Article anchoring accessory for use within an enclosure

Abstract

An article anchoring accessory includes a support element for reception within an enclosure, such as for example an aquarium serving as an anchoring structure to which objects can be secured. The support element will conveniently be of relatively widened expanse presenting an upper surface area, and will be advantageously be of flattened shape, at least over portions thereof. The support element may optionally be of a configuration presenting a series of flattened regions arranged in stepped fashion, the upper surfaces of which are each in spaced-apart relation with the enclosure bottom by varying degrees, for inclusion below a sloped gravel bed. Means are provided for fastening the article to the support element at a selected position along its expanse, conveniently, by use of coupling members designed to grasp the article, and also for firmly engaging the support element. Alternatively, fastening means may be carried directly on either the article or structure itself, or may comprise cooperating fastening means carried both on the support element and conveniently on the base of the article, thereby obviating the need for coupling members. The support element may be a single structural unit, or may be alternately comprised of a plurality of joinable sections which may be interconnected to form a contiguous, integrated support element, thereby facilitating custom sizing for use within aquariums of varying base dimensions.

1. An accessory for anchoring an article within an enclosure, comprising:
 a support element including structure presenting a widened support expanse, receivable within said enclosure and being securable with respect thereto;  
 said support element including means for selectively positioning said article at any one selected location of a plurality of widened support expanse locations for disposition of said article in a position in which said article at least partially extends from an article disposition side of said widened support expanse; and  
 means for fastening said article to said support element along said widened support expanse at said one selected location, said means for fastening including blocking structure movable with respect to cooperating structure carried on said support element by one of reorientation and deformation of at least one of said blocking structure and said cooperating structure from a position in which said blocking structure interferes with said cooperating structure of said support element and inhibits forcible separation of said article from said support element, to another position in which interference between said blocking structure and said cooperating structure of said support element is at least partially relieved for facilitated detachment of said article from said support element, said means for fastening being operable from said article disposition side.  
 
     
     
       2. The article anchoring accessory according to  claim 1 , wherein said support element is made in plural joinable sections. 
     
     
       3. The article anchoring accessory according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said widened support expanse includes a plurality of perforations therethrough;  
 said means for fastening an article includes at least one coupling member carrying a clasping element for engaging said widened support expanse; and  
 said coupling means includes means for holding said article.  
 
     
     
       4. The article anchoring accessory according to  claim 3 , wherein at least one of a structure defining said plurality of perforations and said at least one coupling member includes means for self-centering said coupling member when effecting engagement thereof with said support element. 
     
     
       5. The article anchoring accessory according to  claim 4 , wherein:
 structure defining at least a portion of said plurality of perforations includes tapered entryways; and  
 said at least one coupling member includes a tapered structure on a support element engagement end portion of same.  
 
     
     
       6. The article anchoring accessory according to  claim 5 , wherein said plurality of perforations are arranged in a bee-hive array of same. 
     
     
       7. The article anchoring accessory according to  claim 1 , further comprising means for securing said support element to said enclosure. 
     
     
       8. The article anchoring accessory according to  claim 7 , wherein said securing means includes cooperative securing element disposable on said bottom of said enclosure and carried on said structure. 
     
     
       9. The article anchoring accessory according to  claim 7 , wherein said means for securing comprises a gravel layer above said structure. 
     
     
       10. The article anchoring accessory according to  claim 1 , wherein said support element is adapted for reception proximate a bottom of said enclosure, and includes means for spacing said widened support expanse above said bottom of said enclosure. 
     
     
       11. The article anchoring accessory according to  claim 1 , wherein said means for securably fastening includes cooperating structural elements carried on each of said article and said widened support expanse. 
     
     
       12. The article anchoring accessory according to  claim 1 , wherein said means for fastening include a plurality of projections protruding from said article disposition side of said widened support expanse, said projections comprising male connecting means for cooperating with female connecting means. 
     
     
       13. The article anchoring accessory according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said widened support expanse includes a plurality of intersecting ribs; and  
 said plurality of perforations being openings adjoining and defined by ones of said plurality of intersecting ribs.  
 
     
     
       14. The article anchoring accessory according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 said plurality of widened support expanse locations are arranged in a matrix; and  
 said support element includes index markings corresponding to intersecting rows and columns of said matrix whereby particular ones of said plurality of perforations can be located by reference to a row and column pair of said index markings.  
 
     
     
       15. The article anchoring accessory according to  claim 1 , wherein said widened support expanse includes a plurality of stepped regions. 
     
     
       16. The article anchoring accessory according to  claim 15 , wherein said support element further includes retaining ledges at the junctions of adjacent ones of said stepped regions. 
     
     
       17. The article anchoring accessory according to  claim 1 , wherein said support element includes a pair of lateral supports and a plurality of spaced apart rails extending therebetween. 
     
     
       18. Method  A method of anchoring an article within an enclosure, comprising the steps of:
 securing a support element within said  the enclosure, said support element presenting a widened support expanse;  
 selectively positioning said article at a one  selected location of a plurality of locations  along said support element for disposition of said article in a position in which said article at least partially extends from an article disposition side of said widened support expanse; and  
 fastening said article to said support element at said one  selected location, said means for fastening including  in a manner such that removal of said article from said support element is inhibited by interference between blocking structure carried on the article and cooperating structure carried on the support, said blocking structure and said cooperating structure being movable with respect to cooperating structure carried on said support element  one another by one of reorientation and deformation of at least one of said blocking structure and said cooperating structure from a position in which said blocking structure interferes with said cooperating structure of said support element and inhibits forcible separation of said article from said support element, to another position in which interference between said blocking structure and said cooperating structure of said support element is at least partially relieved for permitting facilitated detachment of said article from said support element, said means for fastening  movement of said blocking structure and said cooperating structure relative to one another between said position and said another position being operable from said article disposition side.  
 
     
     
       19. A kit for anchoring an article within an enclosure, comprising:
 a support element including structure presenting a widened support expanse, receivable within said enclosure and being securable with respect thereto, said support element being dimensioned such that a periphery thereof is proximate an internal peripheral boundary of said enclosure when received therein, said structure defining a plurality of discrete attachment locations disposed along said widened support expanse;  
 at least one coupling member including means for fastening said article to said support element at a selected one of said plurality of discrete attachment locations, said means for fastening including blocking structure movable with respect to cooperating structure carried on said support element by one of reorientation and deformation of at least one of said blocking structure and said cooperating structure from a position in which said blocking structure interferes with said cooperating structure of said support element and inhibits forcible separation of said article from said support element, to another position in which interference between said blocking structure and said cooperating structure of said support element is at least partially relieved for facilitated detachment of said article from said support element, said means for fastening being operable from said article disposition side; and  
 said at least one coupling member including means for holding said article in a position in which said article extends at least partially from an article disposition side of said widened support expanse.  
 
     
     
       20. A method of anchoring an article within an enclosure, comprising the steps of:
 securing a support element within said  the enclosure, said support element presenting a widened support expanse;  
 selectively positioning said article at a one  selected location of a plurality of locations  along said support element for disposition of said article in a position in which said article at least partially extends from an article disposition side of said widened support expanse;  
 securely fastening said article to said support element at said one  selected location for engagement thereto in a manner resisting detachment from said support element, said means for securably fastening being operable from said article disposition side ; and  
 said step of securably fastening including providing at least two coupling members each which includes means for engaging  engageable with said widened support expanse and each being interconnected by a line, said article being disposed between said article disposition side of said widened support expanse and said line, and said at least two coupling members being securably fastened to said support element, said at least two coupling members being operable from said article disposition side.  
 
     
     
       21. A method of anchoring articles within an enclosure bounded by a vertically extending peripheral boundary which defines an available bounded area within the enclosure, comprising the steps of:
   providing support structure, said support structure including an attachment region of widened expanse defining discrete attachment locations at which the articles can be attachably positioned;        disposing the support structure within the enclosure;        securing said support structure within the enclosure to inhibit movement thereof with respect to the enclosure; and        fastening each of said articles to said support structure at selected ones of the discrete attachment locations for engagement thereto in a manner resisting detachment from said support structure, a number of said articles attached to said support structure being less than another number corresponding to the discrete attachment locations, such that some of said discrete attachment locations are unoccupied by the articles, whereby a range of different relative positional arrangements of the articles are achievable within said widened expanse.      
     
     
       22. A method according to  claim 21 , wherein:
   said support structure is positioned in the enclosure with said widened expanse oriented along a generally horizontal plane; and        said step of securing includes covering at least area portions of said widened expanse with a substrate layer.      
     
     
       23. A method of anchoring an article within an enclosure bounded by a vertically extending peripheral boundary which defines an internal region of the enclosure, comprising the steps of:
   disposing support structure within the enclosure, a portion of said support structure presenting a widened support expanse sized and configured to extend over a substantial portion of the internal region of the enclosure;        securing said support structure within the enclosure to inhibit movement thereof with respect to the enclosure;        fastening said article to said support structure at a discrete location along said widened support expanse for engagement thereto in a manner resisting detachment from said support structure; and        fastening another article to said support structure at another discrete location, appropriate selection of various discrete locations along said support structure thereby determining a relative orientation of said article and said another article with respect to one another and to the vertically extending peripheral boundary of the enclosure.      
     
     
       24. A kit for anchoring an article within an enclosure, comprising, in combination with the enclosure:
   at least one support element including structure presenting a widened support expanse, said at least one support element being receivable within the enclosure and being securable with respect thereto, a periphery of said widened support expanse defined by said at least support element being sized to extend over a substantial area of a bottom of the enclosure when received therein, said widened support expanse including discrete attachment locations disposed therealong; and        at least one coupling member structurally adapted for fastenably engaging cooperating structure carried on said widened support expanse at said discrete attachment locations, said at least one coupling member further adapted for holding said article thereto, wherein fastenable engagement of said coupling member to said support element at a selected one of said plurality of discrete attachment locations holds said article to said support element in a manner resisting detachment therefrom.      
     
     
       25. A kit according to  claim 24 , wherein said periphery of said widened support expanse is dimensioned smaller than a peripheral boundary of said bottom of the enclosure to form a gap between said periphery and said peripheral boundary.