GB2169199A

GB2169199A - Picture frame

Info

Publication number: GB2169199A
Application number: GB08500243A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Philip Rainone
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-01-04
Filing date: 1985-01-04
Publication date: 1986-07-09
Also published as: GB8500243D0; GB2169199B; JPS61268213A; GB8523324D0; GB8511909D0

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a frame for releasably framing articles, such as pictures, photographs, posters and menus. The frame comprises a plurality of elongate members having mitred ends mated together, and an elastic band 20, wherein the elastic band is located in a continuous recess formed, on assembly of the frame, by the alignment of sub- recesses located along the length of each member, and wherein the elastic band is in tension around the frame so as to pull the members together. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A frame for releasably framing articles The present invention relates to frames for releasably framing articles, such as pictures, photographs, posters and menus.

Conventional frames generally comprise four elongate members having mitred ends mated together and surrounding the perimeter of the article to be framed. These members are secured together at their mitred ends by means such as pins or adhesive. Such a frame, once assembled, is generally permanent causing difficulty in replacing a framed article by another.

Efforts have been made to overcome this problem, by making a frame which is more flexible in use. For instance, G.B. 2061108 (Reim) discloses a rectangular expandable frame which comprises Lshaped connecting elements located at each corner, along whose limbs the frame members are slidably received. The frame therefore can be expanded allowing the framed picture to be exchanged with another.

This arrangement overcomes some of the problems of conventional frames, but is still unsatisfactory. Such a frame is quite complex having eight cooperating parts and is not readily adapted to hold a plurality of pictures orto be used as a frame for articles other than pictures. A further prnbleni with this type of frame; is the need to provide securing means at each end of each frame member to allow for the fitment of the L-shaped members. It is therefore not possible to continuously extrude the completed members, and this necessitates the addition of the securing means at a later stage, resulting in increased manufacturing costs.

U.S. 3990168 (Murray) discloses the use of resilient members located across each corner to secure the frame members together. However, it is necessary to provide each frame member with means to which the resilient members can be attached. Such means complicate the frame members such that the frame is prohibitively expensive.

A need therefore arises for a much simplified picture frame, which is easily manufactured, which allowsforthe interchange of pictures, and which can be assembled without special skills.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a frame comprising a plurality of elongate members having mitred ends mated together, and an elastic band, wherein the elastic band is located in a continuous recess formed, on assembly of the frame, by the alignment of subrecesses located along the length of each member.

Preferably each elongate member includes a continuous sub-groove on an inner surface such that a continuous groove for accommodating an at least one article to be framed is produced around the internal perimeter of the frame.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a display device comprising a frame as previously described framing a stack of planar articles.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a display device comprising a frame as previbusly described attached to a base.

In a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a kit of parts for use in the assembly of a frame as previously described, comprising a pair of identical elongate members and an elastic band.

A frame for releasably framing articles is therefore provided which comprises a plurality of elongate members easily manufactured by a process such as continuous extrusion from materials such as plastics or metal. An elastic band extends, in tension, around the members to secure them together. Elastic bands are both cheap and readily available. The frame of the present invention is constructed so as to readily allow for the rearrangement or replacement of the framed article.

Each frame member is flexibly attached to its neighbours by the elastic band, thereby allowing the picture to be separated from the frame by pulling at least one of the members away from the picture against the tension of the band, so as to allow the picture to be removed from the groove.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a frame according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a front elevational view of Figure 1, partly in section along the line Il-Il of Figure 1; Figure 3a is a cross-sectional view of a frame member along the line Ill-Ill of Figure 2; Figure 3b is an alternative cross-sectional view of a frame member along the line 111-Ill of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a rear view, partly in section, of a frame according to a second embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is a sectional view of a frame member along the line V-V of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a frame having a base according to a further embodiment of the present invention;; Figures 7a and 7b show front elevational and side elevational views, both partly in section, of a display device including a base attached to a frame according to a further embodiment of the frame according to the present invention; Figures 8a and 8b show front elevational and side elevational views of a frame of a further embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 is a sectional view along the line IX-IX of Figure 8a.

Referring now to Figures 1-3b, a frame according to one embodiment of the present invention is indicated generally at 10 and comprises four elongate members 12, 14,16,18 arranged to form a frame surrounded by an elastic band 20. The frame shown in Figure 2 holds a picture 5.

Each elongate member includes a continuous sub-groove 22 on an inner surface. Assembly of the elongate members causes these sub-grooves to be aligned so as to form a continuous groove around the internal perimeter of the frame which houses the at least one article to be framed. In manufacturing the elongate members, the width of this sub-groove may be varied so that a plurality of articles, each having a thickness less than the width of each subgroove, may be housed in the groove.

Each elongate member has two mitred ends 24, 26 which mate at the corners of the assembled frame with mitred ends of other members. In the present specification, the mitering of the ends of each elongate member is not confined to an angle of 45 , and may be varied to any angle suitable to form joints between the various elongate members.

Each elongate member further includes a continuous sub-recess 27 (Figure 3a) along its outer surface, such that on assembly of the members, a continuous recess 28 is formed around the external perimeter of the frame. An elongate elastic band 20 is stretched around the frame, the band having an inner surface received on an outward facing planar surface of the sub-recess. Thus the elastic band pulls the members together. This arrangement causes each of the joints of the frame to be flexible, such that the frame can be easily flexed at each corner so as to allow any two adjacent members to be flexed around their joints by as much as 1800 with respect to the remaining members of the frame so as to allow either the insertion of a picture within the groove 22, a re-ordering of pictures already within the groove, or the replacement of the picture within the groove.

The cross-section of each elongate member may vary, e.g., to allow for ornamentation, but it is preferable that it remains constant except for its mitred ends. In this case, the elongate members can each be formed in a single extrusion step from metal or plastics or by a simple continuous machining step from wood strip. Alternatively, each elongate member may be formed in a single step by the injection of plastics materiai, or by the casting of a suitable metal (eg. Al) into a suitably shaped mould.

Figure 3a shows a cross-section through a frame of the present invention holding a plurality of articles 6. The cross-section includes the sub-groove 22 which holds the various articles 6 being framed.

The cross-section also includes sub-recess 27, which comprises a wide portion 32 within which the elastic band 20 is located. The elastic band is confined in the sub-recess 27, by overlapping lip portions 23 separated by a narrow entrance slot 34, of width less than that of the elastic band. Thus, if members 14 and 18 are pulled in opposite directions, member 12 will be supported by the elastic band 20 which is unable to fit through the slot 34 of the sub-recess.

It will be noted that the frame shown at 10 is symmetrical about a central plane through the groove 22.

It should be also noted that if a double sided picture, or stack of super-imposed articles having a picture displayed outwardly on each of its two outer surfaces, is framed in a frame according to the present invention, then the assembled article will be reversible.

In a further embodiment of the elongate members, the cross-section of each elongate member may be configured such that the frame, when assembled is not symmetrical, giving rise to a preferred viewing direction. Thus in Figure 3b, an alternative cross-section is shown comprising subrecess 27 an ornate portion 36 and an offset subgroove 22. When each member of the frame has such a cross-section, the final frame has a decorative appearance when viewed from direction A.

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, a further embodiment of the frame of the present invention is shown. Figure 4 shows a rear view of a frame, partly in section, wherein the elastic band 20 is located in a sub-recess 29 formed in the rear surface 31 of each of the elongate members. One assembly of the frame, these sub-recesses align to form a continuous recess which extends around the complete frame. Each sub-recess 29 is closed, once the elastic band is in place, by the use of a fillet 42 which is secured to reach frame member by convenient means such as staples 44 or adhesive tape. The frame members of this embodiment have a flat rear surface 31 which makes this frame suitableforwall hanging.Hanging can be accomplished by any known means, e.g. a hole 48 may be drilled partway through the centre of one member allowing the frame to be hung from a suitable means attached to a wall e.g. a nail. Once the frame is hung, it is not possible to tell it is being held together by an elastic band. Thus this embodiment provides an attractive yet flexible frame.

Turning now to Figures 6--9, three further embodiments of the present invention are shown wherein the frame is supported by a base which is either integrally formed or engageable with the frame.

Figure 6 shows a side elevational view, partly in section, of a frame having one member comprising a base 45. The base may be formed along its complete length, of constant cross-section, except for its mitred ends, thus allowing a single forming step as described above or the base may comprise four feet projecting to either side and from each end of the member. The base is flat such that the frame is maintained substantially vertically when placed on a horizontal surface. This arrangement of the base obviates the need for a rudder or strut type support.

Part of the continuous recess 28, extending around the outer perimeter of elongate member 47 can be seen. The elastic band 20 is located within the recess, and the phantom lines shows the extent of the wide portion 32, of the recess 28.

Figures 7a and 7b show an alternative embodiment wherein the base 52 is slidably engaged, via a tongue and groove arrangement 54, 56, to one frame member 57. The base may be provided with small feet 58 e.g. of plastics or rubber to protect any surface on which the base is placed from being scratched.

Afurther embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figures 8a, 8b and 9 where the two members 60, 62 forming the sides of the frame are provided with wings 64, 66 which extend away from the plane of the frame in both directions so as to form a base. The recesses 28 together with the elastic band 20 may be seen. As will be noted from Figures 8a and 9, the wings 64,66 are mitred so as to mate with base member 68.

The elastic band used in the present invention to secure the elongate members together is preferably a rubber band.

The frame of the present invention has many uses, particularly where it is desirable to interchange the article or articles being framed with others.

Thus, if it is used as a frame for a photograph, the frame members 12 and 14 may be pulled away from the photograph, and these members rotated around joints 24 and 25 so as to allow the photograph to be removed from groove 22. It might be that there are a plurality of photographs within the groove 22, in which case they may be rearranged to move a fresh photograph to the front of the frame.

One particular application of th is frame, is in dispensing photographs produced from a roll of film or a disc. Thus all the photographs successfully developed during the processing, might be inserted in such a frame so as to give the photographer an inexpensive but attractive "album".

When changing the picture on view, the frame can be simply rotated through 90 if necessary to follow a change in attitude e.g. from a portrait to a landscape.

Alternatively, if the frame is free-standing on a surface; then a picture may be viewed from either side of the frame, making such frame "doublesided".

Similarly, the frame might contain a single article having a picture on either side. Thus if the frame is hanging from a wall, the frame can be opened and the picture rotated so as to alter the picture open to view.

The frames of the present invention having or joined to bases, find particular use as free-stannding display devices. Thus they may be used in restaurants to hold menus, which generally are changed each day. It will be noted that frames such as that shown in Figure 6 can be viewed from either side, thus allowing the two sides of the menu to be viewed simultaneously.

Because of the simplicity of construction of the present frame, they may be easily constructed from kits. A suitable kit comprises two members of a given length and an elastic band. The purchaser, knowing the size of the rectangular article he wishes to frame, has only to buy two kits each comprising two opposite sides of the frame and an elastic band, and assemble them.

The frame of the present invention is not restricted to the framing of rectangular articles, and any suitably shaped article e.g. of hexagonal outline may have a frame constructed for it.

The frame members of the present invention can be constructed from wood by machining, or may be manufactured by an extrusion process from plastics or metal.

While more generally useful for framing planar articles, the present frame can be used for other purposes. For instance, it may be used as the framework for a toilet roll holder e.g. having an axle held between two opposite frame members. Thus when the roll is expired, the frame can be pulled apart, the empty roll removed from the axle, a fresh roll slipped over the axle, and the frame reassembled.

Claims

1. A frame comprising a plurality of elongate members having mitred ends mated together, and an elastic band, wherein the elastic band is located in a continuous recess formed, on assembly of the frame, by the alignment of sub-recesses located along the length of each member, and wherein the elastic band is in tension around the frame so as to puil the members together.

2. A frame according to claim 1 wherein the elastic band is of elongate cross-section and each subrecess has an outward facing planar surface to receive the inner surface of the band.

3. A frame according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the sub-recesses are formed on the outer surface of each member.

4. A frame according to claim 3 wherein the subrecesses comprises a wide portion where the elastic band is located and an entrance slot whose width is smaller than the width of the elastic band.

5. A frame according to claim 2 wherein the subrecesses are formed on a rear surface of each of the members.

6. A frame according to claim 5 wherein a fillet is inserted into each sub-recess so as to retain the elastic band within the sub-recess.

7. Aframe according to any preceding claim wherein each elongate member includes a continuous sub-groove on an inner surface such that a continuous groove for accommodating an at least one article to be framed is produced around the internal perimeter of the assembled frame.

8. A frame according to any preceding claim, wherein each member has, except for its mitred ends, a continuous cross-section.

9. A frame according to any preceding claim wherein each member is, except for its mitred ends, of identical cross-section.

10. Aframe according to any preceding claim which is symmetrical in a central plane through the continuous groove.

11. A frame according to any preceding claim wherein the groove is of sufficient width to receive a plurality of superimposed articles.

12. Aframe according to any preceding claim, wherein the members are machined from wood.

13. A frame according to any of claims 1 to 11 wherein the members are made of extruded plastics or metal.

14. A frame according to any preceding claim wherein the elastic band is a rubber band.

15. A frame according to any prededing claim wherein one member comprises an outer surface portion or portions arranged to constitute a base.

16. Aframe according to any of claims 1 to 14 wherein at least one member comprises means engageabie with a base member.

17. A frame according to claim 16 wherein the base member slidably engages with the at least one member via a tongue and groove arrangement.

18. Aframe according to any preceding claim having four members adapted to frame at least one rectangular article.

19. A frame according to claim 18 wherein the two members forming the sides of the frame include wings extending away from a central plane through the continuous groove.

20. A frame according to claim 18 or 19 comprises two members of a first length and two members of a second length.

21. A frame according to claim 20 formed from a first kit comprising two members of the first length and a second kit comprising two members of the second length.

22. Aframe substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.

23. A kit of parts for use in the assembly of a frame according to any preceding claim comprising a pair of identical said members and an elastic band.

24. A display device comprising a frame according to any of claims 1 to 22 for framing a stack of planar articles.

25. A display device comprising a frame according to any of claims 1 to 22 attached to a base.

26. A display device according to claim 25 arranged to display an article or articles from both sides.

27. A display device substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.