MULTI-PICTURE FRAME APPARATUS AND KIT

NECESSAIRE PERMETTANT LE MONTAGE DE PLUSIEURS CADRES

English Abstract

A modular picture frame apparatus and kit incorporates a plurality of picture
frames of differing
sizes mounted on linear support members. Each picture frame has channels
corresponding to the
horizontal cross-section of the linear support members. Magnets or other
attachment means are
disposed in the channels or on the linear support members to hold the picture
frames in a desired
position on the linear support members. Linear support members may be mounted
on a wall or
other mounting surface. Other elements of the apparatus may include corkboard,
whiteboard,
chalkboard or mirror attached to the mounting surface.

Claims

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Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A multi-picture frame apparatus comprising:
one or more frame support tracks,
mounting means for mounting the frame support tracks on a support surface,
a plurality of picture frames each having a front and back surface, wherein
each frame
has one medial channel extending the length and one medial channel extending
the width of its
back surface for cooperation with the frame support tracks; and
magnetic bonding means for supporting the picture frames channels on the frame
support
track.
2. The multi-picture frame apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality
of spacer
blocks each having a front and back surface, each spacer block having one
medial channel
extending the length and one medial channel extending the width of its back
surface for
cooperation with the frame support track, and magnetic bonding means for
supporting the spacer
block channels on the frame support tracks.
3. The multi-picture frame apparatus of claim 1 or 2 wherein the magnetic
bonding means
comprises one or more magnets attached to the frame support tracks.
4. The multi-picture frame apparatus of claim 1 or 2 wherein the magnetic
bonding means
comprises one or more magnets attached to each of the channels.
5. The multi-picture frame apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a backing
support for
mounting thereon of the frame support track.
6. The multi-picture frame apparatus of claim 1 further comprising one or more
of a mirror,
a corkboard, a chalkboard and a whiteboard mounted on the visible surface of
the backing
support.

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7. The multi-picture frame apparatus of claim 1 wherein the frame support
tracks and the
channels have a rectangular cross section.
8. A multi-picture frame kit comprising modular frame support track elements,
a plurality of
picture frames having one medial channel extending the length and one medial
channel
extending the width of its back surface for cooperation with the frame support
track, a collapsible
backing support, and mounting means for mounting the kit on a support surface.
9. The multi-picture framing kit of claim 8, further comprising one or more of
a mirror, a
corkboard, a chalkboard and a whiteboard for mounting on the visible surface
of the backing
support.

Description

CA 02479785 2004-08-26
Title of The Invention
MULTI-PICTURE FRAME APPARATUS AlelD I~IT
Technical Field of the Inventiion
The present invention relates generally to picture frames, and more
particularly to an apparatus
and a kit for mounting multiple pictures for display.
Background of the Invention
With the access to low cost photography by consumers, a market has developed
for photography
accessories. tin important segment of this market is picture mounting and
framing.
A wide variety of frames are available in a variety of materials, sizes and
configurations. It is
desirable for a picture frame to be easy to assemble and disassemble, and to
offer a variety of
configurations to permit individual expression in displaying photographs.
It is known to provide a device for mounting and framing a photograph using
magnets to hold a
photograph between front and back surfaces of a frame. Such a device is
described in U.S.
Patent No. 3,885,336 to Olsen.
It is also known to provide an apparatus which comprises a plurality of
separately framed
compartments, each of which may display a photograph mounted thereon by
magnetic means.
Such a device is taught in U.S. Patent No. 5,269,083 to Vampatella.
There are a number of desirable objectives in relation to a mu.lti-picture
frame apparatus. Such
an apparatus should ideally be easy to assemble and disassemble, permit
assembly into a variety
of structures, and allow for easy mounting and dismounting of ~~ictures on the
display surface.
Existing picture framing devices achieve some of these objectives, but with
varying degrees of
success. Many of the prior art devices, such as the Vampatella apparatus, are
bulky and do not
permit of ease of packing and shipping. Prior art devices which are not
modular are not ideal as
they require higher packing, storing and shipping costs.
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Summary of the Invention
In one of its aspects, the mufti-picture frame apparatus according to the
invention comprises one
or more frame support tracks, mounting means for mounting the frame support
tracks on a
support surface, a plurality of picture frames each having a front and back
surface, wherein each
frame has one medial channel extending the length and one medial channel
extending the width
of its back surface for cooperation with the frame support tracks, and
magnetic bonding means
for supporting the picture frames channels on the frame support track.
The mufti-picture frame apparatus may further comprise a plurality of spacer
blocks each having
a front and back surface, each spacer block having one media:t channel
extending the length and
one medial channel extending the width of its back surface for cooperation
with the frame
support track, and magnetic bonding means for supporting the spacer block
channels on the
frame support tracks. The magnetic bonding means may comprise one or more
magnets attached
to the frame support tracks or to each of the channels.
The mufti-picture frame apparatus may further comprise a backing support for
mounting thereon
of the frame support track.
The mufti-picture frame apparatus may further comprise one or more of a
mirror, a corkboard, a
chalkboard and a whiteboard mounted on the visible surface c~f the backing
support. The frame
support tracks and the channels may have a rectangular cross section.
In another of its aspects, the invention comprises a mufti-picture frame kit
having modular frame
support track elements, a plurality of picture frames having one medial
channel extending the
length and one medial channel extending the width of its back surface for
cooperation with the
frame support track, a collapsible backing support, and mounting means for
mounting the kit on
a support surface.
The mufti-picture framing kit may further comprise one or amore of a mirror, a
corkboard, a
chalkboard and a whiteboard for mounting on the visible surface of the backing
support.
Other aspects of the invention will be appreciated by reference to the
description of the preferred
embodiment which follows and to the claims.
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Brief Description of the Drawings
The invention will be described by reference to the preferred embodiment and
the
drawings thereof in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front side of a picture frame element,
according to
the invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the rear side of a picture frame element,
according to the
invention;
Figure 3 is a front view of one embodiment of the assembly, according to the
invention;
Figure 4 is a cross-section through line 4-4 of Figure 3 showing a picture
frame element
mounted on a linear support member; and
Figure 5 is a front view of another embodiment of the assembly according to
the
invention.
Detailed Description of Best Mode and
Preferred Embodiment of the Invention
The picture frame assembly and kit of the invention comprises modular
elements. One of the
elements, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is a picture frame 2. The; picture frame
is generally planar,
and preferably rectangular in shape, although a variety of shapes is possible.
As best seen in Fig.
l, each picture frame element 2 has a picture mounting surface 4 on its front
surface. As best
seen in Fig. 2, on the opposed rear surface 6, a first linear channel 8
extends the length of the
frame at a medial position and a second linear channel 10 extends the width of
the frame at a
medial position intersecting the first linear channel. One or more magnetic
attraction means 12
are disposed in the linear channels.
Each frame may display on its front surface a photograph or other image, text,
or other items.
The frame elements may be a wide variety of sizes to accommodate photographs
of differing
size.
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As shown in Fig. 3, the apparatus and kit also comprises at least one linear
support member 14.
The linear support member 14 is of a width and thickness which corresponds to
the width and
depth of the linear channels 8, 10 to permit a close fit behveen the support
member and the
channel. Magnetic attraction means (not shown) are positioned at the interface
between the
S linear support and the channel. Magnetic attraction means may comprise a
magnet on the
surface of the linear support member in cooperation with a magnetic substance,
such as a
magnetic metal in the linear channel. Alternatively, the magnet may be located
in the channel
and the magnetic substance on the linear support member, or magnets of
opposite poles may be
located in the channel and on the linear support member.
The linear support member may be rigid or flexible. A flexible linear support
member may be
bent to a desired shape prior to mounting on a support surface to permit a
wide variety of display
options. Individual picture frames may be easily added to, repositioned on, or
removed from the
mounted linear support member.
As demonstrated in Fig. 4, the corresponding geometry of the linear support
member 14 and the
linear channel 8 provides support to hold the picture frame in a desired
position. The magnetic
attraction means, for example a magnet 18 on the linear support member and a
magnetic
substance 20 in the linear channel, provides additional force to hold the
picture frame in position,
while permitting easy manual removal or repositioning.
Figure S shows another embodiment of the apparatus and kit of the invention.
Linear support
members 14 are mounted on a backing support 22. Individual frame elements 2
may be mounted
on the linear support members in desired positions. Corkboard 24 or other
planar accessories
such as chalkboard, whiteboard or mirror, may be mounted on the backing
support 22. Such
accessories may be provided with an adhesive backing layer i:or mounting the
accessory on the
backing support. The backing support may be mounted on a mounting surface such
as a wall.
Alternatively, with the addition of a stand, the apparatus may be displayed on
a desk or other
horizontal surface.
By completely covering the linear support member in an apparatus such as the
embodiment
shown in Fig. 5, the frames will be better retained in position on the linear
support member. As a
variety of sizes of frames may be used in a desired assembly, the apparatus
and kit may also
include filler pieces (not shown) which are of dimensions selected to
complement the frame sizes
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for a particular kit, such that the entire linear support member may be
covered by a combination
of frames and filler pieces.
Although in the preferred embodiment magnets are used to hold the frames in
position on the
linear support member, other attachment means are possible.
The modular elements of the picture frame apparatus may be easily disassembled
into a kit for
packing, storing and shipping. The picture frame elements are individually
removable. The
linear support members may be segmented for ease of packing. The backing
support and
accessory materials such as whiteboard, corkboard, blackboaa-d or mirror may
be collapsible by
folding or rolling to permit easier packing, storage and shipping of the kit.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other variations of
the preferred embodiment
may also be practised without departing from the scope of the invention.
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Representative Drawing