GB2138284A

GB2138284A - Improvements in or relating to a support for a picture frame

Info

Publication number: GB2138284A
Application number: GB8409975A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Raymond Martin
Original assignee: ALUMINIUM FRAMING SUPPLIES
Current assignee: ALUMINIUM FRAMING SUPPLIES
Priority date: 1980-09-01
Filing date: 1984-04-17
Publication date: 1984-10-24
Also published as: GB8409975D0; GB2138284B

Abstract

A picture frame support has means carrying lugs to be snapped into a channel formed in a picture frame. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to a support for a picture frame The present invention relates to a support for a picture frame and more particularly to a support suitable for use with a picture frame, the side members of which define a channel having inwardly directed lips with which the support may be engaged.

It has been proposed to provide frames, such as picture frames, made from extruded material, such as aluminium. In such frames it has been proposed to provide the extrusions utilised to form the side members of the frames with a channel on a rear surface thereof, the channel having inwardly directed lips. It has been proposed to provide supports which can engage such a channel.

Many prior proposed supports are such that they can be slidden into the end of the channel of a frame member before the frame is assembled. This, of course, has the disadvantage that the support or supports must be introduced to the appropriate channel before the frame is assembled, and if the support is not introduced at that time, the support cannot subsequently be introduced.

Various other supports have been proposed which can be inserted into the channel and twisted to lock the supports in position, the supports thus having heads of "T" configuration which can be inserted into the channel and then engage with the channel.

Such supports suffer from the disadvantage that they may work free and become disengaged from the channel.

The present invention seeks to provide a support to engage a picture frame of this type discussed above, which can securely be connected to the frame aftertheframe has been assembled, but which can be manufactured easily and cheaply.

According to this invention there is provided a support for a frame, which frame is provided with an elongate channel with co-planar inwardly directed lips to engage said support, said support comprising means adapted releasably to engage the channel and means to support said frame, said means to engage the channel comprising a surface adapted to abut the exterior surface of said channel as defined by at least one of said lips, means protruding therefrom to extend between said lips to the interior of the channel and lugs carried by said protruding means adapted to engage the interior surface of the lips defining the channel, said lugs being resiliently movable relative to one another to permit the support to be snap fitted into said channel.

Preferably said means to support the frame comprise a planar portion prvided with an aperture to engage a screw or the like. Conveniently said aperture is of key hole slot configuration.

In one embodiment said surface is planar and said planar portion is coplanar with said surface, although in another embodiment it is substantially perpendicular to said surface.

In one embodiment said supporting means comprises a member adapted to rest on a substantially horizontal surface whilst supporting said frame in an inclined position.

Preferably said support comprises a member defining a substantially planar undersurface, and defining said surface to abut said channel, said surface to abut said channel being inclined relative to said planar undersurface.

Conveniently said surface supports two pairs of protruding members, the pairs of members being orthogonally aligned, the protruding members constituting said protruding means and carrying said lugs.

Advatangeously at least some of said protruding members are resilient and said lugs are provided with cam faces adapted to engage the inwardly directed lips of the channel to move said lugs resiliently relative to one another.

Conveniently elongate ribs are formed on said surface to abut the free edges of the inwardly directed lips of said channel.

Preferably said protruding means comprises two aligned resilient protruding members and an inwardly directed element carrying lugs which are aligned with said protruding members.

Advatangeously said lugs are provided with cam faces so that said protruding members may move resiliently when the support is connected to a channel.

Preferably said protruding means comprise a single member carrying two outwardly directed lips which constitute the said lugs.

One rib may extend further from the protruding member than the other said rib and said lugs may be provided with pipes thereon.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, three embodiments of a support in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a support in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a side view of the support of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the support of Figures 1 and 2 engaged with part of a picture frame; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a support in accordance with the invention; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the support of Figure 4 engaged with part of a picture frame; Figures 6 and 7 are perspective views of a third and a fourth embodiment of a support in accordance with the invention; and Figure 8 is a perspective view of the support of Figure 6 engaged with part of a picture frame.

Figure 1 shows a support 1 for suspending a picture frame. The support is integrally moulded from a plastics material such as nylon 66 and comprises a generally planar member. When the planar member is upright, the member has an upper horizontal edge 2 and two vertical side edges 3,4 which merge, by rounded corners, with two downwardly and inwardly inclined lower edges 5,6 which meet at a central rounded corner 7.

In the lower triangular half of the planar member there is a key hole slot 8, of a type well known to a man skilled in the art, having a circular portion which is large enough for the head of a screw or bolt to pass through, and which has a narrow portion extending upwardlydrom the circular portion towards the upper rectangular half of the planar member which narrow portion will accommodate the shank of a screw or bolt but not the head. The support, and thus an associated picture frame, may be hung from a screw or bolt which protrudes from a wall.

The upper rectangular half of the planar member is provided with means to engage a picture frame.

Four upstanding members 9 extend perpendicularly outwardly from one planar surface of the planar member. The four upstanding members are each rectangular in cross section, with the rectangle in each case parallel lying to the horizontal upper edge 2 of the planar member. The four upstanding members are arranged as two pairs in an orthogonal array aligned with the upper edge 2 of the support 1.

A lug 10 is provided along the whole of the length of one edge of each upstanding member 9 at a point spaced from the planar member, the lugs of each pair of members being directed away from each other, the lugs being directed in direction parallel to the side edges 3,4 of the planar member. Each lug is in the form of a triangular section prism, with a first side face of the prism being substantially parallel with but spaced from the planar member, and a second side face 11 of the prism sloping inwardly and upwardly from the free edge of the first side face towards the free end of the upstanding member 9 to act as a cam face as will be described hereinafter.

Each lug is additionally provided with a small pip extending outwardly and parallel to the planar memberfrom the free edge of the lug.

A small raised rib 12 extends between each two aligned upstanding members 9 parallel with the upper edge 2 of the member and between each upstanding member and the adjacent side edge of the planar member. The ribs 13 between the upstanding member of each pair furthest from the upper edge and the adjacent side edges of the planar member are, in each case, approximately twice the height of the remaining ribs 12. Because the picture frame support is integrally moulded, there is a rectangular hole in the planar member at the base of each upstanding member 9 at the side thereof on which the lug 10 extends, to facilitate the moulding of the lug.

Figure 3 shows the picture frame support 1 inserted into a picture frame 14. The frame 14 is formed of extruded aluminium, and defines, on its rear surface, an open channel 15 which has two inwardly directed coplanar lips 16. The frame also defines a further channel 17 which accommodates the edge of a picture which is mounted in the frame (not shown).

Because the picture frame support is moulded from a plastics material, and because the upstanding members 9 have a relatively small cross-section at the point at which they join the planar member, each upstanding member can flex slightly with respect to the planar member and thus it is possible to urge the upstanding members of the picture frame support 1 into the picture frame channel 15, with the upstanding members moving resiliently on engagement of the cam surfaces 11 formed by said prisms 10 with the edges of the lips 16 of the channel 15. When the members 9 are urged sufficiently into the channel the upstanding members can return resiiiently to their initial position, with the surfaces of the lugs 10 that face the planar member engaging the interior surfaces of the lips 16.The planar member is urged against the flat outer surface defined by the lips 16.

The ribs 12, 13 engage the free edges of the lips 16 so that there is a stable connection between the support and the frame.

It will be appreciated that, because of the above described action, the support 1 need not be inserted into the picture frame channel 15 before the picture frame is complete, but can instead be inserted once the picture frame is completely assembled. This feature is an advantage over a number of known picture frame supports which must be inserted before the picture frame is complete.It has been found that, because of the hook-like configuration of each upstanding member 9 and the associated 10 lug it is difficuit to remove the support 1 from the picture frame channel 15 inadvertently, or when the picture is suspended on a wali, although the support 1 may be removed from the picture frame channel by exerting a lever action, for example by grasping the free corner 7 of the triangular portion of the planar member and pulling this corner 7 away from the picture frame. For the sake of clarity of illustration the support 1 is shown as inserted into part of the channel at the top of a picture frame which does not contain a picture. It will be appreciated that the frame can be hung from a screw protruding from the wall, the support being totally concealed by the picture within the channel 17.

A second embodiment of a support for a picture frame in accordance with the invention is illustrated in Figure 4. The support 20 is integrally moulded from a plastics material such as nylon 66, and comprises two substantially planar parts 21, 22 at right angles to one another, there being two spaced apart triangular reinforcing webs extending between the two planar parts across the right angle (not shown) to maintain the two planar parts 21,22 in the desired relative orientation.

One of the two planar parts 22 of the support 20 is, in the position illustrated, a vertical depending triangular part with a rounded lower free corner 23.

The triangular part 22 of the support is provided with a key hole slot 24, of a type which is well known to a man skilled in the art, and comprising a round portion through which the head of a bolt or screw may be inserted, and an upwardly directed narrow portion dimensioned to accommodate the shank of the bolt or screw, but not the head.

The other planar part 21 of the support is a substantially rectangular horizontal part. A step 23 extends, parallel to the plane of the first part 22, along the whole of the length of the rectangular part 21 of the support to define a raised portion 24 of the rectangular part 21 on the side of the step remote from the triangular part 22, and a depressed portion 25 on the side of the step adjacent the triangular part 22. On the top side of the depressed portion 25 of the rectangular part 21 of the support there are two aligned upstanding members 26. The upstanding members are rectangular in cross-section, with their long sides aligned with the step 23. The two upstanding members are spaced apart along the line extending parallel to the step 23.

At the top edge of the side face of each upstanding member 26 remote from the step 23 there is a protruding lug 27. Each lug 27 is in the form of a triangular section prism, which has a lower horizontal face which is parallel with but spaced from the depressed portion 25 and a sloping face 28 that acts as a cam that extends from the lower free edge of the lug to the top of the upstanding member. A small pip extends outwardly from the free edge of each lug.

Two further lugs 29, aligned with the upstanding members 26 are provided on the raised part 24, said lugs 29 protruding beyond the free edge of the raised portion 24 remote from the step 23, the lugs 29 defining downwardly directed faces which are in alignment with the lower horizontal faces of the lugs 27. The upper surfaces of the lugs 29 are chamfered adjacent the free edges thereof to provide, with the inclined faces of the lugs 27, a camming action when the member is mounted on a channel.

Figure 5 of the drawings illustrates the support 20 engaged with a channel 30 of a picture frame. The picture frame is formed from extruded aluminium members 31 which define the channel 30 which has two inwardly directed coplanar lips 32 which define an outer flat surface, and which defines a further channel 33 to accommodate a picture or the like. A picture may be inserted in channel 33 after the frame has been constructed.

The support may be inserted into the channel 30 by first inserting the lugs 29 on the raised portion 24 into the channel 30 to engage the inside surface of one of the lips 32 of the channel, and then urging the lugs 27 of the upright members into the channel 30 by pressing the sloping cam faces 28 formed on the lugs 27 against the free edge of the lip 32 so that the upstanding members bend resiliently. When the lugs 27 are within the channel 30 the resilient members return to their initial position and the horizontal underfaces of the lugs 27 and 29 engage the inner faces of the lips 32 of the channel, while the depressed face 25 engages the outer surface of the channel as defined by the lips 32. The free edge of the raised part 24 engages the free edge of one of the lips 32.Thus the support is securely mounted on the frame, with the rear of the support flush with the rear face of the frame.

It has been found that, with the support inserted into the channel of the picture frame in this way, when one wishes to disengage the support from the picture frame, it is merely necessary to exert a twisting action on the support, and thus the member cannot be inadvertently dislodged from the frame.

Referring now to Figure 6, a third embodiment of a support 40 for a picture frame in accordance with the invention is in the form of a stand which is adapted to be placed on a substantially level surface and to engage the bottom of a picture frame, to support the frame in an inclined position.

The support 40 is a single member integrally moulded from the plastics material, such as nylon 66, and the member is substantially wedge-shaped, with two opposed diverging triangular side walls 41, and a sloping top surface 42 extending between the side walls, the top surface 42 being narrower at the higher end thereof. A rectangular front face 43, inclines slightly from the vertical towards the body of the support and providing a substantially planar surface, is provided and a protruding cuboid member 44 extends horizontally across the said front face 43 at about the mid-line thereof. The top free edge and the bottom free edge of the cuboid member are each provided respectively with a top lug 45, and a bottom lug 46 extending along the entire length of the respective free edge in a direction parallel to the said front face 43.The bottom lug 46 extends further from the cuboid member 44 than the top lug 45. The top lug 45 is provided with two small pips extending a little way beyond the free edge of the lug, each pipe being spaced from a respective end of the lug.

Respective rectangular faces of the cuboid member are defined between each lug and the said frontface.

Figure 7 of the drawings shows a further embodiment which is very similar to the embodiment shown in Figure 6 and which will thus not be described in detail. In Figure 7 the support 40' has a sloping top surface 42' extending between side walls 41', the upper surface 42' being outwardly flaring in the region thereof which is remote from the sloping front face 43'. The sloping front face 43' is provided with a protruding cuboid member having top lugs and bottom lugs corresponding to those provided in the embodiments shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 of the drawings shows the picture frame support illustrated in Figure 6 engaged with a picture frame 47. The frame 47 defines a channel 48 that has two coplanar inwardly directed lips 49 which define a flat rear surface of the frame. The frame also defines a further channel 50 to accommodate a picture or the like.

The support 40 may be. inserted into the channel 48 of the picture frame by first inserting the bottom, that is to say larger, lug 46 into the bottom of the channel and then levering the support slightly upwardly so that the top lug 45 is deformed resiliently and snaps into the channel, the lugs moving slightly relative to one another. The front face 43 of the support engages the flat face defined by the lips 49 of the channel. Because the front face 43 of the support is angled from the vertical towards the body of the support, a picture and frame being supported on a level surface by the support will incline from the vertical to exert a downward force on the edge of the support remote from the picture frame. It can be seen that the bottom lug 46 is thereby brought into close engagement with the bottom of the channel ofthepicture frame 47 and it has been found that it is very difficult for the lugs to be forcibly removed from the channel of the picture frame by exerting a force such as would be exerted by the picture inclining towards the support as described above. On the other hand, it is relatively simple and easy to remove the support from the channel of the picture frame by levering the support out of the channel so that the top, that is to say smaller, lug 45 leaves the channel before the bottom lug 46 does.

It is to be appreciated that the picture frame support shown in Figure 7 may be connected to a picture frame in precisely the same way.

It has been found that, provided that the dimensions of a picture frame support in accordance with the invention are chosen to engage the channel of a picture frame correctly, the picture frame support provides a simple and effective means of supporting a picture frame. A particular advantage of a suitably dimensioned picture frame support is that the support may be snapped into and out of the channel of the picture frame after the picture frame has been mounted around the picture. Moulding the picture frame support integrally from a plastics material such as nylon 66 provides a cheap way of manufacturing the picture frame support.

It will be appreciated that the channel-engaging means of the first described embodiments can be used on a standing support of the type shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8 and, conversely the channelengaging means of the embodiments of Figures 6, 7 and 8 can be used on a hanging support of the type shown in Figures 1 to 3 and the type shown in Figures 4 and 5.

Whilst picture frames have been described above which are each provided with a single support, picture frames could easily be provided with two or more supports of a single type.

Claims

1. A support for a frame, which frame is provided with an elongate channel with co-planar inwardly directed lips to engage said support, said support comprising means adapted releasably to engage the channel and means to support said frame, said means to engage the channel comprising a surface adapted to abut the exterior surface of said channel as defined by at least one of said lips, means protruding therefrom to extend between said lips to the interior of the channel and lugs carried by said protruding means adapted to engage the interior surfaces of the lips defining the channel, said lugs being resiliently movable relative to one another to permit the support to be snap fitted into said channel.

2. A support according to claim 1 wherein said means to support the frame comprise a planar portion provided with an aperture to engage a screw or the like.

3. A support according to claim 2 wherein said aperture is of key hole slot configuration.

4. A support according to claim 2 or claim 3 wherein said surface is planar and said planar portion is co-planar with said surface.

5. A support according to claim 2 or3 wherein said surface is planar and said planar portion is substantially perpendicular to said surface.

6. A support according to claim 1 wherein said supporting means comprises a member adapted to rest on a substantially horizontal surface whilst supporting said frame in an inclined position.

7. A support according to claim 6 wherein said support comprises a member defining a substantially planar undersurface, and defining said surface to abut said channel, said surface to abut said channel being inclined relative to said planar undersurface.

8. A support according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said surface supports two pairs of protruding members, the pairs of members being orthogonally aligned, the protruding members constituting said protruding means and carrying said lugs.

9. A frame provided with one or more supports according to any one of the preceding claims.

9. A support according to claim 8 wherein at least some of said protruding members are resilient and said lugs are provided with cam faces adapted to engage the inwardly directed lips of the channel to move said lugs resiliently relative to one another.

10. A support according to claim 8 or 9 wherein elongate ribs are formed on said surface to abut the free edges of the inwardly directed lips of the channel.

11. A support according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein said protruding means comprise two aligned resilient protruding members and an inwardly directed element carrying lugs which are aligned with said protruding members.

12. A support according to claim 11 wherein said lugs are provided with cam faces so that said protruding members may move resiliently when the support is connected to a channel.

13. A support according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein said protruding means comprises a single member carrying two outwardly directed lips which constitute the said lugs.

14. A support according to claim 13 wherein one ribs extends further from the protruding member than the other said rib.

15. A support according to any one of the preceding claims wherein one or more of said lugs are provided with pipes thereon.

16. A support according to any one of the preceding claims integrally moulded from a plastics material.

17. A support substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

18. A support substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown Figures 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings.

19. A support substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figures 6 and 8 of the accompanying drawings.

20. A support substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.

21. A frame provided with one or more supports according to any one of the preceding claims.

22. Any novel feature or combination of features described herein.

Superseded claims 1-22 New or amended claims:- 1-9 CLAIMS

1. A support for a frame, which frame is provided with an elongate channel with co-planar inwardly direct lips to engage said support, said support comprising means adapted releasably to engage the channel which comprise a surface adapted to abut the exterior surface of said channel as defined by at least one of said lips, members protruding therefrom to extend between said lips to the interior of the channel and lugs carried by said protruding members adapted to engage the interior surface of the lips defining the channel, said lugs being resiliently movable relative to the main part of the support to permit the support to be snap fitted into said channel, said support comprising a member adapted to rest on a substantially horizontal surface whilst supporting said frame in an inclined position.

2. A support according to claim 1, wherein said support comprises a member defining a substantially planar undersurface, and defining said surface to abut said channel, said surface to abut said channel being inclined relative to said planar undersurface.

3. A support according to claims 1 or 2, wherein said protruding means comprises a single member carrying two outwardly directed lips which constitutu the said lugs.

4. A support according to claim 3, wherein one lip extends further from the protruding member than the other said lip.

5. A support according to any one of the preceding claims wherein one or more of said lugs are provided with pipsthereon.

6. A support according to any one of the preceding claims integrally moulded from a plastics material.

7. A support substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

8. A support substantially as herein described with reference to and as shown in Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.