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The disclosure and prior art relates to guide devices and more particularly pertains to a new guide device for indicating an attachment point for a frame.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing that is configured to reversibly couple by a first end to a back of a frame, such as picture frame. The housing defines an interior space. The housing has a second end that is open. An indicator is positioned in the interior space. The indicator is selectively extensible from the housing. The indicator is configured to mark an attachment point on a surface as the frame is positioned in a desired location on the surface. An article of mounting hardware can be coupled to the surface at the attachment point to hang the frame.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
The housing 12 comprises a base 20, a first cylinder 22, and a second cylinder 24. The first cylinder 22 is coupled to and extends from a first face 26 of the base 20. The second cylinder 24 slidably positionable within the first cylinder 22. The first cylinder 22 and the second cylinder 24 are open-ended. A first lip 28 is coupled to and extends inwardly from the first cylinder 22 distal from the base 20. A second lip 64 is coupled to and extends outwardly from a lower perimeter 30 of the second cylinder 24. The second cylinder 24 is positioned to contact the first lip 28 to retain the second cylinder 24 within the first cylinder 22. In one embodiment, the base 20 is circularly shaped. In another embodiment, the second cylinder 24 and the second lip 64 comprise a second plastic mold 32. The second plastic mold 32 is sonic welded.
A tape 34 is adhesively coupled to a second face 36 of the base 20. The tape 34 is shaped complementarily to the second face 36. A first adhesive 38 is positioned on the tape 34. The first adhesive 38 is opposingly positioned relative to the base 20. The first adhesive 38 is configured to reversibly couple the housing 12 to the frame.
In one embodiment, a first panel 40 is coupled to the first adhesive 38. The first panel 40 is complementary to the tape 34. The first panel 40 is flexible. The first panel 40 is reversibly couplable to the first adhesive 38. The first panel 40 is configured to be selectively decoupled from the first adhesive 38 so that the first adhesive 38 is configured to reversibly couple the housing 12 to the frame. In another embodiment, a first tab 42 is coupled to and extends coplanarly from the first panel 40. The first tab 42 is configured to be grasped in digits of a hand of a user to selectively decouple the first panel 40 from the first adhesive 38 so that the first adhesive 38 is configured to reversibly couple the housing 12 to the frame.
An indicator 44 is positioned in the interior space 16. The indicator 44 is selectively extensible from the housing 12. The indicator 44 is configured to mark an attachment point on a surface as the frame is positioned in a desired location on the surface. An article of mounting hardware can be coupled to the surface at the attachment point to hang the frame. In one embodiment, the indicator 44 comprises ink-impregnated felt. In another embodiment, the indicator 44 is substantially cylindrically shaped. The indicator 44 has a top 46. In yet another embodiment, the top 46 is rounded.
A second adhesive 48 is coupled to an upper perimeter 50 of the second cylinder 24. A second panel 52 is coupled to the second adhesive 48. The second panel 52 is complementary to the second end 18 of the housing 12. The second panel 52 is flexible. The second panel 52 is positioned to seal the indicator 44 within the interior space 16. The second panel 52 is reversibly couplable to the second adhesive 48. The second panel 52 is configured to be selectively decoupled from the second adhesive 48 so that the indicator 44 is positioned to selectively extend from the housing 12.
In one embodiment, a second tab 54 is coupled to and extends coplanarly from the second panel 52. The second tab 54 is configured to be grasped in the digits of the hand of the user to selectively decouple the second panel 52 from the second adhesive 48 so that the indicator 44 is positioned to selectively extend from the housing 12.
A spring 56 extends between the second lip 64 and the first face 26 of the base 20. The spring 56 is positioned around the indicator 44. The spring 56 is positioned in the first cylinder 22. The second cylinder 24 is biased to an extended configuration wherein the second lip 64 abuts the first lip 28. The second cylinder 24 is positioned to compress the spring 56 as the frame is positioned in the desired location on the surface. The top 46 of the indicator 44 is configured to contact the surface to mark the attachment point on the surface.
A coupler 58 is coupled to the housing 12 and is positioned within the interior space 16. The coupler 58 is configured to couple to the indicator 44. The coupler 58 is positioned to couple to the indicator 44 to couple the indicator 44 to the housing 12 and to position the indicator 44 within the interior space 16. In one embodiment, the coupler 58 comprises a third cylinder 60. The third cylinder 60 is open-ended. The third cylinder 60 is positioned to insert the indicator 44 to frictionally couple the indicator 44 to the housing 12 and to position the indicator 44 within the interior space 16. In another embodiment, the third cylinder 60, the first cylinder 22, and the base 20 comprises a first plastic mold 62. The first plastic mold 62 is sonic welded.
In use, the first tab 42 is configured to be grasped in the digits of the hand of the user to selectively decouple the first panel 40 from the first adhesive 38. The first adhesive 38 is configured to reversibly couple the housing 12 to the frame. The second panel 52 is positioned to seal the indicator 44 within the interior space 16. The second tab 54 is configured to be grasped in the digits of the hand of the user to selectively decouple the second panel 52 from the second adhesive 48. The indicator 44 is positioned to selectively extend from the housing 12. The second cylinder 24 is positioned to contact the first lip 28 to retain the second cylinder 24 within the first cylinder 22. The second cylinder 24 is biased by the spring 56 to the extended configuration wherein the second lip 64 abuts the first lip 28. The second cylinder 24 is positioned to compress the spring 56 as the frame is positioned in the desired location on the surface. The top 46 of the indicator 44 is configured to contact the surface to mark the attachment point on the surface. The article of mounting hardware can be coupled to the surface at the attachment point to hang the frame.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.