Flexible hook hanger for mounting on a curved surface

Abstract

A hook hanger supports hooks in either a vertical orientation, a horizontal orientation, or both. The hook hanger uses an elongate, relatively thin base strip is flexible so that it attaches to a surface, which surface may be flat, curved, 90-degree cornered, or a combination thereof. A mount strip, which is also flexible, overlays and is attached to an outer surface of the base strip. The mount strip has one or more openings along its length. A hook has a rearward and downward positioned bayonet so that the bayonet is inserted between the base strip and the mount strip either at an edge of the mount strip or through an opening on the mount strip.

Claims

1. A hook hanging system comprising: a base strip having a first front surface and a first back surface, the base strip being an elongate member made from a first flexible material, wherein the base strip is configured to be mounted to a support structure; a mount strip having a second front surface and a second back surface, the mount strip being an elongate member made from a second flexible material, the mount strip having at least one opening, the mount strip attached to the base strip such that the second back surface of the mount strip faces and abuts the first front surface of the base strip; and a hook having a main leg with an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion of the main leg leads to a hook leg, the hook also having a bayonet extending downwardly from the main leg, proximate the upper portion, such that a gap exists between the bayonet and a section of the main leg, the hook is configured to be attached to the base strip and the mount strip by passing the bayonet either through the opening on the mount strip so that the bayonet is between the mount strip and the base strip or by inserting the bayonet in a gap between the base strip and the mount strip so that a portion of the mount strip is located within the gap of the hook.

2. The hook hanging system as in claim 1 wherein the first flexible material and the second of flexible material are the same.

3. The hook hanging system as in claim 1 wherein the base strip and the mount strip are each made from a soft, flexible plastic.

4. The hook hanging system as in claim 1 wherein the base strip and the mount strip are each made from a cloth.

5. The hook hanging system as in claim 4 wherein the cloth is canvas.

6. The hook hanging system as in claim 1 wherein the base strip and the mount strip are each made from neoprene.

7. The hook hanging system as in claim 1 wherein the base strip and the mount strip are each made from leather.

8. The hook hanging system as in claim 1 wherein the base strip and the mount strip are each made from a material consisting of a flexible plastic, a cloth, neoprene, or leather.

9. The hook hanging system as in claim 1 wherein the mount strip is attached to the base strip via cooperating hook and loop materials.

10. The hook hanging system as in claim 1 wherein the mount strip is attached to the base strip via a series of tacks that are configured to pass through the mount strip and the base strip in spaced apart fashion.

11. The hook hanging system as in claim 1 wherein the mount strip is attached to the base strip via a stitching that is configured to pass through the mount strip and the base strip.

12. The hook hanging system as in claim 1 wherein the mount strip is attached to the base strip via cooperating hook and loop materials, via a series of tacks that are configured to pass through the mount strip and the base strip in spaced apart fashion, or via stitching that is configured to pass through the mount strip and the base strip.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the flexible hook hanger for mounting on a curved surface of the present invention with the hooks oriented vertically and using cooperating hook and loop material to attached the mount strip to the base strip.

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the flexible hook hanger for mounting on a curved surface with the hooks oriented horizontally.

(3) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the flexible hook hanger for mounting on a curved surface with the hooks oriented both vertically and horizontally and using tacks to attached the mount strip to the base strip.

(4) FIG. 4 is a side view of the flexible hook hanger for mounting on a curved surface with vertically oriented hook.

(5) FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the flexible hook hanger for mounting on a curved surface.

(6) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the flexible hook hanger for mounting on a curved surface illustrating the flexibility of the mount strip and the base strip.

(7) Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(8) Referring now to the drawings, it is seen that the flexible hook hanger for mounting on a curved surface of the present invention, generally denoted by reference numeral 10, is comprised of base strip 12 that is an elongate, substantially flat, generally rectangular member made from a flexible material such as flexible plastic (such as low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, etc.), canvas or other clothes, neoprene, etc. The base strip 12 has a first front surface 14 and a corresponding first back surface 16. The base strip 12 is attached to a target surface, such as a wall or a post by placing the first back surface 16 of the base strip 12 against the mount surface and using an appropriate attachment device, such as nails or screws, adhesive, etc., to secure the base strip 12 to the mount surface.

(9) A mount strip 18 is also an elongate, substantially flat, rectangular member that is made from the same or similar material used to make the base strip 12 and is advantageously, either the same size as the base strip 12 or slightly smaller. The mount strip 18 has a second front surface 20 and a corresponding second back surface 22. A series of openings 24 is located along the mount strip 18 in spaced apart fashion. Depending on the height of the mount strip 18, more than one row of openings can be provided and the openings need not be equidistantly spaced apart from one another.

(10) The base strip 12 and mount strip 18 can have any desired aesthetic layout, limited only by the creativity of the designer.

(11) The mount strip 18 is overlaid atop the base strip 12 such that the second back surface 22 of the mount strip 18 is positioned against the first front strip 14 of the base strip 12. The mount strip 18 is attached to the base strip 12 in appropriate fashion such as via corresponding cooperating hook and loop sections 26 located on the first front strip 14 of the base strip 12 and the second back surface 22 of the mount strip 18 and mating the two strips 12 and 18 to one another. The hook and loop sections 26 can run longitudinally, latitudinally or both (of course can be either section can be round or square in shape). Alternately, a series of tacks 28 can be used to secure to mount strip 18 to the base strip 12—the tacks 28 can serve the dual purpose of attaching the mount strip 18 to the base strip 12 and also attached the two combined strips 12 and 18 to the intended mount surface. Other attachment methods can also be used depending on the materials used to make the base strip 12 and the mount strip 18 such as adhesion, ultrasonic welding, stitching, etc., with appropriate gaps located as needed as more fully described below.

(12) A series of hooks 30 is provided such that each hook 30 has a main leg 32 leading to a hook leg 34. A bayonet 36, which may be pointed or rounded on its distal end, extends downwardly from an upper portion of the main leg 32 such that a gap 38 exists between a lower part of the main leg 32 and the bayonet 36. The hooks 30 are attached to the attached mount strip 18 and base strip 12 by either inserting the hook's bayonet 36 between the slight gap between the mount strip 18 and the base strip 12 for a vertical orientation (the terms vertical and horizontal being used for relative orientation purposes only). If the desired hook 30 placement is at a spot where the hook and loop sections 26 are located, then the bayonet 36 is pushed through the point of attachment of the hook and loop sections 26 so as to form a slight gap that allows the bayonet 36 to pass therethrough. Alternately, the hook 30 can be mounted horizontally by passing the bayonet 36 through one of the openings 24 on the mount strip 18, again loosening a portion of hook and loop sections 26 if needed—if the bayonet 36 is pointed or at least rounded at its tip, the tip helps the separation of the mated hook and loop sections 26. Of course, the hooks 30 can be mounted vertically via the openings 24 on the mount strip 18. In any case, a portion of the mount strip 18 is located within the gap 38 of the hook 30 with an edge of the mount strip 18 (either a side or end edge or an edge portion of an opening 24 resting at the joinder of the hook leg 34 and the bayonet 36.

(13) The hooks 30 are made from any appropriate material, such as plastic, aluminum, steel, etc.

(14) In order to use the flexible hook hanger for mounting on a curved surface 10 of the present invention, the base strip 12 is attached to a desired mount surface, which may but need not be flat. As seen in FIG. 6, as the base strip 12 and the mount strip 18 are each made from a flexible material, then the mount surface may be partially or completely curved or wavey (non-flat). The base strip 12 and mount strip 18 can also be attached around a 90-degree corner if desired. Of course, the two strips 12 and 18 can be attached to a thin vertical mount surface such as a support post or fence post. The base strip 12 is attached to the mount surface as desired. Either the mount strip 18 is attached to the base strip 12 via tacks 28 that pass through the two strips 12 and 18 and attach them to one another and to the mount surface or the base strip 12 is attached to the mount surface as desired and thereafter the mount strip 18 is attached to the base strip 12 either via the tacks 28 or via the hook and loop sections 26 as described. Once the base strip 12 and the mount strip 18 are attached to the mount surface, hooks 30 are positioned as desired and used as needed. The attachment of the mount strip 18 to the base strip 12 is sufficiently tight so as to prevent the hooks 30 from sagging due to mount strip 18 sag. If a “continuous” attachment method is used to attach the mount strip 18 to the base strip 12, such as stitching, adhesion, ultrasonic welding, etc., appropriate gaps are positioned through the two strips 12 and 18 to allow positioning of the hooks 30, both horizontally and vertically, the gaps being sufficiently wide so as to allow the bayonet 36 of the hooks 30 to pass therethrough. Of course, more than one style of hooks can be used with the present invention.

(15) If a different hook 30 layout is desired, such as using a mount strip that has more than one row of openings, then the original mount strip 18 is detached from the base strip 12 and a new mount strip is attached to the base strip 12 in appropriate fashion.

(16) While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to an embodiment thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.