Patent Application
20240285101
Frames are used as a structural support for displaying photographs and artistic works. Frames may also be used as a support structure for holding function items, such as mirrors, corkboards, pegboards, whiteboards, and the like. Such frames are conventionally made from wood, metal, plastic, or other materials depending on the desired aesthetic and price-point. However, frames are often difficult for people to hang from a wall or other support surface, especially people who are inept at such tasks. And when such frames are hung, there tends to be damage to the underlying support surface which requires remediation, at least once the frame is permanently removed from the support surface. Thus, a need exists for a frame apparatus that is easy to hang and provides additional conveniences.
The present invention is directed to a frame apparatus, a kit of parts which includes multiple frames and a connector bracket for connecting the frames together, and a method of interconnecting a plurality of frames and hanging the same from a support surface. The frame apparatus may be a front-loading frame whereby display items are inserted into a display cavity of the frame through an opening in the front surface of the frame through which the display cavity is viewed. The frame may include an outer annular wall that defines the display cavity, an inner annular wall that is spaced apart from the outer annular wall, and a floor that extends between the inner and outer annular walls. The floor may comprise a plurality of apertures to allow for attachment of the frame to various accessories including hanging brackets, connector brackets, trays, and the like.
In one aspect, the invention may be a frame apparatus comprising: a display item; a frame comprising: an outer annular wall comprising an outer surface defining a periphery of the frame, an inner surface defining a display cavity, a rear edge, and a front edge that defines a display opening configured to allow the display item to pass therethrough into the display cavity; an inner annular wall comprising a front edge, a rear edge, and an inner surface that faces the inner surface of the outer annular wall in a spaced apart manner; and a floor extending between the rear edges of the inner and outer annular walls, the floor comprising a front surface that faces the display cavity, a rear surface that defines a rear of the frame, and a plurality of linear floor sections, each of the plurality of linear floor sections comprising an aperture that extends from the front surface of the floor to the rear surface of the floor.
In another aspect, the invention may be a kit of parts for interconnecting a plurality of frames, the kit of parts comprising: a first frame comprising an outer annular wall defining a display cavity configured to retain a first display item, an inner annular wall that is spaced apart from the outer annular wall, and a floor extending between the outer and inner annular walls, at least one first connector element located along the floor of the first frame; a second frame comprising an outer annular wall defining a display cavity configured to receive a second display item, an inner annular wall that is spaced apart from the outer annular wall, and a floor extending between the outer and inner annular walls, at least one second connector element located along the floor of the second frame; and a connector bracket comprising an elongated body portion having a plurality of mounting elements, wherein a first one of the plurality of mounting elements of the connector bracket is configured to mate with the at least one first connector element of the first frame and a second one of the plurality of mounting elements of the connector bracket is configured to mate with the at least one second connector element of the second frame to couple the first and second frames to one another so that upon hanging the first frame from a support surface, the second frame hangs from the first frame by the connector bracket.
In yet another aspect, the invention may be a kit of parts for interconnecting a plurality of frames, the kit of parts comprising: a first frame comprising a display cavity configured to retain a first display item and at least one first connector element; a second frame comprising a display cavity configured to receive a second display item and at least one second connector element; and a connector bracket comprising an elongated body portion having a plurality of mounting elements, wherein a first one of the plurality of mounting elements of the connector bracket is configured to mate with the at least one first connector element of the first frame and a second one of the plurality of mounting elements of the connector bracket is configured to mate with the at least one second connector element of the second frame to couple the first and second frames to one another so that upon hanging the first frame from a support surface, the second frame hangs from the first frame.
In a further aspect, the invention may be a method of interconnecting a plurality of frames and hanging the plurality of frames from a support surface, the method comprising: mating a first mounting element of a connector bracket to a first connector element of a first frame to attach the connector bracket to the first frame; mating a second mounting element of the connector bracket to a connector element of a second frame to attach the connector bracket to the second frame; and hanging the first frame from the support surface, the second frame hanging from the first frame via the connector bracket.
In a still further aspect, the invention may be a frame apparatus comprising: a display item; a frame comprising: an outer annular wall comprising an inner surface defining a display cavity, a front edge that defines a display opening configured to allow the display item to pass therethrough into the display cavity, and a rear edge; an inner annular wall that is spaced apart from the outer annular wall, the inner annular wall comprising a rear edge; and a floor extending between the rear edges of the inner and outer annular walls, the floor comprising a front surface that faces the display cavity, a rear surface that defines a rear of the frame, and a plurality of linear floor sections that intersect at corner portions of the frame; each of the plurality of linear floor sections comprising at least two apertures that extend from the front surface of the floor to the rear surface of the floor, the at least two apertures comprising a first aperture located adjacent to a first one of the corner portions of the frame and a second aperture located adjacent to a second one of the corner portions of the frame that is an adjacent corner relative to the first one of the corner portions of the frame.
In another aspect, the invention may be a frame apparatus comprising: a display item; a frame comprising: an outer annular wall comprising an outer surface defining a periphery of the frame, an inner surface defining a display cavity, a rear edge, and a front edge that defines a display opening configured to allow the display item to pass therethrough into the display cavity; an inner annular wall comprising a front edge, a rear edge, and an inner surface that faces the inner surface of the outer annular wall in a spaced apart manner; and a floor extending between the rear edges of the inner and outer annular walls, the floor comprising a front surface that faces the display cavity, a rear surface that defines a rear of the frame, and a plurality of linear floor sections, each of the plurality of linear floor sections comprising at least one mounting element located on the rear surface of the floor for engagement with an accessory item.
In yet another aspect, the invention may be a frame comprising: an outer annular wall comprising an outer surface defining a periphery of the frame, an inner surface defining a display cavity, a rear edge, and a front edge that defines a display opening configured to allow a display item to pass therethrough into the display cavity; an inner annular wall comprising a front edge, a rear edge, and an inner surface that faces the inner surface of the outer annular wall in a spaced apart manner; and a floor extending between the rear edges of the inner and outer annular walls, the floor comprising a front surface that faces the display cavity and a rear surface that defines a rear of the frame; wherein the frame comprises a first linear frame section, a second linear frame section that is parallel to the first linear frame section, a third linear frame section, and a fourth linear frame section that is parallel to the third linear frame section, the third and fourth linear frame sections extending between the first and second linear frame sections; wherein the frame comprises a longitudinal axis that intersects the third and fourth linear frame sections and a transverse axis that intersects the first and second linear frame sections; wherein along each of the first and second linear frame sections, the frame comprises a first aperture and a second aperture that extend through the floor of the frame and are located on opposite sides of the transverse axis; and wherein along each of the third and fourth linear frame sections, the frame comprises a third aperture and a fourth aperture that extend through the floor of the frame and are located on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis.
In still another aspect, the invention may be a kit of parts comprising: a frame comprising: an outer annular wall comprising an inner surface defining a display cavity and a front edge that defines a display opening configured to allow a display item to pass therethrough into the display cavity; an inner annular wall that is spaced apart from the outer annular wall; and a floor extending between the inner and outer annular walls, the floor comprising a plurality of linear floor sections, each of the plurality of linear floor sections comprising at least one mounting element; and a hanging assembly comprising: a first hanging bracket comprising an elongated body portion, a first bracket configured for engagement with a top edge of a structure to hang the first hanging bracket from the structure, and at least one mounting element located on the elongated body portion, wherein the first hanging bracket is configured to be coupled to the frame via mating between the at least one mounting element of the first hanging bracket and one or more of the at least one mounting elements located along a first one of the plurality of linear floor sections; and a second hanging bracket comprising an elongated body portion, a second bracket configured for engagement with the top edge of the structure to hang the second hanging bracket from the structure, and at least one mounting element located on the elongated body portion, wherein the second hanging bracket is configured to be coupled to the frame via mating between the at least one mounting element of the second hanging bracket and one or more of the at least one mounting elements located along a second one of the plurality of linear floor sections that is parallel to the first one of the plurality of linear floor sections.
In yet another aspect, the invention may be a product line of frames, said product line comprising: a first frame comprising an outer annular wall defining a display cavity configured to retain a first display item, an inner annular wall that is spaced apart from the outer annular wall, and a floor extending between the outer and inner annular walls, the first frame having a first length and a first width; a second frame comprising an outer annular wall defining a display cavity configured to receive a second display item, an inner annular wall that is spaced apart from the outer annular wall, and a floor extending between the outer and inner annular walls, the second frame having a second length and a second width, wherein at least one of the second length is different than the first length and the second width is different than the first width; wherein each of the first and second frames comprises a plurality of linear sections, each of the linear sections comprising a first mounting element and a second mounting element located on the floor, and wherein the first and second mounting elements located on each of the plurality of linear sections of each of the first and second frames are spaced apart by the same distance.
In another embodiment, the invention may be a product line of frames, said product line comprising: a first frame comprising an outer annular wall defining a display cavity configured to retain a first display item, an inner annular wall that is spaced apart from the outer annular wall, and a floor extending between the outer and inner annular walls, the floor comprising a first plurality of linear floor sections, and the first frame having a first length and a first width; a second frame comprising an outer annular wall defining a display cavity configured to receive a second display item, an inner annular wall that is spaced apart from the outer annular wall, and a floor extending between the outer and inner annular walls, the floor comprising a second plurality of linear floor sections, and the second frame having a second length and a second width, wherein at least one of the second length is different than the first length and the second width is different than the first width; wherein each of the first plurality of linear floor sections of the first frame comprises a first mounting element and a second mounting element that are spaced apart by a first distance; and wherein each of the second plurality of linear floor sections of the second frame comprises a third mounting element and a fourth mounting element that are spaced apart by a second distance that is equal to the first distance.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
16A is a rear view illustrating attachment of the connector bracket of
The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.
The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles of the present invention is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as “lower,” “upper.” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up.” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally.” “downwardly.” “upwardly.” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated as such. Terms such as “attached,” “affixed,” “connected.” “coupled,” “interconnected,” and similar refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise. Moreover, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated by reference to the exemplified embodiments. Accordingly, the invention expressly should not be limited to such exemplary embodiments illustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that may exist alone or in other combinations of features; the scope of the invention being defined by the claims appended hereto.
Referring to
The frame 100 may be a front-loading frame. This means that the display items which are displayed by or otherwise held by the frame 100 are inserted into the display cavity of the frame 100 via the same opening through which the display item is viewed by an end user. This is in contrast to a perhaps more conventional rear-loading frame where the display items are inserted into the frame via an opening in the rear of the frame but then viewed by the end user via an opening in the front of the frame. The frame 100 may be an integrally formed monolithic structure. The frame 100 may be formed from any desirable material, including without limitation polystyrene such as high impact molding grade polystyrene, other hard plastics including polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, nylon, thermoplastics, elastomers or the like. The frame 100 may be formed or manufactured in an injection molding process. In other embodiments, the frame 100 may be formed of wood, metal or other similar materials. The frame 100 may have four sides and be square or rectangular as shown, or the frame 100 may take on other shapes including being circular, other polygonal shapes, or irregular shapes.
The frame 100 may comprise a longitudinal axis A-A and a transverse axis B-B that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A-A.
The frame 100 may comprise an outer annular wall 110, an inner annular wall 120, and a floor 130 that extends between the outer and inner annular walls 110, 120. In the exemplified embodiment, the outer and inner annular walls 110, 120 are continuous. In other embodiments, at least one of the outer and inner annular walls 110, 120 may be discontinuous and formed by wall segments. In still other embodiments, the inner annular wall 120 may comprise a plurality of discrete posts rather than a continuous or annular wall. As used herein, the term annular is not limited to a round or circular shape, but includes other closed shapes such as the rectangular shape shown in the exemplified embodiment. Thus, as used herein the term annular means a closed shape regardless of the specific shape formed (i.e., a closed circular shape, a closed square shape, a closed rectangular shape, a closed polygonal shape, a closed irregular shape).
The outer annular wall 110 may comprise an outer surface 111 that defines a periphery of the frame 100, an inner surface 112 that defines a display cavity 113 within which the display item (discussed in more detail below) is retained, a front edge 114 that defines a display opening through which the display item is inserted into (and perhaps removed from if disassembly is possible) the display cavity 113, and a rear edge 115. The outer annular wall 110 may dictate the overall shape of the frame 100. In the exemplified embodiment the outer annular wall 110 is rectangular, but the outer annular wall 110 may be square, circular, other polygonal shapes, irregular shapes, or the like in other embodiments. The outer annular wall 110 may have a thickness measured between the inner and outer surfaces 111, 112 that is between 1 mm and 4 mm, and more specifically between 1 mm, and 3 mm, and still more specifically between 1 mm and 2 mm. Owing to this relatively small thickness, the outer annular wall 110 may have some inherent flexibility when formed from hard plastic materials such as described herein which may be useful during insertion/removal of display items into and out of the display cavity 113.
The outer annular wall 110 may comprise a locking tab 116 protruding inwardly from the inner surface 112 of the outer annular wall 110 adjacent to the front edge 114 of the outer annular wall 110. The locking tab 116 may be a bump or protrusion that is elongated along the inner surface 112 of the outer annular wall 110. The locking tab 116 may be continuous in some embodiments and discontinuous in other embodiments. The locking tab 116 may not extend along corner portions of the outer annular wall 110, as best shown in
The inner annular wall 120 comprises an inner surface 122 that faces the inner surface 112 of the outer annular wall 110 in a spaced apart manner and an outer surface 121 opposite the inner surface 122. An annular gap 105 may exist in the space between the inner surface 122 of the inner annular wall 120 and the inner surface 112 of the outer annular wall 110. The inner annular wall 120 has a thickness measured between the inner and outer surfaces 121, 122. The thickness of the inner annular wall 120 may be similar to the thickness of the outer annular wall and may be in the range of 1-4 mm, or 1-3 mm, or 1-2 mm. The inner annular wall 120 may be generally of the same shape as the outer annular wall 110, such as being rectangular, square, other polygonal shapes, circular, irregular, or the like. As noted above, the inner annular wall 120 may be discontinuous rather than a continuous wall in some embodiments. The inner annular wall 120 may contain openings or apertures therein to reduce overall material and cost. The inner annular wall 120 may have a consistent height as shown in the exemplified embodiment. The inner annular wall 120 may have an inconsistent height in other embodiments, such that portions of the inner annular wall 120 may be taller than other portions of the inner annular wall 120. The inner annular wall 120 may comprise linear portions 123a, 123b and arcuate portions 124, with the arcuate portions 124 being intersected by the longitudinal axis A-A and the transverse axis B-B.
The inner annular wall 120 may further comprise a front edge 125 and a rear edge 126 that is opposite the front edge 125. The inner annular wall 120 may have a height which is less than a height of the outer annular wall 110. As such, the front edge 125 of the inner annular wall 120 may be recessed relative to the front edge 114 of the outer annular wall 110. When a display item is located within the display cavity 113, a rear of the display item may abut against the front edge 125 of the inner annular wall 120. Thus, the display item may not be capable of being positioned in the display cavity 113 deeper than the front edge 125 of the inner annular wall 120. When the display item is positioned in the display cavity 113, the annular gap 105 may exist between a rear of the display item and the floor 130 of the frame 100. The annular gap 105 may be an empty, air-filled space that may be capable of receiving a portion of a hanging hardware such as a screw or a nail which protrudes from a support surface to hang the frame 100 from the support surface. The existence of the annular gap 105 may further allow for other items and accessories to be coupled to the frame 100 by utilizing the annular gap 105 as a space within which mounting elements of such an item, accessory, connector bracket, hanging bracket, or the like may extend.
The floor 130 of the frame 100 may extend between the rear edge 115 of the outer annular wall 110 and the rear edge 126 of the inner annular wall 120. The floor 130 may comprise a front surface 131 that faces the display cavity 113 and a rear surface 132 which is opposite the front surface 131 and forms the rear of the frame 100. The inner and outer annular walls 110, 120 may extend perpendicularly from the floor 130. Alternatively, the inner and outer annular walls 110, 120 may extend at an angle which is 90° plus/minus 5° relative to the floor 130. The floor 130 may generally be spaced apart from any display item located in the display cavity 113 by the annular gap 105.
The frame 100 may comprise a plurality of linear frame sections which includes a first linear frame section 101, a second linear frame section 102 that is parallel to the first linear frame section 101, a third linear frame section 103, and a fourth linear frame section 104 that is parallel to the third linear frame section 103. The third and fourth linear frame sections 103, 104 may extend between the first and second linear frame sections 101, 102. Each of the first, second, third, and fourth linear frame sections 101-104 may comprise portions of the outer annular wall 110, portions of the inner annular wall 120, and portions of the floor 130. The transverse axis B-B may intersect the first and second linear frame sections 101, 102 at a center thereof and the longitudinal axis A-A may intersect the third and fourth linear frame sections 103, 104 at a center thereof. The first and second linear frame sections 101, 102 may be elongated in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis A-A and the third and fourth linear frame sections 103, 104 may be elongated in a direction parallel to the transverse axis B-B.
As noted above, the frame 100 is not limited to the square or rectangular shape in all embodiments. Thus, in other embodiments the frame 100 may comprise additional linear frame sections (for example a pentagonal shaped frame may have five linear frame sections) or fewer linear frame sections (for example a triangular shaped from may have three linear frame sections). In some embodiments, the frame 100 may be round or circular and have no linear frame sections, but the features and general concepts described herein may be applicable nonetheless. Thus, instead of “linear” frame sections 101-104, the frame may simply have frame sections which generally correspond to the location of the linear frame sections 101-104.
The outer annular wall 110 may be linear along each of the first, second, third, and fourth linear frame sections 101-104. However, along each of the first, second, third, and fourth linear frame sections 101-104, the inner annular wall 120 may comprise a first linear portion 123a, a second linear portion 123b, and an arcuate portion 124. The arcuate portion 124 may be located in between the first and second linear portions 123a, 123b. The arcuate portions 124 may be intersected by the longitudinal and transverse axes A-A, B-B. In the exemplified embodiment there are four of the arcuate portions 124 of the inner annular wall 120, one for each of the first through fourth linear frame sections 101-104. Along each of the arcuate portions 124, the inner surface 122 is concave and the outer surface 121 is convex. Thus, the arcuate portions 124 form bump-outs in a direction towards a centerpoint CP of the frame 100 where the longitudinal and transverse axes A-A, B-B intersect.
The floor 130 comprises a plurality of linear floor sections each of which is associated with or extends along or is comprised by one of the linear frame sections 101-104. In particular, the first linear frame section 101 comprises a first linear floor portion 136 of the floor 130, the second linear frame section 102 comprises a second linear floor portion 137 of the floor 130, the third linear frame section 103 comprises a third linear floor portion 138 of the floor 130, and the fourth linear frame section 104 comprises a fourth linear floor portion 139 of the floor 130.
The floor 130 may comprise a plurality of mounting elements 140. In the exemplified embodiment, each of the plurality of mounting elements 140 is an aperture 141 that extends through the floor 130 from the front surface 131 of the floor 130 to the rear surface 132 of the floor 130. In alternative embodiments, the mounting elements 140 may comprise protuberances that protrude from the rear surface 132 of the floor 130 (see
In the exemplified embodiment, each of the apertures 141 is rectangular in shape. Furthermore, each of the apertures 141 may be elongated in the same direction as the linear floor section 136-139 along which is it located. For example, the first linear floor section 136 may extend along a first axis C-C, the second linear floor section 137 may extend along a second axis D-D, the third linear floor section 138 may extend along a third axis E-E, and the fourth linear floor section 139 may extend along a fourth axis F-F. Any of the apertures 141 located along the first linear floor section 136 may be elongated in the direction of the first axis C-C. Any of the apertures 141 located along the second linear floor section 137 may be elongated in the direction of the second axis D-D. Any of the apertures 141 located along the third linear floor section 138 may be elongated in the direction of the third axis E-E. Any of the apertures 141 located along the fourth linear floor section 139 may be elongated in the direction of the fourth axis F-F. The invention is not to be limited by the shape of the apertures 141 in all embodiments and other shapes may be used for the apertures 141, including square, circular, other polygonal shapes, irregular shapes, or the like.
Each of the plurality of linear floor sections 136-139 may comprises at least one of the apertures 141. In the exemplified embodiment, each of the plurality of linear floor sections 136-139 comprises a plurality of the apertures 141, and more specifically four of the apertures 141. However, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments. In alternative embodiments, each of the plurality of linear floor sections 136-139 may comprise a single aperture 141 (or mounting element 140), two of the apertures 141 (or mounting elements 140), or three of the apertures 141 (or mounting elements 140). In still other embodiments, one or more of the linear floor sections 136-139 may comprise more than four of the apertures 141 (or mounting elements 140). In some embodiments, the first and second linear floor sections 136, 137 may comprise the same number of apertures 141 or mounting elements 140 and the third and fourth linear floor sections 138, 139 may comprise the same number of apertures 141 or mounting elements 140. Additional exemplary embodiments of frames with varying numbers of apertures are illustrated in
In the exemplified embodiment, the first floor section 136 comprises a first pair of the apertures 141 located on a first side of the transverse axis B-B and a second pair of the apertures 141 located on a second side of the transverse axis B-B. The first pair of the apertures 141 is located adjacent to the third linear floor section 138 and the second pair of the apertures 141 is located adjacent to the fourth linear floor section 139. The first pair of apertures 141 comprises a first aperture 142 and a second aperture 143 that are spaced apart by a first distance D1. The second pair of apertures 141 comprises a first aperture 144 and a second aperture 145 that are spaced apart by a second distance D2 that is equal to the first distance D1. The second aperture 143 of the first pair of apertures 141 is spaced apart from the first aperture 144 of the second pair of apertures 141 by a third distance D3 which is different than the first and second distances D1. D2. In the exemplified embodiment, the third distance D3 is greater than the first and second distances D1, D2. In other embodiments, the third distance D3 may be less than the first and second distances D1, D2. In still other embodiments, the third distance D3 may be the same as the first and second distances D1, D2. This may be dictated, at least in part, by the overall dimensions, and particularly the length, of the frame 100.
The second floor section 137 also comprises a first pair of the apertures 141 and a second pair of the apertures 141. The apertures 141 located along the second floor section 137 may be positioned at the exact same relative locations as the apertures 141 located along the first floor section 136 and the spacing between the various apertures 141 located along the second floor section 137 may be as described above with reference to the apertures 141 located along the first floor section 136. That is, each aperture located along the second floor section 137 may be aligned with one of the apertures located along the first floor section 136 such that an axis that is parallel to the transverse axis B-B (and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A-A) will intersect one of the apertures located along the first floor section 136 and one of the apertures located along the second floor section 137. Further details about the apertures 141 on the second floor section 137 will not be repeated herein in the interest of brevity, it being understood that the description of the apertures along the first floor section 136 is applicable.
The third floor section 138 comprises a first pair of the apertures 141 and a second pair of the apertures 142. The first and second pairs of the apertures 141 are located on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis A-A of the frame 100. Thus, the first pair of apertures 141 are located adjacent to the first linear floor section 136 and the second pair of apertures 141 are located adjacent to the second linear floor section 137. The first pair of apertures 141 comprises a first aperture 146 and a second aperture 147 that are spaced apart by a fourth distance D4. The second pair of apertures 141 comprises a third aperture and a fourth aperture 149 that are spaced apart by a fifth distance D5. The fourth and fifth distances D4, D5 may be the same. The fourth and fifth distances D4, D5 may be the same as the first and second distances D4, D5. The second aperture 147 of the first pair of apertures 141 may be spaced apart from the first aperture 148 of the second pair of apertures 141 by a sixth distance D6. The sixth distance D6 may be different than the fourth and fifth distances D4, D5, such as being greater than or less than the fourth and fifth distances D4, D5. In another embodiment, the sixth distance D6 may be the same as the fourth and fifth distances. This may be dictated, at least in part, by the dimensions, and particularly the width, of the frame 100.
The fourth floor section 139 also comprises a first pair of the apertures 141 and a second pair of the apertures 141. The apertures 141 located along the fourth floor section 139 may be positioned at the exact same relative locations as the apertures 141 located along the third floor section 138 and the spacing between the various apertures 141 located along the fourth floor section 139 may be as described above with reference to the apertures 141 located along the first third section 138. That is, each aperture located along the fourth floor section 139 may be aligned with one of the apertures located along the third floor section 138 such that an axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis A-A (and perpendicular to the transverse axis B-B) will intersect one of the apertures located along the third floor section 138 and one of the apertures located along the fourth floor section 139. Further details about the apertures 141 on the fourth floor section 139 will not be repeated herein in the interest of brevity, it being understood that the description of the apertures along the third floor section 138 is applicable.
Thus, in some embodiments, the axial position of the apertures 141 (or mounting elements 140) along the first and second floor sections 136, 137 is the same and the axial position of the apertures 141 (or mounting elements 140) along the third and fourth floor sections 138, 139 is the same. The frame 100 may be symmetrical about the longitudinal axis A-A and about the transverse axis B-B.
The apertures 141 within each pair of the apertures 141 may be spaced apart from one another by the same distance. That is, the distances D1, D2, D4, D5 may be equal. This may facilitate readily attaching various accessory items to the frame 100 using different pairs of the apertures 141 or mounting elements 140. Again, while a specific number of apertures 141 or mounting elements 140 are depicted in the exemplary embodiment, various modifications are possible including modifying the number of apertures 141 or mounting elements 140. In some embodiments, each of the linear floor sections 136-139 may comprise at least one of the apertures 141 or mounting elements 140. In another embodiment, each of the linear floor sections 136-139 may comprise at least two of the apertures 141 or mounting elements 140. In some embodiments, each of the linear floor sections 136-139 may comprise a first aperture 141 located adjacent to one of the corner portions of the frame 100 and a second aperture 141 located adjacent to an adjacent one of the corner portions of the frame 100.
The exact spacing between the various apertures 141 or mounting elements 140 is not to be limiting of the invention in all embodiments. Thus, the adjacently positioned apertures 141 or mounting elements 140 may be positioned closer together or further apart. This may be dictated by the structure of any accessory items that are configured to be coupled to the frame 100, the dimensions of the frame 100, aesthetics, or for other reasons. In some embodiments, the mounting elements 140 or apertures 141 may be positioned along the floor 130 of the frame 100 in a continuously equidistantly spaced apart manner. That is, there may not be large spaces between adjacent mounting elements 140 or apertures 141 in some alternative embodiments.
In the exemplified embodiment, along each of the linear frame sections 101-104, the outer annular wall 110 extends along an outer wall axis O-O and the linear portions 123a, 123b of the inner annular wall 120 extend along an inner wall axis I-I that is parallel to the outer wall axis O-O. Each of the apertures 141 may be formed in a portion of the floor 130 which is located between the inner and outer wall axes I-I O-O. In some embodiments, the first, second, third, and fourth linear floor sections 136-139 may be defined between the inner and outer wall axes I-I, O-O axes. The floor 130 may include extension portions, described above, which are not located between the inner and outer wall axes I-I, O-O.
The floor 130 of the frame 100 may comprise a plurality of extension portions, each of which is surrounded by one of the arcuate wall portions 124 of the inner annular wall 120. Thus, the floor 130 may comprise a first extension portion 146 which extends from and is continuous with the first linear floor portion 136, a second extension portion 147 which extends from and is continuous with the second linear floor portion 137, a third extension portion 148 which extends from and is continuous with the third linear floor portion 138, and a fourth extension portion 149 which extends from and is continuous with the fourth linear floor portion 139. Each of the first, second, third, and fourth extension portions 146-149 is arch-shaped in the exemplified embodiment, but the extension portions 146-149 could take on other shapes in other embodiments, including being square shaped extensions, rectangular shaped extensions, or the like. Each of the first through fourth extension portions 146-149 may extend inwardly towards the centerpoint CP of the frame 100. The first through fourth extension portions 146-149 may be located adjacent to the inner wall axis I-I, but not between the inner and outer wall axes I-I, O-O. Rather, the first and second extension portions 146, 147 may be located between the inner wall axis I-I and the longitudinal axis A-A and the third and fourth extension portions 158, 149 may be located between the inner wall axis I-I and the transverse axis B-B.
In the exemplified embodiment, the frame 100 comprises a connector element located along each of the first, second, third, and fourth extension portions 146-149. In the exemplified embodiment, the connector elements are connector holes. Thus, the frame 100 may comprise a first connector hole 150 located along the first extension portion 146 of the floor 130, a second connector hole 151 located along the second extension portion 147 of the floor 130, a third connector hole 152 located along the third extension portion 148 of the floor 130, and a fourth connector hole 153 located along the fourth extension portion 149 of the floor 130. The connector holes 150-153 may be keyhole shaped designed for receiving a head of a screw or fastener protruding from a wall or other support surface to hang the frame 100 therefrom. However, the connector holes 150-153 may take on other shapes in other embodiments. For example, the connector holes 150-153 may be square, rectangular, circular, other polygonal shapes, irregular shapes, or the like.
While the connector elements are described herein as being holes, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments. The connector elements may take on other forms in other embodiments, including being protrusions instead of holes.
In the exemplified embodiment, the connector holes 150-153 are elongated in a direction which is transverse to the axis of the linear floor section 136-139 on which it is located. Thus, the first connector hole 150 is located on the first extension portion 146 which is located along the first linear frame section 101 and adjacent to the first linear floor section 136. The first connector hole 150 is elongated in a direction that is transverse or perpendicular to the first axis C-C. The second connector hole 151 is elongated in a direction that is perpendicular to the second axis D-D, the third connector hole 152 is elongated in a direction that is perpendicular to the third axis E-E, and the fourth connector hole 153 is elongated in a direction that is perpendicular to the fourth axis F-F. While the exemplified embodiment has four of the connector holes 150-153, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments. In some embodiments the frame 100 may comprise the first and third connector holes 150, 152 while omitting the second and fourth connector holes 151, 153. In other embodiments, three of the four connector holes 150-153 may be included and the fourth omitted, in other embodiments the frame 100 may include just one of the connector holes 150-153.
The frame 100 may comprise a first strut 160 extending along the transverse axis B-B between the first and second linear frame sections 101, 102 and a second strut 161 extending along the longitudinal axis A-A between the third and fourth linear frame sections 103, 104. The first strut 160 may be coupled to the arcuate portions 124 of the inner annular wall 120 located along the first and second linear frame sections 101, 102. The second strut 161 may be coupled to the arcuate portions 124 of the inner annular wall 120 located along the third and fourth linear frame sections 103, 104. The first and second struts 160, 161 may be oriented perpendicularly relative to one another. The first and second struts 160, 161 may provide the frame 100 with added stability. One or both of the first and second struts 160, 161 may be partially or entirely omitted in some embodiments.
Referring to
As used herein within the phrase “frame apparatus,” the term apparatus means the equipment, parts, components, structures, or pieces that are used for a particular purpose. Thus, an apparatus may not refer to a singular component, but may instead refer to multiple components that are used together. For example, the frame apparatus 50 may include the frame 100 and the display item 170. As described further below, the frame apparatus 50 may also include additional items and accessories which are configured to be coupled to the frame 100 and therefore form part of the frame apparatus 50.
In this embodiment, the display item 170 is configured to be inserted into and removed from the display cavity 113 of the frame 100 as desired by the end user. Thus, the end user can swap out the artistic image 173 for another artistic image whenever desired. As noted previously and perhaps best shown in
Referring now to
The hanging bracket 200 comprises an elongated body portion 210 that extends from a first end 211 to a second end 212. The elongated body portion 210 comprises a front surface 213 and a rear surface 214 opposite the front surface 213. The elongated body portion 210 may form a flat plate such that the front and rear surfaces 213, 214 may be planar. The elongated body portion 210 may have a thickness measured between the front and rear surfaces 213, 213 of between 1-4 mm, or 1-3 mm. The hanging bracket 200 may be formed from metal, such as stamped metal in some embodiments.
The hanging bracket 200 may comprise a bracket portion 220 that protrudes from the rear surface 214 of the elongated body portion 210 at the second end 212 of the elongated body portion 210. The bracket portion 220 may comprise a horizontal arm portion 221 that extends generally perpendicularly from the rear surface 214 of the elongated body portion 210, a vertical arm portion 222 that extends downwardly from a distal end of the horizontal arm portion 221, and a tab portion 223 that extends obliquely from a distal end of the vertical arm portion 222 in a direction away from the elongated body portion 210. The vertical arm portion 222 is therefore spaced apart from the rear surface 214 of the elongated body portion 210 by a gap 215. This allows the hanging bracket 200 to be hung from a top edge of a door or other structure with a top portion of the door or other structure nesting in the gap 215, the elongated body portion 210 extending along one surface of the door or other structure, and the vertical arm portion 222 and the tab portion 223 extending along an opposite surface of the door or other structure.
The hanging bracket 200 further comprises at least one mounting element 230. In the exemplified embodiment, the hanging bracket 200 comprises a plurality of the mounting elements 230, and more particularly three of the mounting elements 230. However, the invention is not to be limited by the number of the mounting elements 230 included on the hanging bracket 200 in all embodiments and thus varying numbers of the mounting elements 230 may be used, such as one, two, three, four, or more.
In the exemplified embodiment, each of the mounting elements 230 is a protuberance 231 that protrudes from the front surface 213 of the elongated body portion 210 of the hanging bracket 200. In the exemplified embodiment, the protuberances 231 are stamped out of the elongated body portion 210 of the hanging bracket 200, and thus apertures 232 are formed into the elongated body portion 210 directly behind the protuberances 231. Of course, other techniques for forming the protuberances 231 may be used in other embodiments. In the exemplified embodiment, the protuberances 231 are hooks that extend outwardly from the front surface 213 of the elongated body portion 210 and upwardly towards the second end 212 of the elongated body portion 10. In alternative embodiments, the protuberances 231 may form posts that extend outwardly but not upwardly, or the protuberances 231 may form posts that extend outwardly and upwardly at a constant angle.
Thus, in the exemplified embodiment the mounting elements 230 are male connectors that are intended to mate with the female connectors (i.e., the apertures 141) on the frame 100. In other embodiments, the mounting elements 230 may be female connectors (i.e., apertures) and the mounting elements 140 on the frame 100 may comprise posts or hooks or protuberances configured to mate with apertures on the hanging brackets 200. As noted above, the intent is for the hanging brackets 200 to be configured to be coupled to the frame 100 using the mounting elements 140 of the frame 100 and the mounting elements 230 of the hanging brackets 200. Thus, if the mounting elements 140 of the frame 100 comprises the apertures 141 as shown in the exemplified embodiment, then the mounting elements 230 of the hanging brackets 200 may comprise the protuberances (or hooks or posts) 231 to facilitate the coupling. However, if the mounting elements 140 of the frame 100 comprises protuberances or posts, then the mounting elements 230 of the hanging brackets 200 may comprise holes or apertures (see, for example,
As used herein, the term mate generally means to connect or be connected mechanically. Thus, two structures which are described as mating or being mated are connected together mechanically. This connection may be achieved via sliding one structure relative to the other in a vertical or horizontal direction, pushing one structure towards the other, or via other functions or actions. In some embodiments, two mounting elements may be mated when one of the mounting elements (the male element) is at least partially located inside of or within or through the other one of the mounting elements (the female element). Thus, the mating may be achieved by inserting one mounting element (a male element) into another mounting element (a female element). The mating interaction may be as simple as a screw or other screw-like protuberance which is protruding from one of the frame 100 or the hanging bracket 200 being inserted into a hole which is formed into the other one of the frame 100 or the hanging bracket 200. Additional nuts and the like may be used to secure or lock the attachment of the two parts, but may not be required to achieve the mating between the various components or mounting elements thereof. That is, the term “mate” does not require that the two elements or components be locked together. Rather, two elements may be mated together by the simple action of inserting a post or protuberance into a hole or aperture, even though the two elements may be easily detached or un-mated by removing the post or protuberance from the hole or aperture.
Referring to
In the exemplified embodiment the first and second hanging brackets 200a, 200b are aligned with the first and second linear frame sections 101, 102 at a location which results in the hanging brackets 200a, 200b protruding or extending from the third linear frame section 103 when attached to the frame 100. However, the first and second hanging brackets 200a, 200b could alternatively be coupled to the frame 100 so that the hanging brackets 200a, 200b are aligned with the first and second linear frame sections 101, 102, respectively, while protruding or extending from the fourth linear frame section 104. The hanging brackets 200a, 200b may be coupled to the third and fourth linear frame sections 103, 104 in similar dual orientations so that the hanger brackets 200a, 200b may extend from the first or second linear frame sections 101, 102. This may be determined by the orientation of the display item which is held by the frame 100
Next, the mounting elements 230 (e.g., the protuberances or posts or hooks 231) of the first hanging bracket 200a are mated to the mounting elements 140 (e.g., the apertures 141) located along the floor 130 of the first linear portion 101 of the frame 100. This may be achieved by moving the first hanging bracket 200a towards the frame 100 (or moving the frame 100 towards the first hanging bracket 200a) until one or more of the protuberances 231 pass into one or more of the apertures 141. In the exemplified embodiment, two of the protuberances 231 are mated to a pair of the apertures 141, although mating between one protuberance 231 and one aperture 141 may be sufficient in alternative embodiments.
Similarly, the mounting elements 230 (e.g., the protuberances or posts or hooks 231) of the second hanging bracket 200b are mated to the mounting elements 140 (e.g., the apertures) located along the floor of the second linear portion 102 of the frame 100. This may be achieved by moving the second hanging bracket 200b towards the frame 100 (or moving the frame 100 towards the second hanging bracket 200b) until one or more of the protuberances 231 pass into one or more of the apertures 141. In the exemplified embodiment, two of the protuberances 231 are mated to a pair of the apertures, although mating between one protuberance 231 and one aperture 141 may be sufficient in alternative embodiments.
In an alternative embodiment shown in
Referring to
When coupled to the support structure 60, the bracket portion 220 is positioned atop of the top edge 61 of the support structure 60 so that the horizontal arm portion 221 of the bracket portion 220 rests directly atop of the top edge 61 and the vertical arm portion 222 and the tab portion 223 lay along the rear 62 of the support structure 60. The elongated body portion 210 of the hanging brackets 200a. 200b lay along the front 63 of the support structure 60. Thus, the weight of the frame 100 is supported via the engagement between the bracket portion 220 of the hanging brackets 200a. 200b and the top edge 61 of the support structure 60.
In the exemplified embodiment, the hanging brackets 200a, 200b each have three of the protuberances 231. However, in the exemplified embodiment only two of the protuberances 231 are used at a time for coupling the hanging brackets 200a, 200b to the frame 100. This allows for adjustment in the hanging height of the frame 100. Specifically, by adjusting which of the protuberances 231 is mated with the two apertures 141, the height at which the frame 100 is hung from a support surface may be adjusted. Moreover, in other embodiments the attachment of the hanging brackets 200a, 200b to the frame 100 may be achieved with a single mounting element 230 of the hanger brackets 200a, 200b mating with a single mounting element 140 of the frame 100, and this may provide additional height adjustability in the hanging process.
As noted herein, the number of the mounting elements 230 (or protuberances 231) of the hanging brackets 200 and the number of the mounting elements 140 (or apertures 141) of the frame 100 may be modified from that which is shown in the exemplified embodiment. Thus, in one embodiment the hanging bracket 200 may include just one protuberance 231 that mates with a selected one of the apertures 141 on the frame 140. The protuberance 231 may be a single hook at the first end 211 of the elongated body portion 210 of the hanging bracket 200 or located between the first and second ends 211, 212. In other embodiments, the hanging bracket 200 may include two protuberances 231 that mate with two of the apertures 141 on the frame 140.
In the exemplified embodiment, the frame 100 comprises multiple pairs of the mounting elements 140 (i.e., apertures 141) on each of the linear frame portions 101-104 thereof. Thus, the frame 100 may be coupled to the hanging brackets 200 in many different configurations depending on how the display item is positioned within the frame 100 and therefore the orientation at which it is desired to display the frame 100.
As mentioned above, the frame 100 may be used to support a variety of different types of items or display items. The display item may be a glazing and a backer as described previously. Alternatively, the display item may be a mirror 80 (plastic or glass) as shown in
In embodiments that use the whiteboard 82, the whiteboard may be blank as shown, or may include indicia permanently affixed thereto. For example, the whiteboard 82 could comprise indicia that transforms the whiteboard 82 into a calendar, a crossword, a game such as dots or tic-tac-toc. The possibilities go far beyond these examples and allow the frame apparatus 50 to be utilized for a variety of different purposes. In some embodiments, the display item may include a glazing and a game sheet which can be placed behind the glazing and replaced as desired. The glazing may be capable of being written on with a dry erase marker to markup regions aligned with the game sheet for game play. In such embodiments, the glazing may be detached from the frame to allow a user to change out the game sheet or may be permanently affixed to the frame.
In
Referring to
The mounting portion 310 of the tray attachment 300 may comprise a horizontal wall 311 having a front end 312 and a rear end 313 and a vertical wall 314 that extends upwardly from the rear end 313 of the horizontal wall 311. The vertical wall 314 may comprise a front surface 315 that faces the horizontal wall 311 and a rear surface 316 opposite the front surface 315. There may be at least one mounting element 320 located on the front surface 315 of the vertical wall 314. In the exemplified embodiment, the at least one mounting element 320 is a locking tab (or protuberance) 321 that protrudes from the front surface 315 of the vertical wall 314. More specifically, in the exemplified embodiment there are two of the locking tabs 321 protruding from the front surface 315 of the vertical wall 314 in a spaced apart manner.
There may be an intermediate vertical wall 317 extending upwardly from the front end 312 of the horizontal wall 311. The intermediate vertical wall 317 may comprise an inner surface 318 that faces the vertical wall 314 and an outer surface 319 opposite the inner surface 318. There may be a lip 322 protruding from the inner surface 318 of the intermediate vertical wall 317 at a location adjacent to a distal end of the intermediate vertical wall 317.
The tray portion 340 of the tray attachment 300 may extend from the outer surface 319 of the intermediate vertical wall 317. The tray portion 340 may comprise a concave upper surface 341 and a convex lower surface 342. Alternatively, the tray portion 340 may be flat or planar with a vertically oriented stopper wall located at a distal end thereof to help retain any items placed thereon.
The tray attachment 300 may be coupled to the frame 100 via mating between the at least one mounting element 320 or locking tab 321 of the mounting portion 310 of the tray attachment 300 and one or more of the mounting elements 140 or apertures 141 of the frame 100. In particular, the tray attachment 300 may be positioned with the lip 322 in engagement with the inner surface 112 of the outer annular wall 110 of the frame 100 and the intermediate vertical wall 317 abutting against the front edge 114 of the outer annular wall 110. The tray attachment 300 may then be pivoted or rotated until the horizontal wall 311 abuts against the outer surface 111 of the outer annular wall 110 of the frame 100 and the vertical wall 314 abuts the rear surface 132 of the floor 130 of the frame 100. When so positioned, the mounting elements 320 (i.e., the locking tabs 321) mate with corresponding ones of the apertures 141 in the floor 130 of the frame 100 to couple the tray attachment 300 to the frame 100. While in the exemplified embodiment the mounting elements 320 are tabs that mate with the apertures 141 in the frame 100, in other embodiments the frame 100 may comprise protuberances (male features) which mate with apertures or slots (female features) of the tray attachment 300 to facilitate the coupling of the tray attachment 300 to the frame 100. In either case, the mounting elements 320 of the tray attachment 300 may be configured to mate with the mounting elements 140 of the frame 100 to facilitate the attachment of the tray attachment 300 to the frame 100.
Thus, the same mounting elements 140 (i.e., the apertures 141) of the frame 100 which may be used for attaching the hanging brackets 200 to the frame 100 may also be used for attaching the tray attachment 300 to the frame 100. Other types of accessories may be attached to the frame in similar ways using the same mounting elements 140 of the frame 100. In an embodiment, the hanging brackets 200 and the tray attachment 300 (or other accessory) may be coupled to the frame 100 at the same time. For example, the hanging brackets 200 may be coupled to the frame 100 via mating between the mounting elements 230 of the hanging brackets 200 and the mounting elements 140 located along the first and second linear frame portions 101, 102 of the frame 100. This leaves the mounting elements 140 located along the third and fourth linear frame portions 103, 104 of the frame 100 available for mating with mounting elements of the accessories such as the tray attachment 300. Thus, the tray attachment 300 may be mounted to the frame 100 via mating between the mounting elements 320 of the tray attachment 300 and the mounting elements 140 located along one of the third and fourth linear frame portions 103, 104 of the frame 100 without disturbing the attachment of the hanging brackets 200 to the frame 100. Additional accessories may be attached to the frame 100 as space and the availability of mounting elements 140 on the frame 100 which are not being used by other accessories or otherwise covered by the other accessories.
Moreover, while in the exemplified embodiment the frame 100 comprises apertures 141 (or female attachment elements) and the accessories like the hanging brackets 200 and the tray attachment 300 have protuberances or male attachment elements, the reverse may be true in alternative embodiments. For example, instead of the apertures 141, the frame 100 may comprise protuberances such as posts or hooks or the like protruding from the rear surface 132 of the floor 130. Such protuberances such as posts or hooks or the like may mate with apertures or slots or the like formed into the hanging brackets 200, the tray attachment 300, or other accessories that may be coupled to the frame 100. The mounting elements of the different components may be capable of being connected mechanically regardless of their specific structure.
Furthermore, the tray attachment 300 is merely one type of accessory that can be coupled to the frame 100 using the mounting elements described herein. Other types of accessories may be used. For example, a writing instrument holder may be configured to be coupled to the frame 100 perhaps along one of the sides of the frame 100 rather than along the bottom of the frame as with the tray attachment 300. These different accessories may be snap-fit connected or otherwise attached to the frame 100 using the mounting elements 140, the connector holes 150-153, or various other structures located along the frame 100.
Referring to
In the exemplified embodiment, there are two of the first protrusions 421a and two of the second protrusions 421b. Each of the first protrusions 421a protrudes from the front surface 411 of the elongated body portion 410 outwardly and then downwardly towards the bottom end 413 of the elongated body portion 410. Each of the second protrusions 421b protrudes from the front surface 411 of the elongated body portion 410 outwardly and then upwardly towards the top end 414 of the elongated body portion 410. The protrusions 421a may be located closer to the top end 414 than to the bottom end 413 and the protrusions 421b may be located closer to the bottom end 414 than to the top end 414. The two first protrusions 421a are located adjacent to one another without any of the second protrusions 421b located therebetween, and the two second protrusions 421b are located adjacent to one another without any of the first protrusions 421a located therebetween. The two first protrusions 421a and the two second protrusions 421b may be spaced apart by the same distance.
The connector bracket 400 may be used to connect two frames together. That is, a first frame may be hung from a support surface as previously described, and a second frame may be hung from the first frame via the connector bracket 400. This will be described in some detail below with reference to
In the exemplified embodiment, one of the protrusions 421b of the connector bracket 400 is inserted into one of the connector holes 150-153 of the second frame 100b to mate the protrusion 421b to the connector hole 152 and thereby couple the connector bracket 400 to the second frame 100b. Of course, as has been described several times herein, the second frame 100b may comprise protrusions instead of holes and the connector bracket 400 may comprise holes instead of protrusions. In some embodiments, one of the second frame 100b and the connector bracket 400 has male connector features and the other one of the second frame 100b and the connector bracket 400 has female connector features that mates with the male connector features to couple the second frame 100b to the connector bracket 400.
It should be noted that because the connector bracket 400 is coupled to the frame at the connector holes 150-153 in the exemplified embodiment, it does not interfere with the ability of accessories such as the hanger brackets 200a, 200b and the tray attachment 300 to be coupled to the frame 100. As an example, in
In
In the embodiment shown, three of the connector brackets 400a are illustrated connecting the frames 100a, 100a together. However, in other embodiments there may be only one of the connector brackets 400a connecting the top frames 100a together, or there may be two of the connector brackets 400a. Furthermore, the connector brackets 400a may be configured to be coupled to the frames 100a via the mounting elements 140 (for example, the apertures 141). Alternatively, or additionally, the connector brackets 400a may be configured to be coupled to the frames 100a via the connector holes 150-153. The connector brackets 400a may include mounting elements, which may be male or female depending on the structure of the frame 100a to which they are attached.
Referring to
The main difference between the frame 500 and the frame 100 which was previously described is the inclusion of an easel member 560 which is integrally formed with the rest of the frame 500. The struts 550, 551 may also comprise connection features 552, 553 that define slots 554, 555 to which the easel member 560 is configured to be coupled when separated from the rest of the frame 500 as described herein below.
With reference to
Referring to
By spacing the apertures of each pair of apertures the same regardless of the dimensions of the frame, all of the frames in the product line are capable of being used along with any of the accessories, including the hanging brackets 200, the connector brackets 400, the tray attachments 300.
In embodiments of the invention described herein, the invention may be directed to a kit of parts which may include various combinations of the components described herein.
Referring to
Referring to
In another embodiment, the kit of parts may comprise one or more of the frames 100, one or more of the connector brackets 400, and at least one pair of the hanging brackets 200. Any package described herein may be plastic, cardboard, paper, box, sleeve, clamshell, rigid plastic container type packaging, flexible plastic wrap type packaging, or the like.
Referring in particular to
The easel 700 may have some inherent flexibility so that the easel 700 can be flexed inwardly when attaching the mounting elements 701, 702 to the connector holes 150, 151 of the frame, and then when the easel 700 is released it may bias back to its natural state which results in the mounting elements 701, 702 forcibly engaging the frame 100 for attachment thereto. Other techniques for attaching the easel 700 to the frame 100 may be used, including modifying the style or structure of the mounting elements 701, 702 to more tightly engage the connector holes 150-153. Moreover, in other embodiments the mounting elements 701, 702 may be positioned and configured to engage the mounting elements 140 of the frame 100 rather than or in addition to the connector holes 150-153. The frame 100 may function as a picture frame, a whiteboard, a corkboard, or any other type of functional device as described herein with the easel 700 being useful to support the frame 100 in a desired position on a horizontal surface.
The accessory pad 710 may comprise a plurality of mounting elements 711 that are configured to engage with a plurality of the mounting elements 140 of the frame 100. The plurality of mounting elements 711 may be aligned along one side of the accessory pad 710 so that the mounting elements 711 are positioned to engage multiple of the mounting elements 140 of the frame 100 simultaneously. While there are four of the mounting elements 711 in the exemplified embodiment, the accessory pad 710 may comprise just one of the mounting elements 711, or two of the mounting elements 711, or three of the mounting elements 711 in alternative embodiments. The accessory pad 710 is illustrated as rectangular and extending along a full length of the side of the frame 100 to which the accessory pad 710 is adjacent in the exemplified embodiment, but could take on other shapes and sizes in alternative embodiments.
The mounting elements 711 of the accessory pad 710 may be male mounting elements such as hooks, posts, or the like which are configured to engage with the apertures 141 of the mounting elements 140 of the frame 100. In other embodiments, the mounting elements 711 of the accessory pad 710 could be female mounting elements (such as apertures, recesses, slots, or the like) and the mounting elements 140 of the frame 100 could be male mounting elements (such as posts, hooks, protrusions, etc.). While the mounting elements 711 are illustrated as engaging with the mounting elements 140, in other embodiments the mounting elements 711 (or other mounting elements) may engage with the connector hole 150.
The containers 720 may be coupled to the frame 100 via engagement between the mounting element 724 of the connector 723 and one of the mounting elements 140 or one of the connector holes 150-153 of the frame 100. Thus, in the exemplified embodiment the mounting elements 724 of the containers 720 may comprise male mounting elements such as hooks, posts, protrusions or the like which are configured to engage apertures or holes int ch frame 100. In other embodiments, the frame 100 may comprise the male mounting elements and the containers 720 may comprise the female mounting elements.
As shown in
Referring to
As used throughout, ranges are used as shorthand for describing each and every value that is within the range. Any value within the range can be selected as the terminus of the range. In addition, all references cited herein are hereby incorporated by referenced in their entireties. In the event of a conflict in a definition in the present disclosure and that of a cited reference, the present disclosure controls.
While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Thus, the spirit and scope of the invention should be construed broadly as set forth in the appended claims.
