Abstract:
A picture frame and hanger combination features a reel for winding and unwinding of the cord, a locking mechanism to lock the cord in any of a number of partially unwound states of different length, and a frame bordering a picture opening for receiving a picture in a position facing outward from the picture opening to a front side of the frame. The frame has a hollow cavity positioned and sized to accommodate the reel and locking mechanism, which may be combined into a single unit, in positions at least partially recessed in the frame and concealed from the front side thereof. The recessing of the reel into the frame avoids bulky installation on the rear of the frame that may otherwise prevent the frame from lying closely against the wall or other upright surface behind the picture frame.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/672,061 filed Jul. 16, 2012. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to hanging of picture frames, and more particularly to a picture frame having an automatically retracting cord reel and cooperating cord locking mechanism to allow adjustment of a cord length for hanging of the frame at different heights without vertically relocating a support from which the picture is hung. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    It is known in the art to use a self-retracting cord reel mounted to the rear of a picture frame to span a cord across the rear of the picture frame for hanging thereof from a suitable hook, where the amount of cord deployed from the reel can be changed in order to change the height at which the frame is suspended from the hook, thus allowing easy adjustment of the picture height without vertical relocation of the hook. 
         [0004]    Examples of such arrangements are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,965,10 and 8,620,11. However, in each of these prior art picture frame and hanger combinations, the reel forms a bulky installation on the rear of the frame, preventing the frame from lying closely against the wall or other upright surface behind the picture frame. 
         [0005]    Accordingly, there remains room for improvement in picture frame and cord-reel picture hanger combinations. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a picture frame and hanger combination comprising: 
         [0007]    a reel having a cord secured thereto and being rotatable in opposing directions acting to wind and unwind said cord around said reel; 
         [0008]    a locking mechanism operable to lock the cord in any of a number of partially unwound states each corresponding to a different length of said cord being deployed from around said reel; and 
         [0009]    a frame bordering a picture opening in which a picture is mountable in a position facing outward from the picture opening to a front side of the frame, the frame having a hollow cavity positioned and sized to accommodate the reel in a position that is concealed from the front side of the frame behind a front face thereof and is located at least partially between said front face of the frame and an opposing rear face thereof. 
         [0010]    Preferably the reel is biased to rotate in the direction acting to wind said cord around said reel, and the locking mechanism is biased into a locking state. In order words, preferably the reel is an automatically retracting reel configured to bias the cord toward a fully wound condition on the reel, and the locking mechanism is an automatically locking mechanism configured to bias the cord into a locked condition fixing the length of cord deployed from the reel. 
         [0011]    Preferably the reel is located entirely between said front and rear faces of the frame. 
         [0012]    Preferably the hollow cavity is a recessed cavity recessed into the frame from an exterior thereof. 
         [0013]    Preferably the hollow cavity is a recessed cavity recessed into the frame from the rear face thereof. 
         [0014]    There may be provided a cover mounted over the recessed cavity. When such a cover is included, preferably the recessed cavity comprises a stepped border creating a ledge for seating of the cover in a position flush with or recessed from the rear face of the frame. A cord passage opening, for passage of the cord from the hollow cavity through said cord passage opening, may be provided on the frame, for example in the cover. 
         [0015]    Preferably a hollow space in the frame is positioned and sized to receive at least a portion of the locking mechanism between the front and rear faces thereof. 
         [0016]    Preferably the hollow space for receiving the locking mechanism is part of the hollow cavity for accommodating the reel. In other words, preferably the hollow cavity is sized to accommodate both the reel and the locking mechanism at least partially between the front and rear faces of the frame. 
         [0017]    The frame may have a lock actuator opening arranged for access to an actuator of the locking mechanism from outside the hollow space. This lock actuator opening may be provided in the cavity cover in embodiments including such a cover. 
         [0018]    Preferably the actuator of the locking mechanism is a release actuator operable to release an automatic locking action of the locking mechanism on the cord. 
         [0019]    Preferably the release actuator is a push button release actuator. 
         [0020]    Preferably there are provided multiple cord attachment points on the frame at different sides of the picture opening bordered thereby for selective connection of a free end of the cord to any of said attachment points. 
         [0021]    Preferably there is provided a stop member attached to the cord at a free end thereof, the stop member being impassable through the cord passage opening. 
         [0022]    Preferably the reel mechanism is located on a first side of the picture opening having a first one of the attachment points, and a cord guide is provided on the frame on a second side of the picture opening for routing the cord from the reel to said a second one of the attachment, which is also located on the second side of the picture opening. 
         [0023]    Preferably there is provided a connector attached to the free end of the cord for engagement of the connector to any of said attachment points. 
         [0024]    Preferably the connector is a clip. 
         [0025]    Preferably the connector is passable through an opening of the cord guide. 
         [0026]    In one embodiment, the reel and the locking mechanism are mounted within a common housing installed within the hollow cavity of the frame. 
         [0027]    According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of producing a picture frame and hanger combination comprising: 
         [0028]    providing a hollow cavity between opposing front and rear faces of a frame that borders a picture opening in which a picture is mountable in a position facing outward from the picture opening to a front side of the frame; and 
         [0029]    mounting a reel at least partially within the hollow cavity of the frame, the reel having a cord secured thereto, being rotatable in opposing directions acting to wind and unwind said cord around said reel, and being provided in combination with a locking mechanism operable to lock the cord in any of a number of partially unwound states each corresponding to a different length of said cord being deployed from around said reel. 
         [0030]    According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a picture hanging device comprising: 
         [0031]    a housing comprising first and second shell pieces engaged together to enclose an interior space; 
         [0032]    a self-retracting reel rotatably mounted within the interior space of the housing; and 
         [0033]    a locking mechanism mounted within the interior space of the housing and operable to provide an automatic locking action to lock the cord in any of a number of partially unwound states each corresponding to a different length of said cord being deployed from around said reel, the locking mechanism comprising a push button actuator extending through an opening of housing for actuation of said actuator from outside the housing to release the automatic locking action on the cord. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0034]    In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention: 
           [0035]      FIG. 1  is a front elevational view of a picture frame and hanger combination of the present invention. 
           [0036]      FIG. 2  is a rear elevational view of the picture frame and hanger combination. 
           [0037]      FIG. 3  is a partial rear elevational view of the picture frame and hanger combination with a cover removed from a rear-access cavity in which a cord reel and cord lock are mounted. 
           [0038]      FIG. 4  is a partial rear elevational view of the picture frame with the cord reel and cord lock removed. 
           [0039]      FIG. 5  is a partial cross-sectional view of the picture frame, as would be viewed along line V-V thereof of  FIG. 4 , with the cover removed by the cord reel and cord lock installed. 
           [0040]      FIG. 6  is an isolated view of the cord reel and cord lock used on the picture frame. 
           [0041]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  are outside and inside views of a top cross-wise frame piece of the picture frame. 
           [0042]      FIGS. 8A and 8B  are outside and inside views of an upright frame piece having the rear access cavity in which the cord reel and cord lock are mounted. 
           [0043]      FIG. 9  is a topside perspective view of a combined cord reel and cord lock assembly usable in a picture frame and hanger combination of the present invention. 
           [0044]      FIG. 10  is an underside perspective view of a top cover shell of a housing of the cord reel and cord lock assembly of  FIG. 9 . 
           [0045]      FIG. 11  is a topside perspective view of the cord reel and cord lock assembly of  FIG. 9  with the top cover shell thereof removed to illustrate internal features of the assembly. 
           [0046]      FIG. 12  is an underside perspective view of the cord reel and cord lock assembly of  FIG. 9 . 
           [0047]      FIG. 13  is a top plan view of the cord reel and cord lock assembly of  FIG. 9  with the top cover shell shown in transparency to illustrate the internal features of the assembly. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0048]    The drawings show a picture frame and hanger combination of the present invention, which as seen in  FIG. 1 , has a conventional appearance when viewed from the front (i.e. from the side of the frame at which the picture is visible). In a conventional manner, the illustrated rectangular frame is made up of four elongated pieces  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4  of equal width, each with 45-degree mitre cut ends so that the four pieces are fastened together end-to-end in a rectangular configuration with the adjacent pieces running lengthwise at ninety degrees to one another. The frame pieces thus form a border closing around a rectangular space or opening bound on each side by a respective one of the pieces. The shorter lengthwise edge of each frame piece features a rabbet cut at the rear face of the frame so that the resulting rectangular cut away at this edge can accommodate placement of a rectangular sheet of glass, a photograph and a suitable rectangular backing sheet against the resulting ledge at this rear-inside lengthwise edge, whereby the photograph faces forwardly outward from the frame through the glass in a protected, stationary position sandwiched between the glass and the backing sheet. 
         [0049]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , while the forgoing frame features are conventional, the frame differs from the prior art in the presence of a cavity  10  recessed into one of the upright frame pieces  1  near the upper end thereof. In the illustrated embodiment, this hollow cavity features a first lower circular portion  12 , a smaller second circular portion  14  disposed above the first, and a narrow neck portion  16  joining the two circular portions together. Turning to  FIG. 3 , the larger circular portion  12  of the recessed cavity  10  receives a self-retracting cord reel  18 , which may be of a known conventional type with a drum rotatably supported in a housing, a cord with one end fixed to the drum and passing through an opening in the housing to a free second end outside the housing, and a spiral spring biasing the drum in a rotational direction acting to wind the cord fully onto the drum. A known type of automatically retracting reel that may be employed in the present invention are those commonly employed retractable reels for carrying badges, identification cards or keys on one&#39;s person, for example clipped to one&#39;s belt or clothing. 
         [0050]    The smaller circular portion  14  of the hollow cavity  10  features a cord lock mechanism  20  through which the cord passes from the drum to the free end of the cord. The cord lock may also be of a known conventional type, with a push button plunger  22  slidable back and forth in an axial direction in a blind hole of main housing  24 . The plunger and the housing have parallel through-bores  22   a ,  24   a  extending in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the plunger. A compression spring  26  is disposed between the closed end of the housing&#39;s blind hole and the inner end of the plunger inside the blind hole. In its normal extended state, the compression spring  26  forces the plunger away from the closed end of the blind hole, attempting to force the transverse bore of the plunger fully past the transverse bore of the housing. When the spring  26  is depressed by manual pressing of the plunger, it acts to move the transverse bores into an at least partially aligned condition where the bores are open to one another. The cord from the reel passes through the lock mechanism via the two transverse bores. 
         [0051]    As schematically shown in  FIG. 3 , the cord  28  extends from its wound portion on the reel  18  in the larger circular portion of the cavity  10 , through the neck  16  of the cavity into the smaller circular portion  14  thereof, where the cord  28  passes through the cord lock  20  to a free end of the cord situation outside the hollow cavity. The spring&#39;s action on the plunger of the cord lock acts to clamp the cord in place, as the end of the plunger&#39;s bore nearest the inner end of the plunger is forced toward the end of the housing&#39;s bore furthest from the closed end of the blind hole in the housing. The cord is thus locked in place between the opposing ends of the two transverse bores by the action of the compression spring. The cord is only released from this clamped condition between the plunger and housing by manually depressing the plunger toward the closed end of the housing&#39;s blind hole against the action of the spring. Accordingly, the cord is locked in its given state partially wound on the reel at any given time, but the plunger forms a push button release by which the locking action on the cord is released, allowing adjustment of the length of cord deployed from the reel. Depressing the plunger and pulling the free end of the cord acts to deploy more of the cord from the reel, while depression of the plunger alone will allow the drum of the reel to rotate in its default retracting direction, spooling more of the cord onto the reel. 
         [0052]    With reference to  FIG. 5 , the rear faces  1   a ,  2   a ,  3   a ,  4   a  of the frame pieces  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4  of the illustrated embodiment are flat and coplanar with one another, except at an area  30  within which the hollow cavity  10  recesses into the first frame piece  1 . This area  30  is larger in plan, but smaller in depth, than the hollow cavity  10  itself, thus creating a shallower recess  32  that surrounds the hollow cavity  10  and forms a stepped border transitioning from the hollow cavity to the rear face of the frame. In the illustrated embodiment, the area  30  has five straight sides cooperating to form a rectangular portion containing the larger circular portion  12  and neck  16  of the cavity  10 , and a truncated-triangular portion that is disposed atop the rectangular portion, contains the smaller circular portion  14  of the cavity and lies in alignment with the taper of the mitred end portion of the frame piece  1 . Turning to  FIG. 2 , the recessed area  30  accepts a conformingly shaped cover  34  that sits on the ledge formed by the stepped boundary of the cavity in order to close over the hollow cavity  10  when the reel  18  and cord lock  20  have been installed therein. The thickness of the cover  34  closely matches the depth of the recess  32  so that the outer face of the cover lies generally flush with the rear face of the picture frame when installed. The cover may use any suitable fastening means to remain in place over the hollow cavity, for example employing a snap fit with the frame piece or using a threaded fastener engaged into the frame piece through a suitable opening in the cover  34 . 
         [0053]    The cover features a cord-accommodating hole  36  therein near the narrower upper end of the cover to allow the cord to pass through the cover from the cord lock  20  inside the hollow cavity to the exterior of the picture frame. A larger lock actuator hole  37  situated a short distance below the cord-accommodating hole  36  provides an opening through which one&#39;s finger can depress the plunger  22  of the cord lock  20 , or through which the plunger  22  extends to provide access thereto outside the picture frame at the rear side thereof. A first eyehook  38  is fastened to the rear face  4   a  of the upper cross-wise frame piece  4  that projects horizontally from the upper end of the upright frame piece  1  near the hollow cavity formed therein. This first eyehook  38  forms a guide near the end of the cross-wise frame piece  4  lying adjacent the upright frame piece  1  with the hollow cavity. The cord  28  passes through the opening of this guiding eyehook  38 , and a clip  40  fixed to the free end of the cord  28  is releasably connected to the eye of a second eyehook  42  disposed at an opposite end of the same cross-wise frame piece  4 . The two eyehooks are situated at matching positions across the width of the cross-wise frame piece  4  to lie at the same height when the length of this piece  4  is oriented horizontally. The span of the cord between the two eye-hooks forms a hanger by which the picture frame can be suspended from a hook or other suitable support on a wall or other upright surface. 
         [0054]    A third eyehook  44  is fastened to the reel-quipped upright frame piece  1  adjacent the lower end thereof opposite the hollow cavity. This eyehook  44  is situated at a position matching that of the cord-accommodating hole  36  in the cover  34  across the width dimension of the upright frame piece  1 . The opening in the guiding eyehook  38  is large enough to accommodate passage of the clip  40  therethrough, whereby the free end of the cord  28  can be decoupled from the second eyehook  40 , drawn back through the guiding first eyehook  38 , and then extended along the first frame piece  1  to attach to the third eyehook  44 . This way, the cord  28  can be reoriented to lie along the first frame piece  1  in which the hollow cavity is formed instead of the shorter adjacent frame piece  4 . The cord  28  can then be used to hang the picture frame from the first frame piece  1  instead of the other frame piece  4 , allowing the elongated rectangular picture frame to be hung in either a length-upright portrait orientation or a length-horizontal landscape orientation according to the picture that is to be displayed within the frame. 
         [0055]    While the clip is small enough to fit through the guiding eyehook  38 , it is too large to fit through the cord-accommodating opening  36  in the cover installed over the hollow cavity of the frame. This way, the inability of the clip to fit through the cord-accommodating opening  36  prevents the free end of the cord from being retracted into the hollow cavity when the lock-release plunger of the cord lock is depressed. 
         [0056]      FIGS. 7 and 8  show profile views of the upper cross-wise frame piece  4  and cavity-equipped upright frame piece  1  from both the inside and outside edges thereof. The shape of the lower cross-wise frame piece  2  is a mirror image of the upper one, the piece  2  differing only in the lack of eyehooks  38 ,  40 , and the outer shape of the second upright frame piece  3  is a mirror image of the first upright frame piece  1 , the piece  3  differing in the lack of eyehook  44 , hollow cavity  10 , recessed area  30 , cover  34 , cord reel  18  and cord lock  20 . Each frame piece has a rabbet cut recess  46  at the corner joining the inside edge and rear face of the frame piece. This recess  46  accommodates a rectangular piece of glass and matching rectangular piece of backing material, and a picture sandwiched therebetween, within the opening bound by the frame pieces. The depth of the recess  46  closely follows that of the sandwiched glass, picture and backing sheet/board so that this sandwiched configuration lies generally flush with the rear face of the frame pieces. With reference to  FIG. 2 , tabs  48  of metal or other material are coupled to the rear faces of the frame pieces to swivel along the plane of these rear faces into and out of positions overhanging the inner edges of the frame pieces to accommodate placement of the glass, picture and backing within the frame when the tabs are withdrawn from over the picture opening, and to secure the glass, picture and backing in place when the tabs are subsequently pivoted out over the rear face of the backing material. Other known tab designs that may be employed include bendable tabs fixed to the inner edge of the frame pieces to bend over the rear face of the backing material. 
         [0057]    The tension that acts against the extension of the cord from the reel is sufficient to suspend the weight of the frame, glass, picture and backing without extending the cord, for example providing 10-lbs of tension, with the spring strength and frictional engagement of the cord at the locking mechanism being strong enough to hold the cord against the reel&#39;s cord-retracting action. To change the height at which the picture is hung, a user depresses the lock-release plunger of the cord lock, and either pulls more of the cord from the reel in order to increase the freed length of cord to obtain a lower picture height when hung, or allows the reel to automatically retract more cord in order to tension the cord to a reduced length in order to increase the picture height when hung. After the hanging-cord is adjusted to a desired length, release of the lock plunger automatically locks to the cord to this effective picture-hanging length. With the recessed condition of the cord lock entirely within the frame between the front and rear faces thereof, this adjustability is provided in a relatively thin configuration comparable to that of a conventional picture frame lacking a length adjustable hanging cord. 
         [0058]    The picture frame may be factory equipped with the hollow cavity and corresponding reel and lock combination, or existing picture frames may be retrofitted to add a reel and lock combination by forming a suitable recessed cavity into which a separately acquired reel and lock combination can be mounted in one of the frame members. Even embodiments where the reel and lock are only partially recessed into the frame would still provide space-efficient advantage over the prior art configurations with entirely external cord retracting and locking mechanisms. Although the illustrated embodiment features a rear-access cavity for optimal concealment of the cavity when the picture frame is hung against a wall or other upright surface, other embodiments may employ other configurations, for example a cavity recessed into the frame from an outer peripheral edge thereof, with a suitable cord-accommodating hole through to the rear of the frame. Other rear-access embodiments may forgo a cavity cover if the cavity is sufficiently hidden from sight when the frame is hung and the reel and lock are secured to the frame. 
         [0059]    Although the forgoing embodiment employs separate reel and lock mechanisms, other embodiments may combine these mechanisms into a single unit, for example having a singular unitary housing of molded plastic. Where separate mechanisms are used, they may be mounted in separate recessed cavities, provided that suitable passage for the cord from one cavity to the other is provided. The picture frame may be produced from any of a number of different materials, including but not limited to solid wood or medium density fibreboard (MDF). 
         [0060]      FIGS. 9 to 13  illustrate an embodiment with a combined reel and lock assembly within a common housing  50 . The housing is of a two-piece shell construction, with a top shell piece  52  and a bottom shell piece  53  of generally matching peripheral shape. In the illustrated embodiment, the peripheral shape resembles that of a figure-eight, whereby the shape of the housing in plan view may be considered to have to slightly overlapping circular areas defining round, lobed ends of the housing, which has a narrower, pinched center intermediate of the two ends. 
         [0061]    With reference to  FIG. 11 , the bottom shell piece has a flat bottom wall  54  and a peripheral wall  56  perpendicularly upstanding therefrom around the figure-eight outline of the bottom wall&#39;s perimeter so as to accordingly define to the overall shape of the housing. One of the two circular areas of the shell piece inside the peripheral wall thereof is occupied by a reel drum  58  on which the cord  28  is wound. The other circular area inside the peripheral wall contains an integral fastener-receiving boss  60  perpendicularly upstanding from the flat bottom of the shell piece, and a coiled compression  62  spring seated atop the bottom of the shell piece. A plunger  64  is seated atop the compression spring, and features an annular flange  66  projecting radially outward relative to a cylindrical remainder  68  of the plunger at a flat bottom end thereof seated atop the compression spring  62 . A diametrical through-bore  70  passes through the cylindrical portion of the plunger  64  immediately above the flange  66 . During assembly of the combined reel and lock unit by the manufacturer, the free end of the cord  28  is fed from the reel drum  58  through the diametrical through-bore  70  of the plunger  64 , as shown in  FIG. 11 . 
         [0062]      FIG. 10  shows the matching top shell piece  52 , featuring a flat top wall  72  and a peripheral wall  74  depending perpendicularly therefrom around the figure-eight perimeter of the flat top wall. The peripheral walls of the two shell pieces are stepped at the distal edges thereof with mating profiles so as to positively align the two shell pieces with one another when these distal edges of the two pieces are brought together. In the circular area of the top shell piece  52  that aligns with the reel-holding area of the bottom shell piece  53 , a split cylindrical boss  76  depends perpendicularly from the flat top wall  72  at the axial center of this circular area within the peripheral wall. In the other circular area of the top shell piece, a second fastener-receiving boss  78  projects perpendicularly from the flat top wall at a position to align with the corresponding fastener-receiving boss  60  of the bottom shell piece  53 . 
         [0063]    In the same circular area as the fastener-receiving boss  78 , the top wall  72  of the top shell piece  52  features a plunger-receiving opening  80  of diameter that slightly exceeds the cylindrical portion  68  of the plunger  64 , but is less than the diameter of the plunger&#39;s flange  66 , and also features a cord-receiving opening  82  of greater diameter than the cord  28 . A retaining wall  84  depends perpendicularly from the top wall  72  around the two openings  80 ,  82  therein, and curves concentrically and conformingly around the plunger-receiving opening  82  at a at a radial distance therefrom that slightly exceeds the radial extent by which the plunger&#39;s flange  66  projects from the cylindrical portion of the plunger. That is, a diameter between opposing arcuate sections of the retaining wall  84  slightly exceeds the diameter of the flanged end of the plunger  64 . 
         [0064]    With reference to  FIG. 9 , when the two shell pieces of the housing are mated together, the cylindrical end of the plunger  64  projects slightly through the plunger-receiving opening  80  of the top shell piece  52  to form the push-button actuator of a cord release mechanism that is defined by the cooperation of the spring, plunger and top shell piece of the housing. The compression spring  62  biases the flanged bottom end of the plunger  64  toward the top wall of the top shell piece, which normally causes the cord  28  to be clamped in place between the flange  66  of the plunger  64  and top wall of the top shell piece at a location just outside the plunger-receiving opening therein. With reference to  FIG. 10 , a break or gap  86  in the retaining wall  84  at the side of the plunger-receiving nearest the split cylindrical post  76  acts to accommodate routing of the cord from the reel drum  58  to the diametrical through-bore  70  of the plunger  64 . From where it is normally clamped against the top wall of the top shell piece, the cord continues through the diametrical through-bore  70  of the plunger  64 , and then onward through the cord-receiving opening  82  so as to place the free end of the cord  28  outside the housing  50 . 
         [0065]    Inside the core of the reel drum  58 , a spiral flat spring  90  has one end  90   a  fitted within the diametrical slot  88  that separates the two halves of the split-cylinder boss or post  76 , and the other end connected to the cord  28  where the cord enters the interior space of the drum core through a suitable opening therein. In the assembled housing, the walls of the reel drum at opposite ends of its hollow cylindrical core feature central holes  58   a , one of which accommodates insertion of the split-cylindrical post  76  into the core of the drum during assembly of the housing. The drum thus rotates about the axis of the split-cylindrical post  76  inside the respective circular area of the housing&#39;s interior space enclosed between the two shell covers  52 ,  53 . 
         [0066]    In a known manner, the action of the spiral flat spring cooperates with the cord and drum to define a self-winding reel, where pulling of the free end of the cord from the reel acts to tighten or wind the spiral spring as the drum rotates about its central axis in this direction that unwinds the cord from same. The built up tension in the spring, when released, thus acts to automatically pull the cord in the opposing direction, thus turning the drum in this second direction so as to rewind the cord back onto the drum. The spring biased plunger  64  normally holds the cord in place against the cord-winding tension of the spiral flat spring. However, when a user depresses the exposed cylindrical end of the plunger outside the housing against the bias of the compression spring  62 , the cord is released from its clamped position against the top shell of the housing, whereupon the action of the spiral flat spring automatically winds the cord back onto the drum. 
         [0067]    A threaded fastener is engaged through central bores of the fastener-receiving bosses of the two shell pieces of the housing, for example via a counter-bored end  92  of the through-bore in the bottom piece&#39;s boss  60  that extends through the bottom wall of the bottom piece  53 . Such fastener thus secures the two shell covers  52 ,  53  together in the assembled state. Fastening ears  94  project from the outer periphery of the housing, for example at opposing ends of the top shell piece, and feature respective through-bores  96  through which screws may be driven into the bottom of the picture frame recesses in order to secure the assembled reel and lock unit in place in the recess of the picture frame. 
         [0068]    The single assembled unit of  FIGS. 9 to 13  thus provides the same function of the separate self-winding reel and cord lock mechanisms of the embodiment of  FIGS. 1 to 8 . The assembled unit of  FIGS. 9 to 13  can thus be recessed into a picture frame that like of the other figures in order to provide the same functional results. As the housing of the combined reel and lock unit has both the reel and the locking mechanism mounted within it, and the housing is equipped with features for securely fastening the housing to the frame, such embodiments may optionally forgo a cover for the cavity of the picture frame. The cord-receiving opening  82  of the housing thus corresponds to, and replaces, the cord-accommodating hole of the cavity cover in the first embodiment. 
         [0069]    It will be appreciated that the terms ‘top’ and ‘bottom’ used in describing the combined reel and lock unit of  FIGS. 9 to 13  refer respectively to the sides of unit that face out of and into the recessed space in the picture frame when the unit is installed, and do not denote a particular orientation in which the unit must be installed and used. In fact, the ‘top’ and ‘bottom’ of the housing will typically not be in such relative vertical positions to one another in the typical hanging orientation of a picture frame. 
         [0070]    End consumers or frame manufacturers or sellers may purchase a combined reel and lock unit prefabricated by another manufacturer, and then install the purchased unit in any picture frame by modifying the frame to include a suitably shaped recess to accommodate the housing of the reel and lock unit, for example using readily available professional or consumer grade tools. For example, and end consumer may trace the shape of the housing onto the rear face of the frame using either a suitable template or the housing itself, drill a blind hole into the frame, and then from the blind hole, use a hand router to hollow out the traced area for subsequent mounting of the housing into the resulting recessed cavity of the frame. A frame manufacturer or customizer may follow a similar process, or use larger scale machining equipment to similarly create the housing-accommodating cavity in the frame. It will be appreciated that the shape of the recess does not necessarily need to conform to that of the housing, and that the housing may be provided with shapes other than the figure-eight shape shown and described herein. 
         [0071]    Since various modifications can be made in my invention as herein above described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without department from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.