Spring loaded accessory hub

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10634280-B2
Application number	US-201815939961-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2018
Priority date	Apr 3, 2017
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

An accessory hub joins accessories such as towel bars and robe hooks to a wall. In order to attach the accessory to the wall, a collet is fastened to the wall. The accessory hub may be joined to the collet with a spring-loaded button extending from the collet that is inserted into a receiver in the accessory hub. A first cleat portion on the collet mates with a second cleat portion on the accessory hub further securing the accessory hub to the collet. The accessory may then be attached to the accessory hub. The accessory hub may be detached from the collet without damaging the wall by depressing the button into the collet and disengaging the first and second cleat portions.

First claim

We claim:

1. An accessory mounting device comprising:
an accessory hub with a plurality of sides and a rear portion;
an open and hollow recess in the rear portion, wherein the open and hollow recess includes a first cleat portion for securing the accessory hub to a wall;
a collet with a first mounting tab received in the open and hollow recess;
a second cleat portion formed on the first mounting tab of the collet configured to engage the first cleat portion thereby preventing downward motion of the accessory hub once engaged;
a button within the collet displaceable to a home position and a displaced position, wherein the button is configured to be displaced from the home position to the displaced position with a manual depression and automatically returned to the home position following termination of the manual depression by a spring within the collet seated within a bore of a blind hole of the collet; and
a hole in one of the plurality of sides of the accessory hub, wherein the button is at least partially accessible through the hole;
wherein the accessory hub is removed from the collet by depressing the button and disengaging the first cleat portion from the second cleat portion, and wherein the accessory hub is retained by the collet when the button is depressed to the displaced position, the first cleat portion is engaged with the second cleat portion, and the button is released to the home position thereby protruding through the hole in one of the plurality of sides.

2. The accessory mounting device according to claim 1 , further comprising a second mounting tab extending from the collet at a right angle from the collet with respect to the first mounting tab, wherein at least one of the first mounting tab and the second mounting tab has a through hole configured to receive a fastener thereby securing the collet to the wall.

3. The accessory mounting device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a spring retainer inserted into the bore configured to retain the spring and button within the bore, wherein the spring retainer engages the bore with a threaded engagement.

4. The accessory mounting device according to claim 1 , wherein the accessory hub is configured to receive a plurality of accessories including at least one of a towel bar, a towel ring, a soap tray, a tissue holder, a tumbler holder, and a robe hook.

5. The accessory mounting device according to claim 4 , wherein the accessory hub is interchangeable with any one of the accessories.

6. An accessory mounting device comprising:
an accessory hub with a plurality of sides and a rear portion;
an open and hollow recess in the rear portion;
a collet with at least one mounting tab received in the open and hollow recess, wherein the collet includes a bore forming a blind hole configured to receive a spring;
a spring retainer configured to retain the spring within the bore;
a movable button extending from the collet with a home position and a displaced position, wherein the button is configured to be displaced from the home position to the displaced position with a manual depression and automatically returned to the home position following termination of the manual depression by the spring; and
a hole in one of the plurality of sides of the accessory hub, wherein the button is at least partially accessible through the hole.

7. The accessory mounting device according to claim 6 , wherein the accessory hub is removed from the collet by depressing the button and wherein the accessory hub is retained by the collet when A) the button is depressed to the displaced position, B) the collet is inserted into the open and hollow recess, and C) the button is released to the home position thereby protruding through the hole in one of the plurality of sides.

8. The accessory mounting device according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a first cleat portion in the open and hollow recess; and
a second cleat portion formed on the mounting tab of the collet configured to engage the first cleat portion thereby preventing downward motion of the accessory hub once engaged and further securing the accessory hub to the collet.

9. The accessory mounting device according to claim 8 , wherein the accessory hub is retained by the collet to the wall when A) the button is depressed to the displaced position, B) the first cleat portion is engaged with the second cleat portion, and C) the button is released to the home position thereby protruding through the hole in one of the plurality of sides.

10. The accessory mounting device according to claim 6 , wherein the bore and the spring retainer are each threaded with a complimentary thread, thereby allowing the spring retainer to engage and be retained with the bore.

11. The accessory mounting device according to claim 6 , wherein the accessory hub is configured to receive a plurality of accessories including at least one of a towel bar, a towel ring, a soap tray, a tissue holder, a tumbler holder, and a robe hook, and wherein the accessory hub is interchangeable with any one of the accessories.

12. An accessory mounting device comprising:
an accessory hub with a plurality of sides and a rear portion;
an open and hollow recess in the rear portion, wherein the open and hollow recess includes a first cleat portion for securing the accessory hub to a wall;
a collet with a first mounting tab received in the open and hollow recess;
a second cleat portion formed on the first mounting tab of the collet configured to engage the first cleat portion thereby preventing downward motion of the accessory hub once engaged;
a button within the collet displaceable to a home position and a displaced position;
a bore forming a blind hole in the collet configured to receive the button;
a spring within the bore configured to urge the button from the displaced position back to the home position;
a spring retainer fastened to the bore with a threaded engagement configured to retain the spring and button within the bore; and
a hole in one of the plurality of sides of the accessory hub, wherein the button is at least partially accessible through the hole;
wherein the accessory hub is removed from the collet by depressing the button and disengaging the first cleat portion from the second cleat portion, and wherein the accessory hub is retained by the collet when the button is depressed to the displaced position, the first cleat portion is engaged with the second cleat portion, and the button is released to the home position thereby protruding through the hole in one of the plurality of sides.

13. The accessory mounting device according to claim 12 , wherein the button is configured to be displaced from the home position to the displaced position with a manual depression and automatically returned to the home position following termination of the manual depression.

14. The accessory mounting device according to claim 12 , wherein the accessory hub is configured to receive a plurality of accessories including at least one of a towel bar, a towel ring, a soap tray, a tissue holder, a tumbler holder, and a robe hook, and wherein the accessory hub is interchangeable with any one of the accessories.

15. The accessory mounting device according to claim 12 , wherein the first cleat portion and the second cleat portion form a French cleat when joined together.

16. The accessory mounting device according to claim 15 , wherein the French cleat prevents the accessory hub from moving in a downward direction and the button prevents removal of the accessory hub from the collet when in the home position.

17. The acce

Assignees

• Spectrum Brands Inc

Inventors

• Garcia Roberto
• Van Leyen Jan

Classifications

• A47K10/04 Primary

  Towel racks; Towel rails; Towel rods; Towel rolls, e.g. rotatable · CPC title

• A47G25/0635

  comprising a separate wall plate · CPC title

• F16B21/125

  radially resilient or with a snap-action member, e.g. elastic tooth, pawl with spring, resilient coil or wire · CPC title

• A47K10/10

  characterised by being mounted on cabinets, walls, doors, or the like · CPC title

• A47G25/0607

  Clothes hooks · CPC title