GB2406051A

GB2406051A - Apparatus to releasably hold and display sheet material

Info

Publication number: GB2406051A
Application number: GB0417980A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Matthew Kirk
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-08-12
Filing date: 2004-08-12
Publication date: 2005-03-23
Also published as: GB0417980D0; GB0318875D0

Abstract

The invention relates to apparatus (10) for releasably holding and displaying a sheet material (20) such as a photograph or a sheet of paper. The apparatus (10) comprises a housing (11) which includes at least one wall (11a) defining a substantially planar sheet receiving surface. The apparatus (10) further comprises a magnet (13) which is fixed to the interior surface of the sheet receiving surface. A metallic member (14) is magnetically cooperable with the magnet (13) to thus hold and display the sheet material (20) . The housing (11) may include a ballasting material (12) to stabilise the apparatus (10) in use. Alternative embodiments of the invention allow it to be mounted on a metallic surface such as a household radiator via a further magnet (40). The apparatus (10) may also be wall mounted via nail or screw heads which pass through an aperture (50).

Description

: :: . ë e.- 1 Apparatus Adapted to Releasably Hold and Display 2 Sheet

Material 4 The invention relates to apparatus adapted to releasably hold and display sheet material, 6 particularly, but not exclusively, to apparatus 7 adapted to releasable hold and display photographs 8 or sheets of paper.

Devices for holding and displaying objects are 11 known. For example, conventional photograph frames 12 comprise a rigid back plate, which is often made of 13 hardboard, a front plate of the same size as the 14 back plate and clamping means to attach the front plate to the back plate. Generally, a deployable 16 stand is pivotally connected to the back plate.

17 When deployed, the stand allows the photograph frame 18 to be supported on a surface, such as a table top.

Such devices typically suffer from several 21 disadvantages. For example they tend to lack 22 stability and the replacement of photographs or the A.. :.. ce..e :. . .

1 like is time consuming and involves numerous steps, 2 i. e. removing the clamping means, separating the 3 front plate from the back plate, removing the 4 photograph, inserting a new photograph, maintaining the new photograph in position whilst repositioning 6 the front plate on the back plate and re-clamping 7 the front and back plates together.

9 According to the present invention, there is provided apparatus adapted to releasably hold and 11 display sheet material comprising a base member and 12 at least one sheet receiving surface for receiving 13 at least a portion of a surface of sheet material to 14 be held and displayed; wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one magnet and at least one 16 corresponding metallic member, the or each metallic 17 member being magnetically cooperable with its 18 corresponding magnet to thus hold and display the 19 sheet material.

21 Preferably, the or each sheet receiving surface is 22 substantially planar.

24 Preferably, the or each sheet receiving surface forms part of a hollow housing having both exterior 26 and interior surfaces.

28 Preferably, the hollow housing defines a six sided 29 closed-wall structure.

31 Preferably, the magnet is fixed to the interior 32 surface of the sheet receiving surface.

:: :e eve::: he ë : e ee. ces 2 Optionally, a further magnet is fixed to an interior 3 surface, said further magnet allowing the apparatus 4 to be magnetically mountable on a metallic surface.

6 Optionally, an opening is formed in the housing.

8 Preferably, the opening comprises a circular portion 9 and a slot portion.

11 Preferably, the metallic member is a ball bearing.

13 Alternatively, the metallic member is a coin.

Preferably, ballasting material is provided to 16 stabilise the apparatus.

18 Optionally, the ballasting material is sand.

Alternatively, the apparatus is stabilized by virtue 21 of the density of the material from which the 22 apparatus is made.

24 Preferably, at least one of the sheet receiving surfaces is inclined.

27 Preferably, the or each metallic member is 28 magnetically cooperable with its corresponding 29 magnet to thus hold and display sheet material between the metallic member and the magnet.

eaeeeëë 1 Alternatively, the or each metallic member is 2 fixable to the rear surface of the sheet material to 3 be held and displayed such that, when the sheet 4 material is held and displayed, the metallic member is not visible.

7 Embodiments of the present invention will now be 8 described, by way of example only, with reference to 9 the accompanying drawings, in which: 11 Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of the 12 apparatus holding and displaying a sheet material; 14 Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional front view of the apparatus without the sheet material; 17 Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus in a 18 partially disassembled state; Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to that of Fig. 1 in 21 which the metallic member is not visible when the 22 sheet material is held and displayed; 24 Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of an alternative embodiment wherein the apparatus is 26 magnetically mounted on a household radiator; 28 Fig. 6a is a cross-sectional side view of a further 29 alternative embodiment wherein the apparatus is supported on a wall via and screw or nail; and :: :e cue::: c' ë : . c.e eee 1 Fig. 6b is a rear view of the apparatus of Fig. 6a 2 showing the shape of the opening through which a 3 screw or nail head is received.

Fig. 1 shows apparatus 10 for holding and displaying 6 sheet material 20. The sheet material 20 may be of 7 any height and width and may be in the form of, for 8 example, a photograph, a post-card, playing cards, 9 business cards or, more generally, a piece of paper.

11 The apparatus comprises a housing 11, a ballasting 12 material 12, a magnet 13 and a metallic member 14.

13 The housing 11 has both exterior and interior 14 surfaces defining a hollow six sided closed-wall structure. The housing comprises four substantially 16 vertical walls being a front wall lla, a back wall 17 llb and two lateral walls llc, lid (see Fig. 2).

18 The housing further comprises two substantially 19 horizontal walls, a lid lie and a base member llf, which close the housing at its upper and lower ends.

21 Each wall of the housing 11 is substantially planar.

23 The front wall lla defines a substantially vertical 24 sheet receiving surface. It will however be appreciated that the sheet receiving surface can be 26 adapted to be inclined at any desired angle 27 depending upon the specific requirements of the 28 apparatus. Typically, the angle of the incline will 29 fall within the range of 0 to 20 degrees from the vertical, for example, for use in holding sheet 31 material in the form of reading material.

e:e.e tie ate 1 As shown in Fig. 2, the walls are fastened together 2 using fixing elements 15 such as screws.

3 Alternatively or additionally, the walls may be 4 moulded integrally and/or fixed together by means of a suitable adhesive. The material or materials from 6 which the housing is made may be chosen from a range 7 of material having the appropriate physical 8 properties (such as sufficient rigidity), for 9 example, woods, metals or plastics material. A tin housing has been found to be particularly 11 advantageous because this dispenses with the need to 12 fix the magnet(s) to the interior surface(s) by 13 means of adhesive.

In the example shown in the drawings the ballasting 16 material 12 is a plastic bag filled with sand or an; 17 aggregate. The ballasting material 12 is placed 18 within the housing 11 and rests on the horizontal 19 base member llf in order to stabilise the housing 11. However, the ballasting material may instead be 21 in the form of a piece of wood, a piece of plastics 22 material or any other suitable material having a 23 sufficient weight to stabilise the housing 11 in 24 use. Moreover, the weight of the housing 11 itself may be sufficient to stabilise it during use thereby 26 dispensing with the need to provide a separate 27 ballasting material.

29 As shown in Figs 1 and 2, the magnet 13 is attached, for example glued, to the interior surface of the 31 sheet receiving surface lla. The magnet 13 may be 32 of any shape but includes, advantageously, a flat ant. :.e '.. I; 46:e te.

1 portion facilitating its fixing to the interior 2 surface of the sheet receiving surface lla.

4 The metallic member 14 is preferably in the form of a small piece of metal which is magnetically coupled 6 to the magnet 13. The attracting magnetic force of 7 the magnet 13 is sufficient to maintain the metallic 8 member 14 in place on the sheet receiving surface 9 lla. The metallic member may be a coin, such as a British one pence coin (produced after September 11 1992) or British one pound coin. Equally of course, 12 it may be a coin from any country and of any value 13 which comprises a high degree of metal to facilitate 14 its magnetic attraction to the magnet 13. In another example, the metallic member 14 is in the 16 form of a spherical ball bearing which can also be 17 maintained in position on the sheet receiving 18 surface lla of the housing 11. In a further 19 example, the metallic member 14 is in the general shape of a drawing pin having a curved circular part 21 and a stem extending therefrom. The stem allows a 22 user to manually grip and remove the metallic member 23 14 from the sheet receiving surface lla.

The apparatus according to the invention is 26 assembled as follows. The side walls lla, lib, the 27 lateral walls llc, lid and the base member llf are 28 screwed together (as shown in Fig. 2).

29 Alternatively the housing is formed of a moulded open box llla with a lid lllb (as shown in Fig. 3).

31 The ballasting material (in this case a sand bag 12) 32 is then placed between the lateral walls, onto the ee. lle ice.

1 base member lit. The sand bag 12 may be deformed to 2 facilitate its introduction between the front wall, 3 the back wall and the two lateral walls. The magnet 4 13 is then fixed to interior surface of the sheet receiving surface lla. The upper wall lie is then 6 screwed to the lateral walls. Alternatively, in the 7 embodiment of Figure 3, the lid lllb may be glued 8 flush with the open box llla. The metallic element 9 14 is placed on the outside of the sheet receiving surface lla, in a position which corresponds to that 11 of the of the magnet 13.

13 The apparatus may then be placed on a supporting 14 surface such as a table top 30 with the weight of the bag of sand 12 acting to stabilise the 16 apparatus.

18 When a user wishes to hold and display a piece of 19 sheet material such as a photograph, the metallic member 14 is, if necessary, detached from the sheet 21 receiving surface lla of the housing 11 and the 22 sheet material to be held and displayed is applied 23 to the sheet receiving surface lla. The metallic 24 member 14 is then replaced to hold the sheet material in position. At least a portion of the 26 surface of the sheet material is positioned against 27 the sheet receiving surface lla and is interposed 28 between the magnet 13 and the metallic element 14.

In an another arrangement shown in Fig. 4, the 31 metallic member 14 may be fixed to the rear surface 32 of the sheet material to be held and displayed, for .e:e . e.. :e .

1 example, by means of adhesive. An advantage of this 2 arrangement is that the metallic member is not - 3 visible to the viewer and the front surface of the 4 sheet material is not damaged by the metallic member. This arrangement may be particularly 6 suitable for use with photographs, paintings and 7 drawings.

9 In an alternative embodiment shown in Fig. 5, a further magnet 40 is fixed to the interior surface 11 of the housing which lies opposite the interior 12 surface on which magnet 13 is mounted. Accordingly, 13 the housing 11 can be mounted on a metallic surface 14 such as a household radiator instead of being supported on a surface such as a table top 30 (as 16 shown in Figs. 1 and 2). In such an arrangement it 17 would not be necessary to use ballasting material 18 because the magnetic attraction of the further 19 magnet 40 to the metallic surface would be sufficient to stabilise the housing 11. A further 21 magnet may optionally be fixed to the interior 22 surface of the base member llf in order to 23 facilitate the mounting of the housing 11 on a - 24 metallic surface.

26 In a further alternative embodiment shown in Fig. 27 6a, an aperture 50 is formed centrally through the 28 wall of the housing 11 which is opposite the surface 29 on which magnet 13 is mounted. The aperture 50 comprises a circular portion and a slot portion 31 which, taken together are in the general shape of an 32 inverted keyhole (see Fig. 6b). The circular :: :e.:. ::: eee : .e. . 1 portion is dimensioned to receive the head of a wall 2 mounted screw or nail and the slot portion is 3 dimensioned to sufficient to receive the stem of a 4 screw or nail whilst not allowing the head of the screw or nail to pass through it. Accordingly, the 6 housing 11 may be mounted onto a wall via the screw 7 or nail head. Once the screw or nail head is 8 introduced through the circular portion of the 9 aperture 50, the housing 11 is lowered such that the stem portion of the screw or nail is received in the 11 slot portion of the opening thus securing the head 12 portion behind the narrower slot portion. Again, 13 the use of a ballasting material may not be 14 necessary.

16 It will be appreciated that using a ball bearing as 17 a metallic element presents some advantages. For 18 example, the sheet material 20 to be held and 19 displayed may be repositioned on the sheet receiving surface lla of the housing 11 without the need to 21 first detach the ball bearing from the magnet 13.

22 This is because the spherical surface of the ball 23 bearing allows it to rotate to the position closest 24 to the magnet 13. Also, the sheet material 20 may be removed from the device without the need to 26 remove the ball bearing and a new sheet material may 27 be quickly and easily loaded onto the sheet 28 receiving surface lla using the same method.

While the invention has been described in 31 conjunction with the exemplary embodiments described 32 above, modifications and variations will be apparent eesedë 1 to those skilled in the art without departing from 2 the scope of the invention. For example, the 3 housing wall need not be planar and the housing may 4 be of any shape. Also, additional magnets could be added on the same or different walls to hold 6 additional objects or sheets of material. For 7 example, for supporting two or more pictures or 8 pieces of reading material. It will also be 9 appreciated that the magnetic force may be adapted to be sufficient to hold several sheets of material 11 which are stacked together, i.e. a number of sheets 12 of paper or cards etc. 14 Moreover, the apparatus may be used to hold cut-out profiles or sheet materials which have been adapted 16 to have three dimensional surface qualities.

18 The apparatus may also be adapted to hold a mobile 19 telephone whilst it is charging.

Claims

e:e ee.e ce. fete .

1 CLAIMS 3 1. Apparatus adapted to releasably hold and 4 display sheet material comprising a base member and at least one sheet receiving surface for 6 receiving at least a portion of a surface of 7 sheet material to be held and displayed; 8 wherein the apparatus further comprises at 9 least one magnet and at least one corresponding metallic member, the or each metallic member 11 being magnetically cooperable with its 12 corresponding magnet to thus hold and display 13 the sheet material.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the or 16 each sheet receiving surface is substantially 17 planar.

19 3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the or each sheet receiving surface forms part 21 of a hollow housing having both exterior and 22 interior surfaces.

24 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the hollow housing defines a six sided closed-wall 26 structure.

28 5. Apparatus according to claims 3 or 4, wherein 29 the magnet is fixed to the interior surface of the sheet receiving surface.

::: ::e e.. c:. .e eee.e 1 6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a 2 further magnet is fixed to another interior 3 surface, said further magnet allowing the 4 apparatus to be magnetically mountable on a metallic surface.

7 7. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein an 8 opening is formed in the housing.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the 11 opening comprises a circular portion and a slot 12 portion.

14 9. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the metallic member is a ball bearing.

17 10. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 8, 18 wherein the metallic member is a coin.

11. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, 21 wherein ballasting material is provided to 22 stabilise the apparatus.

24 12. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the ballasting material is sand.

27 13. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 10, 28 wherein the apparatus is stabilised by virtue 29 of the density of the material from which the apparatus is made.

:.e.. ::: . a . - - 1 14. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, 2 wherein at least one sheet receiving surface is 3 inclined.

15. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, 6 wherein the or each metallic member is 7 magnetically cooperable with its corresponding 8 magnet to thus hold and display sheet material 9 between the metallic member and the magnet.

11 16. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 13, 12 wherein the or each metallic member is fixable 13 to the rear surface of the sheet material to be 14 held and displayed such that, when the sheet material is held and displayed, the metallic 16 member is not visible.

18 17. Apparatus as hereinbefore described with 19 reference to the accompanying drawings.