DE202023106412U1 - Snap frame for a picture or poster-like information carrier - Google Patents

Abstract

Folding frame for a picture or poster-like information carrier with a frame which is formed by profile strips (1) made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, which are connected to one another in connection points, characterized in that the profile strips (1) are connected to one another at the connection points by means of a laser welding process produced weld seam (6) or are firmly connected to one another to form a circumferential frame by at least two welding points lying next to one another.

Description

The invention relates to a snap frame for a picture or poster-like information carrier according to the preamble of claim 1. The generic snap frame is characterized in particular by a frame made of individual profile strips made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, which are connected to one another at beveled connection points in the corner area of the snap frame.

Folding frames of this type are from the DE 92 03 737 U1 , the EP 1 467 339 A2 or the US 3,386,198 A known. These folding frames have a rectangular frame into which a plate is clamped as a back wall. The frame consists of opposing profile strips that are mitred and connected to each other using screwed mounting brackets as corner connectors.

The known folding frames have the disadvantage that their production is complex due to the attachment of the mounting brackets and that the ability to assemble the corner connectors arranged in a frame cavity requires an open design of the profile strips, which in turn leads to a reduced torsional rigidity of the profile strips or alternatively to larger cross sections of the profile strips .

From the EP 2 016 574 B1 A folding frame is again known which has a base plate made of plastic. The folding strips for resiliently clamping the picture or poster-like information carrier are hinged to the side of this base plate. So no separate profile strips are provided here, but the edge of the back is shaped in a corresponding shape. The disadvantage of this solution is that a full-surface rear wall has to be produced using injection molding, which leads to large molds and a costly manufacturing process for larger formats. Furthermore, plastic frames are not always desirable.

The object of the invention is therefore to create a folding frame of the type mentioned at the outset, which can be produced as easily as possible with an optimized visual impression at low manufacturing costs.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a folding frame according to claim 1. What is particularly advantageous with the new folding frame is that the profile strips of the frame are firmly connected to one another at the connection points by a weld seam produced using the laser welding process or by at least two welding points lying next to one another. The subclaims relate to advantageous embodiments of the invention.

According to the invention, the folding frame is now still formed by profile strips, which are assembled and connected to one another after corresponding miter cuts at the ends to form a frame, in particular a rectangular or square frame, but the sections forming the profile strips are now no longer via a screw connection, but via connected to each other by a welded connection.

By using laser welding technology, it is possible to process the aluminum material, which can be pure aluminum or an aluminum alloy, together with a welded connection. Aluminum is typically difficult to weld. On the one hand, aluminum has a high thermal conductivity, which makes classic welding almost impossible without the frame heating up to such an extent that it undesirably deforms due to thermal expansion. Furthermore, a heated frame must cool down again after production in order to be further processed, which in turn increases production times.

By using the welding process using a laser beam, the heat-affected zones are significantly reduced, so that the energy introduced can be significantly reduced. In this way, disruptive heating of the profile strips due to welding can be significantly reduced. This means that further processing can begin immediately after welding. Warping of the frame is largely impossible due to the small expansion of the heat-affected zones.

Furthermore, a complex geometry of the cross section of the profile strips can also be welded all around using the laser beam, so that a all-round, closed weld seam results. Finally, the laser beam weld seam naturally has the advantage that it is visually much less noticeable than a conventional weld seam, which is usually not tolerated on a folding frame.

Another advantage of laser beam welding is that the build-up of the melted and re-solidified material remains low, meaning that the so-called weld bead does not need to be reworked in most cases. This can be further improved in particular by bevelling the edges of the profile strips on the surface in the area of the weld seams, so that there is a For example, a V-shaped channel results in which the weld bead is arranged.

If post-processing is still necessary, only a small amount of material has to be removed, which on the one hand reduces the time required for this and on the other hand saves unnecessary material consumption by avoiding unnecessary machining.

Further features and advantages of the invention result from the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments based on the drawings.

• 1 einen Klapprahmen nach dem Stand der Technik in einer Detailansicht,
• 2 eine Ausgestaltung eines erfindungsgemäßen Klapprahmens in einer dreidimensionalen Ansicht,
• 3 die obere, linke Ecke des in 2 dargestellten Klapprahmens in einer vergrößerten Detailansicht mit aufgeklappten Klappflügeln,
• 4 den in 3 dargestellten Teilbereich des Klapprahmens von hinten und
• 5 eine Profilleiste zum Aufbau des in den 2 bis 4 dargestellten Klapprahmens in einer Seitenansicht im Schnitt.

In the drawings shows:

• 1 a snap frame according to the state of the art in a detailed view,
• 2 an embodiment of a folding frame according to the invention in a three-dimensional view,
• 3 the upper left corner of the in 2 shown folding frame in an enlarged detailed view with unfolded folding wings,
• 4 the in 3 Part area of the folding frame shown from behind and
• 5 a profile strip to build the in the 2 to 4 shown folding frame in a side view in section.

In 1 A snap frame according to the prior art is shown. These folding frames have a base frame, which is formed here by four individual profile strips 1. The profile strips 1 are mitred in the corner area. In the case of a rectangular folding frame, the end areas are beveled by 45°. In this case, the four profile strips 1 are then assembled into a rectangular frame and connected to one another in the corner areas by mounting brackets 9. For this purpose, the rectangularly shaped mounting brackets 9 are screwed into the profile strips 1.

Foldable folding wings 2 are arranged in an articulated manner on the profile strips 1 in order to fix the picture or poster-like information carrier held in the frame. For this purpose, each profile strip 1 has on its outside a frame-side joint section 8 in the form of a longitudinal, bead-like protruding edge, which interacts with a corresponding groove in the folding wing 2 in such a way that the folding wing 2 can be folded around the bead-like edge. Furthermore, the profile strip 1 has a spring receptacle 4, which can accommodate and support leaf springs on one side, which interact with the folding wing 2 at the opposite end in such a way that the folding wing 2 is caused by the spring force both in the open position and in the closed position after overturning the leaf springs are held firmly.

Disadvantageous with the in 1 The embodiment shown according to the prior art is the fact that the frame cavity 5 must be open at the top. The profile strips 1 are usually manufactured by continuous casting and have a uniform cross-sectional shape over their entire length. This means that the frame cavity 5 is open at the top over the entire length of the profile strips 1, with the top meaning the surface at which the user looks when he looks at the picture or poster-like information carrier held in the folding frame.

Although the area of the frame cavity 5 is usually completely covered by the folding wings 2 when the folding wings 2 is in the closed position, the user can look into the frame cavity 5 when the folding wing 2 is open, which is often not desirable. In addition, the area is of course accessible to insects, for example, since the folding wing 2 cannot hermetically seal the area of the frame cavity 5.

Additional cover strips to avoid the problems mentioned above would mean additional effort during installation and could disrupt the visual impression of the simple frame design. Alternatively, profile strips 1 with a closed frame cavity 5 could also be used, which enable mounting options for the mounting brackets 9 through openings in the area of the corner connections. Since the profile strips 1 are made from longer pieces by cutting, these openings would have to be made later, which would increase the manufacturing effort.

Through the in 1 shown, longitudinal opening in the top of each profile strip 1, the torsional rigidity of the profile strips 1 is also reduced. This in turn requires a greater wall thickness of the profile of the profile strips 1 in order to give the frame the necessary stability. Furthermore, in the frames according to the prior art, the underside of the profile strip 1 must also be made so thick that a sufficiently tight screw connection with the mounting bracket 9 is possible.

2 shows a folding frame according to the invention in a three-dimensional representation. In principle, the new folding frame, when the folding wings 2 are closed, does not differ in appearance from the one in 1 shown snap frame according to the state of the art. However, it is made from profile strips 1 assembled, here rectangular base body of the folding frame is now formed by special profile strips 1, which are firmly connected to one another via laser beam welding.

In 5 an exemplary embodiment of such a profile strip 1 is shown in cross section. The 3 and 4 show the joint area in the upper left corner of the folding frame with the course of the upper weld seam 6.

Like the cross-section drawing in 5 As can be seen, the new profile strip 1 now has a cross section that brings with it a closed frame cavity 5. This closed frame cavity 5 now significantly increases the torsional rigidity of the individual profile strips 1. This makes it possible to reduce the wall thicknesses while maintaining the same stability, which means that material can be saved and the weight of the folding frame can also be reduced. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the wall thickness of the profile strips 1 outside the frame-side joint area 8 is less than 1.5 mm, preferably less than 1.0 mm and particularly preferably 0.8 mm.

By dispensing with the mounting bracket 9 to be screwed, the processing time during the production of the folding frame can also be significantly reduced, since the weld seams can be made much more quickly. Furthermore, the number of necessary components is significantly reduced by eliminating four mounting brackets 9 and at least eight screws. Finally, unlike screw connections, the welded connections cannot come loose unintentionally, so that the new folding frame is permanently dimensionally stable.

The frame-side joint area 8 does not differ in the exemplary embodiment shown from the snap frames according to the prior art. The design of the profile strips 1 creates a flat, inner profile side 7 in the area of the surfaces, which lie in a common plane. In this way, a circumferential surface is formed to which an upper weld seam 6 can be easily attached.

In principle, it would be sufficient to attach a weld seam 6 to either the bottom or the top of the profile strips 1. Welding is preferred on the top so that there is no open gap that the user can look at. However, the weld seam 6 is particularly preferably applied both at the bottom and at the top in order to create a high level of stability. In particular, the weld seam 6 can also be applied all around, so that the profile strips 1 are completely and all around connected to one another in the joint area.

The weld seam 6 also removes any burrs that arise from sawing the profile strips 1, so that deburring of the cut profile strips 1, which was previously necessary, can be omitted.

In the 3 and 4 the finished connection of two profile strips 1, each beveled by 45°, is shown in the upper left corner area of the folding frame. 3 shows the front of the snap frame while in 4 the back is shown. In the 5 The ribs shown projecting to the right form, on the one hand, a support for a rear wall 3 and, on the other hand, a support for the inserted information carrier. The folding wings 2 are set in the closed state against the support for the information carrier by the spring force of the leaf springs held in the spring holder 4.

So that the folding wings 2 are not supported at points on weld beads in the transition areas between two profile strips 1, either the area of the supports cannot be welded or the weld seam 6 can be designed in such a way that there are no line-like or point-like elevations in the corner area. This can be achieved by chamfering the edges, by reworking the weld seam 6 or preferably by a favorable process control during laser beam welding to avoid the weld bead being too high. Alternatively, the folding wings 2 can also have recesses or bevels in the edge area, so that contact with the weld seams 6 is avoided.

The support for the information carrier, which protrudes inwards in a rib-like manner, and the support for the rear wall 3 together form a substantially U-shaped receiving groove, here provided with legs of different lengths, for inserting the rear wall 3. For this purpose, this can either be designed so elastic that it After the profile strips 1 have been welded to form a circumferential frame, it can be inserted into the groove with elastic deformation. Alternatively, the rear wall 3 can also be made smaller and have clamping elements that can be inserted into the groove in a locking manner.

Finally, the rear wall 3 can also be installed during the production of the frame, which turns out to be particularly advantageous if the rear wall 3 is also made of aluminum. In the latter case, the rear wall 3 can also be firmly connected to the weld seam 6 or a separate welded connection be connected to the frame formed by the profile strips 1. Ultimately, it is irrelevant to the invention whether there is a rear wall 3 at all and how it is held in the frame.

By connecting the profile strips 1 according to the invention via the weld seam 6 produced by laser beam welding, the folding frame can now be manufactured particularly quickly, inexpensively and with a flat structure with the same functionality compared to the folding frames known from the prior art. In addition, the barely visible weld seam 6 results in a particularly attractive, high-quality appearance of the folding frame.

List of reference symbols:

1

Profile bar

2

Folding wings

3

Back wall

4

Spring holder

5

frame cavity

6

Weld

7

Level, inner profile page

8th

Frame-side joint section

9

Mounting bracket

QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of documents listed by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 9203737 U1 [0002]
• EP 1467339 A2 [0002]
• US 3386198 A [0002]
• EP 2016574 B1 [0004]

Claims (14)

Folding frame for a picture or poster-like information carrier with a frame which is formed by profile strips (1) made of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, which are connected to one another in connection points, characterized in that the profile strips (1) are connected to one another at the connection points by means of a laser welding process produced weld seam (6) or are firmly connected to one another to form a circumferential frame by at least two welding points lying next to one another. Folding frame according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the profile strips (1) have a cross-section that remains the same over the length with a rectangular, closed base profile with at least one closed frame cavity (5), on which there is a frame-side joint section on one side for the articulated attachment of folding folding wings (2) for fixing the picture - or poster-like information carrier is arranged. Folding frame according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the profile strips (1) on the side opposite the frame-side joint section have at least one support surface for a rear wall (3) which projects in the direction of the opposite profile strip. Folding frame according to the preceding claim, characterized in that , from the perspective of the rear wall (3), a supporting surface for the picture or poster-like information carrier is arranged in front of the support surface for the rear wall (3), which protrudes in the direction of the opposite profile strip, against which the folding wings (2 ) are engaged via a closing spring, the support surface for the rear wall (3) and the support surface for the picture or poster-like information carrier each being formed by mutually parallel ribs, which together form a circumferential receiving groove in which the rear wall (3) is held is. Folding frame according to one of the three preceding claims, characterized in that the profile strips (1) have a flat, inner profile side (7) at least in the area above the frame cavity (5). Folding frame according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the profile strips (1) in the area of the miter along the edges of the flat, inner profile side (7) are firmly connected to one another via an upper weld seam (6) produced using a laser welding process. Snap frame according to one of the Claims 2 until 6 , characterized in that the profile strips (1) are firmly connected to one another in the area of the miter along the edges of the undersides of the profile strips (1) via a lower weld seam (6) produced using a laser welding process. Snap frame according to one of the Claims 2 until 7 , characterized in that the weld seam (6) is designed all around, so that the profile sides are welded together on all sides. Snap frame according to one of the Claims 2 until 8th , characterized in that the profile strips (1) are beveled in the area of the miter, in particular beveled by 45 °, so that a channel-like depression results in the joint area between two profile strips (1), in which the weld seam (6) at least in sections, is preferably completely absorbed. Snap frame according to one of the Claims 2 until 9 , characterized in that the profile strips are provided on their top with a circumferential cover, in particular in the form of a rubber-elastic cover. Snap frame according to one of the Claims 2 until 10 , characterized in that the profile strips, with the exception of the frame-side joint section and the outer sides, have a wall thickness between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm, preferably between 0.6 mm and 1.0 mm and particularly preferably 0.8 mm. Snap frame according to one of the Claims 2 until 11 , characterized in that the frame cavity (5) has a height of less than 8 mm, preferably less than 5 mm. Folding frame according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the frame encloses an area for receiving a picture or poster-like information carrier in the size DIN A1, DIN A2, DIN A3, DIN A4, DIN A5, DIN A6 or another standard size for papers or photos. Folding frame according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the weld seam (6) is smoothed by milling or grinding and does not protrude from the plane of the surfaces connected to it.