Support Bracket Assembly for Pool Cover Box Lid

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/643,830, filed May 7, 2024, entitled “SUPPORT BRACKET ARM ASSEMBLY FOR POOL COVER BOX LID,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Pool cover housings enclose and safeguard the internal components of a pool cover system. Specifically, a pool cover housing can include a lid that can cover the internal components stored in the housing. The lid can be removable to provide access to the components within the pool cover housing, for example for repairing and/or replacing the components contained therein. However, there are challenges in optimizing the connection between the lid and the pool cover housing.

One aspect of the disclosure provides for a pool cover assembly may include a cover housing configured to store a pool cover, where the cover housing may include a container and a lid, and a bracket arm assembly positioned in the cover housing. The bracket arm assembly also may include a base, a support arm associated with the base, and an adjustment fastener movably received in the base and positioned between the base and the support arm. The base of the bracket arm assembly may be removably coupled to the container and the lid is supported on the support arm. and the adjustment fastener may be displaceable into, or out of, a receiving element of the base for adjusting a relative angle between the support arm and the base.

Implementations may include one or more of the following features. The support arm may include a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end can be received in an interface volume defined by the base, the support arm can rest on a first protrusion along an intermediate portion of the support arm between the first end and the second end, and the support arm can rotate about a point of contact between the intermediate portion and the first protrusion. The support arm may include a center of gravity closer to the second end than the first end. The center of gravity may be between the point of contact and the second end. The intermediate portion may include a first projection defining a first projection recess that is shaped to receive the first protrusion such that the support arm is limited in linear translation relative to the base. The support arm may include a second projection adjacent the first end and the base may define a mating recess that is shaped to receive the second projection such that the support arm is limited in linear translation relative to the base. The interface of the first projection within the first projection recess and the second projection within the mating recess may limit angular rotation of the support arm relative to the base about the point of contact. The base may include a second protrusion and a third protrusion extending into the interface volume, and the first end may be received in the interface volume between the second protrusion and third protrusion such that the support arm is limited in linear translation relative to the base. Displacement of the adjustment fastener into, or out of, the receiving element may adjust an angle of the support arm relative to the base about the point of contact. The support arm may couple to the base free of fasteners. A first top surface of the spacer and a second top surface of the bracket arm may be substantially co-planar.

One aspect of the disclosure provides for a bracket arm assembly for use in a cover housing of a pool cover assembly. The bracket arm assembly may include a base, a support arm coupled to the base in a free-floating cantilevered configuration, and an adjustment fastener movably received in the base, where movement of the adjustment fastener within the base adjusts a relative angle between the support arm and the base.

Implementations may include one or more of the following features. The support arm may include a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end can be received in an interface volume defined by the base, the support arm can rest on a first protrusion along an intermediate portion of the support arm between the first end and the second end, and the support arm can rotate about a point of contact between the intermediate portion and the first protrusion. The intermediate portion may include a first projection defining a first projection recess that is shaped to receive the first protrusion such that the support arm is limited in linear translation relative to the base. The support arm may include a second projection adjacent the first end and the base may define a mating recess that is shaped to receive the second projection such that the support arm is limited in linear translation relative to the base. The interface of the first projection within the first projection recess and the second projection within the mating recess may limit angular rotation of the support arm relative to the base about the point of contact. The base may include a second protrusion and a third protrusion extending into the interface volume, and the first end may be received in the interface volume between the second protrusion and third protrusion such that the support arm is limited in linear translation relative to the base. Displacement of the adjustment fastener into, or out of, the receiving element may adjust an angle of the support arm relative to the base about the point of contact. The support arm may couple to the base free of fasteners.

One aspect of the disclosure provides for a method of assembling a pool cover assembly may include coupling a base of a bracket arm assembly to a container of a cover housing. The bracket arm assembly may include a support arm associated with the base, and an adjustment fastener received in the base between the base and the support arm. The support arm may support a lid of the cover housing such that the bracket arm assembly is positioned in the cover housing. The method also may include displacing the adjustment fastener relative to the base to adjust an angle of the support arm relative to the base.

A pool may include a cover system and may further include a cover housing that stores certain components of the cover system, such as a pool cover, a roller tube that the pool cover is wrapped around, a motor that can roll and unroll the roller tube, or the like. The cover housing can include a container to store the components of the pool cover system, a lid covering the container, and a bracket arm assembly for coupling the lid to the container. The cover housing may be recessed in a deck surrounding swimming pool.

It may be beneficial for the top surface of the lid to be co-planar with the top surface of the surrounding deck to provide a more appealing appearance. Doing so may also reduce the likelihood of the lid introducing tripping hazard to users walking around the pool (e.g., from a portion of the lid extending above or below the top surface of the deck). As such, it may be beneficial for the angle of the lid to be adjustable relative to the container such that a desired angle can be found where the top surfaces of the lid and the surrounding deck are co-planar. Additionally, it can be beneficial to provide such an adjustment system that is simple to install and easy to use so that users without much technical experience can adjust the angle of the lid with less confusion and less risk of damaging the pool cover system.

The present disclosure provides a bracket arm assembly that can be coupled between a lid and a container of a pool cover housing. The bracket arm assembly may include a base that can be coupled to the container of the pool cover housing and a support arm that can support the lid of the pool cover housing. The bracket arm assembly may also include an adjustment fastener that may adjust an angle of the support arm relative to the base such that, by extension, the angle of the lid relative to the container and surrounding deck can be adjusted to a desired angle. Further, the support arm may be coupled to the base through a free-floating cantilevered configuration such that the support arm can be removed from the base (e.g., for repair and replacement of the internal components of the pool cover system stored in the container) in a more simplified manner (e.g., without having to use fasteners). As such, the support arm assembly of the present disclosure can be a simplified way of adjusting the angle of the lid of the pool cover housing to facilitate a physically seamless deck surrounding the pool.

depicts a simplified view of an example poolcoupled to a deck. The poolmay be defined by a plurality of sides and corners and may define a pool volumethat receives water for users to swim in. The poolmay be a vinyl liner pool, a fiberglass pool, a gunite pool, or any other pool material. The deckcan be formed around a top-edge of the pool. As such, the poolmay be an in-ground pool. However, in other embodiments, the pool may be an above-ground pool.

The poolmay include a cover assembly(e.g., a pool cover assembly, such as an automatic pool cover assembly or the like) coupled to a first endof the pool. The cover assemblymay include a cover housingthat houses various components of the cover assembly, such as a roller tube for a cover(e.g., a protective sheet that includes one or more of plastic, fabric, composite material, or the like) to wrap around, a motor that can be actuated to facilitate the coverto cover and uncover the pool volume, and/or other components related to the cover assembly. The cover assemblymay include a leading edge barcoupled to a distal end of the cover. In some embodiments, the distal end of the covermay be wrapped (e.g., partially or entirely) about the leading edge barsuch that the leading edge baris partially or completely hidden from view (e.g., when a user is viewing the poolwhile standing on the deck).

In use, the motor may extend the coverto cover the pool volume. In particular, the motor may cause the leading edge barcoupled to the coverto move from a first position, where the leading edge baris proximate the first endof the pool, toward a second position at a second endof the pool(e.g., along the Y-axis). In this first position, the covermay be in a stored position in the cover housingwhere the coveris rolled around the roller tube within the cover housing. As the leading edge barmoves toward the second endof the pool, the leading edge barmay pull the coverfrom around the roller tube positioned in the cover housingsuch that the coverremains taut as the leading edge barmoves toward the second end(e.g., as depicted in). When the leading edge barreaches the second endof the pool, the covermay cover a top region of the pool. In this second position, the covermay be in a deployed position. The motor may also be actuated to retract the coverback to the stored position by causing the roller tube to roll the coveraround the roller tube and moving the leading edge barfrom the second endof the pooltowards the first endof the pool.

depicts a simplified cross-sectional view of the cover housingalong Section A-A (e.g., as shown in). The cover housingincludes a lidand a container. The lidand containercan define, therebetween, an internal volumethat can house components of the cover assembly, such as a roller tube, motor, the cover, or the like. In some embodiments, the lidmay comprise the same material as the decksurrounding the poolsuch that the lidgenerally blends into the surrounding deck. For example, the lidmay be level with the deck(shown in) and may comprise the same material or a material that substantially resembles the deck material. The cover housingmay include a bracket arm assembly coupling the container to the lid.

The cover housingmay include a bracket arm assemblycoupling the containerto the lid. In particular, a baseof the bracket arm assemblycan be associated with the container(e.g., via welding, brazing, soldering, gluing, fastening, integrally combined with, or the like) while the lidmay rest on top of a support armof the bracket arm assembly. In some embodiments, the lidmay also be coupled to the support arm(e.g., via welding, brazing, soldering, gluing, fastening, or the like).

As noted above, it may be beneficial for the lidto be angularly adjusted relative to the container. The bracket arm assemblyaddresses this issue by including an adjustment system that allows for the support armto be angularly adjusted relative to the base. As the lidrests on the support arm, angularly adjusting the support armalso allows for the lidto be angularly adjusted relative to the container. Further, as will be discussed further below, the support armcan be easily installed and removed with the base. Accordingly, the bracket arm assemblycan provide a simple means of adjusting the angle of the lidrelative to the containersuch that the lidcan be seamlessly integrated with the surrounding deck.

depict detailed views of the bracket arm assembly.depicts an isometric view of the bracket arm assembly.depicts an exploded view of the bracket arm assembly.depicts a cross-sectional view of the bracket arm assemblyalong Section B-B (e.g., as shown in). Turning to, the basemay include a base bodywith a coupling featureat an end of the base bodyand an receiving elementextending from the base bodyfrom the base body. The base body, coupling feature, and receiving elementmay be integrally formed with each other such that the baseis a monolithic structure. However, in other embodiments, one or more of the coupling feature or receiving element may be separate components coupled to the base body (e.g., via welding, brazing, soldering, gluing, fastening, or the like).

The coupling featuremay define an interface volumesized and shaped to receive a mating assemblyof the support arm. In this manner, as described further below, the coupling featuremay facilitate the coupling between the support armand the base. The coupling featuremay include protrusions that extend into the interface volumeand that are configured to interface with portions of the mating assembly, as discussed further below. For example, the coupling featuremay include a first protrusionextending along a Z-axis from the coupling featureinto the interface volume, a second protrusionextending along an X-axis from the coupling featureinto the interface volume, and a third protrusionextending along an X-axis from the coupling featureinto the interface volume. The second protrusionmay extend along a first direction into the interface volumeand the third protrusionmay extend along a second direction into the interface volumeopposite the first direction. As will be described below, the protrusions,,may interface with portions of the mating assembly(e.g., edges,and second projection, as shown in) to form an interference fit coupling the mating assemblyand the coupling feature. Additionally, also discussed further below, as shown in, the coupling featuremay define a mating recesssized and shaped to receive portions of the mating assembly(e.g., third projection, as shown in).

The receiving elementmay define a fastener channelconfigured to receive a fastening featureof an adjustment fastener(e.g., a screw, bolt, or the like). When the adjustment fasteneris received within the receiving element, the adjustment fastenerand the receiving elementmay be, collectively, referred to as an adjustment assembly. The receiving elementmay include a threaded sectionsized and shaped to interface with threads of the fastening feature. In this manner, when the fastening featureis received in the fastener channel, the threaded sectioncan interface with the threads of the fastening featuresuch that the adjustment fastenermay rotate relative to the receiving element. Rotation of the threaded sectionwithin the fastener channelmay result in the adjustment fastenerlinearly translating toward or away from the basealong the fastener channel. As will be discussed below, a headof the adjustment fastenermay abut against the support arm, for example, but not limited to against, a portion of the mating assembly, such that the linear translation of the adjustment fastenerrelative to the basemay result in a change of angle of the support armrelative to the base.

The base bodycan define a number of openings sized and shaped to receive fasteners to associate, couple, or otherwise secure the base bodytogether with the container, in aspects in which the base bodyis not integral with the container. For example, the base bodycan define a first base opening, a second base opening, a third base opening, a fourth base opening, and a fifth base opening. The base openings,,,can receive a fastener to stabilize the baseon an X-Z plane to about a Z-axis while the first base openingcan receive fastener to stabilize the baseon an X-Z plane about an X-axis. Though five base openings are depicted, more or fewer may be used without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the base body may not define the first opening. In another example, the base body may not define one of the second or third base openings, or one of the fourth or fifth base openings. In this manner, fastening the baseto the containerwith at least one fastener in the first base opening, the second base openingand/or the third base opening, and the fourth opening base and/or the fifth base openingcan result in a secure coupling between the baseand the containereven if the wall of the containerthat the baseis coupled on is uneven. In some embodiments, the base bodymay be associated with, coupled to, or otherwise secured together with the containerby other means, for example but not limited to adhesives, magnets, other mechanical fasteners, hook and loop fasteners, or any other suitable means.

The basecan include a shroudthat extends from the base bodyalong a Y-axis at least partially around the first base openingsuch that, when a fastener is received in the first base opening, the shroudmay reduce the risk that the fastener contacts internal components housed in the container. For example, shroudmay provide a buffer between the coverstored in the containerand the fastener received in the first base openingto minimize the risk that the fastener cuts the cover. However, in other embodiments, the base may not include a shroud.

The support armmay include the mating assembly, as noted above, and a support feature. The mating assemblyand support featuremay be integrally formed together such that the support armis a monolithic structure. However, in other embodiments, the mating assembly and support feature may be separate components that are coupled together (e.g., via welding, brazing, soldering, gluing, fastening, or the like). A top surface of the support featureis configured to support the lidor other components (e.g., the arm extensioncoupled to support openings, as shown in, below).

The mating assemblymay mate with, or otherwise engage, the coupling featureto securely maintain the position of the support armrelative to the basein a free-floating cantilever configuration. For example, as depicted in, the mating assemblymay include a first projection, a second projection, and/or a third projection. The first projectionmay define a first projection recesson a bottom surface of the first identand the second projection may define a second projection recesson a bottom surface of the second projection. The first projection recessmay be sized and shaped to receive the headof the adjustment fastener. The second projection recessmay be sized and shaped to receive an end region of the first protrusion. However, in other embodiments, the support arm may not include one or more of the recesses, such as no first recess or the like. The third projectionmay be sized and shaped to be received in the mating recessof the coupling feature.

The support armmay be coupled to the basethrough the interface between the first protrusionand the second projectionwithin the second projection recess, and the interface between the third projectionand the coupling featurewithin the mating recess. The support armmay include a center of gravity to the right of the interface between the first protrusionand the second projectionalong the Y-axis as shown insuch that, when the support armrests on the first protrusion, the support armis disposed to freely rotate in a clockwise direction about the X-axis at the point of contact between the first protrusionand the second projection. The support armmay be limited from rotating in this clockwise direction by the interface between the third projectionand the coupling featurewithin the mating recess. This cantilevered configuration may support a downward force placed on the support arm(e.g., along the supporting featurefrom the weight of the lid) without movement of the support armin a clockwise direction. The stability of the cantilevered configuration (and, as discussed below, the angular orientation of the support armrelative to the base) may also be increased by the interface between the headof the adjustment fastenerand the first projection.

When the support armis assembled together with the base, the support armmay be limited from moving along a Y-axis due to the interface between the mating assemblyand coupling feature. Specifically, as depicted in, the curved cross-sectional shape of the first protrusioncan engage the curved cross-sectional shape of the second projection recesssuch that the first protrusionand the second projectionare in an interference fit within the second projection recess. Additionally, the curved cross-sectional shape of the third projectioncan engage the curved cross-sectional shape of the mating recesssuch that the third projectionand the coupling featureare in an interference fit within the mating recess. Accordingly, the interference fit between the above-noted features of the mating assemblyand coupling featuremay limit the support armfrom linearly translating along a Y-axis when the support armis in the free-floating cantilever configuration. In other embodiments, the cross-sectional shape of the first protrusion, third projection, and recesses may not be curved. Instead, the cross-sectional shapes of one or more of these features may be angular (e.g., rectangular, triangular, or the like).

Turning to, the support armmay be limited from moving about a Z-axis (or along an X-axis) by an interference fit between the protrusions,and the mating assembly. In particular, the mating assemblymay include a first edgeand a second edgeopposite the first edge. When assembled, the first edgemay interface with the second protrusionand the second edgemay interface with the third protrusionsuch that the mating assemblyis received between the two protrusions,in an interference fit. This interference fit may limit movement of the support armabout a Z-axis or along an X-axis relative to the base. However, in other embodiments, the base may not include a second protrusion and/or third protrusion. Instead, the movement of the support arm about a Z-axis or along an X-axis relative to the base may be limited by the engagement of the mating assembly within the portions of the coupling feature defining the interface volume.

The protrusions,may include a curved shape to allow for the edges,to more easily be received between the protrusions,. In this manner, the curved protrusions,may allow for an easier assembly process. However, in other embodiments, the protrusions may include other shapes, such as being angular, rectangular, or the like.

The support armmay be assembled to the baseby inserting the third projectioninto the interface volumeat an insertion angle that allows the third projectionto pass the first protrusion(e.g., at a transverse angle relative to the X-Y plane). Once the third projectionis inserted past the first protrusionwithin the interface volume, the support armcan be rotated in a clockwise direction until the third indentis received within the mating recessand the first protrusionis received within the second projection recess, as shown in. Accordingly, the support armmay be easily assembled to the base.

As the support armis coupled to the basewithout requiring any other forms of coupling mechanisms (e.g., via welding, brazing, soldering, gluing, fastening, or the like) between the support armand the base, the support armand the baseare in a free-floating cantilevered configuration. As noted above, such a configuration is beneficial to improve the ease of coupling the support armand the base(e.g., without coupling the support armand the baseusing additional coupling mechanisms). This increased simplicity reduces the risk of errors during assembly of the bracket arm assembly. For example, this increased simplicity reduces the technical expertise and tools required to assemble the bracket arm assembly(e.g., by a user of the pool, inexperienced pool technicians installing the pool, or the like) that may otherwise be required if the support armand basewere coupled together through additional coupling mechanisms. However, in some embodiments, such additionally coupling mechanisms may be used to provide further stability between the support arm and the base.

With reference to, the angle of the support armrelative to the basemay be adjusted by the adjustment assembly (e.g., the linear translation of the adjustment fastenerwithin the fastener channelof the receiving element). As discussed above, angular adjustment of the support armrelative to the basemay be beneficial to adjust the support armto a desired angle relative to the basesuch that the lidlater positioned on the support armmay be angularly adjusted relative to the containerand the surrounding deck. This angular adjustment may be performed while the support armand the baseare coupled together in the free-floating cantilevered configuration such that the armand the basemay be angularly adjusted without the support armand the basedecoupling from each other. However, as noted below, the adjustment fastenermay translate within the fastener channelwithout being coupled to the support armsuch that the support armmay be coupled to the baseand adjustment fastenerat a desired angle. The lidmay then be positioned on the support armat a desired angle relative to the containerand the surrounding deck. However, in other embodiments, the support arm and base may be angularly adjusted with the lid positioned on the support arm.

In particular, the support armmay rotate in a counterclockwise direction about the X-axis at the point of contact between the first protrusionand the second projectionwhen the adjustment fastenerlinearly translates away from the receiving element(e.g., when the receiving elementslinearly translates toward the support arm) within the fastener channel(e.g., through rotation of the fastening featurerelative to the threaded section) such that the headin the first projection recesspushes the support arm. As the support armis naturally predisposed to rotate in a clockwise direction about the X-axis at the point of contact between the first protrusionand the second projection(e.g., as a result of the location of the center of gravity of the support armbeing to the right of this point of contact, as noted above), movement of the adjustment fasteneraway from the support armwill naturally rotate or tilt the support armin this clockwise direction. As such, the support armmay rotate or tilt in a clockwise direction about the X-axis at the point of contact between the first protrusionand the second projectionwhen the adjustment fastenerlinearly translates further inside the receiving element(e.g., when the receiving elementslinearly translates away from the support arm) within the fastener channel(e.g., through rotation of the fastening featurerelative to the threaded section).

The cantilevered configuration may define a maximum distance of rotation or tilting in both the clockwise and counterclockwise direction. For example, the support armmay be limited in counterclockwise rotation when the support armrotates in the counterclockwise direction so much that: the adjustment fastenerexits the fastener channeland the fastener featuredisengages (e.g., no longer interacts with) from the threaded section, therefore, preventing the adjustment fastenerfrom being able to further push the support armin the counterclockwise direction; or where the support armrotates so far that the third projectiondisengages from the mating recessand the second projectiondisengages from the first protrusion, and an endof the mating assemblycontacts a first surfaceof the coupling featureand the second projectioncontacts a second surface. The support armmay be limited in clockwise rotation when the support armrotates in the clockwise direction so much that the support armis no longer supported by the adjustment fastener(e.g., when the adjustment fastenerlinearly translates away from the first projectionso much that the headdisengages from the first projectionand is spaced from the support arm). In this position, the support armrests only on the free-floating cantilevered configuration between the second projectionand first protrusion, and the third projectionagainst the coupling featurewithin the mating recess. The support armmay have an adjustable angular range, relative to the X-Y plane, of between about 2° and 10°, between about 3° and 9°, between about 4° and 8°, between about 5° and 7°, or about 6°.

The free-floating cantilevered configuration provides good structural stability to handle high loads positioned on the support arm. For example, the bracket arm assemblymay support a heavy lidpositioned on the support arm, such as a stone lidthat matches a surrounding stone deck. Additionally or alternatively, the bracket arm assemblymay support other components positioned on the, such as furniture, appliances, or the like. For example, the bracket arm assemblywithout an extension (e.g., such as an arm extension, as shown in, having a 13-inch length) may support, between about 15 lbs. and about 750 lbs., between about 15 lbs. and about 895 lbs., between about 525 lbs. and about 750 lbs., between about 525 lbs. and about 895 lbs., or the like, prior to failure. These supported loads are an improvement compared to conventional bracket systems (e.g., bracket systems including fasteners coupling the support arm and base together) as, through a similar load testing performed on the conventional bracket system of placing a progressively heavier loads, the conventional bracket systems may fail (e.g., undergo permanent damage) at lower weights. Accordingly, the bracket system, including the free-floating cantilevered configuration of the support armwith the base, provides a load performance improvement compared to conventional bracket systems.

In some embodiments, the bracket arm assemblymay include components that increase an effective length of the support arm. For example,depict a bracket arm assemblyincluding a spacer, and arm extensioncoupled to the support armand base. Securement components(as shown in), such as fasteners or the like, may couple the arm extensionto a distal end of the support arm(e.g., the end of the support armopposite the mating assembly). The arm extensionincreases a length of the bracket arm assemblyalong a Y-axis compared to the bracket arm assembly. In this manner, larger and/or more objects can be positioned on the bracket arm assembly, such as a larger lid (e.g., lid, as shown in).

As a thickness of the arm extensionincreases a height of the bracket arm assembly, an object resting on the arm extensionat one end and along a support armon another end may result in the object being tilted, such as the lidbeing tilted relative to the surrounding deck. To address this issue, the bracket arm assemblymay include a spacercoupled to the support armand baseopposite the arm extension. The top surface of the spacerand the top surface of the arm extensionmay be substantially co-planar along the X-Y plane such that an object may be positioned on the spacerand arm extensionwithout being tilted. In other words, the top surfaces of the spacerand arm extensionmay be substantially parallel (e.g., the degree of rotation of the top surfaces of each of the spacerand arm extensionrelative to the X-Y plane may be within about a 20% deviation of each other, such as about a 10% deviation, such as about a 5% deviation, or being completely the same) and aligned along an X-Y plane (the offset distance along a Z-axis between each of the top surfaces may be less than about 0.5 mm, less than about 0.4 mm, less than about 0.3 mm, less than about 0.2 mm, less than about 0.1 mm, or no offset).

The spacermay include a spacer body, a first spacer armextending from the spacer body, and a second spacer armextending from the spacer body. The spacer bodymay rest on top of the coupling featureof the basewhile each of the spacer arms,can be positioned underneath opposite sides of the support arm. In this manner, the spacermay be coupled to the support armand basewithout additional connection mechanisms (e.g., via welding, brazing, soldering, gluing, fastening, or the like), thus simplifying the assembly process of the bracket arm assembly. However, additional connection mechanisms may couple the spacer to the support arm and base to increase the stability of the spacer.

The bracket arm assemblymay include securement componentscoupled on the arm extension. In some embodiments, the securement componentsmay include an adhesive or other type of anti-slip material such that an object positioned on the securement componentsmay be more securely held in place on the arm extension. However, in other embodiments, the bracket arm assembly may not include the securement components.

The bracket arm assemblyis shown to be capable of supporting different loads along the arm extensionand support arm. For example, the bracket arm assemblyincluding a twenty-five inch (25″) arm extensionmay support between about 15 lbs. and about 400 lbs., between about 375 lbs. and about 425 lbs., between about 375 lbs. and about 575 lbs., between about 375 lbs. and about 595 lbs., or the like, for example, prior to failure. The bracket arm assembly 430 including a seventeen inch (17″) arm extension 420 may support between about 15 lbs. and about 400 lbs., between about 375 lbs. and about 425 lbs., between about 375 lbs. and about 575 lbs., between about 375 lbs. and about 595 lbs., or the like, for example, prior to failure. These supported loads are an improvement compared to conventional bracket systems (e.g., bracket systems including fasteners coupling the support arm and base together) as, through a similar load testing performed on the conventional bracket system of placing a progressively heavier load, the conventional bracket systems may fail (e.g., undergo permanent damage) at lower weights. Accordingly, the bracket system, including the free-floating cantilevered configuration of the support armand arm extensionwith the base, provides a load performance improvement compared to conventional bracket systems.

The components of the bracket arm assembly,can be made of metals (e.g., steel, aluminum, or the like), plastics, or the like. These components may be made from any suitable manufacturing process, such as stamping, additive manufacturing, or the like.

The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereunto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the disclosure as set forth in the claims.

Other variations are within the spirit of the present disclosure. Thus, while the disclosed techniques are susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated examples thereof are shown in the drawings and have been described above in detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the disclosure to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the disclosure, as defined in the appended claims.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the disclosed examples (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (e.g., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. The term “connected” is to be construed as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or joined together, even if there is something intervening. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein is intended merely to better illuminate examples of the disclosure and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the disclosure unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the disclosure.

Disjunctive language such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, or Z,” unless specifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood within the context as used in general to present that an item, term, etc., may be either X, Y, or Z, or any combination thereof (e.g., X, Y, and/or Z). Thus, such disjunctive language is not generally intended to, and should not, imply that certain examples require at least one of X, at least one of Y, or at least one of Z to each be present.

Preferred examples of this disclosure are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the disclosure. Variations of those preferred examples may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the disclosure to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, this disclosure includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the disclosure unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.