Secure peg hook

Abstract

A support hook for use with a mounting surface, such as pegboard or slatboard, including a housing having a first side adapted to support a rod, at least one mounting lug extending outward from a second housing side, and a stabilizing member extending outward from a third housing side to a normal extended operating position wherein the stabilizing member slidably extends from the housing at an angle.

1 . A support hook comprising: 
 a housing adapted to support at least one rod extending from a first side thereof;    at least one mounting lug extending outward from the housing on a second side of the housing; and    a stabilizing member extending outward from the housing;    wherein the stabilizing member is slidably mounted to the housing.    
   
   
       2 . The support hook of  claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing member extends outwardly from a third side of the housing.  
   
   
       3 . The support hook of  claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing member is resiliently biased to an extended normally operational position through a third housing side.  
   
   
       4 . The support hook of  claim 3 , wherein the stabilizing member is displaced to a retracted condition when a force is applied to the stabilizing member in a direction opposite the bias.  
   
   
       5 . The support hook of  claim 3 , wherein the bias is provided by one of a spring, a living hinge or a resilient seat.  
   
   
       6 . The support hook of  claim 5 , wherein the spring is a coil spring mounted within the housing.  
   
   
       7 . The support hook of  claim 1 , wherein the mounting lug is sized and shaped to be received by an opening in a mounting surface of an associated support wall.  
   
   
       8 . The support hook of  claim 7 , wherein the support wall is pegboard.  
   
   
       9 . The support hook of  claim 7 , wherein the support wall is slatboard.  
   
   
       10 . The support hook of  claim 7 , wherein the opening is an elongated groove formed in the support wall.  
   
   
       11 . The support hook of  claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing member includes one or more pillars slidably received through apertures formed in a third housing side.  
   
   
       12 . The support hook of  claim 11 , wherein the cross-sectional shape of the one or more pillars and one or more apertures is substantially circular.  
   
   
       13 . The support hook of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more pillars are substantially straight along their lengths.  
   
   
       14 . The support hook of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more pillars are curved along their lengths.  
   
   
       15 . The support hook of  claim 11 , wherein receiving pockets extend inwardly of the housing from the apertures, for slidably receiving and supporting the one or more pillars.  
   
   
       16 . The support hook of  claim 11 , wherein the stabilizing member further includes an anvil portion spanning the one or more pillars at distal ends thereof.  
   
   
       17 . The support hook of  claim 16 , wherein the anvil portion has a substantially flat surface for contacting the mounting surface when the support hook is mounted to the mounting surface and the stabilizing member is in the extended position.  
   
   
       18 . The support hook of  claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing member extends from the housing at an acute angle relative to the second housing side.  
   
   
       19 . The support hook of  claim 18 , wherein the acute angle is in the range of approximately 5 degrees to approximately 55 degrees.  
   
   
       20 . The support hook of  claim 18 , wherein the acute angle is in the range of approximately 5 degrees to approximately 20 degrees.  
   
   
       21 . The support hook of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one mounting lug is adapted to be accepted through an opening in slatboard.  
   
   
       22 . The support hook of  claim 21 , wherein the opening in the slatboard is a groove.  
   
   
       23 . The support hook of  claim 1 , wherein the housing is formed from a plastic material.  
   
   
       24 . The support hook of  claim 1 , wherein the rod extending from the housing is formed to be of a shape of one of elongated generally straight, curved hook, a series of curves, a curvilinear shape, and a “V” shape.  
   
   
       25 . The support hook of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one rod extending from the housing includes two or more rods.  
   
   
       26 . A method of mounting a hook in a releasably secured condition to a mounting surface, the method comprising: 
 providing a mounting surface including a plurality of openings;    providing a support hook comprising: 
 a housing;  
 at least one rod extending outward from a first housing side;  
 a mounting lug extending outward from a second housing side; and  
 a stabilizing member extending outward from the housing;  
 wherein the stabilizing member is slidably mounted to the housing;  
   retracting the stabilizing member;    inserting the mounting lug into one of the plurality of openings;    positioning the housing, by bringing the second surface of the housing into a generally closely adjacent orientation relative to the mounting surface; and    extending the stabilizing member until the stabilizing member contacts the mounting surface to thereby secure the support hook against the mounting surface.    
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the step of retracting includes placing one end of the stabilizing member adjacent the mounting surface and applying a force to the housing in a direction generally towards the mounting surface;  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the stabilizing member extends from the housing at an acute angle relative to the second housing side.  
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the stabilizing member is formed to be substantially straight along its extension length.  
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the support hook is adapted to accommodate different thicknesses of the associated mounting surface by permitting the stabilizing member to extend to a lesser or greater extent of its full extension length.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the stabilizing member is outwardly biased to a normally extended condition.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the stabilizing member is outwardly biased by one of a spring, a living hinge or a resilient seat.  
   
   
       33 . A support hook device for releasable securement to a support wall having apertures formed therein, comprising: 
 a housing having a rear side, a front side and an upward direction relative thereto;    at least one hook member supported by the housing, and extending forwardly of the housing;    at least one lug member supported by the housing, and extending rearwardly of the housing for engagement with an aperture in the support wall; and    a stabilizing member slidably carried by the housing and extending therefrom to an outwardly biased normally extended operating position, the stabilizing member adapted to be slidably retracted relative to the housing during installation and removal from the support wall.    
   
   
       34 . The support hook of  claim 33 , wherein the outward biasing of the stabilizing member is provided by a biasing member  
   
   
       35 . The support hook of  claim 34 , wherein the biasing member is carried by the housing.  
   
   
       36 . The support hook of  claim 35 , wherein the biasing member is carried within the housing.  
   
   
       37 . The support hook of  claim 34 , wherein the biasing member is one of a compression spring, a living hinge member, and a resilient seat member.  
   
   
       38 . The support hook of  claim 33 , wherein the stabilizing member extends in the upward direction.  
   
   
       39 . The support hook of  claim 38 , wherein the stabilizing member further extends at an angle rearwardly of the housing.