irregularities in a wall are typically planarity errors and the lack of alignment of the tiles covering the wall. Such adaptation results on the one hand into a better aesthetical effect when wall-attachment element 1 is secured to a wall, and, on the

other hand, it allows base 3 to better and more uniformly adhere to the fixing wall, by generating lower stresses on adhesive member 11.

The aforesaid features allow obtaining a more effective sticking also due to the following reason: once attachment base 3, coated with adhesive, is placed against the wall it is to be fixed to, it is possible to press base 3 itself at some areas, for instance by means of a finger or the tip of a stick, thereby locally and temporarily deforming said base thanks to its deformability and flexibility. At such areas of local deformation, the adhesive layer interposed between base 3 and the wall is compressed to a greater extent than by applying a uniform compression to base 3, and this improves distribution and holding of the same adhesive.

Advantageously, the peripheral edges of flange 4 are bent so as to increase overall height HTOT of attachment base 3, i.e., they are bent into a direction opposite to the direction in which the corresponding spacing arm 9 is directed. More particularly, peripheral edges 30 of flange 4 are bent so as to form a flare or bevel, preferably along the whole perimeter of flange 4.

Preferably, edges 30 form a flare inclined by an angle α, relative to the rest of flange 4, of 90° or less and more preferably of 45 - 50° or less. Flared or bevelled peripheral edges 30 have different functions.

A first function is of aesthetic nature: indeed, the bevelling of edges 30 makes flange 4 appear thicker (by increasing overall apparent thickness HT of edge 30): for instance, tanks to the bevelling, a flange 4, formed from a 0,7 mm thick metal plate (i.e. thickness SL = 0.7 mm, Fig. 2), can appear as having the same thickness as a solid flange 4 formed from an unbent, 1.5 - 2 mm thick metal plate, while being considerably more lightweight and resilient. A second function is stiffening the peripheral edge of flange 4. A third function is as follows. In order to manufacture wall-attachment elements such as towel holders or toilet- paper holders, generally a thick adhesive layer is desirably used as adhesive member 11, since the thicker the layer, the greater its capacity to adapt itself to irregularities and planarity errors of the wall it is fixed on. In this respect, adhesive in the form of relatively spongy or generally soft ribbons or foils are often used. Flared or bevelled edge 30 formed by bending allows forming a chamber, under flange 4, where an even relatively thick layer, e.g. a layer with a thickness of 0.5 to 1 mm or more, of an adhesive 11 in the form or a ribbon or a foil can be located and hidden.

As an indication, height HC of the chamber under flange 4 can be in the range 0.3 to

2 mm (Fig. 2). Clearly, of course, different values of HC can be chosen, depending on the thickness of adhesive member 11 or other requirements.

Both the aesthetic appearance and the stiffness of flared or bevelled edge 30, as well as depth HC of the chamber for receiving adhesive member 11, can be determined with a certain freedom by the designer by varying for instance overall height HT of the bent portion (Fig. 2).

A fourth function of flared or bevelled edge 30 is related with accident prevention, since it prevents a user from hurting himself/herself for instance by passing his/her hands over the wall onto which wall-attachment element 1 is fixed. A further advantage of flared or bevelled edge 30 is that, should it be obtained by shearing the plate with the die punch approaching from the side of the concavity of base 3 (i.e. in the direction of arrow DP in Fig. 2), a subsequent deburring is not required, since shearing burrs are located on the side of the edge that will be turned towards wall PF.

Advantageously, attachment base 3 has a drawn projection 32 in correspondence of the securing region of the corresponding spacing arm 9.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, drawn projection 32 is a frusto-conical, or generally flared projection, where a diameter DBMIN of the minor base, on which arm 9 abuts, can be smaller than the diameter of the corresponding spacing arm 9, whereas diameter DBMAX of the major base is greater than the diameter of the corresponding spacing arm 9 (Fig. 2). Diameter DBMTN is preferably not smaller than half the diameter of spacing arm 9, and diameter DBMAX is preferably not smaller than 1.1 times the diameter of spacing arm 9. More preferably, diameter DBMAX is not smaller than 1.2 times the diameter of spacing arm 9.

Drawn projection 32 confers a greater stiffness, in particular in respect of bending, to base 3 in the region near spacing arm 9, and it has been realised that this increases resistance to detachment from wall PF attachment element 1 is fixed on. Indeed, it has been observed that, when a force F (Fig. 3) is applied to wall-attachment element 1, in the absence of drawn projection 32, a zone ZD of detachment of adhesive member 11 from wall PF is more easily created due to the higher flexibility of flange 4 near the region where arm 9 is secured, and such detachment zone ZD progressively widens until base 3 comes off wall PF. On the contrary, in the presence of drawn projection 32, initial detachment zone ZD starting the progressive detachment of base 3 is created upon occurrence of higher stresses F.

Advantageously, each spacing arm 9 is secured to the corresponding base 3

eccentrically of the same base. This makes base 3 more resistant to the detachment from the wall, if the base is mounted onto the wall with the corresponding spacing arm 9 below the centre of base 3 itself (i.e., referring to Figs. 1 and 8, below line LB passing through the centres of bases 3). Actually, by such an arrangement, the resistant forces applied by adhesive member 11 onto metal flange 4 of base 3 have a greater resultant lever arm.

Advantageously, each spacing arm 9 is secured to the corresponding base 3 through a screw 13 (Fig. 2). In the alternative, other types of threaded connections, or even non- threaded connections (e.g., riveting, welding, gluing) can be used. Each spacing arm 8, if made of plastic material, can even be co-moulded onto base 3 or, more generally, it can form a single integral piece with the base.

Spacing arms 9 can be manufactured for instance by turning or hot forming, and bases 3 can be manufactured by cold forming (drawing and shearing).

Adhesive member 11 may be for instance in the form of a piece of a foil of adhesive or double-adhesive tape, which is cut and glued or stuck to the back side of base 3. More generally, adhesive member 11 can comprise one or more adhesive elements that, when glued or stuck to base 3, already are in set state. Said adhesive elements, which herein are also referred to as "preformed adhesives", can in their whole substantially cover the whole base 3 when viewed plan (according to an embodiment not shown), or only part thereof, leaving portions with non-negligible extensions free (e.g. central space 15 in Figs. 2 and 4). For instance, preformed adhesive elements) 11 can cover no more than four fifths, or three quarters or two thirds of or half the plan of a base 3. Such free portions with non- negligible extensions form spaces or chambers that can advantageously be filled with a suitable fluid adhesive 17, for instance silicone, before applying the attachment element onto wall PF. When wall-attachment element 1 is subsequently applied onto its assigned wall PF, preformed adhesive element(s) 11 immediately keep(s) attachment element 1 fixed to wall PF, until fluid adhesive 17 has set. Once fluid adhesive 17 has set, wall-attachment element 1 is very firmly stuck onto wall PF: actually, when using an adhesive to be applied in fluid condition, especially in case of silicone adhesives, the chamber under the flange and any other cavity, interstice or roughness between base 3 and wall PF, even of considerable thickness, generally can be easily filled. Moreover, use of adhesives that are to be applied in fluid condition and that, once set, remain in any case relatively elastic, enables to better absorb and resist to deformations of bases 3 during use.

In the example illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4, the preformed adhesive members consist

of four punched pieces 11' that are shaped as segments of an annulus and are arranged so as to define therebetween gaps 15 through which excess fluid adhesive 17 can escape. However, in another embodiment, not shown, base 3 is equipped with a single preformed adhesive member shaped as a complete annulus, without gaps 15. Item holding rail 7 can be secured to each spacing arm 9 as shown in Fig. 5. In such an embodiment, each spacing arm 9 has a hole or a different seat 90, whereas each end of rail 7 has a rubber gasket 70 - in the example shown in Fig. 5, an O-ring 70 fitted onto one end of rail 7 - and a suitable seat 71, which is formed on the rod-like member of rail 7 and where gasket 70 is received. Seat 71 is also referred to, in the present description, as "gasket seat" and is an annular groove in the example shown in Fig. 5.

The end of rail 7 is inserted into hole 90. The end of the rod of the rail, for instance made of metal or plastics, is more rigid than gasket 70 and engages hole 90 with a certain clearance, whereas softer gasket 70 is interference fitted into the hole. In this manner, item holding rail 7 if firmly, but not rigidly, secured to spacing arms 9, thereby enabling bases 3 to adapt themselves to the irregularities of wall PF onto which wall-attachment element 1 is applied. This improves adhesion of element 1 to the wall itself. Actually, it has been realised that, in case of prior art towel holders with two bases, after some time, one of the bases remained stuck to wall PF, whereas the other one had partly or wholly detached, because of the twist and the internal stresses the sticking of two different bases on a wall almost always generates into item holding rail.

Such internal stresses, in prior art attachment elements, typically towel holders, are due both to the planarity errors in wall PF the attachment element is fixed on, and to the unavoidable tolerances and shape errors in attachment elements themselves.

On the contrary, by the solution shown in Fig. 5, such twist and internal stresses can be avoided or at least considerably reduced. Clearly, such a result can be achieved also with other kinds of jointed, resilient or loose connections between item holding rail 7 and bases 3, without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention.

For instance, in the embodiment shown in Fig, 6, item holding rail 7" is mechanically connected to both bases 3" through connecting members 38, each of which can comprise for instance a jointed or elastic or articulated connection or simply a loose mechanical connection, so as to enable both bases 3" to adapt themselves to the irregularities of the wall they are fixed on, without generating stresses inside wall- attachment element 1"'. In addition or in alternative to connecting members 38, wall- attachment element 1'" can be equipped with a connecting member 40 located for instance

at an intermediate, or even non-intermediate, portion of item holding rail 7". Connecting members 38 and 40 can include for instance a hinge or a ball joint having mechanical abutments limiting the permitted rotation of the connection parts.

Fig. 7 shows another possible exemplary embodiment of an elastic connection that can be generally used for connecting an item holding rail or a spacer arm to an attachment base in a wall-attachment element according to the present invention. More particularly, such an elastic connection, generally denoted 38', can be applied for instance in the embodiments shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 - 6, 8 - 12.

Elastic connection 38' comprises a layer or shim 42 of resilient material interposed between flange 4" of base 3'" and an item holding rail 7'" or a spacing arm 9'. In the illustrated embodiment, item holding rail 7'" or spacing arm 9' are secured to flange 4" by means of a screw 44. The resilient material of layer or shim 42 is a material that is softer, and hence more easily deformable, than the materials of item holding rail 7'" or spacing arm 9': for instance, the material of layer or shim 42 can be a synthetic or natural elastomer, and it can be in the form of a washer.

Advantageously, elastic connection 38' comprises an intermediate base 46, formed for instance as a second flange or a rigid washer and interposed between resilient layer or shim 42 and item holding rail 7'" or spacing arm 9'. Intermediate base 46 has the same stiffness as item holding rail 7'" or spacing arm 9', or a substantially similar stiffness, and such a size that it forms a supporting base wider than the cross-sectional size of item holding rail 7'" or spacing arm 9', and hence that base is capable of more uniformly distributing onto flange 4" the bending moments applied by item holding rail 7'" or spacing arm 9', thereby avoiding excessive deformations of flange 4".

Fig. 8 shows a fourth embodiment of a wall-attachment element 1' according to the invention, including a single attachment base 3' that can have the features described above, a single spacing arm 9' and an item holding element 7' in the form of a hook or an open frame. Such element 1' can be used for instance as a towel holder or a toilet-paper holder.

Fig. 9 shows a fifth embodiment of a wall-attachment element 1' according to the invention, where item holding element 7" is in the form of a closed frame. Fig. 10 concerns a sixth embodiment of a wall-attachment element according to the present invention, in which base 3' has a plurality of radial stiffening ribs 34, which allow conferring the desired stiffness, or flexibility, to base 3' with a still smaller thickness of the base itself, and hence with a saving of material.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 11 and 12, base 3", with a substantially axially

symmetrical shape, is instead equipped with a plurality of concentric annular ribs 36, which allow conferring the desired flexibility to base 3' with a greater thickness of the wall of the base itself. In still further embodiments, not shown, the base can be equipped with stiffening ribs that are not necessarily concentric and that generally extend around the region where the spacing arm is secured.

Various changes and modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments described above without thereby departing from the scope of the invention. The flanges of attachment bases 3 can not only have a round shape, like in the previously described embodiments, but also a different shape, for instance triangular, square, polygonal, oval, lobate, etc. Moreover, the flanges can be hidden by a case or cover made of plastics, glass or other materials, having essentially the aesthetic function of adapting the wall- attachment element to the style of the room where it has to be installed.

The examples and the lists of possible variations in the present application are to be intended as non-exhaustive lists.