This invention relates to improved methods and apparatus concerning picture frames.
Individuals usually guess or make a rough estimate about where picture frames need to be hung. In order to make it right, the most common way is to measure the distance from the top of a ceiling to a top of the picture frame, and then the distance from the left to the right of the wall, and then to mark down the center point where the frame is about to be hung. Even after an individual has found the center point, there are still difficulties for the individual to hang the particular picture frame the precisely to the place they want. To get more precise measurement, they need to: (a) match the center point that they mark down on the wall to the center point of the frame; (b) calculate the exact distance from the top of the wire at the back of the frame to the top of the frame; (c) know the design of the metal hanger, the measurement from the top of the hanger to the hook; and (d) know the tension of the wire. Usually nails are applied on the wall along with metal hangers. However, the nails may be removed and reapplied repeatedly on the wall if the position of the frame is incorrect, causing physical damage to the wall. It's a tedious and time consuming process which requires professional skill to handle.
There are various devices known in the prior art for hanging picture frames. U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,884 to Hart et. al. discloses a picture frame hanging backing sheet 10. (Hart et. al, FIG. 1). The sheet 10 includes adhesive areas 44 for releasably adhering to a picture frame and adhesive areas 48 for releasably adhering to a wall. (Hart et. al, FIGS. 1 and 2). Hangers 12 are inserted into slots in the backing sheet 10. (Id.) In operation, the adhesive areas 44 are adhered to the back of a picture frame (with the hangers 12 inserted into the sheet 10), such that a wire 52 at the back of the frame is hung over the hangers 12 and is slightly tensioned. (Hart et. al, FIGS. 1 2, 4a, col. 5, Ins. 1-10). Next the adhesive areas 48 are pressed against a wall, and adhered to the wall, causing the sheet 10 to be adhered to the wall. Next the picture frame is removed from the sheet 10, by releasing the adhesive areas 44 from the picture frame and by removing the wire 52 from the hangers 12. With the sheet 10 adhered to the wall by adhesive areas 48, and the hangers 12 inserted into the sheet 10, the hangers 12 are fixed to the wall by, for example, hammering nails into the hangers 12. (Hart et. al., FIG. 4b). Each of the hangers 12 has a single opening for a nail. (Hart et. al., FIG. 1). Next, the sheet 10 is removed from the hangers 12, leaving the hangers 12 nailed into the wall. (Hart et al., FIG. 4c). The picture frame can then be hung by draping the wire 52 over the hangers 12.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,465 to Weck et. al. discloses a picture hanger member 12 with a triangular shaped base 14 and an opening 20. (Weck et. al., FIG. 1, col. 4, Ins. 60-65). A temporary adhesive 46 is attached to a hanger member 12. (Weck, FIG. 1). The hanger member 12 can be temporarily attached to a wall 34, by adhesive 46 and then moved if the hanger member 12 is not at the correct position. (Weck, col. 5, Ins. 48-60). The hanger member 12 includes three nail receiving guide holes 22 within three guides or protrusions 28. (Weck, FIG. 2). Nails can be driven through a shock absorbing layer 40 to fix the hanger member 12 to the wall 34. (Weck, Fig., col. 5 In. 48-col. 6, In. 56).
U.S. Pat. No. 3,622,116 to Fellows, discloses a tongue member 10 which is fixed to a picture frame 26 and then inserted into a bracket member 30 fixed to a supporting surface 32. (Fellows, FIGS. 1-8). U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,982 to Sellera discloses a wall pad 16 and a frame pad 22. (Sellera, col. 1, In. 50-col. 2, In. 30). The wall pad 16 and the frame pad 22 have adhesives which adhere to a wall and a back of a picture frame, respectively. (Id.). The frame pad 22 has a downward extension 82 which can be inserted into a pocket 53 of the wall pad 16 to hang a picture frame onto a wall. (Id.) U.S. Pat. No. 2,492,411 to Barnes provides a resilient member 29 which adheres to a wall and a picture frame to keep the frame straight. (Barnes, col. 2, In. 44-col. 3, In. 29). U.S. Patent Application No. US 2004/0084598 A1 to Dodig, J R. discloses a mounting carrier 22 having a pair of hooks 20. (Dodig, p 2, paragraph 19-paragraph 25). The carrier 22 is mounted on a wall 14 and thereafter a picture 12 is hung by a wire from 18 from the hooks 20. (Dodig, Id.).
One or more embodiments of the present invention provide a simple way to position and hang picture frames on a wall without professional skill. A picture frame can be aligned visually on a wall without precise measurements. A picture frame can be positioned and adjusted precisely before hardware is applied, eliminating unnecessary holes in walls.
The present invention in one embodiment provides an apparatus comprising a J-shaped hanger and a first device. The J-shaped hanger includes a hook and a base, the hook connected to the base, the base forming a substantially flat vertical portion of the J-shape, the hook forming the hook portion. The first device has a first portion having an opening which is large enough so that the base can pass through the opening of the first portion while the base is substantially parallel to the first device. The first device has a front with a first temporary or removable adhesive and a back with a second temporary or removable adhesive.
The base of the J-shaped hanger may include an opening. The first device may include a lower cap portion having a protrusion which can be inserted into the opening of the J-shaped hanger and which snaps into the opening of the base of the J-shaped hanger to hold the J-shaped hanger to the lower cap portion of the first device. The base of the J-shaped hanger may have attached thereto a plurality of protrusions each having an opening through which a nail can be driven.
The present invention in one embodiment includes a method comprised of pulling a wire of a picture frame up with a J-shaped hanger of an apparatus, and attaching the apparatus including the J-shaped hanger to a back of the picture frame, so that the wire is tensed. The apparatus may be configured as previously described. The method may further include detaching the J-shaped hanger from the rest of the apparatus, and attaching the second temporary adhesive to a wall to attach a first portion of the apparatus to the wall. The method may also include inserting the J-shaped hanger into the first portion of the apparatus and fastening the J-shaped hanger to the wall. In one embodiment any remaining portion of the apparatus may be detached from the wall, while leaving the J-shaped hanger fastened to the wall.
and
The apparatus 10 is comprised of hanger 12, wax paper 14, a portion 16, an upper cap 18, a lower cap 20, a portion 22, and wax paper 24.
The hanger 12 can be made of metal. The hanger 12 has a hook portion 12a, a base portion 11a, a triangular opening 12b, and protrusions 12c, 12d, and 12e, having openings 13c, 13d, and 13e, respectively. Opening 13c of protrusion 12c is shown in
The wax paper 14 has an opening 14a into which the hanger 12 can be inserted. The portion 16 is comprised of a removable adhesive layer 16a, a foam tape 16b, and a permanent adhesive layer 16c. The portion 16 also has an opening 16d shown in
The portion 22 is comprised of a permanent adhesive layer 22a, a foam tape 22b, and a removable adhesive layer 22c.
The wax paper 14 has an inner opening or slot 14a into which the metal hanger 12 snugly fits as shown by
The apparatus 100 is comprised of hanger 112, portion 114, an upper cap 122, a lower cap 120, and portion a 126. The hanger 112 may include a hook 112a and a triangular opening 112b, and may be identical to hanger 12 of
The apparatus 200 is comprised of portion 212, an upper cap 222, a lower cap 224, and a portion 226. The portion 212 may be comprised of wax paper, similar to 14 in
In operation, with the wax paper 24 removed from the foam tape 22, of the apparatus 10 or positioner 10, the middle of the frame 300 is located and the apparatus 10 is hooked onto the wire 302 and adhered onto a back 300a of the frame 300 as shown as
The hangers 12 can be made of metal or another material. The hangers 12 can be of different shapes.
Although the invention has been described by reference to particular illustrative embodiments thereof, many changes and modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to include within this patent all such changes and modifications as may reasonably and properly be included within the scope of the present invention's contribution to the art.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2492411 | Barnes et al. | Dec 1949 | A |
3622116 | Fellows | Nov 1971 | A |
4228982 | Sellera | Oct 1980 | A |
4336884 | Hart et al. | Jun 1982 | A |
4384648 | Hart et al. | May 1983 | A |
4669169 | Hogg | Jun 1987 | A |
5433416 | Johnson | Jul 1995 | A |
5507464 | Hamerski et al. | Apr 1996 | A |
6095465 | Weck et al. | Aug 2000 | A |
6206334 | Weck et al. | Mar 2001 | B1 |
6499707 | Hamerski et al. | Dec 2002 | B2 |
20010028022 | Hamerski et al. | Oct 2001 | A1 |
20040084598 | Dodig, Jr. | May 2004 | A1 |
20070075211 | Potter | Apr 2007 | A1 |
20070295879 | Wong | Dec 2007 | A1 |
20070295880 | Wong | Dec 2007 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20070295879 A1 | Dec 2007 | US |