Method and assembly for holding an article on a wall

Abstract

This invention discloses a holding assembly including a first lower holder and a second upper holder, and a method for adhesively mounting the holding assembly to a wall and releasably holding an article to the wall using the holding assembly. When the article is held by the holding assembly, a lower end of the article rests on a sill of the first lower holder and is positioned inside an upwardly protruding resilient lip of the first lower holder; and an upper end of the article is positioned inside a downwardly protruding resilient lip of the second upper holder.

Description

[Previous Technology]

[0001] Adhesives (such as pressure-sensitive adhesives) are commonly used to attach items to surfaces. For example, double-sided adhesive tapes (meaning tapes that carry adhesive on both opposing main surfaces) are well-known and widely used. Specifically, stretch-release adhesive tapes have been found to be used in a wide variety of assembly, bonding, attachment, and mounting applications. [Summary of the Invention]

[0002] In summary, this document discloses a holding assembly and a method of using the holding assembly to hold an article on a wall. The holding assembly includes a first lower holder and a second upper holder. The holders are adhesively mounted on a wall and, when mounted on the wall, can releasably hold an article, such as a mobile phone or tablet computer. When the article is held by the holding assembly, a lower end of the article rests on a sill of the first lower holder and is positioned inside an upwardly projecting resilient lip of the first lower holder; and an upper end of the article is positioned inside a downwardly projecting resilient lip of the second upper holder.

[0003] Such and other aspects will become apparent from the detailed description below. However, in any event, the invention described herein should not be construed as limiting the claimable subject matter, whether it is within the scope of the original application or, as presented in the examination proceedings, by amendment or otherwise.

[0005] Similar element symbols in the various drawings represent similar elements. Some elements may have multiple identical or equivalent counterparts; in such cases, an element symbol may indicate only one or more representative elements, but it should be understood that such element symbols apply to all such identical elements. Unless otherwise indicated, all drawings and illustrations are not to scale and have been selected for the purpose of illustrating different embodiments of the invention. In particular, the dimensions of many components are for illustrative purposes only, and unless explicitly stated, it should be inferred from these drawings that the dimensions of the many components are not related.

[0006] Terms such as vertical, above and below, and upward and downward directions along the vertical axis have the common meaning relative to a mounting assembly mounted on a generally vertical wall. Terms such as outward and inward are defined relative to a wall on which a mounting assembly and its components are mounted. Inward means a direction generally toward the wall; outward means a direction generally away from the wall. Terms such as lateral (lateral), and right and left directions along the lateral axis refer to a generally horizontal direction along an axis generally parallel to the main plane of the wall. For clarity, the vertical axis "V", the lateral axis "T", and the inward-outward axis "IO" are labeled in Figure 2.

[0007] The term "wall" generally refers to any entity having a first retainer and a second retainer adhesively mounted thereon on a main surface to form a retaining assembly. It should be emphasized that the term "wall" is used for ease of description; this entity does not necessarily have to be the wall of a building or other stationary structure. Rather, the entity can be, for example, an interior panel of a vehicle (car, truck, airplane, etc.); the panel of a microwave, washing machine, or refrigerator casing, etc. Although in many embodiments the main surface of such an entity may be at least substantially vertically oriented, this is not necessary. Rather, the retaining assembly disclosed herein can be mounted on an angled or even substantially horizontal "wall," if desired. All descriptions herein require only adaptation to a suitable frame of reference.

[0008] As used herein, the term "generally" as a modifier of a property or attribute means, unless otherwise specifically defined, that the property or attribute can be easily identified by one of ordinary skill in the art, but does not need to be highly approximate. The terms "configured to" and similar terms are at least as binding as "adapted to," and require an actual design intent to perform a specific function, rather than merely the entity's ability to perform that function. Unless otherwise noted, when it is understood that numerical values ​​(e.g., dimensions, ratios, etc.) referenced herein can be calculated as averages derived from an appropriate number of measurements of the parameters(s) involved. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0004] [Fig. 1] is a front perspective view of an exemplary fastening assembly mounted on a wall and configured to hold an article on the wall.

[0004] 〔Fig.2〕A front view of an exemplary fastening assembly for securing an item to a wall.

[0004] [Figure 3] is a side view illustrating an exemplary procedure of inserting an item into an exemplary retaining assembly.

[0004] 〔Fig.4〕Illustrated front perspective view of an exemplary retainer of an exemplary retaining assembly.

[0004] [Fig. 5] is an exploded rear perspective view of the exemplary retainer in Fig. 2.

[0004] [Figure 6] is a side view of an exemplary base plate of the mounting assembly, showing an exemplary double-sided adhesive sheet that has covered the lower end of the base plate.

[0004] 〔Fig.7〕is a side view of an illustrative holding body of the holder.

[0004] [Figure 8] is an exploded front view of an illustrative retaining body of the retaining assembly.

[0004] [Fig. 9] is an exploded front perspective view of another example of a retainer in a series of retaining assemblies.

[0004] 〔Fig.10〕is an exploded rear perspective view of the exemplary retainer of FIG.9.

[0004] 〔Fig.11〕A front view of an exemplary fastening assembly for holding an item to a wall.

[0004] [Figure 12] is a top view of an exemplary retainer of the retaining assembly.

[0004] [Figure 13] is a top view of another illustrative retainer of the retaining assembly.

Implementation Method

[0009] This document discloses a retaining assembly 1. As shown in the front perspective view of an exemplary embodiment in FIG1, the retaining assembly 1 includes a first retainer 20 and a second retainer 120. The retaining assembly disclosed herein does not require the first retainer 20 and the second retainer 120 to be in direct contact with each other or even connected to each other; indeed, in many embodiments, these retainers are not connected to each other or connected to each other when mounted on a wall.

[0010] In many embodiments, the first holder 20 and the second holder 120, and their various corresponding components, may be identical and interchangeable. The first holder 20 and the second holder 120 may be mounted on a wall 500, wherein the second holder 120 is substantially perpendicular above the first holder 20, and wherein the space 400 between the holders receives an article to be held by the thus formed holding assembly. In this document, the first holder 20 and its components will be referred to by the term "lower," and the second holder 120 and its components will be referred to by the term "upper." However, as mentioned above, in many embodiments, these items may be identical except for their mounting position and orientation on the wall.

[0011] As shown in the front view of Figure 2 and the side view of Figure 3, an item (e.g., a mobile phone or similar device) 300 can be inserted into the space 400 between the holders 20 and 120, so that the item 300 can be releasably held by the holding assembly 1. Releasably held means that the item 300 remains in place when held by the assembly 1 until, for example, when it is desired to remove the item from the assembly 1. At this time, the item 300 can be manually removed from the holding assembly 1 by a person's fingers without the use of any tools (e.g., pliers, screwdrivers, etc.). As will be apparent below, the item 300 can also be manually inserted into the holding assembly 1 without the use of any tools.

[0012] Referring to Figures 1 to 3, when the article 300 is held by the holding assembly 1, a lower end portion 301 of the article 300 resides in an upwardly opening end space 21 defined by the lower holder 20. A lower terminal end (edge) 302 of the article 300 rests on and is supported by a generally upwardly facing sill 22 of the lower holder 20, and is positioned inside an upwardly protruding elastic lip 23 of the lower holder 20. An upper end portion 303 of the article 300 resides in a downwardly opening end space 121 defined by the upper holder 120, such that an upper terminal end 304 of the article 300 is positioned inside a downwardly protruding elastic lip 123 of the upper holder 120. In some embodiments, when the article 300 is held in this manner, the upper terminal end 304 of the article 300 may contact the generally downwardly facing lintel 122 of the upper holder 120. In some such embodiments, the lintel 122 of the upper retainer 120 and the sill 22 of the lower retainer 20 can be combined to apply a slight compressive force (generally along the vertical axis of the retaining assembly 1) to the article 300 to enhance its retention in place. However, this may not be absolutely necessary. Instead, in many embodiments, the article 300 can rest on the lower sill 22 and can be retained in place by the combination of the lower lip 23 and the upper lip 123, as is evident from Figures 2 and 3.

[0013] The foregoing discussion reveals that the disclosed retaining assembly 1 relies on a first lower retainer 20 that is generally up-facing and a second upper retainer 120 that is generally down-facing. As used herein, a first lower retainer generally up-facing means that the retainer lintel 22 faces upward in the usual manner illustrated in Figures 1 to 3; similarly, a second upper retainer generally down-facing means that the retainer lintel 122 faces downward in the usual manner illustrated in Figures 1 to 3.

[0014] Referring to Figures 1 to 3, in some embodiments, the article 300 is inserted into the space 400 and held by the holding assembly 1 according to the following general method. As shown in Figure 3, the article 300 can be held and oriented at an outward angle relative to the wall 500. This means that the article 300 is angled such that the upper end portion 303 of the article 300 is further away from the wall, and the lower end portion 301 of the article 300 is closer to the wall, as is evident from Figure 3.

[0015] By holding the article 300 at this angle, the lower end portion 301 of the article 300 can be inserted into the upward opening end space 21 of the lower holder 20, so that the lower terminal end 302 of the article 300 rests on the top of the threshold 22 of the lower holder 20. Then, by applying force (indicated by the square arrow 306) approximately manually (e.g., with a finger) at a position near the upper portion of the article 300, the article 300 is forced inward toward the wall 500. This causes the article 300 to rotate about a rotation axis 305 adjacent to the lower terminal end 302 of the article 300 (and parallel to the transverse axis of the holding assembly), so that the upper end portion 303 of the article moves inward into the downward opening end space 121 of the upper holder 120. During this process, the upper terminal end (edge) 304 of the article 300 will strike the elastic lip 123 of the upper holder 120. The lip 123 is elastic and will temporarily deflect (e.g., slightly upward and / or upward) under the inward thrust of the terminal end 304 above the article 300. The lip 123 can deflect to a degree sufficient to allow the terminal end 304 above the article 300 to travel into the space 121, after which the lip 123 will elastically return to its previous configuration.

[0016] This insertion procedure is illustrated in the general representation in Figure 3; the insertion will result in an article being held by the holding assembly 1 in the usual manner shown in Figure 2. That is, the upper terminal end 304 and the lower terminal end 302 of the article 300 will reside inside the upper lip 23 of the holder 20 and the lower lip 123 of the holder 120, which (as appropriate, together with the slight compressive force applied by the sill 22 and the lintel 122) allow the article 300 to be held in the space 400.

[0017] The above method can be varied. For example, the upper end portion 303 of the item 300 can be inserted into the upper space 121, wherein the item 300 is held at an outward angle below. Then, the item 300 can be rotated about a rotation axis adjacent to the upper end portion 304 of the item 300, so that the lower end portion 301 of the item 300 enters the lower space 21, and the lower lip 23 is temporarily deflected in the program. However, for most users, the insertion as described above can be performed more easily.

[0018] Another possible insertion procedure involves slidably inserting the article 300 into the space 400. This can be achieved by holding the article 300 laterally adjacent to the space 400 between the holders 20 and 120, wherein the article 300 is oriented substantially vertically. The article 300 can then be slidably moved in a direction substantially parallel to the lateral axis (T) of the holding assembly 1, such that the lower terminal end 302 of the article 300 is slidably moved into the upward opening end space 21 of the lower holder 20, and the upper terminal end 304 of the article 300 is slidably moved into the downward opening end space 121 of the upper holder 120. If desired, the article 300 can be removed from the holding assembly 1 by reversing this procedure.

[0019] The holding assembly configured herein allows for holding an article without requiring any auxiliary or assistive items (e.g., suspension and hook fasteners, magnets, etc.) to be attached to it. Furthermore, attachment can be performed even if the "wall" 500 to which the article is held is discontinuous. The only requirement is that the wall has two regions whose surfaces are sufficiently close together and parallel to each other to allow the two holders 20 and 120 to be adhesively attached to the wall. Other advantages will become apparent later in this discussion.

[0020] The above configuration can be facilitated by providing that at least the upper lip 23 of the lower retainer 20 and the lower lip 123 of the upper retainer 120 are resilient, allowing one or both lips to deflect in the manner described above. In many embodiments, the upper lip 23 and the lower lip 123 may also be resilient from additional portions extending therefrom (e.g., flanges 24 and 124), as discussed in detail later herein. Resilience means that the body is sufficiently resilient to reversibly deflect in response to an applied force. The resilient material is exemplified, for example, a thermoplastic elastomer. As defined herein, the resilient material will exhibit a Shore A hardness value of less than 80 (at 22 degrees Celsius). In various embodiments, this resilient material may exhibit a Shore A hardness value of less than 70, 60, 50, 40, 30, or 20. In other embodiments, such resilient materials may exhibit a Shore A hardness value of at least 10.

[0021] Any suitable elastic material can be used. In many embodiments, this material can be an injection-molded thermoplastic elastomer. Such materials can contain any suitable composition, such as styrene block copolymers, polyolefin elastomers, thermoplastic polyurethanes, etc. Some such materials may contain blends of an elastic material (e.g., styrene block copolymers) and a harder material (e.g., polyolefins).

[0022] Referring to FIG4, the first lower retainer 20 will include a first lower retaining body 40 and a first lower base plate 50 detachably connected thereto, as described below. The lower retainer 20 will further include a first lower double-sided adhesive strip 60, by which the lower retainer 20 can be adhesively mounted to the wall. The adhesive strip 60 will include: an outward main adhesive surface 62, which is adhesively attached to an inward main surface 51 of the lower base plate 50; and an inward main adhesive surface 61, which is adhesively attached to a surface 501 of the wall 500.

[0023] Similarly, the second upper retainer 120 will include a second upper retaining body 140 and a second upper base plate, the upper retaining body 140 being detachably connected to the second upper base plate. The upper retainer 120 will further include a second upper double-sided adhesive strip, by which the upper retainer 120 can be adhesively mounted to a wall. The second upper base plate and adhesive strip are not specifically shown in any of the drawings herein. However, in many embodiments, the second upper retaining body 140, the second upper base plate, and the second upper adhesive strip will be identical to the first lower retaining body, the first lower base plate, and the first lower adhesive strip described herein. That is, when using a set containing two such retainers, either retainer can be selected as a "first" lower retainer or as a "second" upper retainer. Therefore, although the features of the "second" upper retainer 120 and its components are not described in detail herein, it should be understood that all descriptions of the "first" type of item and its various features and properties will apply in a similar manner to the "second" type of item.

[0024] The front side view of Figure 4, the back side view of Figure 5, and the side view of Figure 6 show a representative base plate in one of the exemplary embodiments (used in these figures as the base plate of the "first" lower base plate 50). (In Figure 5, the double-sided adhesive strip is omitted to facilitate depiction of other components; in Figure 6, the double-sided adhesive strip is adhesively bonded to the base plate, as discussed in detail later herein.)

[0025] In some embodiments, this base plate 50 may include an inward main surface 51 configured to have an outward main adhesive surface 62 to which an adhesive strip 60 is attached, as shown in FIG6. The outer side of the base plate 50 may include any suitable connecting feature or mechanism by which the base plate 50 can be connected (e.g., detachably connected) to the retaining body 40. As is most readily seen in FIG6, in some embodiments, such a connecting mechanism may include an outwardly projecting beam 54 comprising a strut 55 (in this case, a strut over a T-structure) extending therefrom in a direction generally parallel to the outward main surface 52 of the base plate 50. This strut 55 combines with a portion of the outward main surface 52 of the base plate 50 to define a slit 57. The slit 57 is configured to receive therein a generally vertically oriented flange 43 of the retaining body 40 (visible in FIG5), such that the base plate 50 and the retaining body 40 are connected to each other. The connection is separable, wherein the base plate 50 and the retaining body 40 can be separated from each other by slidingly moving them (the connection can be disconnected), so that the flange 43 can be removed from the slit 57.

[0026] In the depicted embodiment, the base plate 50 includes an outwardly projecting ramp 56 (most readily visible in FIG. 6). This feature, combined with the strut 55, provides a friction-fit connection 53 to hold the flange 43 of the retaining body 40 within the slit 57 by the pressure and friction jointly applied by the ramp 56 and the strut 55. This allows the retaining body to be connected to the base plate via a friction-fit configuration, rather than by gravity. This can be advantageous when the retaining body and base plate are used "upside down" as an upper retainer, as discussed in detail later herein. It should be understood that other friction-fit connection schemes may be used.

[0027] In various embodiments, the base plate (whether used as a lower base plate or an upper base plate) may be injection molded from an organic polymeric thermoplastic resin. Any suitable material may be used, such as ABS plastic or similar materials. While in many convenient embodiments the base plate may be a separately manufactured article releasably attached to the holding body, in some embodiments the base plate may be an integral component of the holding body that is not releasable from the holding body.

[0028] Figures 4 and 6 depict a double-sided adhesive strip (sheet) 60 in an exemplary embodiment. In this particular depiction, the adhesive strip 60 is used as a first lower adhesive strip. Similar to the way the body and mounting plate are secured, the "upper" and "lower" double-sided adhesive strips are interchangeable and / or identical, except for their position, orientation, and / or order of use. Therefore, although many descriptions of specific features of the double-sided adhesive strips herein are expressed with regard to the first lower double-sided adhesive strip 60, it should be understood that all such descriptions apply in a similar manner to the second upper double-sided adhesive strip.

[0029] The double-sided adhesive strip may comprise any suitable sheet, film, layer, etc., which includes pressure-sensitive adhesive functionality on the opposing rearward-facing primary surfaces. The double-sided adhesive 60 may be configured such that the outward-facing primary adhesive surface 62 is available for adhesively bonding to the primary surface 51 of the base plate 50, while the inward-facing primary adhesive surface 61 is available for adhesively bonding to the primary surface 501 of the wall 500. In many embodiments, this adhesive strip will be symmetrical and thus can be used as either the inward or outward bonding surface. In other embodiments, one adhesive surface may be designated for bonding to the base plate, and the other adhesive surface may be designated for bonding to the wall (the two surfaces may be distinguished by a release liner with a special marking).

[0030] In some embodiments, the double-sided adhesive strip may be pre-attached to the base plate when supplied to the user. However, in some embodiments, the double-sided adhesive strip may be supplied separately for attachment to the base plate by the end user. The double-sided adhesive may comprise any suitable adhesive, which may be in the form of sheets, strips, rolls, etc., from which a discrete adhesive component suitable for use can be obtained. Thus, suitable adhesives include double-sided tape, laminated adhesive, double-sided foam tape, and the like, as is known in the art.

[0031] Any such adhesive will comprise two primary adhesive surfaces, each a pressure-sensitive adhesive. Pressure-sensitive adhesives are generally adhesive at room temperature and can be adhered to surfaces by applying finger pressure manually, thus distinguishing them from other types of non-pressure-sensitive adhesives. A general description of pressure-sensitive adhesives can be found in the Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Engineering, Vol. 13, Wiley-Interscience Publishers (New York, 1988). Additional descriptions of pressure-sensitive adhesives can be found in the Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Technology, Vol. 1, Interscience Publishers (New York, 1964). As defined herein, a pressure-sensitive adhesive will satisfy the Dahlquist criterion as described on page 172 of the Handbook of Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive Technology, D. Satas, 2nd ed. (1989). This standard defines a pressure-sensitive adhesive as an adhesive that has a latent flexibility of greater than 1 × 10⁻⁶ cm² / dyne per second at its operating temperature (e.g., in the range of 15°C to 35°C).

[0032] In some embodiments, the double-sided adhesive strip may be a stretch release adhesive. This stretch release property allows the adhesive strip to be adhesively attached to a surface and subsequently removed from the surface by stretching (e.g., generally along the long axis of the adhesive strip) without causing visible morphological damage or leaving adhesive residue on the surface. In other words, this allows the base plate and retainer as a whole to be detachably attached to the wall.

[0033] A suitable stretch-releasing adhesive may comprise: an elastic backing, or a highly stretchable but substantially inelastic backing, on which a pressure-sensitive adhesive is disposed (e.g., coated). Alternatively, the stretch-releasing adhesive may be formed from a solid, elastic pressure-sensitive adhesive. Therefore, in this context, the term "stretch-releasing adhesive" encompasses products comprising a monomeric, monolithic, or solid adhesive structure (other than products comprising a backing with separate adhesive layers thereon). Suitable exemplary stretch-releasing adhesives are described in the following documents: U.S. Patent No. 4,024,312 to Korpman; German Patent No. 3331,016; U.S. Patent No. 5,516,581 to Kreckel et al.; and PCT International Publication No. WO 95 / 06691 to Bries et al. This stretch release adhesive can range in thickness from, for example, about 0.2 mm to about 2 mm. If the article 300 is to be installed in a humid environment, the composition of the stretch release adhesive can be selected to maintain proper adhesion in the presence of moisture.

[0034] In some embodiments, the double-sided adhesive can be released by peeling (rather than by stretching). This general type of adhesive is described, for example, in U.S. Patent Publication 2020 / 0190365, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0035] If the double-sided adhesive strip 60 is a stretch release adhesive, it may include a pull tab 63 portion (e.g., the end of the strip 60 excluding the adhesive), as seen in Figure 4. This pull tab can be gripped and pulled by a user to activate the stretch release properties of the adhesive when the retainer is to be removed from the wall. Therefore, the type of retaining assembly disclosed herein can be provided as a kit comprising multiple double-sided stretch release adhesive strips. This provision allows the retaining assembly to be removed from the wall, the previously used adhesive strips to be discarded or recycled, and new adhesive strips to be used to install the retaining assembly in the new location.

[0036] An exemplary method of using the retaining assembly 1 described herein will now be described. As previously mentioned, an end user may have the retaining assembly 1 in the form of a set comprising various items, which will become the first (lower) retainer and the second (upper) retainer as described above. Such a set may include, for example, two retaining bodies, two base plates, and two or more double-sided adhesive strips. In some embodiments, the base plates may be pre-attached to the retaining bodies in the set upon delivery (e.g., during factory operations). In other embodiments, the base plates are not yet attached to the retaining bodies. In this case, the end user may easily do so, for example, by slidably inserting the flange of the retaining body into the receiving slot of the base plate. Similarly, in some embodiments, an initial set of adhesive strips may be attached to the base plates, wherein additional replacement adhesive strips are also present. In other embodiments, instead of pre-attached adhesive strips to the base plate, a sufficient number of adhesive strips will be provided for initial use and subsequent replacement use.

[0037] To install the lower retainer 20 and the upper retainer 120 on the wall to form the retaining assembly 1, the subsequent procedure is somewhat similar to the procedure described above for inserting the article 300 into the installed retaining assembly 1. Referring to Figures 1 and 4, a set of items (a retaining body, a base plate, and an adhesive strip) can be selected to form the "first" lower retainer. If the base plate is not pre-installed at the factory, the base plate 50 can be connected to the retaining body 40. If the adhesive strip is not pre-installed at the factory, the strip of double-sided adhesive 60 can be adhesively attached to the inward main surface of the base plate. (Release pads are generally present on the two main adhesive surfaces of the double-sided adhesive strip; these release pads can be removed at an appropriate time to expose the adhesive surfaces.)

[0038] Then, the resulting retainer can be brought close to the desired position of the wall 500. The retainer will be oriented so that the "threshold" 22 of the retainer is generally upward, so that this retainer will be the first lower retainer. Then, it can be firmly pressed against the surface 501 of the wall 500 at the desired position so that the retainer is adhesively joined to the wall.

[0039] A second set of items can be similarly manipulated to form and position a second upper holder. If desired, the end user can measure the appropriate dimensions (generally, length) of the item 300 (such as a mobile phone), and then position the upper holder in place. However, in many embodiments, it will be easier and simpler to use the item 300 itself as a template for establishing the proper position of the upper holder. Thus, in some embodiments, the lower terminal end 302 of the item 300 can rest on the sill 22 of the lower holder 20, wherein the item is tilted at an upward outward angle similar to that shown in FIG. 3. The upper holder 120 will then be positioned on top of and held in place by the upper terminal end 304 of the item 300. The release liner is removed to expose the inward adhesive main surface 61 of the double-sided adhesive of the upper holder. Thus, the upper holder is ready for adhesively joining to a wall.

[0040] At this time, the user can rotate the article 300 (along with the upper retainer 120 placed on top of the article 300) about the rotation axis 305, which is adjacent to the lower terminal end 302 of the article 300. This will move the upper retainer 120 toward the wall 500, so that the inward adhesive main surface 61 of the double-sided adhesive strip contacts the wall 500 and adhesively engages with the wall. The user can apply pressure to the upper retainer to press it against the wall, thereby promoting the formation of an adhesive bond. If desired, since the upper retainer is close to the wall near the end of the above procedure, the user can gently apply downward pressure to the upper retainer 120, thereby attaching the upper retainer 120 to the wall at a position that will cause slight compression force to be applied to the lintel 122 of the upper retainer 120 and the sill 22 of the lower retainer 20 to the article 300 to enhance the holding of the article 300.

[0041] Obviously, the installation procedure described above will naturally result in the upper retainer 120 being placed at an appropriate distance from the lower retainer 20 and being properly oriented relative to the lower retainer, without the need to perform any measurements, add any markings to the wall, etc.

[0042] The retaining assembly 1 described herein can be installed very easily; furthermore, it can "self-adjust" to an appropriate geometry during the installation process. That is, since the item supported by the retaining assembly itself can be used as a template for establishing an appropriate distance between the upper and lower retainers, the resulting retaining assembly will automatically adjust to the size of the item to be retained. Furthermore, if it is necessary to modify the retaining assembly (e.g., if the supported item is replaced by a larger or smaller phone, or if the phone is placed in or removed from a protective case), as described above, using the new or modified item as a template, the upper retainer (e.g., retaining body, base plate, and adhesive strip) is removed from the wall and (using a new adhesive strip) reattached to the appropriate position. The lower retainer can remain in its original position, while the upper retainer will now be in a new position suitable for the item now being supported. Therefore, once installed, the retaining assembly described herein can be easily adjusted without requiring the removal of the entire retaining assembly (i.e., the upper retainer and the lower retainer).

[0043] In many embodiments, the achieved adhesive bond can be enhanced by performing one or more additional steps to apply pressure to the adhesive strip. In some embodiments, it is preferable to remove the article from the holding assembly before performing any such steps. Thus, in some embodiments, after the steps described above, the article can be removed, after which strong manual pressure can be applied (e.g., with a user's finger). In some embodiments, this pressure can be applied to the holding body (40 or 140), which transmits force to the base plate. However, in some embodiments, the holding body can be disconnected from its base plate. For example, for one of the first lower holders 20 shown in Figures 4 and 5, the holding body 40 can be removed from the base plate 50 by moving the holding body vertically upward. Manual pressure can then be applied directly to the base plate, after which the holding body can be reinstalled. In some embodiments, a suitable time period (e.g., 10, 30, or 60 minutes) can be allowed for the adhesive bond to the wall to develop more fully before inserting the article 300 into the holder.

[0044] Temporarily disconnecting the connection between the retaining body and the base plate after performing the adhesive attachment described above facilitates another advantageous configuration. Specifically, this allows the previously described pull tab 63 of the double-sided adhesive strip (e.g., a stretch-peel adhesive strip) to be concealed. Although not shown in Figures 1 through 3 for ease of depiction of other items, the exploded view of Figure 4 reveals that in some instances, a portion of the pull tab 63 is visible outside the outer periphery of the retaining body 40. (In the case of the lower retainer 20 as shown in Figure 4, this visible portion of the pull tab would be the lowest part). If the pull tab is not desired to be visible, it can be folded when the connection between the retaining body and the base plate is temporarily disconnected.

[0045] This is illustrated in an exemplary embodiment in FIG. 6, which is a side view of a base plate (in this case, lower base plate 50) that is adhesively attached to a wall (not shown) via a double-sided stretch release adhesive 60. The retaining body can be slidably removed in the general manner described above, so that, as is evident from FIG. 4, the pull tab 63 will protrude downward below the lower terminal end 58 of the base plate 50. The pull tab 63 can be folded outward (covered) around the lower terminal end 58 of the base plate 50 such that at least one end portion 64 of the pull tab 63 is positioned outside the lower section of the base plate 50 in the usual manner shown in FIG. 6. The effect of this is that when the retaining body 40 is reinstalled on the base plate 50, the pull tab will be covered by the portion below the retaining body, rather than being visible below the lower periphery of the retaining body. A similar operation can be performed for an upper retainer to achieve a similar effect.

[0046] In some embodiments, the strip and tab of the double-sided stretchable release adhesive may be configured to enhance the folding and concealment of the tab. Thus, in some embodiments, the adhesive strip 60 may include an extended trail to provide an adhesive surface for the adhesive region 65, as seen in Figures 4 and 6. When the tab 63 wraps outward over the end of the base plate, the adhesive region 65 will contact and adhesively engage with the main outward surface 52 of the base plate 50. This will provide sufficient engagement to "glued" the tab 63 to the main surface 52 so that the tab 63 remains in place and therefore does not fold in a manner that could interfere with the ability to slidably reinstall the retainer 40 on the base plate 50. However, this adhesion of the tab 63 to the surface 52 is sufficiently limited so that the tab is not prevented from detaching from the surface 52 when the adhesive strip 60 is to be stretched to remove the retainer.

[0047] In some convenient embodiments, the process of folding the tab can be combined with the process of applying manual pressure to the base plate to enhance adhesive bonding to the wall. Thus, in some embodiments, the process of folding the tab can be followed by, for example, firmly pressing the tab against the outward main surface of the base plate, which will have the effect of setting the tab to its new configuration and establishing adhesive bonding to the wall.

[0048] It should be understood that, as discussed herein (and clearly shown in Figure 1), for the retaining assembly 1 configured as described herein, the second upper retainer 120 is mounted "inverted". That is, as is evident from Figure 1, the second upper retaining body 140 is oriented relative to and inverted relative to the first lower retaining body. Similarly, although not visible in Figure 1, the second upper base plate is oriented relative to and inverted relative to the first lower base plate. Those skilled in the art who use stretch release adhesives, base plates, and retaining bodies to support articles (such as pictures, shelves, tea canisters, and the like) will readily understand that such use contradicts common sense. Specifically, if the item is positioned inverted, it is expected that the retaining body, which is slidably mounted to the base plate, will slide down due to gravity. However, it has been found that the configuration disclosed herein (e.g., using a friction-fit connection between the retaining body and the base plate) renders any such potential problem ineffective.

[0049] In theory, a specially designed upper holder can be provided, wherein its holding body, base plate, and adhesive strip are specially configured so that these items do not need to be installed "inverted". In some embodiments, this can be accomplished; however, this may mean that the upper and lower items are no longer interchangeable, thus requiring the end user to track which item belongs to which item. The present invention shows that there is practically no technical obstacle to the "inverted" installation of the upper holder as disclosed herein. Specifically, the upper support typically bears very little (if any) of the actual weight of the supported item. Rather, the upper holder only needs to bear its own weight. Therefore, the aforementioned frictional engagement between the upper holding body and the upper base plate is sufficient to keep the upper holding body in place.

[0050] In view of the foregoing discussion, in some embodiments, the retaining assembly disclosed herein may include a lower retainer of the general type and characteristics disclosed herein, but may include an upper retainer that can be very small, using a smaller adhesive strip, etc., because the upper retainer must withstand very little weight or force. That is, in some cases, only the wall retainer is required to support its own weight and have a portion that overlaps outward with the upper edge 304 of the supported article 300 to prevent the upper portion of the article from tilting outward away from the wall. In some cases, such a configuration may be desirable because the upper retainer can be as small and cheaper to manufacture. However, in many embodiments, it is preferable to use an identical configuration in which the upper and lower retainers are interchangeable and the installation system is more user-friendly. And as mentioned, in some cases, it may be desirable for the upper retainer to apply sufficient downward force to the article to retain the article tightly attached between the upper and lower retainers with a slight compressive force on the article.

[0051] The retaining body 40 as described herein may include any suitable design providing the resilient lip 23 as seen in Figures 5 and 7. In many embodiments, such a lip may be an elongated, laterally extending lip, as is evident from Figure 5. In some such embodiments, such a lip 23 may be an extension (e.g., an integral extension) of an elongated, laterally extending resilient flange 24. As seen in Figures 5 and 7, this flange 24 may project generally vertically upward from an outward portion of the retaining body (this description will apply to the following retaining bodies). In some embodiments, this flange 24 (including its lip 23) may exhibit an aspect ratio of at least 2.0:1, 2.5:1, 3.0:1, 3.5:1, or 4.0:1. Such an aspect ratio is defined as the ratio of the maximum height of the flange (including the lip) to the average thickness of the flange. As a specific example, the aspect ratio of the exemplary flange 24 depicted in Figure 7 is approximately 3.5:1.

[0052] In some embodiments, the flange 24 is spaced from the sill 22 of the lower retaining body (or the lintel 122 of the upper retaining body) by an elongated, laterally extending notch 25, as shown in FIG7. This notch may penetrate substantially vertically downward (or upward for the upper retaining body) to the bottom surface of the notch, such that the notch has an aspect ratio of at least 2.0:1, 2.5:1, 3.0:1, 3.5:1, or 4.0:1. Similar to the aspect ratio of the flange, the aspect ratio of the notch is defined as the ratio of the maximum depth of the notch to the average width of the notch; the exemplary notch 25 of FIG7 shows an aspect ratio of approximately 4:1. In some embodiments, the resilient lip (and, for example, a portion of the flange) 23 may be terminally tapered (e.g., beveled), meaning that the lip includes a pointed cone 26 such that the lip is narrowest at its terminal end (for the lower retaining body 40 of FIG7, the upper end).

[0053] It should be understood that such geometric properties and attributes can work in combination with the fact that the lip (and in many cases, a significant portion of the flange and possibly the retaining body, as discussed below) is made of an elastic material to ensure that the lip can be temporarily deflected to allow insertion of an article into the retainer. That is, in many embodiments, the aforementioned deflection of the lip 23 during insertion of the article 300 may involve a significant portion of the flange 24 deflected (if permitted, and facilitated by the notch 25). It should be further understood that the aforementioned geometric parameters and properties described for the retaining body are applied in a similar manner to the retaining body described below, wherein the orientation is reversed.

[0054] A significant advantage of the holding assembly 1 disclosed herein is that once the first holder 20 and the second holder 120 are mounted on the wall 500, it is not necessary for a user to manually manipulate (or even touch) the assembly to insert the article 300 into it. Therefore, the holding assembly 1 of the present invention differs from holders that must be manipulated after being mounted on the wall to insert an article into them. Such maneuverable holders may have a configuration in which, for example, one part of the holder must be slidably movable relative to other parts of the holder, or rotatably movable relative to other parts, or temporarily detached from other parts in order to insert an article into the holder. Therefore, the non-manipulated retainer disclosed in this invention differs from such retainers in that it does not include any movable parts (except for deflectable flanges and lips), and even those parts are passively deflected (by the action of the article itself striking the lip), rather than by the user's finger manipulation as a necessary precursor to insert the article into the retainer.

[0055] The retaining body may have any suitable construction. In some embodiments, the retaining body may be configured in the general manner shown in FIG8. In such embodiments, a retaining body 40 may include a support portion (base) 41 that is part of the retaining body, the support portion being configured to be releasably connected to a first lower base plate (e.g., by means of a flange 43, not visible in the view of FIG8). The support portion 41 may be made of any suitable strength and rigidity organic polymeric thermoplastic (e.g., injection moldable) material, such as ABS plastic or the like.

[0056] The retaining body 40 may include a contact portion 42 configured to contact and retain an end portion of an article. In the embodiment depicted in FIG8, the retaining body 40 is a retaining body including a sill 22, a lip 23, a flange 24, etc. In the depicted embodiment, the contact portion 42 (including the sill 22, the lip 23, and the flange 24) may be made of an elastic material (e.g., an injection-molded organic polymer thermoplastic elastomer). One of the elastic sills 22 of the retaining body (or one elastic lintel of the upper retaining body) may include a series of undulations 27, which may enhance the security of retaining an article 300 by increasing the frictional resistance of the article sliding along the surface of the sill or lintel.

[0057] In many such embodiments, the contact portion 42 and the support portion 41 are inseparably connected to each other (note that they are shown in the exploded view in FIG8). In some cases, this can be achieved by insert molding, for example, wherein the support portion 41 is molded and then at least partially inserted into a mold cavity such that the contact portion 42 can be overmolded thereon. This method is ideal for achieving excellent engagement between the contact portion and the support portion of the retaining body and allows the two portions to be made of two different materials as described above.

[0058] In some embodiments, the engagement between the contact portion 42 and the support portion 41 may be enhanced by providing a series of elongated notches 45 in the support portion 41, as seen in FIG8. In some embodiments, such notches may be parallel and spaced apart (e.g., spaced apart along the transverse axis of the retaining body). During the molding of the contact portion 42, the molten resin forming the contact portion 42 flows into and fills the notches 45 to form a series of flanges 44, wherein the flanges 44 may be, for example, parallel and spaced apart, as specified by the notches 45. (Only one such flange 44 is visible in FIG8.) This configuration increases the overall contact surface area between the material of the support portion 41 and the material of the contact portion 42, and enhances the engagement between the two materials so that they together form a single, inseparable retaining body.

[0059] So far, the discussion herein has focused primarily on the use of the retaining assembly 1 to support items such as mobile phones. However, in various embodiments, the retaining assembly 1 disclosed herein can be used to support other items, such as tablet computers. An exemplary retainer 1020 (in this case, a first lower retainer) is shown in the preceding exploded perspective view of FIG9 and the following exploded perspective view of FIG10 (FIG10 omits the adhesive strip). Such a lower retainer 1020 and (same, but inverted) upper retainer 1120 are shown in the preceding view of FIG11 supporting an item 1300 (e.g., a tablet computer). Retainers 1020 and 1120 are particularly suitable for supporting this type of item, as will be apparent from the discussion below.

[0060] Figures 9 to 11 illustrate retainers 1020 and 1120 that share many features with the previously described retainers 20 and 120. For example, a first lower retainer 1020 includes a retaining body 1040 having an upward-facing sill 1022 and a flange 1024 terminating in a lip 1023 and defining a laterally extending notch 1025. A second upper retainer 1120 may have similar features, including an downward-facing sill (not visible in Figures 9 to 11), a flange, a lip, a notch, etc. (Of course, in many embodiments, retainer 1120 may be identical to retainer 1020, but may simply be inverted relative to retainer 1020.)

[0061] Similarly, as seen in Figures 9 and 10, a first lower retainer 1020 includes a base plate 1050 having an inward main surface 1052, an outward main surface 1051, a strut 1054, and a beam 1055, wherein a slit 1057 is defined between the beam 1055 and the inward main surface 1052. As is evident from Figures 9 and 10, a retaining body 1040 can be attached to the base plate 1050 by means of a flange 1043 (visible in Figure 10) of the retaining body 1040 inserted into the slit 1057 (visible in Figure 9) defined between the main surface 1052 of the beam 1055 and the base plate 1050. Again in a manner similar to the retainers previously described, the first retainer 1020 of FIG9 includes a double-sided adhesive strip 1060 having a main inward adhesive surface 1062, a main outward adhesive surface 1061 and a pull tab 1063.

[0062] Any and all such components and features of retainers 1020 and 1120 are substantially identical to their corresponding components and features of retainers 20 and 120 (note that most components and features of retainers 1020 and 1120 have element symbols that are 1000 greater than the element symbols of their corresponding counterparts of retainers 20 and 120). It should be understood that the previous description and characterization analysis of such items of retainers 20 and 120 will be applied in a similar manner to the counterparts of retainers 1020 and 1120. It should be further understood that retainers 1020 and 1120 can be mounted on one surface 501 of a wall 500, and an article 1300 can be mounted into a space 1400 defined between them in a manner similar to that described earlier herein.

[0063] However, in some embodiments, the exemplary first holder 1020 and the second holder 1120 are configured differently from the exemplary first holder 20 and the second holder 120, as will now be discussed. A first feature is readily apparent: the holding bodies 1040 and 1140 extend substantially along their lateral / lateral axis and thus along the horizontal axis of the wall. This configuration provides enhanced lateral stability when used in the holding assembly 1 to support a relatively wide horizontally oriented article (e.g., a supported tablet computer as shown in FIG. 11). Further apparent from FIGS. 9 and 10, not only the holding bodies 1040 and 1140, but also their respective base plates and adhesive strips, extend horizontally. For example, the base plate 1050 and adhesive strip 1060, as shown in FIG. 9, constitute a long axis oriented in the horizontal direction. It should be understood that this contradicts the conventional practice of attaching the retainer to a wall by stretching a release adhesive strip; generally, the adhesive strip and retainer are mounted with their long axes vertically oriented, such that the downward force due to the weight of the supported article aligns with the long axis of the adhesive strip and retainer. This invention has indicated that when supporting relatively lightweight articles (e.g., such as mobile phones or tablets) in the manner disclosed herein, it may not be necessary to vertically oriented the retainer and adhesive strip in this way. Instead, their horizontal orientation can still provide sufficient strength for supporting the article while allowing the aforementioned enhanced lateral stability.

[0064] In some embodiments, features may be included in the retaining body 1040 and the base plate 1050 to enhance the lateral stability of the connection between these entities (incidentally, such features as described for the first lower retainer 1020, as well as other features and properties, may also be present in the second upper retainer 1120). For example, in the embodiment depicted in Figures 9 and 10, the base plate 1050 includes first and second (left and right) stabilizing features 1058; similarly, the retaining body 1040 includes first and second (left and right) stabilizing features 1044. The stabilizing features of the retaining body 1040 and the stabilizing features of the base plate 1050 are complementary, such that they interact with each other (e.g., they may be in the form of interlocking or otherwise interfacing pawl structures), such that the features provide enhanced lateral stability of the connection between the retainer and the base plate.

[0065] Another feature of the illustrative retaining body 1040 is the aperture 1500 visible in Figures 9 and 12-13. As is evident from Figures 12 and 13 (which are top views looking down along the vertical axis), the aperture 1500 is a through aperture that completely penetrates the vertically extending region of the forward portion of the retaining body 1040 (e.g., the "contact portion" 1042 of the type described herein). In the depicted embodiment, the aperture 1500 is laterally centered between the left and right portions of the sill 1022. However, strictly speaking, this is not necessary; in various embodiments, the aperture 1500 may be located at any suitable position along the lateral extension region of the retaining body 1040. In some embodiments, a plurality of apertures 1500 may be present, for example, a central aperture, a left aperture, and a right aperture.

[0066] The presence of the aperture 1500 allows a power cord (e.g., a USB cable) to pass through the aperture 1500, enabling the holding assembly 1 to support an electrical connection established with the item, allowing the item to be charged while supported. In some embodiments, as described herein, the item (to which the power cord is not yet attached) may be mounted in the holding assembly 1 such that the power socket of the item is located on the lower edge of the item and substantially aligned with the aperture 1500. After this is completed, the power cord may be inserted forward through the aperture 1500 and into the power socket of the item. Alternatively, in some embodiments, when the item is near the holding assembly but not yet mounted therein, the power cord may be inserted forward through the aperture 1500 and into the power socket. With the power cord in place, the item may then be mounted into the holding assembly 1 in the usual manner, as described below.

[0067] In some embodiments, the contact portion 1042 of the retaining body 1040 may include a vertically oriented slit 1501, as indicated in FIG13. During the procedure of inserting the article 1300 into the retaining assembly 1, this slit allows the power cord to pass along its edge in an inward direction (towards the wall on which the retainer is mounted). This slit 1501 allows the article 1300, to which the power cord is attached, to be inserted into the retaining assembly in the manner previously described. That is, the lower edge 1302 of the article can be moved onto the sill 1022 of the lower retainer 1020, and then the article is rotated toward the wall so that the upper edge 1304 of the article enters into the upper retainer 1120 for securing (in the general manner depicted in FIG3). As the lower edge 1302 of the article is moved onto the lower retainer 1020, the slit 1501 will allow the power cord to pass through.

[0068] The presence of the slit 1501 eliminates the need for the aperture 1500 to be large enough to allow the plug end (e.g., a USB-C plug) at the end of the power cord to pass forward, as is necessary in the procedure of inserting the power cord end forward through the aperture 1500. Instead, a portion of the power cord itself can pass along the edge of the slit 1501 without requiring the plug to pass through the aperture. Therefore, in such embodiments, the aperture 1500 can be any suitable size. Of course, in many embodiments, the aperture 1500 may need to be large enough to accommodate the plug so that the plug can reside there when the item is being charged. It should be understood that such configurations can vary as needed. For example, the aperture 1500 may have a sufficiently large upper portion to accommodate the plug, together with a lower portion comprising a relatively narrow slit through which the power cord can pass along the edge.

[0069] The lateral (transverse) width of the slit 1501 can be any suitable value. In some embodiments, the slit 1501 can be wide enough that the power cord can pass through the slit 1501 without contacting the flange defining the slit 1501. In other embodiments, the slit 1501 can be relatively narrow (e.g., slightly narrower than the diameter of the power cord). In this case, the contact portion 1042 of the retaining body 1040 can be made of an elastic material (as discussed herein); this allows the flange defining the slit 1501 to be reversibly deflected, allowing the power cord to be pushed along the edge through the slit.

[0070] In some embodiments (regardless of whether the aperture 1500 includes the slit 1501), the power cord can still pass through the aperture 1500 even when the item to be supported and charged is not present. That is, the holder 1020 and its aperture 1500 provide a convenient place to "hold" the loose end of the power cord, for example, so that the end of the power cord does not lie horizontally on a counter or table where it may be damaged by spilled liquid, etc. Thus, the power cord can be "held" in a configuration in which the power cord passes through the aperture 1500, wherein the main portion of the power cord extends downward from the aperture 1500, and wherein the last few centimeters of the power cord extend generally upward above the holder 1020, and, for example, draped laterally and / or forward over the holder 1020.

[0071] The retaining assembly described herein can be used to support any suitable article in all possible configurations and variations. Generally, such articles typically have a thickness significantly smaller than the vertical and / or lateral and / or horizontal extensions of the article (in the inward-outward direction relative to the wall when the article is mounted in the retaining assembly). In some embodiments, as mentioned, such articles may be mobile phones (e.g., smartphones). In some embodiments, also as mentioned, the article to be supported may be a tablet computer. Generally, tablet computers will weigh about 1.0 kg or less, and are therefore distinguishable from laptops that typically weigh between about 1.5 kg and, for example, 3 kg or more. It should be understood that the retaining assembly disclosed herein allows such articles to be mounted therein, making the article's touchscreen display visible and allowing the touchscreen to be touched to operate the article without shifting the article. Even so, the article can be quickly and easily removed from the retaining assembly when desired, without having to pull open any latches or clips, or perform complex article manipulations.

[0072] In some embodiments, the article supported by the holding assembly 1 may be a so-called portable or mobile monitor. This article will be a monitor (display) with little or no built-in computing power (compared to, for example, a smartphone, tablet, or laptop). Similar to a tablet, a portable or mobile monitor generally weighs less than about 1.0 kg and can be distinguished from a non-portable monitor by not having a stand or similar hardware attached to it. Of course, the article to be supported by the holding assembly 1 does not necessarily have to be an electronic device. That is, the holding assembly 1 may be used to support non-electronic articles, such as pictures, nameplates, or the like, if desired. Such articles may be information and / or decorative items. In various embodiments, such articles may comprise a flexible item (e.g., a certificate, deed, diploma, award, etc.) laminated to a rigid backing supported between two rigid layers framed by a rigid frame.

[0073] It should be understood that if an article is held in place by slight compression between the first and second (e.g., upper and lower) holders as described above, the article may require relative stiffness to allow such a configuration without deformation or buckling. Therefore, in some embodiments, the article to be supported may be a stiff article. Hereinafter, a stiff article is defined as a plate-like article exhibiting its longest dimension, which will generally be along the vertical or horizontal direction and is at least four times the thickness dimension of the article in the inward-outward direction. A stiff article is further defined as an article exhibiting a flexural stiffness (flexural modulus) along its longest dimension that is at least as high as the flexural stiffness (at 22°C) exhibited by a polycarbonate sheet with a Young's modulus of 2.2 GPa and a thickness of 10 cm × 6 cm × 3.2 mm (1 / 8 inch).

[0074] The holding assembly described herein can generally be used with articles having upper and lower edges that are parallel to each other, such as articles that are at least generally rectangular in the manner of most smartphones and tablets. However, this is not necessarily required, as long as the article is shaped such that, in the general manner described herein, a portion of the article's generally upper and lower edges can be supported by a first lower holder, and a portion of the article's generally upper edge can be held in place by a second upper holder. Thus, in various embodiments, non-rectangular articles can be supported, such as triangles, trapezoids, polygons with n>4 irregularities, ovals, or substantially circular shapes.

[0075] It should be understood that the configurations disclosed herein can be varied in any suitable manner. Thus, for some items to be supported, two or more lower retainers may be used instead of a single lower retainer. In this case, the lower retainers are spaced apart along the lower edge of the item. Similarly, two or more upper retainers may be used, although the upper retainers generally do not bear a significant fraction of the weight of the item, which may be unnecessary in most examples. In an exemplary variation, the holding assembly may include a side retainer positioned next to one lateral (lateral) edge of the item. This side retainer may be oriented perpendicular to the upper and lower retainers such that the "threshold" of the side retainer rests against the lateral (right) edge of the item. In some examples, this configuration provides additional enhanced lateral stability. With this configuration, an item can be slidably inserted into the assembly from the remaining lateral sides of the holding assembly (i.e., the lateral side opposite to the side in which the side retainer is placed). Or, for example, if the material of the flange and lip of the previously mentioned article is sufficiently elastic and flexible, the article can be inserted by partial rotation in the usual manner depicted in Figure 3. In such a procedure, the flange and lip of the side retainer can be temporarily deflected to allow the lateral edge of the article to pass in the same manner as described earlier herein regarding the flange and lip of the upper retainer allowing the upper edge of the article to pass.

[0076] Other variations are still possible. The first and second holders have been described herein as a lower holder and an upper holder, wherein the upper holder is mounted substantially vertically above the lower holder. Such a method does not require the upper holder to be mounted exactly vertically above the lower holder (i.e., precisely aligned along the vertical axis). Rather, the phrase "substantially vertical" encompasses a range of configurations in which the upper holder may be laterally offset relative to the lower holder by any suitable amount. As defined herein, the phrase "substantially vertical above..." means that the upper and lower holders are mounted on the wall such that the line between the lower and upper holders will be oriented no more than 65 degrees away from the "vertical" axis of the wall (note that in some cases, the wall itself may not be strictly vertical).

[0077] In some embodiments, for securing certain articles (e.g., articles of considerable light weight), the first and second holders may be mounted in a generally or even substantially horizontal configuration. It should be understood that the procedures described herein can be used to secure such articles between the holders with a large amount of compression. In some such cases, this compression may be the primary means of supporting the article against gravity. Such configurations are encompassed within the scope of this disclosure; the specific orientations and orientations mentioned earlier herein only require displacement to the appropriate angle to describe mounting the holders in such a configuration.

[0078] Furthermore, although this document primarily focuses on mounting retainers to a wall using adhesives, in some embodiments, retainers may be mounted by other mechanisms (e.g., suitable mechanical fasteners). Even further, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the retainer (e.g., the contact portion) may exhibit elasticity due to the geometry of that portion (rather than being elastic due to being made of an inherently elastic material), even if that portion is made of a material not typically considered elastic. For example, as disclosed in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 781,888 and the obtained international (PCT) application published under International Publication No. WO 2020 / 128911, such methods may be, for example, methods in which at least selected components of the retainer (e.g., flanges or the entire contact portion) may comprise a plurality of minimally connected body segments arranged along a desired direction, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0079] Those skilled in the art will understand that the specific exemplary embodiments, elements, structures, features, details, configurations, structural designs, etc., disclosed herein can be modified and / or combined in many embodiments. It should be emphasized that any embodiment disclosed herein can be used in combination with one or more other embodiments disclosed herein. While a limited number of exemplary combinations are presented herein, it should be emphasized that all such combinations are contemplated and prohibited only in specific instances of incompatible combinations.

[0080] In summary, many variations and combinations are conceived and all fall within the scope of this invention, not just the representative designs selected as illustrative examples. Therefore, the scope of this invention should not be limited to the specific exemplary structures described herein, but extends at least to the structures described in the language of the claims and their equivalents. Any element expressly described as an alternative in this specification may be expressly included or excluded from the scope of the claims in any desired combination. Any element or combination of elements described in this specification using open-ended language (e.g., comprise and its derivatives) may be considered as otherwise described using closed-ended language (e.g., consist and its derivatives) and semi-closed-ended language (e.g., consist essentially and its derivatives). In the event of any conflict or discrepancy between the contents of this specification and the disclosure of any document incorporated herein by reference, the contents of this specification shall prevail.

Claims

1. A method for mounting a holding assembly to a wall and releasably holding an article to the wall using the holding assembly, the method comprising: adhesively mounting a first holder substantially upward on the wall, and adhesively mounting a second holder substantially downward at a position substantially above the first holder, such that the first holder and the second holder together form a holding assembly; and then inserting an article into a space between the first holder and the second holder, such that the article is supported by the holding assembly and held by the second holder. The holding assembly releasably holds the article, wherein when the article is held by the holding assembly, a lower end portion of the article resides in an upwardly open end space defined by the first holder, such that the lower end portion of the article rests on the top of a generally upwardly sill of the first holder and is positioned inside the upwardly protruding elastic lip of the first holder, and an upper end portion of the article resides in a downwardly open end space defined by the second holder, such that the upper end portion of the article is positioned inside the downwardly protruding elastic lip of the second holder.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the article is inserted into the space between the first holder and the second holder by: holding the article at an outward angle relative to the wall, and inserting the lower end portion of the article into the upward opening space of the first holder such that the lower end of the article rests on the sill of the first holder; and then rotating the article about a rotation axis adjacent to the lower end of the article such that the upper end portion of the article moves inward into the downward opening space of the second holder, wherein as the upper end portion moves into the downward opening space of the second holder, the upper end of the article strikes the downward protruding elastic lip of the second holder and causes the downward protruding elastic lip to temporarily deflect inward.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the article is inserted into the space between the first holder and the second holder by means of: holding the article laterally adjacent to the space between the first holder and the second holder while the article is oriented substantially vertically, and slidably moving the article along a lateral axis of the holding assembly such that the lower end of the article is slidably moved into the upward opening space of the first holder, and the upper end of the article is slidably moved into the downward opening space of the second holder.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the procedure of adhesively mounting the second holder to the wall at a position substantially vertically above the first holder comprises the following steps: placing the lower end of the article on the sill of the first holder; positioning the second holder on top of the upper end of the article such that one of the second holders rests substantially top-down on the upper end of the article; and using the second holder resting on the article to rotate the article about a rotation axis adjacent to the lower end of the article, such that the second holder moves toward the wall such that one of the double-sided adhesive strips of the second holder exposes an adhesive surface that contacts the wall and is adhesively joined to the wall.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first retainer includes a through-hole, and wherein the method includes a step of positioning a power cord such that a portion of the power cord resides within the through-hole, and such that a plug of the elongated power cord is inserted into a power socket of the article.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first retainer comprises a first lower retaining body detachably connected to a first lower base plate and a first lower double-sided adhesive strip adhesively attached to an inward principal surface of the first lower base plate; and wherein the second retainer comprises a second upper retaining body detachably connected to a second upper base plate and a second upper double-sided adhesive strip adhesively attached to an inward principal surface of the second upper base plate.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the first holder and the second holder is attached to its respective base plate when received by a user, and wherein the method includes, before adhesively attaching the first holder to the wall via the inward main adhesive surface of one of the first lower double-sided adhesive strips, adhesively attaching the outward main adhesive surface of one of the first lower double-sided adhesive strips to the inward main surface of the first lower base plate of the first holder; and wherein the method further includes, before adhesively attaching the second holder to the wall via the inward main adhesive surface of one of the second upper double-sided adhesive strips, adhesively attaching the outward main adhesive surface of one of the second upper double-sided adhesive strips to the inward main surface of the second upper base plate of the second holder.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the article supported by the retaining assembly and releasably retained to the wall by the retaining assembly is a rigid article, the rigid article being selected from the group consisting of an electronic article such as a smartphone, a tablet computer, a mobile monitor, and a non-electronic article such as a nameplate or a picture.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the first retainer and the second retainer form a retaining assembly after being adhesively mounted to the wall, wherein the second upper retaining body and the second upper base plate are oriented opposite to and inverted relative to the first lower retaining body and the first lower base plate.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second upper base plate and the second upper retaining body together comprise a friction-fit connection that resists gravity and retains the second upper retaining body.

11. A holding assembly for holding an article on a wall, the holding assembly comprising: a first holder including a first lower holding body, a first lower base plate, and a first lower double-sided adhesive tape, wherein the first lower holding body includes a generally upward-facing sill and a resilient lip positioned outside the sill and projecting upward above a step of the sill; and a second holder including a second upper holding body, a second upper base plate, and a second upper double-sided adhesive tape, wherein the second upper holding body includes a generally downward-facing lintel and a resilient lip positioned outside the lintel and projecting downward below a step of the lintel.

12. The retaining assembly of claim 11, wherein the first lower retaining body and the second upper retaining body are identical to each other, and wherein the first lower base plate and the second upper base plate are identical to each other.

13. The retaining assembly of claim 11, wherein the first retaining body and the second retaining body, as well as the first base plate and the second base plate, are configured such that when the first retainer and the second retainer are mounted on a wall, the second upper retaining body and the second upper base plate of the second retainer are oriented relative to and inverted relative to the first lower retaining body and the first lower base plate of the first retainer.

14. The retaining assembly of claim 11, wherein the retaining assembly is supplied to an end user as a set, wherein the first lower retaining body is detachably connected to the first lower base plate and the second upper retaining body is detachably connected to the second upper base plate, but wherein the first lower double-sided adhesive tape is not yet attached to the first lower base plate and the second upper double-sided adhesive tape is not yet attached to the second upper base plate.

15. The retaining assembly of claim 11, wherein the first lower retaining body comprises: a first lower support portion configured to be detachably connected to the first lower base plate; and a first lower contact portion configured to contact and retain a lower end portion of the article, the first lower contact portion comprising the lintel and the resilient lip of the first lower retaining body, and the first lower contact portion being inseparably attached to the first lower support portion; and wherein the second upper retaining body comprises: a second upper support portion configured to be detachably connected to the second upper base plate; and a second upper contact portion configured to contact and retain an upper end portion of the article, the second upper contact portion comprising the lintel and the resilient lip of the second upper retaining body, and the second upper contact portion being inseparably attached to the second upper support portion.

16. The retaining assembly of claim 15, wherein the first lower contact portion is molded onto the first lower support portion by inserting a mold to form the first lower retaining body, and wherein the second upper contact portion is molded onto the second upper support portion by inserting a mold to form the second upper retaining body.

17. The retaining assembly of claim 16, wherein the first lower contact portion includes a plurality of first flanges arranged in a parallel and spaced-apart relationship, the first flanges being seated in complementary recesses in the first lower support portion, and wherein the second upper contact portion includes a plurality of second flanges arranged in a parallel and spaced-apart relationship, the second flanges being seated in complementary recesses in the second upper support portion.

18. The retaining assembly of claim 11, wherein the threshold of the first lower retaining body is an elastic threshold, the elastic threshold comprising a set of undulations spaced apart along one of the transverse axes of the first lower retaining body.

19. The retaining assembly of claim 11, wherein the resilient lip of the first lower retaining body is an elongated, laterally extending lip, the elongated, laterally extending lip is an integral extension of an elongated, laterally extending resilient flange, the elongated, laterally extending resilient flange protruding substantially vertically upward from an outward portion of the first lower retaining body, and wherein the resilient flange of the first lower retaining body is separated from the resilient sill of the first lower retaining body by an elongated, laterally extending notch, the notch penetrating substantially vertically downward to a bottom surface of the notch.

20. The retaining assembly of claim 11, wherein the first lower retaining body includes a through-hole configured to allow an elongated line to extend through it.

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