Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
201S1222708 PCITUS201.8/03.5 22
FRAME APPARATUS
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
100011 The present application claims the benefit of United States Provisional
Patent Application
NO, 62/513,752, .filed 'June 1, 2017.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIC"
100021 The present invention relates generally to a frame apparatus that can
be tit Oved along a
support surface without detaching it from the support surface
'BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
100031 People often commemorate their achievements or memorialize particular
life events by
placing an article within a frame for display. Specifically, individuals may
frame a diploma for
hanging on a wall in their office space. Individuals may also frame various
photographs for
display throughout their home and offices spaces by either hanging such frames
on die wall or
allowing such frames to stand upright on a horizontal surface such. as a desk
or table,
Furthermore, people often hang mirrors from a wall and there is a noted
difficulty in hanging
mirrors and frames from. a wall in a level manner. Furthermore, once a frame
is hung on a wall,
it's location on the wall cannot be changed without relocating the hardware
from. which the
frame is hanging, which results in an additional hole being put into the wall.
Thus, a need exists
for a frame apparatus having features that, enable movement of the frame along
the wall as well
as helping consumers to hang the frame in a level. manner.
'BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
1.00041 The present invention is directed to a .frame apparatus for displaying
an article. The
frame apparatus includes a support structure having a frame and a backer
panel. A plurality of
slots are formed into the backer panel that include a first slot that is
elongated along a first axis
that is parallel to top and bottom edges of the support structure and a second
slot that is elongated
along a second axis that is parallel to lateral edges of the support
structure. The frame apparatus
also includes a hanging element for hanging the support structure from a
support surface such as
a wall. The hanging element is configured to be slidably coupled to the
support structure such
that the hanging element can slide back and forth within one of the slots
while remaining coupled
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-11
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to the support structure. This structure enables the frame apparatus to be
moved side-to-side
along the support surface while hanging therefrom.
[0005] In one embodiment, the invention may be a frame apparatus for
displaying an article, the
frame apparatus comprising: a support structure comprising a rear surface; a
plurality of slots
located on the rear surface of the support structure, the plurality of slots
comprising: at least one
slot that is elongated along a first axis; and at least one slot that is
elongated along a second axis
that is perpendicular to the first axis; and at least one hanging element
slidably coupled to the
support structure within one of the at least one slots, the at least one
hanging element comprising
a mounting portion for hanging the support structure from a support surface.
[0006] In another embodiment, the invention may be a frame apparatus for
displaying an article,
the frame apparatus comprising: a support structure comprising a rear surface,
a top edge, a
bottom edge, a first lateral edge, and a second lateral edge; a plurality of
slots located on the rear
surface of the support structure, the plurality of slots comprising: at least
one slot that is
elongated along a first axis that is parallel to the top and bottom edges of
the support structure;
and at least one slot that is elongated along a second axis that is parallel
to the first and second
lateral edges of the support structure, the second axis being perpendicular to
the first axis; and at
least one hanging element slidably coupled to the support structure within one
of the at least one
slots, the at least one hanging element comprising a mounting portion for
hanging the support
structure from a support surface.
[0007] In yet another embodiment, the invention may be a frame apparatus for
displaying an
article, the frame apparatus comprising: a support structure comprising a
frame and a backer
panel, the backer panel forming at least a portion of a rear surface of the
support structure; a
plurality of slots in the backer panel, the plurality of slots comprising: at
least one slot that is
elongated along a first axis; and at least one slot that is elongated along a
second axis that is
perpendicular to the first axis; and at least one hanging element coupled to
the support structure
within one of the at least one slots and being slidable relative to the
support structure along a
respective one of the first and second axes, the at least one hanging element
comprising a
mounting portion that is spaced apart from the rear surface of the support
structure to hang the
support structure from a support surface.
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[0008] In still another embodiment, the invention may be a frame apparatus for
displaying an
article, the frame apparatus comprising: a support structure comprising a
frame and a backer
panel, the backer panel forming at least a portion of a rear surface of the
support structure; a
plurality of slots in the backer panel. the plurality of slots comprising: at
least one slot that is
elongated along a first axis; and at least one slot that is elongated along a
second axis that is
perpendicular to the first axis; and wherein each of the plurality of slots
comprises an upper edge
having a plurality of spaced apart receiving notches, each of the receiving
notches being
configured to receive a portion of an article of hardware that is coupled to a
support surface to
hang the support structure from the support surface.
[0009] 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.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The present invention will become more fully understood from the
detailed description
and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0011] FIG. IA is a rear perspective view of a frame apparatus having a frame
and a clip
member coupled thereto in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0012] FIG. 1B is a front perspective view of the frame apparatus of FIG. IA
[0013] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the frame apparatus of FIG. IA;
[0014] FIG. 3A is a top perspective view of the clip member of FIG. 1A;
[0015] FIG. 3B is a bottom perspective view of the clip member of FIG. 1A;
[0016] FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional schematic view of the clip member of FIG.
lA in a non-
flexed state;
[0017] FIG. 3D is a cross-sectional schematic view of the clip member of FIG.
IA in a flexed
state;
[0018] FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along line IVA-IVA of FIG. IA;
[0019] FIG. 4B is a close-up view of area IVB of FIG. 4A;
[0020] FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic cross-sectional views of the frame
apparatus of FIG. IA
illustrating the process of inserting a stack into a rabbet of the frame;
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[0021] FIGS. 6A-6E are close-up schematic cross-sectional views of area VIA of
FIG. 5B
illustrating the process of coupling the clip member to the frame;
[0022] FIGS. 7A-7C are schematic rear views of the frame apparatus of FIG. lA
illustrating the
slidability of the clip members relative to the frame when the clip members
are coupled to the
frame;
[0023] FIGS. 8A and 8B are rear views of the frame apparatus of FIG. lA
illustrating a self-
leveling feature in accordance with one embodiment;
[0024] FIGS. 9A and 9B arc rear views of the frame apparatus of FIG. lA
illustrating a self-
leveling feature in accordance with another embodiment;
[0025] FIG. 10 is a close-up cross-sectional view taken along line IVB of FIG.
4A illustrating an
alternative profile for the frame;
[0026] FIG. 11 is a rear perspective view of a frame apparatus having a frame
and a clip member
coupled thereto in accordance with another embodiment of the present
invention;
[0027] FIG. 11A is a perspective view of the clip member of FIG. 11;
[0028] FIGS 12A and 12B are cross-sectional views taken along line XIIA-XIIA
of FIG. 11
illustrating the process of coupling the clip member to the frame;
[0029] FIG. 13A is a rear view of a frame apparatus illustrating the frame in
a landscape
orientation;
[0030] FIG. 13B is a rear view of the frame apparatus of FIG. 13A illustrating
the frame in a
portrait orientation;
[0031] FIG. 13C is a rear view of a frame apparatus illustrating four of the
clip members coupled
to the frame;
[0032] FIG. 14 is a rear perspective view of a frame apparatus having a frame
and a clip member
coupled thereto in accordance with another embodiment of the present
invention;
[0033] FIG. 15 is a top perspective view of the clip member of FIG. 14;
[0034] FIG. 16 is a bottom perspective view of the clip member of FIG. 14;
[0035] FIG. 17 is a rear perspective view of a frame apparatus having a frame
and a clip member
coupled thereto in accordance with another embodiment of the present
invention;
[0036] FIG. 18 is a top perspective view of the clip member of FIG. 17;
[0037] FIG. 19 is a bottom perspective view of the clip member of FIG. 17;
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[0038] FIG. 20 is a front perspective view of a frame apparatus in accordance
with another
embodiment of the present invention;
[0039] FIG. 21 is an exploded view of the frame apparatus of FIG. 20, the
frame apparatus
including a hanging element and a support structure that includes a frame and
a backer panel;
[0040] FIG. 22 is a rear view of the frame apparatus of FIG. 20 without the
hanging element;
[0041] FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXIII-XXIII of FIG.
22;
[0042] FIG. 24A is a front perspective view of the hanging element of the
frame apparatus of
FIG. 20;
[0043] FIG. 24B is a rear perspective view of the hanging element of FIG. 24A;
[0044] FIG. 24C is a side view of the hanging element of FIG. 24A;
[0045] FIGS. 25A-25E illustrate the process of coupling one of the hanging
elements to the
support structure;
[0046] FIG. 26 is a rear view of the frame apparatus illustrating a plurality
of the hanging
elements coupled to the support structure;
[0047] FIG. 27 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the frame
apparatus hanging from
a support surface by a fastener;
[0048] FIGS. 28A and 28B illustrate the hanging elements sliding relative to
the support
structure to facilitate a level hanging of the support structure from the
support surface;
[0049] FIGS. 29A and 29B illustrate the hanging elements sliding relative to
the support
structure to facilitate moving the support structure side-to-side along the
support surface;
[0050] FIGS. 30A-30C illustrate alternative embodiments of the backer panel of
the support
structure;
[0051] FIGS. 31A and 31B illustrate one alternative embodiment of a hanging
element;
[0052] FIGS. 32A and 32B illustrate another alternative embodiment of a
hanging element;
[0053] FIGS. 33A and 33B illustrate another alternative embodiment of a
hanging element;
[0054] FIGS. 34A and 34B illustrate another alternative embodiment of a
hanging element;
[0055] FIGS. 35A and 35B illustrate another alternative embodiment of a
hanging element;
[0056] FIGS. 36A and 36B illustrate another alternative embodiment of a
hanging element;
[0057] FIGS. 37A and 37B illustrate another alternative embodiment of a
hanging element;
[0058] FIGS. 38A and 38B illustrate another alternative embodiment of a
hanging element;
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[0059] FIGS. 39A and 39B illustrate another alternative embodiment of a
hanging element; and
[0060] FIGS. 40A and 40B illustrate another alternative embodiment of a
hanging element.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0061] 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.
[0062] 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.
[0063] Referring to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2, 4A, and 4B concurrently, a frame
apparatus 1000 will be
described in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The frame
apparatus
1000 generally comprises a frame 100, a plurality of clip members 200, and a
stack 10 that is
intended to be framed by the frame 100. In the exemplified embodiment, the
stack 10 comprises
a glazing 300, a backer panel 400, and an article 500 that is being displayed
by the frame 100.
The stack 10 may also comprise additional components, such as a filler panel
or the like, as may
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be needed to ensure that the stack 10 is sufficiently secured within the frame
100 to facilitate a
consistent display of the article 500. Although the glazing 300 and the backer
panel 400 are
illustrated in the exemplified embodiment, these features are not necessary in
all embodiments
and may be omitted or replaced with similar structures. For example, in some
embodiments the
frame apparatus 1000 may include two glazings, one on the front and one on the
rear that
replaces the backer panel 400. Furthermore, the stack 10 may merely comprise
the article 500
without the glazing 300 and the backer panel 400. Further still, in some
embodiments the stack
may comprise a mirror.
[0064] The glazing 300 can be any type of material that is used as a
protective and see-through
covering for a framed article. In certain embodiments, the glazing 300 is a
panel of glass,
acrylic, plexiglass, polystyrene or other material that allows the article 500
to be viewed through
the glazing 300. Thus, in certain embodiments the glazing 300 is formed of a
substantially
transparent material so that the article(s) 500 being framed therein are
visible through the glazing
300. As used herein, the terni "transparent" may include the presence of
colored tint and thus is
not limited to a clear material. In other embodiments, the glazing 300 may be
at least partially
translucent. In still other embodiments of the invention, the glazing 300 may
be omitted from
the frame apparatus 1000.
[0065] The backer panel 400 can be formed of hard or soft plastic materials,
such as any of the
thermoplastics including polymers and copolymers of ethylene, propylene (i.e.,
polypropylene),
olefins, butadiene, vinyl compounds and polyesters. Alternatively, the backer
panel 400 can be
formed of a cardboard, wood, metal or other material as desired. In certain
embodiments, the
backer panel 400 may be a ring-like structure rather than a sheet-like
structure. The backer panel
400 serves as a filler to ensure that the stack 10 adequately fills the rabbet
110 space so that the
stack is securely held within the frame 100. The backer panel 400 also
provides protection to the
back/rear of the article 500 that is being framed.
[0066] In some embodiments, the frame apparatus 1000 may also include a filler
panel between
the backer panel 400 and the article 500. In such embodiments, the filler
panel takes up space
and reduces potential damage by adding a layer of protection for the article
500. The filler panel
can also be used to provide the necessary thickness to the stack 10 to ensure
adequate
compression to hold the stack in the frame 100 as discussed herein below. The
filler panel may
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be a sheet of corrugated material or other medium, such as a corrugated metal,
corrugated
cardboard, plastic, fiberboard (i.e., medium density fiberboard (MDF)) or the
like. The filler
panel can be included with the frame apparatus 1000 or omitted as desired.
Furthermore, the
backer panel 400 may be omitted in some embodiments as well.
[0067] The article 500 may be any object that is desired to be held by and
displayed within the
frame 100. Thus, the article 500 may be a flat article such as a poster or
print having a design or
indicia thereon. Alternatively, the article 500 may be a three-dimensional
object that a person
desires to frame for display. The article 500 may alternatively be a mirror
that is surrounded by
the frame 100. Thus, the article 500 may be any object that is conventionally
framed by persons
desiring to display that article.
[0068] In certain embodiments, the frame apparatus 1000 may be best suited for
being hung
from a vertical surface such as a wall. However, the invention is not intended
to be so limited in
all embodiments and it may be displayed in any manner currently used to
display frames. In
FIG. 2, the frame 100 is illustrated comprising four separate frame components
100a-d (a first
frame component 100a, a second frame component 100b, a third frame component
100c, and a
fourth frame component 100d) each having both of its opposing ends cut to
approximately 450 so
that when the frame components 100a-d are coupled together a miter joint is
formed. Of course,
the invention is not to be so limited and in other embodiments the frame 100
may comprise a
single piece structure. In the exemplified embodiment, the frame 100 is square
or rectangular
shaped and has four side elements. Of course, the invention is not to be so
limited and in other
embodiments the frame may take on any desired shape, including triangular
having three side
elements, pentagonal having five side elements, hexagonal having six side
elements, heptagonal
having seven side elements, octagonal having eight side elements, and so
forth. Thus, the
inventive concepts described herein may be used with frames 100 having various
shapes and
sizes.
[0069] The frame 100 may be an integrally formed single component formed by
injection
molding, machining, milling, or the like. Alternatively, the frame 100 may be
formed of an
extruded polymer such as a general purpose polystyrene. In other embodiments
the frame 100
may be co-extruded from expanded polystyrene such as polystyrene foam and a
general purpose
polystyrene. In other embodiments, the frame 100 but may also be formed of
wood, medium-
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density fiberboard, metal, metal alloys, plastics, rubbers, or combinations
thereof, etc. Thus, the
invention is not to be limited by the material used to form the frame unless
expressly stated
otherwise herein.
[0070] The frame 100 generally comprises a front surface 101, a rear surface
102, an inner
surface 103 extending between the front and rear surfaces 101, 102, and an
outer surface 104
extending between the front and rear surfaces 101, 102. The inner surface 103
of the frame 100
defines a display opening 106 for the frame 100 adjacent the front surface 101
of the frame 100
through which the article 500 can be viewed. The rear surface 102 of the frame
100 is the
surface that is adjacent to a wall when the frame 100 is hung from the wall
and the front surface
101 of the frame 100 is the surface that is exposed for viewing by a viewer.
The front surface
101 and the outer surface 104 of the frame 100, which are exposed to a viewer,
may take on any
desired shape or profile to create a desired aesthetic. Thus, the front
surface 101 and the outer
surface 104 may be flat and planar as illustrated in FIGS. 1A-2 or they may be
rounded,
contoured, sculpted or profiled in a specific manner, or the like (one
alternative example is
illustrated in FIG. 10).
[0071] As will be discussed in greater detail below, the frame 100 has a
rabbet 110 formed into
the inner edge 103. The rabbet 110 is defined by a floor 111 and a wall 112 of
the frame 100
that extends from the floor 111 to the rear surface 102 of the frame 100. The
floor 111 of the
rabbet 110 is recessed from the front surface 101 of the frame 100. The rabbet
110 forms a ledge
onto which the glazing 300, the article 500, and the backer panel 400
(collectively referred to
herein as the stack 10) are positioned or nested in the fully assembled frame
apparatus 1000.
Specifically, the rabbet 110 forms an annular ledge upon which the stack 10
may be positioned
to frame the stack 10 (and particularly the article 500 thereof). The term
"annular" as used
herein does not refer specifically to a circular shape, but refers to a ring-
like structure forming a
closed geometry regardless of the specific shape of the ring, whether it is
circular, square,
rectangular, or other geometric forms. Furthermore, the term "annular" may
also include a
discontinuous ring-like structure of various shapes and thus the floor 111 and
the ledge formed
thereby need not be continuous in its extension in all embodiments.
[0072] The stack 10 has a front surface 11 and an opposite rear surface 12.
The front surface 11
of the stack 10 is exposed through the display opening 106 and the rear
surface 12 of the stack 10
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is not exposed when the frame 100 is hung from a wall or other surface. In the
exemplified
embodiment, the glazing 300 forms the front surface 11 of the stack 10 and the
backer panel 400
forms the rear surface 12 of the stack 10. Of course, depending on the
specific components that
make up the stack 10, this may be different in other embodiments. To assemble
the frame
apparatus 1000, a perimeter portion of the glazing 300 is positioned directly
atop the floor
surface 111 of the rabbet 110, and then the article 500 is positioned atop the
glazing 300 and the
backer panel 400 is positioned atop the article 500.
[0073] In the exemplified embodiment, the components of the stack 10 are
inserted into the
rabbet 10 via an opening 108 in the rear surface 102 of the frame 100. Thus,
the frame 100 in
the exemplified embodiment is a rear mounted frame, meaning that the article
500 (and the stack
generally) is mounted by inserting it through the opening 108 in the rear
surface 102 of the
frame 100. The invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments and it is
possible that in an
alternative embodiment a frame using a front mount assembly may be used in
accordance with
the teachings set forth herein. In the exemplified embodiment, the opening 108
in the rear
surface 102 of the frame 100 is larger in at least one dimension than the
display opening 106 in
the front surface 101 of the frame. Thus, the stack 10 is prevented from
passing into and through
the display opening 106 by the floor 111 of the rabbet 110.
[0074] As seen in FIG. 2, each frame component 100a-d of the frame 100 has a
portion of the
rabbet 110 formed therein. When the frame components 100a-d are coupled
together as
described herein, the rabbets 110 of each frame component 100a-d are aligned
with one another
to form the rabbet 110 of the frame 100. The rabbet 110 of the frame 100 in
its fully assembled
state circumscribes the display opening 106.
[0075] The frame 100 also comprises a channel 120 formed into the wall 112 of
the rabbet 110.
The channel 120 is formed by an elongated notch or cutout in the wall 112 of
the rabbet 110.
Similar to the rabbet 110, the channel 120 is formed into each frame component
100a-d, and
when the frame components 100a-d are coupled together to form the frame 100, a
single
continuous channel 120 is formed that circumscribes the display opening 106.
In the
exemplified embodiment, the channel 120 extends the entire length of the
rabbet 110 within each
of the frame components 100a-d, and thus the channel 120 is a closed geometry
channel. Of
course, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments and the
channel 120 may only
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extend part of the length of the rabbet 110 in other embodiments. The channel
120 is defined by
a top surface 121, a bottom surface 123, and a sidewall surface 122 extending
between the top
and bottom surfaces 121, 123. In the exemplified embodiment, the top and
bottom surfaces 121,
123 of the channel 120 are parallel to each other and to the floor 111 of the
rabbet 110 whereas
the sidewall surface 122 of the channel 120 is parallel to the wall 112 of the
rabbet 110.
[0076] The frame 100 comprises a protrusion 124 extending from the top surface
121 and into
the channel 120 towards the bottom surface 123. In the exemplified embodiment,
the protrusion
124 extends along the entirety of the length of the channel 120. The
protrusion 124 has a leading
edge 130 adjacent the inner surface 103 of the frame 100 and an opposite
trailing edge 131. The
leading edge 130 comprises a chamfer 125 that interacts with the clip member
200 during
coupling of the clip member 200 to the frame 100 as described herein below.
The trailing edge
131 is spaced apart from the sidewall surface 122 of the channel 120 by a gap
126 that forms a
pocket for mounting of the clip member 200 to the frame 100 as described in
more detail below.
Once installed, the clip member 200 interacts with/engages the trailing edge
131 of the
protrusion 124 to maintain the coupling between the clip member 200 and the
frame 100.
[0077] The inner edge 103 of the frame 100 comprises a first inner edge
portion 115 formed into
the first frame component 100a of the frame 100, a second inner edge portion
116 formed into
the second frame component 100b of the frame 100, a third inner edge portion
117 formed into
the third frame component 100c of the frame 100, and a fourth inner edge
portion 118 formed
into the fourth frame component 100d of the frame 100. When the frame 100 is
formed of a
single piece rather than separate components, the different inner edge
portions noted above are
simply the upper, lower, left-side, and right-side inner edge portions. The
first inner edge
portion 115 comprises a first linear section of the channel 120 that extends
along a first axis A-A.
The second inner edge portion 116 comprises a second linear section of the
channel 120 that
extends along a second axis B-B. The third inner edge portion 117 comprises a
third linear
section of the channel 120 that extends along a third axis C-C. The fourth
inner edge portion 118
comprises a fourth linear section of the channel 120 that extends along a
fourth axis D-D. These
sections of the channel 120 and axes will be used later to describe the
slidability of the clip
member 200 when the clip member 200 is coupled or mounted to the frame 100
within the
channel 120.
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[0078] During assembly of the frame apparatus 1000, the clip members 200 are
coupled to the
frame 100 after the stack 10 is positioned in the rabbet 110. This is because
the clip members
200 are used to secure/retain the stack 10 within the rabbet 110 in place of
turn buttons, flex tabs,
or other components that are generally used for this purpose. Each of the clip
members 200 is
coupled to the frame 100 within one of the linear sections of the channel 120
while permitting
the clip members 200 to be slidable within that linear section of the channel
120 along its axis A-
A, B-B, C-C, D-D. Thus, the clip members 200 can slide side-to-side within the
linear section of
the channel 120 that they are coupled to, which helps with hanging the frame
100 in a level
manner as discussed below.
[0079] As discussed in more detail herein below, the clip members 200 secure
the stack 10
within the rabbet 110 by sandwiching the stack 10 between the floor 111 of the
rabbet 110 and
the clip members 200. Furthermore, the clip members 200 comprise a hanging
feature 220 for
hanging the frame 100 from a desired surface, such as a wall. The clip members
200 are
configured to slide within the channel 120 along one of the axes A-A-, B-B, C-
C, D-D (the one
that corresponds to the linear section of the channel 120 that the clip member
200 is mounted to)
to function as a self-leveling feature to ensure that the frame 100 is hung at
a desired orientation.
[0080] Referring now to FIGS. 1, 3A, and 3B concurrently, the clip member 200
will be further
described. The clip member 200 may be formed of plastic (including polystyrene
or otherwise)
or metal, but the material of the clip member 200 is not intended to be
limiting of the present
invention in all embodiments. In certain embodiments the clip member 200 may
be a spring clip
such that it has flexibility when a force is applied thereon as described
herein but is biased into
its original shape when no force is applied thereon. In the exemplified
embodiment, the clip
member 200 is biased into the shape/position illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B.
The clip member
200 can flex when pressures are applied thereto to facilitate coupling of the
clip member 200 to
the frame 100. In the exemplified embodiment, the clip member 200 is
configured to be coupled
to the frame 100 by snap-fitting the clip member 200 into the channel 120. The
details of this
process will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 6A-6E.
[0081] The clip member 200 generally comprises a first portion 201 and a
second portion 202.
The first portion 201 of the clip member 200 is located within the channel 120
when the clip
member 200 is coupled to the frame 100 and the second portion 202 of the clip
member 200
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protrudes from or extends out of the channel 120 when the clip member 200 is
coupled to the
frame 100. Thus, the first portion 201 of the clip member 200 is the portion
that is located
within the channel 120 and the second portion 202 of the clip member 200 is
the portion that is
not located within the channel 120. The second portion 202 of the clip member
200 comprises
the hanging feature 220 of the clip member 200.
[0082] The clip member 200 comprises a base portion 203 having a top surface
204 and an
opposite bottom surface 205, a first leg 206 extending from the base portion
203 to a distal end
207, a second leg 208 extending from the base portion 203 to a distal end 209,
and a third leg
210 extending from the base portion 203 to a distal end 211. In some
embodiments the third leg
210 may be omitted. The first portion 201 of the clip member 200 comprises a
portion of each of
the first, second, and third legs 206, 208, 210 that includes the distal ends
207, 209, 211 of the
first, second, and third legs 206, 208, 210. Thus, the distal ends 207, 209,
211 of the first,
second, and third legs 206, 208, 210 are positioned within the channel 120
when the clip member
200 is coupled to the frame 100. The second portion 202 of the clip member 200
comprises the
remaining portion of each of the first, second, and third legs 206, 208, 210
as well as the base
portion 203 of the clip member 200. Thus, the base portion 203 of the clip
member 200 is
external to the channel 120 when the clip member 200 is coupled to the frame
100.
[0083] The distal ends 207, 209, 211 of the first, second, and third legs 206,
208 210 are the free
ends of the first, second, and third legs 206, 208, 210 that are unattached to
one another or to
another structure. Thus, each of the first, second, and third legs 206, 208,
210 is cantilevered
from the base portion 203 to its respective distal end 207, 209, 211. If the
clip members 200
were considered to have a -U" shape, the bight portion of the "U" that is
formed by the base
portion 203 of the clip member 200 is located outside of the channel 120 when
the clip member
200 is coupled to the frame 100. In the exemplified embodiment, the first leg
206 extends from
the base portion 203 at a location adjacent to the top surface 204 of the base
portion 203 and the
second and third legs 208, 210 extend from the base portion 203 at a location
adjacent to the
bottom surface 205 of the base portion 203.
[0084] In the exemplified embodiment, the base portion 203 comprises a first
section 212 and a
second section 213 that are spaced apart from one another. The second leg 208
extends from the
base portion 203 adjacent the bottom surface 205 of the first section 212 of
the base portion 203
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and the third leg 210 extends from the base portion 203 adjacent the bottom
surface 205 of the
second section 213 of the base portion 203. Thus, the second and third legs
208, 210 are spaced
apart from one another along a length of the clip member 200. The first leg
206 extends from
both of the first and second sections 212, 213 of the base portion 203 and is
located between the
second and third legs 208, 210. Thus, the second leg 208 is located on one
side of the first leg
206 and the third leg 210 is located on an opposite side of the first leg 206.
The first leg 206 can
flex/pivot into the space between the second and third legs 208, 210 and may
do so during
coupling of the clip member 200 to the frame 100.
[0085] The first leg 206 extends from both of the first and second sections
212, 213 of the base
portion 203 adjacent to the top surface 204 of the base portion 203. The first
leg 206 therefore
also extends between the first and second sections 212, 213 of the base
portion 203 and in fact
serves as the structure that couples the first and second sections 212, 213 of
the base portion 203
together. The first leg 206 has an exposed edge 214 extending between the
first and second
sections 212, 213 of the base portion 203. The exposed edge 214 is an opposite
edge from the
distal end 207 of the first leg 206. The exposed edge 214 of the first leg 206
comprises the
hanging feature 220 of the clip member 200.
[0086] In the exemplified embodiment, the hanging feature 220 of the clip
member 200 is in the
form of a sawtooth hanger. Specifically, the hanging feature 220 of the clip
member 200
comprises a plurality of teeth 221 and a plurality of notches 222 arranged in
an alternating
manner along the exposed edge 214. Thus, each pair of adjacent teeth 221 is
spaced apart by one
of the notches 222 and vice versa. When it is desired to hang the frame 100
with the clip
member 200 mounted thereto from a hanging element (i.e., nail, screw, or the
like) protruding
from a wall, the hanging element is positioned within one of the notches 222
of the hanging
feature 220. The use of sawtooth hangers is conventionally understood by
consumers and
persons skilled in the art. Furthermore, although the hanging feature 220 is a
sawtooth hanger in
the exemplified embodiment, the invention is not to be so limited and other
types of hangers can
be used including D-rings, hooks, wires, adhesive strips, plates with
apertures therein, or the like.
[0087] The first leg 206 of the clip member 200 comprises a depression 215
having a concave
floor. The depression 215 is elongated along the first leg 206 in a direction
between the second
and third legs 208, 210. Thus, if the first leg 206 extends from the base
portion 203 in a first
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direction, the depression 215 is elongated in a second direction that is
orthogonal to the first
direction. As discussed in more detail below, the depression 215 of the first
leg 206 is sized and
shaped to receive the protrusion 124 therein to secure the clip member 200 to
the frame 100.
The first leg 206 has a distal portion 216 extending from the depression 215
to the distal end 207,
the distal portion 216 including the distal end 207. As discussed below, the
distal portion 216
forms a hook-like member that nests within the gap 126 between the protrusion
124 and the
sidewall surface 122 of the channel 120 when the clip member 200 is coupled to
the frame 100.
The distal portion 216 of the first leg 206 of the clip member 200 interacts
with the trailing edge
131 of the protrusion 124 to prevent accidental detachment of the clip member
200 from the
frame 100.
[0088] At least one of the first leg 206 or the second and third legs 208, 210
of the clip member
200 is pivotable relative to the base portion 203 of the clip member 200.
Specifically, the first
leg 206 may be pivotable relative to the base portion 203 about a pivot axis E-
E. The second and
third legs 206, 208 may additionally, or alternatively, be pivotable relative
to the base portion
203 about a pivot axis that is parallel to the pivot axis E-E. This permits
the first leg 206 to pivot
downwardly in a direction towards the bottom end 205 of the base portion 203
and into the gap
between the second and third legs 208. 210 during coupling of the clip member
200 to the frame
100. Additionally or alternatively, this allows the second and third legs 208,
210 to pivot
upwardly in a direction towards the top end 204 of the base portion 203 during
coupling of the
clip member 200 to the frame 100.
[0089] Referring to FIGS. 3C and 3D, the pivoting of the first leg 206
relative to the base portion
203 of the clip member 200 will be described. FIG. 3C illustrates the clip
member 200 in its
biased, non-flexed state. Specifically, when no forces are acting upon the
first leg 206 relative to
the base portion 203, the clip member 200 appears as illustrated in FIG. 3C.
FIG. 3D illustrates
the clip member 200 in a flexed state due to a downward force F being applied
onto the distal
portion 216 of the first leg 206 of the clip member 200. The downward force F
causes the first
leg 206 to pivot relative to the base portion 203 of the clip member 200 about
the axis E-E. Due
to the force F acting on the first leg 206, the first leg 206 pivots
downwardly towards the second
leg 207 and towards the bottom end 205 of the base portion 203 of the clip
member 200. The
first leg 206 of the clip member 200 is pivotable about the axis E-E to permit
insertion of the first
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portion 201 of the clip member 200 into the channel 120 of the frame 100 as
discussed below.
The engagement between the first portion 201 of the clip member 200 and the
channel 120 of the
frame 100 may be a cantilever snap-fit in some embodiments.
[0090] As will be described in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 6A-
6E, the first
portion 201 or the first leg 206 of the clip member 200 is automatically
transitioned from the
non-flexed state into the flexed state during insertion of the first portion
201 of the clip member
200 into the channel 120 of the frame 100 due to the protrusion providing a
downward force onto
the first leg 206 of the clip member 200. The first portion 201 of the clip
member 200 is then
automatically transitioned back into the non-flexed state once the first
portion 201 of the clip
member 200 is fully inserted into the channel 120 of the frame 100 due to
cessation of a force
applied to the first leg 206 of the clip member 200.
[0091] As noted above, the first leg 206 of the clip member 200 comprises a
depression 215
having a concave floor that is configured to mate with the protrusion 124 of
the channel 120 to
securely mount, in a snap-fit manner, the clip member 200 to the frame 100.
The first leg 206 of
the clip member 200 also comprises the distal portion 216, which forms a hook-
like member that
engages the trailing edge 131 of the protrusion 124 of the channel 120 to
prevent the clip
member 200 from being detached from the frame 100 until such time as
detachment is desired.
However, this is only one exemplified embodiment and other mateable profiles
for the first
portion 201 of the clip member 200 and the channel 120 of the frame 100 are
possible. For
example, the first portion 201 of the clip member 200 may have a protuberance
that mates with a
recess/depression of the channel 120 to facilitate the coupling between the
clip member 200 and
the frame 100. Other configurations, structures, and features may be
incorporated to achieve the
coupling of the clip member 200 to the frame 100 while permitting sliding
movement of the clip
member 200 relative to the frame 100 as discussed below.
[0092] In the exemplified embodiment, the first leg 206 of the clip member 200
also comprises a
grip protrusion 230 extending therefrom. The grip protrusion 230 provides a
surface for a user to
grip when inserting the clip member 200 into the channel 120 of the frame 100
and removing the
clip member 200 from the channel 120 of the frame 100. The grip protrusion 230
may also assist
a user in flexing the first leg 206 to facilitate removal of the clip member
200 from the channel
120 of the frame 100.
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[0093] Referring now to FIGS. 4A and 4B concurrently, the fully assembled
frame apparatus
1000 is illustrated in cross-section and close-up, respectively. The stack 10
comprising the
glazing 300, the article 500, and the backer panel 400 are positioned within
the rabbet 110. The
clip member 200 is mounted to the frame 100 with the first portion 201 of the
clip member 200,
which comprises portions of the first and second legs 206, 208, disposed
within the channel 120
of the frame 100, and with the second portion 202 of the clip member 200
protruding from or
located external to the channel 120. As can be seen, it is the distal portions
of the first and
second legs 206, 208 that include the free, unattached distal ends 207, 209
thereof that are
inserted into the channel 120 when coupling the clip member 200 to the frame
100.
[0094] When the clip member 200 is coupled to the frame 100 as illustrated,
the bottom portion
205 of the base portion 203 of the clip member 200 and a bottom surface 217 of
the second leg
208 (and also a bottom surface of the third leg 210, although not illustrated)
is in contact with the
rear surface 12 of the stack 10 (i.e., the rear surface of the backer panel
400 in the exemplified
embodiment). This contact between the clip member 200 and the backer panel 400
(or any other
rear-most positioned element of the stack that is disposed on the rabbet 110)
secures the stack 10
within the rabbet 110. Specifically, the stack 10 is trapped/sandwiched
between the clip member
200 and the floor 111 of the rabbet 110, thereby preventing the stack or
portions thereof from
being removed from the rabbet 110 while the clip member 200 is coupled to the
frame 100. As
discussed below, in order to insert layers of the stack into the rabbet 110 or
remove layers of the
stack from the rabbet 110, the clip member(s) 200 must first be detached from
the frame 100.
Thus, the clip member 200 takes the place of standard turn buttons, flex tabs,
and glazier points
and renders their use unnecessary.
[0095] In certain embodiments, the clip member 200 applies a compression force
onto the stack
to tightly secure the stack 10 within the rabbit 110. Specifically, in certain
embodiments the
stack 10 is compressed between the second portion 202 of the clip member 200
and the floor ill
of the rabbet 110. Such compression may be desirable to ensure that the
article 500 is not able to
slide or move in the fully assembled frame apparatus 1000. In some
embodiments, a portion of
the rabbet 110 defined between the floor 111 of the rabbet 110 and the bottom
surface 123 of the
channel 120 has a depth D1 and the stack 10 has a thickness Ti. In some
embodiments, the
thickness Ti of the stack 10 may be equal to or greater than the depth D1 of
the portion of the
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rabbet 110. This will ensure that the clip member 200 compresses the stack 10
in the fully
assembled frame apparatus 1000, thereby substantially preventing movement of
the article 500.
[0096] As noted above, the clip member 200 is coupled to the frame 100 via
interaction between
the protrusion 124 of the channel 120 and the depression 215 and distal
portion 216 of the first
leg 206 of the clip member 200. As noted above, the leading edge 130 of the
protrusion 124
comprises the chamfer 125 that interacts with the distal end 207 of the first
leg 206 of the clip
member 200 to deflect the first leg 206 from the non-flexed state to the
flexed state during
coupling of the clip member 200 to the frame 100. Once the distal portion 216
of the first leg
206 passes beyond the protrusion 124, the protrusion 124 nests with the
depression 215 of the
first leg 206 of the clip member 200 to securely couple the clip member 200 to
the frame 100
within the channel 120. Furthermore, the distal portion 216 of the first leg
206 of the clip
member 200 engages or abuts against the trailing edge 131 of the protrusion
124 when the first
portion 201 of the clip member 200 is positioned within the channel 120 to
prevent the clip
member 200 from being detached from the frame 100 accidentally. Rather, a user
must apply a
force onto the clip member 200 (as described above with reference to FIGS. 3C
and 3D) to
transition it from its natural non-flexed state to its flexed state in order
to facilitate removal of the
first portion 201 of the clip member 200 from the channel 120 and detachment
of the clip
member 200 from the frame 100.
[0097] Although the clip member 200 is prevented from being readily separated
from the frame
100 once it is coupled thereto without user involvement, the clip member 200
is configured to be
slidable relative to the frame 100 within the channel 120 while remaining
coupled or mounted to
the frame 100. Thus, depending on which inner edge portion 115-118 of the
frame 100 (or the
frame components 100a-d) the clip member 200 is mounted to, the clip member
200 is slidable
within the channel 120 along one of the axes A-A, B-B, C-C, D-D without
detaching the clip
member 200 from the frame 100.
[0098] Specifically, the clip member 200 is capable of sliding within the
channel 120 along the
axis A-A, B-B, C-C, D-D of the linear section of the channel 120 within which
the first portion
201 of the clip member 200 is located while the protrusion 124 remains located
within the
depression 215 of the first leg 206. However, due to the biased nature of the
clip member 200
being such that the first leg 206 wants to pull upwardly away from the second
and third legs 208,
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210, the clip member 200 does not slide freely within the channel 120, but
rather some force
needs to be applied to the clip member 200 relative to the frame 100 to
initiate movement of the
clip member 200. Specifically, friction between the first leg 206 of the clip
member 200 and the
top surface 121 of the channel 120 and between the second and third legs 208,
210 of the clip
member 200 and the bottom surfaces 123 of the channel 120 prevents the clip
member 200 from
freely sliding within the channel 120 without user intervention. Thus, once
hung the frame 100
will not slide incidentally along the wall from which it is hung, but it will
slide along the wall
from which it is hung in response to user action. This will be described in
more detail below
with reference to FIGS. 7A-8B.
[0099] Referring to FIGS. 5A-6E, assembly of the frame apparatus 1000 will be
described.
Referring first to FIG. 5A, the frame 100 is illustrated with the stack 10
comprising the glazing
300, the article 400, and the backer panel 500 separate from the frame 100 but
prepared for
insertion into the rabbet 110 of the frame 100 via the rear opening 108.
Specifically, the glazing
300, the article 400, and the backer panel 500 are positioned adjacent the
rear surface 102 of the
frame 100 in preparation for rear mounting of the glazing 300, the article
400, and the backer
panel 500 into the frame 100. FIG. 5B illustrates the stack 10 within the
frame 100.
Specifically, the stack 10 is inserted through the rear opening 108 of the
frame 100 and comes to
rest atop of the floor 111 of the rabbet 110. The stack 10, or at least the
front-most component of
the stack, which in the exemplified embodiment is the glazing 300, has a width
and length that is
configured to ensure that a perimeter portion of the glazing 300 contacts the
floor 111 of the
rabbet 110 when inserted into the frame 100. This prevents the stack 10 from
passing directly
through the display opening 106 of the frame 100. The stack 10 is preferably
configured to have
a combined thickness that is approximately equal to or less than the thickness
of the rabbet 110
to ensure that the stack fits properly within the rabbet 110.
[00100] After the stack 10 is disposed within the rabbet 110, the clip
member 200 is
mounted to the frame 100 to secure the stack 10 within the rabbet 110.
Specifically, without the
clip member 200 coupled to the frame 100, the stack 10 could simply fall out
through the rear
opening 108 of the frame 100. The clip member 200 is coupled to the frame 100
to prevent the
stack 10 from falling out through the rear opening 108 of the frame 100 so
long as the clip
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member 200, and preferably two or more of the clip members 200, remain coupled
to the frame
100.
[00101] FIGS. 6A-6E are close-up illustrations of area VIA of FIG. 5B that
illustrate the
process of coupling the clip member 200 to the frame 100 and these figures
will be described
collectively. First, the clip member 200 is oriented so that the distal ends
207, 209. 211 of the
first, second, and third legs 206, 208, 210 of the clip member 200 face the
channel 120 of the
frame 100 (FIG. 6A). Although the clip member 200 is illustrated being
oriented at an angle in
FIG. 6A and rotated between FIGS. 6A and 6B, this is not required. The clip
member 200 may
simply be translated towards the channel 120 without any rotation required as
illustrated in
FIGS. 6B-6E. The clip member 200 is pressed or otherwise moved towards the
channel 120
until the distal portion 216 of the first leg 206 of the clip member 200
contacts the leading edge
130 of the protrusion 124 (FIG. 6B). Specifically, the clip member 200 is
moved towards and
into the channel 120 in a direction that is perpendicular to the axis A-A, B-
B, C-C, D-D of the
channel 120. During this movement of the clip member 200, the bottom surface
205 of the base
portion 203 and the bottom surface 217 of the second (and third) leg 208 of
the clip member 200
engage or ride along the rear surface 12 of the stack 10.
[00102] Referring to FIG. 6C, the clip member 200 is continued to be
pressed into the
channel 120. As the clip member 200 is continued to be pressed into the
channel 120, the distal
portion 216 of the first leg 206 of the clip member 200 rides along the
chamfer 125 of the
leading edge 130 of the protrusion 124 while the bottom surface 217 of the
second (and third) leg
208 of the clip member 200 rides along the bottom surface 123 of the channel
120 and the rear
surface 12 of the stack 10. Due to the downward slant of the chamfer 125, the
engagement
between the distal portion 216 of the first leg 206 of the clip member 200 and
the leading edge
130 of the protrusion 124 causes the first leg 206 of the clip member 200 to
pivot downwardly
about the axis E-E and transition from the non-flexed (or biased) state into
the flexed state.
[00103] Referring to FIG. 6D, as the distal portion 216 of the first leg
206 of the clip
member 200 passes by the leading edge 130 of the protrusion 124, the distal
portion 216 of the
first leg 206 of the clip member 200 continues to ride along a lower surface
128 of the protrusion
124 until the distal portion 216 of the first leg 206 of the clip member 200
passes beyond the
protrusion 124 and enters into the gap 126 formed between the sidewall surface
122 of the
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channel 120 and the trailing edge 131 of the protrusion 124 (FIG. 6E). During
this time, the
bottom surface 217 of the second (and third) leg 208 continues to ride along
and in contact with
the bottom surface 123 of the channel 120 and the rear surface 12 of the stack
10. Once the
distal portion 216 of the first leg 206 of the clip member 200 passes the
trailing edge 131 of the
protrusion 124, the first leg 206 of the clip member 200 will pivot upwardly
about the axis E-E
back to its biased non-flexed state. Specifically, because the protrusion 124
is no longer
applying a downward force onto the first leg 206, the first leg 206 will
automatically pivot back
into its natural unflexed state.
[00104] As shown in FIG. 6E, when the clip member 200 is fully coupled to
the frame 100
within the channel 120, the distal portion 216 of the first leg 206 is located
within the gap 126
between the trailing edge 131 of the protrusion 124 and the sidewall surface
120 of the channel
120 and the protrusion 124 nests within the depression 215 of the first leg
206. Furthermore, the
bottom surface 217 of the second (and third) leg 208 is in contact with the
bottom surface 123 of
the channel 120 and the rear surface 12 of the stack 10. An attempt to pull
the clip member 200
out of the channel 120 will result in the distal portion 216 of the first leg
206 abutting against the
trailing edge 131 of the protrusion 124. Thus, in order to remove the clip
member 200 from the
channel 120, the first leg 206 must first be flexed downwardly about the axis
E-E until the distal
portion 216 of the first leg 206 is located below the protuberance 124 so that
the clip member
200 can be pulled away from the channel 120 without the distal portion 216 of
the first leg 206
contacting the protrusion 124. As mentioned above, with the clip member 200
coupled to the
frame 100, the bottom surface 205 of the base portion 203 and the bottom
surface 217 of the
second leg 208 (and third leg although not illustrated) of the clip member 200
are adjacent to,
and preferably in contact with, the rear surface 12 of the stack 10 thereby
trapping the stack 10
between the clip member 200 and the floor 111 of the rabbet 110. In this
manner, the clip
member 200 takes the place of turn buttons, flex tabs, and glazier points that
are typically used to
retain the stack 10 within the rabbet 110.
[00105] Referring to FIGS. 7A-7C, the slidability of the clip member 200
when the clip
member 200 is coupled to the frame 100 will be described. As noted above, the
clip member 200
can slide relative to the frame 100 within the channel 120 while remaining
coupled to the frame
100. FIGS. 7A-7C schematically illustrates the frame apparatus 1000 with two
of the clip
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members 200 coupled thereto on opposing sides of the channel 120.
Specifically, a first one of
the clip members 200 is coupled to a first linear section of the channel 120
that extends along the
axis A-A and a second one of the clip members 200 is coupled to a second
linear section of the
channel 120 that extends along the axis C-C. FIGS. 7A-7C are intended to show
that the clip
members 200 can move from side-to-side relative to the frame 100 along the
axis A-A. C-C of
the linear section of the channel 120 to which they are coupled while the clip
member 200
remains coupled to the frame 100. Stated another way, without disengaging the
clip member 200
from the frame 100 and while the first portion 201 of the clip member 200 is
located within the
channel 120 of the frame 100, the clip member 200 can slide or move relative
to the frame 100.
Furthermore, the frame apparatus 1000 could include four of the clip members
200 (i.e., one or
more coupled to each linear section of the channel 120), all of which are
movable/slidable as
illustrated described herein. Furthermore, more than one clip member 200 may
be coupled to
one of the linear sections of the channel 200, as discussed below with
reference to FIGS. 9A and
9B.
[00106] Referring to FIGS. 8A and 8B, the sliding movement of the clip
members 200
facilitates ensuring that the frame 100 is hung in a level manner. Ensuring a
level hang from a
wall is an important consideration in frame hanging. There are many devices in
existence which
are intended to assist a user in ensuring that frames hung from a wall are
level. However, the
clip members 200 are an advancement in that the same component that is used to
secure the
article within the frame 100 is also used to easily ensure that the frame 100
is hung in a level
manner.
[00107] FIG. 8A illustrates the frame 100 hung from a wall as seen through
the wall (the
wall is not illustrated in the drawings to enable the frame 100 to be seen). A
hanging element
250 is illustrated protruding from the wall. The hanging element 250 may be a
screw, a nail, or
any other component commonly used to hang frames, particularly frames that use
a sawtooth-
style hanger, from a wall. The hanging feature 220 of the clip member 200 is
made to engage
the hanging element 250. More specifically, the hanging element 250 is located
within one of
the notches 222 between adjacent ones of the teeth 221 of the hanging feature
220 of the clip
member 200. At first, the frame 100 is not level in that the two side surfaces
of the frame 100
are not perpendicular to the plane of the floor and the top and bottom
surfaces are not parallel
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with the plane of the floor (FIG. 8A). However, with the clip member 200, this
can be easily
remedied.
[00108] Specifically, in order to level the frame 100, a user can grip the
frame 100 and
move it along the wall to one side or the other while the hanging feature 220
of the clip member
200 remains engaged or coupled to the hanging element 250 protruding from the
wall so that the
clip member 200 moves relative to the frame 100 (or the frame 100 moves
relative to the clip
member 200). During this movement of the frame 100, the clip member 200 slides
within the
channel 120 relative to the frame 100, which assists in leveling the frame 100
as it hangs from
the wall. The location of the clip member 200 relative to the wall does not
change, but rather the
location of the frame 100 relative to the wall changes during this leveling
process. As can be
seen in FIG. 8B, the clip member 200, and more specifically the hanging
element 250, is
centered within the frame 100. This centering levels the frame 100 as it is
hung from the wall,
and this leveling is achieved without removing the frame 100 from the wall.
[00109] Referring to FIGS. 9A and 9B, the frame apparatus 1000 is
illustrated with two of
the clip members 200 coupled to the frame 100 within the same linear section
of the channel 120.
Although the channel 120 is not visible in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the details of its
structure and
location described above are applicable here. Similar to FIGS. 8A and 8B,
FIGS. 9A and 9B is a
view of the frame 100 hung from a wall as seen through the wall (the wall is
not illustrated in the
drawings to enable the frame 100 to be seen). In this embodiment, there are
two hanging
elements 251, 252 (i.e., screws, nails, or the like) protruding from the wall
to which it is desired
to hang the frame 100. The hanging feature 220 of each of the clip members 200
is coupled to
one of the hanging elements 251, 252.
[00110] The benefit of having two of the clip members 200 mounted in one of
the linear
sections of the channel 200 is as follows. As described in FIGS. 8A and 8B,
when only one clip
member 200 is used for hanging, the tilt/orientation of the frame 100 on the
wall will change as
the frame is slid side-to-side along the wall. By using two of the clip
members 200 in one of the
linear sections of the channel 200, the frame 100 can be slid side-to-side
along the wall without
changing the orientation at which it is hung from the wall. Specifically,
because there are two
hanging features 220 (one on each clip member 200), there are two contact
points between the
hanging elements 251, 252 and the frame apparatus 1000. Thus, as long as the
hanging elements
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251, 252 are located on the wall in an aligned manner (such that a plane
parallel to the floor of
the room intersects both of the hanging elements 251, 252), the frame 100 will
remain at a level
hanging orientation. This is true regardless of the movement of the frame 100
along the wall,
which is shown in FIG. 9B compared to FIG. 9A.
[00111] Referring to FIG. 10, an alternative embodiment of a frame 600 is
illustrated. The
frame 400 is identical to the frame 100 except for the frame profile.
Specifically, rather than
having straight perpendicular sides. the frame 600 has a curved front profile,
which may be used
depending on the desired aesthetic. Basically, many different frame profiles
can be used with the
inventive features described herein. Thus, FIG. 10 is intended to portray that
different frame
profiles may be used with the clip member 200. The frame 600 simply needs to
include a
channel (such as the channel 120) that is capable of or configured to interact
with the first
portion 201 of the clip member 200 to facilitate coupling of the clip member
200 to the frame
600. The rabbet 110 and the stack 601 therein may be similar to that which has
been described
in detail above.
[00112] FIGS. 11-12B illustrate an alternative embodiment of a frame
apparatus 2000 in
accordance with the present invention. Many of the features of the frame
apparatus 2000 are
similar to the frame apparatus 1000 and such features will not be described
herein below, it being
understood that the description above applies. Thus, only the new features or
different features
of the frame apparatus 2000 relative to the frame apparatus 1000 will be
described with reference
to FIGS. 11-12B.
[00113] The frame apparatus 2000 generally comprises a frame 2100, a clip
member 2200,
and a stack 2210 comprising a glazing 2300, a backer panel 2400, and an
article 2500 (although
the stack 2210 may omit the glazing 2300 and/or the backer panel 2400 and in
other
embodiments the stack 2210 may be a mirror or other article). The frame 2100
has a rabbet 2110
defined by a floor 2111 and a sidewall 2112 of the frame 2100. Furthermore, a
channel 2120 is
formed into the sidewall 2112 of the rabbet 2110. The channel 2120 is defined
by a top surface
2121, a sidewall surface 2122, and a bottom surface 2123. In this embodiment,
a protrusion
2124 extends from the bottom surface 2123 into the channel 2120 towards the
top surface 2121.
The protrusion 2124 comprises a leading edge 2125 having a chamfer, a top
surface 2126, and a
trailing edge 2127. The trailing edge 2127 of the protrusion 2124 is spaced
apart from the
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sidewall surface 2122 of the channel 2120 by a gap 2128. Furthermore, the top
surface 2121
also has a chamfered portion 2131 that facilitates insertion of the clip
member 2200 into the
channel 2120.
[00114] The stack is positioned within a rabbet 2110 of the frame 2100 and
is secured
within the rabbet 2110 by being sandwiched between a floor 2111 of the rabbet
2110 and the clip
member 2200 similar to the previously described embodiment. The main
differences between
the frame apparatus 2000 and the frame apparatus 1000 is the
shape/configuration of the channel
2120 and the shape/configuration of the clip member 2200, the details of which
will be described
below.
[00115] In this embodiment the clip member 2200 is a metal clip, although
it is not to be
limited as such in all embodiments. The clip member 2200 has a first portion
2201 and a second
portion 2202. More specifically, the clip member 220 comprises a base portion
2203, a first leg
2206, a second leg 2208, and a third leg 2210. In this embodiment, each of the
first, second, and
third legs 2206, 2208, 2210 extends from both opposing sides of the base
portion 2203.
Specifically, within the first portion 2201, the first leg 2206 extends from a
first side 2218 of the
base portion 2203 to a distal end 2207, the second leg 2208 extends from a
first side 2218 of the
base portion 2203 to a distal end 2209, and the third leg 2210 extends from a
first side 2218 of
the base portion 2203 to a distal end 2211. Within the second portion 2202,
the first leg 2206
extends from a second side 2219 of the base portion 2203 to a proximal end
2212, the second leg
2208 extends from a second side 2219 of the base portion 2203 to a proximal
end 2213, and the
third leg 2219 extends from a second side 2219 of the base portion 2203 to a
proximal end 2214.
[00116] The first portion 2201 of the clip member 2200 is inserted into the
channel 2120
to couple the clip member 2200 to the frame 2100 and the second portion 2202
of the clip
member 2200 is located outside of the channel 2120 and is used to secure the
stack 2210 within
the rabbet 2110 and to hang the frame 2100 from a wall. In that regard, in the
exemplified
embodiment the portion of the first leg 2206 that extends from the second side
2219 of the base
portion 2203 comprises a hanging feature 2220. More specifically, the hanging
feature 2220 is
formed into the proximal end 2212 of the first leg 2206 of the clip member
2200. In the
exemplified embodiment, the hanging feature 2220 is a sawtooth hanger as with
the previously
described embodiment of the clip member 200.
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[00117] The clip member 2200 is biased into an expanded state as
illustrated in FIG. 12B
and is configured to be capable of flexing into a flexed state as illustrated
in FIG. 12A. Thus, as
the clip member 2200 begins to be inserted into the channel 2120, the width of
the channel 2120
at an entryway section 2129 of the channel 2120 (where the protrusion 2124 is
located) causes
the clip member 2200 to flex and shrink in height by pivoting about an axis F-
F. Specifically, as
the clip member 2200 is translated into the channel 2120, the first leg 2206
rides along the stack
2210 and the top surface 2126 of the protrusion 2124 and the distal end 2209
of the second leg
2208 (and also the distal end 2211 of the third leg 2210 although not shown in
the drawings)
engage the chamfer 2131 of the top surface 2121 of the channel 2120. The
chamber 2131 causes
the clip member 2200 to flex such that the second and third legs 2208, 2210
pivot about the axis
F-F downwardly towards the first leg 2206. The clip member 2200 continues to
be translated
into the channel 2120 with the first leg 2206 riding along the top surface
2126 of the protrusion
2124 and the second and third legs 2208, 2210 abutting against the top surface
2121 of the
channel 2120.
[00118] As the first portion 2201 of the clip member 2200 passes beyond the
protrusion
2124, the first leg 2106 pivots downwardly about the axis F-F and enters into
a nesting section
2130 of the channel 2120. This is because the nesting section 2130 has a
greater height than the
height of the entryway section 2129. Due to the biasing nature of the clip
member 2200, as soon
as the height of the channel 2120 increases, the clip member 2200 pivots back
into its normal
biased state by the first leg 2206 pivoting about the axis F-F while the
second and third legs
2208, 2210 remain in contact with the top surface 2121 of the channel 2120.
[00119] Thus, the functionality and assembly of the frame apparatus 2000 is
similar to the
frame apparatus 1000 except there are minor differences in the structure of
the various
components, which will be better understood from reviewing the drawings which
form a part
hereof. The clip member 2200 retains the stack within the rabbet 2110 in much
the same way as
described above. Specifically, the second and third legs 2208, 2210 within the
second portion
2202 of the clip member 2200 compress the stack 2210 within the rabbet 2110.
The hanging
feature 2220 at the proximal end 2212 of the first leg 2206 is accessible for
hanging the frame
apparatus 2000 from a hanging element protruding from a wall. Furthermore, the
clip member
2200 is configured to slide within the channel 2120 while mounted to the frame
2000 to assist in
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level hanging of the frame apparatus 2000 in a similar manner to that
described above with
regard to the frame apparatus 1000.
[00120] Referring to FIGS. 13A and 13B, a frame apparatus 3000 is
illustrated. FIG. 13A
illustrates the frame apparatus 3000 in a landscape orientation and FIG. 13B
illustrates the same
frame apparatus 3000 in a portrait orientation. FIGS. 13A and 13B are intended
to show that the
clip members 3200 may be moved to different portions or linear sections of the
channels as
needed. Specifically, when in the landscape orientation of FIG. 13A, the clip
members 3200 are
on the top and bottom portions of the frame 3100. When in the portrait
orientation in FIG. 13B,
the clip members 3200 are on the top and bottom portions of the frame 3100
even though these
are different portions than in FIG. 13A.
[00121] In certain embodiments, it is desirable that two of the clip
members 200, 2200,
3200 (the numeral 200 is used for the remainder of this discussion for the
clip members, it being
understood that the same description applies to all of the clip members) are
used in any of the
frame assemblies described herein. Furthermore, such clip members 200 should
be located on
opposite sides of the channel rather than adjacent sides of the channel to
ensure that the clip
members 200 adequately retain the stack within the rabbet of the frame. The
top and bottom are
the preferable locations so that the top clip member 200 can also be used to
hang the frame
apparatus from a wall as described herein.
[00122] FIG. 13C illustrates an alternative embodiment in which the frame
apparatus 3000
includes four of the clip members 3200, one on each of the sides or linear
sections of the
channel. In other embodiments, for example as discussed above with reference
to FIGS. 9A and
9B, more than one of the clip members may be located within one or more of the
linear sections
of the channel. Although any number of the clip members 3200 may be used, it
is preferable that
at least two are used. Although the maximum number illustrated is four of the
clip members
3200, more than four of the clip members 3200 may be used depending on the
dimensions of the
frame to which they are coupled or mounted.
[00123] Referring to FIGS. 14-16, a frame apparatus 4000 and a clip member
4200 thereof
is illustrated. The frame apparatus 4000 generally comprises a frame 4100 that
retains a stack
4010 and one or more of the clip members 4200 detachably coupled to the frame
4100 such that
the clip members 4200 are slidable within the channel of the frame 4100 when
the clip members
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4200 are coupled thereto. The structural details of the frame 4100 are
essentially identical to
those of the frame 100 described above, and thus it will not be repeated
herein for brevity it
being understood that the description of the frame 100 provided above is
applicable. The
difference between the frame apparatus 4000 and the frame apparatus 1000 is in
the structure of
the clip members 4200 as described below.
[00124] The clip members 4200 are similar to the clip members 200 except
that they have
an extended length so that they take up more of the linear length of the
linear section of the
channel within which they are mounted. This enables the clip members 4200 to
be better suited
for retaining the stack 4010 within the rabbet of the frame 4100. Thus, the
clip member 4200
still has a first leg 4206 similar to the first leg 206 of the clip member
100. The first leg 4206
extends from a base portion 4203 to a distal end 4207. The edge of the first
leg 4206 opposite
the distal end 4207 forms a hanging feature 4220 for hanging the frame 4100
from a wall.
Furthermore, the clip member 4200 has a second leg 4208 extending from the
base portion 4203
to a distal end 4209 and a third leg 4210 extending from the base portion 4203
to a distal end
4211. However, in this embodiment the second leg 4208 is connected to a fourth
leg 4240 via an
extender 4241 and the third leg 4209 is connected to a fifth leg 4242 via an
extender 4243. The
second and fourth legs 4208, 4240 and the third and fifth legs 4210, 4242
collectively form the
stack retaining feature of the clip members 4200 because those legs contact
the rear of the stack
4010 and secure it within the rabbet when the clip members 4200 are coupled to
the frame 4100
as has been described herein above.
[00125] Referring to FIGS. 17-19, another embodiment of a frame apparatus
5000 and a
clip member 5200 thereof is illustrated in accordance with the present
invention. The frame
apparatus 5000 generally comprises a frame 5100 that retains a stack 5010 and
one or more of
the clip members 5200 detachably coupled to the frame 5100 such that the clip
members 5200
are slidable within the channel of the frame 5100 when the clip members 5200
are coupled to the
frame 5100. The frame apparatus 5000 is identical to the frame apparatus 4000
previously
described except for a minor variation in the structure of the clip members
5200, as described
below.
[00126] The difference between the clip members 5200 and the clip members
4200 is that
the length of each of the legs is increased. Thus, the structure of the clip
member 5200 is
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identical to the structure of the clip member 4200, except each feature is
longer. This again
provides a potential for increased retention of the stack 5010 within the
rabbet of the frame 5100.
Furthermore, this increases the length of the hanging feature 5220 which
better enables a user to
ensure that a part of the hanging feature 5220 comes into contact with a
hanging element
protruding from a wall when it is time to hang the frame apparatus 5000 from a
wall.
[00127] Although described herein as being a frame (such as one that is
used to protect
and display photographs or the like), the concepts described herein may also
be applicable to a
mirror. Thus, the stack 10 may simply be a mirror in some embodiments.
Specifically, a mirror
may be hung from a wall or vertical surface using one of the clip members
described herein to
facilitate a level hanging of the mirror. Such a mirror might be placed within
a frame, and the
clip members would be coupled to the frame in a similar manner to that which
has been
described herein above. Furthermore, any other apparatus aside from frames and
mirrors,
including without limitation shelves, storage boxes, cabinets, or the like
that may be desirable to
hang from a wall may be used in conjunction with the clip members described
herein to facilitate
a level hanging of that apparatus or object.
[00128] FIGS. 20-40B illustrate a frame apparatus 6000 and related
accessories in
accordance with an embodiment that is distinct from the description of FIGS. 1-
19 provided
herein above. It is possible that the same term or phrase may be used to
describe different
features of the invention of FIGS. 20-40B as compared with the invention(s) of
FIGS. 1-19.
Thus, for FIGS. 20-40B, the below description applies such that if a term is
used in a way that
conflicts with how that same term was used above to describe features of FIGS.
1-19, it should
be appreciated that the definition provided below is applicable. Nonetheless,
certain details of
some of the structural components will not be repeated herein below in the
interest of brevity, it
being understood that the description above may be applicable. For example,
the description
above with regard to the manufacture and materials of the frame 100 is equally
applicable to the
frame described below. Thus, reliance on the above description for some
features of the
invention(s) described below should be permitted to the extent that the
description above does
not conflict with the description below.
[00129] Referring to FIGS. 20-23, the frame apparatus 6000 is illustrated
in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention. The frame apparatus 6000
generally comprises a
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support structure 6100 and at least one hanging element 6200 that is slidably
coupled to the
support structure 6100 and is configured to mount the support structure 6100
from a support
surface such as a wall or the like. Specifically, the hanging element 6200
comprises features that
permit hanging of the frame apparatus 6000 from a support surface. For
example, the hanging
element 6200 may include notches or the like that receive a screw, nail, or
other fastener that is
coupled to and protruding from the support surface (i.e., a wall). Thus, as
will be appreciated
from the description provided below, the hanging element 6200 can slide
relative to the support
structure 6100 while remaining coupled to the support structure 6100. This
enables the support
structure 6100 to move side-to-side along a support surface (such as a wall or
the like) while the
hanging element 6200 remains coupled to the support structure 6100 and while
the hanging
element 6200 remains coupled to the support surface via a fastener.
[00130] The support structure 6100 comprises a frame 6110 and a backer
panel 6150.
Furthermore, the support structure 6100 comprises a front surface 6101, a rear
surface 6102, a
top edge 6103, a bottom edge 6104, a first lateral edge 6105, and a second
lateral edge 6106. In
the exemplified embodiment, the support structure 6100 comprises a
conventional-type frame
6110 that has a rabbet for retaining the stack that includes the backer panel
6150. However, the
invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments and the support structure
6100 may comprise
a frame upon which canvas is stretched and may also include a backer panel. In
yet another
embodiment, the support structure 6100 may comprise a frame that supports a
mirror and may
also include a backer panel.
[00131] The support structure 6100 comprises a longitudinal axis A-A
extending between
the top and bottom edges 6103, 6014 and a transverse axis B-B extending
between the first and
second lateral edges 6105, 6106. The longitudinal axis A-A may be generally
parallel to the first
and second lateral edges 6105, 6106 and the transverse axis B-B may be
generally parallel to the
top and bottom edges 6103. 6104. Furthermore, the longitudinal axis A-A may be
located
equidistant from the first and second lateral edges 6105, 6106 and the
transverse axis B-B may
be located equidistant from the top and bottom edges 6103. 6104. The
longitudinal and
transverse axes A-A, B-B are orthogonal or perpendicular to one another and
intersect along a
center-point CP of the support structure 6100. In the exemplified embodiment,
the support
structure 6100 is square or rectangular shaped, although the invention is not
to be so limited and
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the support structure 6100 may take on any desired shape in other embodiments,
including
circular, hexagonal, pentagonal, irregular, or the like.
[00132] The frame 6110 comprises an inner surface 6111, an outer surface
6112, a front
surface 6113 and a rear surface 6114. The front surface 6113 of the frame 6110
forms an
entirety of the front surface 6101 of the support structure 6100 and the rear
surface 6114 of the
frame 6110 forms a portion of the rear surface 6102 of the support structure
6100 (the remainder
of the rear surface 6102 of the support structure 6100 being formed by the
backer panel 6150).
In other embodiments the rear surface 6114 of the frame 6110 may not form any
part of the rear
surface 6102 of the support structure 6100, which may instead be formed
entirely by the backer
panel 6150. For example, the backer panel 6150 may cover the entirety of the
rear surface 6114
of the frame 6110. This may occur in situations where the frame is supporting
canvas and the
backer panel 6150 is affixed to the rear surface 6114 of the frame 6110 (such
as by staples or
other fasteners). The inner surface 6111 of the frame 6110 defines a display
opening 6115
through which an article or item that is retained by the frame 6110 may be
displayed for viewing.
The frame 6110 also comprises a rabbet 6116 defined by a floor 6117 and a wall
6118 of the
frame 6110. Specifically, the wall 6118 extends from the rear surface 6114 of
the frame 6110 to
the floor 6117, and the floor 6117 extends from the wall 6118 inwardly towards
the display
opening 6115.
[00133] The rabbet 6116 forms a ledge upon which a stack 6190 is
positioned. The stack
6190 comprises the backer panel 6150, a glazing 6191, and an article or item
6192 that is
intended to be displayed. The article 6192 may be a photograph, diploma,
artwork, poster, print,
or other flat article having a design indicia thereon or any other item that
is desired to be
displayed by the frame apparatus 6000. Alternatively, in some embodiments the
article 6192
may be a mirror and in such embodiments the glazing 6191 may be omitted. In
still other
embodiments, the article 6192 may be a three-dimensional object that a person
desires to frame
for display. Thus, the article 6192 may be any object that is conventionally
framed by persons
desiring to display that article.
[00134] The glazing 6191 may be a transparent panel formed of any desired
material,
preferably glass or plastic, through which the article 6192 can be viewed. The
glazing 6191
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comprises a front surface 6194 that is exposed to a user when the frame
apparatus 6000 is being
displayed and a rear surface 6195 opposite the front surface 6194.
[00135] The backer panel 6150 can be formed of hard or soft plastic
materials, such as any
of the thermoplastics including polymers and copolymers of ethylene, propylene
(i.e.,
polypropylene), olefins, butadiene, vinyl compounds and polyesters. The backer
panel 6150 may
also be formed of medium density fiberboard (-MDF"), corrugate, or the like if
so desired.
Alternatively, the backer panel 6150 can be formed of cardboard, wood, metal
or other materials.
In some embodiments, the backer panel 6150 should be sufficiently rigid and
strong to support
the weight of the support structure 6100 when hanging from a wall. The backer
panel 6150
comprises a front surface 6151 and a rear surface 6152 opposite the front
surface 6151. The
backer panel 6150 may be a flat, planar structure such that the front and rear
surfaces 6151, 6152
are planar and parallel to one another. As noted above, in the exemplified
embodiment the rear
surface 6152 of the backer panel 6150 and the rear surface 6114 of the frame
6110 collectively
form the rear surface 6102 of the support structure 6100. The backer panel
6150 need not be
transparent because the article 6192 is not typically viewed through the
backer panel 6150.
[00136] In the exemplified embodiment, the frame apparatus 6000 includes
glazier points
6193 to retain the stack 6190 in the rabbet 6116. Specifically, the glazier
points 6193 are
coupled to the wall 6118 of the rabbet 6116 and extend inwardly towards the
display opening
6115. When the stack 619 is located in the rabbet 6116, the glazier points
6193 are bent
downwardly to hold the stack 6190 in place within the rabbet 6116. Of course,
alternative
mechanisms may be used for this purpose, such as turn buttons, flex tabs, or
the like.
[00137] In use, the stack 6190 is placed in the rabbet 6116 and secured
therein using the
glazier points 6193. When the stack 6190 is assembled in the frame 6110, the
article 6192 is
sandwiched between the rear surface 6195 of the glazing 6191 and the front
surface 6152 of the
backer panel 6150. Thus, the backer panel 6150 and the glazing 6191 provide a
layer of
protection to the front and rear surfaces of the article 6192. Because the
glazing 6191 is
transparent, the article 6192 can be viewed through the glazing 6191.
[00138] Although in the exemplified embodiment the backer panel 6150 is
located within
the rabbet 6116 of the frame 6110 so that a portion of the rear surface 6114
of the frame 6110 is
exposed, this structure and assembly is not required in all embodiments. In
other embodiments,
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the backer panel 6150 may cover the entirety of the rear surface 6114 of the
frame 6110 so that
the backer panel 6150 alone makes up the entirety of the rear surface 6102 of
the support
structure 6100. Furthermore, in the exemplified embodiment the rear surface
6114 of the frame
6110 and the rear surface 6152 of the backer panel 6150 collectively form the
rear surface 6102
of the support structure 6100. However, in other embodiments there may be
additional brackets
or the like coupled to the rear surface 6162 of the backer panel 6150 or to
the rear surface 6114
of the frame 6110, and such additional brackets would be considered to form a
portion of the rear
surface 6102 of the support structure 6100. Thus, if a bracket member were
coupled to the rear
surface 6162 of the backer panel 6150 (or even to the rear surface 6114 of the
frame 6110), such
bracket member would be deemed to form a portion of the rear surface 6102 of
the support
structure 6100.
[00139] Referring to FIGS. 21 and 22, a plurality of slots 6300 are located
along the rear
surface 6102 of the support structure 6100. The slots 6300 are intended to
facilitate the coupling
of the hanging elements 6200 to the support structure 6100. In the exemplified
embodiment,
each of the slots 6300 is an aperture formed into and through the backer panel
6150. Thus, each
of the slots 6300 forms an aperture or hole that extends entirely through the
backer panel 6150
from the front surface 6151 of the backer panel 6150 to the rear surface 6152
of the backer panel
6150. However, the invention is not to be so limited in all embodiments.
Specifically, in
alternative embodiments the slots 6300 may be formed into the rear surface
6114 of the frame
6110 instead of or in addition to being formed into the backer panel 6150.
Moreover, in still
other embodiments a bracket may be coupled to the rear surface 6102 of the
support structure
6100 (via either the backer panel 6150 or the frame 6110) and the bracket may
comprise the slots
6300. In any of these embodiments, the slots 6300 are deemed to be located on
the rear surface
6102 of the support structure 6100.
[00140] Moreover, although in the exemplified embodiment the slots 6300 are
illustrated
and described for coupling the hanging elements 6200 to the support structure
6100, in other
embodiments the slots 6300 may be replaced with protuberances that are
configured to engage
the hanging elements 6200 for coupling the hanging elements 6200 to the
support structure 6100.
In still other embodiments, the slots 6300 may be formed by a space between
two protuberances
that protrude from the rear surface 6102 of the support structure 6100 rather
than being formed
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by an aperture. Thus, in some embodiments the slots 6300 may merely be
described as mounting
elements, without being limited to a specific type of mounting element, such
that the mounting
elements located on the rear surface 6102 of the support structure 6100 could
be slots/apertures,
protuberances, or any other type of feature that will achieve the desired
function of coupling the
hanging elements 6200 to the support structure 6100 such that the hanging
elements 6200 are
slidable relative to the support structure 6100 when coupled thereto.
[00141] In the exemplified embodiment, the plurality of slots 6300
comprises a first slot
6301, a second slot 6302, a third slot 6303, a fourth slot 6304, a fifth slot
6305 and a sixth slot
6306. While the drawings illustrate one possible configuration of the slots
6301-6306, the slots
6301-6306 may be positioned in other locations or in other patterns along the
rear surface 6102
of the support structure 6100 in other embodiments. Thus, although two spaced
apart slots are
illustrated along the top of the rear surface 6102 of the support structure
6100, this may be
formed by a single slot or more than two slots. The same is true of the slots
that are located
along the sides and bottom of the rear surface 6102 of the support structure
6100. Furthermore,
although slots are illustrated as being located along each of the top, bottom,
and opposing sides
of the rear surface 6102 of the support structure 6100, in other embodiments
there may only be
slots along one or two of these regions. Thus, there is a significant amount
of variation possible
within the scope of the teachings set forth herein.
[00142] The size and dimensions of the slots 6300 may be dependent on the
size of the
support structure 6200 on which they are located and each support structure
6200 may have slots
6300 of different size thereon. In some embodiments each of the slots 6300 may
have the same
width (measured in a direction transverse to its length), which may be between
0.2 and 0.3
inches. Furthermore, the lengths of the slots (measured along the respective
axis of each slot)
may be between 3.25 inches and 7 inches, depending on the size of the support
structure 6200.
For example, if the support structure 6200 comprises a 12x18 or 16x20 inch
frame, the slots may
have a length between 3.25 and 3.5 inches, whereas if the support structure
6200 comprises a
24x36 or 27x40 inch frame, the slots may have a length between 3.25 and 7
inches. Of course,
these provided lengths are merely examples and the lengths of the slots 6300
could be outside of
the noted ranges in other embodiments. Furthermore, the slots 6300 will be
described herein as
being located adjacent to a particular edge of the support structure 6100
(i.e., top, bottom, or
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lateral edge). In some embodiments the slots 6300 may be spaced apart from the
edge that it is
adjacent to by between 2 and 4 inches, or more particularly between 2.5 and 3
inches.
[00143] In the exemplified embodiment, the first and second slots 6301,
6302 are located
adjacent to the top edge 6103 of the support structure 6100 and are elongated
along a first axis C-
C. Although the first and second slots 6301, 6302 are spaced apart from the
top edge 6103, they
are closer to the top edge 6103 than any of the other slots and extend in the
same direction as the
top edge 6103. Thus, in the exemplified embodiment, the first axis C-C is
parallel to the top
edge 6103 of the support structure 6100. Furthermore, in the exemplified
embodiment the first
and second slots 6301, 6302 are spaced apart from one another along the first
axis C-C by a gap
6307. However, the first and second slots 6301, 6302 could be combined into a
single elongated
slot in other embodiments rather than being formed from two distinct spaced
apart slots. The
third slot 6303 is located adjacent to the bottom edge 6104 of the support
structure 6100 and is
elongated along a third axis E-E that may be parallel to the bottom edge 6104
of the support
structure 6100. In the exemplified embodiment, the third axis E-E is parallel
to the first axis C-
C. Although the third slot 6303 is spaced apart from the bottom edge 6104, it
is closer to the
bottom edge 6104 than any of the other slots and extends in the same direction
as the bottom
edge 6104. Although the third slot 6303 is illustrated as being a singular
slot, it may be formed
from multiple spaced apart slots (similar to the first and second slots 6301,
6302) in other
embodiments. In the exemplified embodiment, the first and second slots 6301,
6302 are located
on a first side of the transverse axis B-B and the third slot 6303 is located
on a second side of the
transverse axis B-B.
[00144] The third slot 6303 is positioned so that it is aligned with the
first and second slots
6301, 6302 and also with the gap 6307. Stated another way, an axis that is
parallel to the
longitudinal axis A-A exists that intersects the third slot 6303 and the first
slot 6301, another axis
that is parallel to the longitudinal axis A-A exists that intersects the third
slot 6303 and the
second slot 6302, and yet another axis that is parallel to the longitudinal
axis A-A (or that is the
longitudinal axis A-A) exists that intersects the third slot 6303 and the gap
6307. Of course,
different arrangements for the first, second, and third slots 6301, 6302, 6303
are possible without
affecting the function of the frame apparatus 6000.
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[00145] The fourth and fifth slots 6304, 6305 are located adjacent to the
first lateral edge
6105 of the support structure 6100 and are elongated along a second axis D-D
that may be
parallel to the first lateral edge 6105. Although the third and fourth slots
6304, 6305 are spaced
apart from the first lateral edge 6105, they are closer to the first lateral
edge 6105 than any of the
other slots and extend in the same direction as the first lateral edge 6105.
In the exemplified
embodiment, the fourth and fifth slots 6304, 6305 are spaced apart from one
another along the
second axis D-D by a gap 6308. However, the fourth and fifth slots 6304, 6305
could be
combined into a single elongated slot in other embodiments rather than being
formed from two
distinct spaced apart slots. The sixth slot 6306 is located adjacent to the
second lateral edge 6106
of the support structure 6100 and is elongated along a fourth axis F-F that
may be parallel to the
second lateral edge 6106. Although the sixth slot 6306 is spaced apart from
the second lateral
edge 6106, it is closer to the second edge 6106 than any of the other slots
and extends in the
same direction as the second lateral edge 6106. Of course, the sixth slot 6306
could be formed
from multiple spaced apart slots rather than being a singular slot in other
embodiments. In the
exemplified embodiment, the fourth axis F-F is parallel to the second axis D-
D. Furthermore, in
the exemplified embodiment the first and third axes C-C, E-E are
orthogonal/perpendicular to the
second and fourth axes D-D, F-F. In the exemplified embodiment, the fourth and
fifth slots
6304, 6305 are located on a first side of the longitudinal axis A-A and the
sixth slot 6306 is
located on a second side of the longitudinal axis A-A.
[00146] The sixth slot 6306 is positioned so that it is aligned with the
fourth and fifth slots
6304, 6305 and also with the gap 6308. Stated another way, an axis that is
parallel to the
transverse axis B-B exists that intersects the sixth slot 6306 and the fourth
slot 6304, another axis
that is parallel to the transverse axis B-B exists that intersects the sixth
slot 6306 and the fifth slot
6305, and yet another axis that is parallel to the transverse axis B-B (or
that is the transverse axis
B-B) exists that intersects the sixth slot 6306 and the gap 6308. Of course,
different
arrangements for the fourth, fifth, and sixth slots 6304, 6305, 6306 are
possible without
detracting from the function of the frame apparatus 6000.
[00147] Each of the plurality of slots 6300 has a length measured in a
direction of the axis
upon which it is elongated. Some of the slots 6300 may have the same length as
some of the
other slots, but this is not required. In the exemplified embodiment, it
appears that the first and
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second slots 6301. 6302 have the same length and the fourth and fifth slots
6304, 6305 have the
same length (although it is a different length than the first and second slots
6301, 6302).
Furthermore, the third and sixth slots 6303, 6306 appear to have different
lengths relative to one
another and relative to each of the other slots. As will be described in more
detail below, each of
the slots 6301-6306 should have a length that is greater than a length of the
hanging element
6200 to enable the hanging element 6200 to slide side-to-side within any of
the slots 6301-6306
within which it is located when it is coupled to the support structure 6100.
There may also be
different hanging elements 6200 with different lengths so that an appropriate
hanging element
6200 may be selected to be coupled to the support structure 6100 depending on
which of the
plurality of slots 6300 that it will be positioned within.
[00148] Although there are slots located adjacent to each of the top,
bottom, and first and
second lateral edges 6103, 6104, 6105, 6106 of the support structure 6100 in
the exemplified
embodiment, this is not required in all embodiments. Thus, in some embodiments
there may be
one or more slots located adjacent to one of the top and bottom edges 6103,
6104 and one or
more slots located adjacent to one of the first and second lateral edges 6105,
6105. This will
enable the support structure 6100 to be hung in either a portrait or landscape
orientation. Thus,
in some embodiments the frame apparatus 6000 may include at least one slot
that is elongated
along the first axis C-C and at least one slot that is elongated along the
second axis D-D.
However, incorporating slots into the rear surface 6102 of the support
structure 6100 adjacent to
each of the edges thereof provides a greater degree of flexibility in the
hanging of the support
structure 6100 from a support surface.
[00149] As noted above, one of the hanging elements 6200 may be coupled to
the support
structure 6100 within any of one or more of the slots 6301-6306. For example,
first and second
hanging elements 6200 may be coupled to the support structure 6100 such that
one of the first
and second hanging elements 6200 extends into and through each of the first
and second slots
6301, 6302. Alternatively, a single hanging element 6200 may be coupled to the
support
structure 6100 along/within the third slot 6303. The same is true of the
fourth and fifth slots
6304, 6305 or the sixth slot 6306 depending on whether the support structure
6100 is being hung
in a portrait or landscape orientation.
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[00150] Referring to FIGS. 24A-24C. the hanging element 6200 is illustrated
in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The hanging element
6200 generally
comprises a coupling portion 6210 for coupling the hanging element 6200 to the
support
structure 6100 and a mounting portion 6250 for coupling the hanging element
6200 to a fastener
(i.e., nail, screw, etc.) on the support surface. To couple the hanging
element 6200 to the support
structure 6100, the coupling portion 6210 is inserted into one of the
plurality of slots 6300. Once
the hanging element 6200 is coupled to the support structure 6100, the
mounting portion 6250 of
the hanging element 6200 protrudes from the rear surface 6102 of the support
structure 6100 so
that it can be mounted to/hung from a fastener. The hanging element(s) 6200
may be formed of
any desired rigid material that is capable of supporting the weight of the
support structure 6100,
such as without limitation plastic, wood, metal, or the like.
[00151] The coupling portion 6210 of the hanging element 6200 comprises a
first portion
6211 and second and third portions 6212, 6213 that extend from the first
portion 6211 in
opposite directions. Specifically, in the exemplified embodiment the second
portion 6212
extends upwardly from the first portion 6211 and the third portion 6213
extends downwardly
from the first portion 6211. In the exemplified embodiment, the second and
third portions 6212,
6213 each extend perpendicularly from the first portion 6211. When the hanging
element 6200
is coupled to the support structure 6100, the first portion 6211 of the
coupling portion 6210 is at
least partially located in one of the plurality of slots 6300 and the second
and third portions 6212,
6213 are in contact with the front surface 6151 of the backer panel 6150. The
second and third
portions 6212, 6213 operate to prevent the hanging element 6200 from being
readily decoupled
from the support structure 6100 because it requires some angling, twisting,
and turning of the
hanging element 6200 to pull the second and third portion 6212, 6213 through
the slot that the
hanging element 6200 is located within.
[00152] The mounting portion 6250 comprises a first portion 6251 and a
second portion
6252 that extends downwardly from the first portion 6251 in a substantially
perpendicular
manner. The second portion 6252 terminates in a distal edge 6253 that has an
undulating or
wave-like appearance. Specifically, the distal edge 6253 comprises a plurality
of spaced apart
receiving notches 6254, each of which is configured to receive a portion of a
fastener (i.e., screw,
nail, etc.) to mount the hanging element 6200 to a support surface. Of course,
the
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configuration/structure of the distal edge 6253 is merely exemplary and the
distal edge 6253
could be in the form of a sawtooth hanger or the like in other embodiments
without affecting its
function. Alternatively, the distal edge 6253 could be a planar edge (or non-
planar but without
the receiving notches 6254) intended to cooperate with a bracket that is
mounted to the support
surface.
[00153] Referring sequentially to FIGS. 25A-25E, the manner in which the
hanging
element 6250 is coupled to the support structure 6100 will be described. As
noted above, in the
exemplified embodiment the plurality of slots 6300 are openings or apertures
formed through the
backer panel 6150, and thus the description regarding the coupling of the
hanging element 6250
to the support structure 6100 will be provided with regard to this exemplary
embodiment.
However, it should be appreciated that the plurality of slots 6300 need not be
formed as openings
in the backer panel 6150 in all embodiments and the hanging elements 6200 may
be coupled to
the support structure 6100 using techniques that differ from that which is
described herein.
Specifically, the slots 6300 may be cutouts or channels formed into the frame
6110 or they may
be openings formed into a bracket that is coupled to the frame 6110 or the
backer panel 6150.
[00154] The backer panel 6150 will generally not be located within the
rabbet 6116 of the
frame 6110 during the process of coupling the hanging elements 6200 to the
support structure
6100 because the process requires adequate spacing on both opposing sides of
the backer panel
6150. This is depicted in FIG. 25A with the backer panel 6150 spaced apart
from the article
6192 and glazing 6191. As shown in FIGS. 25A and 25B, the hanging element 6200
is aligned
with one of the slots (the first slot 6301 is being used in the figures, but
this same process would
be used to couple the hanging element 6200 to any one of the slots) and then
moved towards the
first slot 6301 until a portion of the hanging element 6200 extends into the
first slot 6301. Next,
the hanging element 6200 is pivoted/rotated until the first portion 6211 of
the coupling portion
6210 is located within the first slot 6301, the second and third portions
6212, 6213 of the
coupling portion 6210 are located adjacent to the front surface 6151 of the
backer panel 6150,
and the mounting portion 6250 extends from the rear surface 6152 of the backer
panel 6150, as
shown in FIG. 25C.
[00155] Next, referring to FIG. 25D, the backer panel 6150 with the hanging
element 6200
coupled thereto is flipped 180 about its axis so that the front surface 6151
of the backer panel
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6150 faces the article 6192 and the glazing 6191., Finally, referring to FIG.
25E, the backer
panel 6150 may be move towards the glazing 6191. and article 6192 until the
front surface 6151
of the backer panel 6150 is adjacent to the article 6192. Once fully
assembled, the second and
th i rd portions 6212, 621.3 of the coupling port ion 6210 of the hanging
element 6200 arc
positioned between the front surface 61.51 of the backer panel. 6150 and the
.:trticieigluzing 6191,
61.91 Of course, if the article 6192 is also in the rabbet (i116 not shown in
FIG. 25E), the
second and third portions 6212, 6213 of the coupling portion 6210 will be
located directly
between the front surface 6151. of the backer panel 61.50 and the article
6192, but. they will also
be located between the backer panel 6150 and the glazing 6191. with the
article 6192 forming an
Intervening layer. Either way, once in this assembled state the hanging
element 6200 cannot be
readily separated from. the backer panel 61.50 without reversing the steps
provided above.
Furthermore, when the hanging element 6200 is coupled to the support structure
6100, the
mounting portion 6250 protrudes from. the rear surface 6102 of the support
structure 6100.
1001561 FIG. 26 illustrates the frame apparatus 6000 with three of the
hanging elements
6200 coupled to the support structure 61.00 within three different ones of the
plurality of slots
6300. Of' course, the exact slots with in. which the hanging elements 6200 are
located may be
modified as desired. Thus, there may only be a hanging element 6200 located
within the sixth
slot 6306, or there may only be banging elements 6200 in each of the first and
second slots 6301,
6302, or the like. in certain embodiments, the frame apparatus 6000 is sold
with three of the
hanging elements 6200 already coupled to the support structure 6100 as shown
in FIG. 26, A.
user may use the process described above in FIGS. 25A-25E to relocate one of
the 'hanging
elements 6200 to be within a different one of the slots, but at the time of
purchase one or more of
th.e hanging elements 6200 may already be coupled to the support structure.
6100.
1001571 Each of the hanging elements 6200 extends from a first end 620.1.
to a second end
62.02 and has a length L1. measured between the first and second ends 6201,
6202, the length L I
being measured in the direction of the axis of the slot within which the
hanging element 6200 is
positioned. The length L.1 may be between 1.5 and. 2 inches, and more
specifically L875 inches
in some embodiments. however, the length 1..J. may also be outside of the
above, noted range in
other embodiments,
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-11
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[00158] As noted above, each of the slots 6301-6306 has a length measured
in the
direction of its axis. The length of each of the slots 6301-6306 is greater
than the length Li of
the hanging elements 6200 (the minimum slot length noted above was 3.25
inches, which is
greater than the maximum hanger element length Li of 2 inches). As a result,
the slots 6301-
6306 are longer than the hanging elements 6200, which provides for space
within the slots 6301-
6306 for the hanging elements 6200 to slide side-to-side along the respective
axis of the slot
6301-6306. The difference between the slot length and the hanger element
length is the distance
that the support structure 6100 is able to move horizontally along the support
surface. Thus, for
example, the hanging element 6200 that is positioned within the first slot
6301 is able to slide
side-to-side in opposing directions along the first axis C-C. Similarly, the
hanging element 6200
that is positioned within the second slot 6302 is able to slide side-to-side
in opposing directions
along the first axis C-C. Furthermore, the hanging element 6200 that is
positioned within the
sixth slot 6306 is able to slide side-to-side in opposing directions along the
fourth axis F-F.
[00159] The sliding of the hanging elements 6200 is achieved without
detaching the
hanging elements 6200 from the support structure 6100. Thus, the hanging
elements 6200
remain coupled to the support structure 6100, or more specifically the backer
panel 6150, and
can slide side-to-side within the specific slot that they are coupled to. The
advantage here is that
the support structure 6100 can be moved horizontally along a support surface
(i.e., a wall) while
the hanging elements 6200 are coupled to a fastener protruding from the wall
by simply moving
the support structure 6100 horizontally, which results in the hanging elements
6200 moving
within the slots 6301-6306 (by way of the support structure 6100 moving
relative to the hanging
elements 6200, which remain static). This horizontal movement of the support
structure 6100
can be done while the hanging element 6200 remains mounted to/hanging from the
fastener.
This horizontal movement of the support structure 6100 may also be used to
level the orientation
at which the support structure 6100 is hung, particularly when only a single
hanging element
6200 and a single fastener are used.
[00160] FIG. 27 is a schematic cross-section illustrating the frame
apparatus 6000 hanging
from a support surface 6099. The support surface 6099 is a wall in the
exemplified embodiment,
but it may be any surface from which it is desired to hang the support
structure 6100. The
support surface 6099 may be a vertical surface, but this is not required in
all embodiments. In
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FIG. 27 a fastener 6098 is illustrated coupled to the support surface 6099 so
that a first portion
6097 of the fastener 6098 is embedded within the support surface 6099 and a
second portion
6096 of the fastener 6098 protrudes from the support surface 6099.
Specifically, in the
exemplified embodiment the fastener 6098 is a screw, although the invention is
not to be so
limited and the fastener 6098 could be a nail or any other type of fastener or
hardware that is
generally used for hanging items from a wall. For example, the fastener 6098
could be a bracket
that is coupled to the support surface 6099 and that is configured to
cooperatively engage the
hanging element 6200 to hang the support structure 6100 from the support
surface 6099. The
frame apparatus 6000 is hung from the support surface 6099 by placing the
second portion 6096
of the fastener 6098 that protrudes from the support surface 6099 into one of
the receiving
notches 6254 of the hanging element 6200. Of course, multiple fasteners 6098
may protrude
from the support surface 6099 and be placed within different ones of the
receiving notches 6254
if so desired. Once hung, the support structure 6100 may be slid side-to-side
along the support
surface 6099 to either level the hanging orientation of the support structure
6100 (when only one
fastener is used) or to change the horizontal location at which the support
structure 6100 is
hanging from the support surface 6099 (when two or more fasteners are used).
[00161] Referring to FIGS. 28A-28B, the frame apparatus 6000 is illustrated
mounted to a
support surface (not shown) by a single one of the fasteners 6098. In this
embodiment, the
support structure 6100 is in a portrait orientation and a single hanging
element 6200 is used to
hang the support structure 6100 from a single fastener 6098. The hanging
element 6200 is
slidably coupled to the support structure 6100 within the sixth slot 6306. In
FIG. 28A, the
support structure 6100 is not hung in a level manner, which is a common issue
when hanging
frames from a wall. However, because the hanging element 6200 can slide within
the sixth slot
6306 without detaching the hanging element 6200 from the support structure
6100 and without
detaching the hanging element 6200 from the fastener 6098, a user can easily
correct the
orientation at which the support structure 6100 is hanging.
[00162] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 28A, the hanging element 6200 can be
slid within
the sixth slot 6306 in the direction of the arrow Y by moving the support
structure 6100 in the
direction of the arrow Z to arrive at the positioning of the hanging element
6200 shown in FIG.
28B. As seen, by sliding the hanging element 6200 relative to the support
structure 6100 (or,
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equivalently, sliding the support structure 6100 along the support surface
relative to the hanging
element 6200), the orientation at which the support structure 6100 is hanging
from the support
surface can be corrected so that the support structure 6100 is hanging in a
level manner.
Moreover, even in the portrait orientation where only one of the hanging
elements 6200 is used,
the single hanging element 6200 may be hung from two (or more) of the
fasteners 6098. This
will enable horizontal movement of the support structure 6100 on the support
surface rather than
level hanging control.
[00163] FIGS. 29A and 29B illustrate the frame apparatus 6000 being hung
from a support
surface (not shown) by two of the fasteners 6098. Specifically, in this
embodiment there are two
hanging elements 6200 being used to hang the support structure 6100 from the
support surface,
including one hanging element 6200 located within the first slot 6301 and one
hanging element
6200 located within the second slot 6302. Each of the hanging elements 6200 is
hanging from a
single fastener 6098 that is protruding from the support surface, although
each hanging element
6200 may be hanging from multiple fasteners 6098 if so desired.
[00164] As long as the fasteners 6098 are positioned in the support surface
in a level
manner, the support structure 6100 will be hung from the support surface in a
level manner
because the hanging elements 6200 in the first and second slots 6301, 6302 are
level with one
another. In this embodiment, the support structure 6100 can be moved
horizontally along the
support surface in the direction of the arrows labeled X while the hanging
elements 6200 are
hanging from the fasteners 6098 to change the horizontal location along the
support surface at
which the support structure 6100 is located. Thus, as shown in FIG. 29A, the
support structure
6100 is being moved to the right (in the direction of the arrows X), which
causes the hanging
elements 6200 to move right to left (in the direction of the arrows W) within
the first and second
slots 6301, 6302, respectively. Thus, the support structure 6100 can be
readily moved a desired
distance to the left or to the right even after it is hanging from the support
surface without having
to add additional fasteners in the support surface.
[00165] In some embodiments, it may be possible to move the support
structure 6100
approximately between 0.5 and 5 inches, more specifically between 0.5 and 4
inches, more
specifically between 0.5 and 3 inches, and more specifically between 0.5 and 2
inches. In yet
another embodiment, it may be possible to move the support structure 6100
between
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approximately 1.5 and 5 inches horizontally along the support surface while
the support structure
6100 is hanging from the support surface. The distance that the support
structure 6100 can be
moved is the difference between the length of the slot and the length of the
hanging element
6200 located within the slot.
[00166] Referring now to FIG 30A, an alternative embodiment of a backer
panel 6400 is
illustrated in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Of
course, FIG. 30A
could alternatively be an illustration of a rear surface of a support
structure that includes a backer
panel and a frame such that the slots illustrated could be formed into the
backer panel, the frame,
or both. As shown in FIG. 30A, a plurality of slots 6410 are formed into the
backer panel 6400,
each of the slots 6410 forming an aperture through the backer panel 6400. The
difference
between this embodiment and those previously described is in the arrangement
or pattern of the
slots 6410.
[00167] The backer panel 6400 (or the rear surface of the support
structure) has a
longitudinal axis G-G and a transverse axis H-H similar to that which has been
described above.
Furthermore, the backer panel 6400 comprises a top edge 6401, a bottom edge
6402, a first
lateral edge 6403, and a second lateral edge 6404. The first and second
lateral edges 6403, 6404
are parallel to one another and extend between the top and bottom edges 6401,
6402. The top
and bottom edges 6401, 6402 are parallel to one another and extend between the
first and second
lateral edges 6403, 6404.
[00168] The plurality of slots 6400 comprises a first set of slots 6411
that are located on
the same side of the transverse axis H-H, and more specifically between the
transverse axis H-H
and the bottom edge 6402 of the backer panel 6400 and a second set of slots
6412 that are
located on the same side of the longitudinal axis G-G, and more specifically
between the
longitudinal axis G-G and the first lateral edge 6403 of the backer panel
6400. Of course, the
first set of slots 6411 could be located between the transverse axis H-H and
the top edge 6401
instead of or in addition to being located between the transverse axis H-H and
the bottom edge
6402. Similarly, the second set of slots 6412 could be located between the
longitudinal axis G-G
and the second lateral edge 6404 instead of or in addition to being located
between the
longitudinal axis G-G and the first lateral edge 6403.
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[00169] The first set of slots 6411 are all elongated along an axis that is
parallel to the
transverse axis H-H (and parallel to the top and bottom edges 6401, 6402 of
the backer panel
6400). Thus, the slots of the first set of slots 6411 are all parallel to one
another. In the
exemplified embodiment, the first set of slots 6411 comprises a first slot
6413 located a first
distance D1 from the bottom edge 6402, a second slot 6414 located a second
distance D2 from
the bottom edge 6402, and a third slot 6415 located a third distance D3 from
the bottom edge
6402. The first distance D1 is less than the second distance D2 and the second
distance D2 is
less than the third distance D3. Each of the three slots 6414-6415 is also
located at a different
distance from the transverse axis H-H. Thus, all three of the slots 6413-6415
are located
between the transverse axis H-H and the bottom edge 6402, but at different
elevations in that
space between the transverse axis H-H and the bottom edge 6402. This allows
for a vertical
adjustment of a support structure or frame in addition to the horizontal
adjustment described
above. Specifically, when the support structure is hung in a landscape
orientation, changing the
first, second, and third slots 6413-6415 that the hanging element 6200 is
located within will
adjust the vertical hanging height of the support structure or frame on a
support surface (i.e., a
wall). This allows a vertical hanging height of the support structure to be
modified without
having to insert a new fastener into the support surface, thereby creating
another hole in the
support surface.
[00170] The second set of slots 6412 are all elongated along an axis that
is parallel to the
longitudinal axis G-G (and parallel to the first and second lateral edges 403,
6404 of the backer
panel 6400). Thus, the slots of the second set of slots 6412 are all parallel
to one another. In the
exemplified embodiment, the second set of slots 6412 comprises a first slot
6416 located a first
distance D4 from the first lateral edge 6403, a second slot 6417 located a
second distance D5
from the first lateral edge 6403, and a third slot 6418 located a third
distance D3 from the first
lateral edge 6403. The first distance D4 is less than the second distance D5
and the second
distance D5 is less than the third distance D6. Furthermore, the slots 6416-
6418 are all located a
different distance from the longitudinal axis G-G. Thus, all three of the
slots 6416-6418 are
located between the longitudinal axis G-G and the first lateral edge 6403, but
at different
distances therebetween. This allows for a vertical adjustment of a support
structure or frame in
addition to the horizontal adjustment described above. Specifically, when the
support structure
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is hung in a portrait configuration, changing the first, second, and third
slots 6416-6418 that the
hanging element 6200 is located within will adjust the vertical hanging height
of the support
structure or frame on a support surface (i.e., a wall).
[00171] FIG. 30B is identical to FIG. 30A except that the first set of
slots 6411 are located
adjacent to the top edge 6401 rather than the bottom edge 6402 and each of the
slots 6413-6415
comprise two spaced apart slots. Furthermore, in FIG. 30B the second set of
slots 6412 are
located adjacent to the second lateral edge 6404 rather than the first lateral
edge 6403 and each
of the slots 6416-6418 comprise two spaced apart slots. Of course, in the
configuration of FIG.
30B, there could also be slots located adjacent to the first lateral edge 6403
and adjacent to the
bottom edge 6402. Alternatively, the slots could be in the same location as in
FIG. 30A except
with each slot being formed by two axially spaced apart slots as shown in FIG.
30B.
[00172] FIG. 30C illustrates yet another embodiment of a backer panel 6500.
Of course,
FIG. 30C could alternatively be an illustration of a rear surface of a support
structure that
includes a backer panel and a frame such that the slots illustrated could be
formed into the backer
panel, the frame, or both. As shown in FIG. 30C, a plurality of slots 6510 are
formed into the
backer panel 6500, each of the slots 6510 forming an aperture through the
backer panel 6500.
The difference between this embodiment and those previously described is in
the shape of each
of the slots 6510.
[00173] Specifically, the backer panel 6500 comprises a top edge 6501, a
bottom edge
6502, a first lateral edge 6503, and a second lateral edge 6504. In this
embodiment, there is a
first slot and a second slot 6511, 6512 located adjacent to the top edge 6501
and extending
parallel to the top edge 6501, a third slot 6513 located adjacent to the
bottom edge 6502 and
extending parallel to the bottom edge 6502, a fourth slot and a fifth slot
6514, 6515 located
adjacent to the first lateral edge 6503 and extending parallel to the first
lateral edge 6503, and a
sixth slot 6516 located adjacent to the second lateral edge 6504 and extending
parallel to the
second lateral edge 6504. Thus, the pattern/arrangement of the slots is
identical to that which
was described with reference to FIGS. 20-29B.
[00174] However, the difference in this embodiment is that the slots 6511-
6516 are not
merely oval or rectangular in shape, but rather they include notches or the
like that are
configured to directly receive a fastener that is coupled to a support
surface. Thus, using this
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embodiment, it may be possible to omit the hanging element entirely and to
simply hang the
support structure from the support surface via direct interaction/engagement
between a fastener
in the support surface and one of the slots 6511-6516.
[00175] In FIG. 30C, each of the slots 6511-6516 has the same
shape/configuration, and
thus the details described below with regard to the first slot 6511 are
applicable to all of the slots
6511-6516. The first slot 6511 comprises an upper edge 6520 having an
undulating or wavy
appearance such that the upper edge 6250 defines a plurality of spaced apart
receiving notches
6251. Each of the receiving notches 6251 is configured, based on its size and
shape, to receive a
portion of a fastener (i.e., screw, nail, or the like) that is protruding from
a support surface to
thereby hang the support structure from the support surface. Thus, as noted
above in this
embodiment the hanging element may not be needed. Rather, the support
structure could be
coupled directly to a fastener in the support surface within the hanging
element being used as an
intervening component. The support structure could still be slid side-to-side
along the support
surface by changing which of the receiving notches 6251 that the fastener is
located within.
[00176] FIGS. 31A-40B illustrate different alternative embodiments of
hanging elements
6200a-j. Each of the hanging elements 6200a-j will be described briefly below.
[00177] Referring to FIGS. 31A and 31B, a hanging element 6200a is
illustrated. The
hanging element 6200a comprises a coupling portion 6210a configured to couple
the hanging
element 6200a to a support structure (such as the support structure 6100) and
a mounting
element 6250a configured to couple the hanging element 6200a to a fastener
that is protruding
from a support surface. The main difference between this embodiment and the
one previously
described is that the first mounting element 6210a comprises a narrow portion
and a thickened
portion.
[00178] FIGS. 32A and 32B illustrate a hanging element 6200b comprising a
coupling
portion 6210b and a mounting portion 6250b. The hanging element 6200b is
identical to the
hanging element 6200a except that the configuration of the teeth/notches of
the mounting portion
6250b are slightly modified. In this embodiment, the teeth/notches are more
similar to those
associated with a sawtooth hanger.
[00179] FIGS. 33A and 33B illustrate a hanging element 6200c comprising a
coupling
portion 6210c and a mounting portion 6250c. The hanging element 6200c is quite
different in
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appearance than the hanging elements described previously in this document.
Specifically, the
coupling portion 6210c comprises two separate sections, each of which could be
mounted to a
support structure within a different slot. Specifically, one of the sections
of the coupling portion
6210c could be positioned within a slot located adjacent to a top edge of a
support structure
while simultaneously another one of the sections of the coupling portion 6210c
could be
positioned within a slot located adjacent to a bottom edge of the support
structure. The mounting
portion 6250c is located between the two sections of the coupling portion
6210c and would be
available to receive a fastener in a support surface.
[00180] FIGS. 34A and 34B illustrate a hanging element 6200d comprising a
coupling
portion 6210d and a mounting portion 6250d. This variation is similar to the
hanging element
6200d except some aspects of the hanging element 6200d, and more specifically
some portions
of the coupling portion 6210d of the hanging element 6200d, have been removed.
However, the
coupling portion 6210d is still configured to be coupled to the support
structure within one of the
slots as described previously.
[00181] FIGS. 35A and 35B illustrate yet another embodiment of a hanging
element
6200e. In this embodiment, the hanging element 6200e comprises a coupling
portion 6210e for
coupling the hanging element 6200e to a support structure and a mounting
portion 6250e for
coupling the hanging element 6200e to a fastener on a support surface. In this
embodiment, the
coupling portion 6210e comprises a first portion 6211e, a second portion
6212e, and a third
portion 6213e. The second and third portions 6212e, 6213e are
movably/pivotably coupled to
the first portion 6211e to permit the coupling portion 6210e to pass through
one of the slots to
couple the hanging element 6200e to a support structure. In the exemplified
embodiment, the
second and third portions 6212e, 6213e arc coupled to the first portion 6211e
by a living hinge,
although this is not required in all embodiments.
[00182] Referring to FIGS. 36A and 36B, yet another embodiment of a hanging
element
6200f is illustrated. The hanging element 6200f comprises a coupling portion
6210f for coupling
the hanging element 6200f to a support structure and a mounting portion 6250f
for coupling the
hanging element 6200f to a support surface. The coupling portion 6210f
comprises a living
hinge type configuration as with the hanging element 6200e described above.
However, in this
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embodiment the mounting portion 6250f comprises a symmetric design that is
different from
those previously shown and described.
[00183] FIGS. 37A and 37B illustrate still another embodiment of a hanging
element
6200g. The hanging element 6200g comprises a coupling portion 6210g for
coupling the
hanging element 6200g to a support structure and a mounting portion 6250g for
coupling the
hanging element 6200g to a support surface. The coupling portion 6210g
comprises a living
hinge type configuration similar to that which was described above.
[00184] FIGS. 38A and 38B illustrate another embodiment of a hanging
element 6200h.
The hanging element 6200h comprises a coupling portion 6210h for coupling the
hanging
element 6200h to a support structure and a mounting element 6250h for coupling
the hanging
element 6200h to a support surface.
[00185] FIGS. 39A and 39B illustrate another embodiment of a hanging
element 6200i.
The hanging element 6200i comprises a coupling portion 6210i for coupling the
hanging element
6200i to a support structure and a mounting element 6250i for coupling the
hanging element
6200i to a support surface.
[00186] FIGS. 40A and 40B illustrate another embodiment of a hanging
element 6200j.
The hanging element 6200j comprises a coupling portion 6210j for coupling the
hanging element
6200j to a support structure and a mounting element 6250j for coupling the
hanging element
6200j to a support surface.
[00187] The concepts described herein and shown in the drawings can be used
for the
hanging of posters, wall frames, mirrors, canvas-type articles, artwork, or
the like from a support
surface such as a wall or the like. Thus, the disclosure set forth herein is
not limited to use with
standard rigid frames but can be used with a variety of different items that
are hung from a wall
for display or other purposes. It is also possible to utilize the concepts
disclosed herein to hang
cabinets, shelves, and other articles that are generally hung from a wall or
wall-like support
surface.
[00188] 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
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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.
