GB2390729A

GB2390729A - Sign frame corner

Info

Publication number: GB2390729A
Application number: GB0216340A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Edward Smart
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-07-13
Filing date: 2002-07-13
Publication date: 2004-01-14
Also published as: GB0216340D0

Abstract

A corner connector 10 for use to form a corner between two frame members 11 and 12 comprises a side plate 20 adapted to overlie portions of the front faces 14, of adjacent frame members, where each frame member has a base web 13, front and rear faces 14 and 16 parallel to the face of the frame, and in-turned lips 15 and 17. The corner connector has inner and outer plates 27, 28 and 23, 24 which in use overlie the base web and the in-turned lips on the front face of the respective frame members. The spacing "W" between the confronting surfaces of the inner and outer plates equals the distance across the base web and in-turned lips of the front face of the frame members. The corner connectors may be internal or external radiuses (figures 4 and 5) and have decorative embellishments. Also included is a corner construction between two frame members, with the end faces cut perpendicularly to the length of the member and disposed to form a butt joint covered by the described connector.

Description

SIGN FRAME CORNERS

This invention relates to a corner connector, for use to form a corner between two frame members. In particular, though not exclusively, this invention is concerned with the provision of a frame around a sign, for example consisting of a single sheet or several sheets of plastics material and carrying s either advertising material or information. Further, this invention relates to a corner construction between two frame members and also to a sign including a frame having four comer constructions of this invention.

Signs are frequently made by applying to a sheet of a plastics material a self-adhesive vinyl covering of a suitably coloured material. The vinyl covering 10 is then cut using a computer-driven power-operated cutter, allowing sections of the covering to be removed and so exposing the plastics material therebelow.

By employing a sheet of coloured plastics material, characters may be formed on the sign, of a contrasting colour. Altematively, the signs may be built up using solid materials, or cut out of such materials.

To impart sufficient strength to such a sign and also to give it a finished appearance, it is usual to provide a frame around the sign. Such a frame typically is of relatively simple aluminium extrusions cut and joined together at the comers, so as to hold the sign in place. The comers may be mitred, and a connector clip provided to hold the frame members together at the corner.

20 Such a clip is often tiffed internally of the sections to give a neat appearance.

An alternative technique is to cut the frame members square and then to plug into the frame members a pre-noulded plastics connector, which defines the comer itself. Though this is a relatively simple process to perform, it is not

- 2 - particularly aesthetically pleasing and the mouldings tend to be relatively expensive. By contrast, the production of an accurate mitre is difficult to perform and the fitting of the clips can be relatively timeconsumirg to perform.

It is a principal aim of the present invention to provide a corner connector 5 which is easy to fit to a corner junction between two frame members and which gives an aesthetically pleasing result, when completed.

According to the present invention there is provided a corner connector for use in forming a corner between two frame members each having a base web from which extends a front face and a rear face both lying parallel to the 10 plane of a finished frame, each face having an in-turned lip at its free edge remote from the base web, which corner connector comprises a side plate adapted in use to overlie portions of the front faces of two adjacent frame members in the region of a corner therebetween, the side plate carrying along the edges of those parts which overlie said portions of the side faces of the two frame members respective outer and inner plates which in use overlie the base and the in-turned lip on the front face of the respective frame member, the spacing between the confronting surfaces of the outer and inner plates being substantially equal to the dimension across the base web and in-turned lip of the front face of the frame members.

20 It will be appreciated that a corner may be formed by cutting the two frame members to length, with simple transverse cuts, and then the comer connector is merely fitted externally to the members and secured in position.

Since no reliance is placed on accurate cuts which must fit exactly together to give a satisfactory joint, the cutting of the frame members is simplified. Then, it

- 3 is easy to fit the corner connector to the cut frame members, to complete the corner. For example, the corner connector may be adhered in position, or could be secured with self-tapping screws or blind rivets, to the two frame members defining the comer.

5 In a preferred embodiment of corner connector, the side plate is of L shape, with said parts of the side plate being defined by the two limbs of the L shape which overlie the respective frame members at the corner therebetween.

An alternative is for the corner connector to have a side plate with a curved central region and said parts of the side plate which overlie the frame members 10 being defined by linear extensions of the curved central region. Such a curved central region may be centred on a point Iying within the area defined by the finished frame, whereby the central region still covers the joint between the two frame members. It would also be possible for the curved central region to be centred on a point Iying outside the area defined by the finished frame, the 15 curved central region Iying over the corner region of the finished frame.

Whichever is chosen, the frame member ends will be covered (from the front) by the overlying parts of the side plate, so simplifying the overall procedure.

The attractiveness of the finished frame may be enhanced by providing on the corner connector a decorative embellishment.

so Preferably, the corner connector is formed as a one-piece plastics material moulding. In this case, the corner connector could be of white or a coloured plastics material, of a contrasting or matching colour to the frame members. The corner connector could instead be made of a metal, such as an

- 4 aluminium alloy, in which case it could be anodised to the same colour or a contrasting colour, to that of the frame members.

This invention extends to a comer construction between two frame members each of having a base web from which extends a front face and a 5 rear face both lying parallel to the plane of the frame, each face having an in turned lip at its free edge remote from the base web, each frame member being cut to have an end plane perpendicular to the length of the member and the two frame members being disposed to form a right-angle buttjoint, and a connector of this invention as described above arranged to overlie the front faces of both to frame members in the region of the corner to effect a connection therebetween.

Further, this invention also extends to a frame suitable for use with a sign and including four corners each constructed as described.

In such a comer construction or frame, the corner connector may take any of the forms as set out above.

1s By way of example only, one specific embodiment of this invention will now be described in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of comer connector, together with two frame members; 20 Figure 2 is a side view of the comer connector shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is an end view on the corner connector; and Figures 4 and 5 are side views of two further embodiments of corner connector of this invention.

- - The corner connector 10 is intended for making a right angle joint between two frame members 11 and 12, both cut to the appropriate length for the frame to be made, from the same section aluminium or plastics extrusion.

Each frame member thus has a base wall 13, a front face 14 with an inturned 5 lip 15 along the free edge of the front face, a rear face 16 and an in-fumed lip 17 along the free edge of the rearface. The front and rear faces 14 and 16 are parallel to one another, as are the in-fumed lips 15 and 17; the front and rear faces extend perpendicularly to the base wall 13 and the in-turned lips 15 and 17 are parallel to the base wall 13. The free edges of the in-fumed lips 15 and JO 17 are spaced from one another in a plane parallel to the base wall 13 by a distance W (typically 6mm) which is sufficient to accommodate the sign (not shown) to be framed. Such a sign may be directly formed for example on a sheet of plastics material, or cut-out letters may be affixed to the front of the sheet. Another possibility is for there to be a back-plate for the sign to be s framed, a paper or paper-like sign itself and any transparent cover sheet which may be required.

Typically, the sign to be framed will comprise a single sheet or several sheets of plastics material which carries the required indicia, either for information or advertising purposes. The thickness of the plastics material will 20 depend upon the overall size of the sign; if a relatively small, and so thin, sign is to be framed, spacers may be employed to ensure the sign is lightly gripped between the free edges of the in-turned lips 15 and 17.

Conventionally, a frame made up from frame members such as those shown in Figure 1 will have mitred corners, which are difficult to cut, metal

- 6 piates being used to hold the corner together, or plastics mouldings which plug into the members and define the corner region. The embodiment of corner connector of this invention allows a simple butt joint between frame members by externally interconnecting those members.

5 As shown in the drawings, the comer connector comprises a one-piece plastics moulding or fabricated plastics component, having an L-shaped side plate 2O, to the long edges 21 and 22 of which are attached outer plates 23 and 24 respectively, the width of each such outer plate being substantially equal to the external width of the base wall 13 of the frame Novembers. Attached to the 0 short edges 25 and 26 of the L-shaped side plate 2t:) are inner plates 27 and 28, the width of each such inner plate being substantially equal to the external width of the in-turned lips 15 and 17. In determining the dimensions of the L shaped side plate 20 as well as the outer and inner plates 23, 24, 27 and 28, due allowance should be made for the thicknesses of the materials, both of the connector itself and the frame members.

In order to construct a corner, two frame menders are cut to the length for example of the upper and lower edges of the sign to be framed, and two further frame members are cut to the length of the side edges of the sign to be framed, less twice the distance of the height of the other frame member, 20 measured from its base wall 13 to the rear in-turned lip 17. Both upright frame members are simply cut square, as shown in Figure 1, so as to be able to fit between the horizontal frame members, a butt joint being formed at the rear of those members. The cuts at the ends of the frame members may be

- 7 performed simply with a hand-held hacksaw, for the quality of the finished frame does not depend upon the accuracy nor neatness of those cuts.

Once the frame members have been cut to the appropriate lengths as described above, three of the members are screwed to the surface on which the sign is to be displayed, using holes (not shown) formed through the rear face 16 of the members, above the front face 14, those members being appropriately positioned for the prepared sign. The sign is then fitted into those three members and the fourth member positioned appropriately, on the sign.

Then, a corner connector 10 is fitted to each of the four comers of the frame, 10 merely by being pressed laterally into engagement with the two frame members, at the corner. The corner connector is then secured in position, by some appropriate technique. For example, the comer could be secured by means of an adhesive applied to the internal surfaces of the connector, immediately before the connector is pressed on to the two frame members at the corner to be constncted. In the alternative, the comer connector could be secured by means of self-tapping screws passing through holes in the corner connector and threaded into the frame members. Further possibilities include the use of blind rivets, fitted into registering holes in the corner connector and the frame members, or a cleat fitted inside the comers.

20 Once secured in position, the corner connectors 10 securely hold the two France members together at each of the corners of the frame, to prevent the frame members coming off the sign fitted into the frame members. The joint is quick and relatively easy to effect, whilst giving an aesthetically pleasing

appearance, as the ends of the frame members are hidden, behind the connector. The corner connector could be similarly coloured as the frame members, or could be made of a material having a contrasting colour. Though described 5 as of a plastics material, it could be made of other materials, such as aluminium alloy. Further, it may be used with frame members other than those shown in the drawings, or made of other materials.

Figure 4 is a side view of an alternative form or corner connector of this invention. This corner connector has a different profile from the Lshaped side to plate 20 of the above-described connector. With the embodiment of Figure 4, the side plate 30 has a curved central region 31, which blends into two generally rectangular extensions 32. These extensions have linear side edges 33 and 34 connected to which a re inner and outer plates 35 and 36, corresponding to outer plates 23 and 24 and inner plates 27 and 28, of the first 15 described embodiment. The inner and outer plates extend around the curved central region 31, on both the inside and outside thereof. Thus, the inner plates 35 bear against a sign with which the frame is to be used, and the outer plates 36 cover the cutoff frame members.

The comer connector of Figure 4 is used in much the same way as that 20 described above. However, the frame members are cut short of the actual corner where the frame members would otherwise meet at right angles, such that the actual corner is defined by the curved central region 31 of the connector. Thus, the frame members are cut so as to be disposed under the

-9 - side plate 30, terminating approximately where the extensions 32 merge into the curved central region 31.

Once the corner has been assembled, the connector is secured to the frame members in the same manner as has been described above.

s Figure 5 shows an alternative embodiment to that shown in Figure 4.

Here, the curved central region 38 is curved in the opposite sense, so as to be centred extemally of a frame assembled from four frame members and using four of the corner connectors. In the embodiment of Figure 4, the curved central region 31 is centred within the area defined by the frame. In other to respects, the embodiment of Figure 5 corresponds to and is used in the same manner as the embodiment of Figure 4 and will not be described further, here.

Though in the foregoing only rectangular corners have been described, for the production of a square or oblong frame made up of four members, it would be possible to employ comer connectors of other angles, for the is production of frames of different shapes. For example, corner connectors defining a 45 angle could be employed, resulting in an octagonal frame made up of eight frame members. In this case, five of those members would be screwed to a mounting surface, "hereafter the sign should be fitted to those members and then the last three frame members fitted to the sign before the 20 application of the corner connectors to all of the corners of the frame. i

Claims

- 10 CLAIMS

1. A corner connector for use in forming a corner between two frame members each having a base web from which extends a front face and a rear face both lying parallel to the plane of a finished frame, each face having an in-

turned lip at its free edge remote from the base web, which corner connector 5 comprises a side plate adapted in use to overlie portions of the front faces of two adjacent frame members in the region of a corner therebetween, the side plate carrying along the edges of those parts which overlie said portions of the side faces of the two frame members respective outer and inner plates which in use overlie the base and the in-fumed lip on the front face of the respective 0 frame member, the spacing between the confronting surfaces of the outer and inner plates being substantially equal to the dimension across the base web and inturned lip of the front face of the frame members.

2. A corner connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the side plate is of L-

shape, with said parts of the side plate being defined by the two limbs of the L-

shape which overlie the respective frame members at the corner therebetween.

3. A comer connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the side plate has a curved central region with said parts of the side plate being defined by linear extensions of the curved central region and which overlie the respective frame members adjacent the corner therebetween.

20

4. A corner connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein the curved central region is centred on a point lying within the area defined by the finished frame, whereby the central region covers the joint between the two frame members.

5. A corner connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein the curved central region is centred on a point lying outside the area defined by the finished frame so that the central region overlies a corner region thereof.

6. A corner connector as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein 5 the side plate and the respective pairs of inner and outer plates are formed in one piece from a plastics material.

7. A corner connector as claimed in claim 6, wherein the connector is formed from a transparent plastics material.

8. A comer connector as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the lo connector is a plastics material moulding.

9. A corner connector as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the side plate and the respective pairs of inner and outer plates are fommed from a metallic material.

10. A comer connector as claimed in claim 9, wherein the connector is formed from an aluminium alloy.

11. A comer connector as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the side plate carries a decorative embellishment.

12. A corner connector as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as illustrated in the 20 accompanying drawings.

13. A corner construction between two frame members each of having a base web from which extends front face and a rear face both lying parallel to the plane of the frame, each face having an in-turned lip at its free edge remote from the base web, each frame member being cut to have an end plane

- 1 2 perpendicular to the length of the member and the two frame members being disposed to form a right-angle buttUoint, and a connector as claimed in any of the preceding claims arranged with the side plate thereof overlying the front faces of both frame members in the region of the corner to effect a connection 5 therebetween.

14. A corner construction as claimed in claim 1 3, wherein the corner connector is adhered to the frame members.

15. A corner constructio n as claimed in claim 1 3, wherein mechanical fastenings are used to secure the corner connector to the frame members.