Patent Application
20240156282
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to picture frames, and more particularly to a picture frame system that facilitates framing and leveling, and frame mounting methods.
In general, a typical picture frame includes a rectangular shape having four sections secured to one another by nails or screws. Once assembled, hanging picture frames typically requires multiple tools, pencils, bubble levels, leveling strings, chalk strings, and so forth to level and often, properly space the distance between more than one frame or photo so that it does not appear crooked or with varying distances of space between frames. In addition, it is typically preferred that picture frames be secured into a stud of a wall for secure hanging. When picture frames are not secured to the stud frames and initially leveled, they can become out of level over time.
The embodiments of the present invention provide a picture frame system for pictures, art, documents, etc. and picture frame components thereof.
Provided herein is a picture frame system comprising a first picture frame and a second picture frame, each picture frame including a wall-mountable inner portion configured to secure a picture therein and having mounting means; and an outer portion configured to removably secure to the inner portion. Each inner portion comprises an upper horizontal section; a lower horizontal section; a first vertical section extending between the upper and lower horizontal sections; and a second vertical section extending between the upper and lower horizontal sections. Opposite ends of each of the upper and lower horizontal sections are connected to opposite ends of the first and second vertical sections, forming four corners of the inner portion. At least one of the upper horizontal section and lower horizontal section includes a first level therein, and at least one of the first vertical section and second vertical section include a second level therein. The upper and lower horizontal sections and the first and second vertical sections include equally spaced apart openings. The mounting means include a plurality of interlocking fins extending outwardly from each of the upper and lower horizontal sections and first and second vertical sections, each adjacent pair of interlocking fins defining complimentary-shaped spaces therebetween, wherein the interlocking fins of a first picture frame inner portion connect to the complimentary-shaped spaces of a second picture frame inner portion to secure the first picture frame inner portion to the second picture frame inner portion.
Further provided herein is a picture frame comprising a wall-mountable inner portion configured to secure a picture therein; and an outer portion configured to removably secure to the inner portion. The inner portion comprises an upper horizontal section; a lower horizontal section; a first vertical section extending between the upper and lower horizontal sections; and a second vertical section extending between the upper and lower horizontal sections. Opposite ends of each of the upper and lower horizontal sections are connected to opposite ends of the first and second vertical sections, forming four corners of the inner portion. At least one of the upper horizontal section and lower horizontal section includes a first level therein, and at least one of the first vertical section and second vertical section include a second level therein. The upper and lower horizontal sections and the first and second vertical sections includes equally spaced apart openings. The picture frame of further comprises means for removably affixing a picture or matting to the inner portion. The picture frame further comprises means for removably securing the outer portion to the inner portion.
Other implementations are also described and recited herein, including a method for mounting frames on a wall using the framing system disclosed herein.
These and other features and advantages will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description and a review of the associated drawings. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are explanatory only and are not restrictive of aspects as claimed.
For the purpose of illustration, certain embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings described below. Like numerals in the drawings indicate like elements throughout. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements, dimensions, and instruments shown. In the drawings:
It is to be appreciated that certain aspects, modes, embodiments, variations and features of the invention are described below in various levels of detail in order to provide a substantial understanding of the present invention.
For convenience, the meaning of some terms and phrases used in the specification, examples, and appended claims, are provided below. Unless stated otherwise, or implicit from context, the following terms and phrases include the meanings provided below. The definitions are provided to aid in describing particular embodiments, and are not intended to limit the claimed invention, because the scope of the invention is limited only by the claims. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. If there is an apparent discrepancy between the usage of a term in the art and its definition provided herein, the definition provided within the specification shall prevail.
As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. For example, reference to “a portion” includes a combination of two or more portions, and the like.
As used herein, the term “approximately” or “about” in reference to a value or parameter are generally taken to include numbers that fall within a range of 5%, 10%, 15%, or 20% in either direction (greater than or less than) of the number unless otherwise stated or otherwise evident from the context (except where such number would be less than 0% or exceed 100% of a possible value). As used herein, reference to “approximately” or “about” a value or parameter includes (and describes) embodiments that are directed to that value or parameter. For example, description referring to “about X” includes description of “X”.
As used herein, the term “or” means “and/or.” The term “and/or” as used in a phrase such as “A and/or B” herein is intended to include both A and B; A or B; A (alone); and B (alone). Likewise, the term “and/or” as used in a phrase such as “A, B, and/or C” is intended to encompass each of the following embodiments: A, B, and C; A, B, or C; A or C; A or B; B or C; A and C; A and B; B and C; A (alone); B (alone); and C (alone).
As used herein, the term “comprising” means that other elements can also be present in addition to the defined elements presented. The use of “comprising” indicates inclusion rather than limitation.
The term “consisting of” refers to compositions, methods, and respective components thereof as described herein, which are exclusive of any element not recited in that description of the embodiment.
The subject innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It may be evident, however, that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate describing the present invention.
An exemplary framing and leveling picture frame system (“system”) 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
As shown in
In various embodiments, the outer portion 20 and inner portion 22 are formed by 3D-printing, also known as additive manufacturing.
In use, the picture 12 is mounted on the picture matting 14, which is in turn removably secured to the inner portion 22, as further explained below. Once the picture 12 and its picture matting 14 are removably secured to the inner portion 22, the removable outer portion 20 is secured to the inner portion 22 resulting in the configuration illustrated in
As shown in
Because the outer portion 20 is removable from the inner portion 22, any picture, image, photograph, poster, or artwork can be changed from the front of the picture frame system 10 without ever having to remove both the outer portion 20 and the inner portion 22 from a wall on which the system 10 is mounted. In other words, the inner portion 22 stays attached to the wall when the outer portion 20 is removed to allow pictures, etc. to be changed out.
As shown in
In addition, the upper and lower horizontal sections 30, 32 and the first and second vertical sections 34, 36 each include equally spaced-apart openings 42. The equally spaced-apart openings 42 enable the inner portion 22 to be secured, if necessary, to framing members (e.g., 2×4's or other studs) after the inner portion 22 is placed against the wall and leveled using the upper horizontal section bubble level 38 and the first vertical section bubble level 40. These openings 42 are also illustrated in
As shown in
As shown in
In
In various embodiments, the inner portion 22 includes one magnet in at least one of the corners 48, and the outer portion 20 includes one corresponding metallic/magnetic element, such that when the outer portion 20 is placed onto the inner portion 22, the outer portion 20 is removably secured to the inner portion 22 via magnetic attraction.
Each inner portion 22 includes a plurality of interlocking protrusions, or fins, 56 that extend outwardly from each of the upper and lower horizontal sections 30, 32 and first and second vertical sections 34, 36. Each adjacent pair of interlocking fins 56 along the horizontal and vertical sections define complimentary-shaped spaces 58 therebetween. The interlocking fins 56 and spaces 58 together define an interlocking feature that works to removably secure two inner portions 22 of two frames 16 together via an interdigitated press-fit or sliding press-fit, as explained below.
The interlocking fins 56 and spaces 58 of the interlocking feature constitute mounting means that are employed by a user to removably secure two inner portions 22 of two frames 16 for measurement and frame placement purposes when attaching the frames 16 to a wall. A user mounts the first inner portion 22 of the first frame 16 on the wall, and then interlocks the second inner portion 22 of the second frame 16 to the first inner portion 16 via the interlocking fins 56 and spaces 58 of the interlocking feature of the inner portions 22.
The user is then able to count by the equally spaced-apart openings 42 to attach the second inner portion 22 to a stud in the wall (e.g., each opening 42 is spaced one inch (1″) apart from the adjacent openings 42) counting 16 of the openings 42, which is 16 inches, the standard length measurement between adjacent studs in a wall. The user marks the location of the openings 42 of the second inner portion 22 (i.e., with a pencil or pen) and then moves the second inner portion 22 over a desired distance that it (and the second frame 16) is to be placed from first inner portion 22 and first frame 16. This method can be duplicated horizontally and vertically to mount any number of the frames 16 on the wall to be perfectly spaced from each other.
Another embodiment of the system 100 of the present invention is illustrated in
As shown in
A rear (i.e., wall-facing) surface 121 of the outer portion 120 is shown in
The picture frame 116 further includes an inner portion 122, as shown in
With continued reference to
As shown in
As shown in
In
In various embodiments, the inner portion 122 includes one magnet 154 within at least one of the corners 148 (i.e., in one of the recesses 149), which corresponds to the magnet(s) 147 (or metallic/magnetic element) of outer portion 120 (see
Referring now to
The interlocking fins 156 and spaces 158 of the interlocking feature constitute mounting means that are employed by a user to removably secure together the two inner portions 122a, 122b of the frames 116a, 116b for measurement and frame placement purposes when mounting the frames 116a, 116b to a wall W. A user mounts the first inner portion 122a of the first frame 116a on the wall W, and then interlocks the second inner portion 122b of the second frame 116b to the first inner portion 116a via the interlocking fins 156 and spaces 158 of the interlocking feature of the inner portions 122a, 122b.
The user is then able to count by the equally spaced-apart openings 142 to attach the second inner portion 122b to a stud in the wall W (e.g., each opening 142 is spaced one inch (1″) apart from the adjacent openings 142) counting 16 of the openings 42, which is 16 inches, the standard length measurement between adjacent studs in a wall W. The user marks the location of the openings 42 of the second inner portion 122b (i.e., with a pencil or pen) and then moves the second inner portion 122b over a desired distance that it (and the second frame 116b) is to be placed from first inner portion 122a and first frame 116a. This method can be duplicated horizontally and vertically to mount any number of the frames 116 on the wall W to be perfectly spaced from each other (for example, as shown in
The systems of the present disclosure may be employed with frames of any size and/or dimension. Non-limiting examples of frame sizes include 2″×3″, 4″×6″, 5″×7″, 8″×10″, 8.5″×11″, 12″×18″ and any square configuration. The system should not be construed as being limited by any frame dimensions shown in the figures (e.g., as shown in
In summary, the framing and leveling picture frame systems disclosed herein are designed and manufactured with mechanisms to assist in attaching, properly spacing multiple frames with equal space between them, identifying studs for secure hanging, and with a built in bubble level to assist with hanging frames in such a way, when attached to a wall, they are secure, level, even, and do not appear crooked and will not move, coming out of level. Additional functionality has been built in with a removable top cover allowing an image, photograph, poster, or artwork to be changed from the front without ever having to remove the entire frame. With the framing, measuring, and leveling picture frame, attaching, properly spacing multiple frames, and leveling and changing photos, is all done from the front of the frame providing visibility and an easier experience for the user with better results. The front of a picture frame can also be changed by custom front frame accessories allowing décor to change as desired.
Unless otherwise defined herein, scientific and technical terms used in connection with the present application shall have the meanings that are commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It should be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular methodology, protocols, examples, etc., described herein and as such can vary. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, which is defined solely by the claims.
Other terms are defined herein within the description of the various aspects of the invention.
The description of embodiments of the disclosure is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the disclosure are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the disclosure, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. For example, while method steps or functions are presented in a given order, alternative embodiments may perform functions in a different order, or functions may be performed substantially concurrently. The teachings of the disclosure provided herein can be applied to other procedures or methods as appropriate. The various embodiments described herein can be combined to provide further embodiments. Aspects of the disclosure can be modified, if necessary, to employ the compositions, functions and concepts of the above references and application to provide yet further embodiments of the disclosure. These and other changes can be made to the disclosure in light of the detailed description. All such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.
Specific elements of any of the foregoing embodiments can be combined or substituted for elements in other embodiments. Furthermore, while advantages associated with certain embodiments of the disclosure have been described in the context of these embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the disclosure.
The foregoing written specification is considered to be sufficient to enable one skilled in the art to practice the present aspects and embodiments. The present aspects and embodiments are not to be limited in scope by examples provided, since the examples are intended as a single illustration of one aspect and other functionally equivalent embodiments are within the scope of the disclosure. Various modifications in addition to those shown and described herein will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description and fall within the scope of the appended claims. The advantages and objects described herein are not necessarily encompassed by each embodiment. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments described herein. Such equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
All patents and other publications; including literature references, issued patents, published patent applications, and co-pending patent applications; cited throughout this application are expressly incorporated herein by reference for the purpose of describing and disclosing, for example, the methodologies described in such publications that might be used in connection with the technology described herein. These publications are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing in this regard should be construed as an admission that the inventors are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention or for any other reason. All statements as to the date or representation as to the contents of these documents is based on the information available to the applicants and does not constitute any admission as to the correctness of the dates or contents of these documents.
This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/156,567, filed Mar. 4, 2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein in its entirety.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2022/018724 | 3/3/2022 | WO |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63156567 | Mar 2021 | US |
