Photo Block

Abstract

A photo display device is constructed of a transparent, closed cube-shaped shell in which a side of the shell is removable, by sliding movement in the plane thereof, for mounting of pictures against all six interior surfaces of the shell.

Description

This invention relates to display devices in general, and more particularly relates to a polyhedron for the display of pictures.

In general, prior art polyhedron-type devices for displaying photographs of the same size as the polyhedron's faces were constructed with at least one face of the polyhedron which did not have provisions for mounting a photograph. Hence, the prior art photo display device could be used effectively in only a limited number of positions.

In the device of the instant invention, a transparent closed shell defined by a plurality of connected flat faces is constructed so that a photograph may be placed and held against each of the interior surfaces of the polyhedron. In the embodiment of the instant invention comprising a cube, one side of the cube may be dismounted to permit the picture to be placed against all interior surfaces. Thus, when the display device is being used, its value as a display device will be equally effective no matter which face the cube rests upon.

Accordingly, a primary object of the instant invention is to provide a novel construction for a polyhedron-type picture display device.

Another object is to provide a closed polyhedron-type picture display device in which it is convenient to place photographs, which are substantially the same size as the faces of the device, adjacent the inner surfaces of all faces.

Still another object is to provide a polyhedron-type picture display device in which a single face of the transparent outer shell is disconnectable from the remaining faces by sliding movement along the plane of the single face.

These objects as well as other objects of this invention will become readily apparent after reading the following description of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of a cube-shaped picture display device or photo block constructed in accordance with teachings of the instant invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective of the photo block of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation looking in the direction of arrows 3--3 of FIG. 1, with the rear face of the shell removed.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective of a triangular photo block.

Now referring to the figures and more particularly to FIGS. 1-3. Photo display device 10 is constructed of cube-shaped closed transparent plastic shell 11 wherein hollow cube-shaped plastic support block 12 is disposed. Shoulders 14, formed along all edges of support block 12, closely space the exterior faces of block 12 from the interior surfaces of cube 11, to provide clearance for the mounting of pictures or photographs 16 adjacent to all six interior surfaces of shell 11.

Five faces of shell 11 are fixedly secured together to form enclosure element 20 to which removable face or cover element 21 is mounted. Parallel guide grooves 22, 23 in shell element 20 receive complementary formations 24, 25 along opposite edges of cover element 21 to maintain elements 20, 21 in operative relationship and to permit these elements to be separated when it is desired to remove interior support block 12 for changing of any or all of the six pictures 16.

Photo display device 50 of FIG. 4 comprises a four-sided shell 51, each face of which is shaped as an equilateral triangle. Cover face element 52 is slidably removable from three-faced enclosure element 53. Complementary interlocking formations at 54, 55 serve to maintain the operative relationship between shell forming elements 52, 53.

Although in the foregoing this invention has been described in connection with preferred illustrative embodiments, many variations and modifications will now become apparent to those skilled in the art and it is therefore preferred that this invention not be limited by the preceding disclosure but only by the appended claims.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive privilege or property is claimed are defined as follows.

1. A picture display device comprising a closed shell defined by a plurality of connected flat transparent face sections, first means inside of said shell constructed to maintain individual pictures adjacent the interior surfaces of each of said sections, second means removably connecting a first of said sections to the remaining sections of said display device by mounting said first section for sliding movement in the plane thereof, said remaining sections being fixedly connected to define an enclosure which removably receives said first means, said first means comprising a hollow block having outer surfaces of substantially the same size and shape as the volume defined by the interior surfaces of said sections, said block having shoulders along all edges thereof to closely space the exterior faces of said block from the interior surfaces of said sections to provide shallow picture receiving pockets adjacent each of the interior surfaces of said sections.

2. A picture display device as set forth in claim 1, in which all of the face sections are substantially equal in size and for each of said sections the edges are of equal length.

3. A picture display device as set forth in claim 1, in which the number of said sections is four.

4. A picture display device as set forth in claim 3, in which said second means includes guide formations in said first section which cooperate with complementary guide formations in others of said sections, said first section being slidably removable along a path defined by said guide formations.

5. A picture display device as set forth in claim 1, in which the number of said sections is six.

6. A picture display device as set forth in claim 5, in which said second means includes guide formations in said first section which cooperate with complementary guide formations in others of said sections, said first section being slidably removable along a path defined by said guide formations.