Field of the Invention

The invention concerns a self-supporting hook for attaching to a planar structure that has spaced proximal and distal aligned surfaces and a hole provided in at least said proximal surface for receiving the hook wherein the hook has a hanging member and a supporting member connected theretogether by a connecting member whose size is commensurate with, or related to, the distance between said surfaces; a method of attaching said hook to said structure; a planar structure comprising at least one, and typically a plurality, of said self-supporting hook(s) anchored therein; and a kit of parts comprising a plurality of different sized and/or shaped self-supporting hook(s).

Background of the Invention

Numerous devices exist for drilling or screwing into walls for installing a hook or hanging device onto a wall, such as for hanging a picture, a mirror, or the like. A hook employing the use of conventional nails and screws is not always a convenient solution and may not provide enough support strength when located in the wall, particularly in the case of a drywall, or friable wallboard, which is relatively weak.

A wall plug, also known as an anchor or "rawlplug", is a fibre or plastic insert used to facilitate the attachment of a screw to a wall, the screw may be porous or brittle or may not otherwise support the weight of an object attached to the screw. This type of anchor allows screws, for example, to be fitted into a masonry wall or a drywall. There are many forms of wall plugs, but the most common type is a tapered tube of deformable material, such as plastics. In use, this is inserted into a drilled hole, then a screw is tightened in its centre. As the screw enters the plug, the deformable material of the wall plug expands radially thus gripping tightly the drilled wall to provide a frictionally engaged and secure placement. Such wall plugs are used to attach one object to another in situations where screws, nails, adhesives, or other simple fasteners are either impractical or ineffective. Different types of wall plugs having different levels of strength can be used in different types of walls. Drywalls (also known as hollow walls or plaster walls) comprise plasterboards fixed to wooden partitions and so this structure lacks a solid substrate into which one can anchor wall plugs fixings. However, a number of anchor devices have been devised to overcome this drawback, typically, including self- installable anchors and expandable anchors. Some of these anchors comprise members adapted to engage the core of the wallboard/plasterboard, whilst others include a toggle member that is adapted to pivot between a first insertion position and a second retention position, wherein, in the retention position behind the wall, the toggle member grips the rear of the plasterboard thereby securing the anchor to the hollow wall. Generally, higher loading can be achieved with anchors that grip the back of the waliboard.

However, such anchors are still difficult for the typical homeowner to install because a screw is generally needed to complete the installation and hold the anchor in position, this screw can be difficult to locate because there is not always sufficient space in the hollow cavity to locate the anchor and screw. Moreover, these anchors also significantly penetrate the wall which tends to crumble and so weaken the surrounding wall structure, ultimately, leaving a large hole that is not easily repaired. Further, in the case of fixings for hanging items on the wall, the majority of plasterboard fixings apply force perpendicular to plasterboard (representing a pull-out force), however, objects attached to plasterboard essentially hang and therefore require tolerance of a force that is parallel with plasterboard. Finally, traditional anchors with simple hooks are not suited to mount a wide variety of objects in a secure manner.

There is therefore an unmet need for a wall mounted hook, particularly but not exclusively for use on hollow drywalls that is easy to install but, at the same time, provides a secure hook with a high support strength. Further, it is advantageous to provide a wall mounted hook that is reusable.

We herein disclose a novel, reusable and self-supporting hook that negates the requirement for further fixings to attach it to a structure such as a wall. Notably, the hook is such that it maximises load distribution throughout the structure, thus minimising the risk of it being pulled out of the wall or of damaging the structure to which it is attached, and as such has been found to have high load-bearing strength.

Statements of Invention

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a self-supporting hook for attaching to a planar structure that has spaced proximal and distal aligned surfaces and a hole provided in at least said proximal surface for receiving the hook, said hook comprising:

a hanging member and a supporting member connected theretogether by a connecting member whose size is commensurate with, or related to, the distance between said surfaces; wherein

a longitudinal axis of said hanging member is aligned with a longitudinal axis of said supporting member but the supporting member is positioned, at least partially, above the hanging member;

whereby, in use, when inserted through said hole, the hanging member abuts the proximal surface and the supporting member abuts the distal surface thereby anchoring the hook in said structure.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, said hole or a through-bore can be provided in the structure by any means such as, but not limited to, use of a drill. A single hole can be provided for receiving the hook. The hole may be circular, elongate, elliptical or of any desired shape for receiving said hook. Preferably, the hole penetrates both the proximal and distal surfaces of the planar structure to provide a through bore.

In a preferred embodiment, said structure is a drywall. As is known in the art, a drywall, also known as a hollow wall or a plaster wall, comprises at least two planar plasterboards fixed to wooden partitions. Typically, such walls are made of calcium sulphate dihydrate (gypsum), with or without additives, which is extruded between relatively thick sheets of facer and backer paper. Alternatively, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the hook according to the invention can be anchored in any similar structure such as, but not limited to, wooden partition walls, provided that said structure is planar and has proximal and distal surfaces spaced apart from each other and separated by air or spacing material.

Reference herein to a hanging member refers to any member whereby a user can position, mount or hang an item on said hanging member when said hook is anchored in said planar structure or wall.

In a preferred embodiment, said hanging member is provided with at least one protrusion on which an object can be mounted, or“hooked”, when said hook is anchored in said planar structure. Said at least one protrusion can take numerous forms, shapes, sizes and/or geometries as is conventionally used in the art and it is selected according to the nature of the object that is to be mounted or hung from same.

Reference herein to a supporting member refers to any member which can be inserted and passed through a hole provided in said planar structure.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, when anchored in a wall the hanging member of the hook abuts the outer side of the proximal surface and the supporting member abuts the inner side of the, opposing, distal surface of the planar structure, thus effectively self-supporting itself (and so dispensing with a need for other non-integral fixings) in such a way that any load, when applied to the hook, is distributed throughout the proximal and distal surfaces of said planar structure, simultaneously anchoring the hook in position and increasing the load-bearing capacity of said hook. In an alternative use of the invention, the wall may be provided with a through-bore and so the hook is positioned so that the hanging member abuts the outer side of the proximal surface and the supporting member abuts the outer side of the, opposing, distal surface of the planar structure. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the supporting and hanging members are provided with substantially flat front and rear surfaces so that the hook can be used in either of the two aforementioned ways or, alternatively, adapted for use in a particular single way and so having flat front or rear supporting surface depending on whether it is intended to engage the front or rear surface of the distal wall.

In a preferred embodiment, it its simplest form, said hanging member has a substantially planar rear surface for abutting the proximal surface, that is the outer side of the proximal surface, and a front surface which is fashioned to provide a hanging member or it has a hanging member attached thereto. Similarly, said supporting member has a substantially planar rear surface for abutting the distal surface, that is the inner side thereof. Additionally, or alternatively, the supporting member has a substantially planar front surface for abutting the distal surface, that is, the outer side thereof.

In a further preferred embodiment, said hanging member and/or said supporting member is resiliently biased with respect to the connecting member whereby, in use, the force with which the hanging member or supporting member abuts either the proximal or distal wall is increased. With this arrangement it has also advantageously been found that the tolerance of the hook for variations in planar structure thickness is improved as the hook adopts a width commensurate with the size of the planar structure thickness. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, this may be important in certain circumstances, for example, in the case of plaster coated gypsum, wherein the thickness of the plaster can vary thus varying the overall thickness of the structure surface. Most preferably, with this arrangement the hook is made of a resilient material or it is adapted so that parts thereof can move with respect to each other.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in this preferred embodiment, the foot-print or silhouette of the hanging member and/or supporting member can have any shape such as round, rectangular, oval, square or wedge- shaped, further it can be of any size provided the connecting member has an axis, ideally longitudinal, whose size is commensurate with the distance between said surfaces whereby the hanging member and supporting member are separated by an amount equal to the distance between said surfaces.

Alternatively, said hanging member and/or supporting member is provided with one or more extending portions or wings whereupon anchoring of the hook in the planar structure and application of a load, said extending portions or wings extend, preferably radially, against the proximal or distal surface of the planar structure and abut same. As will be appreciated, when provided with this arrangement, the supporting member is ideally configured such that extension of its wings is at a minimum when no load is applied thus permitting insertion of same through the hole or through-bore, and the wings extend to abut the distal surface when the load is applied. This also improves retention of the hook in the structure as in its extended form the hook is unable to pass back through the hole or through-bore unless the load is removed from the hanging member.

In yet a further preferred embodiment said connecting member is attached to the hanging member either at an upper or lower edge thereof or spaced from said upper or lower edge by a selected amount. Similarly, said connecting member is attached to the supporting member either at an upper or lower edge thereof or spaced from said upper or lower edge by a selected amount. When connected to either said hanging member or said supporting member spaced from said upper or lower edge, the distance between the connecting member and said edge forms a lip to prevent the hook from being withdrawn from the hole through which it is inserted.

In yet a further preferred embodiment, said connecting member is connected to said hanging member at an intermediate position with respect to said ends of said hanging member such that a part of said hanging member extends upwardly and a part of said hanging member extends downwardly from the connecting member. In use, when inserted through a hole in a hollow wall a part of the hanging member is positioned below the hole in the structure and a part is above it. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in such an arrangement, the hanging member is prevented from being pulling out through the hole by a load and so the load improves the anchoring of same. In effect, the upward and/or downward parts of the hanging member act(s) as a lip or flange but also, advantageously, hide the hole in the structure.

More preferably still, said connecting member is connected to said supporting member at an intermediate position with respect to said ends of said supporting member such that part of said supporting member extends upwardly from the connecting member and a part of said supporting member extends downwardly from the connecting member. In use, when inserted through a hole or through-bore in a hollow wall a part of the supporting member is positioned below the hole in the structure and a part is above it. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, in such an arrangement, the supporting member abuts the distal surface both above and below the hole or through- bore thus providing substantial support.

Most ideally, said connecting member is connected to said hanging member and said supporting member at an intermediate position with respect to both said hanging member’s and said supporting member’s ends such that a part of said hanging member and said supporting member extends downwardly from the connecting member and a part of said hanging member and said supporting member extends upwardly from the connecting member. Most preferably this arrangement is asymmetrical so that a greater part of the supporting member extends upwardly from the connecting member and a greater part of the hanging members extends downwardly from the connecting member.

Yet more preferably still, said supporting member is provided on its planar wall abutting surface with at least one reinforcing member to increase the grip of the supporting member, and so its effective strength, when a load is applied to the hook. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, this can be achieved by numerous means such as, but not limited to, the provision of one or more protruding spines preferably positioned along the same axis as the longitudinal axis of the supporting member. Preferably, said reinforcing member is positioned on the rear surface of the supporting member.. It has been found that even for a small hook manufactured from simple material the load strength of the hook is significantly improved with this arrangement.

In a further preferred embodiment, said hook is provided with a stabilising member adapted to limit the rotation of the hook when anchored in the structure. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, this prevents the hook moving when a load is applied thus improving stability. To achieve this, in a preferred embodiment, said hanging member and/or support member comprise at least one fastener or tooth-like structure adapted to engage the proximal and/or distal surface of the structure when anchored in same thereby substantially locking the hook and preventing its rotation with respect to the structure. As will be appreciated, to minimise damage to the proximal surface of the structure (e.g. , the visible surface in the case of a wall), preferably it is said supporting member that comprises at least one fastener or tooth-like structure.

Additionally, or alternatively, and more preferably, to prevent rotation said connecting member has a non-circular cross-section, ideally an oval, elliptical or rectangular cross-section.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, said hook is fabricated from any appropriate material, such as plastics including thermoplastics that are suitable for use in injection moulding, metal or the like which is/are suitable for use in the wall mounting of objects. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the nature of the material will be influenced by the intended load to be supported by the hook and ease of manufacture and can be selected accordingly. Additionally, said hook may be provided in various colours for use with varying wall decor according to needs of the user.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of attaching a self-supporting hook as defined herein to a planar structure having spaced proximal and distal aligned surfaces and at least one hole in said proximal surface or at least one through-bore in said proximal and distal surfaces for receiving the hook, said method comprising: i) inserting a supporting member of a hook through the hole or through-bore, the hook comprising a hanging member and a supporting member connected theretogether by a connecting member whose size is commensurate with, or related to, the distance between said surfaces; and

ii) tilting the hook until the hanging member abuts the proximal surface and the supporting member abuts the distal surface thereby anchoring the hook in said structure.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the design of the hook enables a user to attach same to a planar structure such as a wall, in particular a drywall, through a hole provided in same (e.g. pre-formed or by using a drill) without the need for further fixings because the supporting and hanging members abuts the distal and proximal surfaces, respectively, of said structure thus anchoring the hook in the wall and distributing any load throughout both distal and proximal surfaces and, ultimately, to the supporting floor beneath same. This significantly improves the loading potential of the hook, especially compared to conventional fixings where load distribution is either limited to one surface (e.g. the distal surface when using expandable fixings) or primarily perpendicular to the surface of the structure, resulting in a pull-out force. Further, the elegant nature of the hook is such that it does not rely upon complex moveable or expandable parts to engage the distal surface of the structure and thus has ease of manufacture. Additionally, it is not limited to applications requiring a large cavity within the structure to accommodate moving or expandable parts

Once the hook is inserted into a structure its load distribution, especially when an object is mounted on same, is such that it is self-supporting. Further, the lack of additional fixings, which often lead to irreversible distortion or compression, means it can easily be removed and re-used. According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a wall or planar structure that has spaced proximal and distal aligned surfaces and comprising at least one and typically a plurality of said self-supporting hook(s) according to the invention anchored therein.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a kit of parts comprising a plurality of different sized and/or shaped self-supporting hook(s) according to the invention.

More preferably, said kit further comprises at least one drilling guide, or template, to provide a hole in the structure for use with said hook(s).

Preferred features of each aspect of the invention may be as described in connection with any of the other aspects.

Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the words “comprise” and“contain” and variations of the words, for example“comprising” and“comprises”, mean“including but not limited to” and do not exclude other moieties, additives, components, integers or steps. Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the singular encompasses the plural unless the context otherwise requires. In particular, where the indefinite article is used, the specification is to be understood as contemplating plurality as well as singularity, unless the context requires otherwise.

All references, including any patent or patent application, cited in this specification are hereby incorporated by reference. No admission is made that any reference constitutes prior art. Further, no admission is made that any of the prior art constitutes part of the common general knowledge in the art.

Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following examples. Generally speaking, the invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims and drawings). Thus, features, integers, characteristics, compounds or chemical moieties described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment or example of the invention are to be understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example described herein, unless incompatible therewith.

Moreover, unless stated otherwise, any feature disclosed herein may be replaced by an alternative feature serving the same or a similar purpose.

The Invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the Examples below and to the following Figures wherein:

Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic front, perspective elevation of a preferred hook of the invention;

Figure 2 shows a diagrammatic rear, perspective elevation of the preferred hook of the invention;

Figure 3a shows a diagrammatic side sectional view of a hook according to the invention when attached to a structure having opposing, spaced wall structures, typically hollow, wherein only the hanging member sits outside the structure;

Figure 3b shows a diagrammatic side sectional view of a hook according to the invention when attached to a structure having opposing, spaced wall structures, typically solid, wherein both the supporting member and hanging member sit outside the structure; and

Figure 4 shows an example of a hook according to the invention being attached to a drywall plasterboard.

Referring to the figures and firstly to figure 1 , there is shown a perspective view of a self-supporting hook according to the invention. The hook is shown as a single moulding although it can be made in parts, typically two or three parts, and assembled pre or post sale. It comprises, essentially three functional units, a supporting member [1 ], a connecting member [2], and a hanging member [3] Members [1 ] and [3] are usually elongate structures of a similar size and shape and characterised by having a significantly flat or planar front and rear surface [1 a]/[3a] and [1 b]/[3b], respectively. These surfaces are usually flat because their function is to fit flush against the surfaces of wall structures thus the degree of contact between these rear surfaces and the abutting surfaces of wall structures is maximised to ensure the transmission of load-bearing force. However, in certain embodiments, the hanging and/or supporting member is resiliently biased with respect to the connecting member whereby, in use, the force with which the hanging member and/or supporting member abuts the structure is increased. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the size and shape of members [1 ] and [3] can be varied and, indeed, the size and shape of member [1 ] may differ significantly from the size and shape of member 3, although for manufacturing purposes it is more efficient to have similar sized and shaped members.

Connecting member [2], shown here as an integral part of the hook, has a longitudinal axis x at right angles to the longitudinal axis y of members [1 ] and [3] The length of axis x of member [2] is chosen so that it is commensurate with the gap or distance between opposing, spaced surfaces (proximal and distal) of wall structures. In this way, in one arrangement shown in figure 3a, members [1 ] and [3], and more particularly, the rear facing surfaces thereof [1 b] and [3b], respectively, will fit flush against said surfaces when in use. Alternatively, in the arrangement shown in figure 3b, members [1 ] and [3], and more particularly, the front and rear facing surfaces thereof [1 a] and [3b], respectively, will fit flush against said surfaces when in use. Further, connecting member [2] is attached to the supporting member so that it is spaced from said upper and lower edges by a selected amount, indeed it is connected towards the lower part of supporting member [1 ] In contrast, connecting member [2] is attached to the hanging member [3] so that it is spaced from said upper and lower edges by a selected amount, indeed it is connected towards the upper part of hanging member [3], in this way the supporting member [1 ] sits above the hanging member [3] When connected to either said hanging member or said supporting member in this way the distance between the connecting member and an edge of said supporting member or said hanging member provides a lip to prevent the hook from being withdrawn from the hole or through-bore via which it is inserted into the wall. Further still, member [2] is ideally fashioned to be non-circular, in this way when in use it will resist rotation when seated within a wall have a single circular hole in a front section thereof of a single circular through-bore.

Member [3], in use, has a front surface [3a] Surface [3a] is provided with a hook [5] Hook [5] is fashioned for its intended purpose and so typically is of a size and shape to act as a wall hanging structure for the purpose of hanging pictures, mirrors, garments etc. Since member [3] and its associated hook [5] could be on view when in use, they may be made of a material or coated with a material that is suitable for this purpose. In contrast member [1 ], in use, sits within or behind a wall cavity and so is not on view when in use, therefore this member may be made from a material that is different from member [3], or member [1 ] may be provided without an attractive coating.

Referring now to figure 2, there is shown a rear view of the hook of figure 1. It can be seen that the flat or planar rear surface [1 b] is provided with spines [6] that extend along the longitudinal axis y. Two contiguous elongate spines [6a] and [6b] are shown in figure 2, to confer increased structural strength on the supporting member [1 ] of the hook to prevent buckling of same under load. However, fewer or more spines may be provided, contiguous or fragmented.

Additionally or alternatively, teeth-like structures or other protrusions may be provided on surfaces [1 a], [1 b], and/or [3b] (not shown). The purpose of these raised structures is to provide extra grip for members [1 ]/[3] whereby it/they can grasp the surfaces of wall structures and embed in same to further secure the attachment of the hook to the surfaces of the wall structures. As will be appreciated, where the hook is to be used with a through-bore, such as in figure 3b, these protrusions may be provided on the other side, or both sides, of supporting member [1 ] Such protrusions also prevent rotation of the hook when in situ. Referring now to figure 3a, there is shown a diagrammatic view of the hook of the invention in situ in one arrangement. There is shown a wall structure comprising opposing, spaced wall structures [7] and [8], typically hollow. Wall structure [7] is provided rearwardly of the wall. Mounted within this wall structure is a hook having members [1 ], [2] and [3] Member [1 ] sits within the wall and its rear surface [1 b] sits against the inner surface of rear wall [7] In contrast member [3] sits outside the wall, wherein rear surface [3b] of the hook abuts same. Connecting member [2] sits within the wall and ensures faces [1 b] and [3b] sit flush against the wall structures [7] and [8], respectively.

Alternatively, and more preferably, as shown in figure 3b, a hook is mounted through a dry wall structure [9], typically solid, having a proximal and distal surface [9a] and [9b], respectively, via a through bore [10] which is sized and shaped to accommodate the hook. Thus, in use, the hook spans the entire dry wall structure [9] and so member [1 ] sits outside the rear/distal wall structure [9] and it is the front surface [1 a] of member [1 ] that sits against the distal surface [9b] of wall [9] As above in figure 3a, member [3] sits outside the wall [9], on the front face thereof wherein rear surface [3b] abuts the proximal surface [9a] Again connecting member [2] sits within the structure [9] but in this arrangement it ensures faces [1 b] and [3b] sit flush against the wall structure [9]

This figure 3b arrangement is shown in figure 4 where a planar structure is provided with a number of through-bores adapted to accommodate a hook and, it can also be seen, that a hook is inserted into a chosen bore using member [1 ] and tilting is employed to arrange for member [1 ] to pass through the dry wall before the hook is straightened whereby its faces [1 b] and [3b] abut the opposing wall structure [9] and so engage with same thus ensuring the hook is anchored within the structure and so ready to accept a load.

In this way, a relatively flimsy planar structure, such as a dry wall, can be used to hang a relatively heavy object.