GB2243457A - A picture display frame - Google Patents

Abstract

A picture display frame for viewing a number of pictures, such as photographs, consists of a housing 1 containing a reciprocable tray 5 which holds a pack of pictures 9; the housing having springs (6a-6o) depressable by back member 7 of the tray; withdrawal and insertion of the tray 5 causes the bottom picture 9' of the pack to be removed from the pack being held by tongue 6b and brought by springs 6d, 6e to a position in which it is the top picture and visible through a transparent window 4 in the upper part 2 of the housing 1, to be replaced by repeated reciprocation of the tray by the next picture from the base of the pack. Means (15-18) are also provided by which the entire pack of pictures can be removed from the tray 5 and replaced by a fresh pack. (Figs 8-10). <IMAGE>

Description

A Picture Display Frame This invention relates to a display frame for pictures, photographs or the like, in which a plurality of pictures are inserted as a pack into the body of the frame in such a manner that the pictures can be changed by simple operation of means by which the displayed picture is replaced by another from the pack of pictures, the frame also having a means by which the pack of pictures can be exchanged for another.

According to the invention there is provided a picture display frame comprising a housing consisting of a base member and a top cover member, said top member having a transparent area therein through which a picture in said housing is visible, said housing containing a displaceable picture tray which is slidable into and out of said housing and which is adapted to retain a plurality of pictures, in the form of a pack, said tray comprising an open frame and one side of said tray forming, in the fully inserted position of the tray, one side of said housing, said tray cooperating with spring means provided in said housing such that in the inserted position of the tray the pack of pictures is held against said transparent area and means are provided by which with sequential withdrawal and insertion of the tray, the displayed picture of said pack is displaced downwardly through the open part of the tray and replaced by another of the plurality of pictures, such that the displaced picture is replaced by the lowermost picture of the pack of pictures loaded into the picture tray.

In one embodiment of the invention, the spring means comprises at least one main spring and at least one secondary spring, the or each main spring being adapted to engage an edge of the lowermost of the pack of pictures and the picture tray has a side member provided with an inclined surface, the or each said main spring and inclined surface cooperating during withdrawal of the tray from the housing to cause the lowermost of the pack of pictures to be deflected under said side member into the base of the housing and to cause said picture to be pressed against the transparent area of the top of the housing under spring pressure of both said main spring or springs and said secondary spring or springs during inward movement of the tray.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the picture tray has a deflector member which is retractable against resilient force and which retains one side of the pack of pictures, against the pressure of the spring means when the tray is fully inserted, the deflector member being retractable against said resilient force to enable the insertion into, or the removal of the pack of pictures from the tray.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, the housing supports a release member comprising means by which, during withdrawal of the picture tray from the housing, the pictures are prevented from passing under one side of the tray into the interior of the housing.

An embodiment of the application will now be described, by way of an example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a plan view of the display frame, with the print tray shown in its withdrawn position by chain-dotted lines, Figure 2 is a section on the line II-II in Figure 1, Figures 3 to 5 are sections also on the line II-II of Figure 1, showing the operation of the picture-changing means, Figure 6 is a section on the line VI-VI in Figure 1, Figure 7 is a perspective view of a main spring member used in the picture-changing arrangement of the device, Figure 8 is a section on the line VIII-VIII in Figure 1, and Figures 9 and 10 are sections on the line VIII-VIII of Figure 1, showing the operation of the device during exchange of a pack of pictures.

As shown in the drawings, the device consists of a housing, 1, comprising a base member 2 in the form of a shallow tray and a top or cover member 3 also in the general shape of a shallow tray and having a transparent display region covered by a clear member or window 4 through which pictures contained within the housing are visible.

One side of the base, 2, hereinafter referred to as the lower side of the frame, is substantially open and the housing contains a picture tray member 5 which is slidable within the housing from a fully inserted position shown in Figure 2 to a withdrawn position, as shown in Figures 1 and 3 by chain-dotted lines. In the fully inserted position and as seen in Figure 2, the lower side of the housing is effectively closed by the lower side member 8 of the tray 5.

Fitted to the base member are a number of main springs, 6, one of which is illustrated in Figure 7 and the function of which will become apparent from the following description of the operation of the device.

The slidable picture tray 5 consists of four interconnected side members, referred to hereafter for convenience as an upper side member 7, which is to be regarded as that which is remote from the side of the housing through which the tray is slidable, a lower side member 8 opposite the upper side member and forming the fourth side of the housing 1 in the closed position and two connecting side members.

The slidable picture tray 5 is adapted to receive a plurality of pictures such as photographs, preferably of uniform size, in the form of a pack 9, Figure 2, which is loaded by pulling out the picture tray 5 until it reaches a stop and then sliding back a retractable deflector 10, illustrated in Figure 10, mounted on the lower side member 8 of the tray, against the force of a spring 11. The pack of pictures is then placed in the tray with the picture surfaces thereof upwards and the tray is pushed back fully into the housing.

In so doing, the pack of pictures is pushed upwards by an arrangement of springs mounted on the base of the housing so that the top picture of the pack is located against the clear window member 4 in the top of the housing.

Figures 2 to 5 illustrate diagrammatically the operation of the picture changing means. As shown in Figure 2, with the tray fully closed, the pack of pictures 9 is pressed against the transparent window 4 by the main springs 6. In order to change the picture displayed for the next picture in the pack, the tray 5 is pulled out of the housing and as this takes place, as shown in Figure 3, the bottom picture 9' of the pack is held at its lower edge by a formation in the form of a shaped tongue 6a on one free end of a pair of main springs 6 while the remainder of the pack is pressed against a second shaped tongue 6b at the same end of these springs.

The upper edges of the pack of pictures are urged downwards towards the bottom of the picture tray by an inclined surface 12 formed on the upper side member 7 of the tray, that is the side remote from the side of the housing through which the tray is withdrawn. As the extraction of the tray continues and as illustrated in Figure 4, means (not shown) provided on the lower side of the upper side member 7 of the tray 5 causes the pack 9, with the exception of the bottom picture, to ride over the tongues 6b and 6c of the springs 6 and to be drawn out of the lower side of the housing, while the bottom picture passes under the upper side member 7 of the tray, out of the open base of the tray into the base 2 of the housing.

The means on the underside of the tray side member 7 may be spring loaded and they may have rollers which also help to ensure that the bottom picture passes smoothly under the upper side member and there is no tendency for it to be dragged out partially under the tray or to stick in an intermediate position.

Continued withdrawal of the tray to its fullest extent then allows the bottom picture to be pressed upwards by the free ends 6d of the main springs 6 and a pair of secondary springs against the clear window member 4 in the top 3 of the housing.

As Figure 5 shows, the tray is then pushed back into the housing so that the pack of pictures is now below the new top picture with the next picture to be displayed at the bottom of the pack.

To enable the pack of pictures to be exchanged, the catch 15 shown in Figures 8 to 10 is pushed inwards from the normal position shown in Figure 8, in which the catch is inoperative and the tray is able to be withdrawn or inserted without the stop 18 engaging the back of the abutment 16 and permitting the picture-changing operation, to the first position shown in Figure 9, which shows the catch 15 pushed in but the tray 5 still fully inserted in the housing.It can be seen in Figure 9 how the abutment 16 at the front of the catch member 15 has been lifted as it is pushed inwards by suitably placed cam members 17 on the base 2 of the housing and as the tray is withdrawn, as shown in Figure 10, the stop 18 engages the rear of the abutment 16 carrying it forward with the tray so as to prevent any of the prints from passing under the upper side member of the tray, so that the whole pack of pictures is pulled out of the housing, resting in the tray and free of any spring pressure. The retractable deflector 10 is then pulled backwards against its spring 11 to enable the pack to be lifted out and replaced by another selection of pictures. Return of the tray to its fully inserted position resets the catch 15 to the normal position shown in Figure 8.

As shown in Figure 7, each of two main springs 6 consists of an arcuate main body, secured towards its midpoint to the base member 2 of the housing with its free ends curved upwards. At one end, the spring is divided into three separate tongues, the first of which, 6a, is shaped and of a size to engage only the adjacent edge of a picture which when the tray is fully inserted is the topmost picture of the pack. Next to this first tongue is a second tongue, 6b, the shape and length of which is adapted to engage on the adjacent edges of the rest of the pack of pictures in the tray. At the same end of the spring is a third tongue 6c, which is adapted, when the tray is fully inserted, to hold the pack of pictures against the clear window panel 4 in the top of the housing.

The other end of the main springs is divided into two relatively long tongues, 6d and 6e, one of which is effective to hold the pack of pictures against the clear panel in the top of the housing, in the region of the upper edges of the pictures. The other tongue, 6d, at this end of the main spring 6 is shaped and of such a length that when the tray is being withdrawn, it presses the upper edge of the bottom picture upwards as the tray is drawn backwards and the rest of the pack of pictures is being pulled to the open side of the housing.

As the tray reaches its fully open position, a pair of secondary springs then presses the lower edge of the retained picture upwards, allowing the tray to be pushed back into the housing and the remainder of the pack of pictures to be pressed upwards by the corresponding tongues of the main springs.

The action of the various springs controlling the changing of the pictures is determined by suitable formations on the base of the housing and on the bottom surfaces of the picture tray, the free ends or the tongues of the main and secondary springs being either deflected or raised as the tray is withdrawn or inserted.

Claims (8)

1. A picture display frame comprising a housing consisting of a base member and a top cover member, said top member having a transparent area therein through which a picture in said housing is visible, said housing containing a displaceable picture tray which is slidable into and out of said housing and which is adapted to retain a plurality of pictures, in the form of a pack, said tray comprising an open frame and one side of said tray forming, in the fully inserted position of the tray, one side of said housing, said tray cooperating with spring means provided in said housing such that in the inserted position of the tray the pack of pictures is held against said transparent area and means are provided by which with sequential withdrawal and insertion of the tray, the displayed picture of said pack is displaced downwardly through the open part of the tray .and replaced by another of the plurality of pictures, such that the displaced picture is replaced by the lowermost picture of the pack of pictures loaded into the picture tray.

2. A display frame according to claim 1, wherein the spring means comprises at least one main spring and at least one secondary spring, the or each main spring being adapted to engage an edge of the lowermost of the pack of pictures and the picture tray has a side member provided with an inclined surface, the or each said main spring and inclined surface cooperating during withdrawal of the tray from the housing to cause the lowermost of the pack of pictures to be deflected under said side member into the base of the housing and to cause said picture to be pressed against the transparent area of the top of the housing under spring pressure of both said main spring or springs and said secondary spring or springs during inward movement of the tray.

3. A display frame according to claim 2, wherein the side member of the tray having the inclined surface is provided with means on its underside which, during withdrawal of the tray enable the lowermost picture of the pack of pictures to pass under said side member and out of said tray, said means also serving as an abutment against which the remainder of the pack of pictures rests.

4. A display frame according to claim 3, wherein the means on the underside of said tray side member are spring loaded.

5. A display frame according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the means on the underside of said tray side member include friction reducing means.

6. A display frame according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the picture tray has a deflector member which is retractable against resilient force and which retains one side of the pack of pictures, against the pressure of the spring means when the tray is fully inserted, the deflector member being retractable against said resilient force to enable the insertion into, or the removal of the pack of pictures from the tray.

7. A display frame according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing supports a release member comprising means by which, during withdrawal of the picture tray from the housing, the pictures are prevented from passing under one side of the tray into the interior of the housing.

8. A picture display frame, substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings.