Abstract:
The present invention provides a pasteless wall covering system in which wall covering becomes easily installable, removable, changeable and reusable without damaging walls. A wall covering border is attached to, or made from, a semi-rigid paper stock and is held on the wall by a holder with channels. The holder can be created by scoring and folding a top and bottom channel. The holder can be attached to the wall by stapling, adhesives or other attachment means.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/351,577, filed Jan. 25, 2002. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates generally to wall covering borders and layer sheets of wall covering that are attached to a wall without wallpaper paste or other type of adhesive, and more particularly to wall covering borders and wall covering in general that are attached to a wall by placing them into a channel or clip. 
   2. Description of Prior Art 
   Wall coverings are used to provide a decoration for walls. These coverings offer an alternative from painting by providing more decorative and design options. Wall coverings can also be used as borders or trim on walls, providing a touch of color or design on an otherwise plain wall surface. However, wall coverings, either full or borders, must be pasted or adhered to walls making them a permanent decoration. The result is that, when a wall covering is removed, the wall itself is often damaged, requiring it to be patched and repainted or recovered. Changing wallpaper, either as a trim or for a larger portion of a wall, is difficult since the old paper must be removed which is a time consuming and tedious process, and is generally frowned upon by the owners of residences, rental units, stores, offices or cottages where such changes are more likely to occur (or at least be more desirable) due to the change in tenants. Thus, owners of rental homes, apartments, offices and stores usually will not permit the renters or temporary dwellers to apply new wall coverings or change existing ones. There is a desire of building owners in particular, and of others who are responsible for changes in wall design, to have a pasteless wall paper system for changing wall paper without having to scrape off or otherwise remove old wallpaper before installing new wall paper. In addition, there is a desire for those decorating walls to have a fast and inexpensive way to change wall paper. Further, it is difficult to apply traditional wall coverings or wall borders to textured or non-smooth walls. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a solution to the problems of the prior art with a pasteless wall covering system in which wall covering becomes easily installable, removable, changeable and reusable without damaging walls. This invention will allow apartment and other rental property owners, such as store and office owners, to encourage tenants to change wall decorations to suit individual tenant&#39;s tastes, and will also enable tenants to easily install and change wall decorations on non-smooth or textured wall surfaces. The invention has particular advantages for wall covering borders but it can be used for larger sections of wall coverings as well. Further, it could be used with non-paper wall coverings such as fabric, carpeting, etc. 
   In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a conventional wall covering border is attached to a semi-rigid paper type stock, or a decoration is printed onto a semi-rigid paper type stock, creating a semi-rigid wall covering border. Likewise, the semi-rigid paper stock can itself carry the decoration and form the border. A holder for the semi-rigid wall covering border is created by scoring and folding a channel that is stapled or otherwise attached to the wall surface at the desired wall covering border location. 
   An object of this invention is to provide an article that serves as a wall covering border or wall covering and is easy to install and change. 
   A further object of this invention is to provide an article that serves as a wall covering border or wall covering and is interchangeable. 
   A further object of this invention is to provide an article that serves as a wall covering border or wall covering and does not damage the wall surfaces when removed. 
   Yet another object of this invention is to provide an article that serves as a wall covering border or wall covering and can go over smooth or textured surfaces. 
   Yet another object of this invention is to provide an article that serves as a wall covering border or wall covering and is reusable. 
   Yet another object of this invention is to provide an article that serves as a wall covering border or wall covering and is inexpensive. 
   Yet another object of this invention is to provide an article that serves as a wall covering border or wall covering and has no pattern matching required. 
   Yet another object of this invention is to provide an article that serves as a wall covering border or wall covering and is supplied in a continuous roll. 
   Still another object is to provide a wall paper system for providing a pasteless or adhesiveless wall paper that can be easily and quickly changed. 
   These and other objects will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment taken together with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts, a preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is an end perspective view of a wall covering border in a holder; 
       FIG. 2  is an end view of the wall covering border in the holder of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 2   a  is a top view of the holder prior to folding the channels; 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of a two layer or two member wall covering border; 
       FIG. 3   a  is a side view of a one piece wall covering border; 
       FIG. 4  is a side view of the two piece wall covering border in a holder; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the wall covering border in a holder, 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the wall covering border in a holder, 
       FIG. 7  is a front perspective view of an interior or exterior corner; 
       FIG. 8  is a top view of the wall covering border corner piece; and 
       FIG. 9  is a front perspective view of a wall covering border in a holder on a wall. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention only, and not for the purpose of limiting same,  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  show a wall covering border  2  in a holder  4 . The holder  4  can be can preferably be made of PVC or other materials, can be flexible or made of flexible materials, and can preferably have a matte finish that does not reflect light. The length of the holder can be as short as about three feet. A preferred length can be between six and thirty feet. The holder  4  has a top longitudinal side  6 , a bottom longitudinal side  8 , and a support  9  including a front surface  10  and a back surface  12 . The longitudinal sides  6 ,  8  of the holder  4  are folded over twice to form channels, top channel  16  and bottom channel  18 , each having a base  20   a ,  20   b , and a channel or fold lip  22   a ,  22   b  with a fold or channel edge  24   a ,  24   b , extending along the length of the holder  4 . The channels  16 ,  18  hold the wall covering border  2  when it is installed on the wall. As shown in  FIG. 2   a , the holder can be scored with score lines  26  in the front surface  10  so that it can be stored and distributed without channels and folded to create the channels  16 ,  18  at the installation site. 
   Numerous attachments means can be used to attach the back surface  12  of the holder  4  to a wall. Such means include hook and latch systems such as Velcro®, adhesives, double faced tape, staples, or glue. In a preferred embodiment, the top channel lip  22   a  is larger than the bottom channel lip  22   b.  In a preferred embodiment, the channel lips  22   a,    22   b,  are biased in an inward direction, that is, the channel lips have “memory”, so that they press against the wall paper border, holding the border firmly in place. 
     FIG. 3  shows the wall covering border  2  which is comprised of a top member  28  and a bottom member  30 . The top member  28  can preferably be made of wall covering material, which can be from 2″ to 30″ wide, and, in one preferred embodiment, from 6¼″ to 6¾″ wide. The bottom member  30  can be made of a semi-rigid paper stock. The paper stock, or alternative material, should be flexible enough so that wall covering border  2  can be changed from a flat position to a roll for storing and transporting. The bias of the roll could help keep it in place in the holder. For the bottom member  30 , a material having one side covered with pressure sensitive adhesive can be used to so that the bottom member  30  can be inexpensively and simply attached to the top member  28 . In the alternative, as shown in  FIG. 3   a,  the decoration can be placed directly on a semi-rigid paper stock  32 . 
     FIG. 4  shows a second embodiment, wherein the holder  40  is separated into two pieces, each “J” shaped and having a back  42 , an upper wall  44  and a front or top  46 . A channel  48  is formed between the top  46  and the back  42  of the holder  40 , there being two channels  48  for each assembly.  FIG. 5  shows another embodiment, wherein the holder  50  can preferably be made of molded foam, channeled wood or other moldable, semi-rigid material. In the alternative, the holder  50  can be made of rigid or semi-rigid PVC with clear edges, similar to the material found in vertical blinds. The front  52  of the holder  50  can be rounded or angled. A pair of opposing channels  54  are formed between the front  52  and the back  56  of the holder  50 . 
   Another embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIG. 6  in which the holder  60 , attached to a wall  62 , is the hook-type material of a hook and latch connecting system, such as Velcro, and the latch material  64  is attached to the back of the wall covering border  2 . In the alternative, the holder  60  could be made of double faced adhesive tape. 
     FIG. 7  shows a corner piece  70 , which can be used at the junction of walls, typical inside corners as well as outside corners. These corner pieces can be made of rigid PVC vinyl, wood, foam, plastic or other materials. The holder  4  and wall covering border  2  can be applied to each wall forming the juncture and the corner piece  70  can be inserted into the corner, abutting holder. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 , the corner piece can contain slots  72  into which the wall covering border  2  can be inserted. In the alternative, the wall covering border may abut the corner piece. In a preferred embodiment, the wall covering border  2  and holder  4  may be bent to wrap the corner; no special corner piece would be necessary. 
     FIG. 8  shows a corner piece  80  which can be used in a non-square corner, that is, a corner that is not 90°. This corner piece  80  has a center score-line  82  along which it can be bent or folded, creating the desired corner angle. In addition, a channel  84  is formed between the top  86 , the side  88  and the back  90  of the corner piece  80 , there being two channels  84  for each corner piece  80 . The top  86  and the side  88  of the channel  84  do not extend the entire length of the wall covering border holder; instead, each terminates before reaching the score-line  82 , enabling the corner piece to bend and form the corner angle. There are vertical score-lines  92  along which the corner piece can be folded to create the top and the side of the channel. 
   Installation of the current invention is easy. In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , channels  16 ,  18  are created by folding the holder  4  along the scored lines  26 . In all of the embodiments, the holder  4 ,  40 ,  50 ,  60  is attached to the wall using fasteners such as clips, staples, or adhesives such as pressure sensitive adhesives and double faced tape. Key shaped holes can be made in the backs of the holder having an enlarged bottom portion and a narrow top portion. A screw or other fastener can be inserted in a wall with its top end extending outwardly from the wall, and the back of the holder can be placed so that the head of the fastener extends through the enlarged bottom portion hole. The holder can then be released so that the fastener supports the holder through the upper edge of the narrow portion of the hole. Once the holder is secured on the wall, the wall covering border  2  is unrolled and inserted into the holder  4 , preferably by sliding it into the channel  16 ,  18 ,  48 ,  54  along the wall. Corner pieces, which can be made of rigid PVC vinyl, wood, foam or plastic, can be used at the junction of walls. These corner pieces can contain slots into which the wall covering border can be inserted. Corner pieces can be used in typical inside corners as well as outside corners; in both cases, the channel  16 ,  18 ,  48 ,  54  and wall covering border  2  can be applied to each wall forming the juncture. The wall covering border  2  may wrap the corner, if it is pliable enough. 
   Changing the wall paper is very easy. The user simply grasps the end portion of the wall paper and withdraws it from the holder, and inserts a replacement wall paper by forcing it between the front and back of the holder. 
   The invention has been described with particular emphasis on the preferred embodiments. It should be appreciated that these embodiments are described for purposes of illustration only, and that numerous alterations and modifications may be practiced by those skilled the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is intended that all such modifications and alterations be included insofar as they come within the scope of the invention or the equivalents thereof.