System and method for hanging an article from a support surface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11096491-B2
Application number	US-201815903131-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2018
Priority date	Feb 23, 2017
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

A system and a method for hanging an article from a support surface. The article may be a cabinet, such as a medicine cabinet or the like, although the system described herein may be used for hanging any type of article from a support surface such as a wall. The system uses a surface mounting element that is coupled to the support surface and a cam lock that is slidably coupled to the article to hang the article from the support surface by coupling the surface mounting element to the cam lock. Because the cam lock is slidably coupled to the article, the article can move horizontally along the support surface without separating the article from the support surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
an article comprising a top end having a mounting channel that is elongated along a channel axis, the article and the mounting channel having a fixed length measured along the channel axis, wherein the article is a cabinet comprising a housing defining a cavity having an opening and a door that is alterable between a closed state in which the door encloses the opening and an open state in which the opening is exposed and forms a passageway into the cavity of the housing;
at least one surface mounting element comprising a first portion and a second portion, the at least one surface mounting element configured to be coupled to a support surface so that the second portion of the at least one surface mounting element protrudes from the support surface;
at least one cam lock comprising a first portion that is slidably mounted to the mounting channel and a second portion, the at least one cam lock alterable between: (1) a receiving state in which the second portion of the at least one surface mounting element can be inserted into and removed from the second portion of the at least one cam lock; and (2) a locked state in which the second portion of the at least one surface mounting element is prohibited from being removed from the second portion of the at least one cam lock; and
wherein the system is adapted for hanging the article from the support surface.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein when the at least one surface mounting element is coupled to the support surface, the second portion of the at least one surface mounting element is positioned within the second portion of the at least one cam lock, and the at least one cam lock is in the receiving state, the article can slide horizontally along the support surface while hanging from the support surface, the at least one cam lock being in a fixed position relative to the support surface and the first portion of the at least one cam lock sliding along the mounting channel while the article slides horizontally along the support surface.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one cam lock extends from a first end to a second end along a longitudinal axis, the at least one cam lock comprising a stem extending between the first and second portions of the at least one cam lock, the first and second portions of the at least one cam lock spaced apart from one another by an annular gap that circumferentially surrounds the stem.

4. The system according to claim 3 wherein the mounting channel comprises an open top end, and wherein the first portion of the at least one cam lock is positioned within the mounting channel and the stem of the at least one cam lock extends through the open top end of the mounting channel, and wherein the at least one cam lock is configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis while the first portion of the at least one cam lock is located within the mounting channel of the article.

5. The system according to claim 1 wherein the article comprises a front surface, a rear surface opposite the front surface, a first side surface, and a second side surface opposite the first side surface, the first and second side surfaces extending between the front and rear surfaces, the top end of the article comprising a top surface extending between the first and second side surfaces of the article along a first axis that is equidistant from the front and rear surfaces of the article, and wherein the mounting channel extends along the channel axis that is parallel to the first axis and the mounting channel is located between the first axis and the rear surface of the article.

6. The system according to claim 1 further comprising
the top end of the article comprising a top surface; and
a bracket protruding from the top surface of the article and being elongated in a direction parallel to the channel axis, the bracket comprising a first bracket member and a second bracket member that are spaced apart from one another, the mounting channel being defined between the first and second bracket members.

7. The system according to claim 6 further comprising:
the first bracket member comprising a first wall extending from the top surface of the article and a second wall extending from the first wall;
the second bracket member comprising a third wall extending from the top surface of the article and a fourth wall extending from the third wall; and
wherein the second and fourth walls extend from the first and third walls, respectively, in a direction towards one another.

8. The system according to claim 7 wherein the mounting channel comprises a lower portion defined between the first and third walls of the first and second bracket members and an upper portion defined between the second and fourth walls of the first and second bracket members, the lower portion having a greater width than the upper portion such that the first portion of the at least one cam lock fits within the lower portion of the mounting channel but not within the upper portion of the mounting channel, wherein the first portion of the at least one cam lock is located within the lower portion of the mounting channel and a stem of the at least one cam lock that extends between the first and second portions of the at least one cam lock is located within the upper portion of the mounting channel, a lower surface of the second and fourth walls resting on a top surface of the first portion of the at least one cam lock.

9. The system according to claim 1 wherein the first portion of the at least one cam lock is located within the mounting channel and the article is supported by and hangs from a top surface of the first portion of the at least one cam lock.

10. The system according to claim 1 further comprising:
the article extending from a bottom end to the top end along a longitudinal axis;
the at least one surface mounting element comprising a first cam screw and a second cam screw, the first and second cam screws configured to be coupled to the support surface in a horizontally spaced apart manner;
the at least one cam lock comprising a first cam lock and a second cam lock, the first and second cam locks slidably coupled to the article on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the article; and
wherein the first cam lock is configured to be coupled to the first cam screw and the second cam lock is configured to be coupled to the second cam screw to hang the article from the support surface.

11. The system according to claim 1 wherein the first portion of the at least one cam lock is freely slidable within the mounting channel in a direction parallel to the channel axis while being substantially prevented from movement in a direction perpendicular to the channel axis.

12. The system according claim 1 further comprising:
the article comprising a bottom end opposite the top end, the bottom end having a second mounting channel; and
a support bracket comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion of the support bracket is configured to be mounted to the support surface while the second portion of the support bracket extends into the second mounting channel on the bottom end of the article.

Assignees

• Mcs Industries Inc

Inventors

• Pyle Michael Lee
• Mcgowan Steven Patrick
• Kressin Matthew Scott
• Ehrhardt Richard Joseph
• Coyle Jr Robert Terry

Classifications

• A47B96/06

  Brackets or similar supporting means for cabinets, racks or shelves ({A47B96/022 takes precedence; } aspects of adjusting height or inclination A47B57/00 {; brackets for the display of articles A47F5/08}) · CPC title

• A47B67/02

  Cabinets for shaving tackle, medicines, or the like · CPC title

• A47B2230/07

  Releasable locking means or connectors for fastening together parts of furniture · CPC title

• A47B95/008 Primary

  Suspension fittings for cabinets to be hung on walls · CPC title