Adjustable article hanging device

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an adjustable hanging device. More particularly the invention relates to an adjustable article-hanging device that is arranged to be affixed to the back surface of an article such as a picture frame, mirror etc. that allows the article to be hung on a vertical surface such as a wall. The invention allows adjustment of the position of the article.

Background of the Invention

There are a variety of existing adjustable picture hanging devises that allows for fine adjustments of the location of the picture and the location of the picture wire so that orientation of the picture with respect to a wall can be manipulated. These devices all have the common feature of having one or more structures that is required to be mounted on a wall or any other vertical surface.

US 2006/01214080 is one such publication, which discloses a hanging device comprising two hanging structures spared apart from each other, each which require to be mounted on a wall. The location of the picture supporting wire here is adjusted between each of the structured by turning either one or more knobs.

WO03/032784 discloses an assembly having a base mounted to a wall. The base comprises a movable wheel so that the wheel is capable of being moved along the base. The picture wire is attached to a mounting knob on the wheel and adjustment of the picture supporting wire is possible by turning the knob.

US 2003/032784 discloses an assembly similar to WO03/032784 above, except that the knob is replaced by a hook rotatably coupled to a wheel.

The above prior art documents require the hanging structures to fixed to a wall in order to hang a picture. In such cases, when a situation exists wherein two or more pictures are needed to be hung at the same level on the wall, the usual practice is to fix the hanging devices on the wall at the same horizontal level. This horizontal orientation may be checked using a spirit level. The problem faced here is that the individual picture wires for each picture may not be of the exact same length, and therefore even though the fixtures on the wall may be at the same level the individual pictures may end up being hung at different levels.

The above-mentioned prior art documents attempt to handle this issue by providing a mechanism on the attached fixtures that allows the location of picture wire that is received by the fixed hanging structure to be changed. Therefore adjustment of the picture wire location is done by adjustment of certain mechanisms in the hanging device, which is fixed to the wall so that the picture can be mounted at the same horizontal level.

The present invention however, attempts to provide fine adjustments of the picture wire by tightening the picture wire, thereby adjusting its length. There is no need to adjust the position of any hanging structure provided on the wall. Also, since the present invention relates to a device that is attached to the picture frame rather that the wall, it is not necessary that the hanging structure on the wall is required to be an adjustable one. The invention can be used to hang pictures at the same level on a wall using conventional picture nails as well.

Summary of the Invention

In a first aspect the invention provides an adjustable article-hanging device comprising a base arranged to be connected to the back surface of an article to be hung on a vertical structure, said base comprising a gripping mechanism for receiving a wire for hanging the article, said gripping mechanism provided for adjusting the position of the article, said device further comprising an adjusting mechanism provided for making fine adjustments of the orientation of the article by adjusting the length or mounting position of a wire provided for hanging the article on the vertical structure.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure l(a) shows the front view of the adjustable hanging device according to a first aspect of the invention.

Figure 1 (b) shows a cross sectional view of the invention taking along the side of the device shown in figure l(a).

Figure 2(a) shows the front view of the adjustable hanging device according to a second aspect of the invention, mounted on the back surface of an article.

Figure 2(b) shows the adjusting mechanism of the devices shown in figure 2(a).

Detailed description of the invention

In order that the present invention be more readily understood, the invention will be described with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

In a first embodiment depicted in figure 1 (a), the invention comprises of a base (1) , which is suitable for attaching with the back of an article (6), which is to be hung. This could be the back of a picture frame or the back or a mirror etc. that needs to be hung on a wall. In this embodiment, the base may be capable of being fixed to the frame using conventional screws for affixing the base. An adhesive strip may also be provided on the back surface of the base. The base (1) is provided with a gripping mechanism (2) to receive the article wire (7). In this embodiment, it is envisaged that the front surface of the base (1) is provided with toothed sections, the edges of which form the gripping means (2). There are preferably two toothed sections spaced parallel to each other at a uniform distance.

The base (1) and the toothed edges can be made out of a suitable material such as any metal or plastic. The choice of the material is largely dependant of the weight of the article that is to be hung.

A plate (3) made of any suitable material as mentioned above, is arranged to be movably attached to the base (1). The toothed edges are capable of gripping this plate (3) in such a manner that the plate can be moved along the length of the toothed edges. This movement allow for adjustment of the position of the article or frame on the vertical surface or a wall. These edges also serve to prevent the plate from slipping away from the base.

The plate is provided with a thumbwheel (4a) capable of rotational movement. A ring (4b) provided for holding a wire for hanging the article is placed on the thumbwheel. Both, the thumbwheel and the ring provide a mechanism for tightening the wire (7), thereby providing for fine adjustments in the orientation of the article against the wall. These adjustments are done by holding the ring and rotating the thumbwheel, thereby adjusting the length of the article wire.

An end of the wire that is provided for hanging the article is capable of being attached to the ring (4b), which is placed on the thumbwheel (4a). One or more of such adjustable-hanging device as described by the present invention can be provided on the back surface of the article. Therefore it is possible for a second end of the wire to be attached to the ring of a second hanging device attached to the back surface of the same article. This provides the option of adjusting the length of the wire in one of the devices for adjusting to orientation of the picture, and it also provides the option of adjusting the second device as well if even finer adjustment is required.

Figure l(b) shows a sectional view of the device according to the first embodiments shown in figure l(a).

In a second embodiment shown in figure 2(a), the adjustable hanging device is envisaged as being provided on one side of the back surface of the article (6), with one end of the article's wire (7) attached to the device. The other end of the wire (7) is fixed on the opposite side of the back surface of the article (6). Adjustment to the article's wire (7) is triggered by the user operating the device from one side of the back surface of the article (6). As with the first embodiment, the device according to this embodiment also includes a gripping means to receive the article's wire (7). In the second embodiment, this gripping means comprises a

ratchet arrangement (5 a) arranged to be operated by a spring loaded mechanism (5b). The spring-loaded mechanism may be in the form of a pivoting finger structure such as a pawl, which engages with the ratchet arrangement (5a). This spring loaded -mechanism (5b) is arranged to control the motion of the ratchet (5a), to which one end of the wire (7) is attached, thereby allowing tightening of the wire (7). A user can operate the spring-loaded mechanism (5b) by depressing the same, thereby allowing motion of the ratchet, which would in turn adjust the length of the article's wire (7). The ratchet arrangement may be capable of linear or rotational movement in a direction. Such an arrangement provides an intermittent motion allowing fine adjustments to the wire (7).

It will be appreciated that the gripping means of the this embodiment is not restricted to being a ratchet and pawl arrangement. Other forms of gripping mechanisms may also be used. For example, a worm drive mechanism that is capable of being operated by a driving means such as a screwdriver or an alien key from one side, can also be used to provide adjustments to the wire. An example of this alternate arrangement is seen in figure 2(b). In this case, one end of the article's wire (7) is attached to a spool. On operation, the worm drive mechanism is arranged rotate the spool, thereby tightening or relaxing the wire (7).

It is to be noted that the present invention is not considered as being restricted to the embodiments depicted in the accompanying figures. Alternate embodiments of invention may be provided with a base that is capable of movement along the back of the article. This movement may be done by affixing a runner on the back of the article to receive the base.

Therefore in this further embodiment fine adjustment to the article wire is done by moving the base of the hanging device in an upward or downward direction, thereby changing the mounting position of the article wire with respect to the back of the article, rather than adjusting the length of the wire as described above, in the first and second embodiment.

If it is desired that the length of the wire is to be adjusted, then the thumbwheel or the worm drive mechanism may be turned as described in the first embodiment. If it is desired that the location of the wires is to be raised or lowered, the base may be moved vertically up or down as in the alternate embodiment. More than one type of adjustment may be done on the

same device. Therefore a combination of the arrangements identified in the above described embodiments may be present on a single article.

The invention allows the article to be hung on any available nail in a position already existing in a wall. This is because fine adjustments to the orientation of the article is done by adjusting the length of the article wire itself, rather than moving the position of the fixtures on the wall that received the article wire.