Personal care accessory support system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9681781-B2
Application number	US-201514918076-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2015
Priority date	Oct 20, 2015
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

A personal care accessory support system is provided with a rail with at least one fastener configuration to fasten the rail to an upright support surface. A plurality of receptacles is formed in the rail. At least two accessory holders are provided. Each of the at least two accessory holders is provided with a base to receive and support an accessory. A retainer is sized to extend over the rail in a horizontal orientation of the rail to mount and support the accessory holder on the rail. The retainer is also sized to extend into one of the plurality of receptacles in a vertical orientation of the rail to mount and support the accessory holder on the rail.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A personal care accessory support system comprising:
a rail with at least one first fastener to fasten the rail to an upright support surface in at least one of a horizontal orientation or a vertical orientation, and a plurality of receptacles formed in the rail;
at least two accessory holders, each of the at least two accessory holders comprising:
a base to receive and support an accessory, and
a retainer sized to extend over the rail when the rail is oriented in the horizontal orientation to mount and support the accessory holder on the rail, and the retainer being sized to extend into one of the plurality of receptacles when the rail is oriented in the vertical orientation of the rail to mount and support the accessory holder on the rail, so that the rail and at least two accessory holders can be utilized in either of the horizontal and vertical orientations of the rail;

a second fastener to engage the at least one first fastener and fasten the rail to the upright support surface;
wherein the at least one first fastener is further defined as a rail aperture;
a spacer with a recess with at least one flat and an aperture aligned with the rail aperture;
wherein the second fastener comprises a bolt with a head received in the spacer recess in engagement with the at least one flat to limit rotation of the bolt in the spacer, and a shank extending through the spacer aperture and the rail aperture;
a nut engaged with the bolt shank; and
an adhesive to adhere the spacer to the upright support surface.

2. The personal care accessory support system of claim 1 wherein the spacer is provided on the rail between the rail and the upright support surface to provide clearance between the rail and the support surface for receipt of the retainer.

3. The personal care accessory support system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of alignment projections extending from the rail away from the support surface.

4. The personal care accessory support system of claim 3 wherein the base of each accessory holder is provided with a slot to receive one of the plurality of alignment projections.

5. The personal care accessory support system of claim 4 wherein each of the plurality of alignment projections is oriented to engage one of slots in the at least two accessory holders in either of the horizontal orientation and the vertical orientation of the rail.

6. The personal care accessory support system of claim 5 wherein each of the plurality of alignment projections has a width that is generally equivalent to a height of each projection for engagement with one of the slots in either of the horizontal orientation and the vertical orientation of the rail.

7. The personal care accessory support system of claim 6 wherein each of the plurality of alignment projections is formed as a parallelogram projected from the rail with generally flat perimeter surfaces oriented about the parallelogram and connecting the parallelogram to the rail, to be received within the slot of the corresponding accessory holder to minimize rotation of the accessory holder upon the rail.

8. The personal care accessory support system of claim 1 wherein the rail comprises:
a pair of spaced apart elongate beams; and
a plurality of cross members connecting the pair of beams, wherein each of the plurality of receptacles is defined within the pair of beams and a pair of the plurality of cross members.

9. The personal care accessory support system of claim 8 further comprising a plurality of alignment projections each extending from one of the plurality of cross members away from the support surface.

10. The personal care accessory support system of claim 1 wherein the rail is formed from stamped sheet metal.

11. The personal care accessory support system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the at least two accessory holders is formed from metal wire.

12. The personal care accessory support system of claim 1 wherein the second fastener comprises a screw.

13. The personal care accessory support system of claim 1 wherein the adhesive is reversible.

14. A personal care accessory support system comprising:
a rail with at least one fastener to fasten the rail to an upright support surface in at least one of a horizontal orientation or a vertical orientation, wherein the rail comprises:
a pair of spaced apart elongate beams,
a plurality of cross members connecting the pair of beams, wherein a plurality of receptacles is defined within the pair of beams and a pair of the plurality of cross members;

a plurality of alignment projections extending from the rail cross members away from the support surface, each adjacent one of the receptacles; and
at least two accessory holders, each of the at least two accessory holders comprising:
a base to receive and support an accessory, with a slot sized to receive one of the plurality of alignment projections in either of the horizontal orientation and the vertical orientation of the rail, and
a retainer sized to extend over the rail in the horizontal orientation of the rail to mount and support the accessory holder on the rail, and the retainer being sized to extend into one of the plurality of receptacles in the vertical orientation of the rail to mount and support the accessory holder on the rail, so that the rail and at least two accessory holders can be utilized in either of the horizontal and vertical orientations of the rail.

15. The personal care accessory support system of claim 14 further comprising a spacer provided on the rail between the rail and the upright support surface to provide clearance between the rail and the support surface for receipt of the retainer.

16. The personal care accessory support system of claim 14 wherein each of the plurality of alignment projections has a width that is generally equivalent to a height of each projection for engagement with one of the slots in either of the horizontal orientation and the vertical orientation of the rail.

17. The personal care accessory support system of claim 14 wherein each of the plurality of alignment projections is formed as a parallelogram projected from the rail with generally flat perimeter surfaces oriented about the parallelogram and connecting the parallelogram to the rail, to be received within the slot of the accessory holder to minimize rotation of the accessory holder upon the rail.

Assignees

• Liberty Hardware Mfg Corp

Inventors

• HURLEY Christina
• Callif Adam
• Schultz Nathaniel Faltin Dutton
• Forrest Earl David

Classifications

• F16B47/003

  using adhesives for attaching purposes (using adhesives for connecting constructional elements F16B11/006) · CPC title

• F16B11/006

  by gluing (gluing of plastics material B29C65/48) · CPC title

• D06F57/12

  specially adapted for attachment to walls, ceilings, stoves, or other structures or objects · CPC title

• A47K2201/02

  Connections to a wall mounted support · CPC title

• A47K3/281

  Accessories for showers or bathing douches, e.g. cleaning devices for walls or floors of showers (A47K3/30, A47K3/38, A47K3/40 take precedence) · CPC title