Patent Publication Number: US-6705034-B1

Title: Display system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to frames for display of material such as photographs. 
     Many known photo frames are inconvenient in use because the photograph has to be inserted from the rear of the frame and it is not easy to ensure that the photograph is correctly positioned. This is a particular problem in the case where several photographs are linked together in a display on a wall and it becomes necessary to replace one of the photographs without removing the whole display. The problem also arises when a single photo frame is permanently attached to a wall or other display surface. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is thus concerned with provision of a frame for display of photographs and other material where ease of operation is combined with an arrangement which is visibly pleasing. 
     As background art we refer to DE 90 02 403 U and CA-A-2 089 443 each of which discloses a picture frame which can be accessed from the front, whereas U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,152 shows a picture frame having spacing links and being accessible from the back. 
     This then creates the problem that if in a multiple display, only one of several pictures needs to be changed, it is necessary to take the whole display off the wall. The present invention aims to solve this problem. 
     Accordingly the invention provides a display system for display of a plurality of pictures in frames, comprising a plurality of similar frames and a plurality of spacing links which are arranged to connect adjacent frames to one another in a spaced relationship, 
     each frame comprising a backing support having a locating means to receive and locate the sheet of display material to be displayed, 
     a transparent cover sheet for holding said display material in position while enabling said sheet to be visible 
     and a holding means for holding said transparent cover sheet in position, said holding means being removable from the front to enable said transparent cover sheet to be removable for replacement of said sheet of display material from the front of said frame. 
     The holding means can comprise corner pieces on the peripheral over frame, and these can be detachably attached by plastic snap-in inserts or by magnetic means to the backing support. 
     The backing support is preferably rectangular and includes at least two rectangular recesses to enable different sized sheets of display material to be accommodated for display. Thus different standard sizes of photographs can be accommodated. 
     When providing a display of linked similar frames, these can be held in a predetermined relationship. To achieve this, it is preferred to provide a series, for example five or seven, equi-spaced holes  12  along each side edge of the frame support, and spacing bars of substantially constant length can then be inserted in some of these holes, generally two per edge, to provide a linked display at predetermined spacings. The spacing bars can be held in the holes  12  via friction or with any well-known adhesive, for example. 
     A rectangular sheet of display material may be located by locating means defined by a shallow rectangular cavity of the same order of depth as the thickness of the display material. 
     In a preferred form of the invention the backing has at least two cavities of different sizes, for example different standard photograph sizes, where the smaller is located wholly within the larger in a stepped configuration. This enables different standard sizes of photographs to be accommodated within one frame, and in the case of the smaller photographs a border formed from part of the backing support will then normally be visible. 
     The invention therefore enables photographs or other material to be located quickly and easily from the front and to be held in place by removable pieces which can be designed to look pleasing in use. Moreover the rectangular cavity enables the photograph to be quickly and easily aligned. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of a photo frame; 
     FIG. 2 is a section on the lines X—X of FIG. 1 in an exploded assembly position; 
     FIG. 3 is a view of a peripheral over frame; 
     FIG. 4 shows a display of linked photo frames; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a corner piece; 
     FIG. 6 is an edge view of the backing support; 
     FIG. 7 is a fragmental view of part of the backing support; and 
     FIG. 8 is a sectional side view of the FIG. 3 peripheral over frame. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1 a backing support  1  of black plastics material shown in section in FIG. 2 incorporates two rectangular cavities  2 ,  3  of different standard dimension corresponding to that of two standard photograph sizes 13×17.5 cm and 10.2×16.5 cm with the smaller wholly within the larger in a stepped configuration (see FIG.  2 ). 
     Two triangular holding protuberances  4  are located in a peripheral groove  16  (not shown in FIG. 2) in an upstanding bead edge  4   a  of the frame support  1  (see FIG.  7 ), being inserted through a slot  17  formed through the beading  4   b  between the outer edge  18  of the frame and the peripheral groove  16 . A transparent cover  5  (see FIG. 2) overlies one or other of two photographs  6 ,  7  depending on whether a larger or smaller photograph is to be displayed, and the respective larger or smaller photograph locates in the respective larger or smaller rectangular cavity  2  or  3 . 
     Thus in use, one or other of the photographs is placed in the appropriate shallow cavity, the transparent plastic or glass cover  5  is placed over the photograph and then the holding protuberances  4  are finally pushed into position by being inserted through the beading  4   b  from the outside (see arrow in FIG. 7) to hold the photograph together. 
     Referring to FIGS. 3 and 8, a peripheral over frame  9  as an alternative to the protuberances  4  is used to hold the transparent cover  5  in position. This can be achieved by use of magnets  10  adhering to a metallic section of the backing frame or by plastic snap-in inserts on the underside (see FIG.  8 ). 
     In practice there is a mounting means such as a plurality of semi-circular holes  12  in each side edge of the photograph frame (see FIG.  6 ). This enables the frame to be mounted or supported in various ways. For example, a number of frames can be displayed in these holes  12  for linking to spaced adjacent photographs (see FIG.  4 ), or hooks can be inserted in the holes  12  for mounting the frame on a wall. 
     Finally FIG. 5 shows a third means of holding the glass cover in place. This consists of four triangular pieces having snap-in inserts  13  On their undersides which fit in corresponding holes (not shown) on corner regions of the upper face of the backing support  1 .