Abstract:
An album frame is provided having an outer frame. The outer frame has a back side and an outer periphery. A mounting plate is attached to the back side of the outer frame. A support shelf extends frontwardly from the mounting plate along a first portion of the inner periphery. The support shelf is adapted to support a binding of an album. In addition, the outer frame may have a recessed groove in a second portion of the inner periphery. The second portion is located opposite the first portion of the inner periphery. Furthermore, the outer frame may include a first guiding ramp on a third portion of the inner periphery and a second guiding ramp on a fourth portion of the inner periphery. The first guiding ramp and the second guiding ramp allows an edge of an album cover to be guided into the recessed groove.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an ornamental album frame, and more particularly, to an ornamental album frame within which bound albums can be both stored and displayed. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    People enjoy collecting, displaying, and viewing a variety of memorabilia and important records kept in bound albums such as photographs, pressed flowers, cards, and other sentimental items, as well as important documents such as diplomas, certificates, credentials, and the like. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In an exemplary embodiment, an ornamental bound album storage frame is provided that has no moving parts and is dimensionally compatible with a bound album that can be inserted into the frame such that the cover of the album, when seated within the frame, can resemble an image that has been matted and framed. A finger notch along one edge of the frame adjacent to the album&#39;s bound edge when seated in the frame can provide a means for conveniently removing the album from the frame. Guiding ramps along the top and bottom inside surfaces of the frame can engage the cover of the album when it is being inserted into the frame to lift and guide the unbound edge of the album cover into a groove that secures the cover in a flat position relative to the front of the frame. A shelf along one inside surface of the frame supports the bound edge of the album at a height that maintains the cover of the album in a flat position relative to the front of the frame. A magnet inlayed within the top surface of the shelf can engage a metal plate embedded within the back surface of the bound edge of an album to provide a means of further securing and holding the album within the frame. A mounting plate on the backside of the ornamental frame can incorporate a series of counter-bored holes that can receive screws capable of fastening the frame to a wall. A series of notches in the edges of an open portion of the mounting plate indicate the horizontal and vertical centerlines of the ornamental bound album storage frame and can provide a convenient means of aligning the frame to a wall or aligning a series of the frames when using, for example, pencil or chalk lines as a reference. 
         [0006]    An album frame is provided having an outer frame and a support shelf. The outer frame has a back side and an inner periphery. The support shelf extends frontwardly from the back side along a first portion of the inner periphery. The support shelf is adapted to support a binding of an album in order to maintain the album cover in registration with a front portion of the album frame. 
         [0007]    In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the album frame further includes a mounting plate attached to the back side of the outer frame. 
         [0008]    In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the mounting plate has a plurality of mounting holes for affixing the album frame to a surface. 
         [0009]    In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention the outer frame has a recessed groove in a second portion of the inner periphery. The second portion of the inner periphery is located opposite the first portion of the inner periphery. 
         [0010]    In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the album frame further includes a first guiding ramp on a third portion of the inner periphery and a second guiding ramp on a fourth portion of the inner periphery. The first guiding ramp and the second guiding ramp guide an edge of an album cover into the recessed groove. 
         [0011]    In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the album frame further includes a finger notch within the inner periphery for allowing easy removal of an album. 
         [0012]    In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the album frame further includes fastening means on a top surface of the support shelf for fastening an album to the outer frame. The fastening means includes one or more of an adhesive, a hook and loop closure, a snap, a button, a clasp, or a magnet. 
         [0013]    In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the fastening means is a magnet inlayed within the top surface of the support shelf. 
         [0014]    In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the mounting plate has an inner opening and the inner opening has a plurality of centerline notches. 
         [0015]    In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the album frame further includes muntins attached to the inner periphery for dividing the outer frame into subsections for storing a plurality of albums. 
         [0016]    In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the mounting plate is a magnetic material. 
         [0017]    In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the album frame further includes an easel flush with and pivotably coupled to a back of the mounting plate. 
         [0018]    In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the outer frame includes a slot into which an album can be slidably inserted from an outer periphery of the outer frame through the inner periphery. 
         [0019]    In another exemplary embodiment, an album frame is provided having an outer frame. The outer frame has a back side, an inner periphery, and a recessed groove in a first portion of the inner periphery. The album frame further includes a first guiding ramp on a second portion of the inner periphery and a second guiding ramp on a third portion of the inner periphery. The first guiding ramp and the second guiding ramp guide an edge of an album cover into the recessed groove. The album frame further includes a mounting plate attached to the back side of the outer frame. 
         [0020]    In another exemplary embodiment, an album frame is provided having an outer frame. The outer frame has a back side, an inner periphery, and a recessed groove. The inner periphery includes a top inner periphery, a right inner periphery, a bottom inner periphery, and a left inner periphery. The recessed groove is located within the right inner periphery. The album frame further includes a mounting plate attached to the back side of the outer frame and a support shelf extending frontwardly from the mounting plate along the left inner periphery. The support shelf is adapted to support a binding of an album. The album frame further includes a first guiding ramp on the bottom inner periphery and a second guiding ramp on the top inner periphery. The first guiding ramp and the second guiding ramp guide an edge of an album cover into the recessed groove. The album frame further includes a finger notch within the inner periphery for allowing easy removal of an album. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0021]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an ornamental bound album storage frame according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  is a front orthogonal view of the frame shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the frame shown in  FIG. 1  from an alternate angle. 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a typically bound album. 
           [0025]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of  FIG. 4  with an exploded view of a metal plate embedded within a recess located on the back cover of the album from  FIG. 4 . 
           [0026]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the album from  FIG. 4  seated within the ornamental bound album storage frame from  FIG. 1 . 
           [0027]      FIG. 7A  is a perspective cross-sectional view taken along the plane of  7 - 7  in  FIG. 6  showing a structural relationship between the album and the frame from  FIG. 6  according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
           [0028]      FIG. 7B  is an orthogonal cross-section view taken along the plane of  7 - 7  in  FIG. 6  illustrating a structural relationship between the album and the frame from  FIG. 6  according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
           [0029]      FIG. 8  is an orthogonal cross-section view taken along the plane of  8 - 8  in  FIG. 6  showing a structural relationship between the album and the frame from  FIG. 6  according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
           [0030]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the back of the album frame from  FIG. 1  showing an alternate embodiment of the mounting plate with an easel pivotably attached to the plate in a stowed position. 
           [0031]      FIG. 10  is an orthogonal view of the back of the album frame from  FIG. 1  showing an alternate exemplary embodiment of the mounting plate with an easel pivotably attached to the plate. 
           [0032]      FIG. 11  is a perspective view from  FIG. 10  of the frame with the mounting plate and the easel in a deployed position. 
           [0033]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of an ornamental storage frame for a plurality of bound albums according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
           [0034]      FIG. 13  is a perspective view of an ornamental storage frame for a plurality of bound albums with three typically bound albums seated within the frame. 
           [0035]      FIG. 14  is a perspective view of an ornamental bound album storage frame with an outer frame, which includes a slot into which an album can be slidably inserted from an outer periphery of the outer frame through the inner periphery. 
           [0036]      FIG. 15  is a perspective view of the ornamental bound album storage frame from  FIG. 14  showing a bound album seated within the inner periphery of the frame. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0037]      FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 2 , and  FIG. 3  show an exemplary ornamental bound album storage frame  20 . The frame  20  includes a rectangular frame having a horizontal frame member on the top  22 , a vertical frame member on the right  24 , a horizontal frame member on the bottom  26  and a vertical frame member on the left  28  joined together. The frame  20  is designed to look like a conventional, familiar, attractive, quality picture frame. 
         [0038]    A finger notch  34  is carved within the right front edge of the left frame member  28  and the notch  34  is vertically centered approximately at the midpoint between the top and bottom horizontal frame members  22 ,  26 . The notch  34  can provide a means for conveniently removing an album from the frame  20  when the album is seated in the frame  20 . 
         [0039]    Guiding ramps  42  protrude from the top and bottom frame members  22 ,  26  on the inner peripheral surfaces perpendicular to the front surface ( FIG. 2 ) of the frame  20 . Greater detail regarding the ramps  42  is discussed in relation to  FIG. 7A ,  FIG. 7B , and  FIG. 8 . 
         [0040]    A binder support shelf  30  protrudes within the inner peripheral of the frame  20  from the bottom portion of the surface of the left frame member  28  that is perpendicular to the front surface ( FIG. 2 ) of the frame  20 . 
         [0041]    Inlayed in the center of the front surface of the binder support shelf  30  is a magnet  32  (e.g., neodyminium-iron-boron (Nd—Fe—B), or the like). A mounting plate  38  substantially comprises the rear surface of the frame  20 . Holes  36  located on the mounting plate  38  can be counter-bored and can receive appropriate fastening hardware such as nails or screws. Holes  36  provide a means of fastening the frame  20  to a wall using fastening hardware. 
         [0042]    Centerline notches  40  located along the edges of the open portion of the mounting plate  38  provide a convenient means to assist in aligning and mounting the frame  20  to a wall as well as providing a convenient means to align and mount multiple ornamental bound album storage frames  20  when using, for example, pencil or chalk lines as a reference. 
         [0043]    As depicted in  FIG. 4 , a typically bound album  44  has a front cover  46  with an unbound edge  48  on the opposite side of the bound side  50  of album  44  and a back cover  54 . Sandwiched between covers  46  and  54  are a plurality of sheets  56  designed to receive conventional contents (e.g., photographs, cards, certificates, or the like) using a variety of known means for adhesion. The album  44  can incorporate a window  52  in which to display a particularly appropriate item (e.g., a photograph that best represents the general content of the album). 
         [0044]    As depicted in  FIG. 5 , a metal plate or disk  58  can be respectively coupled, embedded, or otherwise attached to the rear surface of the back cover  54  within a recessed cavity  60 . The disk  58  can be exposed or concealed behind material casing the back cover  54 . 
         [0045]    The metal disk  58  can be formed from magnetically permeable materials (e.g., iron, steel, or the like) thereby the magnet  32  on the binder support shelf  30  and the metal disk  58  embedded within the recess  60  at the rear surface of the back cover  54  of the album  44  can be magnetically attached to one another and thereby releasably engage the album  44  to the frame  20  when the album  44  is seated within the frame  20  ( FIG. 6 ) to provide a means of further securing album  44  within frame  20 . 
         [0046]      FIG. 6  best illustrates the function of the ornamental bound album storage frame  20  in conjunction with a typically bound album  44  of compatible dimensions, seated within the frame whereby the front cover  46  of album  44  with a window  52  displaying a photograph, resembles an image that has been matted and framed. 
         [0047]      FIG. 7A  illustrates a structural relationship between the right edge  48  of the front cover  46  of the album  44  and the right supporting portion  62  of the ornamental bound album storage frame  20  as well as a structural relationship between the bound side  50  of the album  44  and the left supporting portion  64  of frame  20 . 
         [0048]    The right supporting portion  62  in  FIG. 7B , reveals the means for securing the right edge  48  of the front cover  46  of the album  44  within a recessed groove  66 . Groove  66  secures the right edge  48  of the front cover  46  of the album  44  so cover  46  maintains a flat position relative to the front surface ( FIG. 2 ) of the frame  20 . 
         [0049]    When the album  44  is being inserted into the frame  20 , the guiding ramp  42  can engage the right edge  48  of the front cover  46  of the album  44  along the slanted surface  68  of the ramp  42 . The guiding ramp  42  can then lift and guide right edge  48  into the recessed groove  66 . The guiding ramp  42  also provides support to the rear surface of the front cover  46  of the album  44  to secure the cover  46  of the album  44  in a flat position relative to the front surface ( FIG. 2 ) of the frame  20 . 
         [0050]    The back cover  54  of the album  44  along with the sheets  56  can reside beneath the front cover  46  within a cavity  70  that provides substantial space between the bottom surface of the front cover  46  of the album  44  and the top surface of the mounting plate  38  such that the space between sheets  56  can expand in anticipation of content applied to them such as photographs, scrapbook materials, memorabilia, important documents and other appropriate items conventionally stored within conventional bound albums. 
         [0051]    The left supporting portion  64  in  FIG. 7B  best illustrates the means for supporting the bound side  50  of the album  44  on the binder support shelf  30 . The shelf  30  supports the bound side  50  of the album  44  at a height that maintains the cover  46  of the album  44  in a flat position relative to the front surface ( FIG. 2 ) of the frame  20 . 
         [0052]    As depicted in  FIG. 8 , the guiding ramps  42  protrude from the top  22  and bottom  26  frame members to a dimension wide enough to engage the album cover  46  but are not wide enough to come in contact with the album sheets  56 . 
         [0053]    As shown in  FIG. 9 ,  FIG. 10 , and  FIG. 11 , an easel  72  is pivotably coupled to the back of the mounting plate  38  in an alternate embodiment of mounting plate  38 . 
         [0054]    When in the open position ( FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11 ), the easel  72  extends from the back of the mounting plate  38  such that the frame  20  can be supported by the easel  72  on a generally horizontal surface (e.g., a tabletop, coffee tabletop, desktop, shelf, or the like). When in the closed position ( FIG. 9 ), however, the easel  72  is substantially flush with the back surface of the mounting plate  38 . 
         [0055]    In another exemplary embodiment, an ornamental frame  74  ( FIG. 12 ) has the capacity to hold multiple albums within the frame  74 . The frame includes a rectangular frame having a horizontal frame member on the top  76 , a vertical frame member on the right  78 , a horizontal frame member on the bottom  80  and a vertical frame member on the left  82  joined together. An upper muntin  84  and a lower muntin  86  separate the frame into three bound album holders. The anatomy of each holder is similar to that of a single ornamental bound album storage frame  20 . An upper finger notch  88  a middle finger notch  90  and a lower finger notch  92  provide a means for conveniently removing an album from the frame  74  when the album is seated in the frame  74 . An upper binder support shelf  94  a middle binder support shelf  96  and a lower binder support shelf  98  protrudes within the inner peripheral of the frame  74  from the bottom portion of the surface of the left frame member  82  that is perpendicular to the front surface of the frame  74 . 
         [0056]    Inlayed in the center of the front surface of the upper binder support shelf  94  is a magnet  100  (e.g., neodyminium-iron-boron (Nd—Fe—B), or the like). In similar fashion, magnets  102  and  108  are inlayed in the middle and lower binder support shelves  96  and  98 . A mounting plate  106  substantially comprises the rear surface of the frame  74 . Holes  108  located on the mounting plate  106  can be counter-bored and can receive appropriate fastening hardware such as nails or screws. Holes  108  provide a means of fastening the frame  74  to a wall using fastening hardware. 
         [0057]    Centerline notches  110  located along the edges of the open portion of the mounting plate  106  provide a convenient means to assist in aligning and mounting the frame  74  to a wall as well as providing a convenient means to align and mount multiple ornamental bound album storage frames  74  when using, for example, pencil or chalk lines as a reference. 
         [0058]    As depicted in  FIG. 13 , three bound albums  44  can be seated within the frame  74 . 
         [0059]    The frame  74  is designed to look like a conventional, familiar, attractive, quality picture frame. 
         [0060]    In yet another exemplary embodiment  FIG. 14  and  FIG. 15 , the ornamental bound album storage frame  112  can be designed with at least one frame member having a slot  114  in which the album  44  can be slidably inserted within the frame from the outer peripheral of the frame. 
         [0061]    A wide range of materials can be used for the frame including plastics, wood, metal, or the like, and frame  20 ,  74  or  112  can be monolithically formed from one such material or modularly assembled from components of the same material or varying materials based on the structural needs or cost benefits of the manufacturing process. 
         [0062]    In an exemplary embodiment, the ornamental bound album storage frame  20  is rectangular. In other exemplary embodiments, other suitable shapes can be employed such as circular or square and the size of the frame  20  can vary substantially in correlation with the varying sizes of bound albums. 
         [0063]    Alternate embodiments can employ other suitable fastening means to releasably engage the album  44  to the frame  20  such as adhesives, VELCRO® hook and loop closures, snaps, buttons, clasps, or the like. VELCRO® is a registered trademark of Velcro Industries B.V. In addition, the fastening means, including magnets, can be arranged in a variety of suitable configurations to achieve a similar function. 
         [0064]    In another exemplary embodiment, a smaller frame  20  for a small album  44  can incorporate a mounting plate  38  that is substantially composed of magnetic material (e.g., neodyminium-iron-boron (Nd—Fe—B), or the like) of sufficient strength to allow the frame  20  to be magnetically attached to a magnetically permeable surface such as refrigerator door. 
         [0065]    While the invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the words, which have been used, are words of description and not of limitation. As is understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art, a variety of modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the following claims, which should be given their fullest, fair scope.