PICTURE FRAME ASSEMBLY

Abstract: In a frame assembly comprising a back (1), a slip-in mount (3) and an enclsoing frame (4), which are all permanently joined, there is provided between the slip-in mount and the back a middle member (2) having a central aperture one dimension of which corresponds to one dimension of the central aperture of the slip-in mount and the other dimension of which is slightly larger than the corresponding dimension of the central aperture of the slip-in mount so that between the slip-in mount and the back there are defined two mutually opposite slots (5) for two mutually opposite edges of an exchangeable picture.

Description: Picture Frame Assembly The present invention relates to pre-manufactured pic¬ ture frame assembleys which comprise a back, a slip-in mount and a frame-moulding. Products of this type are known, such known products consisting of lithographic reproductions fixedly mounted in an assembly consisting of a back, a sheet of glass or plastic and, possibly, a slip-in mount with all part being held to¬ gether by a frame-moulding. The known products described above have several dis- advantages. Notwithstanding the fact that the picture itself is a low —cost reproduction it is not exchangeable and the whole product is relatively expensive. The frame assembly is significantly the most expensive part of the product. Since the picture is not exchangeable it cannot be replaced by an other picture, should this be found desirable, without the whole product being replaced, nor is there any possibility of selecting a combination of a picture and a frame assembly which according to taste would do well with the picture - for instance as regards colour, scheme or make-up otherwise. If furthermore a distributor wishes to sell collections of pic¬ tures, since the pictures are not exchangeable he would have to keep in stock a number of the whole product at least as great as the number of pictures included in the collection. Thus, the invention has for its object a frame assembly comprising a back, a slip-in mount and a frame-moulding which can be pre-assembled into a complete product and which can ex- changeably hold pictures sized for this product, for instance lithographic reproductions but also other kinds of pictures. This object is attained by the frame assembly according to the claims. The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the attached drawing the sole Figure of which shows a section through a portion of the frame assembly according to the invention. The frame assembly according to the invention and shown in the drawing comprises a back 1, preferably of cardboard, a middle member 2 having a central aperture and also preferably made of cardboard, and a slip-in mount 3 which also preferably is made of cardboard. The said parts are of the same external i perimeter dimensions and are enclosed by a frame-moulding 4 of optional material and style. They are permanently connec¬ ted mutually and with the frame-moulding, for instance by glu¬ ing and/or stapling etc. The internal perimeter of middle member 2 corresponds to the perimeter dimensions selected for the pictures to be framed by means of the frame assembly so that these picture will snugly fit within middle member 2. The internal dimensions of slip-in mount 3 on the other hand are such that the picture (not shown) as regards its one dimension will snugly fit within the central aperture of the slip-in mount while as regards its other dimension it is somewhat shorter than the corresponding dimension of the picture so that two of the mutually opposite edges of the picture - in the case of an oblong picture pre- ferably the shorter edges thereof - can be inserted under the corresponding internal edges of slip-in mount 3 and into the mutually opposite slots 5 (only one of which is shown) de¬ fined by the two internal perimeter edges of slip-in mount 3 which project beyond the corresponding mutually opposite inter- nal perimeter edges of middle member 2 and by back 1. The said projection ' preferably is a few millimeters and the thickness of the middle member is selected such that, the height of slot 5 becomes slightly larger than the thickness of the picture. The paper or the like selected as material for the pic- ture preferably is of such thickness - preferably a 300 to 400 g paper is selected -• that the picture will remain planar after it has been fitted into slip-in mount 3 and has two opposite edges in slots 5. The picture may be plastic-coated to protect it from being soiled and to facilitate cleaning it. Should a thinner material for the picture be desirable or if the picture is not ' plastic-coated a sheet of plastic of the same dimensions as the picture and insertable with the latter with its opposite edges into slots 5 may be placed over the picture in the frame assembly. Since the pictures to be framed by means of the frame assembly are completely exchangeable there is a completely free choise of the pictures in question. This means that a distributor only has to keep in stock a limited numer of frame assemblies for a relatively large collection of pictures. This substantially reduces the inventory costs at the same time that the assortment can be increased. Since the pictures are plastic-coated or protected by a loose plastic sheet no fixedly mounted sheet of glass or plastic is required. This reduces the need of packing. Summing up, the invention provides a frame assembly which in comparison with previously known products can be sold for a low price.

Claims: CLAIM . A pre— anufactured frame assembly comprising a back (1), a slip-in mount (3) and a frame (4) enclosing the external pe¬ rimeter of the back and the slip-in mount, the said parts be¬ ing permanently joined to eachother, characterized in that between the back (1) and the slip-in mount (3) there is posi¬ tioned a middle member (2) the thickness of which slightly exceeds the thickness of a picture to be framed by means of the frame assembly or the thickness of such a picture plus a sheet of plastic protecting it, the middle member having a central aperture one dimension of which has the same size as the corresponding dimension of the central aperture of the slip-in mount and the other dimension of which is somewhat larger than the other corresponding dimension of the central aperture of the slip-in mount such that the slip-in mount with two of its opposite internal edges by a few millimeters projects beyond the corresponding internal edges of the middle member so that at these edges there are formed two mutually opposite slots (5) into which two of the mutually opposite edges of a picture can be inserted so that the picture will be exchangeably held by the frame assembly. ~ ~ ~ ~~

Inventors: SVENSSON LARS
Applicants: SICO INT AB, SICO INTERNATIONAL AB
Application year: 1983
Main classification: A47G1
IPC codes: A47G1