Patent Application
20200397159
This invention relates to the field of frames for displaying pictures and works of art.
Pictures, art, and similar decorations are frequently hung to the wall of a building using a frame. Conventionally, frames are mounted using wall-mounted fasteners such as nails, screws or brackets that engage frame-mounted complementary features (usually brackets or hooks). Such mounting devices, however, generally require permanent deformation or at least temporary damage to the mounting surface. Further, these conventional mounting devices may cause the decoration to protrude unevenly from the mounting surface.
In accordance with a first illustrative embodiment, a configurable display frame comprises at least one embossed or depressed area that has a depth that corresponds to the thickness of a hook and loop fastening material. The cavity may include a first cavity positioned along a top surface of the configurable display frame, a second cavity positioned along a left surface of the configurable display frame, a third cavity positioned along a right surface of the configurable display frame, and a fourth cavity positioned along a bottom surface of the configurable display frame.
The present disclosure relates to a configurable frame. The frame allows users to display a frame tabletop (using a fin easel), to hang on a wall using traditional nails or hooks, or to use an associated hook & loop material strip to stick the frame to a wall or other surface.
Many frames can be hung on the wall using commonly-available hook and loop (e.g., Velcro) strips, but the after-market versions force the frame to hang at an angle facing the floor. This can result in extra torque on the hook and loop joint an in turn more fallen and potentially damaged frames.
Among other features, the frame disclosed herein is embossed or otherwise fabricated to provide a cavity that houses the hook and loop fastening materials, which thereby enables the hook and loop fastening materials to sit parallel to the wall. This arrangement decreases the torque on the hook and loop fastening materials and provides a more secure mounting interface.
The frame embodiments disclosed herein differ from conventional frames, which are not designed to receive hook and loop fastening strips. Moreover, many finishes used in frame production are not suitable to work with adhesive strips and fail after a short period of time. The embossing feature of the instant frame is designed to adhere to the adhesive that is applied to the backing of the hook and loop material (or hook or loop material, as the case may be) which results in a stronger bond between the frame and the hook and loop material.
In a first embodiment, the configurable frame is a picture frame. In a second embodiment, the configurable frame is a poster frame. The poster frame may be implemented as a frame having corner embossing or as a frame having in-line channel embossing. In some embodiments, the hook portion of the hook and loop fastener may be formed integral to the frame or applied during manufacturing. In another embodiment, a custom-designed film may be applied to the embossed or depressed portion of the frame to better adhere to the backing of the hook and loop fastening material. A variety of embodiments are shown in the accompanying images.
Holes 120, 122, 124, 126 are centered within each of the respective embossed areas (i.e., cavities), and slots are arranged next to each of the embossed areas. Each of the holes 120, 122, 124, 126 may be used as a mounting hole to receive a nail 160 (as shown in
Further, a first top slot 140 and second top slot 142 are arranged (respectively) on the left and right of the first cavity 110, a first left slot 146 and second left 144 are arranged (respectively) above and below the second cavity 112, a first right slot 148 and second right slot 150 are arranged (respectively) above and below the third cavity 114, and a first bottom slot 152 and second bottom slot 154 are arranged (respectively) on the left and right of the fourth cavity 116.
The frame 100 further includes a snap-off easel support 130 having a first tab 132 and second tab 134, which are sized and configured to engage each of the sets of slots (140 and 142, 144 and 146, 148 and 150, and 152 and 154) to support the frame 100 in an easel configuration, as shown in
A front view of the frame 100 is shown in
The foregoing embodiments describe a versatile frame that can be configured in a number of display configurations, many of which alleviate the need to form a hole in the mounting surface that supports the frame. The frame may be formed or supplied with hook and loop fastening material that is sized to reside within a recessed, or embossed area that corresponds to the thickness of the fastening material, thereby allowing the frame to be mounted to a wall (with a hook portion of the fastening material adhered to the frame and a loop portion of the fastening material adhered to the wall, or vise versa) such that the back surface of the frame is parallel to and in relatively continuous contact with the mounting surface so that torque is minimized at the fastening joint(s). In some embodiments, the frame may further include a snap-off easel support that may be broken apart from the body of the frame, whereupon tabs of the easel support may engage slots formed within the frame to facilitate displaying the frame on a table or other horizontal surface.
In some embodiments the frame is made using injection molded plastic. In other embodiments, the frame may be fabricated using an alternative material and machining processes, including metal or wood. For example, in some embodiments the embossed areas 112 may instead be formed by machining or molding, and the frame material may be a wood, natural fiber, ceramic, pottery, polyresin, cement, magnesium or other frame material. Further, in some embodiments, the embossed areas 112 (and complementary hook and look strips) may have a shape other than a rectangle (e.g., an L-shape, a circle, a triangle, or a diamond). In addition, the embossed areas may be formed to include additional features to enhance adherence, such as a tongue and groove interface wherein the embossed areas are formed with grooves that engage complementary “tongue” features on the backing of an adhesive (or even a backing strip that does not include a glue-like adhesive).
While detailed illustrative embodiments are disclosed herein, the disclosed embodiments are merely examples and the systems and methods described below can be embodied in various forms. Unless otherwise stated, the features of each embodiment may be combined with the features of other embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present subject matter in virtually any appropriately detailed structure and function. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting, but rather, to provide an understandable description of the concepts.
The present disclosure is being presented for purposes of illustration and description but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
This application claims priority to provisional patent application No. 62/864,408, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62864408 | Jun 2019 | US |
