Apparatus for hanging a framed picture

Abstract

An apparatus for hanging a framed picture is provided. The apparatus comprises a housing configured for fixing to a support surface; a channel through a length of the housing; at least one first engagement surface positioned along a surface of the housing adjacent the channel; at least one pair of opposing arms configured to be biased from each other and moved longitudinally within the channel, each pair of arms comprising: at least one second engagement surface configured to engage with the first engagement surface and a support portion configured to support an edge of a picture frame. The apparatus provides for improved ease of positioning a framed object such as a picture in situ after fixing the housing to a support surface by altering the position of the opposing arms relative to the housing.

Description

STATEMENT OF CORRESPONDING APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is based on the Complete specifications filed in relation to New Zealand Patent Number 590239 and Australian Patent Number 2010101472, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The present invention relates to an apparatus for hanging a framed picture. Particularly, although not exclusively, the present invention relates to an apparatus for adjusting the height and horizontal angle of inclination of a framed picture after fixing to a support surface.BACKGROUND ART[0003]Conventional methods of hanging a framed picture or the like on a support surface such as a wall involves the use of attaching a picture hook to the wall and engaging a wire, string or eyelet attached to the back of the picture frame to the hook.[0004]A disadvantage of this method of attachment is that the framed picture is frequently in an incorrect position on the wall particularly when aligning multiple pictur...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is about an apparatus for hanging a framed picture on a wall. The apparatus allows for adjustment of the vertical height, horizontal position and horizontal angle of inclination of the framed picture after the housing has been fixed to the wall. The apparatus includes a housing with a channel and biased apartopposing arms that can be adjusted to hang the picture frame at a desired position. By adjusting the position of the opposite arms, the horizontal angle of inclination of the picture can be adjusted. The apparatus maximizes the range of vertical adjustments and allows the picture to be positioned flush with the support surface without tilting. The housing has external indicia to help align it relative to the support surface. The apparatus includes a mechanism to re-engage the arms to re-position the frame.

Problems solved by technology

A disadvantage of this method of attachment is that the framed picture is frequently in an incorrect position on the wall particularly when aligning multiple pictures in relation to one another.

Repositioning frequently requires removing and reaffixing the fixing means such as a screw or nail in the wall causing damage to the wall or physical failure of the mounting and resulting in a time consuming trial and error process to achieve the correct fine tuning of the position of the picture frame.

A further disadvantage is that the picture wire can move relative to the hook thereby resulting in the picture not hanging level.

Further, the picture frequently tilts forward on the wire creating a gap between the top edge of the picture frame and the wall which can result in obscuring of the picture.

However, these apparatus (such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,780) do not provide for ease of adjusting both the vertical and horizontal position of the picture relative to the wall, including the horizontal angle of inclination of the picture, without the use of tools (such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,411).

Alternatively known devices are complicated in their construction and expensive to produce making them impractical for the average user (such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,479).

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