Patent Application
20090307953
Framing art or general display media is time consuming, expensive, and may require removing the ornamental frame from the wall or stand and substantial disassembly of the frame in order to change the display media. The present disclosure relates to a display frame assembly designed to allow the user to easily change the art or display media. For example, in one embodiment of the display frame assembly, the user may desire to routinely change art or display media to match a change of seasons or room decor. In other embodiments, the frame assembly may be used for holiday calendars, holiday themed displays, child of the month, children's annual school photos, pet photos, children's art or school projects, seasonal chore or job charts, etc. Additional embodiments may include employee of the month, menus, special of the day, seasonal advertising, movie posters, business licenses, professional certificates, monthly safety awards or slogans, product of the month, to change displays or art to complement the user's current office furnishings, etc.
One embodiment may include a display frame assembly having a back cover, a viewing window, an interior storage cavity, and a frame perimeter, with at least one removable section, allowing access to the storage cavity and the display media without removing the frame assembly from the wall or stand.
The display frame material can be any traditional framing material including but not limited to, wood, wood composite, paper composite, thermal plastic, plastic resin, vinyl, extruded or cast metal, ceramic, glass, stone, polystyrene, styrofoam, artificial stone, or any combination of the above materials. The frame can also be formed using other known materials or be formed using new materials developed in the future. The geometry of the display frame can be rectangular, square, circular, oval or any other desired shape and may be configured to allow the user to remove the display media and/or stored media.
In one embodiment, at least one section of the frame perimeter may be removable. In one such embodiment, the removable section may be the top of the frame, however, if the configuration or application demands, the removable section could also be a side or bottom portion of the display frame assembly. For example, if the frame is a square or rectangular shape, the removable section may abut one or more fixed sections of the frame joints, and may be cut at an angle of approximately 0° to an angle of approximately 90°. For example, the frame joint may be cut at an angle of approximately 5°, or approximately 10°, or approximately 15°, or approximately 20°, or approximately 25°, or approximately 30°, or approximately 35°, or approximately 40°, or approximately 45°, or approximately 50°, or approximately 55°, or approximately 60°, or approximately 65°, or approximately 70°, or approximately 75°, or approximately 80°, or approximately 85°, or approximately 90°. In yet another embodiment, the joint for the removable section may be cut perpendicular to the major direction of the frame section or the joint may be cut on an irregular line in order to blend or disguise the joint with the frame ornamentation. The mating surfaces between the removable section and the fixed section can be prepared or finished to produce a clean, non-obtrusive joint. In another embodiment, the addition of a dowel, a pin or notch at the section joints may be included to provide an alignment aid of the frame sections.
In one embodiment, a removable section and one or more fixed sections are secured together using opposing magnets, which can be recessed into the mating joint surfaces. In another embodiment, the frame sections can be secured using one or more connectors such as dowel connectors, adhesive, hook-and-loop fasteners, snaps, hinges, and/or one or more latch mechanisms. In one such embodiment, the attachment means can be recessed or integrated into the frame assembly.
In one embodiment, the frame display window can be configured so that the edges of the display window generally follow the perimeter of the frame. For example, if the perimeter is in the shape of an animal, such as a dog, the frame window may be generally rectangular, whereas, if the frame perimeter resembles a trout, the complementary window may be an oval configuration. The display window can be open or may include a transparent protective covering, such as, glass, plastic, vinyl or polycarbonate. In one such embodiment, a glass pane can be used as a transparent protective covering. The glass pane may include a safety strip along the glass edge that is exposed when the removable frame section is displaced. The safety strip can be formed from metal, extruded vinyl, or tape and will protect the user's fingers and hands when accessing and changing the display media. The safety strip may be configured such that it is completely hidden when the removable frame section is in place.
In one embodiment, a back cover may seal the ornamental frame assembly; the back cover can be plastic, wood, cardboard or any other suitable material. In one such embodiment, a hanging device or frame stand can be attached to the back cover.
The fixed section of the ornamental frame assembly may include a cavity for storing additional art or display media. In one embodiment, the cross-section of the frame may be configured to allow space for a front protective cover, the art or media on display, and the storage of additional art or media. In one such embodiment, the frame may include a cavity located between the display media and the back cover. The storage cavity can be designed to accommodate loose storage of the display media or the frame sides may be configured with guides that position the protective cover and display media, separated from the stored media. Separating the stored media may reduce the wear and abrasion marks that may occur when the media is added or removed from the storage cavity. The storage cavity can be used for short-term storage of display media. In another embodiment, the display frame may be used to store and display a child's school photographs, and the previous year's class photos or student portraits can be stored in the storage cavity and the entire collection can be passed on, as a collection stored in the frame, when the child is grown.
In one embodiment, the ornamental frame assembly can be used while the frame is still attached to the wall or sitting on a stand. In one such embodiment, the user may remove the removable frame section, slide out the current art or display media, choose a new piece of art or media from the storage cavity, slide the new choice into the top-most or display slot and replace the removable frame section. The user may also choose to store the art randomly or they may store the display media in a predetermined order where the user will routinely rotate art sequentially from the storage cavity. For example, seasonal or monthly art may include twelve pieces of media, the media may be stored in chronological order with the current month on display, and the last month at the back of the stack. When the month changes, the user would remove the removable frame section, remove the current month's display from the display slot and place it to the back of the stack, the top-most media will then be moved to the display slot and the user may then replace the removable frame section.
In another embodiment, a frame assembly 10 may include a mitered joint 26, as shown in
With continued reference to
With reference to
In another embodiment of a display frame 10, shown in
For other embodiments described herein,
