GB1562320A - Display device - Google Patents

Description

(54) A DISPLAY DEVICE (71) I, FRANK KERWIN and FREDA PATRICIA KERWIN, both British Subjects, trading as THORPE KERWIN, of Thorpe Cross, Brindle, Chorley, Lancashire, PR6 8NE, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention concerns a display device, primarily for pictures.

Frames which can accept alternative pictures interchangeably for display purposes and composite multi-section frames for pictures are known in the prior art. Some examples of the prior art are United States Patents Nos. 1,068,621; 2,297,574; 2,556,283 and 2,839,857. Such prior art devices, while possessing good utility, do not satisfactorily satisfy a need which the present invention has been created to satisfy. When an artist or photographer completes his work, it is desirable for him to be able immediately to determine how the creation will be complemented by a frame including a picturesurrounding border.It is also desirable that such a frame and border should be in the form of a convenient unit into which the artist or photographer may slip his oil painting, water colour, or photograph, pre ferabiy with a rigid backing, for temporal) or permanent display purposes. The mentioned prior art is not completely suited for this purpose due to complexity and bulkiness of design and due to lack of simplicity and ease of use.

An object of the present invention is to provide a display device which facilitates the above requircments.

With this object in view, the present invention provides a display device comprising an exterior frame, an interior frame disposed within and spaced from said exterior frame, an intervening panel constituting a border interconnecting the exterior and interior frames as a unit, and a display holder including spaced guide rails on the rear of and integral with interior frame, for removably receiving display material in register with the interior frame.

Preferably the display device includes a stiff display material backing plate adapted for sliding engagement in the guide rails of the display holder.

A suspension means for the device may be provided on the holder, being concealed behind the border and the exterior frame.

Alternatlvely, the display device may in dude an open-fronted display box adapted for sliding engagement in the guide rails of the holder The display box may have a respective frame defining its front peripheral edges, at least two opposed edges of this frame having respective tongues adapted for sliding engagement in the guide rails of the holder.

In the alternative device a suspension means may be provided on the top rear edge of the display box.

The exterior and interior frames may have opposing aligned slots, edge portions of the panel constituting the border being engaged and secured in said opposing slots.

The panel constituting the border may be formed of a unitary piece of hardboard, wood, plastics material or metal.

The exterior and interior frames are preferably rectangular frames having mitred corners, being constructed of extruded frame members.

The forward faces of the exterior and interior frames may be of ornamental configuration.

Preferably the display holder comprises a three-sided holder including an end rail extending between corresponding ends of the guide rails, the end of said holder remote from the end rail being open for the sliding reception of the display material.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which : - Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a composite picture display device constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation illustrating the device of Fig. 1 with a backing plate thereof partly removed; Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the device as shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a similar section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view, similar to Fig. 4, but showing a slight modification.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts, the numeral 10 indicates an ornamental exterior frame of rectangular configuration and composed of frame members which have been mitred and jointed together by conventional techniques. The exterior frame 10 may have its several frame members formed from extruded metal, such as aluminium, or from extruded plastics material. As shown in detail in Figs. 4 to 6, each extruded member of the frame 10 comprises a frontally-raised hollow head part 11 of generally rectangular form and a pair of spaced parallel rearward walls 12 and 13 which define between them a slot 14 for the reception and anchoring of a fiat panel 15, of hardboard or like material, serving as a border permanently surrounding a display area and permanently joined to the exterior frame 10.As shown in the cross sectional views, the two walls 12 and 13 forming the slot 14 which receives the outer edge portion of the panel 15 project somewhat inwardly relative to the frontal head 11 to impart to the frame 10 a pleasing effect.

The display device further comprises an interior smaller-sized rectangular display frame 16 which has integral therewith a holder for display material, such as a picture, as well as a rigid picture backing plate 17 which may be produced from the rectangular hardboard section cut from the centre of the panel 15. The backing plate 17 is provided with a convenient pull ring 18 or the like.

The interior display frame 16 is constructed of extruded frame members, made from plastics material, which are appropriately mitred and jointed according to conventioned practice. The rectangular frame 16 has a pair of marginal spaced flanges 19 and 20 forming a slot 21 to receive and hold the inner edge portion of the panel 15 as a permanent and rigid assembly. As shown in Fig. 4, the flanges 19 and 20 are respectively in alignment with the walls 12 and 13 of the exterior frame 10. When the parts are assembled, the two frames 10 and 16 and the intervening panel 15 form a rigid unit.

Formed integrally at the rear side of interior frame 16 is a holder 22 for pictures or other material to be displayed in the device, whether such pictures are photographs, oils, water colours, acrylics or other known art forms. The integral holder 22 is a three-sided holder comprising parallel guide rails 23 and an end rail 24, one end of the holder being open between the guide rails 23, as shown in Fig. 3, for the sliding reception of the display material which may be backed by a backing plate 17 for instance of hardboard. A raised rib 25 may be provided behind the guide rails 23 for the backing plate 17 and picture, to reduce friction.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6, the holder 22' is made somewhat deeper than the holder 22, that is, the guide rails 23 are spaced further away from the rib 25. This variant enables a covering glass panel 26 to be employed to overlie the display material which will then lie between the glass panel 26 and backing 17. Except for this feature, the device shown in Fig. 6 is substantially identical to the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 5, both in terms of construction and use.

The holder 22, as illustrated in Fig. 3, may be equipped with suspension means in the form of a sturdy hanger 27 for the entire device, this hanger 27 then being concealed behind the panel 15 and the exterior frame 10.

The device of the invention is simple in construction and is sturdy. It is also compact, compared to the prior art proposals, and is particularly suitable for wall mounting. As already noted, the device provides a means whereby an artist can immediately visualize how a creation will appear when framed in a frame having a wide border.

Various pictures or other display material can be interchangeably mounted in the device, or it may form a permanent display frame for any given material. The sturdiness and lightness of the device make it suitable for transmisison in the post. Economy of construction and material use is achieved by employing the centre hardboard cut-out from the panel 15 as the backing plate 17.

The cross sectional configurations of the frames 10 and 16 may be varied in terms of ornamentation, as desired.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention above described and illustrated in the drawings is a preferred example, and that various changes in shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Furthermore, display material other than pictures may be displayed in the device.

For the display of three-dimensional matter, the backing plate 17 may be replaced by an open-front display box adapted for sliding engagement in the guide rails 23 of the holder 22 in exactly the same way as the backing plate 17. Thus, the display box may have a respective frame around its front peripheral edges with at least the top and bottom edges of this frame having respective tongues engageable and slidable in the guide rails 23. A suspension means similar to the hanger 27 may be mounted on the top rear edge of the display box.

This arrangement permits three-dimensional displays, for example of flowers, models or scenes such as Nativity scenes within the display box.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A display device comprising an exterior frame, an interior frame disposed within and spaced from said exterior frame, an intervening panel constituting a border interconnecting the exterior and interior frames as a unit, and a display holder including spaced guide rails, on the rear of and integral with the interior frame, for removably receiving display material in register with the interior frame.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, including a stiff display material backing plate adapted for sliding engagement in the guide rails of the display holder.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which a suspension means is provided on the holder, being concealed behind the border and the exterior frame.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, including an open-fronted display box adapted for sliding engagement in the guide rails of the holder.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, in which the display box has a respective frame defining its front peripheral edges, at least two opposed edges of this frame having respective tongues adapted for sliding engagement in the guide rails of the holder.

6. A device as claimed in claim 4 or 5, in which a suspension means is provided on the top rear edge of the display box.

7. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the exterior and interior frames have opposing aligned slots, edge portions of the panel constituting the border being engaged and secured in said opposing slots.

8. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the panel constituting the border is formed of a unitary piece of hardboard, wood, plastics material or metal.

9. A device as claimed In any preceding claim, in which the exterior and interior frames are rectangular frames having mitred corners and constructed of extrudea frame members.

10. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the forward faces of the exterior and interior frames are of ornamental configuration.

11. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the display holder comprises a three-sided holder including an end rail extending between corresponding ends of the guide rails, the end of said holder remote from the end rail being open for the sliding reception of the display material.

12. A display device constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (12)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. invention as defined by the following claims. Furthermore, display material other than pictures may be displayed in the device. For the display of three-dimensional matter, the backing plate 17 may be replaced by an open-front display box adapted for sliding engagement in the guide rails 23 of the holder 22 in exactly the same way as the backing plate 17. Thus, the display box may have a respective frame around its front peripheral edges with at least the top and bottom edges of this frame having respective tongues engageable and slidable in the guide rails 23. A suspension means similar to the hanger 27 may be mounted on the top rear edge of the display box. This arrangement permits three-dimensional displays, for example of flowers, models or scenes such as Nativity scenes within the display box. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A display device comprising an exterior frame, an interior frame disposed within and spaced from said exterior frame, an intervening panel constituting a border interconnecting the exterior and interior frames as a unit, and a display holder including spaced guide rails, on the rear of and integral with the interior frame, for removably receiving display material in register with the interior frame.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, including a stiff display material backing plate adapted for sliding engagement in the guide rails of the display holder.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which a suspension means is provided on the holder, being concealed behind the border and the exterior frame.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, including an open-fronted display box adapted for sliding engagement in the guide rails of the holder.

5. A device as claimed in claim 4, in which the display box has a respective frame defining its front peripheral edges, at least two opposed edges of this frame having respective tongues adapted for sliding engagement in the guide rails of the holder.

6. A device as claimed in claim 4 or 5, in which a suspension means is provided on the top rear edge of the display box.

7. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the exterior and interior frames have opposing aligned slots, edge portions of the panel constituting the border being engaged and secured in said opposing slots.

8. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the panel constituting the border is formed of a unitary piece of hardboard, wood, plastics material or metal.

9. A device as claimed In any preceding claim, in which the exterior and interior frames are rectangular frames having mitred corners and constructed of extrudea frame members.

10. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the forward faces of the exterior and interior frames are of ornamental configuration.

11. A device as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the display holder comprises a three-sided holder including an end rail extending between corresponding ends of the guide rails, the end of said holder remote from the end rail being open for the sliding reception of the display material.

12. A display device constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.