GB2195887A

GB2195887A - A device for displaying photographs or other pictures

Info

Publication number: GB2195887A
Application number: GB08624543A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Clive Brett
Original assignee: BPB Industries PLC
Current assignee: BPB Ltd
Priority date: 1986-10-14
Filing date: 1986-10-14
Publication date: 1988-04-20
Anticipated expiration: 2006-10-14
Also published as: GB8624543D0; GB2195887B

Abstract

A display device for photographs is formed by folding and gluing a single sheet of cardboard (1) to form a envelope having a display opening (2) on its front panel. The rear panel of the envelope may have linear indentations 8, 9, 10 to guide the photograph centrally into the envelope and to prevent it slipping out if the envelope is open at two ends. A supporting strut is provided by folding out a flap 16 on the rear panel. A second flap 17 holds the first flap in its folded out position and engages the photograph to help hold it in the envelope. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A device for displaying photographs or other pictures This invention relates to a device for displaying photographs or other pictures.

A conventional device for displaying photographs is made from a sheet of cardboard and a sheet of paper which are secured together along opposite edges to form an envelope for the photograph. The paper sheet has an opening through which the photograph can be viewed and is printed to form a decorative surround or border. The cardboard sheet is cut to form a flap which can be folded out to form a strut for supporting the photograph upright on a horizontal surface. This known device has to be made largely by hand and suffers from a problem in that the photograph is not always easy to insert and, once inserted, can too easily drop out.

This invention provides a picture display device comprising a sheet of cardboard folded and secured by adhesive to form an envelope having at least one open end for the insertion of a picture; a front panel of the envelope having an opening through which the picture can be seen and defining a border for the picture; and a rear panel of the envelope defining support means for supporting the device in an upright position.

It will be appreciated that a display device can be constructed in accordance with the invention from a single sheet of cardboard by conventional cutting, folding and gluing machinery such as is used in carton manufacturing processes.

The envelope preferably has two open ends.

This facilitates insertion of the photograph since it enables the photograph to be pushed through one end of the envelope with one hand and simultaneously pulled towards the other end with the other hand. A device may be included to act as a stop, preventing the picture from slipping out of a lowermost of the two ends. Such a stop can conveniently be provided by a linear indentation on the rear panel, projecting towards the front panel.

It is usually desirable for the envelope to be substantially larger than the picture to be displayed in order to provide a generous border around the latter. For this reason it will normally be necessary to centralize the picture in the envelope. In a preferred construction opposite edge regions of the front panel lie against and are secured by adhesive to corresponding edge regions of the rear panel. The inside of the envelope is thus smaller in width than the outside by the sum of the widths of these edge regions: and the picture is held centralized between the latter.

To assist in guiding the picture between the aforementioned edge regions during insertion, each of the edge regions may advantageously be defined between one edge of the rear panel and an linear indentation on the rear panel extending along a line adjacent to that edge. This line can be shaped so as to provide a flared opening to the envelope at the end where the picture is to be inserted.

As on the conventional device previously referred to, the rear panel may have a flap which can be folded outwardly to form a strut allowing the device to stand on a horizontal surface. Unlike the conventional device, it has been found advantageous to provide a second, locking flap which engages the strut and holds it in its folded-out position. It has also been found advantageous to design one of the said flaps, preferably the locking flap, so that, when folded out, a portion of it is folded inwardly and presses against the picture thereby firmly retaining the latter in position.

One way in which the invention may be performed will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view of a cardboard blank for the construction of a photograph display device in accordance with the invention; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a display device constructed from the blank of Fig. 1 and shown from the rear.

A blank 1 shown in Fig. 1 is cut from cardboard and formed with an aperture 2, and cuts 3, 3A; 4, 4A; and 5. Holes 6 and 6A are punched during the same cutting process.

A score line 7 and indentations 8, 9, 10, 11, 11A, 12 and 12A are then produced, the indentations projecting upwardly when viewed as in Fig. 1. The blank is then passed through a gluing machine which applies glue along the lines 13 and 14. Finally a front panel, defined to the left hand side of the score line 7 is folded over the rear panel, to the right hand side of the score line; and becomes secured to the rear panel by the glue.

Referring now to Fig. 2 a photograph (not shown) can be inserted through an opening 15. During this process the photograph is guided to a central position by the indentations 9 and 10 which diverge so as to give a flair to the opening 15. When the photograph has been correctly positioned the indentation 8 helps to prevent it slipping downwardly towards the lower opening.

The device may be supported by hanging it on a wall for which purpose the holes 6 and 6A and their associated flaps are provided.

Alternatively the device may be made to stand at a small angle to the vertical by- a strut formed by folding outwardly a flap 16 defined by the cut 3 about a fold line provided by the indentation 11. This flap 16 is then locked in position by folding outwardly a locking flap 17 defined by the cut 4 about a fold line provided by the indentation 12.

It will be noted that the flap 17 has a small pointed portion 18 extending on the opposite side of the fold line 12 to the major portion of the flap 17. This portion 18 is folded inwardly when the flap 17 as a whole is folded outwardly and thus presses against the photograph, helping to hold it in position. The flap 16 tends to fold back towards its initial position co-planar with the rest of the rear panel of the envelope, because of a resilient action of the cardboard at the fold line 11. This action further helps to press the portion 18 of the flap 17 into engagement with the photograph.

Further flaps 16A and 17A similar to flaps 16 and 17 can be used to hold the device in a "landscape" position instead of the illustrated "portrait" position.

Claims

1. A picture display device comprising a sheet of cardboard folded and secured by adhesive to form an envelope having at least one open end for the insertion of a picture; a front panel of the envelope having an opening through which the picture can be seen and defining a border for the picture; and a rear panel of the envelope defining support means for supporting the device in an upright position.

2. A device according to Claim 1 in which the envelope has two open ends and means for acting as a stop to prevent the picture from slipping out of one end.

3. A device according to Claim 2 in which the stop is formed by a linear indentation in the rear panel.

4. A device according to any preceding Claim in which opposite edge regions of the front panel lie against and are secured by adhesive to corresponding edge regions of the rear panel.

5. A device according to Claim 4 in which each of the said edge regions is defined between one edge of the rear panel and a linear indentation on the rear panel extending along a line adjacent to that edge.

6. A device according to Claim 5 in which the linear indentation approaches its associated edge towards the open end referred to in Claim 1 to produce a flared opening.

7. A device according to Claim 1 and sustantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings and substantially as illustrated therein.

7. A device according to any preceding Claim in which the support means comprises a flap defined by a portion of the rear panel which can be folded out of the plane thereof to form a strut.

8. A device according to Claim 7 comprising a locking flap also defined by a portion of the rear panel and which can be folded out of the plane thereof to engage the strut and to lock it in its folded out position.

9. A device according to Claim 8 in which one of the said flaps has a portion which, when the flap is folded out, presses against a picture held in the device.

10. A device according to Claim 1 and substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings and substantially as illustrated therein.

CLAIMS Amendments to the claims have been filed, and have the following effect: Claims 1 to 10 above have been deleted or textually amended.

New or textually amended claims have been filed as follows:

1. A picture display device comprising a sheet of cardboard folded and secured by adhesive to form an envelope having: at least one open end for the insertion of a picture; a front panel of the envelope having an opening through which the picture can be seen and defining a border for the picture; and a rear panel of the envelope, the rear panel having a first flap which can be folded out of the plane of the rear panel to form a strut for supporting the device in an upright position, and a second flap which can be folded out of the plane of the rear panel to engage the strut and to lock it in its folded out position, one of the said struts being shaped so that, when it is folded out, a portion thereof presses against a picture held in the device.