Abstract:
A multi display mode picture frame is constructed to include a flat rectangular frame base and a back support. The frame base has a front side adapted for holding a picture, at least one first mounting hole and at lest one second mounting hole in a back side thereof, each first mounting hole being spaced between the center of the back side and the mid point of one short peripheral side, each second mounting hole being spaced between the center of the back side and the mid point of one long peripheral side. The back support has a first end detachably coupled to one mounting hole of the frame base and a second end forming with one peripheral side of the frame base a triangle that supports the picture frame on a flat surface.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a picture frame for holding pictures and, more specifically, to a multi display mode picture frame. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A picture frame may be hung on the wall or supported on the top of a table to hold a picture. For hanging on a nail in the wall, a picture frame is provided with a hanging hole or hanging hook at the back side. For supporting on the top of a table, a picture frame is provided with a foldaway back support. When not in use, the foldaway back support is turned inwards and closely attached to the back side of the picture frame. When in use, the foldaway back support is turned outwards from the back side of the picture frame for supporting the picture frame on the top of a table in a tilted position. Furthermore, a conventional picture frame provides only one display mode, i.e., a picture frame designed for hanging on the wall cannot be supported on the top of a table in vertical; a picture frame designed for supporting on the top of a table in vertical cannot be hung on the wall. Conventional picture frames of either mounting type are designed to hold a picture exclusively in the transverse or longitudinal position. If the hanging hole or hanging hook of a rectangular picture frame is provided at the mid point of one short side, the picture frame can only be hung on the wall longitudinally, i.e., the picture frame is not suitable for holding a transverse picture. Similarly, the foldaway back support of a picture frame can support the picture frame exclusively in the longitudinal or transverse direction only. Further, when mounting a longitudinal picture in a picture frame designed for display a longitudinal picture, the user must look at the relative direction between the picture and the picture frame, preventing inverted loading of the picture in the picture frame. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is one object of the present invention to provide a multi display mode picture frame, which can be hung on the wall or supported on the top of a table either in longitudinal direction or transverse direction as desired. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a multi display mode picture frame, which enables the user to mount the picture without considering the insertion direction of the picture relative to the picture frame. 
     To achieve these objects of the present invention, the multi display mode picture frame comprises a flat rectangular frame base and a back support. The frame base has two parallel long peripheral sides, two parallel short peripheral sides, a front side adapted for holding a picture, a back side, one first mounting hole spaced between the center of the back side and the mid point of one short peripheral side, and one second mounting hole spaced between the center of the back side and the mid point of one long peripheral side. By means of the mounting holes of the frame base, the frame base can be hung on a nail in the wall in longitudinal or transverse direction as desired. The back support has a coupling portion at one end thereof detachably coupled to one of the mounting holes, thereby enabling said back support to be extended from the corresponding mounting hole toward one peripheral side of said frame base such that the picture frame can be supported on a flat surface by means of the other end of the back support and the peripheral side of said frame base. 
     According to an embodiment of the present invention, the frame base is made having two first mounting holes respectively bilaterally spaced between the center of the back side and the mid points of the short peripheral sides, and two second mounting holes respectively bilaterally spaced between the center of the back side and the mid points of the long peripheral sides. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a picture frame according to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a back side view of the picture frame according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG.  1 . 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 are schematic views showing a wall installation action according to the first embodiment of the present invention 
     FIG. 6 illustrates the frame base supported on the back support in the longitudinal position according to the first preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIGS. 7 and 8 are schematic views showing the connection of the coupling portion of the back support to one mounting hole in the back side of the frame base according to the first preferred embodiment of the present. 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a picture frame according to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIGS. from  1  through  3 , a picture frame  10  is shown in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, comprised of a frame base  20 , and a back support  40 . 
     The frame base  20  is a flat, rectangular member injection-molded from plastics having two parallel long peripheral sides  21  and two parallel short peripheral sides  22 . The front side (the right side in FIG. 3) of the frame base  20  is adapted for holding a picture or pictures (because the arrangement of the, picture .or pictures in the front side of the frame base  20  is not within the scope of the claims of the present invention, no further detailed description in this regard is necessary). The frame base  20  further comprises a flange  23  protruded from the back side and extended along the border, a long rib  24  protruded from the back side in parallel to the long peripheral sides  21 , and a short rib  25  protruded from the back side in parallel to the short peripheral sides  22  and intersected with the long rib  24  at the center of the frame base  20 . The long rib  24  and the short rib  25  define with the flange  23  four recessed portions  26  in the back side of the base frame  20 . The long rib  24  has a peg  27  protruded from the surface thereof adjacent to the center of the frame base  20 . 
     Two first protruded blocks  28  are respectively formed integral with the ends of the long rib  24 . The first protruded blocks  28  are narrow flat blocks extended along the length of the long rib  24 . Two second protruded blocks  29  are respectively formed integral with the ends of the short rib  25 . The second protruded blocks  29  are narrow flat blocks extended along the length of the short rib  25 . The protruded blocks  28 ,  29  are respectively connected to the flange  23  in a flush manner. Each of the first protruded blocks  28  is provided with a first mounting hole  31 . The first mounting hole  31 , as shown in FIG. 1, is comprised of an inside chamber  32  inside the respective first protruded block  28 , and an opening  33  cut through the surface of the respective first protruded block  28  in communication with the inside chamber  32 . The inside chamber  32  is a narrow flat chamber extended along the length of the respective first protruded block  28 . The opening  33  is comprised of a circular insertion portion  34  and an extension portion  35  extended from the circular insertion portion  34  along the length of the respective first protruded block  28  toward the border of the frame base  20 . The outer end of the extension portion  35  is spaced from the corresponding end of the inside chamber  32  at a distance. The width of the extension portion  35  is smaller than the diameter of the circular insertion portion  34 . The second protruded blocks  29  each is provided with a second mounting hole  36 . The shape and structure of the second mounting hole  36  in each second protruded blocks  29  are same as the first mounting holes  31  in the first protruded blocks  28 . 
     The back support  40  is injection-molded from plastics, comprising a supporting base  41  and a coupling portion  42 . The supporting base  41  is shaped like a flat plate having a wave-like profile with two straight end edges. The contained angle defined between the extension lines of the straight end edges of the supporting base  41  is an acute angle (see FIG.  2 ). One straight end edge of the supporting base  41  forms a positioning portion  43 . The supporting base  41  has a recessed mounting portion  44  formed of a recessed circular hole and disposed adjacent the positioning portion  43 . The coupling portion  42  is formed integral with and extended along one straight end edge of the supporting base  41  remote from the positioning portion  43 . The thickness of the coupling portion  42  is greater than the supporting base  41  but smaller than the extension portions  35  of the mounting holes  31 ,  36 . The coupling portion  42  comprises two parallel clamping strips  45  forwardly extended from one end, namely, the inner end in direction along the length of the coupling portion  42  toward the aforesaid contained angle in a perpendicular relationship with the surface of the supporting base  41 , a protruded stop portion  46  extended from the other end, namely, the outer end adjacent to the supporting base  41 , and a chamfered angle  47  at an outer side of the outer end. 
     By means of the aforesaid arrangement, the picture frame  10  can be hung on the wall or supported on the table top transversely or longitudinally. When not in use or during transportation, the back support  40  is coupled and closely attached to the back side of the frame base  20 . As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the recessed mounting portion  44  of the back support  40  is forced into engagement with the peg  27  of the frame base  20 , keeping the supporting base  41  spaced between one first protruded block  28  and one second protruded block  29  and suspended in one recessed portion  26 . Therefore, the picture frame  10  is arranged in a flat manner, keeping the back support  40  received in one recessed portion  26  in the back side of the frame base  20 . 
     When hanging the frame base  20  on the wall, the back support  40  can be received in one recessed portion  26  in the back side of the frame base  20  or separated from the frame base  20  as desired. 
     Before hanging the frame base  20 , decide the hanging mode to keep the long peripheral sides  21  of the frame base  20  in horizontal or vertical subject to the content of the picture. Hereinafter there is shown an example of the longitudinal hanging mode to keep the long peripheral sides  21  of the frame base  20  in vertical. As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, keep the back side of the frame base  20  facing the wall  50  with the long peripheral sides  21  of the frame base  20  maintained in vertical (not to let the picture turned upside down), and then aim the upper first mounting hole  31  at the nail  60  in the wall  50  (the diameter of the head  61  of the nail  60  is smaller than the circular insertion portion  34  of the opening  33  but greater than the width of the extension portion  35 ; the diameter of the shank  62  of the nail  60  is smaller than the width of the extension portion  35 ), and then aim the circular insertion portion  34  of the upper first mounting hole  31  at the nail  60  as shown in FIG.  4 . Thereafter, move the frame base  20  toward the wall  50  to let the head  61  of the nail  60  be inserted through the circular insertion portion  34  into the inside chamber  32 , and then let the frame base  20  be lowered for enabling the shank  62  of the nail  60  to be moved upwards relative to the frame base  20  along the extension portion  35  so that the head  61  of the nail  60  is finally engaged in the outer (top) end of the extension portion  35 , and therefore the frame base  20  is hung on the nail  60  in the wall with the long peripheral sides maintained in vertical as shown in FIG.  5 . 
     When hanging the frame base  20  in a transverse mode, hang one of the second mounting holes  36  on the nail in the wall. 
     In addition to the aforesaid transverse and longitudinal hanging modes, the picture frame  10  can also be stably positioned on a flat surface transversely or longitudinally as desired. As shown in FIG. 6, the coupling portion  42  of the back support  40  is coupled to the lower first mounting hole  31  of the frame base  20 . The coupling procedure is outlined hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. At first, keep the back support  40  in vertical with the coupling portion  42  disposed at the top side and the positioning portion  43  disposed at the bottom side, and then insert one clamping strip  45  of the coupling portion  42  through the opening  33  of the lower first mounting hole  31  into the inside of the inside chamber  32  at an angle, keeping the clamping strips  45  respectively engaged at the inside and outside of the lower first mounting hole  31  (see FIG.  7 ), and then turn the back support  40  through an angle to force the coupling portion  42  into the inside chamber  32 , keeping the stop portion  46  stopped at the outside of the opening  33  (see FIG.  8 ). The flexible material property and the chamfered angle  47  of the back support  40  facilitate the installation of the coupling portion  42  in the first mounting hole  31 . 
     Referring to FIG. 6 again, after installation of the flat back support  40  in the frame base  20 , the flat body of the flat back support  40  is maintained perpendicular to the back side of the frame base  20  and extended backwardly downwards from the corresponding first mounting hole  31 , keeping the positioning portion  43  and the bottom edge of the frame base  20  on the same plane. Thus, the back support  40  and the bottom side of the base frame  20  stably support the picture frame  10  on the top of a table or the flat surface of an object. When supported on the top of a table, the contained angle defined by the frame base  20  and the top of the table is an acute angle smaller than 90°, keeping the attached picture slightly tilted. Therefore, the picture frame  10  does not fall when supported on the top of the table. 
     When supporting the picture frame  10  on the top of the table in transverse direction, fasten the back support  40  to one of the second mounting holes  36 . 
     FIG. 9 shows a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. According to this alternate form, the picture frame  70  is comprised of a frame base  80  and a back support  90 . The frame base  80  has only one first mounting hole  81  and one second mounting hole  82 . The shape of the mounting holes  81 ,  82  is same as the aforesaid first embodiment of the present invention, and disposed at locations corresponding to one first mounting hole  31  and one second mounting hole  36  of the aforesaid first embodiment of the present invention, i.e., the first mounting hole  81  is spaced between the center of the frame base  20  and the mid point of one peripheral short side  83 , and the second mounting hole  82  is spaced between the center of the frame base  20  and the mid point of one peripheral long side  84 . According to this alternate form, the picture  70  can also be alternatively hung on the wall or supported on the top of a table either in transverse direction or longitudinal direction. 
     If the picture frame  10  of the first embodiment is used, the user needs not to consider the installation direction of the picture relative to the frame base  20  because the frame base  20  has a respective mounting hole in each of the ends of the major axis as well as a respective mounting hole in each of the ends of the minor axis. If the picture frame  70  of the second embodiment is used, the user must consider the installation direction of the picture relative to the frame base  20 .