CA2321163A1 - Holder for sheets, photographs and the like - Google Patents

Description

, CA 02321163 2000-09-27 This invention relates to holders for displaying or storing one or more photographs or sheets on which writing or artwork appears and more particularly to a holder having means for adjusting the space in which the photographs or sheets are held so that the photographs or sheets remain flat whether there is only one many photographs or sheets in the holder.
The holder of the invention is suitable for holding a number of photographs or sheets on the door of refrigerator, a wall or other flat surface. The space for the photographs or sheets is adjustable so that one or many photographs or sheets may be held and however many there are they are always flat.
For the sake of simplicity, reference is made to "sheets"
in the description which follows. It is to be understood that the term "sheet" is intended to cover "photographs" as well as sheets of for example paper or felt.
Briefly, the holder includes a tray having front and rear edges and side wails which define a space for receipt of the sheets. The holder has a number of slots spaced apart from one another adjacent to one side wall and a number of parallel grooves formed adjacent to another side wall. The holder has a backing plate on which the sheets rest. The plate has side edges and supporting and locking tabs which extends outwardly from separate side edges. The mounting tab is removably re-ceived in one of the slots and the locking tab is resiliently pivotal and removably received in one of the grooves such that the mounting and locking tabs, when within a selected slot and groove respectively, cooperate to secure the backing plate to the tray. The mounting and locking tabs also allow the spacing between the backing plate and the front edge of the tray to be altered by insertion of the tabs into other slots and grooves.
The sheet-holder of the invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the holder in conjunction with portions of a number of sheets;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the holder from the top;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the holder from the pop in the absence of any sheets;
Figure 4 is a perspective view of the tray of the holder;
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the backing plate of the holder; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of the tray and backing

2 plate.
Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the description of the drawings.
With reference to Figures 1, 2 and 4, the sheet-holder of the invention, generally 10, has a rectangular frame 12 which is seated upon a rectangular tray 14. Sheets 16 of paper, felt or the like rest upon a backing plate 18.
The frame has a top wall 20 which borders or defines a space for the sheets. The frame has wails 22, 29 at its ends of shape similar to that of the end wails 26, 28 of the tray.
The frame and tray are preferably are a single unit of moulded plastic but they may alternatively be two separate units. In the latter case, the frame may be connected to the tray by pressing the end wails of the frame against the end wails of the tray. By so doing, the end wails of the frame will resiliently deform so that the frame and tray can be pressed together. The end wails of the frame will be outside but adjacent to the wails of the tray. When the two end wails are side by side the end wails of the frame will spring toward the end wails of the tray and the wails will interconnect.
The frame can be disconnected from the tray simply by

3 ~

bending its end walk outward so that they clear the walls of the tray then separating the frame from the tray.
The tray has brackets 30, 32 spaced apart from one an-other on each end wall and the brackets serve to reinforce the end walk. A shelf 34 for supporting a magnet 35 ( i_i lustrated in Figure 6) extends between each pair of brackets for attaching the tray to the door or a refrigerator or other metallic surface. An aperture 36 is formed in each shelf for receipt of a nail or hook for attaching the tray to a wall.
Like apertures 38 are formed in the front and rear walk, 40, 42 of the tray.
On the front and rear walls of the tray, supports 48, 50 are attached for supporting the backing plate illustrated in Figure 5. Support 98 has side walk 52, 54 which extend in-wardly from front wall 40 and terminate at a panel 56. A
number of slots 60 are formed in the panel. The slots are arranged in two rows 60a, b. The slots in each row are par-allel to the upper edge 62 of the tray and to each other and in each row there is a slot spaced the same distance from the edge as in the other row.
Support 50 also has a side wails and a panel 64. In that

4 panel are formed a number of grooves 66 separated by ridges 68. The grooves are parallel to each other and to the upper edge 62 of the tray.
With reference to Figure 5, the backing plate is rect-angular in shape and its centre is stepped downwardly at 70.
A pair of mounting tabs 72a,b extend outwardly from one edge and a locking tab 74 extends outwardly from the oppositely facing edge of the plate. The mounting tabs are substantially im-movable relative to the backing plate while the locking tab is part of a tongue 76 which is attached to the backing plate by two relatively narrow bridges 78, 80. Those bridges deform resiliently when upward pressure is applied to the tab and allow the tab to pivot upward about the bridges. When the pressure is withdrawn, the bridges resume their undeformed state and the tab pivots downward to its previous position.
Mounting tabs are constructed to extend into the slots 60 whereas locking tab 74 is constructed to extend into any one of the grooves 66.
With reference to Figure 6, notches 90 are formed in the upper walls of brackets 30, 32 to facilitate stacking of one sheet-holder on top of another.

In operation, sheets of paper or felt to be displayed in the holder are stacked on the backing plate. The plate is then attached to the tray by first inserting the mounting tabs into two slots at the same elevation then pushing the other side of the plate to cause the locking tab 74 against the uppermost ridge 68. Further downward pressure on the plate will cause the tab to pivot upward until it clears the first ridge. When it is clear of the ridge, it will snap or pivot back and into the uppermost groove immediately beneath the ridge . Further pressure on the plate will cause the locking tab to enter the next groove and when the tab is at the same level as the mourztin~ tabs at the opposite side of the plate, the sheets on the plate will be parallel to the upper edge of the tray and not further pressure should be applied to the backing plate.
Should it be necessary to raise the level of the backing plate, one or more fingers are inserted irito the opening 90 adjacent to tongue 76 and the plate is lifted. In doing so, the locking tab will contact each ridge in turn above it and will pivot down to clear it. When the tab has cleared all the ridges, the mounting tabs 72 can be removed from the existing slots and inserted in different slots above the existing ° ° CA 02321163 2000-09-27 slots. The steps described in the previous paragraph are then repeated.
'rhe mounting tabs and the locking tab accordingly co-operate to secure the backing plate to the tray. As previously indicated, the spacing between the backing plate end the front edge of the tray can be altered by causing the lacking tab to pivot resiliently such that the locking tab and the mounting tab can both be removed from the existing grocie and slots respectively. The mounting tabs are then inser~.ec~ in other slots and finally the locking tab is caused to pivot resiliently such that it can be inserted into another groove.
It will be understood of course that modificGtions can be made in the holder described herein without departir ~ from the scope and purview of the invention. For example, ha.~ndles may be provided at the side of the holder for making h~. holder easier to move.

Claims