U.S. patent application number 12/317463 was filed with the patent office on 2010-06-24 for picture frame message board.
This patent application is currently assigned to Umbra LLC. Invention is credited to Jason Nip.
Application Number | 20100154267 12/317463 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41022446 |
Filed Date | 2010-06-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100154267 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nip; Jason |
June 24, 2010 |
Picture frame message board
Abstract
A picture frame message board including a frame having an outer
perimeter, an inner perimeter, a window defined by the inner
perimeter, a front surface having at least two adjacent ridges
defining at least one grooves, wherein the frame is arranged to
hold and display a substantially planar item in the window, and the
at least two ridges are adapted to receive and secure a
substantially planar structure therebetween.
Inventors: |
Nip; Jason; (Toronto,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SIMPSON & SIMPSON, PLLC
5555 MAIN STREET
WILLIAMSVILLE
NY
14221-5406
US
|
Assignee: |
Umbra LLC
Buffalo
NY
|
Family ID: |
41022446 |
Appl. No.: |
12/317463 |
Filed: |
December 22, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
40/799 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 1/0616
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
40/799 |
International
Class: |
A47G 1/06 20060101
A47G001/06 |
Claims
1. A picture frame message board comprising: a frame having an
outer perimeter, an inner perimeter, a window defined by the inner
perimeter, a front surface comprising at least two adjacent ridges
defining at least one grooves, wherein the frame is arranged to
hold and display a substantially planar item in the window, and the
at least two ridges are adapted to receive and secure a
substantially planar structure therebetween.
2. The picture frame message board recited in claim 1 wherein the
front surface is non-planar.
3. The picture frame message board recited in claim 1 comprising a
plurality of adjacent ridges defining a plurality of grooves
therebetween, wherein every two adjacent ridges are adapted to
receive and secure a substantially planar structure
therebetween.
4. The picture frame message board recited in claim 1 further
comprising at least one tabbed object having at least one tab,
wherein the at least two ridges are adapted to receive and secure
the at least one tab such that the at least one tabbed object is
secured and displayed on the front surface.
5. The picture frame message board recited in claim 1 wherein the
substantially planar item is a photograph.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention broadly relates to picture frames and message
boards, and more particularly to a combination picture frame
message board.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Picture frames are well known. Generally, a picture frame
comprises a substantially rigid structure which defines a window
and is operatively arranged to hold and display a substantially
planar item, such as a photograph or other pictorial item, in the
window. Frames usually provide a decorative boarder around the
items displayed therein. However, a problem with such decorative
boarders is that they are immutable and not informative, i.e., a
user cannot readily change the appearance of the border nor can she
display messages or words thereon, for example, the name of a
person displayed in the window.
[0003] Message boards are also well known. Generally, message
boards comprise a corrugated front surface, i.e., a front surface
having a plurality of ridges defining a plurality of grooves
therebetween, wherein adjacent ridges are adapted to receive and
secure a substantially planar structure therebetween within the
groove. Tabbed objects, such as letters, are inserted between
adjacent ridges and displayed on the front surface, in order to
form words, messages and the like.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] A picture frame message board comprising: a frame having an
outer perimeter, an inner perimeter, a window defined by the inner
perimeter, a front surface comprising at least two adjacent ridges
defining at least one grooves, wherein the frame is arranged to
hold and display a substantially planar item in the window, and the
at least two ridges are adapted to receive and secure a
substantially planar structure therebetween.
[0005] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the at least two
ridges are adapted to receive and secure a tabbed object, such as a
tabbed letter, such that the tabbed object is secured and displayed
on the front surface.
[0006] A general object of the present invention is to provide a
frame for holding and displaying pictorial items, such as pictures
and photographs.
[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
picture frame with the means to display decorative objects on its
front surface.
[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
picture frame with the means to display messages on its front
surface, wherein such messages are arranged and selected by a
user.
[0009] These and other objects and advantages of the present
invention will be readily appreciable from the following
description of preferred embodiments of the invention and from the
accompanying drawings and claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The nature and mode of operation of the present invention
will now be more fully described in the following detailed
description of the invention taken with the accompanying drawing
figures of at least one exemplary embodiment thereof, in which:
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the picture frame message
board having a front surface and a window, shown displaying first
and second messages on the front surface and a picture in the
window;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the picture frame
message board;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along line
3-3 in FIG. 2;
[0014] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of area 4 shown in FIG. 3;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a back elevational view of the picture frame
message board;
[0016] FIG. 6 is a back perspective view of the picture frame
message board; and,
[0017] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a
tabbed object adapted to be inserted into the front surface of the
picture frame message board.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] At the outset, it should be appreciated that like drawing
numbers on different drawing views identify identical, or
functionally similar, structural elements of the invention. While
the present invention is described with respect to what is
presently considered to be the preferred aspects, it is to be
understood that the invention as claimed is not limited to the
disclosed aspects.
[0019] Furthermore, it is understood that this invention is not
limited to the particular methodology, materials and modifications
described and as such may, of course, vary. It is also understood
that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing
particular aspects only, and is not intended to limit the scope of
the present invention, which is limited only by the appended
claims.
[0020] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms
used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of
ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It
should be appreciated that the term "frame", when used herein,
refers generally to a substantially rigid structure for encasing,
holding, bordering, and/or defining an opening, such as, a window,
especially in the context of such a structure operatively arranged
to border, encase, or otherwise enclose a picture, mirror, etc. The
term "corrugate" and its derivatives such as "corrugated" and
"corrugation", when used herein, refer to a structural arrangement
comprising a plurality of ridges alternating with a plurality of
grooves defined thereby.
[0021] Although many methods, devices or materials similar or
equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or
testing of the invention, the preferred methods, devices, and
materials are now described.
[0022] Adverting now to the figures, FIG. 1 is a perspective view
of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention picture frame
message board, hereinafter referred to as frame 100 and a plurality
of tabbed objects 200. Frame 100 comprises outer perimeter 106,
inner perimeter 105, window 107 defined by inner perimeter 105, and
front surface 101. As shown in this figure, frame 100 is adapted to
hold and display a substantially planar item, such as picture 90,
in window 107.
[0023] Front surface 101 comprises a plurality of ridges 103 which
define at least one but, preferably, a plurality of grooves 104,
each of which terminates at groove surface 104A as shown in FIG. 7.
At least two adjacent ridges 103 of the plurality of ridges 103 are
adapted to secure a substantially planar structure therebetween,
within groove 104, by means of a frictional and/or mechanical
engagement between such substantially planar structure and the two
adjacent ridges 103. For example, the figures show a plurality of
tabbed objects 200, each of which comprises at least one tab 201,
which comprises a substantially planar structure. Tabs 201 may be
secured within groove 104, between adjacent ridges 103, by means of
a frictional and/or mechanical engagement between tab 201 and such
ridges 103, thereby supporting and displaying tabbed object 200 on
front surface 101. Moreover, a user may display messages on front
surface 101 when tabbed objects 200 are arranged as symbols such as
letters, as shown in FIG. 1 wherein a first plurality of tabbed
objects 200 are arranged as a first message, illustrated for the
sake of simplicity in the figure as "WORD A", and a second
plurality of tabbed objects 200 are arranged as a second message,
illustrated as "WORD B".
[0024] Preferably, front surface 101 is non-planar, as illustrated
in FIG. 3, which shows the curvature of front surface 101. Frame
100 includes back surface 108, which is preferably substantially
planar. Since front surface 101 is non-planar, and back surface 108
is substantially planar, frame 100 comprises a plurality of depths,
i.e., distances between the front surface and back surface. For
example, frame 100 includes first depth D1, second depth D2, and
third depth D3. In this embodiment, D1 is greater than D2, which is
greater than D3. Accordingly, when viewing front surface 101,
tabbed objects arranged at D1 will appear in the foreground
relative to those arranged at D2 and D1, and those arranged at D2
will appear in the foreground relative to those arranged at D1. By
providing a plurality of depths or at least a curved front surface
101, a user may differentially display tabbed objects 200 plurality
of messages by associating particular messages with particular
depths. For example, a user might choose to display the name of a
person shown in picture 90 at D1, and display a word describing
such person at D1.
[0025] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, frame 100 may comprise window
pane 120 and back panel 130, which are adapted to hold a
substantially planar item, such as photograph therebetween. When
frame 100 comprises window pane 120 and back panel 130, back
surface 108 preferably comprises recessed shoulder 113, which is
adapted to receive window pane 120 and back panel 130. Back panel
130 may comprise stand, which is arranged to pivot away from the
rest of back panel 130 and support frame 100 in a substantially
upright position when resting upon a horizontal surface.
Additionally, when frame 100 comprises window pane 120 and back
panel 130, back surface 108 preferably comprises a plurality of
recesses 109, which are arranged about the perimeter of recessed
shoulder 113 and are preferably coplanar with back panel 130 when
window pane 120 and back panel 130 are received therein. Moreover,
each recess 109 may include aperture 109B, which is arranged to
securely receive swing tab 109A, which is arranged to pivot with
aperture 109B and secure window pane 120 and back panel 130 within
frame 100.
[0026] Thus, it is seen that the objects of the present invention
are efficiently obtained, although modifications and changes to the
invention should be readily apparent to those having ordinary skill
in the art, which modifications are intended to be within the
spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. It also is understood
that the foregoing description is illustrative of the present
invention and should not be considered as limiting. Therefore,
other embodiments of the present invention are possible without
departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
* * * * *