GB2236052A - Picture frames - Google Patents

Abstract

A picture frame includes two side members, a top member and a bottom member, each having two mitered ends and a rear channel for accommodating a connecting strip and a front channel for accommodating a back board, a glass plate and a picture or photograph, three of the four members being connected by two fixed connecting strips and screws, two further connecting means being respectively mounted to the two mitered ends of the remaining member of the picture frame via each portion 31 and a lever 40 pivotal about shaft 34 and a holding means 42 are provided on the portion 33 for connecting the remaining member to the assembled members by holding surface 48 bearing on the inner wall of the rear channel. <IMAGE>

Description

TITLE: IMPROVED CONNECTING MEANS FOR A PICTURE FRAME The present invention relates to an improved connecting means for a picture frame.

Picture frames are a common househoid item.

Nevertheless there still exist disadvantaes with conventional picture frames especially in installing or changing a picture or photograph. Referring to Fig.

6, wherein a conventional picture frame is shown. Four connecting strips 20 are provided on the four corners of the frame for connecting the four members 10 of the frame. The screws 50 are screwed into the members 10 for fixing the connecting means 8 onto the members 10.

and it is necessary to loosen the screws 50 and then detach at least one of the members to change a picture or photograph or the like. The members are then reassembled by means of the connecting strips 20 and the screws 50. The procedure is very inconven lent and tedious. Furthermore, if any of the screws are lost (it is easy to do so as they are usually very small) additional problems are brought upon the user. The aforedescribed problems experienced during the use of a previously known picture frame are substantiall avoided when usliig t picture frame cf the present invention.

One feature of the present invention is to provide an improved connecting means for connecting two adjacent members of a picture frame.

Another feature of the present invention is to provide an improved connecting means for a picture frame, wherein a lever and a holding means are provided to connect two adjacent members of the picture frame.

These and additional features. if not set forth specifically herein. will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a rear perspective view of a picture frame provided with two connecting means in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the picture frame of Fig. 1 with a member detached; Fi. 3 is a perspective viw of a connecting means in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a member of a picture frame provided with a connecting means according to the present invention wherein the connecting means is at a disengaged position; Fi. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the member of Fia. 4, wherein the connecting means is at an engaged position; and Fig. 6 is a rear perspective view of a conventional picture frame.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and initially to Figs. 1 and 2, a picture frame 1 according to the present invention comprises to side members 13 and 14, a top member 11, and a bottom member 12. Each member has two mitered ends. Each member has a rear channel for accommodating a connectin strip 20 and a front channel for ancommodating a back board 6, a glass plate 4 and a picture, a photograph or the like 5 as a conventional picture frame does.

For a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the top member 11, the left side member 13 and the bottom member 12 are assembled with one connecting strip 20 and four screws 21 provided at each of an upper left corner and a lower left corner of the picture frame 1 respectively. Two connecting means 3 according to the present invention are respectively provided at two mitered ends of the right member 14.

Referring to Fig. 3, the connecting means 3 is substantially L-shaped and has a first portion 31 and a second portion 33. The first portion 31 has two screw holes 32 formed thereon. The connecting means 3 is fixed onto the right member 14 b inserting the first portion 3i into the rear channel and tightening the screws 21 in the screw holes 32.

The second portion 33 has a substantially rectangular slot 37 formed thereon. A shaft element 3 is mounted across the slot 37. The shaft element 34 is disposed on a plane normal to the length of the second portion 33. A lever 40 is pivotally mounted to the shaft element 34 and is pivotally movable between a first position and a second position. The lever 40 comprises an arm 35 formed at a distal end of the leer 40 and an actuating portion 36 formed proximate to the shaft element 34.

A holding means 42 is mounted to the second portion 33. The holding means 42 has a rocker 44 pivotally mounted to the distal end of the second portion 33 (see Fig. 2) and a holding plate 46 extending toward the shaft element 34 from an end of the rocker 44. The rocker 44 is pivotally movable within a small angle about its axis where the rocker 44 is mounted to the second portion 33. The holding plate 46 has a flat holding surface 48 for bonding the two members 11 and 14 by means of the holding surface 48 contacting with the inner wall of the rear channel.

The holding plate 46 is pressed so that the holding surface 48 contacts with the inner wall of the rear channel when the lever 40 is located at the second position (see Fig. D 3 and is released when the lever 40 is at the first position (see Fig. t). The rocker 4-1 of the holding means 4 is linked up to rotate a small angle in response to the movement of the holding plate 46.

Referring to Fig. 2, the two connecting means 3 are provided at two mitered ends of the right member 14 wherein each first portion 31 of the two connecting means 3 is received and fixed within the rear channel.

After installing or changing a picture or photograph and it is wished to re-assemble the picture frame, a user may disposesthe two leers 40 at the first position (as shown in Fig. 2) and insert each second portion 33 of the two connecting means 3 respectively into the rear channel of the top member 11 and the bottom member 12 until the mitered ends of the right member 14 abut the unmatched mitered ends of the top member 11 and the bottom member 14 respectively. The interrelationship between the connecting means 3 and the top member 11 is clearly shown in Fig. 4. The holding plate 46 is neither in contact with the actuating portion 36 not the inner wall of the rear channel. Then, turning the lever 40 to the second position. by operating the arm 35, the holding plate 46 of the connecting means 3 is pressed by the actuating portion 36 so that the holding face 48 thereof contacts the inner wall of the rear channel of the top member 11. Accordingly, the right member 14 is tightly connected with the top member 11 and in a likewise manner to the bottom member 12 as cleaIl-i shc;n in rig.

5 and the picture frame is assembled.

While the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that various modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this specification. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention disclosed herein is intended to cover all such modificationssas fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (2)

CLAIMS:

1. Connecting means for a picture frame having four members, each said member of said picture frame having two mitered ends, each said member having a rear channel for accommodating a connecting strip and a front channel for accommodating a back board, a glass plate and a picture, photograph or the like, characterized in that:: three of said four members are fixed by means of said connecting strips and screws, two said connecting means are provided on said mitered ends of the remaining member, each said connecting means is substantially L-shaped and has a first portion and a second portion, said first portion has two screw holes formed thereon, said connecting means is fixed onto said remaining member by inserting said first portion into said rear channel and applying two screws in said the screw holes, said second portion has a substantially rectangular slot formed thereon, a shaft element is mounted across said slot, said shaft element is disposed on a plane normal to the length of said second portion, a lever is pivotally mounted to said shaft element and is pivotally movable between a first position and a second position, said lever comprises an arm formed at a distal end cf said lever and an actuating portion formed proximate to said shaft element, a holding means is mounted to said second portion, said holding means has a rocker pivotally mounted to a distal end of said second portion and a holding plate extending toward said shaft element from an end of said rocker, said rocker is pivotally movable within a small angle about its asis where said rocker is mounted to said second portion, said holding plate has a flat holding surface for bonding said remaining member and two of staid three engaged members by means of said holding surface contacting with said inner walls of said rear channels of said two engaged members, said holding plate is pressed such that said holding surface contacts with said inner wall of said rear channels when said lever is disposed at said second position and is released when said lever is disposed at said first position, said rocker rotates a small angle in response to the movement of said holding plate.

2. Connecting means for a picture frame substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.