NZ209196A - Mount for picture arranged to create a three dimensional effect - Google Patents

Description

New Zealand Paient Spedficaiion for Paient Number £09196 20919* NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT 195^ No.: 209196 Date: 13 August 1984 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION "Improvements in or Relating to Picture Mounts" X, CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL BARKER, a New Zealand Citizen, of 9 Arthur Crescent, Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand, hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: 209196 This invention relates to picture mounts. In this context picture mount is intended to refer to a mount for any substantially dimensional visual image including, but not necessarily limited to, paintings, photographs, drawings and etchings.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a picture mount which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

Accordingly, the invention consists of a picture mount comprising: a substantially planar background; and a substantially planar picture base mounted substantially centrally in relation to said background, so that, when viewed in plan, said background provides a border about said picture base, said border having a light reflective or gloss surface, the surface of said picture base facing said background being spaced from the juxtaposed surface of said background at least about the periphery of said picture base, the arrangement being such that in use a two dimensional picture image when mounted on said picture base is surrounded by said border provided by said background, and light incident on the picture mount is reflected so as to give the mounted two dimensional picture image an apparent three dimensional depth and suspended appearance.

To those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the scope of the -la- 209196 the appended claims. The disclosures and the descriptions herein are purely illustrative ahd are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

The invention consists in the foregoing and also envisages constructions of which the following gives examples.

One preferred form of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings accompanying the provisional specification in which: — . . r ... . 209196 0 o Figure 1 shows a plan view of a picture mount according to the invention; Figure 2 shows a view along the line II-II in Figure 1; and Figure 3 shows an enlarged view of part of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings according to the invention a picture mount 5 is provided comprising a substantially planar background 6 and a substantially planar picture base 7 mounted in relation to the background 6 so that when the mount 5 is viewed in plan the background 6 provides a border 8 about the picture base 7. It will be noted from Figures 2 and 3 that the picture base 7 is spaced from the juxtaposed surface of the background 6 at least about the border of the picture base 7, the space being indicated by reference numeral 9.

The background 6 is, as shown, a rectangular section of material such as wood or plastics and is preferably retained within a perimeter frame 10 which is preferably formed from wood in the conventional manner. The frame 10 is conveniently provided with an internal peripheral groove 11 to engage about the edge of the background 6. The facing surface 12 of the background 6 is preferably finished with a light reflective, gloss surface at least in the region of the border 8. Such a surface may be inherent in the material used to provide the background 7 or may be provided in the form of a coating e.g. paint.

The picture base 7 is preferably mounted centrally on the background 6 so that the border 8 is substantially uniform therearound although the background may be, as is traditional, a 209196 little wider at the bottom. The picture base 7 is preferably supported on a spacing member 13 so as to define the gap or space 9 with the background 6. The spacing member 13 may be a separate integer or may be formed integrally with the base 7 or background 6. The picture image 14 is, in turn, mounted or formed centrally on the picture base 7 so that a margin 15 is provided about the image 14. As shown the margin 15 is a machined surface lying below the plane of the image 14 and is preferably of a colour and/or texture visually distinct from that of the border 8. By way of example, the border 8 may be provided with a gloss black finish and the margin 15 may be white. However other suitable combinations of colours will present themselves to those skilled in the art. The margin could also be in substantially the same plane as the image 14 and be formed, for example, by a border of tape about the image 14.

Different visual effects will be obtained according to the colours, surface finishes and dimensions involved, particularly the depth dimension of space 9. I have found that particularly satisfactory results are obtained when the space 9 is approximately equal to the thickness of the picture base 7.

The various components may be formed from any suitable materials and using any suitable techniques including plastic injection moulding.

I have found that the arrangement described above provides a picture mount which has a particularly distinctive appearance as, in use, light incident on the picture base 7 and the border

Claims (5)

209196 8 is reflected off the background 6 together with the shadow image of the picture base 7, both of which lie either inside or outside a point directly under the edge of the picture base 7 depending on the viewing position. This together, with light sources in the environs of the picture mount which are reflected directly off the background 6, give the visual image a three dimensional depth and suspended appearance. 208196 WHAT I CLAIM IS!

1. A picture mount comprising: a substantially planar background; and a substantially planar picture base mounted substantially centrally in relation to said background, so that, when viewed in plan, said background provides a border about said picture J^ase, said border having a light reflective or gloss surface, the surface of said picture base facing said background being spaced from the juxtaposed surface of said background at least about the periphery of said picture base, the arrangement being such that in use a two dimensional picture image when mounted on said picture base is surrounded by said border provided by said background, and light incident on the picture mount is reflected so as to give the mounted two dimensional picture image an apparent three dimensional depth and suspended appearance.

2. A picture mount as claimed in claim 1 wherein said picture base is provided with or forms a margin about the periphery of a picture image mounted on the picture base which is of a contrasting colour to that of said border.

3. A picture mount as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the space between said picture base and said background is substantially equal to the thickness of said picture base.

4. A picture mount as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said background is retained within a peripheral frame.

5. A picture mount when constructed arranged and operable einbefore described with reference to the ■s! • o| ^2 9 MAR 1988" DATED THIS ; 1 DAY OF 1 A.J. PARK & SON PER '-P'" AGENTS FOR THE APPLICANT