Abstract:
A wall-mounted calendar frame with custom inserts is disclosed. The wall-mounted calendar frame includes a frame bordering a transparent layer. On a back portion of the frame is a holding rack for holding a calendar insert. The calendar insert depicts a specific month and provides a decorative graphical representation. The calendar insert may be easily removed by a tab located on one side of the calendar insert. The frame may also be decorated with designs.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    This utility application claims the priority date of Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/371,853 filed Apr. 12, 2002 and is hereby incorporated by reference.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Technical Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    This invention relates to calendars, and more particularly, to wall-mounted calendar frame with a custom insert.  
           [0004]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0005]    For many years, calendars have been used in offices and residences to provide a reference for many people. Typically, calendars take the form of a spiral bound calendar. The use of such calendars is widespread in a variety of different settings. However, it is not unusual to see a beautifully decorated office having a calendar mounted to a wall with a nail. Although unsightly, many people require a graphic representation of the month within their view. Such calendars may include photographs, drawings and other graphics in a unique fashion. However, the use of these calendars, although useful, is oftentimes quite unsightly.  
           [0006]    Other types of calendars that are utilized include desk calendars in a wide variety of designs. These desk calendars are positioned on a desk providing a readily visible reference by a person sitting at the desk. Although these desk calendars typically are not as unsightly as the wall-mounted calendars, they still take up valuable space on the desk and are usually only visible by the person sitting at the desk. In addition, these desk calendars, as well as the wall-mounted calendars, do not accentuate or enhance the decor of a room.  
           [0007]    Review of existing calendars reveals no disclosure or suggestion of a wall-mounted decorative calendar which accentuates and enhances the decor of a room. It is an object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    In one aspect, the present invention is a wall-mounted calendar. The wall-mounted calendar includes a frame having a plurality of segments bordering a display area and a back surface. In addition, the wall-mounted calendar includes a holding rack mounted to the back surface of the frame and a plurality of calendar inserts. Each calendar insert has a decorative representation and a calendar representation. At least one of the plurality of calendar inserts is positioned within the holding rack and displayed within the display area of the frame. The frame is mounted to a wall to provide a decorative calendar display.  
           [0009]    In another aspect, the present invention is a wall-mounted calendar. The wall-mounted calendar includes a frame having a plurality of segments bordering a display area and a back surface. A transparent layer is mounted flush against the back surface of the frame. The wall-mounted calendar also includes a holding rack mounted to the back surface of the frame. The holding rack has a perimeter border. A plurality of calendar inserts is positioned within the holding rack. The perimeter border of the holding rack provides constant pressure to a back surface of the plurality of calendar inserts. Each calendar insert has a decorative representation and a calendar representation. In addition, each calendar insert is associated with a specific month of the year and includes a tab for easy removal of a desired calendar insert from the holding rack. One of the calendar inserts of the plurality of calendar is displayed within the display area of the frame. The frame is mounted to a wall to provide a decorative calendar display.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    The invention will be better understood and its numerous objects and advantages will become more apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following drawings, in conjunction with the accompanying specification, in which:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a front view of a decorative wall-mounted calendar in the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a front view of the wall-mounted calendar without a calendar insert;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a rear exploded perspective view of the wall-mounted calendar with the calendar insert removed from the wall-mounted calendar; and  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a plurality of calendar inserts removed from the wall-mounted calendar. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS  
       [0015]    A wall-mounted decorative calendar is disclosed. FIG. 1 is a front view of a decorative wall-mounted calendar  10  in the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The wall-mounted calendar includes a frame  12  having a transparent layer  14  and a calendar insert  16 . The calendar insert includes a calendar representation  18  and a decorative representation  20 . As illustrated, the calendar representation is a depiction of a conventional monthly calendar. However, the calendar representation may be any depiction of a weekly, monthly or yearly calendar. In addition, the calendar representation may be removable from the calendar insert. The decorative representation  20  may be any visual representation, such as artwork, photograph, sketching, or drawings. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of monthly calendar inserts are positioned within the frame of the wall-mounted calendar. Each monthly calendar insert provides a different decorative representation. The plurality of calendar inserts preferably are for a specific year. However, in an alternate embodiment, one calendar insert is positioned behind the frame  12 .  
         [0016]    The decorative representations  20  may be of a specific theme, such as regional, seasonal, natural, occupational, industrial, historic, etc. Additionally, the frame may include one or more designs  30 , providing additional themes for the wall-mounted calendar  10 . The designs may be etched, affixed, drawn, or applied in any fashion to the frame. As depicted, the designs include a theme of a railroad company, however it should be understood that any design may be utilized. Alternatively, the frame may be without any design.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 is a front view of the wall-mounted calendar  10  without a calendar insert. The wall-mounted calendar, as discussed above, may include a design  30  mounted or affixed to the frame  12 . The transparent layer  14  overlays the calendar insert  16  (not shown in FIG. 2). Preferably, the transparent layer is constructed of a non-glare material. FIG. 3 is a rear exploded perspective view of the wall-mounted calendar  10  with the calendar insert  16  removed from the wall-mounted calendar. The frame  14  may be any type of frame, having any dimension and shape. Preferably, the frame is constructed of a rigid material, such as wood or plastic. The transparent layer  14  is affixed to the frame, preferably against a back portion of the frame. As depicted in FIG. 3, the transparent layer is affixed against the back portion of the frame in such a manner as to provide a shallow rabbet. In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the layer  14  may be translucent. Upon a back surface  40  of the frame is a plurality of holes  42 .  
         [0018]    A holding rack  50  is mounted to the back surface  40  of the frame  12 . The holding rack includes a perimeter border  44  on a plurality of sides of the holding rack. The holding rack may include a back portion  52  or an opening  54  (shown in FIG. 3). The holding rack is mounted to the frame by a plurally of brackets  56 . Each bracket may include an opening  58 . The holding rack may then be affixed to the frame by a plurality of screws  60  positioned through the openings  58  and the holes  42 , such as panhead screws.  
         [0019]    The holding rack includes an open portion  70  allowing the positioning of the calendar insert  16  into the holding rack. As depicted in FIG. 3, the open portion is located on a top side of the holding rack. However, the open portion may be located on any segment of the frame, such as a side. The perimeter border is configured to allow a space (in both depth, width and height) large enough to accommodate at least one calendar insert  16 . Additionally, the perimeter border provides constant pressure to a back surface of one or more calendar inserts positioned within the holding rack.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of a plurality of calendar inserts  16  removed from the wall-mounted calendar. The calendar inserts may include a tab  80  attached to at least one side of the calendar insert. The tab provides a holding point for removing and inserting the calendar insert into the holding rack  50 . The tab is sized and positioned in such a fashion that it is obscured from view by the frame  12  when view from a front view. In addition, each tab is positioned in a slightly different position along the side of the calendar insert from other calendar inserts to allow easy selection of a desired calendar insert from a stack of calendar inserts.  
         [0021]    With reference to FIGS.  1 - 4 , the operation of the wall-mounted calendar  10  will now be explained. The wall-mounted calendar  10  is removed from a wall. A plurality of calendar inserts  16  are selected, each insert representing a specific month of the year. The plurality of calendar inserts is positioned within the holding rack  50  in such a manner that the decorative and calendar representations of the front calendar insert is visible from the front side of the wall-mounted calendar  10 . The holding rack is affixed to the frame and holds the calendar inserts in position. The frame  12  may be mounted to any wall in a conventional manner as any picture frame, such as with a wire running horizontally from a back portion of the wall-mounted calendar, or a bracket for holding a nail. When the wall-mounted calendar is mounted to the wall, a decorative calendar is displayed on the wall. The calendar does not display any unsightly nails. Additionally, since the wall-mounted calendar is located on a wall, precious desk space is conserved. In alternate embodiments of the present invention, the holding rack  50  may be mounted in any manner to the frame  12 , such as with an adhesive, snaps, etc. In addition, the holding rack may be configured in any manner which allows the easy removal and insertion of a calendar insert into the wall-mounted calendar  10 . In addition, although one month is preferably displayed within the calender insert, a plurality of months may be displayed as desired by the user. When the current month is complete, the front calendar insert is grasped by the tab and removed, thereby displaying the next calendar insert depicting the now current month. The calendar representation may be optionally removed from the calendar insert, thus allowing the calendar insert to be used as a stand-alone display without a calendar reference.  
         [0022]    In another alternate embodiment of the present invention, the wall-mounted calendar  10  may include a sound emitting device (not shown). The use of sound emitting devices are well known. Any device which emits a sound or series of sounds may be utilized. The sound emitting device may emit a musical rendition or a specific theme sound (e.g., natural such as the surf) associated with the decorative representation  20  or design  30 . The sound emitting device may be mounted on a back portion of the wall-mounted calendar or along a side perimeter of the frame.  
         [0023]    The present invention provides many advantages over existing calendars. The wall-mounted calendar provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance for the calendar. In addition, the wall-mounted calendar provides for easy insertion and removal of the calendar insert. Additionally, the wall-mounted calendar allows the user to change representations by changing the calendar inserts as desired. Different themes or scenes may be displayed. In addition, the frame allows the mounting of designs upon the frame itself.  
         [0024]    It is thus believed that the operation and construction of the present invention will be apparent from the foregoing description. While the apparatus shown and described has been characterized as being preferred, it will be readily apparent that various changes and modifications could be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.