received by the International Bureau on 19 November 2018 (19.1 1.2018)

1. A mounting device for hanging a wall-mounted article, the mounting device comprising:

a bracket having a raised center portion arranged between two side portions formed integral and contiguous with the raised center portion, wherein a lower surface of the raised center portion is elevated above a lower surface of the two side portions, and wherein the raised center portion comprises opposing sidewalls connecting the lower surface of the raised center portion to the lower surface of the two side portions; and

a fastener having a flattened head comprising opposing sidewalls and a shaft

extending from the flattened head, wherein the flattened head of the fastener is shaped and dimensioned, such that when the flattened head of the fastener is slidably engaged with the raised center portion of the bracket: each one of the opposing sidewalls of the flattened head is arranged adjacent and parallel to a respective one of the opposing sidewalls of the raised center portion of the bracket; and

the flattened head of the fastener is sandwiched between a lower surface of the raised center portion of the bracket and a rear surface of the wall- mounted article.

2. The mounting device as recited in claim 1, wherein the bracket comprises a notched opening extending from a bottom edge of the raised center portion toward a mid-point of the raised center portion, and wherein the notched opening is configured for receiving and guiding the shaft of the fastener when the flattened head of the fastener is slidably engaged with the raised center portion of the bracket.

3. The mounting device as recited in claim 2, wherein a diameter of the notched opening is substantially consistent along a majority of a length of the notched opening, and wherein the diameter of the notched opening is slightly larger than a diameter of the shaft of the fastener.

4. The mounting device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fastener comprises a nail having two shafts extending from the flattened head, and wherein the bracket comprises a

1 pair of notched openings configured for receiving and guiding the two shafts of the nail when the flattened head of the nail is slidably engaged with the raised center portion of the bracket.

5. The mounting device as recited in claim 1 , wherein an upper surface of the flattened head of the fastener and the lower surface of the raised center portion of the bracket comprise substantially identical quadrilateral shapes.

6. The mounting device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the opposing sidewalls of the raised center portion are parallel to each other, and wherein the opposing sidewalls of the flattened head are parallel to each other.

7. The mounting device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the opposing sidewalls of the raised center portion are not parallel to each other, and wherein the opposing sidewalls of the flattened head are not parallel to each other.

8. The mounting device as recited in claim 1, wherein the flattened head of the fastener comprises a pair of notched openings, wherein each of the notched openings is arranged proximate to a respective one of the opposing sidewalls of the flattened head to form a pair of side prong members.

9. The mounting device as recited in claim 8, wherein each side prong member comprises a projection arranged proximate to a distal end of the side prong member.

10. The mounting device as recited in claim 8, wherein each side prong member comprises one or more teeth, which are configured to engage with one or more teeth included on the opposing side walls of the raised center portion of the bracket.

11. The mounting device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the fastener is a nail having a substantially smooth, straight shaft without any threads.

12. The mounting device as recited in claim 1, wherein the fastener is a nail having two substantially smooth, straight shafts without any threads.

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13. The mounting device as recited in claim 1, wherein the fastener is a screw having a threaded shaft.

14. An article comprising at least one mounting device affixed to a rear surface of the article for hanging the article on a mounting surface, wherein the at least one mounting device comprises:

a bracket having a raised center portion arranged between two side portions formed integral and contiguous with the raised center portion, wherein a lower surface of the raised center portion is elevated above a lower surface of the two side portions, and wherein the raised center portion comprises opposing sidewalls connecting the lower surface of the raised center portion to the lower surface of the two side portions; and

a fastener having a flattened head comprising opposing sidewalls and a shaft

extending from the flattened head, wherein the flattened head of the fastener is shaped and dimensioned, such that when the flattened head of the fastener is slidably engaged with the raised center portion of the bracket: each one of the opposing sidewalls of the flattened head is arranged adjacent and parallel to a respective one of the opposing sidewalls of the raised center portion of the bracket; and

the flattened head of the fastener is sandwiched between a lower surface of the raised center portion of the bracket and a rear surface of the wall- mounted article.

15. The article as recited in claim 14, wherein the bracket comprises a notched opening extending from a bottom edge of the raised center portion toward a mid-point of the raised center portion, and wherein the notched opening is configured for receiving and guiding the shaft of the fastener when the flattened head of the fastener is slidably engaged with the raised center portion of the bracket.

16. The article as recited in claim 14, wherein the fastener comprises a nail having two shafts extending from the flattened head, and wherein the bracket comprises a pair of notched openings configured for receiving and guiding the two shafts of the nail when the flattened head of the nail is slidably engaged with the raised center portion of the bracket.

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17. The article as recited in claim 14, wherein the opposing sidewalls of the raised center portion are parallel to each other, and wherein the opposing sidewalls of the flattened head are parallel to each other.

18. The article as recited in claim 14, wherein the opposing sidewalls of the raised center portion are not parallel to each other, and wherein the opposing sidewalls of the flattened head are not parallel to each other.

19. The article as recited in claim 14, wherein the flattened head of the fastener comprises a pair of notched openings, wherein each of the notched openings is arranged proximate to a respective one of the opposing sidewalls of the flattened head to form a pair of side prong members.

20. The article as recited in claim 19, wherein each side prong member comprises a projection arranged proximate to a distal end of the side prong member.

21. The article as recited in claim 19, wherein each side prong member comprises one or more teeth, which are configured to engage with one or more teeth included on the opposing side walls of the raised center portion of the bracket.

22. The article as recited in claim 14, wherein the fastener is a nail having a substantially smooth, straight shaft without any threads.

23. The article as recited in claim 14, wherein the fastener is a nail having two substantially smooth, straight shafts without any threads.

24. The article as recited in claim 14, wherein the fastener is a screw having a number of threads.

25. A method for hanging an article on a mounting surface via at least one mounting device, wherein the at least one mounting device comprises a bracket and a nail, wherein the nail comprises a flattened head and a shaft extending therefrom, wherein the bracket comprises a raised center portion arranged between two side portions formed integral and contiguous with the raised center portion and a notched opening extending from a bottom

4 edge of the raised center portion toward a mid-point of the raised center portion, wherein the method comprises:

sliding the flattened head of the nail underneath the raised center portion of the

bracket, such that the flattened head of the nail engages with the raised center portion of the bracket and the shaft of the nail extends out through the notched opening of the bracket; and

after said sliding the flattened head of the nail underneath the raised center portion of the bracket:

gripping opposing edges of the wall-mounted article; and

pushing the shaft of the nail into the mounting surface to hang the article at a desired location and a desired orientation on the mounting surface.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein opposing sidewalls of the flattened head of the nail are positioned adjacent and parallel to opposing sidewalls of the raised center portion of the bracket, thereby preventing the wall-mounted article from deviating from the desired orientation after the article is hung on the mounting surface.

27. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein prior to the step of sliding the flattened head of the nail underneath the raised center portion of the bracket, the method further comprises affixing the bracket to a rear surface of the article.

28. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the flattened head of the nail comprises a pair of side prong members, and wherein the method further comprises compressing the side prong members prior to sliding the nail underneath the raised center portion of the bracket.

29. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the article comprises a plurality of mounting devices affixed to a rear surface of the article, wherein each mounting device comprises a bracket and a nail having a flattened head and a shaft extending therefrom, and wherein the method comprises repeating the step of sliding the flattened head of the nail underneath the raised center portion of the bracket for each mounting device prior to pushing the shafts of the nails into the mounting surface.

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