U.S. patent application number 16/797878 was filed with the patent office on 2020-08-27 for clear mat for layered borderless frames and methods of making.
This patent application is currently assigned to Wexel Art. The applicant listed for this patent is Wexel Art. Invention is credited to Morgan Doherty, Natasha McRee.
Application Number | 20200268179 16/797878 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000004704720 |
Filed Date | 2020-08-27 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200268179 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Doherty; Morgan ; et
al. |
August 27, 2020 |
CLEAR MAT FOR LAYERED BORDERLESS FRAMES AND METHODS OF MAKING
Abstract
A clear mat is formed from a transparent or translucent
machinable material and has an opening dimensioned to receive an
article. The clear mat is sized to precisely match the width and
height of a borderless frame. The borderless frame has a front
panel and a back panel and is also made of a transparent or
translucent machinable material. The opening of the clear mat has a
thickness ranging from about 1/16 to about two inches. The clear
mat is sandwiched between the front and back panels of the
borderless frame with the article held in the opening without
having to touch the front panel. The clear mat can prevent dust or
foreign elements to come in contact with the article. The
borderless frame with the clear mat can be mounted on a wall using
mounting hardware through aligned holes in the clear mat and the
front and back panels.
Inventors: |
Doherty; Morgan; (Austin,
TX) ; McRee; Natasha; (Austin, TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Wexel Art |
Austin |
TX |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Wexel Art
|
Family ID: |
1000004704720 |
Appl. No.: |
16/797878 |
Filed: |
February 21, 2020 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62809322 |
Feb 22, 2019 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 1/0638
20130101 |
International
Class: |
A47G 1/06 20060101
A47G001/06 |
Claims
1. A clear mat, comprising: a body formed from a transparent or
translucent machinable material, the body having an interior
opening, four edges, and corner holes, the four edges machined to
precisely match edges of a front panel and a back panel of a
borderless frame, the borderless frame made of the transparent or
translucent machinable material, the corner holes sized to receive
mounting hardware therethrough and positioned in alignment with
corner holes in the front panel and the back panel of the
borderless frame, the interior opening having a width, a height,
and a depth to accommodate an article such that, when placed in the
interior opening of the clear mat between the front panel and the
pack panel of the borderless frame, the article is substantially
free from contacting the front panel of the borderless frame.
2. The clear mat of claim 1, wherein the depth of the interior
opening is in a range of about 1/16 of an inch to about two
inches.
3. The clear mat of claim 1, wherein the transparent or translucent
machinable material comprises glass, clear acrylic, clear plastic,
polymethyl methacrylate, or thermoplastic.
4. The clear mat of claim 1, wherein the interior opening has a
boxy shape, a circular shape, or a free form.
5. The clear mat of claim 1, wherein the article is thicker than a
flat sheet of paper or film.
6. The clear mat of claim 1, wherein the article is a record album,
a compact disc, textile, a book, a rug, a comic book, a photograph,
a piece of art, a calendar, or a puzzle.
7. The clear mat of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of
holes positioned along the four edges.
8. A borderless frame, comprising: a front panel having four edges
and corner holes; a back panel having four edges and corner holes;
and a clear mat having an interior opening, four edges, and corner
holes; wherein the front panel, the back panel, and the clear mat
are formed from a transparent or translucent machinable material;
wherein the four edges of the clear mat are machined to precisely
match the four edges of the front panel and of the back panel;
wherein the corner holes of the clear mat are sized to receive
mounting hardware therethrough and positioned in alignment with the
corner holes in the front panel and the back panel; and wherein the
interior opening of the clear mat has a width, a height, and a
depth to accommodate an article such that, when placed in the
interior opening of the clear mat between the front panel and the
pack panel, the article is substantially free from contacting the
front panel.
9. The borderless frame of claim 8, wherein the depth of the
interior opening of the clear mat is in a range of about 1/16 of an
inch to about two inches.
10. The borderless frame of claim 8, wherein the transparent or
translucent machinable material comprises glass, clear acrylic,
clear plastic, polymethyl methacrylate, or thermoplastic.
11. The borderless frame of claim 8, wherein the interior opening
has a boxy shape, a circular shape, or a free form.
12. The borderless frame of claim 8, wherein the article is thicker
than a flat sheet of paper or film.
13. The borderless frame of claim 8, wherein the article is a
record album, a compact disc, textile, a book, a rug, a comic book,
a photograph, a piece of art, a calendar, or a puzzle.
14. The borderless frame of claim 8, wherein each of the clear mat,
the front panel, and the back panel further comprises: a plurality
of holes positioned along the four edges.
15. A method of making the clear mat of claim 1, the method
comprising: determining a size of the borderless frame; determining
dimensions of the article; determining a size of the mounting
hardware; programming a precision cutting machine with a plurality
of input parameters, the plurality of input parameters including a
first input parameter for the four edges based on the size of the
borderless frame, a second input parameter for the interior opening
based on the dimensions of the article, and a third input parameter
for the corner holes based on the size of mounting hardware; and
operating the precision cutting machine on the transparent or
translucent machinable material to form the clear mat of claim
1.
16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: creating
a project with the plurality of input parameters, wherein the
operating further comprises executing the project.
17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the precision cutting
machine is a laser cutter or a computer numerical control
router.
18. A method of using the clear mat of claim 1, the method
comprising: securing two corners of the back panel, the clear mat,
and the front panel together using a first pair of the mounting
hardware through two of the corner holes, leaving one side of the
borderless frame open for access; placing the article in the
interior opening of the clear mat between the front panel and the
back panel; and securing remaining two corners of the back panel,
the clear mat, and the front panel together using a second pair of
the mounting hardware through remaining two of the corner
holes.
19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising: removing
the second pair of the mounting hardware from the borderless frame;
lifting the front panel; and retrieving the article from the
interior opening of the clear mat.
20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising: placing
the article back to the interior opening of the clear mat; and
reinstalling the second pair of the mounting hardware to secure the
article in the interior opening of the clear mat between the front
panel and the back panel of the borderless frame.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This is a conversion of, and claims a benefit of priority
under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(e) from, U.S. Provisional Application
No. 62/809,322, filed Feb. 22, 2019, entitled "CLEAR MAT FOR
LAYERED BORDERLESS FRAMES AND METHODS OF MAKING," which is fully
incorporated by reference herein for all purposes. This application
relates to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 29/681,199, filed Feb.
22, 2019, entitled "CLEAR MAT," which is also fully incorporated by
reference herein for all purposes.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] This disclosure relates generally to picture frames. More
particularly, this disclosure relates to borderless frames. Even
more particularly, embodiments disclosed herein relate to a clear
mat useful for double-panel or multi-layer framing of
three-dimensional books, art, and textiles.
BACKGROUND OF THE RELATED ART
[0003] A picture frame is a physical structure that encloses and
displays a generally planar or flat article. A mat is a sheet of
material usually placed around the article as a border to hold the
article in place so that the article can be observed or otherwise
seen through a viewing window of the picture frame. Different
styles of picture frames can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,960,573,
6,460,280, 6,865,837, 7,412,792, 8,365,452, and 9,380,892.
[0004] One of the many styles of picture frames is referred to as
"Borderless frames." Borderless frames are usually made from an
entirely glass, acrylic, or similarly clear or translucent
material, giving a frameless look when used.
[0005] With borderless frames, pictures are generally mounted
between transparent panels, which protect pictures from the front
and the back. The panel in the front is generally referred to as
the glazing panel. The panel in the back is generally referred to
as the backing or backer panel. Examples of different kinds of
borderless frames can be found in EP2222209B9 and GB2450379A.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0006] Embodiments disclosed herein provide a new approach to
structure clear acrylic, glass, or other clear, transparent, or
translucent machinable materials for borderless framing and
signage. This new approach is realized in a unique clear mat for
borderless frames, making them useful for framing more challenging
articles and meeting conservational requirements.
[0007] In some embodiments, a clear mat can be formed of a clear or
translucent material and cut to perfectly match the outer layer
panels (e.g., a front panel and a back panel), keeping the
"frameless" look that is desired. Holes may be formed to match any
mechanical or mounting hardware that must pass through the clear
mat to hold the framed package together.
[0008] The interior of the clear mat can be formed to exactly match
the border of the article or object (e.g., a piece of art or
textile) to be held or otherwise contained there-within. This
serves a dual-purpose--it serves to support the weight of the
framed object, allowing for the possibility of not having to adhere
the object to the back panel. It may also allow the object to
appear to float between layers without visible mounting techniques
such as sewing, taping or gluing.
[0009] The clear mat can be formed in a thinner or thicker profile
as needed. Optionally, it can be glued or using any appropriate
adhesion method to create a bonded set of panels that will not
allow air to pass through. To save cost and reduce weight, mats can
be formed with very thin profiles that are glued or bonded only
around the edges of either or both panels, and/or only around the
edges of the art. In some embodiments, the clear mat can be tightly
sandwiched between the panels but is not bonded or glued to any
panel.
[0010] These, and other, aspects of the disclosure will be better
appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the
following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be
understood, however, that the following description, while
indicating various embodiments of the disclosure and numerous
specific details thereof, is given by way of illustration and not
of limitation. Many substitutions, modifications, additions, and/or
rearrangements may be made within the scope of the disclosure
without departing from the spirit thereof, and the disclosure
includes all such substitutions, modifications, additions, and/or
rearrangements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The drawings accompanying and forming part of this
specification are included to depict certain aspects of the
invention. A clearer impression of the invention, and of the
components and operation of systems provided with the invention,
will become more readily apparent by referring to the exemplary,
and therefore non-limiting, embodiments illustrated in the
drawings, wherein identical reference numerals designate the same
components. Note that the features illustrated in the drawings are
not necessarily drawn to scale.
[0012] FIG. 1A depicts a diagrammatic representation of an example
of a clear mat according to some embodiments.
[0013] FIG. 1B depicts a profile view of the clear mat shown in
[0014] FIG. 1A.
[0015] FIG. 2A depicts a diagrammatic representation of an example
of a clear mat in use with a borderless frame.
[0016] FIG. 2B depicts an exploded view of the borderless frame
with the clear mat shown in FIG. 2A.
[0017] FIG. 3A depicts a diagrammatic representation of another
example of a clear mat according to some embodiments.
[0018] FIG. 3B depicts the clear mat of FIG. 3A in use with a
borderless frame.
[0019] FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a method
of making a clear mat disclosed herein.
[0020] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an example of mounting a
borderless frame with a clear mat disclosed herein.
[0021] FIGS. 6-8 depict diagrammatic representations of examples of
a clear mat having a custom opening according to some
embodiments.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] The invention and the various features and advantageous
details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the
non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying
drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of
well-known starting materials, processing techniques, components,
and equipment are omitted so as not to unnecessarily obscure the
invention in detail. It should be understood, however, that the
detailed description and the specific examples, while indicating
some embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration
only and not by way of limitation. Various substitutions,
modifications, additions, and/or rearrangements within the spirit
and/or scope of the underlying inventive concept will become
apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.
[0023] Several challenges exist for making and using borderless
frames. For instance, for reasons of conservation, fine arts should
not be pressed flat against the glazing panel because they may
become stuck together over time. This conservation principle
applies whenever an article is at risk of adhering to the surface
of the glazing panel over time (e.g., due to humidity in the
environment where the article is displayed).
[0024] To prevent an accidental adhesion between the article and
the glazing panel, a gap between the glazing panel and the article
is needed to allow the glazing panel to "float" above and does not
touch the article. However, such a gap is not desirable for a
borderless frame as the gap can make the article less secure, and
can allow dust and other elements (e.g., insects, hair, fiber,
etc.) to easily enter between the glazing and backing panels. Thus,
conventional borderless frames generally are not suitable for use
in displaying fine art or any article that cannot or should not
have direct contact with the glazing panel.
[0025] Another challenge relates to the type of articles that a
borderless frame can accommodate. Because a borderless frame is
usually made of two panels, they are ideal for holding generally
planar (flat) articles such as a flat sheet of paper, picture, or
photograph. However, art and textiles are often thicker than a flat
sheet of paper. As such, when an article that is thicker than a
flat sheet of paper or film is placed between the glazing panel and
the backing panel, the article (e.g., a record album, a CD, a rug,
a piece of textile, a piece of art such as a three-dimensional art,
an oil painting, etc.) will create a gap between the panels. Again,
such a gap is not desirable for a borderless frame as the gap
allows dust and other elements to easily enter between the glazing
and backing panels and accumulate on and/or stick to the article.
For these reasons, borderless frames are generally not suitable for
showcasing non-planar articles.
[0026] Further, while existing methods of matting have been
developed for traditional picture framing, for instance, with
opaque moulding, opaque matting, opaque backing, etc., the same
cannot be said for borderless framing. Indeed, in the more
contemporary style of clear and frameless framing, fewer solutions
exist that solve the aforementioned conservational problem of not
allowing an article to come in contact with the glazing panel when
the article is mounted between the two clear panels.
[0027] A prior approach uses spacers around the mounting hardware
to create a gap between the two clear panels. This approach does
not solve the problem in that the gap thus created by the spacers
also creates a void that allows dust and other elements to enter in
between the two clear panels and settle on and/or stick to the
article.
[0028] The same technique may be used to intentionally create a gap
between two panels when a borderless frame is used to frame thicker
articles. However, an additional challenge exists due to the weight
of a thicker article. The heavier an article is, the harder it can
be for a borderless frame to support the article because there is
less friction between the glazing and backing panels of the
borderless frame.
[0029] Another prior approach uses clear or translucent moulding
where a rebate (or rabbet, which is a recess or groove cut into the
edge of a piece of machinable material) is routed into a thicker
slab of acrylic, and glazing is dropped into the rebate much like
traditional framing.
[0030] Yet another approach uses five-sided clear shadowboxes
mounted over a backer substrate to create a case around three
dimensional objects.
[0031] However, these approaches can be expensive, difficult to
make, and the resulting display apparatuses do not have the same
appearance of a clear borderless, frameless frame in which an
article held by the frame seems to be floating or suspended in
air.
[0032] In view of the challenges for clear borderless frames and
the drawbacks of prior approaches, embodiments disclosed herein
provide a new approach to structure clear acrylic, glass, or other
clear, transparent, or translucent machinable materials for
borderless framing and signage.
[0033] As alluded to above, this new approach is realized in a
unique clear mat for borderless frames, making them useful for
framing more challenging articles and meeting conservational
requirements. Various embodiments of the clear mat and methods of
making and using the clear mat will now be described with
references to the drawings.
[0034] FIG. 1A depicts a diagrammatic representation of a clear mat
100. As illustrated in FIG. 1A, clear mat 100 can have four edges,
four corners, an interior opening 110, and four or more corner
holes 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120d. Additional holes (e.g., 120e,
120f, 120i, 120j) can be positioned between 120a, 120b, between
120b, 120d, between 120c, 120d, or between 120a, 120c, as shown in
FIG. 1A.
[0035] Alternatively or additionally, any number of holes in the
perimeter of clear mat 100 can be added. Clear mat 100 can be
formed from a single sheet, piece, or slab of clear, transparent,
or translucent durable machinable material, such as poly(methyl
methacrylate) (PMMA) (e.g., acrylic, Plexiglas.RTM., etc.), glass,
or any transparent thermoplastic, and so on.
[0036] Interior opening 110 is dimensioned to receive or otherwise
accommodate an article (e.g., a book, a comic book, a photograph, a
certificate, an award, etc.). In the example of FIGS. 1A and 1B,
the dimensions of interior opening 110 can be defined by a height
(H), a width (W), and a depth (D).
[0037] FIG. 2A depicts a diagrammatic representation of an example
of a clear mat 203 sandwiched between a front panel 201 and a back
panel 202 of a borderless frame 200. In the example of FIG. 2A,
borderless frame 200 is mounted to wall 280 through corner holes
220 and a set of four mounting screws 250.
[0038] As illustrated in FIG. 2A, an interior opening 210 of clear
mat 203 creates an interior space between front panel 201 and back
panel 202, allowing borderless frame 200 to hold an article, while
the body of clear mat 203 is tightly coupled to front panel 201 and
back panel 202 without leaving any space or gap that might allow
dust, insects, or other particles to settle on or come in contact
with the article.
[0039] In some embodiments, the interior space created by interior
opening 210 of clear mat 203 can have a thickness ranging from
approximately 1/16 inch to 2-inch without risking the article
getting stuck to front panel 301 over time or allowing dust to
settle on the article. This thickness allows the article to be
positioned in interior opening 210 of clear mat 203 without having
to come in contact with front panel 201, making borderless frame
200 useful for conservational purposes.
[0040] FIG. 2B depicts an exploded view of the borderless frame
with the clear mat shown in FIG. 2A. As illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2B,
front panel 201, back panel 202, and clear mat 203 are all made of
a clear material, allowing the article to appear as if it is
floating or suspended in air without any border or frame.
[0041] FIG. 3A depicts a diagrammatic representation of another
example of a clear mat 300 according to some embodiments. Similar
to clear mat 100 and clear mat 203 described above, clear mat 300
has four corner holes 320 sized to accommodate fasteners or
mounting hardware.
[0042] In the example of FIG. 3A, clear mat 303 can have an
interior opening 310 that is dimensioned to receive or otherwise to
accommodate an article having a circular shape and a profile
thicker than a sheet of paper (e.g., a record, a CD, etc.).
According to embodiments disclosed herein, the shape and dimensions
of an interior opening of a clear mat can be defined by the shape
and dimensions of an article for which the clear mat is made to
accommodate.
[0043] As a non-limiting example, an article can have a thickness
in the range of about 1/16 of an inch to about two inches.
Accordingly, the interior opening of a clear mat disclosed herein
can have a depth that accommodates thicknesses in the range of
about 1/16 inch to about two inches.
[0044] FIG. 3B depicts clear mat 300 sandwiched between a front
panel 301 and a back panel 302 of a borderless frame 330. Each of
front panel 301, back panel 302, and clear mat 300 has four corner
holes 320 sized to accommodate mounting hardware 350. AS shown in
FIG. 3B, corner holes 320 are positioned on each of front panel
301, back panel 302, and clear mat 300 has four corner holes 320 so
that they are aligned. The interior opening of clear mat 300 is
dimensioned to accommodate an article 390 (e.g., a phonograph
record), leaving no gap around the perimeters of borderless frame
330. Since front panel 301, back panel 302, and clear mat 300 are
all made of a clear, transparent material, when borderless frame
330 is mounted on a wall, article 390 would appear to float in
front of the wall.
[0045] In some embodiments, the four edges of the clear mat
disclosed herein are machined to precisely match the edges of a
front panel and a back panel of a borderless frame. Likewise, the
four corner holes of the clear mat disclosed herein are machined to
match the size and alignment of the corner holes in the front panel
and the back panel which, in turn, are sized to receive or
otherwise accommodate mounting hardware such as mounting screws.
Alternatively or additionally, different styles of hardware (e.g.,
clamps) may be used along the edges of a frame.
[0046] FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a method
of making a clear mat disclosed herein. In some embodiments, method
400 can include determining the size of the double-panel of a
borderless frame (401). The borderless frame may already exist and
need a clear mat. With an existing borderless frame, the outer
edges of the clear mat are sized to precisely match those of the
existing borderless frame. Alternatively, the borderless frame and
the clear mat can be made contemporaneously.
[0047] Equally important is the size of the article to be held or
otherwise contained by the borderless frame. Accordingly, method
400 may further comprise determining the dimensions of the article
(405).
[0048] Further, the type and size of mounting hardware might need
to be determined as they are deterministic to the size and position
of the corner holes of the clear mat (410). For an existing
borderless frame, this step can entail matching the size and
position of the corner holes already in the front and back panels
of the borderless frame which, in some embodiments, can be part of
step 401. In that scenario, it is not necessary to separately
determine the type and size of the mounting hardware that will be
used to mount the borderless frame. Moreover, while method 400 is
shown in FIG. 4 in a certain order, steps 401, 405, 410, and 415
need not take place in the exact order shown in FIG. 4. For
instance, one can first determine what clear machinable material
should be used as the body for the clear mat (415).
[0049] Once all the parameters needed to create a clear mat have
been determined (401-415), method 400 can comprise programming a
precision cutting machine with the determined parameters for the
outer edges, the interior opening, and the corner holes of the
clear mat (420). This may entail creating a project in a laser
cutter, a computer numerical control (CNC) router, or any suitable
precision cutting machine capable of cutting clear durable
machinable materials such as those described above. While this
material can be cut using saws, drills, etc., precision
laser-cutting provides the ability to precisely match existing
shapes.
[0050] As an example, the edges of the clear mat can be defined to
match exactly those of the front and back panels of the borderless
frame; the dimensions of the interior opening of the clear mat can
be defined to accommodate the dimensions of the article to be held
by the borderless frame; and the size of the corner holes can be
defined to accommodate that of the mounting hardware or to match
exactly the size of the corner holes of the front and back panels
of the borderless frame.
[0051] With the parameters of the project defined, method 400 can
comprise operating the precision cutting machine to execute the
project and create the clear mat from the clear machinable material
(425). In embodiments where a laser cutter is used, the clear mat
thus created can have very few chips and scratches since the laser
does not actually touch the clear material like a drill or saw
would.
[0052] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating a non-limiting example
of mounting a borderless frame with a clear mat disclosed herein.
In some embodiments, method 500 can comprise securing two corners
of a borderless frame using two sets of screws through holes that
are aligned in the corners of the front panel, the clear mat, and
the back panel (501). The invention works for wall mounted and
free-standing frames. For a wall mounted frame, this step can
entail mounting a back panel, a clear mat, and a front panel of the
frame to a wall using two sets of mounting screws. For a
free-standing frame such as a clear tabletop frame, this step can
entail securing a back panel, a clear mat, and a front panel of the
clear tabletop frame together using two sets of screws or any
suitable fasteners. This leaves one side of the borderless frame
open for access.
[0053] Accordingly, method 500 can further comprise inserting an
article into the interior space created by the clear mat between
the front panel and the back panel (505). As described above, the
clear mat is structured to have an interior opening that is
dimensioned to receive or otherwise accommodate the dimensions of
the article. Thus, when the clear mat is sandwiched between the
front panel and the back panel, the interior opening of the clear
mat is enclosed by the front panel and the back panel, creating the
interior space that is perfectly suited for holding and enclosing
the article.
[0054] Once the article is inserted or otherwise placed in the
interior space created by the clear mat, the remaining two corners
of the borderless frame can be secured (e.g., to the wall or to
each other) using the remaining two sets of screws or fasteners
through the aligned corner holes in the front panel, the clear mat,
and the back panel (510). In some embodiments, the clear mat is not
glued or otherwise bonded to the double-panel. This allows easy
access to the article by removing two sets of mounting screws from
the borderless frame and lifting the front panel to retrieve the
article.
[0055] Those skilled in the art appreciate that a borderless frame
with a clear mat disclosed herein can be assembled in many ways. As
another non-limiting example, during assembly, a clear mat is
placed on top of a back panel, an article is placed in the interior
opening of the clear mat, and a front panel is positioned over the
clear mat and the article. The back panel, the clear mat, and the
front panel are aligned and all fasteners are secured. For ease of
disassembly, two of the fasteners may remain in place, while
remaining fasteners are loosened or removed to allow easy removal
of the article.
[0056] The degree of disassembly or reassembly of a borderless
frame containing a clear mat (with respect to the number of
fasteners loosened and/or removed) can depend on the rigidity of
the article to be inserted into or removed from the interior
opening of the clear mat. For instance, non-rigid items such as
textiles and paper certificate, more rigid items like softcover
books, and very rigid items such as vinyl records can be assembled,
disassembled, and/or reassembled with all or some of the fasteners
loosened and/or removed. This versatility is possible due to the
presence of a clear mat disclosed herein.
[0057] The invention is an improvement to previous solutions
because it is tailored to the unique challenges of frameless clear
panel framing. It maintains the desired aesthetic of borderless
framing, while solving the conservational problems created when the
objects are too thick for the sandwich method, but not thick enough
to warrant using a clear display box. It can also improve the
conservational quality of framing, by holding the top layer of
glazing off of the art, while maintaining a frameless or borderless
appearance. During the production of framing the object, these mats
also ensure the object will be properly placed (e.g., straight and
centered) within the frame, greatly reducing assembly time that is
usually taken by measuring and leveling an object relative to a
frame. It may also decrease or eliminate the need for further
mounting or adhering.
[0058] One example is using the clear mats to frame record albums.
The record album rests within the inside space of the clear mat,
and may be quickly and easily removed in order to play the record,
since no adhesives are required in mounting. The record is held
upright and pressed flat in its optimal storage position while
framed. The person using the frame does not have to measure
anything to ensure proper placement of the record album when it is
returned to the frame.
[0059] Other examples include framing a book that may be removed
for reading, framing a calendar that may be removed to turn a page,
or framing puzzles that may be removed for use and reinstalled.
[0060] Embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in many
ways. For instance, the clear acrylic panel assembly can be flipped
around for viewing the back of an article or articles (e.g., book
jackets). The clear mat allows the article to remain positioned
without disassembly. Further, as discussed above, the shape and
dimensions of an interior opening of a clear mat can be defined by
the shape and dimensions of an article. Thus, the interior opening
of the clear mat can have uneven borders. FIGS. 6-8 show various
examples of a clear mat. FIG. 6 shows a clear mat 600 having an
interior opening 610 with an irregular shape and uneven borders.
FIG. 7 shows a clear mat 700 having an interior opening 710 with a
boxy shape positioned off-center from the edges of clear mat 700.
FIG. 8 shows a clear mat 800 having an interior opening 810 with a
freeform shape.
[0061] The detailed description and the specific examples disclosed
herein, while indicating some embodiments, are given by way of
illustration only and not by way of limitation. Furthermore,
descriptions of known materials and manufacturing techniques may be
omitted so as not to unnecessarily obscure the disclosure in
detail. Various substitutions, modifications, additions and/or
rearrangements within the spirit and/or scope of the underlying
inventive concept will become apparent to those skilled in the art
from this disclosure and the accompanying drawings.
[0062] As used herein, the terms "comprises," "comprising,"
"includes," "including," "has," "having," or any other variation
thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion. For
example, a process, product, article, or apparatus that comprises a
list of elements is not necessarily limited only those elements but
may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such
process, process, article, or apparatus.
[0063] Furthermore, the term "or" as used herein is generally
intended to mean "and/or" unless otherwise indicated. For example,
a condition A or B is satisfied by any one of the following: A is
true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or
not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true
(or present). As used herein, including the accompanying
appendices, a term preceded by "a" or "an" (and "the" when
antecedent basis is "a" or "an") includes both singular and plural
of such term, unless clearly indicated otherwise (i.e., that the
reference "a" or "an" clearly indicates only the singular or only
the plural). Also, as used in the description herein and in the
accompanying appendices, the meaning of "in" includes "in" and "on"
unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0064] It will also be appreciated that one or more of the elements
depicted in the drawings/figures can also be implemented in a more
separated or integrated manner, or even removed or rendered as
inoperable in certain cases, as is useful in accordance with a
particular application. Additionally, any signal arrows in the
drawings/Figures should be considered only as exemplary, and not
limiting, unless otherwise specifically noted. The scope of the
present disclosure should be determined by the following claims and
their legal equivalents.
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