Patent Publication Number: US-2005129460-A1

Title: Modular frame corners

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 60/528,614, filed Dec. 11, 2003, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
      Not applicable.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention generally relates to a corner piece for a frame and, more particularly, to a modular corner piece for frames intended to be used for advertising and display purposes.  
      2. Brief Description of Related Art  
      It is previously known to manufacture frames in long segments or strips and thereafter cut them to the desired length in order to constitute the sides of the frames. The profiles are interconnected via corner pieces so as to form a complete frame.  
      Frames for advertising and information purposes often are used only once, e.g. at fairs, exhibitions and the like. Therefore, it is desirable that the frames be inexpensive. In this respect, extruded profiles constitute an inexpensive element manufactured by tools while, on the other hand, the frame corners are more expensive because tools with mobile parts are required and also because the detail proper will become more homogenous and requires more material.  
      Corner pieces have hereto been provided which are composed of two identical corner parts interconnected by a fastening assembly in such a way that the legs and intermediate part of the corner piece have a first symmetry plane coinciding with the plane of the frame and a second symmetry plane or bisector plane through the bisector to the angle between the corner piece legs so that the second symmetry plane is perpendicular to the first symmetry plane.  
      While corner pieces and modular frames of the prior art have met with some success, new and improved corner pieces and modular frames are constantly being sought which are inexpensive to manufacture and which constitute an improvement in modular frame construction. It is to such a modular frame and modular corner pieces for such frames that the present invention is directed.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to a modular frame corner for joining adjacently disposed frame members wherein each of the frame members is provided with at least one elongated passageway extending therethrough. The modular frame corner includes a first corner piece, a second corner piece connectable to the first corner piece, and a connector assembly for connecting the first and second corner pieces. The first corner piece is provided with a first extension member, a second extension member and an intermediate member disposed therebetween. Similarly, the second corner piece is provided with a first extension member, a second extension member and an intermediate member disposed therebetween. The first and second extension members of the first corner piece are matingly disposable within a portion of a passageway of a multi-component frame member and the first and second extension members of the second corner piece are matingly disposable within a portion of a passageway of an adjacently disposed frame member of the frame.  
      The connector assembly, which connects the first corner piece to the second corner piece of the modular frame corner is provided with a male connector extending from the intermediate member of the second corner piece and a female connector extending from the intermediate member of the first corner piece. The female connector, which is adapted to matingly receive the male connector, is provided with a length substantially corresponding to the distance between the first and second corner pieces when same are in an assembled position so that the female connector provides a substantially uniform and unbroken surface between the first and second corner pieces. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a frame having modular frame corners constructed in accordance with the present invention.  
       FIG. 2  is an exploded fragmental perspective view of one of the modular frame corners of  FIG. 1 .  
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of a frame member of  FIG. 2  taken along line  3 - 3  thereof.  
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of a multi-component frame member of  FIG. 2  taken along line  4 - 4  thereof.  
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of one of the corner pieces of the modular frame corner of the present invention illustrating a second side thereof.  
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view illustrating a first side of the second corner piece of the modular frame corner of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
      Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIG. 1 , shown therein and designated by the general reference numeral  10  is a frame for securing and displaying a frameable object  12 . The frame  10  includes three frame members  14 , each of which is provided with a groove  15  ( FIG. 3 ), and a multi-component frame member  16  formed of two spatially disposed frame members  16   a  and  16   b  which define a slot  17  therebetween ( FIG. 4 ). The three frame members  14  and the multi-component frame  16  are interconnected with four modular frame corners  18  to provide the frame  10 . While the frame  10  has been shown as having a substantially rectangular configuration, it should be understood that the frame  10  may have any configuration. For example, the configuration of the frame  10  may be circular, elliptical, triangular, hexagonal or any polygonal shape as long as the configuration of the frame  10  corresponds to the configuration of the frameable object  12  or the configuration of a matting of the frameable object  12 . Furthermore, the frame  10  may include any number of modular frame corners  18 , frame members  14 , and multi-component frame members  16  to accommodate the configuration of the frame  10 . For purposes of brevity, only one modular frame corner  18  and its interconnection with one of the frame members  14  and the multi-component frame member  16  will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to  FIGS. 2-4 .  
      Referring more particularly to  FIG. 2 , the modular frame corner  18  includes a first corner piece  20  and a second corner piece  22 . The first corner piece  20  is connectable to the second corner piece  22  via a connector assembly  24  in a manner hereinafter described in detail. The first corner piece  20 , the second corner piece  22  and the connector assembly  24  of the modular frame corner  18  are preferably constructed of a suitable material which provides sufficient rigidity to the modular frame corner  18 , and thus the frame  10 , to secure the frameable object  12 . For example, the first corner piece  20 , the second corner piece  22  and the connector assembly  24  of the modular frame corner  18  may be constructed from plastic, wood, metal, and/or combinations thereof. It is to be understood that the first and second corner pieces  20  and  22  of the modular frame corner  18 , as well as the connector assembly  24  for connecting the first corner piece  20  to the second corner piece  22 , may be formed by any process known in the art. For example, the first corner piece  20 , the second corner piece  22  and the connector assembly  24  of the modular frame corner  18  may be formed utilizing an injection molding process, an extrusion process, a vacuum process, combinations thereof, or any other suitable process. Since the above-mentioned processes are well know in the art, no further comments concerning their use in forming the first corner piece  20 , the second corner piece  22  and the connector assembly  24  of the modular frame corner  18  are deemed necessary in order to teach a person skilled in the art how to manufacture the modular frame corner  18 .  
      Referring now the  FIGS. 2 and 5 , the first corner piece  20  of the modular frame corner  18  includes a first extension member  26  and a second extension member  28  joined by an intermediate member or portion  30 . Similarly, the second corner piece  22  of the modular frame corner  18  ( FIGS. 2 and 5 ) includes a first extension member  32  and a second extension member  34  joined by an intermediate member or portion  36 . When the first corner piece  20  and the second corner piece  22  are connected, the first extension member  26  of the first corner piece  20  and the first extension member  32  of the second corner piece  22  are disposable within passageways or hollow portions  38   a  and  38   b  of the adjacently disposed frame member  16   a  and  16   b,  respectively, of the multi-component frame member  16  ( FIGS. 2 and 4 ); and the second extension member  28  of the first corner piece  20  and the second extension member  34  of the second corner piece  22  are disposable within passageways or hollow portions  39   a  and  39   b  of the adjacently disposed frame member  14  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ). That is, when constructing the frame  10  ( FIG. 1 ), the first corner piece  20  is connected to the second corner piece  22  via the connector assembly  24  so that the first extension members  26  and  32  of the first and second corner pieces  20  and  22 , respectively, can be frictionally secured in the passageways or hollow portions  38   a  and  38   b  of the frame members  16   a  and  16   b  of the multi-component frame member  16  and the second extension members  28  and  34  of the first and second corner pieces  20  and  22 , respectively, can be frictionally secured in passageways or hollow portions  39   a  and  39   b  of the adjacent end portion  40  of the frame member  14 . It should be noted that the frame members  16   a  and  16   b  of the multi-component frame member  16  are disposed a distance apart so as to define the slot  17  through which the framable object  12  can be passed for insertion of the frameable object  12  into the frame  10  or during removal of the frameable object  12  from the frame  10 . In addition, the groove  15  is provided in each of the frame members  14  for receiving an edge portion of the frameable object  12  substantially as shown in  FIG. 2 .  
      The first extension member  26  and the second extension member  28  of the first corner piece  20  are substantially perpendicular to one another ( FIGS. 2 and 5 ) and the first extension member  32  and the second extension member  34  of the second corner piece  22  are likewise substantially perpendicular to one another ( FIGS. 2 and 5 ) such that the first corner piece  20  and the second corner piece  22  cooperate with the connector assembly  24 , the adjacently disposed frame member  14  and the adjacently disposed frame member  16   a  and  16   b  of the multi-component frame member  16  to form one corner of the rectangular-shaped frame  10  of  FIG. 1 . It should be noted that although the first extension member  26  and the second extension member  28  of the first corner piece  20  and the first extension member  32  and second extension member  34  of the second corner piece  22  are shown to be substantially perpendicular to one another, the angular disposition of the first extension member  26  and the second extension member  28  of the first corner piece  20  relative to the first extension member  32  and the second extension member  34  of the second corner piece  22  may vary and will be dependent on the configuration of the frame  10 . Thus, the angle between the first extension member  26  and the second extension member  28  of the first corner piece  20  and the angle between the first extension member  32  and the second extension member  34  of the second corner piece  22  may be an obtuse angle, an acute angle, or arcuate shaped so long as the first extension member  26  and the second extension member  28  of the first corner piece  20  can be joined by the intermediate member  30  of the first corner piece  20  and the first extension member  32  and the second extension member  34  of the second corner piece  22  can be joined by the intermediate member  36  of the second corner piece  22 . In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, the first corner piece or the second corner piece of the modular frame corner may each include more than two extension members to form a plurality of frames (not shown).  
      The first extension member  26  of the first corner piece  20  has a first surface  42  and a second surface  44 ; and the second extension member  28  of the first corner piece  20  has a first surface  46  and a second surface  48 . The first surface  42  of the first extension member  26  of the first corner piece  20  is provided with a recessed or step-down portion  50 . Similarly, the first surface  46  of the second extension member  28  of the first corner piece  20  is provided with a recessed or step-down portion  52 . A plurality of ridges  54  extend lengthwise along at least a portion of the first surface  42  of the first extension member  26  substantially as shown. A plurality of ridges  56  also extend lengthwise along at least a portion of the first surface  46  of the second extension member  28  substantially as shown.  
      The first extension member  32  of the second corner piece  22  and the second extension member  34  of the second corner piece  22  are similar in construction and function as the first and second extension members  26  and  28  of the first corner piece  20  hereinbefore described. That is, the first extension member  32  of the second corner piece  22  is provided with a first surface  58  and a second surface  60 ; and the second extension member  34  of the second corner piece  22  is provided with a first surface  62  and a second surface  64 . The first surface  58  of the first extension member  32  of the second corner piece  22  is provided with a recessed or step-down portion  66 ; and the first surface  62  of the second extension member  34  of the second corner piece  22  is also provided with a recessed or step-down portion  68 . A plurality of ridges  70  extend lengthwise along at least a portion of the first surface  58  of the first extension member  32  in a similar manner as the ridges  54  extend along the first surface  42  of the first extension member  26  of the first corner piece  20  as shown in  FIG. 2 . A plurality of ridges  72  extend lengthwise along at least a portion of the first surface  62  of the second extension member  34  in a similar manner as the ridges  56  extend along the first surface  46  of the second extension member  28  of the first corner piece  20  substantially as shown in  FIG. 2 .  
      It should be understood that the cross-sectional configuration of the first extension member  26  of the first corner piece  20  and the first extension member  32  of the second corner piece  22  substantially correspond to the cross-sectional configuration of the passageways or hollow portions  38   a  and  38   b  of the frame member  16   a  and  16   b,  respectively, of the multi-component frame member  16 ; and the cross-sectional configuration of the second extension member  28  of the first corner piece  20  and the second extension member  34  of the second corner piece  22  substantially correspond to the cross-sectional configuration of the passageways or hollow portions  39   a  and  39   b,  respectively, of the frame member  14 . It should be noted that the first extension member  26  of the first corner piece  20  and the first extension member  32  of the second corner piece  22 , as well as the second extension member  28  of the first corner piece  20  and the second extension member  34  of the second corner piece  22 , may be provided with any cross-sectional configuration as long as the first extension members  26  and  32  of the first and second corner pieces  20  and  22 , respectively, can be matingly disposed in and frictionally stabilized in the passageways or hollow portions  38   a  and  38   b  of the frame members  16   a  and  16   b  of the multi-component frame member  16 , or in the passageways or hollow portions  39   a  and  39   b  of an adjacently disposed frame member  14 , and the second extension members  28  and  34  of the first and second corner pieces  20  and  22 , respectively, can be matingly disposed in and frictionally stabilized in frame member  14  or the frame members  16   a  and  16   b  of the multi-component frame member  16 , as the case may be.  
      As previously stated, the first and second corner pieces  20  and  22  are connected via the connector assembly  24 . The connector assembly  24  includes a male connector  76  and a female connector  78  constructed to matingly receive the male connector  76 . The male connector  76  extends from the intermediate member  30  of the first corner piece  20  ( FIG. 5 ); and the female connector  78  extends from the intermediate member  36  of the second corner piece  22  ( FIG. 2 ). The female connector  78  has a lug or body member  80  having an opening or passageway  84  for receiving the male connector  76 . That is, the female connector  78  of the second corner piece  22  is adapted to matingly receive the male connector  76  of the first corner piece  20  thereby forming a connection between the first corner piece  20  and the second corner piece  22 . The lug or body member  80  of the female connector  78  of the second corner piece  22  is provided with a length substantially corresponding to the distance between the first corner piece  20  and the second corner piece  22  when same are in the assembled condition so as to provide the connector assembly  24  with a substantially uniform and unbroken surface. The configuration of the male connector  76  and the female connector  78  may vary, as long as the female connector  78  is adapted to matingly receive the male connector  76  and the female connector  78  provides a substantially uniform and substantially unbroken surface between the first corner piece  20  and the second corner piece  22  when same are in an assembled, connected condition.  
      Referring again to  FIG. 1 , the frame  10  is shown as having three frame members  14  and one multi-component frame member  16  interconnected with four modular frame corners  18 . The frame members  14  and the multi-component frame member  16  function in an essentially similar manner by interconnecting with a plurality of modular frame corners  18  to form the frame  10 . It should be understood that the frame  10  may consist of a combination of any number of frame members  14  and multi-component frame members  16  so long as the interconnection of the frame members  14  and the multi-component frame member  16 , in combination with the modular frame corners  18 , provide sufficient rigidity to the frame  10  while enabling the frameable object  12  to be secured within the confines of the frame  10 . For example, the frame  10  may include four frame members  14  interconnected with four modular frame corners  18  to secure and display the frameable object  12 . The aforesaid combination and number of frame members  14  interconnected with the modular frame corners  18  are only representative and not limiting.  
      Referring more particularly to  FIG. 3 , the frame member  14  is shown as having a substantially H-shaped cross-sectional configuration. The frame member  14  is provided with the passageways or hollow portions  39   a  and  39   b  for matingly receiving the second extension members  28  and  34  of the first and second corner pieces  20  and  22 , respectively. The groove  15  extends inwardly into the frame member  14  a distance sufficient to secure the object  14  within the frame  10  in a stable position.  
      Referring more particularly to  FIG. 4 , the multi-component frame member  16  includes the frame member  16   a  and  16   b  which are substantially mirror images of one another. In a connected position the frame members  16   a  and  16   b  of the multi-component frame member  16  are disposed in a substantially parallel relationship so that the slot  17  is formed therebetween. The slot  17  between the frame members  16   a  and  16   b  permits the frameable object  12  to be slidingly inserted into and removed from the confines of the frame  10 .  
      It will be appreciated that the components of the frame  10  having the modular frame corners  18  as described herein are versatile and can be used to form many different configurations and sizes of the frame  10 . It will also be appreciated that while the frame  10  is shown to have three frame members  14  and one multi-component frame member  16  interconnected with four modular frame corners  18 , the frame  10  may consist of any number of frame members  14  or multi-component frame members  16  as long as the frame  10  rigidly secures and displays the frameable object  12 .  
      From the above description, it is clear that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objective and attain the advantages mentioned herein as well as those inherent in the invention. While presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described for purposes of the disclosure, it will be understood that numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are accomplished within the spirit of the invention disclosed.